Intrapulmonal dislocation of a totally implantable venous access device

BACKGROUND: Totally implantable venous access devices are widely used for infusion of chemotherapy or parenteral nutrition. Device associated complications include technical operative problems, infections, paravasal infusions and catheter or punction chamber dislocation. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 49-year-old patient with the rare complication of a intrapulmonal catheter dislocation of a totally implantable venous access system. Treosulfane for chemotherapy of metastatic breast cancer was infused via the catheter causing instant coughing and dyspnoea which lead to the diagnosis of catheter dislocation. The intrapulmonal part of the catheter was removed under thoracoscopic control without further complications. CONCLUSION: Intrapulmonal catheter dislocation is a rare complication of a totally implantable venous access device which can not be avoided by any prophylactic measures. Therefore, the infusion system should be tested before each use and each new symptom, even when not obviously related to the catheter should be carefully documented and evaluated by expert physicians to avoid severe catheter-associated complications

Ion therapy within the trimodal management of superior sulcus tumors: the INKA trial

Background: The standard trimodal treatment concept in locally advanced and non-metastasized non-small-cell superior sulcus tumors consists of a preoperative chemoradiation followed by surgical resection. High linear energy transfer (LET) radiation as, for example, C12 heavy-ion beam therapy theoretically offers biological advantages compared to high energy x-ray therapy as, for example, higher biological efficiency. Methods/Design: In the present prospective, single-armed, open pilot study performed at the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT) in Heidelberg, the radiation treatment within the standard trimodal concept will be exchanged against C12 heavy-ion beam treatment and apply 39GyE in 13 single fractions in combination with a chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin and vinorelbine (local standard). The primary endpoint is feasibility and safety measured by the incidence of NCI-CTCAE grade 3/4 toxicity and/or discontinuation due to any reason. Secondary endpoint is the degree of regression in the histological specimen. The main inclusion criteria are histologically confirmed non-small-cell superior sulcus tumor, nodal disease stage ≤ N2, Karnofsky performance score ≥70%, patient age between 18 and 75 years as well as written informed consent. The main exclusion criteria include medical contraindications against elements of the trimodal treatment concept, PET confirmed nodal disease stage N3, stage IV disease, prior thoracic irradiation and decompensated diseases of the lung, cardio-vascular system, metabolism, hematopoietic and coagulation system and renal function. Furthermore, patients with implanted active medical devices without certification for ion-beam therapy are not allowed to take part in the study. Trial registration number: DRKS00006323 (www.drks.de)

Differential diagnostic value of CD5 and CD117 expression in thoracic tumors: A large scale study of 1465 non-small cell lung cancer cases

Background: Thoracic pathologists are frequently faced with tissue specimens from intrathoracic/mediastinal tumors. Specifically the differentiation between thymic and pulmonary squamous cell carcinomas (SqCC) can be challenging. In order to clarify the differential diagnostic value of CD5 and CD117 in this setting, we performed a large scale expression study of both markers in 1465 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. Methods: Tissue microarrays of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded resection specimens of 1465 NSCLC were stained with antibodies against CD117 and CD5. Positivity of both markers was correlated with clinicopathological variables. Results: CD117 was positive in 145 out of 1457 evaluable cases (9.9 %) and CD5 was positive in 133 out of 1427 evaluable cases (9.3 %). 28 cases (1.9 %) showed coexpression of CD117 and CD5. Among the 145 cases that were positive for CD117, 97 (66.8 %) were adenocarcinomas (ADC), 34 (23.4 %) were SqCC, 5 (3.4 %) were adenosquamous carcinomas (ADSqCC), 8 (5.5 %) were large cell carcinomas (LC), and one (0.6 %) was a pleomorphic carcinoma (PC). In the CD5 positive group consisting of 133 cases, 123 (92.4 %) were ADC, 0 (0 %) were SqCC, 4 (3.0 %) were ADSqCC, 3 (2.2 %) LC and 3 (2.2 %) were PC. None of the 586 SqCC showed expression of CD5. No association of CD117- or CD5 positivity to patients’ age, pathological stages or to T-, N-, or M- categories was observed. Conclusions: A substantial subset of NSCLC exhibit positivity of CD117 and CD5. Since CD5 expression was not observed in pulmonary SqCC, but is expressed in the majority of thymic squamous cell carcinomas, the application of this immunomarker is a valuable tool in the differential diagnosis of thoracic neoplasms

A randomized phase II study of radiation induced immune boost in operable non-small cell lung cancer (RadImmune trial)

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Surgery, radiotherapy at conventional and high dose and chemotherapy are the mainstay for lung cancer treatment. Insufficient migration and activation of tumour specific effector T cells seem to be important reasons for inadequate host anti-tumour immune response. Ionizing radiation can induce a variety of immune responses. The goal of this randomized trial is to assess if a preoperative single fraction low dose radiation is able to improve anti-tumour immune response in operable early stage lung cancer. Methods/Design: This trial has been designed as an investigator-initiated, prospective, randomized, 2-armed phase II trial. Patients who are candidates for elective resection of early stage non-small cell lung cancer will be randomized into 2 arms. A total of 36 patients will be enrolled. The patients receive either 2 Gy or no radiation prescribed to their primary tumour. Radiation will be delivered by external beam radiotherapy using 3D radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiation technique (IMRT) 7 days prior to surgical resection. The primary objective is to compare CD8+ T cell counts detected by immunohistochemistry in resected tumours following preoperative radiotherapy versus no radiotherapy. Secondary objectives include the association between CD8+ T cell counts and progression free survival, the correlation of CD8+ T cell counts quantified by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry, local tumour control and recurrence patterns, survival, radiogenic treatment toxicity and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Further, frequencies of tumour reactive T cells in blood and bone marrow as well as whole blood cell transcriptomics and plasma-proteomics will be correlated with clinical outcome. Discussion: This unique intervention combining preoperative low dose radiation and surgical removal of early stage non-small cell lung cancer is designed to address the problem of inadequate host anti-tumour immune response. If successful, this study may affect the role of radiotherapy in lung cancer treatment. Trial registration: NCT02319408; Registration: December 29, 2014

Simultaneous computed tomography-guided biopsy and radiofrequency ablation of solitary pulmonary malignancy in high-risk patients

Background: In recent years experience has been accumulated in percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of lung malignancies in nonsurgical patients. Objectives: In this study, we retrospectively evaluated a simultaneous diagnostic and therapeutic approach including CT-guided biopsy followed immediately by RFA of solitary malignant pulmonary lesions. Methods: CT-guided transthoracic core needle biopsy of solitary pulmonary lesions suspicious for malignancy was performed and histology was proven based on immediate frozen sections. RFA probes were placed into the pulmonary tumors under CT guidance and the ablation was performed subsequently. The procedure-related morbidity was analyzed. Follow-up included a CT scan and pulmonary function parameters. Results: A total of 33 CT-guided biopsies and subsequent RFA within a single procedure were performed. Morbidity of CT-guided biopsy included pulmonary hemorrhage (24%) and a mild pneumothorax (12%) without need for further interventions. The RFA procedure was not aggravated by the previous biopsy. The rate of pneumothorax requiring chest tube following RFA was 21%. Local tumor control was achieved in 77% with a median follow-up of 12 months. The morbidity of the CT-guided biopsy had no statistical impact on the local recurrence rate. Conclusions: The simultaneous diagnostic and therapeutic approach including CT-guided biopsy followed immediately by RFA of solitary malignant pulmonary lesions is a safe procedure. The potential of this combined approach is to avoid unnecessary therapies and to perform adequate therapies based on histology. Taking the local control rate into account, this approach should only be performed in those patients who are unable to undergo or who refuse surgery. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Base

Sublobar Resection, Radiofrequency Ablation or Radiotherapy in Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND: The best therapy for patients with stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are medically unfit for lobectomy or prefer not to undergo surgery has not yet been demonstrated. OBJECTIVES: We analyzed data from our prospective database to evaluate the recurrence and survival rates and assess the extent to which the type of treatment explains outcome differences. METHODS: This study included 116 patients with histologically proven clinical stage I NSCLC who were treated with sublobar resection (SLR; n = 42), radiofrequency ablation (RFA; n = 25) or radiotherapy (RT; n = 49) between 2009 and 2013. The primary end point was the time to primary tumor recurrence (PR). Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression were used to compare the recurrence patterns and survivals after adjustments for potential confounders. RESULTS: The SLR patients were younger and exhibited better performance status. The RT patients had larger tumors. After adjusting for age and tumor size, there were differences between the different treatments in terms of the PR rate, but no differences were observed in overall (OS) or disease-free survival. The hazard ratio for PR comparing SLR versus RT adjusted for age and tumor size was 2.73 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.72–10.27) and that for SLR versus RFA was 7.57 (95% CI 1.94–29.47). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that SLR was associated with a higher primary tumor control rate compared to RFA or RT, although the OSs were not different. These results should be confirmed in prospective trials

Resection of thoracic malignancies infiltrating cardiac structures with use of cardiopulmonary bypass

Background: Only few reports exist on malignant thoracic neoplasms that require cardiopulmonary bypass during resection. We aimed to investigate the early and late clinical outcome of these patients. Methods: Patients with thoracic malignancies that underwent surgery between 2002 and 2014 were analyzed. All patients had cardiopulomonary bypass support during resection. Clinical and perioperative data was retrospectively reviewed for outcome and overall survival. Results: Fifteen patients (12 female, mean age of 55 ± 15 years, range 24 to 80 years) were identified. Eleven (8 female) were diagnosed with primary thoracic malignomas and four with metastases. Three patients died early postoperatively. Patients diagnosed with sarcoma had a significantly worse outcome than non-sarcoma patients (83.3 ± 15.2 % after 1 year, 31.3 ± 24.5 % after 5 years vs. 83.3 ± 15.2 % after 1 year, 0 ± 0 % after 5 years, p = 0.005). Conclusions: Malignancies with extension into cardiac structures or infiltration of great vessels can be resected with cardiopulmonary bypass support and tolerable risk. Carefully selected patients can undergo advanced operative procedures with an acceptable 1-year-survival, but only few patients achieved good long-term outcome