OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical value of (99m)Tc-Pingyangmycin (PYM) imaging for the diagnosis of primary lung cancer.

METHODSRadionuclide (99m)Tc-Pingyangmycin (PYM) imaging was performed in 56 patients with pulmonary lesions.

RESULTSThe uptake ratio and retention index (RI) were different in malignant and benign lesions. With the delayed ratio regarded as the threshold for lung cancer, the overall accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of (99m)Tc-PYM in the diagnosis of lung cancer were 82.1%, 82.7% and 80%, respectively. If RI was regarded as the threshold, the overall accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 94.6%, 93% and 100%, respectively. There was no significant difference among different histological types of the lung carcinoma.

CONCLUSION(99m)Tc-PYM, as a good imaging agent, is useful in differentiating malignant lung lesions from benign ones.

Adult ; Bleomycin ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Technetium ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of biweekly paclitaxel and platinum chemotherapy followed by surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data of 20 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated in our hospital between January 2012 and March 2016. All patients received biweekly paclitaxel and platinum chemotherapy followed by surgery. Results: 20 cases received preoperative chemotherapy for 3-8 cycles with an average of 4 cycles. The main chemotherapy-related adverse events were bone marrow suppression (18/20, 90.0%), followed by vomiting and nausea (10/20, 50.0%). Five patients (25.0%) had grade 4 neutropenia and all toxicities were torlerable and manageable. After chemotherapy, all patients received surgery. The histological responses in the primary tumors were grade 1 in 13 (65.0%) patients, grade 2 in 7 (35.0%) patients, and grade 3 in 0 (0%) patient. None had disease progression. Downstaging of T-stage was observed in 5 cases (25.0%) after chemotherapy. Among them, 4 cases were with moderate histologicl responses and one case with mild histological response. The incidence of postoperative complications was 25.0%(5/20), and the complications were improved following symptomatic treatments. There was no treatment-related death. Conclusions Biweekly paclitaxel and platinum chemotherapy followed by surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is safe and effective. Further randomized clinical trial should be conducted to assess the value of this therapeutic regimen in the preoperative chemotherapy for esophageal cancer.

Objective: To analyze the causes and correlative factors of high perioperative blood transfusion demand in patients with lung tumor, and to discuss the influence of high blood transfusion demand on patients’ postoperative recovery and its predictive factors. Methods: From November 2007 to October 2017, clinical data of patients who had underwent surgery for lung tumors in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were collected. A total of 83 cases with perioperative transfusion of red blood cells ≥5U were classified as high transfusion demand group. Another 83 cases were selected from the rest of the patients with transfusion of red blood cells <5U as normal transfusion demand group. Related clinical and transfusion data were summarized to analyze the causes of high blood transfusion demand and its effect on postoperative recovery, univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyse correlative factors. Results: From November 2007 to October 2017, 23 898 patients with lung tumor underwent surgery in our department and the high blood transfusion demand rate was 0.35%. In the last 10 years, the ratio of high transfusion demand was 0.61%(46/7 503) in the first 5 years versus 0.23%(37/16 395) in the later 5 years(P<0.01). By contrasting high transfusion demand group and normal transfusion demand group, the ratio of thoracoscopic surgery was 42.17%(35/83) vs. 26.51%(22/83)(P<0.05), the ratio of postoperative blood transfusion was 39.76%(33/83) vs. 22.90%(19/83)(P<0.05) and the ratio of left upper lung surgery was 24.10%(20/83) vs. 12.05%(10/83)(P<0.05). The ratio of patients with preoperative comorbidities was 21.69%(18/83) in the high transfusion demand group versus 8.43%(7/83) in the normal transfusion demand group(P<0.05), and the ratio of patients with anemia was 57.83%(48/83) vs. 52.63%(30/83)(P<0.05). The incidence of complications was 39.76%(33/83) in the high transfusion demand group versus 18.07%(15/83) in the normal transfusion demand group(P<0.01), and the incidence of Infection-related complication were 25.30%(21/83) vs. 8.43%(7/83)(P<0.01). Conclusion For perioperative high blood transfusion demand in lung tumors, there were significant differences between different operation approaches, site of operation and phase of blood transfusion. The perioperative high blood transfusion demand may also increase the risk of postoperative complications, comorbidities or anemia were its predictive factors.

OBJECTIVETo explore the pattern of lymph node metastasis and evaluate the modes and extent of mediastinal lymph node dissection in patients with ≤ 3 cm, clinical stage I primary non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSData of 270 eligible patients who underwent pulmonary resection with systematic lymph node dissection in our hospital between March 2012 and August 2013 were retrospectively analyzed in order to investigate the relationship between the clinicopathological features and lymph node metastatic patterns. Patients with multiple primary carcinomas or non-primary pulmonary malignancies and those who received any chemotherapy or radiotherapy or did not undergo systematic nodal dissection were excluded. The criteria of systematic nodal dissection included the removal of at least six lymph nodes from at least three mediastinal stations, one of which must be subcarinal. The data were analyzed and compared using Chi-square test.

RESULTSThe postoperative morbidity rate was 14.8% and no death occurred in this series. The imaging findings showed 34 cases of pure ground glass opacity lesions, 47 partial solid nodules, and 189 solid nodules. Apart from 34 p-GGO lesions, among the other 236 cases, ≤ 1 cm lesions were in 22 cases, 1 cm- ≤ 2 cm lesions in 138 cases, and >2 cm- ≤ 3 cm lesions in 76 cases based on radiologic findings. The pathological types included adenocarcinoma (n = 245), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 18) and other rare types (n = 7). The overall lymph node metastasis rate was 18.9% (51/270), and the incidence of lymph node involvement was 0(0/34) in cancers with p-GGO, 2.1% (1/47) in mixed solid nodules, 26.5% (50/189) in solid nodules, 18.2% (4/22) in nodules ≤ 1 cm, 14.5% (20/138) in 1 cm < nodules ≤ 2 cm, and 35.5% (27/76) in 2 cm < nodules ≤ 3 cm. The metastasis rates of non-specific tumor-draining region lymph nodes detected in the patients with positive and negative lobe-specific lymph node involvement were 20.0%-50.0% vs. 0-2.9% (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSUsually NSCLC with p-GGO nodules has no lymph node metastasis, therefore, systematic nodal dissection may be not necessary. The larger the tumor size is, the higher the lymph node metastatic rate is for mixed or solid nodules. Intraoperative frozen-section examination of the lobe-specific lymph nodes should be performed routinely in patients with ≤ 2 cm stage I NSCLC, and systematic nodal dissection should be done if positive, but it may be not necessary if negative. However, the effectiveness of the systematic selective lymph node dissection still needs to be further confirmed.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Lymph Nodes ; surgery ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; diagnosis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUNDIn order to minimize the injury reaction during the surgery and reduce the morbidity rate, hence reducing the mortality rate of esophagectomy, minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) was introduced. The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative outcomes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing minimally invasive or open esophagectomy (OE).

METHODSThe medical records of 176 consecutive patients, who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) between January 2009 and August 2013 in Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, were retrospectively reviewed. In the same period, 142 patients who underwent OE, either Ivor Lewis or McKeown approach, were selected randomly as controls. The clinical variables of paired groups were compared, including age, sex, Charlson score, tumor location, duration of surgery, number of harvested lymph nodes, morbidity rate, the rate of leak, pulmonary morbidity rate, mortality rate, and hospital length of stay (LOS).

RESULTSThe number of harvested lymph nodes was not significantly different between MIE group and OE group (median 20 vs. 16, P = 0.740). However, patients who underwent MIE had longer operation time than the OE group (375 vs. 300 minutes, P < 0.001). Overall morbidity, pulmonary morbidity, the rate of leak, in-hospital death, and hospital LOS were not significantly different between MIE and OE groups. Morbidities including anastomotic leak and pulmonary morbidity, inhospital death, hospital LOS, and hospital expenses were not significantly different between MIE and OE groups as well.

CONCLUSIONSMIE and OE appear equivalent with regard to early oncological outcomes. There is a trend that hospital LOS and hospital expenses are reduced in the MIE group than the OE group.

Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; surgery ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Esophagectomy ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures ; Thoracoscopy ; Treatment Outcome