[Video-assisted thoracic surgery for pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer].

The effect of surgical procedures for survival of cases with pulmonary metastasis from colorectal cancer was examined retrospectively. In the literature, some factors such as timing of surgery, numbers of metastases, site of laterality, lesion in lymph nodes, extra-pulmonary metastases and serum CEA level have been considered to exert influence on surgical treatment for pulmonary metastasis of colorectal cancer. On the other hand, no significant differences have been in the literature and our hospital found between open thoracotomy and thoracoscopic surgery, lobectomy and limited resection, and with and without lymph node dissection.

Clinical significance of preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level for clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer: can preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level predict pathological stage?

The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively analyze the clinicopathological characteristics and clarify whether or not the preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level could be used as a decision-making factor as an adjunct to the TNM staging system in patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Between 1993 and 2006, 815 patients who had clinical stage I NSCLC were analyzed retrospectively. The CEA level was defined as being either normal (CEA30 ng/ml) sub-groups.

Clinical significance of pleural lavage cytology for non-small cell lung cancer: is surgical resection valid for patients with positive pleural lavage cytology?

The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively analyze the clinicopathological characteristics and clarify the validity of surgical resection for patients with positive pleural lavage cytology (PLC). Between 1993 and 2006, 563 patients who underwent complete surgical resection for primary non-small cell lung cancer and who were examined with regard to PLC were retrospectively analyzed. Forty-two patients (7.

A malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the mediastinum in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1: report of a case.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is rare, but its association with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is well known. A 56-year-old man with NF1 was referred to our hospital for investigation of dyspnea. Computed tomography showed a huge mass occupying the right thorax and invading the inferior vena cava.

Novel method for bulla detection with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax.

Detection of bullae is usually performed during lung inflation with an inspiratory hold in collaboration with anesthetists (conventional method). One cause leading to recurrent pneumothorax is failure to detect the position and extent of bullae under the conventional method. We herein present a novel method for detecting bullae under negative intrathoracic pressure, enabling exploration in the narrow cupola space without lung inflation.