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Simple Summary: As of today, salvage surgery regarding head and neck cancer remains a challenge for patients, surgeons, and oncologists. Indeed, even though several advances have been made in the last few years, the results in terms of both survival and complications are disappointing. Therefore, it remains important to be aware of the latest emerging techniques and understand their limits to make progress in this field. In addition, the patient's conditions play a major role in the outcome of salvage surgery, so identifying the various factors influencing the results can help improve these approaches. This review will walk us through the latest literature on salvage surgery, and it will help us understand the several difficulties touching this last treatment resort. Salvage surgeries of head and neck cancer are often complicated and do not always show decent results. This type of procedure is tough on the patient, as many crucial organs can be affected. A long period of reeducation usually follows the surgery because of the need to rehabilitate functions such as speech or swallowing. In order to lighten the journey of the patients, it is important to develop new technologies and techniques to ease the surgery and limit its damages. This seems even more crucial since progress has been made in the past years, allowing more salvage therapy to take place. This article aims at showing the available tools and procedures for salvage surgeries, such as transoral robotic surgery, free-flap surgery, sentinel node mapping, and many others, that help the work of the medical team to operate or obtain a better understanding of the status of the cancer when taken in charge. Yet, the surgical procedure is not the only thing determining the outcome of the operation. The patient themself and their cancer history also play an important part in the care and must be acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms. After acute infection, some subjects develop a post-COVID-19 syndrome known as long-COVID. This study aims to recognize the molecular and functional mechanisms that occur in COVID-19 and long-COVID patients and identify useful biomarkers for the management of patients with COVID-19 and long-COVID. Here, we profiled the response to COVID-19 by performing a proteomic analysis of lymphocytes isolated from patients. We identified significant changes in proteins involved in iron metabolism using different biochemical analyses, considering ceruloplasmin (Cp), transferrin (Tf), hemopexin (HPX), lipocalin 2 (LCN2), and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). Moreover, our results show an activation of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) in COVID-19 and in long-COVID possibly through an iron-dependent post-translational mechanism. Furthermore, this work defines leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and lipocalin 2 (LCN2) as possible markers of COVID-19 and long-COVID and suggests novel opportunities for prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The treatment of advanced NSCLC patients unfit for a platinum combination is challenging and no clear evidence is available. We retrospectively collected data on advanced NSCLC not receiving a first-line platinum combination, focusing on clinical selection criteria. Up to 30% of newly diagnosed advanced EGFR/ALK negative and PD-L1 < 50% NSCLC patients do not receive a first-line platinum doublet. Main clinical selection criteria were older age (>70 years), comorbidities and poor performance status. A single agent chemotherapy was offered with the prevalence of oral metronomic vinorelbine. In the whole population, progression-free survival and overall survival ranged from 4.5 to 5 months and from 9 to 10.5 months, respectively. Limited evidence is available concerning the selection criteria and the outcomes of platinum unfit newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC patients receiving single-agent chemotherapy. We retrospectively collected data on consecutive, stage IIIB-IV, EGFR/ALK negative and PD-L1 < 50% NSCLC patients treated with first-line single agent chemotherapy. Baseline characteristics, outcome measures and toxicities were recorded, as well as criteria according to which treatment selection was made and what percentage of patients did not receive a first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Two-hundred and twenty-one patients were included. Median age was 79 (range 56–92) years, M/F 165(74.6%)/56(25.4%), ECOG performance status (PS) 0/1/ ≥ 2 23(10.9%)/94(42.5%)/103(46.6%), with a median of two serious comorbidities. A median of 25% (range 10%-30%) of newly diagnosed NSCLC did not receive a first-line platinum combination. Clinical criteria according to which decision was made were older age (76.5%), comorbidities (72%), poor PS (55.2%) and familiar or social issues (10%). Single-agent treatment consisted of oral metronomic vinorelbine (MetV 78.6%), gemcitabine (Gem 10%), oral standard vinorelbine (Vin 8.2%) and other (O 3.2%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of single agent treatments ranged from 4.5 to 5 months and from 9 to 10.5 months, respectively. All grade toxicities did not differ among single agents, while grade 3–4 toxicities were less frequent with MetV. Up to 30% of newly diagnosed advanced EGFR/ALK negative and PD-L1 < 50% NSCLC patients do not receive a first-line platinum doublet. Main clinical selection criteria were older age (>70 years), comorbidities and poor PS. An oral treatment was frequently proposed with MetV being the most frequent choice according to its safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of Cr(VI) ions from aqueous solutions with wet pomace treated with laponite was investigated. A direct comparison with untreated biomass revealed an increase in both the rate of adsorption and the amount adsorbed. A cooperative interaction between the laponite platelets and biomass surface making more adsorption sites accessible was suggested. In this process, a key role is played by intraparticle diffusion. The experimental results indicate that intraparticle diffusion plays an important role in the adsorption process. A simple diffusion-binding model is presented to discuss the experimental results. The diffusion lifetime is linearly related to the adsorbent mass. The model combined with experimental results allowed us to estimate the average free path of a Cr(VI) molecule. Particularly, it was obtained that, in 1 dm 3 of solution, the diffusion path increased by nearly 1 cm per gram of adsorbent. However, this did not imply that the amount of Cr(VI) removed decreased because the total number of adsorption sites also increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine dose constraints that correlate with alopecia in patients treated with photon-based Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) for primary brain tumors. Methods: During the treatment planning process, the scalp was drawn as a region of interest. Dose received by 0.1 cc (D0.1cc), mean dose (Dmean), absolute volumes receiving different doses (V16Gy, V20Gy, V25Gy, V30Gy, V35Gy, V40Gy, and V43Gy) were registered for the scalp. Alopecia was assessed according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v4.0. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to identify parameters associated with hair-loss. Results: One-hundred and one patients were included in this observational study. At the end of radiotherapy (RT), 5 patients did not develop alopecia (Dmean scalp 3.1 Gy). The scalp of the patients with G1 (n = 11) and G2 (n = 85) alopecia received Dmean of 10.6 Gy and 11.8 Gy, respectively. At ROC analysis, V16Gy20Gy ≥ 5.2 cc were the strongest predictors of acute alopecia risk. Chronic hair-loss assessment was available for 74 patients: median time to recovery from G2 alopecia was 5, 9 months. The actuarial rate of hair regrowth was 98.1% at 18 months after the end of RT. At ROC analysis, V40Gy43Gy ≥2.2 cc were the strongest predictors of chronic G2-alopecia risk. V20Gy, V40Gy, and D0,1cc were shown to be independent variables according to correlation coefficient r. Conclusions: V20Gy and V40Gy were the strongest predictors for acute and chronic G2 hair-loss, respectively. The low-dose bath typical of VMAT corresponds to large areas of acute but transient alopecia. However, the steep dose gradient of VMAT allows to reduce the areas of the scalp that receive higher doses, minimizing the risk of permanent alopecia. The application of our dosimetric findings for the scalp may help in reducing the alopecia risk and also in estimating the probability of hair-loss during patient counseling before starting radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy (cCRT) is considered the standard treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC). Unfortunately, management is still heterogeneous across different specialists. A multidisciplinary approach is needed in this setting due to recent, promising results obtained by consolidative immunotherapy. The aim of this survey is to assess current LA-NSCLC management in Italy. From January to April 2018, a 15-question survey focusing on diagnostic/therapeutic LA-NSCLC management was sent to 1,478 e-mail addresses that belonged to pneumologists, thoracic surgeons, and radiation and medical oncologists. 421 answers were analyzed: 176 radiation oncologists, 86 medical oncologists, 92 pneumologists, 64 thoracic surgeons and 3 other specialists. More than a half of the respondents had been practicing for >10 years after completing residency training. Some discrepancies were observed in clinical LA-NSCLC management: the lack of a regularly planned multidisciplinary tumor board, the use of upfront surgery in multistation stage IIIA, and territorial diffusion of cCRT in unresectable LA-NSCLC. Our analysis demonstrated good compliance with international guidelines in the diagnostic workup of LA-NSCLC. We observed a relationship between high clinical experience and good clinical practice. A multidisciplinary approach is mandatory for managing LA-NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a valid tool for the assessment of heart failure (HF) through the quantification of the B-lines. This study in HF patients aims to evaluate if LUS: (1) can accelerate the discharge time; (2) can efficiently drive diuretic therapy dosage; and (3) may have better performance compared to the amino-terminal portion of B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in monitoring HF recovery. A consecutive sample of 120 HF patients was admitted from the Emergency Department (ED) to the Internal Medicine Department (Verona University Hospital). The Chest X-ray (CXR) group underwent standard CXR examination on admission and discharge. The LUS group underwent LUS on admission, 24, 48 and 72 h later, and on discharge. The Inferior Cava Vein Collapsibility Index, ICVCI, and the NT-proBNP were assessed. LUS discharge time was significantly shorter if compared to CXR group (p < 0.01). During hospitalization, the LUS group underwent an increased number of diuretic dosage modulations compared to the CXR group (p < 0.001). There was a stronger association between partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2) and B-lines compared to the association between PaO2 and NT-proBNP both on admission and on discharge (p < 0.001). The B-lines numbers were significantly higher on admission in patients with more severe HF, and the ICVCI was inversely associated with B-lines number (p < 0.001). The potential of LUS in tailoring diuretic therapy and accelerating the discharge time in HF patients is confirmed. Until the technique comes into common use in different departments, it is plausible that LUS will evolve with different facets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major clinical problem associated with a number of cytotoxic agents. OPERA® (GAMFARMA srl, Milan, Italy) is a new dietary supplement where α-lipoic acid, Boswellia Serrata, methylsulfonylmethane and bromelain are combined in a single capsule. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the efficacy and safety of OPERA® supplementation in a series of patients affected by CIPN. We selected 25 subjects with CIPN evolving during or after chemotherapy with potentially neurotoxic agents. Patients were enrolled at the first clinical manifestation of neuropathy. CIPN was assessed at the enrollment visit and subsequently repeated every 3 weeks until 12 weeks. Primary endpoint was the evaluation of changes of measured scores after 12 weeks of therapy compared to baseline evaluation. Secondary endpoints were the evaluation of neuropathy reduction at 12 weeks after beginning of therapy with OPERA®. Analysis of VAS data showed reduction in pain perceived by patients. According to NCI-CTC sensor and motor score, mISS scale and TNSc scale, both pain and both sensor and motor neuropathic impairment decreased after 12 weeks of treatments. Treatment with OPERA supplement was well tolerated; no increase in the toxicity profile of any of the therapeutic regimen that the patients were undergoing was reported. OPERA® was able to improve CIPN symptoms in a prospective series of patients treated with neurotoxic chemotherapy, with no significant toxicity or interaction. Prospective RCT in a selected patients' population is warranted to confirm its promising activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) has been shown to increase survival in oligometastatic patients. Few studies actually depicted the oligometastatic disease (OMD) evolution after SABR. There is few evidence on which patient will remain disease-free after SABR and which will develop rapidly a polymetastatic disease (PMD) therefore apart from the number of active metastases, there are no clues on which proven factor should be taken into account for prescribing local treatment in OMD. The aim of the present preliminary study based on a large retrospective database is to identify predictive factors of polymetastatic evolution in lung oligometastatic colorectal cancer patients to tailor SABR prescription. Methods: the study involved 23 centers, and was approved by the Ethical Committee (Prot. Negrar 2019- ZT). The data of 367 lung oligometastatic patients were reported. Primary end-point was the time to the polymetastatic conversion (tPMC), defined as the first occurrence of >5 simultaneous new metastases after SABR. Additionally, oligometastases number and cumulative gross tumor volume (GTV) were used as combined predictive factors of tPMC. Oligometastases number was stratified as 1, 2-3, and 4-5; cumulative GTV was dichotomized to the median value of 15.6 cc. The 6 groups are reported in table 1. Results: the median tPMC in the overall population was 26.1 months. The median tPMC stratified for the 6 groups is reported in table 1 (p=0.00). After data checking we were able to classify patients according to their median tPMC in 4 risk classes: low risk (group 1+3), favorable intermediate (group 2), unfavorable intermediate (group 4), high risk (group 5+6). The median tPMC for the 4 risk classes was: 34.6, 19.3, 12, and 6.7 months, respectively (figure 1; p=0.00). Conclusion: the present study identified predictive factors of polymetastatic evolution after SABR in lung oligometastatic colorectal cancer. The results demonstrated that the sole numerical number is not enough to define the OMD since patients identified as oligometastatic from a numerical point of view might rapidly progress to the PMD when the cumulative tumor volume is high. A tailored approach in SABR prescription should be pursued considering the expected disease evolution after SABR, with the aim to avoid unnecessary treatment and side effect in those at high risk of polymetastatic spread, and maximize local treatment in those with a favorable disease evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the sedimentation behaviour and chemical–physical properties of clay sediments is crucial in planning their storage in geotubes. Analysis of the sedimentation curves of the solids taken from the artificial reservoir of the Camastra reveal that a two-parameter curve identifies all the sedimentation profiles. One parameter depends on the type of settling material, and the other is the lifetime of the process. Using the solid concentration per unit area, the lifetime is converted into a true kinetic constant. These parameters uniquely identify the sedimentation profile to be used in the management of dredging using geotubes. Furthermore, the resulting particles after the decantation of the coarse-grained solids are dispersed according to a log-normal distribution with an average diameter between 250 and 500 nm. The low ζ -potential of the particles dispersed in the supernatant indicates that they can either aggregate or adsorb to the geotube tissue, slowing or blocking the dredging operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International and national oncology societies had released recommendations in favor of COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients. In the context of the national vaccination campaign targeting the so called extremely vulnerable, we aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of the mRNA vaccines in a cohort of 623 patients. Between March 26 and April 04, 2021, the Pfizer and BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA and the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccines were given as a two-dose prime-boost regimen. Starting on September 25th 2021 a third dose was offered to patients in whom a suboptimal immunogenicity with COVID-19 vaccination could be expected. Safety assessments were performed by phone call 7 days after each dose. Electronic health records were accessed to review demographic information, disease history, treatment detail, and outcome events of participants patients'. No toxicities were reported in 63.7%, 54%, and in 48.7% patients with cancer after each dose. Mild-to-moderate pain at the injection site was the most commonly adverse event. After the second dose, 46% of the 610 patients reported toxicity, with more systemic side-effects observed. Fever was reported in 45% of patients, with a temperature ≥ 38 °C in 21.4% of them. Of the 335 patients receiving a third vaccine dose, 51% reported toxicity, with 13% of patients reporting more than one effect. Logistic regression analysis reported mixed results, with limited variables or categories reporting a significant odd ratio. The type of vaccine reported a significant value at first dose (OR = 0.12; CI 0.52, 0.26; p = 0.00). Thirty-four cases of COVID-19 infection were reported with only one patient requiring a short-term hospitalization for monitoring. The safety profile of the mRNA vaccines does not raise any specific concerns and support prioritization of vaccination for cancer patients. • COVID-19 vaccination is recommended in patients with cancer. • We observed a first dose-refusal rate of 4.5%. • No safety concerns have emerged in our cohort of patients. • After two-dose prime-boost vaccination 6 cases of COVID-19 infection were reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain metastases (BrMs) are associated with significant morbidity and are found in up to 50% of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Most of the literature focuses on symptomatic BrMs, with a lack of baseline brain imaging in asymptomatic patients. Unfortunately, much of the data on local treatments with or without systemic treatment is retrospective. Clinical trials of systemic treatments largely exclude patients with BrMs. Chemotherapy is an active treatment for BrM with response rates in the brain similar to other sites of disease. Targeted systemic treatments in patients with driver mutations (EGFR and ALK-MET to date) have impressive central nervous system (CNS) penetrance and response rates. Unfortunately, no prospective data can currently guide the timings or modality of local therapies with systemic treatments in these patients who have a high incidence of CNS disease, but retrospective data suggest that early local therapies may give better intracranial progression-free survival (ICPFS). Recent immunotherapy trials have included patients with BrMs. These patients have largely been pre-treated with local therapies and are asymptomatic. Thus, the current standard is becoming, early local therapies before or in conjunction with immunotherapy agents. The approach seems to be safe. Prospective studies are needed in NSCLC BrMs patients to make sure any benefit from local therapies on the ICPFS and quality of life is not overlooked. Here we report what we think are reasonable conclusions from the available data and make suggestions for future clinical trials in the management of NSCLC BrMs. • Brain metastases occur in 30% of patients with advanced NSC lung cancer. This percentage can be higher in those with driver mutations. • Whether asymptomatic disease progresses to symptomatic disease is not known. • We do not know if asymptomatic disease should be treated early. • There are many reported series of patients, but most are retrospective with mixed patient populations. • Prospective CTs are needed to ensure we are not missing benefit from addition of local therapy to systemic therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) showed increasing survival in oligometastatic patients. Few studies actually depicted oligometastatic disease (OMD) evolution and which patient will remain disease-free and which will rapidly develop a polymetastatic disease (PMD) after SABR. Therefore, apart from the number of active metastases, there are no clues on which proven factor should be considered for prescribing local treatment in OMD. The study aims to identify predictive factors of polymetastatic evolution in lung oligometastatic colorectal cancer patients., Methods: This international Ethical Committee approved trial (Prot. Negrar 2019-ZT) involved 23 Centers and 450 lung oligometastatic patients. Primary end-point was time to the polymetastatic conversion (tPMC). Additionally, oligometastases number and cumulative gross tumor volume (cumGTV) were used as combined predictive factors of tPMC. Oligometastases number was stratified as 1, 2-3, and 4-5; cumGTV was dichotomized to the value of 10 cc., Results: The median tPMC in the overall population was 26 months. Population was classified in the following tPMC risk classes: low-risk (1-3 oligometastases and cumGTV ≤ 10 cc) with median tPMC of 35.1 months; intermediate-risk (1-3 oligometastases and cumGTV > 10 cc), with median tPMC of 13.9 months, and high-risk (4-5 oligometastases, any cumGTV) with median tPMC of 9.4 months (p = 0.000)., Conclusion: The present study identified predictive factors of polymetastatic evolution after SABR in lung oligometastatic colorectal cancer. The results demonstrated that the sole metastases number is not sufficient to define the OMD since patients defined oligometastatic from a numerical point of view might rapidly progress to PMD when the cumulative tumor volume is high. A tailored approach in SABR prescription should be pursued considering the expected disease evolution after SABR, with the aim to avoid unnecessary treatment and toxicity in those at high risk of polymetastatic spread, and maximize local treatment in those with a favorable disease evolution., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms. After acute infection, some subjects develop a post-COVID-19 syndrome known as long-COVID. This study aims to recognize the molecular and functional mechanisms that occur in COVID-19 and long-COVID patients and identify useful biomarkers for the management of patients with COVID-19 and long-COVID. Here, we profiled the response to COVID-19 by performing a proteomic analysis of lymphocytes isolated from patients. We identified significant changes in proteins involved in iron metabolism using different biochemical analyses, considering ceruloplasmin (Cp), transferrin (Tf), hemopexin (HPX), lipocalin 2 (LCN2), and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). Moreover, our results show an activation of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) in COVID-19 and in long-COVID possibly through an iron-dependent post-translational mechanism. Furthermore, this work defines leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and lipocalin 2 (LCN2) as possible markers of COVID-19 and long-COVID and suggests novel opportunities for prevention and treatment.

Objective: To summarize the principal studies investigating the role of postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to discuss the recent major breakthroughs deriving from the Lung ART trial, in order to provide a real-world scenario of the management of resected NSCLC patients., Background: Surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy remains the mainstay of adjuvant treatments for completely resected stage II and IIIA NSCLC. Less consistent is the employment of PORT, as no significant benefit was clearly identified from the previous published meta-analysis. Furthermore, the recent results of Lung ART trial questioned for the first time the efficacy of PORT for pathological N2 (pN2) NSCLC patients. Hence, the need to define if PORT still has a role for resected NSCLC and which subgroup of patients could benefit most from this treatment., Methods: A literature search of PubMed was performed to identify publications, including prospective and retrospective clinical studies, meta-analysis and systematic review of PORT for NSCLC. No limit concerning years of publication or publication status were applied. Only papers using the English language were selected. The ESMO 2020 and ESMO 2021 online resources were used to analyze the Lung ART trial results. The authors provide a narrative summary of the findings and implications of these studies and how they improve the clinical practice., Conclusions: PORT was considered the standard of care for patients with completely resected pN2 NSCLC based on the results of an old meta-analysis that did not demonstrate a detrimental effect. The more recent randomized phase III Lung ART trial concluded that PORT could not anymore be recommended for pN2 NSCLC as a significant benefit in terms of 3 years disease-free survival (DFS) was not reached and an increased rate of radiotherapy related toxicity was observed. Retrospective studies suggest a possible role of PORT for incompletely resected NSCLC patients and those with an extranodal extension (ENE), but this issue needs to be reinforced from randomized prospective trials. The extensive publication of Lung ART trial is largely awaited to define if there is a role of PORT for resected NSCLC patients., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://med.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/med-21-31/coif). The series “Changes in management of mediastinal tumours following the surge of COVID-19 pandemic” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Mediastinum. All rights reserved.)

Background: Thymoma is a rare mediastinal neoplasia. Surgery is the backbone of the treatment, but the role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) remains controversial. We aimed to obtain data on survival and safety in patients treated with PORT in three different Italian institutions., Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 183 consecutive patients who underwent surgery from 1981 to 2015. According to the Masaoka-Koga staging system, 39.3%, 32.7%, 18.6% and 9.8% patients were in stage I, II, III and IV of disease, respectively. PORT was indicated in 114 patients (62.3%), while 69 subjects underwent surgery alone. Complete resection was obtained in 68 patients who underwent PORT. Adverse events (AEs) were graded according to CTCAE v4.0. We analyzed the recent literature to describe the current reports on PORT for resected thymoma., Results: Mean follow-up was 130 months (range, 3-417 months). Overall survival (OS) at 1-, 5- and 10-year from surgery was 98.3%, 90.2% and 69.7% respectively. One-, 5- and 10-year disease specific survival (DSS) was 98.9%, 92.3% and 89.8% respectively. Disease free survival (DFS) at 1, 5 and 10 years from surgery was 96.7%, 88.3% and 82.8% respectively. Univariate analysis showed that complete resection, cell histology A-AB-B1 and stages I-II were significant predictors of better DSS and DFS. Multivariate analysis showed that sex, R0 margins and WHO histology was independent prognostic factors. Among patients treated with PORT, a trend towards better OS was evident with Masaoka stage I-II (P=0.09). Patients with R0 margins treated with PORT showed better OS and DSS (P=0.05). No differences in DSS for performance status (P=0.70), WHO histology (P=0.19), paraneoplastic syndrome (P=0.23) and surgical procedure (P=0.53) were evident. Patients treated with PORT had a higher level of acute AEs compared to surgery alone, but none of these was graded ≥3., Conclusions: Our results confirmed that patients with incompletely resected thymoma had the worst OS and DSS. High grade acute toxicity was not different between PORT and surgery alone. Other trials reported a significant benefit in OS, DSS and DFS in stage IIb-IV thymoma treated with PORT., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/jtd-2019-thym-09). The series “Thymoma” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2020 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.)

Afatinib, a second-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is effective as first-line treatment in patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We report 2 cases of EGFR-mutated locally advanced NSCLC treated in neoadjuvant setting with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor at University of Florence/Careggi Hospital. In both cases, afatinib was used for up to 3 months, until 1 week before surgery. Both patients achieved significant reduction (downstaging) of the pulmonary mass and lymphadenopathies and after surgery, it was decided for both cases to restore afatinib treatment up to a further 4 months. Both patients experienced local and distant disease relapses after 9 and 10 months, respectively, and then we restored the afatinib treatment.

Introduction:: This retrospective study analyzes the safety and feasibility of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in adjuvant treatment of soft tissue sarcoma (STS)., Methods:: A total of 158 patients with STS were retrospectively analyzed. Anthracycline-based computed tomography was performed in high-risk patients. Acute radiotherapy toxicity and chemotherapy-related toxicity were assessed according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 4.0; late radiotherapy toxicity was recorded according to Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria., Results:: Fifty-four (34.2%) patients received CRT. Mean follow up was 5.4 years (range .2-21.1 years). Local DFS-recurrence-free survival, distant DFS-relapse-free survival, and overall survival were 79.1%, 76.4%, and 64.6%, respectively, at last follow-up. Leukopenia occurred in 11.4% of patients. Skin acute toxicity developed in 60.1% of patients and determined interruption of radiotherapy treatment in 19 (12%) patients. Nineteen patients (12%) experienced moderate fibrosis (grade 2). Mild and moderate joint stiffness was recorded in 16 (10.1%) patients. Size ≥5 cm was the only predictor of local recurrence at multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR] 9.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-72.83, p = .028). Age and stage resulted as independent distant relapse predictors (HR 4.77, 95% CI 1.81-12.58, p = .002 and HR 4.83, CI 1.41-16.57, p = .012, respectively). At Cox regression univariate analysis, Karnofsky Performance Status, size, and stage were significant survival predictors (HR 2.23, 95% CI 1.02-4.87, p = .045; HR 2.88, 95% CI 1.10-7.52, p = .031; HR 2.59, 95% CI 1.11-6.04, p = .028)., Conclusions:: Concurrent CRT is a well-tolerated treatment option with no additional toxicity compared to exclusive radiotherapy or sequential CRT.