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Radiology Case Reports May 2023It is well-recognized that tuberculosis (TB) can mimic several clinical diseases, particularly cancer. On several occasions, lung TB can be misdiagnosed as cancer,...
It is well-recognized that tuberculosis (TB) can mimic several clinical diseases, particularly cancer. On several occasions, lung TB can be misdiagnosed as cancer, particularly in developed countries with a rare case of TB and high incidence of lung cancer, and vice versa- in which Indonesia, with a high incidence of TB, lung cancer may be mistakenly identified as TB, delaying the initiation of definitive therapy and causing unnecessary diagnostic and treatment procedures. We reported a 59-year-old male who complained of right upper chest pain, accompanied by chronic cough and weight loss, with a history of 6-month treatment with a TB regimen without resolution of his symptoms. Core biopsy CT guiding pathology anatomy revealed atypical adenocarcinoma. All patients seeking medical attention must be treated carefully, avoiding diagnostic procedures that can result in a delay in definitive therapy.
PubMed: 36926539
DOI: 10.1016/j.radcr.2023.01.100 -
The American Journal of Case Reports Jul 2022BACKGROUND Pancoast tumors, also called superior sulcus tumors, are a rare type of cancer affecting the lung apex. These tumors can spread to the brachial plexus and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND Pancoast tumors, also called superior sulcus tumors, are a rare type of cancer affecting the lung apex. These tumors can spread to the brachial plexus and spine and present with symptoms that appear to be of musculoskeletal origin. CASE REPORT A 59-year-old Asian man presented to a chiropractor in Hong Kong with a 1-month history of neck and shoulder pain and numbness that had been treated unsuccessfully with exercise, medications, and acupuncture. He had an active history of tuberculosis, which was currently treated with antibiotics, and a 50-pack-year history of smoking. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed urgently, revealing a small cervical disc herniation thought to correspond with radicular symptoms. However, as the patient did not respond to a brief trial of care, a thoracic MRI was urgently ordered, revealing a large superior sulcus tumor invading the upper to mid-thoracic spine. The patient was referred for medical care and received radiotherapy and chemotherapy with a positive outcome. A literature review identified 6 previously published cases in which a patient presented to a chiropractor with an undiagnosed Pancoast tumor. All patients had shoulder, spine, and/or upper extremity pain. CONCLUSIONS Patients with a previously undiagnosed Pancoast tumor can present to chiropractors given that these tumors may invade the brachial plexus and spine, causing shoulder, spine, and/or upper extremity pain. Chiropractors should be aware of the clinical features and risk factors of Pancoast tumors to readily identify them and refer such patients for medical care.
Topics: Brachial Plexus; Chiropractic; Humans; Intervertebral Disc Displacement; Male; Middle Aged; Neck Pain; Pancoast Syndrome
PubMed: 35797264
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.937052 -
Journal of Medical Case Reports Mar 2022Pancoast tumors represent a unique subset of lung cancers wherein a primary neoplasm arises in the lung's apex and invades the surrounding soft tissues. One of the main...
BACKGROUND
Pancoast tumors represent a unique subset of lung cancers wherein a primary neoplasm arises in the lung's apex and invades the surrounding soft tissues. One of the main challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of these apical lung cancers is that they are usually not visualized on initial chest x-ray and, by the time the patient presents with symptoms, the tumor has almost always invaded nearby structures.
CASE PRESENTATION
Herein we report a case of a 58-year-old nonsmoking African American male who presented to the neurology clinic with a history of multiple chronic joint pains. The patient complained of shoulder pain that traveled into his right arm and right finger and had worsened over the past 9 months. The patient also reported decreased right proximal strength and swelling of his right hand. Magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder and cervical region showed mild cervical spondylosis and a questionable right apical mass. A subsequent high-resolution computed tomography scan of the chest revealed a large right apical lung mass, with chest wall invasion and erosion of the adjacent ribs. Biopsy of the mass confirmed poorly differentiated non-small cell lung cancer. Radiation therapy was initiated, and the patient's pain improved significantly. Given the size of the tumor, chemotherapy was recommended by the oncology team. The patient decided against chemotherapy.
CONCLUSION
This case highlights the importance of early diagnosis by expanding the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with weakness, sensory loss, and shoulder pain beyond radiculopathy or joint-related diseases. A comprehensive history and careful examination may lead to an earlier diagnosis, more appropriate treatment, and better outcome in cases of Pancoast tumor presenting with neuropathic or musculoskeletal pain.
Topics: Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Male; Middle Aged; Pancoast Syndrome; Shoulder Pain; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 35292093
DOI: 10.1186/s13256-022-03328-4 -
Journal of Thoracic Disease Jan 2023Pancoast tumors represent 5% of non-small cell lung cancers. Complete surgical resection and no lymph node involvement are important positive prognostic factors....
BACKGROUND
Pancoast tumors represent 5% of non-small cell lung cancers. Complete surgical resection and no lymph node involvement are important positive prognostic factors. Previous literature has identified neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment, followed by surgical resection, as the standard of care. But many institutions choose upfront surgery. Our goal was to identify the treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with node-negative Pancoast tumors using the National Cancer Database (NCDB).
METHODS
The NCDB was queried from 2004 through 2017 to identify all patients who had undergone surgery for a Pancoast tumor. Treatment patterns, including the percentage of patients who received neoadjuvant treatment, were recorded. Logistic regression and survival analyses were used to determine outcomes based on different treatment patterns. Secondary analyses were performed on the cohort who received upfront surgery.
RESULTS
A total of 2,910 patients were included in the study. Overall 30- and 90-day mortality were 3% and 7% respectively. Only 25% (717/2,910) of the group received neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment prior to surgery. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment experienced significantly improved 90-day survival (P<0.01) and overall survival (P<0.01). When analyzing the cohort who received upfront surgery, there was a statistically significant difference in survival based on adjuvant treatment pattern (P<0.01). Patients in this group who received adjuvant chemoradiation had the best survival, whereas patients who received adjuvant radiation only or no treatment had the worst outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
Patients with Pancoast tumors receive neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment in only a quarter of cases nationally. Patients who received neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment had improved survival compared to patients who had upfront surgery. Similarly, when surgery is performed first, adjuvant chemoradiation treatment improved survival compared to other adjuvant strategies. These results suggest underutilization of neoadjuvant treatment for patients with node-negative Pancoast tumors. Future studies with a more clearly defined cohort are needed to assess the treatment patterns being utilized on patients with node-negative Pancoast tumors. It will be beneficial to see whether neoadjuvant treatment for Pancoast tumors has increased in recent years.
PubMed: 36794135
DOI: 10.21037/jtd-22-1077 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Dec 2023Regenerating family protein 3 A (Reg3A) is highly expressed in a variety of organs and inflammatory tissues, and is closely related to tumorigenesis and cancer...
Regenerating family protein 3 A (Reg3A) is highly expressed in a variety of organs and inflammatory tissues, and is closely related to tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, clinical statistics show that high expression of Reg3A is associated with better prognosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, suggesting a tumor-suppressive effect. The precise action and underlying mechanism of Reg3A in CRC remain controversial. The present study sought to investigate the relationship among Reg3A expression, CRC development, and immune cell alteration in patients using the TCGA, GEPIA, PrognoScan, TIMER and TISIDB databases. Reg3A-overexpressing LoVo cell line (LoVo-Reg3A), a representative of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), was constructed and the action of Reg3A was assessed in a xenograft nude mouse model. Our bioinformatical analyses revealed that Reg3A upregulation is highly associated with CRC, along with increased frequency of immune cell infiltration. In the xenograft nude mice, Reg3A overexpression offered a tumor-suppressive effect by inhibiting cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. The result of RNA-seq suggested a positive regulation of leukocytes and an upregulation of T cells in LoVo-Reg3A tumor tissue. CD4 and CD8 T cells in tumors, splenic Reg3A-reactive IFN-γ/CD4 T cells, and serum TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17 were significantly increased by Reg3A overexpression. In the ex vivo co-culture experiment, elevated cytotoxic effect, increased proportion of CD3ε T cells, and upregulated expressions of TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17 were detected in the PBMCs isolated from LoVo-Reg3A cell-xenografted nude mice. In conclusion, high expression of Reg3A could activate and recruit T cells in COAD leading to the cytotoxic tumor-suppressive effect.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mice; Adenocarcinoma; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Colonic Neoplasms; Interleukin-17; Mice, Nude; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
PubMed: 38011786
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115922 -
JTO Clinical and Research Reports Dec 2023Curative-intent treatment of superior sulcus tumors (SSTs) of the lung invading the spine presents considerable challenges. We retrospectively studied outcomes in a...
INTRODUCTION
Curative-intent treatment of superior sulcus tumors (SSTs) of the lung invading the spine presents considerable challenges. We retrospectively studied outcomes in a single center, uniformly staged patient cohort treated with induction concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by surgical resection (trimodality therapy).
METHODS
An institutional surgical database from the period between 2002 and 2021 was accessed to identify SSTs in which the resection included removal of at least part of the vertebral body. All patients were staged using fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (/computed tomography), computed tomography scan of the chest/upper abdomen, and brain imaging. Surgical morbidity was assessed using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Overall and disease-free survival were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.
RESULTS
A total of 18 patients were included: 8 complete and 10 partial vertebrectomies were performed, with six of the eight complete vertebrectomies involving two vertebral levels, resulting in Complete surgical resection (R0) in 94%. Nine patients had a 1-day procedure, and nine were staged over 2 days. The median follow-up was 30 months (interquartile range 11-57). The 90-day postoperative morbidity was 44% (grade III/IV), with no 90-day surgery-related mortality. There were 83% who had a major pathologic response, associated with improved survival ( = 0.044). The 5-year overall and disease-free survival were 55% and 40%, respectively. Disease progression occurred in 10 patients, comprising locoregional recurrences in two and distant metastases in eight patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Multimodality treatment in selected patients with a superior sulcus tumor invading the spine is safe and results in good survival. Such patients should be referred to expert centers. Future research should focus on improving distant control (e.g. [neo]adjuvant immunotherapy).
PubMed: 38046379
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtocrr.2023.100582 -
Frontiers in Surgery 2022En-bloc complete resection remains the treatment of choice for localized chest wall (CW) tumors. Titanium bars reconstruction demonstrated encouraging results with...
OBJECTIVES
En-bloc complete resection remains the treatment of choice for localized chest wall (CW) tumors. Titanium bars reconstruction demonstrated encouraging results with satisfactory early outcomes. However, long-term outcomes remain under-reported. The purpose of this study is to evaluate long-term outcomes after CW resection and repair with titanium devices.
METHODS
From June 2012 to December 2018, we retrospectively reviewed all patients with CW tumors who underwent surgical resection and repair using titanium. Long-term outcomes were assessed.
RESULTS
We identified 87 patients who underwent CW tumor resections and titanium reconstruction. Sixty-eight patients were included in the study (excluding benign tumors, Pancoast tumors, palliative surgeries, or clavicle reconstruction). There were 29 sarcomas, 20 isolated CW metastases, eight lung cancers, four breast cancers, three thymic malignancies, two sarcomatoid mesothelioma, and one desmoid tumor. Complete resection was achieved in 64 patients (94%), while R1 resection in four patients (6%). Resection involved one rib in two patients, two ribs in thirteen, three ribs in eighteen, four ribs in nine, five ribs in two, seven ribs in one, partial sternum in fifteen, and full sternum in sixteen patients. No patient experienced flail chest. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates and disease-free survivals were 82.3%, 61.4%,57.3%, and 67.6%,57.3%,52.6%, respectively. Surgical site infection occurred in 18% ( = 12) of cases. Eleven of twelve patients had an early infection (<1 year), which required material removal in six patients. Asymptomatic connector unsealing occurred in 6% ( = 4), with only one re-intervention. Titanium allergy has never been reported. Chronic chest pain (lasting more than 3 months after surgery, with daily use of pain killer) was reported in 24% of patients.
CONCLUSION
CW resections with titanium reconstruction are associated with long-term survivors. Titanium devices were safe, reliable, and achieved satisfactory oncological results with low morbidity and implant-related complication rates.
PubMed: 36157422
DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.950177 -
Thoracic Cancer Apr 2021A 60-year-old man was hospitalized because of numbness and weakness in the right upper limb. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large mass in the right upper lobe...
A 60-year-old man was hospitalized because of numbness and weakness in the right upper limb. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large mass in the right upper lobe invading the right eighth cervical and first thoracic nerve root. Biopsy pathology confirmed primary lung adenocarcinoma with a clinical stage of cT4N0M0 IIIA, negative for anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion gene and epidermal growth factor receptor mutations but positive for programmed death ligand 1 (3%). Neoadjuvant tislelizumab and chemotherapy were offered to this patient with Pancoast tumor, and tumor shrinkage of 71% was achieved. After the operation, surgical pathology indicated pathologic complete response (pCR). Circulating tumor cells testing was negative after the first adjuvant treatment. In this case, we provide real-world evidence of encouraging pCR with neoadjuvant tislelizumab and chemotherapy for a patient with Pancoast tumor.
Topics: Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pancoast Syndrome
PubMed: 33656285
DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.13910 -
Asian Spine Journal Oct 2022Retrospective cohort study.
STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.
PURPOSE
This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of patients who had T4 Pancoast tumors invading the spine and underwent en bloc resection and spinal stabilization through a single-stage posterior approach.
OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE
Surgical resection for Pancoast tumors affecting the spine has been successfully performed in two stages involving spinal reconstruction and tumor resection. However, reports have rarely presented the results of en bloc resection combined with spinal stabilization for T4 Pancoast tumors invading the spine through a single-stage posterior approach.
METHODS
Patients who had T4N0M0 Pancoast tumors invading the spine and underwent a single-stage posterior approach were retrospectively recruited. The following data were obtained and examined: demographics, tumor histology, preoperative and postoperative therapy, complications, spinal reconstruction technique, tumor resection extent, survival time, and disease recurrence.
RESULTS
Eighteen patients were included. The mean population age was 61±17 years, and the most common pathological type was adenocarcinoma (61.1%). Complete resection (R0) was obtained in 15 patients (83.3%), positive surgical margins (R1) were found in three patients (16.7%), and the 90-day mortality rate was 0%. Postoperative major complications were detected in 12 patients (66.7%), who required reoperation. The mean survival time was 67±24 months, but the median survival time was not reached. Among the patients, 10 (55.6%) are still alive at the end of the study. The 2- and 5-year actual survival rates were 59% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.7%-82.3%) and 52.5% (95% CI, 28.4%-76.6%), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
En bloc resection and spinal stabilization through a single-stage posterior approach might be effective for T4 Pancoast tumors invading the spine.
PubMed: 35654107
DOI: 10.31616/asj.2021.0202 -
HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine 2021Description The Pancoast tumor is an uncommon type of lung cancer that arises from within the superior sulcus. With most clinical manifestations occurring due to mass...
Description The Pancoast tumor is an uncommon type of lung cancer that arises from within the superior sulcus. With most clinical manifestations occurring due to mass effect, Pancoast syndrome is a known complication that includes shoulder and arm musculoskeletal pain, Horner's syndrome and neurological complications of the upper extremities, including weakness and atrophy. Even though adenocarcinoma is the most common cause of Pancoast syndrome among lung cancers, other malignancies can be responsible as well. Treatment is similar to that of other standard NSCLC treatments that include chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy and surgery. Here we report a patient with Pancoast syndrome secondary to a poorly differentiated malignant neoplasm composed of anaplastic cells.
PubMed: 37424884
DOI: 10.36518/2689-0216.1076