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Journal of Visualized Surgery 2016Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy with dismal prognosis. Unfortunately, chemotherapy only marginally extends patient survival and... (Review)
Review
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy with dismal prognosis. Unfortunately, chemotherapy only marginally extends patient survival and palliative care often remains the sole therapeutic option. Nonetheless, for a selected group of patients that present with an early disease stage and an epithelioid histology, a personally tailored multimodality therapeutic (MMT) protocol comprising of cyto-reductive surgery and chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy may significantly prolong survival. Accurately selecting patients for this aggressive therapeutic approach is challenging and is based in part on optimal pre-surgical staging. Here we discuss the role of thoracoscopy, mediastinoscopy and laparoscopy in the diagnosis and staging of MPM patients prior to definite surgical resection.
PubMed: 29078517
DOI: 10.21037/jovs.2016.07.12 -
Thoracic Surgery Clinics Aug 2015The potential for intraoperative bleeding is inherent to the practice of thoracic surgery due to the presence of multiple vital vascular structures, complex anatomy, and... (Review)
Review
The potential for intraoperative bleeding is inherent to the practice of thoracic surgery due to the presence of multiple vital vascular structures, complex anatomy, and constant cardiorespiratory motion. Careful and detailed preoperative evaluation and planning, comprehensive review of imaging studies, and a thorough knowledge of the operative procedure, anatomic relationships, and potential complications are of the highest importance in prevention and avoidance of bleeding complications. Preparation with a clear crisis management plan ensures an effective and expedited response when intraoperative bleeding occurs.
Topics: Blood Loss, Surgical; Equipment Failure; Humans; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; Thoracic Surgical Procedures; Vascular System Injuries
PubMed: 26210923
DOI: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2015.04.001 -
Journal of Thoracic Disease Oct 2022Accurate mediastinal staging of lung cancer patients is critical for determining appropriate treatment. Mediastinoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided...
BACKGROUND
Accurate mediastinal staging of lung cancer patients is critical for determining appropriate treatment. Mediastinoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided transbronchial needle aspiration are the most commonly utilized techniques. Limited data exist on training and practice trends among thoracic surgeons. We aimed to determine training and practice patterns and find whether there is a paradigm shift in mediastinal staging after the introduction of EBUS into practice among thoracic surgeons in the United States.
METHODS
28-question survey was constructed querying demographic, training, and practice patterns with mediastinoscopy and EBUS and was sent to practicing thoracic surgeons in the United States. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize quantitative data.
RESULTS
Ninety-eight responded with a 93% completion rate. Eighty-seven percent of respondents received training in EBUS and 70% perform EBUS routinely. All respondents believe EBUS should be incorporated into thoracic surgery training curriculums. Majority of those who prefer EBUS feel EBUS is safer than mediastinoscopy, allows access to lymph nodes stations or lesions inaccessible by mediastinoscopy and prefer EBUS to avoid re-do mediastinoscopy and in irradiated mediastinum. Majority of those who prefer mediastinoscopy reported they perform more accurate staging compared to EBUS, that mediastinoscopy is more accurate in diagnosing lymphoma or sarcoidosis and that frozen section can be done at the same interval as resection. Among surgeons who prefer EBUS, 94% biopsy 3 or more lymph node stations, 86% routinely biopsy hilar (N1) nodes while 8% never biopsy N1 nodes. Of surgeons who prefer mediastinoscopy. Ninety-seven percent biopsy 3 or more lymph node stations, only 27% routinely biopsy N1 nodes and 70% never biopsy N1 nodes.
CONCLUSIONS
EBUS is used frequently by thoracic surgeons in their practice for mediastinal staging. Methods of obtaining proficiency in EBUS widely varied among surgeons. In addition to mediastinoscopy, dedicated EBUS training should be incorporated into thoracic surgery training curriculums.
PubMed: 36389296
DOI: 10.21037/jtd-22-183 -
Journal of Thoracic Disease Dec 2016The field of diagnostic bronchoscopy has been revolutionized in the last decade primarily with the advent of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) but also with the addition... (Review)
Review
The field of diagnostic bronchoscopy has been revolutionized in the last decade primarily with the advent of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) but also with the addition of multiple different techniques for "guided-bronchoscopy". These advances have had a substantial impact in the management of lung cancer with bronchoscopy now providing both diagnosis and mediastinal staging in a single procedure. EBUS has, in fact, become the first choice for staging of the mediastinum over cervical mediastinoscopy (CM). Although EBUS is now a well-established technique, there are continuous efforts from the scientific community to improve its diagnostic performance, and these will be reviewed in this manuscript. The term "guided-bronchoscopy" was recently coined to describe a myriad of techniques that guide our bronchoscopes or bronchoscopic tools into the periphery of the lungs in addition to our conventional fluoroscopy. Electromagnetic and non-electromagnetic navigation, thin and ultrathin scopes, as well as radial-probe EBUS have collectively increased our yield for smaller peripheral lung lesions and continue to evolve. Despite this improved diagnostic yield, there is still ample room for improvement and newer techniques are under way. With new therapies available for patients with interstitial lung disease, achieving a specific histologic diagnosis is now of paramount importance. Given the high morbidity and mortality of surgical biopsies, bronchoscopic cryobiopsy is being rapidly adopted as a safer and effective alternative, and it is likely going to play a major role in the management of these diseases in the near future. This manuscript we will focus on recent advances in EBUS, guided-bronchoscopy, and the use of cryobiopsy.
PubMed: 28149581
DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2016.12.70 -
Thoracic Surgery Clinics Aug 2016Combined endosonographic lymph node biopsy techniques are a minimally invasive alternative to surgical staging in non-small cell lung cancer and may be superior to... (Review)
Review
Combined endosonographic lymph node biopsy techniques are a minimally invasive alternative to surgical staging in non-small cell lung cancer and may be superior to standard mediastinoscopy and surgical mediastinal staging techniques. Endosonography allows for the biopsy of lymph nodes and metastases unattainable with standard mediastinoscopy. Standard cervical mediastinoscopy is an invasive procedure, which requires general anesthesia and is associated with higher risk, cost, and major complication rates compared with minimally invasive endosonographic biopsy techniques. Combined endosonographic procedures are the new gold standard in staging of non-small cell lung cancer when performed by an experienced operator.
Topics: Biopsy; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Endosonography; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Lymph Nodes; Lymphatic Metastasis; Mediastinoscopy; Mediastinum; Neoplasm Staging
PubMed: 27427519
DOI: 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2016.04.005 -
Zentralblatt Fur Chirurgie Oct 2015Acute infection of the mediastinum remains a condition with high morbidity and lethality rates. The manifestation and course of the illness vary widely depending on the... (Review)
Review
Acute infection of the mediastinum remains a condition with high morbidity and lethality rates. The manifestation and course of the illness vary widely depending on the cause of infection. Lack of knowledge or awareness of the illness and mostly unspecific clinical symptoms often delay diagnosis and thereby the start of adequate therapy. Computed tomography (CT) of the neck and thorax is the method of choice for diagnostics and control of therapeutic success. An early diagnosis with immediate surgical debridement and drainage of all infected tissue compartments, as well as strict sepsis therapy, are decisive for the prognosis.
Topics: Acute Disease; Algorithms; Debridement; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Mediastinitis; Mediastinoscopy; Necrosis; Survival Rate; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; Thoracoscopy; Thoracotomy; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 26351767
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1557779 -
Translational Lung Cancer Research Jan 2021The staging of mediastinal lymph nodes for lung cancer is crucial for planning treatments or reinterventions. In potentially curable patients the aim of mediastinal... (Review)
Review
The staging of mediastinal lymph nodes for lung cancer is crucial for planning treatments or reinterventions. In potentially curable patients the aim of mediastinal staging is to exclude the presence of malignancy in mediastinal lymph nodes with a high level of accuracy while also considering clinical factors and the balance of the benefits and risks of tissue sampling techniques. Mediastinal staging is based on computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) and can be sufficient when no mediastinal abnormalities are present and the probability of unforeseen N2 disease is low. In the case of bulky lymph nodes with a high probability of malignancy in PET-CT, tissue confirmation is not normally required. If mediastinal sampling is needed it can be achieved by endosonographic techniques, including endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) or a combination of the two. Positive results do not need further confirmation. In the case of negative results, surgical techniques still play a role in the selected cases discussed by multidisciplinary lung cancer committees. New mediastinal surgical techniques including video-assisted cervical mediastinoscopy (VACM), video-assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy (VAMLA), and transcervical extended mediastinal lymphadenectomy (TEMLA) have been shown to be useful in selected patients. Final pathological staging is based on lymph node removal during surgery and can be achieved by taking one of two approaches: lymph node sampling or systematic lymph node sampling. The accuracy of PET-CT and mediastinal endosonography is lower for mediastinal restaging than it is for surgical techniques; their false positive and false negative (FN) rate is high and so, they require histological confirmation. Here we explain and revise the results from the most recent studies and current international guidelines.
PubMed: 33569331
DOI: 10.21037/tlcr.2020.03.08 -
Respirology (Carlton, Vic.) May 2015For a long time lung cancer was associated with a fatalistic approach by healthcare professionals. In recent years, advances in imaging, improved diagnostic techniques... (Review)
Review
For a long time lung cancer was associated with a fatalistic approach by healthcare professionals. In recent years, advances in imaging, improved diagnostic techniques and more effective treatment modalities are reasons for optimism. Accurate lung cancer staging is vitally important because treatment options and prognosis differ significantly by stage. The staging algorithm should include a contrast computed tomography (CT) of the chest and the upper abdomen including adrenals, positron emission tomography/CT for staging the mediastinum and to rule out extrathoracic metastasis in patients considered for surgical resection, endosonography-guided needle sampling procedure replacing mediastinoscopy for near complete mediastinal staging, and brain imaging as clinically indicated. Applicability of evidence-based guidelines for staging of lung cancer depends on the available expertise and level of resources and is directly impacted by financial issues. Considering the diversity of healthcare infrastructure and economic performance of Asian countries, optimal and cost-effective use of staging methods appropriate to the available resources is prudent. The pulmonologist plays a central role in the multidisciplinary approach to lung cancer diagnosis, staging and management. Regional respiratory societies such as the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology should work with national respiratory societies to strive for uniform standards of care. For developing countries, a minimum set of care standards should be formulated. Cost-effective delivery of optimal care for lung cancer patients, including staging within the various healthcare systems, should be encouraged and most importantly, tobacco control implementation should receive an absolute priority status in all countries in Asia.
Topics: Asia; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration; Endosonography; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Mediastinoscopy; Mediastinum; Neoplasm Staging; Positron-Emission Tomography; Prognosis; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma
PubMed: 25682805
DOI: 10.1111/resp.12489 -
Indian Journal of Surgical Oncology Dec 2022Northeast India, a region of geographic, cultural, and ethnic diversity comprises of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, and Sikkim....
Northeast India, a region of geographic, cultural, and ethnic diversity comprises of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, and Sikkim. Geographically, two-thirds of the area is hilly terrain. The North Eastern Region (NER) shows marked diversity in customs, cultures, cuisines, traditions, and languages. The Aizawl district of Mizoram (269.4) and the Papumpare district of Arunachal Pradesh (219.8) have the highest age-adjusted incidence rates (AAR) of cancer among males and females, respectively. Meghalaya has the highest relative proportion of cancers associated with tobacco use, with 70.4% in men and 46.5% in women. This correlates with the high prevalence of tobacco use. The Dr Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati, was inaugurated in 1973. The Institute currently conducts M.Ch. Surgical Oncology, Head and Neck Oncology and Gynaecologic Oncology, and DM courses in Medical Oncology and Onco-pathology. The year 2019 saw the creation of a high-dose radioisotope therapy ward. Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) was started in 2021-2022. State Cancer Institute (SCI), Guwahati, houses a medical cyclotron, which is the only one in Northeast India. Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) is a joint venture between the Government of Assam and the Tata Trusts, with a three-level cancer grid. The Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC) offers holistic, subsidised cancer care to over 4000 new patients every year. North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) offers endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and mediastinoscopy services, enabling accurate staging of lung cancers. While the cancer care facilities in NER have grown over the years, it is not commensurate with the high incidence of cancers in the region.
PubMed: 36691507
DOI: 10.1007/s13193-022-01557-z