BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEThe efficacy of complete resection of the cancer for patients with stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is limited. Synthetic therapy is taken the lead in advocating at present. However, the value of post-operative radiotherapy is not still clear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the survival time and side effects of postoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of stage IIIa NSCLC.

METHODSBetween December 2003 and June 2007, 52 cases that have completed followed-up data with stage IIIa of NSCLC received in the First Affiliated Hospital of Dahan Medical University. Twenty-three patients received postoperative chemoradiotherapy (group A) and 29 patients received postoperative chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy (group B). Group A adopted platinum-based combination chemotherapy for 4-6 cycles. The chemotherapeutics included gemcitabine, vinorelbine and docetaxel. Group B used chemotherapy for 2-4 cycles and then received 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). The prescribe dose of target volume was 50 Gy. The chemotherapy was same as for group A and needed 4 cycles in all. The impact of postoperative adjuvant treatment on survival and toxicity was observed in patients with stage IIIa NSCLC and the reason of disease progression was analyzed.

RESULTSThe median survival was 32.5 months in group A and 31.9 months in group B (P = 0.371). Progression-free survival extended about 6 months (P = 0.044). The survival rate was 87% at 1 year, 0.1% at 2 year, 33% at 3 year for group A compared with 93%, 69%, 45% for group B. The major side effects were hematological and gastrointestinal toxicities, including nausea, vomiting and neutropenia. There was no significant difference in these toxicities between the two groups (P > 0.05). Radioactive esophageal infection occurred in 17.2% of the patients. Acute and late radioactive lung infection occurred in 13.8% and 27.6% of the patients. All these toxicities were below degree 2. Distant metastases were the main reason of disease progression. There was no significant difference in the rates of local recurrence and metastases between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCombined modality therapy should be the main therapy of stage IIIa NSCLC. The addition of radiotherapy can effectively prolong progression-free survival and don't highly increase the toxicities.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; mortality ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo study the therapeutic result of operation combined chemotherapy for stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer.

METHODSFrom January 2000 to December 2003, the data of 83 cases with stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer undergoing operation combined chemotherapy and 33 cases with stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer undergoing non-operative therapy were retrospectively analyzed. The median survival time and the 1-, 2-, 3- year survival rates of the two groups were compared by the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTSThe median survival time of the operation group was 20.3 months, and the 1-, 2-, 3- year survival rates were 85%, 70%, and 35% respectively. The median survival time of the non-operation group was 14.5 months and the 1-, 2-, 3- year survival rates were 75%, 33%, and 15% respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic result of the operation combined chemotherapy for the stage IIIa non-small cell lung cancer is better than that of the non-operative therapy obviously.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pneumonectomy ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics, the principles of diagnosis and surgical treatment for primary pulmonary lymphoma.

METHODTen patients with primary pulmonary lymphoma were treated surgically and their clinical characteristics, the experiences of clinical diagnosis and surgical treatment were analyzed. The tumors located in left upper lobe in 2, left lower lobe in 1, right upper lobe in 3, right middle lobe in 3 and right lower lobe in 1. The main symptoms were cough and (or) hemoptysis. Imageological representations (X-ray and CT scanning of thorax) were similar to primary pulmonary carcinoma. Broncho-fibroscopic examination was performed on all cases with negative findings. Eight cases were mistakenly diagnosed as primary pulmonary carcinoma by imageological representations. Only 2 cases were diagnosed as primary pulmonary lymphoma by percutaneous needle biopsy and pathologic examination. All cases received pneumonectomy, ipsilateral hilar and mediastinal lymphadenectomy. All cases with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma received regular chemotherapy (MOPP and ABVD scheme for 1 case with Hodgkin's disease respectively, CHOP for 8 cases with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma), and 3 cases received radiotherapy postoperatively.

RESULTSEight cases were non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-type) and 2 cases were Hodgkin's disease (mixed type) confirmed by pathological examination. Six cases with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (3 cases for stage IE, 2 cases for stage II 1E, and 1 case for stage II 2E W) had been surviving for 18-42 months until the follow-up. Two cases with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (stage II 2E, B-cell, low-grade) and 2 cases with Hodgkin's disease (stage IE and II 2E, mixed type) died in 24, 32, 8 and 17 months postoperatively respectively.

CONCLUSIONSPrimary pulmonary lymphoma is a rare type of malignant lung neoplasm without special clinical features. The preoperative diagnosis is difficult. Treatment modalities include surgical treatment, radiotherapy and regular chemotherapy postoperatively.

Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; mortality ; surgery ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; mortality ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonectomy ; methods ; Retrospective Studies

Transglutaminase 2 (TG2), a cross-linking enzyme, is involved in drug resistance and in the constitutive activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB). We investigated the association of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment efficacy with TG2 and NF-kappaB expression in 120 patients: 102 with adenocarcinoma and 18 with other histologic types. All patients underwent surgery; 88 received adjuvant chemotherapy, with 28 receiving platinum-based doublet chemotherapy as first-line treatment and 29 receiving epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Patients' TG2 and NF-kappaB expression values were calculated semiquantitatively. The median TG2 value was 50 (range, 0-300) and the median NF-kappaB value was 20 (range, 0-240). Disease-free survival did not differ between the low- and high-TG2 groups. Among patients who received palliative platinum-based doublet chemotherapy, progression free survival (PFS) was longer in the low-TG2 group than in the high-TG2 group (11.0 vs. 7.0 months; P=0.330). Among those who received EGFR-TKI therapy, PFS was also longer in the low-TG2 group than in the high-TG 2 group (11.0 vs. 2.0 months; P=0.013). Similarly, in EGFR wild-type patients treated with EGFR-TKI, PFS was longer in patients with low TG2 expression (9.0 vs. 2.0 months; P=0.013). TG2 expression levels can predict PFS in patients with NSCLC treated with EGFR-TKI.
Adenocarcinoma/*drug therapy/mortality/surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/*drug therapy/mortality/surgery ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; GTP-Binding Proteins/*biosynthesis ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/*drug therapy/mortality/surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; NF-kappa B/biosynthesis ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor/*antagonists & inhibitors/genetics ; Transglutaminases/*biosynthesis ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Surgery was not standard-of-care of patients with advanced lung cancer. However, a serial of retrospective studies demonstrated that thoracic dissemination (M1a) patients could benefit from contraindicated surgery. After non-standard treatment, how should these patients choose following treatment approaches? Herein, we conducted this retrospective study to explore subsequent optimal treatment approaches. METHODS: Different therapeutic approaches were evaluated by comparing progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), time to treatment interval (TTI) using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for multivariate analysis. RESULTS: 141 eligible were enrolled. The median PFS of chemotherapy group, targeted therapy group and observation group were 14.7, 41.0 and 31.0 months, respectively (95%CI: 19.01-26.01; P<0.001). There was no significantly statistically difference between median PFS of targeted group and observation group (P=0.006). The median OS were 39.0, 42.6 and 38.1 months (95%CI: 32.47-45.33; P=0.478). The median PFS and OS of TTI<3 months and TTI ≥3 months were 15.2 months versus 31.0 months (95%CI: 19.01-26.06; P<0.001) and 41.7 months versus 38.7 months (95%CI: 32.47-45.33; P=0.714). Multivariate analyses revealed gender (P=0.027), lymph node status (P=0.036) and initial therapy (P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors for PFS. CONCLUSIONS Observation did not shorten survival of thoracic dissemination patients with lung adenocarcinoma or squamous carcinoma, therefore, it could be an favorable option. But prospective randomized controlled study was needed to confirm its validity.
Adenocarcinoma ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical effect of the combined therapy using argon-helium cryosurgery (Ar-He knife) and Chinese herbal medicine in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSFifty-seven patients of NSCLC were treated with the combined therapy and observed.

RESULTSThe treatment was successfully completed in all patients with mild adverse reactions. The effective rate was 83.8% 3 months after the operation, 79.6% 6 months after the operation, and 77.3% 12 months after the operation, with median survival of 9 months. The survival rate after 12 months was 46.67% (21/45), 34.62% (9/26) after 18 months, and 36.36% (4/11) after 24 months.

CONCLUSIONArgon-helium cryosurgery therapy is superior in its assured orientation, quick tumor load deprivation and less postoperational reaction. Combined with Chinese herbal medication, Argon-helium cryosurgery therapy can prolong survival time, relieve clinical symptoms, and elevate the quality of life in NSCLC patients, and is thus worthy of promotion.

Adult ; Aged ; Argon ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; mortality ; surgery ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Cryosurgery ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Helium ; Humans ; Karnofsky Performance Status ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: To observe clinical features, clinical stagings, types ofpathology, treatment options and clinical effects of patients suffer from HIV infection combined with lung cancer, and also to provide guidance for individualized comprehensive treatment of HIV combined with lung cancer. METHODS: Through the retrospective analysis of 53 cases of HIV merger of lung cancer patients admitted in our department, 47 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 6 cases of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), 24 cases accepted surgery combined chemotherapy, 22 patients with simple chemotherapy, 7 cases give up treatment; 28 cases are in stages I-III, 25 cases are in stage IV; 24 patients received combined chemotherapy in 28 patients with stages I-III, 2 cases gave up treatment, 2 cases with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could not tolerate chemotherapy plus surgery. According to the situation of patients before highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) treatment, patients who received HAART before treatment were divided into observation group (n=27), patients who did not receive HAART were divided into control group (n=19). The survival and the independent influencing factors between the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 53 HIV infected cases a toal of 46 patients received treatment among 53 cases of treatment in patients with lung cancer merger of HIV, there are no differences of 1 year survival rate, 2 years survival rate between observation group and control group; patients in I-III phase 1 year survival rate was 76.0%, 2 years survival rate was 60.0%. Patients in IV phase 1 year survival rate was 13.6%, 2 years survival rate was 0%. 24 patients with surgery combined chemotherapy 1 year survival rate was 83.3%, 2 years survival rate was 62.5%; 22 cases treated with simple chemotherapy 1 year survival rate was 18.0%, 2 years survival rate was 0%. CONCLUSIONS HIV merger in patients with lung cancer can improve the patients survival rate after different individualized comprehensive treatment, early surgery with combined chemotherapy has remarkable effect.
Adult ; Aged ; Anti-HIV Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Female ; HIV Infections ; complications ; drug therapy ; mortality ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; complications ; drug therapy ; mortality ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate