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Objectives: We investigated the incidence of late recurrence beyond 5 years after pulmonary resection and aimed to identify candidates for long-term surveillance. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 978 non-small-cell lung cancer patients who underwent pulmonary resection between 2002 and 2015 and survived without recurrence for 5 years. Clinicopathological factors associated with recurrence-free survival beyond 5 years after surgery were investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses. The development of late metachronous malignancies was also investigated. Results: The median follow-up period from 5 years post-surgery was 27 months in the whole cohort. Late recurrence occurred in 37 (3.8%) patients. Late metachronous malignancies were diagnosed in 116 patients (11.9%), including 57 (5.8%) with lung cancer. One-, three-, and five-year recurrence-free survival rates beyond 5 years after surgery were 97.6%, 94.7%, and 94.7%, respectively. The recurrence-free survival of patients with pN1-2 was significantly poorer than that of patients with pN0 disease. Multivariate analysis revealed that adenocarcinoma and pN1-2 status were significantly associated with poor recurrence-free survival beyond 5 years post-surgery (P = 0.009 and 0.007, respectively). Conclusions: Non-adenocarcinoma histology and pN0 status were significant favorable factors for recurrence-free survival beyond 5 years post-surgery. The efficacies of long-term surveillance for the detection of late recurrence were considered limited for these populations. Twelve percent of the patients experienced late metachronous malignancies after pulmonary resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Positive pleural lavage cytology (PLC +) is a poor prognostic factor for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, data on the impact of intraoperative rapid diagnosis of PLC (rPLC) are lacking. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of rPLC before resection during surgery. Methods: A total of 1,838 patients who underwent rPLC for NSCLC between September 2002 and December 2014 were studied retrospectively. We assessed the clinicopathological factors between rPLC findings and the impact on survival of patients with curative resection. Results: The rPLC + status was observed in 96 (5.3%) among 1,838 patients. The rPLC + group had more unsuspected N2 (30%) than the rPLC− group (p < 0.001). The 5-year overall survival (OS) of patients who underwent lobectomy or more extensive resection with rPLC + , negative rPLC (rPLC−), and microscopic pleural dissemination (PD) and/or malignant pleural effusion (PE) were 67.3, 81.3, and 11.0%, respectively. In the rPLC + group, the prognosis of patients with pN2 was equal to that of pN0–1 (5-year OS: 77.9% vs. 63.4%, p = 0.263). Undetectable dissemination in the first evaluation immediately after starting surgery was found in 9% of rPLC + patients by additional evaluation of the thoracic cavity. Conclusions: Patients with rPLC + have more favorable survival than those with microscopic PD/PE after surgery. Curative resection should be performed in patients with rPLC + , even if N2 is detected during surgery. However, the rPLC + group often has N2 upstaging; therefore, systematic nodal dissection should be performed in rPLC + patients for exact staging. rPLC may contribute to preventing oversight PD by re-evaluation during surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Pulmonary vein stump thrombosis may occur after left upper lobectomy (LUL) and is a potential risk factor for cerebral infarction. However, there are few reports on the role of pulmonary vein stump thrombosis in the development of cerebral infarction. We aimed to clarify the correlation between pulmonary vein stump thrombosis and cerebral infarction following LUL. Methods We evaluated 296 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) after LUL for lung cancer at the Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital in Shizuoka, Japan, between September 2002 and December 2015. The cerebral infarction in patients with pulmonary vein stump thrombosis was examined, and the risk factors for cerebral infarction were identified via a univariate analysis of the clinicopathological and surgical variables. Results Overall, 179 men and 117 women (median age: 68 years; range: 36–88 years) were included. The median observation period was 68 months. Pulmonary vein stump thrombosis occurred in 21 (7%) patients and cerebral infarction occurred in 15 (5%) patients. None of the 21 patients with pulmonary vein stump thrombosis developed cerebral infarction. Most cerebral infarctions (12/15) were diagnosed in the late phase (> 3 months). The pathological stage of cancer was found to be the only significant risk factor for cerebral infarction by the univariate analysis. Conclusion Pulmonary vein stump thrombosis following LUL was not necessarily associated with cerebral infarction, including the late phase. A prospective observational study with contrast-enhanced chest CT would be required to investigate the risk factors for cerebral infarction in each phase of the postoperative period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Lobe-specific nodal dissection (LND) is increasingly used for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Japan; however, its treatment validity remains unclarified. Since 2013, LND has been used as a standard procedure for clinical stage-I (c-stage-I) NSCLC at our institution. We aimed to evaluate its validity using intraoperative frozen section analysis (FSA) for c-stage-I NSCLC. Methods: The participants comprised patients with NSCLC who underwent LND between 2013 and 2016 (n = 307) or systematic nodal dissection (SND) between 2002 and 2013 (n = 367) for c-stage-I disease. FSA was routinely performed in LND to examine at least three stations. Outcomes were compared between the LND and SND groups. Patients in whom LND was converted to SND due to metastasis on FSA of the sampled lymph node were still categorized into the LND group, i.e., intention-to-treat analysis. The prognostic impact was compared using propensity score matching. Results: The rate of conversion from LND to SND was 10.4%. Of the patients converted to SND, 12.5% had metastases outside the LND area. False-negative N2 results were detected in only 0.7% of the LND group patients after FSA. After matching, each group had 220 patients. There were no significant between-group differences in the lymph-node recurrence rate (7% vs. 6%), 5-year recurrence-free survival (80.1% vs. 79.0%), and overall survival (90.4% vs. 90.3%). Conclusions: LND with intraoperative FSA is a valid modality that could serve as a standard surgical procedure for c-stage-I NSCLC. Intraoperative FSA may lower the residual lymph-node metastasis risk in LND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The lung is a major target organ of metastasis in several cancers. To distinguish primary lung cancer from pulmonary metastases is a clinical challenge. Small pulmonary nodules (PNs) are frequently diagnosed by frozen section diagnosis (FSD) intraoperatively after resection. Intraoperative FSD is very important to determine the extent of subsequent surgical procedures. This study aimed to know the validity of surgical decision based on FSD for preoperatively unconfirmed PN with previous malignancy. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 96 patients with suspected malignant PN who underwent intraoperative FSD between 2018 and 2020. Intraoperative FSD, final diagnosis, and surgical procedure data were examined. Results: Surgical procedure adequacy, based on FSD for preoperatively unconfirmed PN with previous malignancy, was 91% (88/96). The overall diagnostic accuracy of FSD was 83.3% (80/96). Discrepancy was noted in two cases (2.1%), and conclusive diagnosis could not be reached intraoperatively in 14 cases (14.6%). A second surgery was required in three patients and no additional excision for primary lung cancer was performed in three patients. Conversely, there were three cases of over-surgery, namely, lobectomy for pulmonary metastasis. Conclusions: Surgical decision-making based on FSD for preoperatively unconfirmed PN in patients with previous malignancy was generally adequate. However, there were inadequate or excessive surgical procedures due to limitations in the accuracy of intraoperative FSD. Improving the accuracy of intraoperative FSD is a necessary step for obtaining adequate surgical decision-making and precision medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary resection with mediastinal lymph node dissection for treating primary lung cancer could sometimes causes chylothorax as a postoperative complication. This study examined the validity of treatments for chylothorax in our hospital.Methods: We evaluated 2019 patients who underwent lobectomy, bilobectomy, or pneumonectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection for primary lung cancer at Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan, between September 2002 and March 2018. The diagnostic criteria for postoperative chylothorax were that the drainage from the pleural drain was evidently white and turbid, or the pleural effusion contained a triglyceride level of > 110 mg/dL. The clinical courses and treatments were retrospectively reviewed.Results: Postoperative chylothorax occurred in 37 patients (1.8%), 20 men and 17 women, with a median age of 70 years (33-80). A low-fat diet was instituted to all patients; 35 cases improved with conservative treatment, and 2 cases required reoperation. Nine cases had a drainage volume ≥ 500 mL one day following the low-fat diet commencement, which was resolved with conservative treatment and decreased drainage was observed on the third day of treatment in seven of those cases. Two cases with excessive drainage of ≥ 1000 mL in one day and systemic symptoms associated with chyle loss needed surgery.Conclusions: Even when the daily drainage volume exceeds 500 mL following a low-fat diet, there were many cases that could be cured conservatively. The indication for surgery needs to be carefully considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A significant number of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients develop osteogenic metastases (OMs) and/or brain metastases (BMs) after surgery, however, routine chest computed tomography (CT) sometimes fails to diagnose these recurrences. We investigated the incidence of BMs and OMs after pulmonary resection and aimed to identify candidates who can benefit from brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in addition to CT. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 1099 NSCLC patients who underwent pulmonary resection between 2002 and 2013. Clinicopathological factors associated with OM and/or BM were investigated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Postoperative recurrence occurred in 344 patients (32.6%). OMs were diagnosed in 56 patients (5.6%) with 93% within 3 years. BMs were identified in 72 patients (6.6%) with 91.1% within 3 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that poorly differentiated tumor and the presence of pathological nodal metastases were significantly associated with postoperative BM (p = 0.037, < 0.001), preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level of 5 ng/mL or higher and the presence of pathological nodal metastases were significantly associated with OM (p = 0.034, < 0.001). The prevalence of OM and/or BM in 5 years was as high as 25.9% in patients with pathological nodal metastases. Conclusions: We identified significant predictive factors of postoperative BM and OM. Under patient selection, the effectiveness of intensive surveillance for the modes of recurrence should be investigated with respect to earlier detection, maintenance of quality of life, and survival outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two women in their sixties were diagnosed with inoperable locally advanced epithelioid malignant pleural mesothelioma, c-stage IIIB. Post-chemotherapy, the tumors down-staged to yc-stage IA, and pleurectomy/decortication were performed. The pathological diagnoses were p-stages II and IA. One patient had tumor recurrence 6 months after surgery; she is currently undergoing fourth-line chemotherapy and is alive 30 months postoperatively. The second patient had tumor recurrence 4 months after surgery and died 2 months later. Conversion surgery for advanced malignant mesothelioma does not improve progression-free survival but might have a chance to extend overall survival in selected patients without deteriorating performance status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current nodal staging for lung cancer is defined only by the anatomical site of metastasis. However, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) proposed further subdivisions of the N descriptor that considers the locations and numbers of involved lymph node stations. This study aimed to test the new IASLC categories and compare their prognostic abilities to those of our proposed model that considers only the number of involved lymph node stations instead of the sites of metastasis. Methods: Between September 2002 and December 2016, 1581 patients who underwent complete resection for pathologically diagnosed Tis-4N0-2M0 non-small cell lung cancer were retrospectively analyzed. We evaluated the survival rates according to the patients' N classification as recently proposed by the IASLC and by the number of involved lymph node stations, and determined the optimal N classification. Results: The 5-year survival rates for patients with IASLC stages N1a, N1b, N2a1, N2a2, and N2b were 71.5%, 49.9%, 73.7%, 62.1%, and 46.9%, respectively. These results showed relatively good categorizations; however, some prognostic overlaps existed and not all differences were significant. After redefining the number of involved stations as Nα for 1, Nβ for 2–3, and Nγ for ≥ 4 without considering the metastasis sites, the 5-year survival rates for patients in these categories were 72.1%, 58.3%, and 29.6%, respectively; the differences between them were significant. Conclusion: The number of involved lymph node stations is a more accurate prognostic indicator in patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: The efficacy expectation of immune checkpoint inhibitors against NSCLC in patients with ILD seems to be high because these populations are supposed to have high TMB. However, information about the characterization of TMB in patients with NSCLC and ILD is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate TMB in samples of NSCLC with ILD and clarify factors that influence TMB values. Methods: The medical records of patients with NSCLC who underwent thoracic surgery at our institution between January 2014 and January 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Whole‐exome sequencing with an Ion Proton system and gene expression profiling of fresh surgical specimens were performed. Results: Among 367 patients with NSCLC, 62 (16.9%) were diagnosed with ILD. All samples were collected from primary tumours with a median TMB of approximately 2.1 (range: 0.1–64.4) mutation/Mb. Among 81 squamous cell carcinomas, we compared 27 tumours with concomitant ILD and 54 tumours without ILD. Univariate analyses revealed that tumours with concomitant ILD showed lower TMB values than those without ILD. Multivariate analysis revealed that concomitant ILD was significantly associated with low TMB values. Conversely, no difference was noted in the TMB value of adenocarcinoma between patients with and without ILD. Conclusion: Squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma with ILD do not have high TMB values. Therefore, considering the risk of severe pneumonitis, immune checkpoint inhibitors should not be used routinely against patients with NSCLC and ILD based on the expectation of high TMB values. Patients with NSCLC and ILD did not have high TMB and could develop severe pneumonitis if immune checkpoint inhibitors are used. Therefore, immune checkpoint inhibitors should not be used based on expectations of high TMB in patients with NSCLC and ILD. See relatedEditorial [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: miR-451 is a tumor suppressive microRNA with several target genes, including Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). As little is known about the expression and clinicopathological significance of mir-451 in NSCLC, we performed a clinicopathological study of 370 NSCLC cases to clarify them. Cell biological experiments were also performed on NSCLC cell lines to confirm the tumor-suppressive role of miR-451 and whether or not MIF is targeted by miR-451. Methods: We analyzed 370 NSCLC cases for the miR-451 expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and the MIF expression by immunohistochemistry. Eighty-four background lung tissue samples were also evaluated for the miR-451 expression. The clinicopathological and genetic factors surveyed were the disease-free survival, smoking status, histological type, disease stage, EGFR gene mutations and ALK rearrangements. In 286 adenocarcinoma cases, the invasive status (adenocarcinoma in situ, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma and invasive adenocarcinoma) was also evaluated. Five NSCLC cell lines (H23, H441, H522, H1703, and H1975) were cultured and evaluated for their miR-451 and MIF expression. The cell lines with lower miR-451 and higher MIF expressions were then selected and transfected with miR-451-mimic to observe its effects on MIF expression, Akt and Erk status, cell proliferation, and cell migration. Results: The miR-451 expression was down-regulated in cancer tissues compared with background lung tissues (P<0.0001). Factors such as advanced disease stage, positive pleural invasion and nodal status and being a smoker were significantly correlated with a lower expression of miR-451 (P<0.05 each), while EGFR gene mutations and ALK rearrangements were not. In adenocarcinoma, invasive and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma showed lower expression of miR-451 than adenocarcinoma in situ (P<0.0005, respectively). A survival analysis showed that a lower expression of miR-451 was an independent predictor of a poor prognosis for NSCLC (P<0.05). The MIF expression was inversely correlated with the miR-451 expression. Out of 5 NSCLC cell lines examined, H441 and H1975 showed higher MIF and lower miR-451 expressions. After the transfection of miR-451-mimic, the MIF expression and phosphorylated Akt expression of these cell lines was suppressed, as were cell proliferation and cell migration. Conclusion: This clinicopathological study of 370 NSCLC cases and the cell biological studies of NSCLC cell lines clarified the tumor-suppressive role of miR-451 and its prognostic value. We also validated MIF as a target of miR-451 in NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the present study was to use surgical and histological results to develop a simple noninvasive technique for improving nodal staging using preoperative PET/CT in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Preoperative PET/CT findings (163 patients) and pathological diagnoses after surgical resection were evaluated. Using PET/CT images, lymph node section area (SA), the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV), SA of SUV ≥2.5 and ≥3.0 were drawn freehand and measured using caliper software. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were then used to analyze those data. Results: Based on ROC analyses, the cut-off values for SA of SUV ≥2.5, SA of SUV ≥3.0, SUV ≥2.5 SA/node SA and SUV ≥3.0 SA/node SA for diagnosis of lymph node metastasis were 200 mm, 30 mm, 1.0 and 0.4. SUV ≥2.5 SA/node SA ≥1.0 had the highest negative predictive value, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of nodal staging were 61.1, 73.4, 36.7, 88.2 and 70.9%. Conclusions: When diagnosing nodal staging based a lymph node SUV ≥2.5 SA/node SA ratio of ≥1.0, it can be an effective criterion for use to determine surgical indications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 75 mm^2 low power 64 Gb MLC NAND flash memory capable of 30 MB/s program throughput and 533 MB/s data transfer rate at 1.8 V supply voltage is developed in 15 nm CMOS technology. 36% power reduction from 3.3 V design is achieved by a new pumping scheme. New low current peak features reduce a multi-die concurrent programming peak by 65% for 4-die case, and an erase verifying peak by 40%, respectively. Nanoscale transistors reducing bit-line discharge time by 70% is introduced to improve performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is thought to play a key role in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. We previously demonstrated that cancer cell migration is inhibited by C-reactive protein (CRP), which is widely used as a biomarker of inflammation, though its functions are not fully understood. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of CRP on cancer cell migration and expression of mesenchymal and epithelial markers of EMT and of related transcription factors. MCA-38 murine colon adenocarcinoma cells were subcutaneously inoculated into the backs of C57BL/6 mice, which also received 1 μg of recombinant mouse CRP or vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline) subcutaneously every 3 days for 4 weeks. Thereafter, the mice were sacrificed for evaluation using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry. There was no statistical difference in tumor size between the control and CRP groups, but CRP dose-dependently inhibited MCA-38 cell migration. PCR analysis confirmed that CRP suppresses expression of N-cadherin ( p < 0.01), a mesenchymal marker of EMT, and ZEB-1, an EMT-related transcription factor ( p < 0.01). These findings suggest that CRP inhibits EMT in a MCA-38 tumor-bearing mouse model. CRP may thus be a potentially useful tool for preventing cancer progression through suppression of EMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Lymphatic spread of lung carcinoma to the mediastinum is a key determinant of prognosis. The lymph flow often carries metastases from the pulmonary segment directly into the mediastinal lymph nodes, without passing through the hilar nodes. This phenomenon is termed as 'skip metastasis.' This study investigated the subpleural lymphatic flow to the mediastinum using indocyanine green (ICG) with a near-infrared fluorescence imaging system. Methods: Seventeen patients with lung cancer were enrolled in this study. A 0.3 ml sample of solution containing the fluorescent dye ICG (5 mg/ml) was injected into subpleural sites near the primary tumor. Fluorescence imaging was used to monitor the flow of ICG-containing lymph from the injection site for 5 min. The relationship between the anatomical segment of the primary tumor and the lymphatic flow was assessed. Results: The lymphatic vessels draining from the injection site were revealed by the bright ICG fluorescence in 14 of the patients (82.4 %). A direct lymphatic flow to the mediastinum was confirmed in 3 of those 14 (21.4 %). Conclusions: These findings confirm the direct flow of lymph to the mediastinum without passage through the hilum pulmonis intraoperatively. These preliminary results may provide a valuable clue for further investigations of the mechanisms underlying skip metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc Finger Homeobox 3 (ZFHX3) was first identified as a suppressor of alpha-fetoprotein gene and is a good candidate for the 16q22 tumor suppressor. In this study we investigated the relationship between tumoral ZFHX3 mRNA expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We used semi-quantitative real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to assess expression of ZFHX3 mRNA in tumor samples from 140 patients with NSCLC. We found that the 5-year overall survival rate among patients weakly expressing ZFHX3 was significantly poorer than among those expressing higher levels of ZFHX3 (P< 0.0001 by log-rank test). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed being lower ZFHX3 expression are independent predictors of lymph node metastasis. With low-ZFHX3 tumors, there was a significantly (P=0.009) greater (7.39-fold higher) risk of lymph node metastasis. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses revealed that being lower ZFHX3 expression (Hazard ratio, 4.42; 95% CI, 2.09-8.92; p=0.0002) were independent factors affecting 5-year overall survival. Ratio of ZFHX3 mRNA in tumor against normal lung in low-ZFHX3 tumor was lower than in high-ZFHX3 tumor. In conclusion, suppression of ZFHX3 expression in tumor cells decreases the survival rate among patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH), also known as xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), has long been recognized as the key enzyme in the catabolism of purines, oxidizing hypoxanthine into xanthine and then xanthine into uric acid. In addition, levels of XDH expression are reportedly related to the prognosis of patients with malignant tumors, though the relationship between the clinicopathological features of lung cancer and XDH is not fully understood. We therefore used semiquantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to assess expression of XDH mRNA in tumor samples from 88 patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. We then correlated XDH mRNA levels with known clinicopathological factors. We found that the 5-year overall survival rate among patients strongly expressing XDH was significantly poorer than among those expressing lower levels of XDH ( P < 0.001; log-rank test). Normal lung tissue does not express XDH. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses revealed that being male (hazard ratio, 3.14; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.45-7.07; P = 0.004), nodal metastasis positivity (hazard ratio, 5.74; 95 % CI, 1.94-19.3; P = 0.001), and high XDH expression (hazard ratio, 2.33; 95 % CI, 1.11-5.02; P = 0.026) were all independent factors affecting 5-year disease-free survival. In conclusion, high tumoral XDH expression is an independent predictor of a poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cation channels of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily are implicated in cancer formation; in particular, TRPC3 has been shown to contribute to the progression of human ovarian cancer. However, the relationship between TRP expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of lung cancer and patient prognosis is not well understood. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between TRP expression and the prognosis of patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. Methods: We used semiquantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to assess the expression of TRP mRNA in tumor samples from 95 patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. We then correlated the TRP mRNA levels with clinicopathological factors. We also used immunohistochemical staining to determine the localization of expressed TRP. Results: The 5-year overall and disease-free survival rates among patients expressing higher levels of TRPC3 mRNA were significantly better than the corresponding rates among patients expressing lower levels ( P = 0.004, P = 0.002, respectively, by log-rank test). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses revealed that tumor size (hazard ratio, 2.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 5.79; P = 0.036), n2 (hazard ratio, 3.81; 95% CI, 1.29 to 11.77; P = 0.015) and TRPC3 (hazard ratio, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.33 to 5.59; P = 0.006) were independent factors affecting the 5-year overall survival rate. Immunohistochemistry showed that the cytoplasm of tumor cells were stained positively for TRPC3. Conclusions: Higher levels of TRPC3 expression in tumor cells are an independent predictor of a better prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation between CCR6 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of lung cancer and patient prognosis is not well understood and remains controversial. We, therefore, investigated the relationship between CCR6 expression and prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. We used semiquantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to assess the expression of CCR6 mRNA in tumor samples from 84 patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. We then correlated the levels of CCR6 mRNA with known clinicopathological features. The 5-year disease-free survival rate among patients expressing higher levels of CCR6 mRNA was significantly better than among those expressing lower levels ( P = 0.009 by log-rank test). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses revealed, being male [hazard ratio, 3.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.58 to 10.36; P = 0.003], tumor size >30 mm (hazard ratio, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.08 to 5.73; P = 0.030), nodal metastasis (hazard ratio, 7.66; 95% CI, 2.62 to 23.3; P = 0.0002), and CCR6 (hazard ratio, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.93; P = 0.034) to be independent factors affecting the 5-year disease-free survival rate. Greater expression of CCR6 by tumor cells is an independent predictor of a better prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth, optical and luminescence characteristics of Pr-doped Sr3Y(BO3)3 (Pr:SrYBO) single crystals are studied. The Pr:SYBO single crystals with dimension of φ 2.0 x 30 mm³ were grown by micro-pulling down method with radio frequency heating system. The emission bands at 280-300 nm and 608 nm correspond to 5d-4f transition and 4f-4f transition of Pr3+ respectively, and were observed under 250 nm excitation. Under the α-ray excitation only the 4f-4f luminescence of Pr3+ was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Given the extent of the surgical indications for pulmonary lobectomy in breathless patients, preoperative care and evaluation of pulmonary function are increasingly necessary. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation ( PR) for reducing the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC) patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD). Methods The records of 116 patients with COPD, including 51 patients who received PR, were retrospectively analyzed. Pulmonary function testing, including slow vital capacity ( VC) and forced expiratory volume in one second ( FEV1), was obtained preoperatively, after PR, and at one and six months postoperatively. The recovery rate of postoperative pulmonary function was standardized for functional loss associated with the different resected lung volumes. Propensity score analysis generated matched pairs of 31 patients divided into PR and non- PR groups. Results The PR period was 18.7 ± 12.7 days in COPD patients. Preoperative pulmonary function was significantly improved after PR ( VC 5.3%, FEV1 5.5%; P < 0.05). The FEV1 recovery rate one month after surgery was significantly better in the PR (101.6%; P < 0.001) than in the non- PR group (93.9%). In logistic regression analysis, predicted postoperative FEV1, predicted postoperative % FEV1, and PR were independent factors related to postoperative pulmonary complications after pulmonary lobectomy ( odds ratio 18.9, 16.1, and 13.9, respectively; P < 0.05). Conclusions PR improved the recovery rate of pulmonary function after lobectomy in the early period, and may decrease postoperative pulmonary complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]