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Multidisciplinary care is needed to decide the best therapeutic approach and to provide optimal care to patients with lung cancer (LC). Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are optimal strategies for the management of patients with LC and have been associated with better outcomes, such as an increase in quality of life and survival. The Spanish Lung Cancer Group has promoted this review about the current situation of the existing national LC-MDTs, which also offers a set of excellence requirements and quality indicators to achieve the best care in any patient with LC. Time and sufficient resources; leadership; administrative and institutional support; and recording of activity are key factors for the success of LC-MDTs. A set of excellence requirements in terms of staff, resources and organization of the LC-MDT have been proposed. At last, a list of quality indicators has been agreed to achieve and measure the performance of current LC-MDTs.

Aims Pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is underdiagnosed on biopsy specimens. We evaluated if routine neuroendocrine immunohistochemical (IHC) stains are helpful in the diagnosis of LCNEC on biopsy specimens. Methods and results Using the Dutch pathology registry (PALGA), surgically resected LCNEC with matching pre-operative biopsy specimens were identified and haematoxylin and IHC slides (CD56, chromogranin-A, synaptophysin) requested. Subsequently, three pathologists assigned (1) the presence or absence of the WHO 2015 criteria and (2) cumulative size of all (biopsy) specimens. For validation, a tissue microarray (TMA) of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (n = 77) and LCNEC (n = 19) was used. LCNEC was confirmed on the resection specimens in 32 of 48 re-reviewed cases. In 47% (n = 15 of 32) LCNEC was also confirmed in the paired biopsy specimens. Neuroendocrine morphology was absent in 53% (n = 17 of 32) of paired biopsy specimens, more often when smaller amounts of tissue were available for evaluation [29% = 5 mm (n = 18) P = 0.04]. Combined with current WHO criteria, positive staining for greater than or equal to two of three neuroendocrine IHC markers increased the sensitivity for LCNEC from 47% to 93% on paired biopsy specimens, and further validated using an independent TMA of LCNEC and NSCLC with sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 99%, respectively. Conclusions LCNEC is difficult to diagnose because neuroendocrine morphology is frequently absent in biopsy specimens. In NSCLC devoid of obvious morphological squamous or adenocarcinoma features, positive staining in greater than or equal to two of three neuroendocrine IHC stains supports the diagnosis of LCNEC.

Multidisciplinary care is needed to decide the best therapeutic approach and to provide optimal care to patients with lung cancer (LC). Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) are optimal strategies for the management of patients with LC and have been associated with better outcomes, such as an increase in quality of life and survival. The Spanish Lung Cancer Group has promoted this review about the current situation of the existing national LC-MDTs, which also offers a set of excellence requirements and quality indicators to achieve the best care in any patient with LC. Time and sufficient resources; leadership; administrative and institutional support; and recording of activity are key factors for the success of LC-MDTs. A set of excellence requirements in terms of staff, resources and organization of the LC-MDT have been proposed. At last, a list of quality indicators has been agreed to achieve and measure the performance of current LC-MDTs.

Resumen Introducción. El hipocratismo digital es un signo clínico que afecta principalmente los dedos de las manos y se caracteriza por deformidad en uñas con abombamiento en vidrio de reloj. Puede presentarse en pacientes con cáncer diseminado, enfermedad pulmonar preexistente y dolor óseo, por lo cual es importante considerar esta entidad para un diagnóstico y un tratamiento oportunos. Presentación del caso. Paciente masculino de 86 años con hipocratismo digital, tabaquista en abstinencia, quien ingresa a urgencias por cuadro clínico de 2 meses de evolución consistente en fiebre y pérdida de 19kg de peso. Al examen físico presentaba disminución de ruidos respiratorios en base pulmonar derecha, dedos en palillo de tambor y deformidad ungüeal en manos. La radiografía de tórax mostró opacidad a nivel parahiliar derecho bien definida de 5cm. La tomografía computarizada de tórax mostró masas de bordes irregulares a nivel parahiliar derecho y en segmento apical del lóbulo inferior del pulmón derecho, y derrame pleural ipsilateral. La biopsia guiada por tomografía documentó adenocarcinoma pulmonar bien diferenciado. Conclusiones. El hipocratismo digital plantea un desafío en medicina debido a que puede ser difícil llegar a un diagnóstico etiológico y se pueden requerir muchos estudios para su confirmación. Abstract Introduction: Digital clubbing is a clinical sign that affects mainly the fingers of the hands and is characterized by a watch-glass deformity of the nails. It may occur in patients with disseminated cancer, preexisting lung disease, and bone pain, so it is important to consider this entity for early diagnosis and timely treatment. Case presentation: This is the case of an 86-year-old male patient with digital clubbing, with tobacco abstinence, who was admitted to the emergency department due to clinical symptoms of 2 months of evolution consisting of fever and a 19kg weight loss. On physical examination, there was a decrease in respiratory noises in the right lung base, drumstick fingers, and nail deformity in the hands. A chest x-ray showed a well-defined right parahilar opacity of 5cm. a chest CT showed irregular masses at the right parahilar level and in the apical segment of the lower lobe of the right lung, and ipsilateral pleural effusion. CT-guided biopsy was performed, documenting well-differentiated pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: Digital clubbing poses a challenge in medicine because reaching an etiological diagnosis may be difficult and many studies may be required for confirmation.