Absolute contraindications to percutaneous tracheostomy due to anomaly of aortic arch branches origin and running

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Non-small cell lung cancer in surgically treated women.

AIM AND BACKGROUND: To determine whether female patients operated on for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a survival advantage compared to male patients. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed data from 1,426 prospectively collected patients submitted to lung resection for NSCLC between 1999 and 2008. RESULTS: Two groups, including 1,014 male and 412 female patients, were compared. Female patients were significantly younger, were more frequently asymptomatic, were less likely to be smokers, had better preoperative respiratory function, had a lower frequency of COPD, and were less commonly affected by cardiovascular comorbidity than men. Adenocarcinoma was more frequently present and early pathological stage (stage IA) more frequently detected in women at diagnosis. The operative mortality was significantly lower among women (1.6% vs 4.6%) (P = 0.012), and women underwent significantly more segmentectomies and fewer pneumonectomies (P = 0.001). The disease-related 5-year survival rate was significantly higher in women (66% vs 51%) (P = 0.0008). At univariate analysis the absence of symptoms at presentation, lower pathological stage, squamous cell type, and female gender were positive factors influencing long-term survival. At multivariate analysis low pathological stage, squamous cell type and female gender were confirmed as independent positive prognostic predictors. Women had a significant survival advantage irrespective of the histological subtype at pathological stage IA, IB, IIB and IIIA disease (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Female gender was confirmed to be a particular subset amongst patients affected by NSCLC and exerted a positive effect on disease-related survival of patients submitted to surgical resection. This important effect of gender should be cautiously kept in mind in analyzing the results of current and future trials for lung cancer therapy

Prognostic factors after surgical treatment of lung cancer invading the diaphragm

Background. Diaphragmatic invasion from lung cancer (T3-diaphragm) is a rare occurrence reported to portend a poor prognosis. Methods. Fifteen patients with T3-diaphragm (14 males, 1 female; median age, 64 years) were surgically treated over a twenty-year period by en bloc resection (14 patients). One patient was only explored. Pathologic stage IIB (T3N0) was found in 11 patients. A partial infiltration of the diaphragm was observed in 3 patients, whereas full-depth invasion was found in 12. Diaphragmatic reconstruction was done primarily in 9 patients, and, by prosthetic material in 5. Results. Two patients are still alive without evidence of disease at 88, and, 114 months from surgery. Overall median survival was 23 months (range, 3 to 168). The actuarial 5-year survival was 20%, when all patients were considered, and, 27%, for T3N0 patients. Univariate analysis showed that prosthetic replacement of the muscle (p = 0.018) was significantly related to survival. Conclusions. T3-diaphragm is best treated with en bloc resections with wide tumor-free margins and prosthetic replacement of the diaphragm. (C) 1999 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons