With the change of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and control strategy in China, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased significantly recently, which has also brought new challenges to the perioperative risk control of thoracic surgery. This paper puts forward several suggestions, aiming to standardize the preoperative screening and evaluation during the COVID-19 period, strictly grasp the indications and timing of surgery, optimize the medical management process, individualize surgical decision-making, and minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection to surgery.

With the change of COVID-19 prevention and control strategy in China, the number of COVID-19 cases has increased significantly recently, which has also brought new challenges to the perioperative risk control of thoracic surgery. This paper puts forward several suggestions, aiming to standardize the preoperative screening and evaluation during the COVID-19 period, strictly grasp the indications and timing of surgery, optimize the medical management process, individualize surgical decision-making, and minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection to surgery.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma(MPM) is a kind of rare and aggressive malignant neoplasm. Surgery plays one of the most important roles in the treatment of MPM. However, due to the high morbidity and mortality reported, the survival benefit and indication of surgery are still controversial. This article will review the surgical indications, discuss and compare the roles of extrapleural pneumonectomy(EPP) and pleurectomy / decortication(P/D) which aim to achieve macroscopic complete resection(MCR) in the treatment of MPM. Finally, we summarized the progress of other treatment methods including targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of perioperative outcomes of lung transplantation and establish a predictive model for delayed extubation after lung transplantation.Methods:From January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022, 104 lung transplantation recipients were retrospectively collected to identify the risk factors of early post-operative outcome.According to the timing of extubation post-lung transplantation, they were assigned into two groups of normal(77 cases)and delayed(27 cases). Baseline profiles, type of primary diagnosis, cold ischemic duration and lung transplantation approach were compared between two groups.The factors with significant difference were examined by univariate and multivariate Logistic regression.Furthermore, multivariate logistic model was visualized by a nomogram.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and decision curve analysis(DCA) were performed for evaluating the model's predictive performance and its value for clinical utilization.Results:The postoperative mortality rate was 9.6%.Delayed extubation was a strong predictor for postoperative mortality.Cold ischemic time outperformed others variates in terms of delayed extubation prediction.AUC of cold ischemic time and multivariate logistic model was 0.75(95% CI: 0.69-0.81)and 0.87(95% CI: 0.82-0.91). Conclusions:Delayed postoperative extubation is a key predictor of early post-lung transplantation mortality.The established predictive model may effectively identify high-risk patients for preventive intervention and survival improvement post-lung transplantation.

Objective:To explore the airway pathogen characteristics and examine the correlation between donor-derived pathogens and post-transplant outcomes in patients after lung transplantation (LT).Methods:Between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019, retrospective review was conducted for clinical and microbiological data of 88 LT recipients.Airway pathogen percentage of different microorganisms and evolution of drug-resistance were examined.Drug-resistant pathogen positive group (n=71) and negative group (n=17) were assigned according to whether or not drug-resistant pathogens were detected.Survival analysis was conducted by Log-rank with 3-year follow-ups.Between April 11, 2020 and September 5, 2020, prospective study was conducted in 14LT recipients.The potential pathogenic bacteria from donor lungs were detected by metagenomic next generation sequencing and the impact of those bacteria was examined on 1-year post-transplantation outcome in 2020.Microbial diversity and richness were shown with Shannon index.The outcome variables included heart rate, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, immunoglobulin level and pulmonary spirometry.ANOVA and Pearson's correlation analysis were performed for elucidating the relationship between airway microbiota and post-LT outcomes.Results:From 2015 to 2019, 88 recipients were recruited and 992 strains of airway pathogens were isolated, including bacteria 796 strains and fungi 196 strains.Gram-negative bacteria (704 strains) accounted for 88.4% of all bacteria.The detection rates of Gram-positive bacteria, Klebsiella pneumonia (Kp), Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Candida increased in 2019 than that in 2015 (8.2% vs. 5.3%, 13.6% vs. 13.2%, 33.2% vs. 17.5%, 6.5% vs. 5.3%, 26.6% vs. 20.2%). Drug resistance rate of Kp to imipenem was 68.18% in 2019 and drug resistance rate of Ab to imipenem 98.44%.The 3-year survival rate was 46.3% and 35.3% in drug-resistance positive and negative groups and the difference was insignificant ( P=0.410). Fourteen recipients were enrolled in 2020.Potential pathogenic bacteria could be detected in all donor samples.Five recipients carried the same bacteria and two died during 1-year follow-up.Nine recipients did not carry the donor-derived pathogens and two died during 1-year follow-up.The diversity of donor/recipient-derived airway microbiota (Shannon index) showed no correlation with the outcomes of 1-year follow-up by Pearson's correlation test. Conclusions:Gram-negative bacteria predominated in airway pathogens of recipients post-LT.The drug resistance rate to imipenem remained high.The donor/recipient-derived pathogen isolates showed no correlation with immediate outcomes post-LT.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of prolonged graft cold ischemia time(CIT)on outcomes of lung transplantation(LTx).Methods:Clinical data are retrospectively reviewed for 111 patients undergoing LTx at Affiliated Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital of Tongji University between January 2019 and January 2022. They are divided into two groups of prolonged CIT(8~12 h, 41 cases)and control(<8 h, 70 cases)according to CIT. Kaplan-Meier method is employed for estimating 1-year cumulative survival rate and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model for identifying independent risk factors of 1-year mortality.Results:No significant inter-group difference existed in the incidence of primary graft dysfunction grade Ⅲ within the first 72 h post-LTx(21.2% vs. 16.3%). The 30-day(90.2% vs. 94.3%)and 90-day(82.9% vs. 82.9%)survival rates are comparable between two groups. Similarly 1-year cumulative survival is also comparable between two groups (74.6% vs. 60.4%, Log-rank P=0.279). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that prolonged CIT was not associated with an elevated risk of 1-year mortality( HR 0.691; 95% CI: 0.317~1.506). However, an absence of ECMO support during surgery( HR 3.562; 95% CI: 1.061~11.959)and postoperative mechanical ventilation for >3 days(HR 2.892; 95% CI: 1.387~6.031)elevate 1-year risk of mortality. Conclusions:Prolongation of CIT to 8~12 h has no adverse effect on the prognosis of recipients. Given a great scarcity of donor lungs and a growing number of LTx candidates, it is reasonable to accept prolonged CIT donor lungs for clinical LTx.

Objective:To explore the sex-based heterogeneity in demographic and pathological trends of lung cancer during the past 30 years.Methods:Patients with primary lung cancer who received surgical treatment in the Department of thoracic surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital Tongji University from 1989 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The differences between male and female patients in age, smoking history, pathological stage and type were compared. Mann- Kendall trend test was performed for trend analysis. Results:A total of 58 433 patients were included in this study, encompassing 30 729(52.6%) men and 27 , 704(47.4%) women. Compared with male patients, female patients were younger(56.0 years old vs. 59.7 years old), and had a higher proportion of non-smokers(98.3% vs. 52.3%), stage Ⅰ lung cancers(60.6% vs. 49.3%), and adenocarcinoma(93.7% vs. 56.1%, all P-values <0.001). Trend analyses revealed that the proportion of female patients increased year by year, and surpassed males in 2015, with the current ratio of male to female being 1∶1.5. After 2013, the age of onset in females was getting younger, and the average age decreased from 58.7 years old to 54.7 years old( P=0.02). The decrease in the proportion of smoking patients was mainly reflected by male patients(from 68.5% to 31.1%, P<0.01). Stage Ⅰ lung cancers in male and females outnumbered advanced stage in 2012 and 2010, respectively, with a much higher proportion in female patients. Among male patients, adenocarcinoma has replaced squamous cell carcinoma as the most common pathological type since 2012, while in female patients adenocarcinoma remained the most common pathological type of lung cancer, and its proportion continued to increase reaching over 98%. Conclusion:A dramatic change in gender distribution was noticed during the past 30 years. Female patients became the primary population in surgically-treated lung cancers, with a trend of getting younger. The proportion of smokers and squamous cell carcinoma decreased significantly in male patients, and adenocarcinoma has become the most common pathological type of lung cancer. The proportion of stage Ⅰ lung cancers was on a dramatic rise, with the popularization of CT screening for lung cancer.

Objectives:To examine the influence of the proportion of pathological subtypes on the prognosis of stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma cases, and to explore the association between the presence/absence of solid or micropapillary (S/M) components and survival outcome.Methods:Totally 321 patients with stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma who received complete surgical resection at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from January 2011 to December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 130 males and 191 females, aging 59(11) years ( M(IQR)) (range: 55 to 66 years). The diagnostic value of the proportion of each pathological growth subtype on relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by using receiver operator characteristic curve. Patients were firstly divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of S/M components. And patients without S/M components were farther divided into two groups according to predominant growth pattern. There were three groups in total: with S/M components (group S/M +), without S/M components and lepidic growth pattern predominant (group S/M -LPA), without S/M components and papillary or acinar growth pattern predominant (group S/M -P/A). Kaplan-Meier method were used to draw the survival curves of the three groups, and Log-rank test were used to compare RFS and OS among the three groups. Cox proportional risk model was used to verify whether the presence of S/M components was a prognostic factor on RFS. Results:The proportion of S/M components had no diagnostic value for recurrence (solid: area under curve (AUC)=0.588, P=0.095; micropapillary: AUC=0.566, P=0.106) and death (AUC=0.589, P=0.104; AUC=0.607, P=0.056). The 5-year RFS rate of group S/M -LPA, S/M -P/A and S/M + were 92.4%, 82.3% and 77.3%, respectively (all P<0.05), while the 5-year OS rate were 97.4%, 94.5% and 83.2%, respectively (all P<0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that the 3 groups were independent predictors of recurrence (S/M -P/A vs. S/M - LPA: HR=2.691, 95% CI: 1.249 to 5.799, P=0.011; S/M +vs. S/M -LPA, HR=6.763, 95% CI: 3.050 to 14.996, P<0.01). Conclusions:The proportion of S/M components in stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma with complete resection cases did not affect survival outcome. New grouping method based on the presence or absence of S/M components were significantly associated with patient survival outcomes: S/M + patients had the worst prognosis and S/M -LPA patients had the best prognosis.

Objectives:To examine the influence of the proportion of pathological subtypes on the prognosis of stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma cases, and to explore the association between the presence/absence of solid or micropapillary (S/M) components and survival outcome.Methods:Totally 321 patients with stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma who received complete surgical resection at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tongji University Affiliated Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from January 2011 to December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 130 males and 191 females, aging 59(11) years ( M(IQR)) (range: 55 to 66 years). The diagnostic value of the proportion of each pathological growth subtype on relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by using receiver operator characteristic curve. Patients were firstly divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of S/M components. And patients without S/M components were farther divided into two groups according to predominant growth pattern. There were three groups in total: with S/M components (group S/M +), without S/M components and lepidic growth pattern predominant (group S/M -LPA), without S/M components and papillary or acinar growth pattern predominant (group S/M -P/A). Kaplan-Meier method were used to draw the survival curves of the three groups, and Log-rank test were used to compare RFS and OS among the three groups. Cox proportional risk model was used to verify whether the presence of S/M components was a prognostic factor on RFS. Results:The proportion of S/M components had no diagnostic value for recurrence (solid: area under curve (AUC)=0.588, P=0.095; micropapillary: AUC=0.566, P=0.106) and death (AUC=0.589, P=0.104; AUC=0.607, P=0.056). The 5-year RFS rate of group S/M -LPA, S/M -P/A and S/M + were 92.4%, 82.3% and 77.3%, respectively (all P<0.05), while the 5-year OS rate were 97.4%, 94.5% and 83.2%, respectively (all P<0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that the 3 groups were independent predictors of recurrence (S/M -P/A vs. S/M - LPA: HR=2.691, 95% CI: 1.249 to 5.799, P=0.011; S/M +vs. S/M -LPA, HR=6.763, 95% CI: 3.050 to 14.996, P<0.01). Conclusions:The proportion of S/M components in stage ⅠA lung adenocarcinoma with complete resection cases did not affect survival outcome. New grouping method based on the presence or absence of S/M components were significantly associated with patient survival outcomes: S/M + patients had the worst prognosis and S/M -LPA patients had the best prognosis.

Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy combined with surgery for stage ⅢA NSCLC patients.Methods:Six patients with NSCLC who were diagnosed as ⅢA and received two cycles of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and surgery between September 2019 and January 2020 were described in this study.Results:Five of them experienced AEs during neoadjuvant therapy. All of them received surgery and achieved an MPR of 50%. No viable tumor cells were found in the tissues of one patient. One patient with a small bronchopleural fistula after lobectomy.Conclusion:Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy combined with surgery for stage ⅢA NSCLC patients is safe and efficient. Long-term outcomes of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy combined with surgery should be further validated.