Treatment Of Early-stage Lung Cancer Research Articles

EP02.03-011 Timeliness of Surgery for Early-Stage Lung Cancer: Perspectives from Surgeons and Patients

Surgical resection remains the gold standard for treatment of early-stage lung cancer. There has been extensive research on the association between time to treatment initiation (TTI) and survival for lung cancer, with most studies finding a negative association including a recent systematic review. Nevertheless, there is no widely accepted standard for the appropriate TTI for patients undergoing surgical resection for early-stage lung cancer, though different guidelines exist, ranging from 2-8 weeks.

Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Early-Stage Lung Cancer – A Done Deal?

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is an important curative-intent treatment option for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. It offers good cancer control without invasive surgery and has become the standard of care for medically inoperable patients. The literature on SABR for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer is substantial and continues to grow. However, there remain areas of controversy where data are limited – notably the use of SABR in medically operable patients. Other areas of some debate include the treatment of central/ultra-central and large (>5 cm) lesions, as well as treatment with co-existing interstitial lung disease. This review article provides an overview of the current literature together with a discussion of future directions.

The comparison of Lobe-Specific or Systematic Mediastinal Lymph Node Dissection for Early-Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma With Consolidation Tumor Ratio Over 0.5

IntroductionSurgery is the most effective treatment for early-stage lung cancer. This study will propose a personalized plan for mediastinal lymph node dissection in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma to reduce the risk of surgery and improve the quality of life. MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed the patients underwent lobectomy and lymph node dissection in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma patients with solid component ratio (CTR) between 0.5 and 1 were included. Patients were divided into systematic (S-MLND) and lobe-specific (L-MLND) mediastinal lymph node dissection groups. The days of hospitalization, the presence or absence of complications, the recurrence-free survival rate, and the overall survival rate were calculated to evaluate the postoperative quality and operation risk of the patients. Results210 patients (138 L-MLND and 72 S-MLND) were included. 2 lymph node metastases appeared in the S-MLND group while none in the L-MLND group (P = .049). No differences were shown in age, tumor site, size, solid component, degree of tumor invasion, and stage. The proportion of patients with severe postoperative cough and the length of hospital stay in the L-MLND group decreased. The 5-year OS of the entire cohort was 98.1%, 98.6% in L-MLND, compared with 97.2% in S-MLND; RFS was 94.8%, 95.7% in L-MLND, compared with 93.0% in S-MLND. ConclusionFor cIA lung adenocarcinoma, according to the Thin-slice CT within 1 month before the operation, if the main lesion was less than 3 cm and CTR over 0.5, L-MLND is as effective as S-MLND.

Surgical therapy for early stage non small cell lung cancer: VATS versus Thoracotomy

Objectives: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is the common cancer and the leading cause death of cancer. Lobectomy and lymph node dissection is optimal surgical treatment method for early stage of NSCLC. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approach is less trauma, quickly recovery, whereas those who advocate thoracotomy claim it as an ontologically superior procedure.
 The aims of the study are to evaluate the role of Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for treating the patients who have early stage of NSCLC and comparing with conventional thoracotomy.
 Methods: All of patients with NSCLC in stage IA - IIB underwent lobectomy and lymph node dissection through VATS or thoracotomy are collected. Patient characteristics are compared. Operative data, complications are assessed and survived is assessed by Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards analysis. Follow-up from 14 to 66 months.
 Results: From May 2008 to August 2016, 57 patients with NSCLC stage IA - IIB underwent an attempt at VATS lobectomy and 60 patients underwent thoracotomy. There are 75 males and 42 females, mean age is 56.3, range 31 - 84. Lobectomy was performed in 106 cases and bilobectomy was performed in 11 cases. The mean operating time in VATS group is 157 minutes longer than conventional thoracotomy, which was 124 minutes. There was no statistic difference between 2 groups separated based on characteristics of patients. In 57 cases VATS, 5 cases were converted to thoracotomy. There was one death in conventional thoracotomy group. One patient had bleeding, needed to be re-operationed to control bleeding in each group. Prolonged air-leak presented in 7 cases (10.7%) in thoracotomy and 2 cases (3.8%) in VATS group. Hospitalization is 18.4 days in thoracotomy group and 12.8 days in VATS group. The 5-year OS rate was 67.8% in the VATS group and 71.6% in the thoracotomy group (p = 0.156). The 5-year DFS rate was 59.6% in the VATS group and 65.9% in the thoracotomy group (p = 0.065). Survival by Cox model was no different for VATS versus thoracotomy (hazard ratio 0.82; P = .21)
 Conclusion: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is effective and safe method for surgical treatment of early stage of NSCLC. Surgery remains the primary therapy in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer. VATS was associated with less complication and shorter length of hospital stay. The 5 years survival is similar in VATS and conventional thoracotomy approach.

Caregiver burden for informal caregivers of patients after surgical treatment of early-stage lung cancer.

Caregivers of lung cancer patients frequently experience psychological distress and high caregiver burden. Previous studies have focused on caregiver burden for patients with advanced lung cancer, while few studies focused on the caregiver burden among informal caregivers of postoperative patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to (a) examine caregiver burden for caregivers of patients with early-stage NSCLC after surgical treatment and (b) identify predictive factors related to caregiver burden of patients with early-stage NSCLC. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a university-affiliated hospital in Changsha, China. A total of 385 patients with early-stage NSCLC and postsurgical treatment and their caregivers were included in this study. Caregiver burden was evaluated using the Zarit caregiver burden interview (ZBI). A set of questionnaires was used to assess psychosocial characteristics of participants, including simplified coping style questionnaire, social support rate scale, and hospital anxiety and depression scale. Hierarchical regression analysis was applied to identify factors associated with caregiver burden. We followed STROBE checklist for reporting the study. The average ZBI score was 29.1 ± 11.4. Most caregivers (62.6%) demonstrated mild to moderate caregiving burden. The duration of caregiving (β=0.18, p < .001), passive coping of caregiver (β=0.17, p=.001) and anxiety (β=0.13, p=.007) were significant predictors of caregiving burden. A variance of 17.6% in caregiving burden was explained by these identified factors. Caregivers of early-stage NSCLC patients experience a mild to moderate level of caregiver burden. The duration of caregiving, passive coping and anxiety are factors associated with caregiver burden. Clinicians should provide early care to support new roles of family members as caregivers.

Intraoperative Identification of the Intersegmental Plane: From the Beginning to the Future.

Segmentectomy has played a crucial role in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer after the publication of JCOG0802, which indicated that patients with small-sized peripheral non-small-cell lung cancer could receive better survival from segmentectomy than lobectomy despite a higher local recurrence. The intraoperative identification of the intersegmental plane ensures complete resection of the lesion with sufficient margin so that it is deemed as the critical part of segmentectomy. Diverse methods have been developed to acquire distinguishable and lasting borderline between segments, but none of them is proved perfect. In this review, we searched and classified these techniques that emerged from the beginning when segmentectomy was used for bronchiectasis until now. Comparisons between different ways in mechanisms, facility, and safety were made to depict a comprehensive landscape for surgeons to select fit one. Furthermore, we presented our vision for the future of intersegmental plane identification.

Considerations for the Surgical Management of Thoracic Cancers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Rational Strategies for Thoracic Surgeons.

ObjectiveThe novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a global health crisis since first case was identified in December 2019. As the pandemic continues to strain global public health systems, elective surgeries for thoracic cancer, such as early-stage lung cancer and esophageal cancer (EC), have been postponed due to a shortage of medical resources and the risk of nosocomial transmission. This review is aimed to discuss the influence of COVID-19 on thoracic surgical practice, prevention of nosocomial transmission during the pandemic, and propose modifications to the standard practices in the surgical management of different thoracic cancer.MethodsA literature search of PubMed, Medline, and Google Scholar was performed for articles focusing on COVID-19, early-stage lung cancer, and EC prior to 1 July 2021. The evidence from articles was combined with our data and experience.ResultsWe review the challenges in the management of different thoracic cancer from the perspectives of thoracic surgeons and propose rational strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of early-stage lung cancer and EC during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the optimization of hospital systems and medical resources is to fight against COVID-19. Indolent early lung cancers, such as pure ground-glass nodules/opacities (GGOs), can be postponed with a lower risk of progression, while selective surgeries of more biologically aggressive tumors should be prioritized. As for EC, we recommend immediate or prioritized surgeries for patients with stage Ib or more advanced stage and patients after neoadjuvant therapy. Routine COVID-19 screening should be performed preoperatively before thoracic surgeries. Prevention of nosocomial transmission by providing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as N-95 respirator masks with eye protection to healthcare workers, is necessary.

Non-intubated Thoracic Surgery: Wedge Resections for Peripheral Pulmonary Nodules.

The feasibility of performing pulmonary resections of peripheral lung nodules has been one of the main objectives of non-intubated thoracic surgery. The aim was to obtain histological characterization and extend a radical intended treatment to oncological patients unfit for general anesthesia or anatomic pulmonary resections. There is mounting evidence for the role of wedge resection in early-stage lung cancer treatment, especially for frail patients unfit for general anesthesia and anatomic resections with nodules, demonstrating a non-aggressive biological behavior. General anesthesia with single lung ventilation has been associated with a higher risk of ventilator-induced barotrauma and volotrauma as well as atelectasis in both the dependent and non-dependent lungs. Nonetheless, general anesthesia has been shown to impair the host immune system, eventually favoring both tumoral relapses and post-operative complications. Thus, non-intubated wedge resection seems to definitely balance tolerability with oncological radicality in highly selected patients. Nonetheless, differently from other non-surgical techniques, non-intubated wedge resection allows for histological characterization and possible oncological targeted treatment. For these reasons, non-intubated wedge resection is a fundamental skill in the core training of a thoracic surgeon. Main indications, surgical tips, and post-operative management strategies are hereafter presented. Non-intubated wedge resection is one of the new frontiers in minimal invasive management of patients with lung cancer and may become a standard in the armamentarium of a thoracic surgeon. Appropriate patient selection and VATS expertise are crucial to obtaining good results.

Application of multidisciplinary treatment comprehensive management model for early-stage lung cancer

Objective: To explore the application of multidisciplinary treatment (MDT) and comprehensive management model in the diagnosis and treatment of early-stage lung cancer, and analyze its clinical value and the feasibility and significance of promotion. Methods: A retrospective study of 470 patients in Xijing Hospital who underwent surgery after MDT from January 8, 2018 to December 31, 2019. There were 172 males and 298 females, aged from 23 to 79 (54.46±11.08) years. Basic diagnosis and treatment information as well as postoperative pathology were analyzed, of which 441 cases were recommended for surgery by MDT and 29 cases were subjectively requested for surgery. The patients' general condition, preoperative diagnosis and pathological results were compared, and the specific content of the MDT and comprehensive management model were summarized. We also explored the value of MDT integrated management model in early stage lung cancer treatment in the context of the current lung cancer incidence in China. Results: Among 470 surgical patients, the majority of males had solid nodules (69/172,40.1%), and the majority of females had ground glass nodules (135/298,45.3%). The distribution of nodules showed a trend of more upper lobe(277/470)than lower lobe(161/470) and more right lung(276/470) than left lung(194/470). Among the 441 patients recommended for surgery, 98.11% of males (156/159) and 97.87% of females (276/282) showed malignant pathology after surgery. Adenocarcinoma was the main pathological type (93.59% of males, 146/156; 97.46% of females, 269/276). Among the malignant pathological results, carcinoma in situ (42.31% of males, 66/156; 47.10% of females, 130/276) and stage I lung cancer (50.64% of males, 79/156; 47.46% of females, 131/276) were the most common. In all patients, 1.89% of the males (3/159) and 2.13% of the females (6/282) recommended for surgery showed benign postoperative pathology, of which tuberculosis and fungal infection were the main pathological types (66.67% for each gender, males 2/3, females, 4/6). The postoperative pathology of 29 patients who subjectively requested surgery was also tuberculosis and fungal infection as the main pathological types (69.23% of males, 9/13; 68.75% of females, 11/16). The MDT comprehensive management model made full use of a variety of auxiliary diagnostic technologies and combined the experience advantages of multidisciplinary participation to make up for the limitations of single-diagnosis. The overall diagnosis coincidence rate reached 98.09%, with strong consistency (Kappa>0.81). The positive predictive value (PPV) was 97.96%, the negative predictive value (NPV) was 100%, and the average patient diagnosis and treatment cycle was 24.28-26.51 days. Conclusions: The MDT comprehensive management model meets the consensus requirements. It has great advantages in diagnostic efficiency and diagnosis and treatment cycle, and has a high promotion and application value for the diagnosis and treatment of early-stage lung cancer. At the same time, tuberculosis and fungal infection should be regarded as an important differential diagnosis item.

Surgical Effectiveness of Uniportal-VATS Lobectomy Compared to Open Surgery in Early-Stage Lung Cancer.

BackgroundAlthough the feasibility and safety of Uniportal-Video-Assisted thoracic surgery (U-VATS) has been proven, its surgical effectiveness is still debated. The aim of this study is to assess the equivalence of the U-VATS approach compared with an open technique in terms of surgical (nodal-upstaging, complications, and post-operative results) and short-term survival outcomes.MethodsThe clinical data of patients undergoing lobectomy for NSCLC at our center, from January 2014 to December 2019, were analyzed retrospectively. All patients undergoing open or U-VATS lobectomy with lymphadenectomy for early-stage lung cancer (cT1-T3N0, stages IA-IIB) were included in the study. Only 230 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria. Group bias was reduced through 1:1 propensity score matching, which resulted in 46 patients in each group (open surgery and U-VATS).ResultsThe intra- and post-operative mortality were null in both groups. There was no difference in the post-operative complications (p: 1.00) between U-VATS and open lobectomy. There was also no recorded difference in the pathological nodal up-staging [11 (23.9%) after thoracotomy vs. 8 (17.4%) after U-VATS, p: 0.440). The chest tube duration was longer in the open group (p: 0.025), with a higher post-operative pain (p: 0.001). Additionally, the 3-year overall survival (OS) was 78% after U-VATS lobectomy vs. 74% after open lobectomy (p: 0.204), while 3-year disease-specific survival (DSS) was 97 vs. 89% (p: 0.371), respectively. The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 62% in the U-VATS group and 66% in the thoracotomy group, respectively (p: 0.917).ConclusionsUniportal-VATS lobectomy for the treatment of early-stage lung cancer seems to be a safe and effective technique with similar surgical and short-term survival outcomes as open surgery, but with lower post-operative pain and shorter in-hospital stay.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for the treatment of early-stage lung cancer with whole pleural adhesion

BackgroundUniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is considered a challenging procedure in cases of lung cancer where the entire pleura and lung are attached (whole pleural adhesion). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical results of uniportal VATS for the treatment of lung cancer with whole pleural adhesion.MethodsFor all patients who underwent VATS lung cancer surgery at a single hospital in Korea, multiportal VATS was performed before 2017 and uniportal VATS was performed after January 2017 by the same surgeons. The surgical results of multiportal VATS and uniportal VATS for the treatment of lung cancer with whole pleural adhesion were compared retrospectively.ResultsThere were 16 eligible uniportal VATS cases and 57 multiportal VATS cases. There were no significant differences of clinicopathologic characteristics between the two groups. There were 5 conversions to open thoracotomy in the multiportal VATS group and no conversion to open thoracotomy in the uniportal group (P=0.579). The perioperative and postoperative outcomes were not different between the two groups. There was no mortality in all patients. For patients undergoing VATS lobectomy, the perioperative and postoperative outcomes were similar after uniportal and multiportal VATS lobectomy. For all patients, the 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 80.0% after uniportal VATS and 79.5% after multiportal VATS (P=0.951) and for patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the 3-year RFS after uniportal VATS was 91.7% and the 3-year RFS after multiportal VATS was 89.3% (P=0.999). Uniportal VATS was not a significant risk factor for recurrence in the multivariate analysis.ConclusionsUniportal VATS was not inferior to multiportal VATS in surgical outcome or short-term prognosis in resection of lung cancer with whole pleural adhesion. Whole pleural adhesion is not a contraindication to uniportal VATS, which has been safe and feasible in cases of lung cancer with whole pleural adhesion.

Advances and controversies in the management of early stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Complete resection continues to be the gold standard for the treatment of early-stage lung cancer. The landmark Lung Cancer Study Group trial in 1995 established lobectomy as the minimum intervention necessary for the management of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, as it was associated with lower recurrence and metastasis rates than sublobar resection and lower postoperative morbidity and mortality than pneumonectomy. There is a growing tendency to perform sublobar resection in selected cases, as, depending on factors such as tumor size, histologic subtype, lymph node involvement, and resection margins, it can produce similar oncological results to lobectomy. Alternative treatments such as stereotactic body radiotherapy and radiofrequency ablation can also produce good outcomes in inoperable patients or patients who refuse surgery.

The Impact of Persistent Smoking After Surgery on Long-term Outcomes After Stage I Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Resection

Smoking at the time of surgical treatment for lung cancer increases the risk for perioperative morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of persistent smoking in the postoperative period and its association with long-term oncologic outcomes are poorly described. What is the relationship between persistent smoking and long-term outcomes in early-stage lung cancer after surgical treatment? We performed a retrospective cohort study using a uniquely compiled Veterans Health Administration dataset of patients with clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing surgical treatment between 2006 and 2016. We defined persistent smoking as individuals who continued smoking 1 year after surgery and characterized the relationship between persistent smoking and disease-free survival and overall survival. This study included 7,489 patients undergoing surgical treatment for clinical stage I NSCLC. Of 4,562 patients (60.9%) who were smoking at the time of surgery, 2,648 patients (58.0%) continued to smoke at 1 year after surgery. Among 2,927 patients (39.1%) who were not smoking at the time of surgical treatment, 573 (19.6%) relapsed and were smoking at 1 year after surgery. Persistent smoking at 1 year after surgery was associated with significantly shorter overall survival (adjusted hazard ration [aHR], 1.291; 95%CI, 1.197-1.392; P< .001). However, persistent smoking was not associated with inferior disease-free survival (aHR, 0.989; 95%CI, 0.884-1.106; P= .84). Persistent smoking after surgery for stage I NSCLC is common and is associated with inferior overall survival. Providers should continue to assess smoking habits in the postoperative period given its disproportionate impact on long-term outcomes after potentially curative treatment for early-stage lung cancer.

Augmented reality-assisted localization of solitary pulmonary nodules for precise sublobar lung resection: a preliminary study using an animal model.

BackgroundAccurate localization of early lung cancer, manifested as solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) on computed tomography (CT), is critical in sublobar lung resection. The AR-assisted localization of SPNs was evaluated using a pig animal model.MethodsA Microsoft HoloLens AR system was used. First, a plastic thoracic model was used for the pilot study. Three female 12 months 45 kg Danish Landrace Pigs were then used for the animal study. Thirty natural pulmonary structures, such as lymphonodus and bifurcated bronchioles or bronchial vessels, were chosen as simulated SPNs. The average angle between the actual puncturing needle and the expected path, the average distance between the puncture point and the plan point, and the difference between the actual puncturing depth and expected depth were recorded, and the accuracy rate was calculated.ResultsThe point selected in the plastic thoracic model could be hit accurately with the assistance from the AR system in the pilot study. Moreover, the average angle between the actual puncturing needle and the expected path was 14.52°±6.04°. Meanwhile, the average distance between the puncture point and the expected point was 8.74±5.07 mm, and the difference between the actual and expected depths was 9.42±7.95 mm. Puncturing within a 1 cm3 area around the SPN using a hook-wire was considered a successful hit. The puncture accuracy was calculated. The average hit rate within a spherical area with a diameter of 1 cm range was 76.67%, and within a diameter of 2 cm range was 100%.ConclusionsThe HoloLens AR-assisted localization of SPNs may become a promising technique to improve the surgical treatment of early-stage lung cancer. Here, we evaluated its feasibility in an animal model. Nevertheless, its safety and effectiveness require further investigation in clinical trials.

Clinical Implementation of Lung SABR IMPT Using Two PBS Systems With Different Spot Sizes and Delivery Speeds

Stereotactic Ablative Body Therapy (SABR) is an effective treatment for early-stage lung cancer. Two different proton therapy delivery systems (Proteous-plus with universal nozzle called P+ and Proteus-one called P1) were employed to test the spot size difference, plan dosimetric quality, and delivery time needed for practical and effective clinical treatment.Total of 9 lung patients with 10 tumors were selected for this study. Seven targets were prescribed 60 Gy in 10 fractions; three patients were 48 Gy in 4 fractions. A treatment planning system was used to generate treatment plans for each nozzle type with exact same optimization objectives. P1 plans used 4cm range-shifter placed at 45cm from isocenter to create large in-air beam spots to mimic P+ system. The spot sizes were compared to the P+ in-air spots without range shifter. P+ plans used 7cm range-shifter placed very close to patients, i.e., 4cm away, to minimize spot size degradation. Target coverage was optimized and normalized to prescription dose cover 100-percent of GTV and 90-percent covers PTV. Dose to the OARs were compared using QUANTEC metrics. Each plan was split into three subsets to perform volumetric dose-repainting to reduce interplay effect. The plan beam-on times of both systems were obtained to evaluate treatment delivery efficiency and impact of patient comfort.The in-air beam spots were comparable between the P+ without and P1 with range shifter. All PTVs were covered by 90-percent prescription dose. OAR doses were comparable and within the QUANTEC limits. The beam-on time of P+ plans are 3 to 6 time of those of P1 plans. When combined with patient setup and image guidance, patient discomfort could lead to higher uncertainty in P+ treatment.P1 system with 45cm away from isocenter can effectively simulate a large spot PBS system, P+. Lung SABR IMPT plan qualities between the two systems were dosimetrically comparable. Volumetric dose-repainting were applicable to both systems to reduce interplay effect. However, the plan beam-on and delivery time of P1 system were significantly shorter than that of P+. Therefore, potential less patient movement during treatment leads to less dose uncertainties to patients.

Overall Survival From a Prospective Multi-Institutional Trial to Resolve Black-White Disparities in the Treatment of Early Stage Breast and Lung Cancer

Black patients with curable lung or breast cancer complete treatment less often than similar white patients contributing to worse survival. ACCURE was a system-based intervention trial shown to eliminate black-white disparities in treatment completion and improved completion for all. The current study investigates how the ACCURE intervention influenced survival disparity.We previously reported a prospective multi-institutional trial using a system-based intervention. Patients diagnosed with early-stage breast and lung cancer, aged 18 to 85 were eligible. Enrollment spanned from 2013 until 2015. Intervention components included: (1) a real time warning system derived from electronic health records, (2) feedback to clinical teams on cancer treatment according to race, and (3) a nurse navigator. Consented patients were compared to retrospective and concurrent controls. The primary study outcome was receipt of curative treatment. The current study compares 5-year survival according to race for eligible patients from the tumor registry during the study period with comparison to historical controls. The ACCURE study treatment for early-stage lung cancer included resection or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and survivals are now reported separately.There were a total of 1,413 patients with stages 0, I & II lung and breast cancer diagnosed in 2013-2015 who were compared to 2,016 patients treated in 2007-2011. The table shows statistically significant improved survival for black and white breast cancer patients and white lung cancer patients over time, while the racial gap in survival was reduced for lung and breast cancer. The 5-year observed survivals for white (2150) versus black (644) breast patients increased from 91% vs. 89% (P = NS) to 94% for both. The 5-year observed survival for white (510) and black (125) lung narrowed from 43% and 37% (P = NS) to 56% and 54%. Subgroup analysis of lung cancer patients showed 5-year survival for surgery was 78.5% and 70.1% for white and black patients (P = NS) while survival for SBRT was 41.9% and 50% for white and black patients (P = NS).A systems-based intervention reduced racial gaps in treatment completion and improved care for all. This study suggests that equity in treatment may be associated with elimination of survival disparities during the ACCURE study. In the lung cancer sub-group, the higher survival of white lung cancer patients undergoing surgery and black patients undergoing SBRT may suggest some continued disparity in patient selection for lung resection. Further analysis of comorbid conditions and other important factors will shed light on the full survival impact of the intervention.

Pulmonary Open, Robotic, and Thoracoscopic Lobectomy (PORTaL) Study: An Analysis of 5721 Cases.

The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes of open lobectomy (OL), VATS, and robotic-assisted lobectomy (RL). Robotic-assisted lobectomy has seen increasing adoption for treatment of early-stage lung cancer. Comparative data regarding these approaches is largely from single-institution case series or administrative datasets. Retrospective data was collected from 21 institutions from 2013 to 2019. All consecutive cases performed for clinical stage IA-IIIA lung cancer were included. Neoadjuvant cases were excluded. Propensity-score matching (1:1) was based on age, sex, race, smoking-status, FEV1%, Zubrod score, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, tumor size, and clinical T and N stage. A total of 2391 RL, 2174 VATS, and 1156 OL cases were included. After propensity-score matching there were 885 pairs of RL vs OL, 1,711 pairs of RL vs VATS, and 952 pairs of VATS vs OL. Operative time for RL was shorter than VATS ( P < 0.0001) and OL ( P = 0.0004). Compared to OL, RL and VATS had less overall postoperative complications, shorter hospital stay (LOS), and lower transfusion rates (all P <0.02). Compared to VATS, RL had lower conversion rate ( P <0.0001), shorter hospital stay ( P <0.0001) and a lower postoperative transfusion rate ( P =0.01). RL and VATS cohorts had comparable postoperative complication rates. In-hospital mortality was comparable between all groups. RL and VATS approaches were associated with favorable perioperative outcomes compared to OL. Robotic-assisted lobectomy was also associated with a reduced length of stay and decreased conversion rate when compared to VATS.

Electromagnetic bronchoscopy guided microwave ablation for early stage lung cancer presenting as ground glass nodule.

BackgroundPatients with early-stage lung cancer are sometimes medically inoperable, and for patients with multiple primary lung cancers, surgical resection alone sometimes proves to be impractical. Local treatments like microwave ablation (MWA) are investigational alternatives for these patients. Most reported MWA procedures for lung cancers are performed percutaneously under CT guidance. MWA navigated by electromagnetic bronchoscopy (ENB) has been limitedly studied. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of MWA under ENB guidance in patients with inoperable early-stage lung cancers or multiple primary lung cancers which cannot be completely resected.MethodsFrom June 2019 to December 2020, preliminary attempts of ENB-guided MWA were made in five medically inoperable patients with a single early-stage lung cancer and ten patients with multiple primary lung cancers which were difficult to resect at the same time. For patients with concomitant pulmonary nodules which needed surgical resection, thoracoscopic resections were performed following ENB-guided MWA. The safety, feasibility, and technique effectiveness of treatments were evaluated.ResultsENB-guided MWA for 15 ground glass nodules (GGNs) in 15 patients was completed in accordance with the planned protocol. Biopsy of 13 GGNs showed malignancy. Five patients received simple ENB-guided MWA without simultaneous surgical resection and ten patients received simultaneous surgical resection for 13 concomitant pulmonary nodules. CT scan by the first postoperative week showed technique effectiveness of ablation for 11 nodules indicated for MWA. Four patients had mild complications after the procedure and recovered shortly after treatment.ConclusionsFor medically inoperable patients with a single GGN manifesting early-stage lung cancer and patients with multiple primary early-stage lung cancers which cannot be resected at the same time, ENB-guided MWA might be a safe and feasible alternative local treatment, whether combined with surgical resection or not. However, large, prospective, randomized, multicenter studies are needed to confirm its role in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer.

Early outcome of anatomical lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer in the elderly.

Surgery is the mainstay of early-stage lung cancer treatment. However, since life expectancy is constantly increasing, we wanted to investigate whether this principle also applies to elderly (≥70-year-old) patients. We analyzed a prospectively maintained database on anatomical lung resections at our institute. Patients were divided in two groups: <70 years and ≥70 years (elderly). Outcome indicators were postoperative cardiopulmonary complications rate and 30-day readmission rate. Baseline and surgical characteristics were compared by mean of t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi2 and Fisher exact tests. Propensity score matching was performed to account for differences between groups in the outcome's analysis. We selected 241 patients with lung cancer (2017-2021) who underwent anatomical lung resections. Median age was 70.5 (IQR: 64-76). 133 patients (54%) aged 70 and above. Patients and surgical characteristics (comorbidities, lung function, performance status, type and extension of lung resection and surgical approach) were similar among groups, except for atrial fibrillation (p=0.01) and previous cancer history (p<0.0001) which were more frequent in the elderly group. Non-elderly patients were more frequently active smokers (p<0.0001). Cardiopulmonary complications rate was 23%, 30-day readmission rate was 12.6%. We did not observe any significant difference in all the short-term outcome indicators between the elderly and the younger counterpart. Particularly, complications rate (p=0.91) and 30-day readmission (p=0.84) did not differ between groups. In our series, short-term outcomes are not compromised in elderly patients. The evolution in surgical strategy and expertise contribute to offer surgical resection with curative intent for lung cancer to a large spectrum of patients.

Effect and feasibility of uniportal thoracoscopic surgery in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer in a primary hospital.

BackgroundThoracoscopic radical lobectomy is a routine procedure for radical surgery of lung cancer. Meanwhile, thoracoscopic surgery has been gradually transformed from assisted small incision and multiport thoracoscopic radical surgery to uniportal thoracoscopic surgery for treatment of early-stage lung cancers. However, there are still controversies regarding the efficacy and feasibility of 2 surgical methods. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect and feasibility of uniportal thoracoscopic surgery for treatment of early-stage lung cancer in a primary hospital.MethodsClinical data of 142 patients with early-stage lung cancer were retrospectively chosen in the period from September 2019 to March 2021 in our hospital and divided into 2 groups: a control group (66 patients) with 3-port thoracoscopic radical surgery and an experimental group (76 patients) with uniportal thoracoscopic radical surgery. The baseline clinical data, perioperative clinical data, and lymph node dissection of 2 groups were compared.ResultsThere was no significant difference in baseline general clinical data between 2 groups (P>0.05), and no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications, conversion rate, or operation time between 2 groups (P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss volume, postoperative chest drainage volume, postoperative hospitalization time, and postoperative catheter time of experimental group were significantly lower than those of control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the total number of lymph node dissection stations and lymph node dissections, the number of N2 lymph node dissection stations, or N2 lymph node dissections between 2 groups (P>0.05). There was also no significant difference in the number of left and right lymph node dissection stations between 2 groups (P>0.05).ConclusionsCompared with 3-port thoracoscopic radical surgery, uniportal thoracoscopic radical surgery in the treatment of patients with early-stage lung cancer provides the same effect of lymph node dissection and has advantages in reducing surgical trauma and accelerating postoperative rehabilitation, popularizing for use in primary hospitals.