Prognostic factors of lung cancer in lymphoma survivors (the LuCiLyS study)

Background Second cancer is the leading cause of death in lymphoma survivors, with lung cancer representing the most common solid tumor. Limited information exists about the treatment and prognosis of second lung cancer following lymphoma. Herein, we evaluated the outcome and prognostic factors of Lung Cancer in Lymphoma Survivors (the LuCiLyS study) to improve the patient selection for lung cancer treatment. Methods This is a retrospective multicentre study including consecutive patients treated for lymphoma disease that subsequently developed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Data regarding lymphoma including age, symptoms, histology, disease stage, treatment received and lymphoma status at the time of lung cancer diagnosis, and data on lung carcinoma as age, smoking history, latency from lymphoma, symptoms, histology, disease stage, treatment received, and survival were evaluated to identify the significant prognostic factors for overall survival. Results Our study population included 164 patients, 145 of which underwent lung cancer resection. The median overall survival was 63 (range, 58–85) months, and the 5-year survival rate 54%. At univariable analysis no-active lymphoma (HR: 2.19; P=0.0152); early lymphoma stage (HR: 1.95; P=0.01); adenocarcinoma histology (HR: 0.59; P=0.0421); early lung cancer stage (HR: 3.18; P<0.0001); incidental diagnosis of lung cancer (HR: 1.71; P<0.0001); and lung cancer resection (HR: 2.79; P<0.0001) were favorable prognostic factors. At multivariable analysis, no-active lymphoma (HR: 2.68; P=0.004); early lung cancer stage (HR: 2.37; P<0.0001); incidental diagnosis of lung cancer (HR: 2.00; P<0.0001); and lung cancer resection (HR: 2.07; P<0.0001) remained favorable prognostic factors. Patients with non-active lymphoma (n=146) versus those with active lymphoma (n=18) at lung cancer diagnosis presented better median survival (64 vs. 37 months; HR: 2.4; P=0.02), but median lung cancer specific survival showed no significant difference (27 vs. 19 months; HR: 0.3; P=0.17). Conclusions The presence and/or a history of lymphoma should not be a contraindication to resection of lung cancer. Inclusion of lymphoma survivors in a lung cancer-screening program may lead to early detection of lung cancer, and improve the survival

Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum Following Electronic Cigarette Use

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is an uncommon condition typically occurring in young males presenting with pleuritic pain, dyspnea and subcutaneous emphysema. We reported an exceptional case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum following electronic cigarette use in an otherwise healthy young man

Surgical management of compensatory sweating: A systematic review

Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) surgery is a highly effective treatment of primary hyperhidrosis (PH) for the palms, face, axillae. Compensatory sweating (CS) is the most common and feared side effect of thoracic sympathectomy. CS is a phenomenon characterized by increased sweating in sites distal to the level of sympathectomy. Compensatory sweating is the main problem for which many patients give up surgery, losing the chance to solve their problem and accepting a poor quality of life. There are still no treatments that offer reliable solutions for compensatory sweating. The treatments proposed in the literature are scarce, with low case histories, and with uncertain results. Factors associated with CS are extension of manipulation of the sympathetic chain, level of sympathetic denervation, and body mass index. Therapeutic options include non surgical treatment and surgical treatment. Non surgical treatments include topical agents, botulinum toxin, systemic anticholinergics, iontophoresis. Surgical treatments include clip removal, extended sympathectomy and sympathetic chain reconstruction, although the efficacy is not well-established for all the methods. In this review we provide an overview of the treatments and outcomes described in the literature for the management of compensatory CS, with focus on surgical treatment

Exhaled Breath Temperature Home Monitoring to Detect NSCLC Relapse: Results from a Pilot Study

Exhaled breath temperature (EBT) has been shown to reflect airway inflammation as well as increased vascularization, both involved in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. The aim of this study was to look for evidence that continuous EBT monitoring by such a device may help the early detection of relapse of lung cancer in patients with NSCLC who have been subjected to surgery with radical intent. Case Series. We included 11 subjects, who had been subjected to lung resection with radical intent for NSCLC in a prospective observational study. All patients received individual devices for EBT measurement and used them daily for 24 months after surgery. Subjects were also followed up by means of regular standard-of-care clinical and radiologic monitoring for lung cancer at four intervals separated by 6 months (T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4). In 5 patients, relapse of lung cancer was documented by means of lung biopsies. All of them recorded an elevation of their EBT at least one-time interval (T1), corresponding to 6 months, before the relapse was diagnosed at T4. The individual EBT graphs over time differed among these patients, and their mean EBT variability increased by +4% towards the end of 24 months of monitoring. By contrast, patients without a relapse did not document an elevation of their EBT and their variability decreased by -1.4%

Pulmonary Hamartoma Associated With Lung Cancer (PHALC Study): Results of a Multicenter Study

Purpose Pulmonary hamartoma is the most common benign tumor of the lung. We analyzed a 20-year historical series of patients with pulmonary hamartoma undergoing surgical resection, aiming to evaluate the characteristics, the outcomes, and the association between hamartoma and lung cancer. Methods It was a retrospective multicenter study including the data of all consecutive patients with pulmonary hamartoma undergoing surgical resection. The end-points were to evaluate: (i) the characteristics of hamartoma, (ii) outcomes, and (iii) whether hamartoma was a predictive factor for lung cancer development Results Our study population included 540 patients. Upfront surgical or endoscopic resection was performed in 385 (71%) cases while in the remaining 155 (29%) cases, the lesions were resected 20 +/- 3.5 months later due to increase in size. In most cases, lung sparing resection was carried out including enucleation (n = 259; 48%) and wedge resection (n = 230; 43%) while 5 (1%) patients underwent endoscopic resection. Only two patients (0, 2%) had major complications. One patient (0.23%) had recurrence after endoscopic resection, while no cases of malignant degeneration were seen (mean follow-up:103.3 +/- 93 months). Seventy-six patients (14%) had associated lung cancer, synchronous in 9 (12%) and metachronous in 67 (88%). Only age > 70-year-old (p = 0.0059) and smokers > 20 cigarettes/day (p < 0.0001) were the significant risk factors for lung cancer. Conclusion PH was a benign tumor, with no evidence of recurrence and/or of malignant degeneration after resection. The association between hamartoma and lung cancer was a spurious phenomenon due to common risk factors