-
Pleura and Peritoneum Jun 2016: The current treatment of choice for peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastric cancer is systemic chemotherapy. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic... (Review)
Review
: The current treatment of choice for peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastric cancer is systemic chemotherapy. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a new aggressive form of loco-regional treatment that is currently being used in pseudomyxoma peritoneii, peritoneal mesothelioma and peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer. It is still under investigation for its use in gastric cancer. : The literature between 1970 and 2016 was surveyed systematically through a review of published studies on the treatment outcomes of CRS and HIPEC for peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastric cancer. : Seventeen studies were included in this review. The median survival for all patients ranged from 6.6 to 15.8 months. The 5-years overall survival ranged from 6 to 31%. For patients with complete cytoreduction, the median survival was 11.2 to 43.4 months and the 5-years overall survival was 13 % to 23%. Important prognostic factors were found to be a low peritoneal carcarcinomatosis index (PCI) score and the completeness of cytoreduction. : The current evidence suggests that CRS and HIPEC has a role to play in the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis from gastric cancer. Long term survival has been shown for a select group of patients. However, further studies are needed to validate these results.
PubMed: 30911610
DOI: 10.1515/pp-2016-0010 -
Medicine May 2016Calcifying fibrous tumor (CFT) is a benign lesion characterized by its specific histological findings and is found as solitary or multiple lesions in several locations... (Review)
Review
Calcifying fibrous tumor (CFT) is a benign lesion characterized by its specific histological findings and is found as solitary or multiple lesions in several locations of the human body. The aim of the present systematic review is to give a detailed account of all reported cases of CFT in the literature and to analyze the available data, to completely characterize the entity from epidemiological, medical, and surgical aspects.A bibliographic research was performed from 1988 until 2015. A database with the patients' characteristics was made, including sex, age, location of the tumor, symptoms, symptoms duration, size of the tumor, diagnostic methods, treatment, metastasis, and follow-up.A total of 104 articles were identified, reporting 157 cases of CFT. Mean age of patients was 33.58 years and the ratio between men and women was 1:1.27. The most common locations of CFT were stomach (18%), small intestine (8.7%), pleura (9.9%), mesentery (5%), and peritoneum (6.8%). Mean diameter of the tumor was estimated 4.6 cm. The correlations proceeded showed that as age increases, size decreases (P = 0.001) and that the tumor is larger in females (P = 0.027). Kruskal-Wallis test showed that the larger tumors appear in the neck and adrenal gland (P = 0.001). The percentage of asymptomatic patients was 30.57%. Computed tomography and biopsy were the most common tests for the diagnosis of CFT. Open surgical procedure was performed in the majority of cases. The median hospitalization was 6.06 days and the mean follow-up period was 29.97 months. Recurrences were mentioned in 10 of 96 patients with available data. No deaths owing to CFT were mentioned in the literature.CFT should be included in the differential diagnosis of enlarging mass revealed by clinical or imaging examination either incidentally or after specific acute or chronic symptomatology.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Calcinosis; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasms, Fibrous Tissue; Sex Factors; Tumor Burden; Young Adult
PubMed: 27196478
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000003690 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... May 2016Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common problem for people with cancer as a result of malignant infiltration of the pleura. It is usually associated with... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common problem for people with cancer as a result of malignant infiltration of the pleura. It is usually associated with considerable breathlessness. A number of treatment options are available to manage the uncontrolled accumulation of pleural fluid including administration of a pleurodesis agent (either via a chest tube or at thoracoscopy) or indwelling pleural catheter insertion.
OBJECTIVES
To ascertain the optimal management strategy for adults with malignant pleural effusion in terms of pleurodesis success. Additionally, to quantify differences in patient-reported outcomes and adverse effects between management strategies.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE; EBSCO CINAHL; SCI-EXPANDED and SSCI (ISI Web of Science) to April 2015.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials of intrapleural interventions for adults with symptomatic MPE in the review.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently extracted data on study design, study characteristics, outcome measures, potential effect modifiers and risk of bias.The primary outcome measure was pleurodesis failure rate. Secondary outcome measures were adverse effects and complications, patient-reported control of breathlessness, quality of life, cost, mortality, duration of inpatient stay and patient acceptability.We performed network meta-analysis with random effects to analyse the primary outcome data and those secondary outcomes with enough data. We also performed pair-wise random-effects meta-analyses of direct comparison data. If interventions were not deemed jointly randomisable, or insufficient data were available, we reported the results by narrative synthesis. We performed sensitivity analyses to explore heterogeneity and to evaluate only those pleurodesis agents administered via a chest tube at the bedside.
MAIN RESULTS
Of the 1888 records identified, 62 randomised trials, including a total of 3428 patients, were eligible for inclusion. All studies were at high or uncertain risk of bias for at least one domain.Network meta-analysis evaluating the rate of pleurodesis failure, suggested talc poudrage to be a highly effective method (ranked second of 16 (95% credible interval (Cr-I) 1 to 5)) and provided evidence that it resulted in fewer pleurodesis failures than eight other methods. The estimated ranks of other commonly used agents were: talc slurry (fourth; 95% Cr-I 2 to 8), mepacrine (fourth; 95% Cr-I 1 to 10), iodine (fifth; 95% Cr-I 1 to 12), bleomycin (eighth; 95% Cr-I 5 to 11) and doxycyline (tenth; 95% Cr-I 4 to 15). The estimates were imprecise as evidenced by the wide credible intervals and both high statistical and clinical heterogeneity.Most of the secondary outcomes, including adverse events, were inconsistently reported by the included studies and the methods used to describe them varied widely. Hence the majority of the secondary outcomes were reported descriptively in this review. We obtained sufficient data to perform network meta-analysis for the most commonly reported adverse events: pain, fever and mortality. The fever network was imprecise and showed substantial heterogeneity, but suggested placebo caused the least fever (ranked first of 11 (95% Cr-I 1 to 7)) and mepacrine and Corynebacterium parvum (C. parvum) appeared to be associated with the most fever (ranked tenth (95% Cr-I 6 to 11) and eleventh (95% Cr-I 7 to 11) respectively). No differences between interventions were revealed by the network meta-analysis of the pain data. The only potential difference in mortality identified in the mortality network was that those receiving tetracycline appeared to have a longer survival than those receiving mitoxantrone (OR 0.16 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.03 to 0.72)). Indwelling pleural catheters were examined in two randomised studies, both of which reported improved breathlessness when compared to talc slurry pleurodesis, despite lower pleurodesis success rates.The risk of bias in a number of the included studies was substantial, for example the vast majority of studies were unblinded, and the methods used for sequence generation and allocation concealment were often unclear. Overall, however, the risk of bias for all studies was moderate. We have not reported the GRADE quality of evidence for the outcomes, as the role of GRADE is not well established in the context of Network Meta-analysis (NMA).
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Based on the available evidence, talc poudrage is a more effective pleurodesis method in MPE than a number of other frequently used methods, including tetracycline and bleomycin. However further data are required to definitively confirm whether it is more effective than certain other commonly used interventions such as talc slurry and doxycycline, particularly in view of the high statistical and clinical heterogeneity within the network and the high risk of bias of many of the included studies. Based on the strength of the evidence from both direct and indirect comparisons of randomised data of sclerosants administered at the bedside, there is no evidence to suggest large differences between the other highly effective methods (talc slurry, mepacrine, iodine and C. parvum). However, local availability, global experience of these agents and their adverse events, which may not be identified in randomised trials, must also be considered when selecting a sclerosant. Further research is required to delineate the roles of different treatments according to patient characteristics (e.g. according to their prognosis or presence of trapped lung) and to explore patient-centred outcomes, such as breathlessness and quality of life, in more detail. Careful consideration to minimise the risk of bias and standardise outcome measures is essential for future trial design.
Topics: Adult; Bleomycin; Doxycycline; Fever; Humans; Iodine; Pleural Effusion, Malignant; Pleurodesis; Quinacrine; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Talc; Treatment Failure
PubMed: 27155783
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010529.pub2 -
Pleura and Peritoneum Mar 2016: Adult and juvenile granulosa cell tumors of the ovary are rare functional sex-cord-stromal ovarian neoplasms characterized by low malignant potential and late relapse.... (Review)
Review
: Adult and juvenile granulosa cell tumors of the ovary are rare functional sex-cord-stromal ovarian neoplasms characterized by low malignant potential and late relapse. Evidence-based management options for primary and recurrent juvenile (JGCT) and adult (AGCT) granulosa cell tumors are limited and treatment options have not been standardized. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) may be an option to treat these women effectively. : Systematic literature review using PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. : No reports of HIPEC among women with a first diagnosis of AGCT were identified. We identified 5 reports on the safety and therapeutic efficacy of CRS and HIPEC in 19 patients with recurrent AGCT and one patient with JGCT. The pooled rate of complete cytoreduction was 95 % (18/19) with 16 % (3/19) severe morbidity and no procedure-related mortality. The median time of follow-up was 30 (range, 3 to 72) months, during which 6/19 (31 %) patients experienced a recurrence and two patients (10 %) died of the disease. : CRS and HIPEC are a safe and potentially effective treatment option for selected women with recurrent AGCT limited to the abdomen.
PubMed: 30911605
DOI: 10.1515/pp-2016-0002 -
PloS One 2015Pleural abrasion has been widely used to control the recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). However, controversy still exists regarding the advantages and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Pleural abrasion has been widely used to control the recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). However, controversy still exists regarding the advantages and disadvantages of pleural abrasion compared with other interventions in preventing the recurrence of PSP.
METHODS
The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched up to December 15, 2014 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of pleural abrasion with those of other interventions in the treatment of PSP. The study outcomes included the PSP recurrence rate and the occurrence rate of adverse effects.
RESULTS
Mechanical pleural abrasion and apical pleurectomy after thoracoscopic stapled bullectomy exhibited similarly persistent postoperative air leak occurrence rates (p = 0.978) and 1-year PSP recurrence rates (p = 0.821), whereas pleural abrasion led to reduced residual chest pain and discomfort (p = 0.001) and a smaller rate of hemothorax (p = 0.036) than did apical pleurectomy. However, the addition of minocycline pleurodesis to pleural abrasion did not reduce the pneumothorax recurrence rate compared with apical pleurectomy (3.8% for both procedures) but was associated with fewer complications. There was no statistical difference in the pneumothorax recurrence rate between mechanical pleural abrasion and chemical pleurodesis with minocycline on either an intention-to-treat basis (4 of 42 versus 0 of 42, p = 0.12; Fisher exact test) or after exclusions (2 of 40 versus 0 of 42, p = 0.24; Fisher exact test). Pleural abrasion plus minocycline pleurodesis also did not reduce the pneumothorax recurrence rate compared with pleural abrasion alone (p = 0.055). Moreover, pleural abrasion plus minocycline pleurodesis was associated with more intense acute chest pain. The postoperative overall recurrence rate in patients who underwent staple line coverage with absorbable cellulose mesh and fibrin glue was similar to that with mechanical abrasion after thoracoscopic bullectomy (13.8% vs. 14.2%, respectively; p = 0.555), but staple line coverage resulted in less postoperative residual pain than mechanical abrasion (0.4% vs.3.2%; p<0.0001). Pleural abrasion after thoracoscopic wedge resection did not decrease the recurrence of pneumothorax compared with wedge resection alone (p = 0.791), but the intraoperative bleeding and postoperative pleural drainage rates were higher when pleural abrasion was performed.
CONCLUSIONS
In addition to resulting in the same pneumothorax recurrence rate, thoracoscopic pleural abrasion with or without minocycline pleurodesis is safer than apical pleurectomy in the treatment of PSP. However, minocycline pleurodesis with or without pleural abrasion is not any more effective than pleural abrasion alone. Moreover, additional mechanical abrasion is not safer than additional staple line coverage with absorbable cellulose mesh and fibrin glue after thoracoscopic bullectomy because of increased postoperative pain. Additionally, pleural abrasion after thoracoscopic wedge resection should not be recommended for routine application due to the greater incidence of adverse effects than wedge resection alone. However, further large-scale, well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm the best procedure.
Topics: Humans; Minocycline; Pleura; Pleurodesis; Pneumothorax; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Thoracoscopy; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 26042737
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0127857 -
Occupational and Environmental Medicine Aug 2015To conduct a systematic review of changes in lung function in relation to presence of pleural plaques in asbestos-exposed populations. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To conduct a systematic review of changes in lung function in relation to presence of pleural plaques in asbestos-exposed populations.
METHODS
Database searches of PubMed and Web of Science were supplemented by review of papers' reference lists and journals' tables of contents. Methodological features (eg, consideration of potential confounding by smoking) of identified articles were reviewed by ≥ two reviewers. Meta-analyses of 20 studies estimated a summary effect of the decrements in per cent predicted (%pred) forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) associated with presence of pleural plaques.
RESULTS
Among asbestos-exposed workers, the presence of pleural plaques was associated with statistically significant decrements in FVC (4.09%pred, 95% CI 2.31 to 5.86) and FEV1 (1.99%pred, 95% CI 0.22 to 3.77). Effects of similar magnitude were seen when stratifying by imaging type (X-ray or high-resolution CT) and when excluding studies with potential methodological limitations. Undetected asbestosis was considered as an unlikely explanation of the observed decrements. Several studies provided evidence of an association between size of pleural plaques and degree of pulmonary decrease, and presence of pleural plaques and increased rate or degree of pulmonary impairment.
CONCLUSIONS
The presence of pleural plaques is associated with a small, but statistically significant mean difference in FVC and FEV1 in comparison to asbestos-exposed individuals without plaques or other abnormalities. From a public health perspective, small group mean decrements in lung function coupled with an increased rate of decline in lung function of the exposed population may be consequential.
Topics: Asbestos; Asbestosis; Forced Expiratory Volume; Humans; Lung; Lung Diseases; Occupational Diseases; Occupational Exposure; Pleura; Pleural Diseases; Smoking; Vital Capacity
PubMed: 25504898
DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102468 -
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Feb 2011There is a resurgence of interest in lung-sparing extirpative surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma with recent reports of better survival and fewer adverse... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
There is a resurgence of interest in lung-sparing extirpative surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma with recent reports of better survival and fewer adverse consequences than with extrapleural pneumonectomy. However, these operations are not well-characterized and to offer evidence-based clinical recommendations and to plan future trials a summary of what is already known is required.
DESIGN
A formal literature search was performed and all recovered titles were sequentially sifted by title, abstract and full-text reading according to prespecified criteria. Papers were selected if they contained data relevant to the area of enquiry. Quantitative synthesis and textual analysis, appropriate to the material, were performed.
SETTING
Follow-up studies of patients undergoing surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma in specialist thoracic or cardiothoracic units.
PARTICIPANTS
Among the operated patients described in these papers, a total of 1270 patients had undergone lung-sparing surgery for mesothelioma.
RESULTS
There were no randomized trials or other forms of controlled studies. From 464 titles, 26 papers contained sufficient data on 1270 patients to be included in the systematic review. Operative descriptions for all series were extracted and tabulated and variation was found in the nature of surgery within and between series, and the degree of detail with which it was described. There was more operative detail in recent papers. All available numerical data were extracted, tabulated and summarized using quantitative methods. The average survival at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years was 51%, 26%, 16%, 11% and 9%, respectively. There were no data on patients' performance status, symptomatic change, or other patient reported outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
In the absence of any form of control data, no conclusions can be drawn concerning survival differences or symptomatic benefits attributable to surgery. As mesothelioma surgery is restricted to a selected minority of patients who often have multiple therapies, future research will require controlled studies with explicit definitions of the clinical and surgical intent.
Topics: Humans; Lung; Mesothelioma; Pleura; Pleural Neoplasms; Pneumonectomy; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 21282797
DOI: 10.1258/jrsm.2010.100345 -
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory... Jun 2008Evaluation of transcapsular invasion is currently considered very important in the pathologic examination of thymomas. However, recent studies have questioned the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
CONTEXT
Evaluation of transcapsular invasion is currently considered very important in the pathologic examination of thymomas. However, recent studies have questioned the prognostic value of stratifying thymoma patients into stage I and II disease. Evidence-based pathology promotes the use of systematic reviews of literature and meta-analysis of data to synthesize the results of multiple publications.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the data in the literature regarding the prognostic importance of transcapsular invasion in thymoma stage I and II.
DESIGN
A systematic review of the English literature was carried out for "thymoma," "stage," and "prognoses." Case reports, case series with fewer than 10 cases, and studies with follow-up periods shorter than 5 years were excluded. Twenty-one retrospective publications reporting the experience with 2451 thymomas were selected for review, including 1419 stage I and 1032 stage II patients. Meta-analysis was performed, and possible publication bias was studied with funnel plots of precision and various statistics.
RESULTS
Meta-analysis yielded no significant differences in disease-free or overall survival rates in stage I and II thymoma patients. Funnel plots of precision and statistical tests such as the Egger regression intercept test showed no significant publication bias.
CONCLUSIONS
The lack of significant differences in the prognosis of patients with stages I and II thymoma suggests that evaluation of transcapsular invasion is of no clinical value in tumors that lack invasion of neighboring organs or the pleura. The data regarding the prognosis of stage II thymoma patients is somewhat heterogenous, with only some individuals having been treated with radiation therapy, suggesting the need for future randomized controlled trials.
Topics: Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Prognosis; Thymoma; Thymus Neoplasms
PubMed: 18517274
DOI: 10.5858/2008-132-926-EPATPE