Ex Vivo Expanded and Activated Natural Killer Cells Prolong the Overall Survival of Mice with Glioblastoma-like Cell-Derived Tumors.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the leading malignant intracranial tumor and is associated with a poor prognosis. Highly purified, activated natural killer (NK) cells, designated as genuine induced NK cells (GiNKs), represent a promising immunotherapy for GBM. We evaluated the anti-tumor effect of GiNKs in association with the programmed death 1(PD-1)/PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint pathway.

[Effectiveness of Osimertinib for Postoperative Recurrence of Lung Cancer with L861Q Activating EGFR Mutation:Report of a Case].

A 69-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of an abnormal shadow on a chest roentgenogram at a medical check-up. Chest computed tomography showed a 2.5 cm-diameter tumor in the right pulmonary lower lobe.

Implications of Preoperative Transbronchial Lung Biopsy for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Less than 3-cm.

Background/aim: Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) has been recommended for patients with suspected lung cancer. However, its diagnostic value is limited to small lesions, and some studies have indicated that biopsy might be related to metastasis and/or dissemination. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes after preoperative TBLB for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Surgical treatment for secondary spontaneous pneumothorax: a risk factor analysis.

Purpose: While surgery is an effective treatment for secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP), it can be difficult, because affected patients are usually in a poor general condition. The present study investigated the risk factors of postoperative complications after surgery for SSP.

Methods: Eighty-eight patients with SSP who underwent surgery from January 2006 to March 2018 were investigated.

Status of pleural lavage cytology in cases of pulmonary metastasis: a single-institution retrospective study.

Objective: In primary lung cancer surgery, intraoperative pleural lavage cytology (PLC) has been identified as a prognostic marker. However, there have been no reports on PLC for pulmonary metastasectomies. Therefore, the impact of PLC status for patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy remains unknown.

Preoperative Detection of Pleural Adhesions Using Ultrasonography for Ipsilateral Secondary Thoracic Surgery Patients.

Background/aim: Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for ipsilateral reoperations is challenging because of the potential for pleural adhesions. Insertion of the initial port can lead to lung injury because of the blinded intrathoracic area. We assessed the usefulness of ultrasonography before VATS to reduce the incidence of lung injury at the time of the initial port insertion during secondary ipsilateral VATS.

[Preoperative Detection of Pleural Adhesions Using Transthoracic Ultrasonography].

Recently, there has been an increase in the experience of lung surgery in cases with a history of thoracotomy or pneumonia. In these cases, pleural adhesion is often seen and makes the surgery to be difficult. Especially in thoracoscopic surgery, lung damage must be care at the 1st port insertion.

Isolation and culture of pleural mesothelial cells.

Although the isolation of rat and mouse mesothelial cells has previously been reported, most mesothelial cells used for experimental studies are obtained from peritoneal cells. Here, we describe an optimized method for the isolation and propagation of rodent pleural mesothelial cells without the requirement for specialized surgical techniques. To harvest pleural mesothelial cells, the pleural space of 8-9-week-old rats or older mice was filled with 0.

Ultrasonography for Detecting Adhesions: Aspirin Continuation for Lung Resection Patients.

Background/aim: Aspirin reduces cardiovascular disease and/or stroke risks. However, perioperative aspirin use remains controversial. We assessed the efficacy of ultrasonography to facilitate video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).

Effect of covering with cross-linked gelatin glue on tissue regeneration in a rat lung injury model.

Objectives: Thoracic reintervention is a common treatment; however, preventing adhesion of the lung to the thoracic cavity wall remains a problem. This study aimed to investigate the effect on pleural adhesion of covering the postoperative pleural injury site with cross-linked gelatin glue (gelatin plus glutaraldehyde, hereafter 'gelatin glue') and to evaluate the proliferation of healing cells on gelatin glue.

Methods: We created a rat incisional lung-wound model and compared the effects of sealing the wound with gelatin glue (group A, n = 5), fibrin glue (group B, n = 5) or fibrin glue with a polyglycolic acid sheet (group C, n = 5).

Prognostic impact of underlying lung disease in pulmonary wedge resection for lung cancer.

Background: Pulmonary wedge resection is an option for lung cancer patients with limited cardiopulmonary preservation. As the impact of underlying lung status on the prognosis of such patients remains unclear, we assessed this issue.

Methods: A total of 149 borderline surgical candidates with localized lung cancer who had undergone wedge resection were retrospectively investigated.

Clinical and pathological characteristics of surgically resected intrapulmonary lymph nodes: Can they be differentiated from other malignant nodules?

Background: Intrapulmonary lymph nodes (IPLNs) are often recognized as sub-centimeter solid pulmonary nodules (SCPNs). The present study investigated their clinical and pathological characteristics to allow clinicians to distinguish them from malignant nodules.

Methods: Among 194 SCPNs surgically resected between 2006 and 2016, 26 IPLNs were investigated histopathologically.

Endobronchial Watanabe Spigots for Treatment of Pyopneumothorax due to Nontuberculous Mycobacteriosis in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report Based on Past Experience.

Nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease sometimes causes pneumothorax and empyema, which are often intractable because of patients' background factors. Biological products used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis have caused the problem of an increase in infection rates as a side effect, one of which is nontuberculous mycobacteriosis (NTM). On the basis of past experience, we report the case of a patient who had a history of undergoing treatment with biological products against rheumatoid arthritis.

Induction of lung-like cells from mouse embryonic stem cells by decellularized lung matrix.

Decellularization of tissues is a recently developed technique mostly used to provide a 3-dimensional matrix structure of the original organ, including decellularized lung tissues for lung transplantation. Based on the results of the present study, we propose new utilization of decellularized tissues as inducers of stem cell differentiation. Decellularized lung matrix (L-Mat) samples were prepared from mouse lungs by SDS treatment, then the effects of L-Mat on differentiation of ES cells into lung cells were investigated.

[Prognostic Significance of Mode of Nodal Involvement in Pulmonary pN1 Squamous Cell Carcinoma].

According to the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) classification of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), N factor is defined by the anatomic extent of the metastatic lymph nodes, but is not related to the metastatic pattern. N1 is defined as "metastasis in ipsilateral peribronchial and/or ipsilateral hilar lymph nodes and intrapulmonary nodes, including involvement by direct extension". Lymph node involvement is one of the most important prognosistic factors in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

A no-touch technique for pulmonary wedge resection of lung cancer.

Objective: Many of the surgical patients with lung cancer die by metastasis originated from circulating tumor cells (CTCs) which are seeds of metastases. A ring-shaped catching forceps, which generates the great pressure by compression, may reduce the risk of tumor cell spreading. Here, we investigated the efficacy of such forceps based on CTC occurrence.

Surgical Treatment for Pulmonary Metastasis of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Study of 12 Cases.

Background/aim: Few studies have reported results with pulmonary metastasectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), probably because of their extremely poor outcomes. The aim of this study was to review our institutional experience and analyze the outcomes of pulmonary metastasectomy for PDAC.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective case-control study of patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy for isolated lung metastasis of PDAC between 2004 and 2016.

Low-voltage coagulation, polyglycolic acid sheets, and fibrin glue to control air leaks in lung surgery.

Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of low-voltage coagulation (LVC) with polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets (Neoveil, GUNZE Ltd., Japan) and fibrin glue to control intraoperative alveolar air leaks after lung surgery.

Methods: We included 176 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomies.

[Resection of a Posterior Mediastinal Tumor Using Intraoperative Motor Evoked Potential Monitoring;Report of a Case].

A 20-year-old man with a posterior mediastinal tumor incidentally found on a chest X-ray was referred to our hospital. Chest computed tomography showed a 3 cm nodule located on the left side of the 10-11th thoracic vertebra, where the artery of Adamkiewicz is presumed to arise. He underwent left thoracotomy to remove the lesion.

Rapid progression of solitary fibrous tumor after induction of hemodialysis.

A 42-year-old male patient presented in 2002 with a solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) arising from the visceral pleura of the right lung. Thoracic surgery was performed to remove the tumor. A second operation to remove a recurrent tumor on the parietal pleura of the right thorax was performed in 2010.

Less Invasive Approach to Pancoast Tumor in a Partitioned Incision.

We describe our approach to resect a Pancoast tumor with thoracoscopic assistance in a partitioned incision. We used the LigaSure vessel-sealing system under thoracoscopy in chest wall resection for Pancoast tumor. This approach is of great utility: easy-to use and less invasive for Pancoast tumor resection.

[Primary Pulmonary Synovial Sarcoma Confirmed by Demonstration of SYT-SSX Fusion Gene Translocation by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization].

A 58-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to a mass shadow noted on a chest X-ray. Chest computed tomography showed a 3 cm nodule in the left lung. Thoracoscopic left upper lobectomy was performed to remove the lesion, and the postoperative diagnosis was primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma according to the histology and SYT-SSX gene analysis.

[Non Small Cell Lung Cancer with Mycosis Fungoides].

77-year-old man having a history of mycosis fungoides was admitted to our hospital with abnormal shadow in his chest computed tomography(CT). Chest CT showed a 1 cm nodule in the left lung. Left lung wedge resection was performed to remove the lesion, and the postoperative histological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma, primary lung cancer.

Minodronic Acid in Combination with γδT Cells Induces Apoptosis of Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma Cell Lines.

Background/aim: Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Recent studies showed that nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs) directly and indirectly prevent proliferation, induce apoptosis, and inhibit metastasis of various types of cancer cell. In order to investigate the effect of combining minodronic acid (MDA) with γδ T-cells, NSCLC cells were treated with five concentrations of MDA.

Lobectomy for a mediastinal basal pulmonary artery.

Anatomical variations of the pulmonary artery increase the risks for vessel injury and critical mistakes during pulmonary artery resection. The mediastinal basal pulmonary artery is a rare branch abnormality and is the first branch of the pulmonary artery to flow into the basal segment. We report a patient who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) right lower lobectomy for lung cancer with a mediastinal basal pulmonary artery.