Lineage-specific transcription factor landscape of thymic neuroendocrine tumors.

Introduction: Thymic neuroendocrine tumors (TNETs) are rare malignancies characterized by aggressive clinical behavior and limited therapeutic options. In small cell lung cancer (SCLC), molecular subtypes based on the expression of lineage-defining transcription factors (TFs)-ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, and YAP1-have been proposed. However, the TF landscape of TNETs remains poorly defined.

Acquisition of and Amplifications During the Transformation of -Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma into Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Histologic transformation from adenocarcinoma to SCLC is a recognized mechanism of resistance in lung cancer. However, the transformation into squamous cell carcinoma is less common, and the associated genomic alterations remain unclear. Here, we present a case of lung adenocarcinoma harboring an EGFR () mutation that transformed into squamous cell carcinoma.

Health Insurance and Its Psychosocial Correlates in Patients with Advanced Lung Cancer in Japan.

Introduction: Japan has a national health insurance system that covers at least 70% of regular medical costs and provides additional benefits for high medical costs. In addition, >60% of the population holds private health insurance to reduce financial toxicity. However, there has been a lack of real-world data on private health insurance in the oncology setting in Japan.

Pembrolizumab-Induced Severe Pneumonitis in a Patient With Lung Adenocarcinoma After Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation: A Case Report.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are essential treatments for lung cancer, but their safety following allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains unclear. We report a case of a 66-year-old man who underwent umbilical cord blood transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and later developed lung adenocarcinoma. Pembrolizumab monotherapy was initiated, but the patient developed severe steroid-refractory immune-related pneumonitis, leading to mortality 56 days after treatment initiation.

Clinical Application of In-House Comprehensive Genomic Profiling for Thoracic Cancer: Insights From a Japanese Hospital.

Comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) is useful for optimizing targeted therapy and immunotherapy strategies for thoracic malignancies. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility and diagnostic complementarity of the in-house sequencing platform Rapid-Neo. We retrospectively analyzed 110 patients with thoracic malignancies who underwent Rapid-Neo testing.

A Case of PMR-Like irAE Developing After Treatment With Ipilimumab and Nivolumab for Lung Cancer.

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become one of the main strategies for advanced cancers. ICIs are associated with many immune side effects, called immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Since irAE has various variations, it is important to carefully examine each individual case that develops irAE.

Roflumilast reduces the number of lung adenocarcinomas, inflammation, and emphysema in a smoking-induced mouse model.

Background: The prognosis of lung cancer complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is poor, and effective prophylactic agents have not been established. Given that inflammation is a shared pathogenic mechanism of both diseases, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of roflumilast, a novel anti-inflammatory drug, in preventing emphysema and lung cancer using a smoking-induced lung cancer mouse model.

Methods: Male A/J mice were exposed to 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, a potent carcinogen, and intermittent mainstream cigarette smoke for 20 weeks.

Basal-shift transformation leads to EGFR therapy-resistance in human lung adenocarcinoma.

Although EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are effective for EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), resistance inevitably develops through diverse mechanisms, including secondary genetic mutations, amplifications and as-yet undefined processes. To comprehensively unravel the mechanisms of EGFR-TKI resistance, we establish a biobank of patient-derived EGFR-mutant lung cancer organoids, encompassing cases previously treated with EGFR-TKIs. Through comprehensive molecular profiling including single-cell analysis, here we identify a subgroup of EGFR-TKI-resistant LUAD organoids that lacks known resistance-related genetic lesions and instead exhibits a basal-shift phenotype characterized by the hybrid expression of LUAD- and squamous cell carcinoma-related genes.

Impact of long COVID on the health-related quality of life of Japanese patients: A prospective nationwide cohort study.

Background: Various prolonged systemic symptoms, forming the long coronavirus disease (COVID), have been observed in patients who have recovered from the acute phase of COVID-19. Although previous studies have reported that COVID-19 impacts health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the associations of long COVID symptoms and clinical characteristics with HRQoL remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify these associations using nationwide Japanese epidemiological data.

Clinical Sequence Revealed the Prevalence and Biological Significance of Somatic Pathogenic Variants in Thoracic Cancer: Implications for Germline Status.

Purpose: Presumed germline pathogenic variants (PGPVs) are occasionally detected in thoracic cancer and their frequency and functional significance remain underexplored. We investigated the prevalence and biological significance of PGPVs identified in comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) panels in patients with thoracic cancer.

Patients And Methods: Between January 2021 and August 2023, 204 patients with thoracic cancer were included in this study.

An organoid library unveils subtype-specific IGF-1 dependency via a YAP-AP1 axis in human small cell lung cancer.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a devastating disease with limited therapeutic advancements. Although SCLC has recently been classified into four molecular subtypes, subtype-specific therapies are still lacking. Here, we established 40 patient-derived SCLC organoid lines with predominant TP53 and RB1 alterations and rare targetable genetic lesions.

Celecoxib prevents malignant progression of smoking-induced lung tumors via suppression of the COX-2/PGE signaling pathway in mice.

Introduction: Lung cancer is characterized by a poor prognosis and is a significant comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Therefore, effective chemopreventive agents are warranted. We evaluated the effects of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib on the prevention of lung-carcinoma development using an intermittent smoking-induced lung-carcinoma mouse model.

Initial single-institutional experience with salvage surgery for stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer.

The purpose of this study was to assess surgical outcomes of salvage surgery for clinical stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer. A total of 14 patients who underwent lung resection following systemic therapy between 2010 and 2022 were included in this study. Systemic therapy prior to surgery included agents including epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in eight patients and non-TKI agents in six (chemotherapy alone: four, chemotherapy plus immune checkpoint inhibitors: two).

Erector Spinae Muscle to Epicardial Visceral Fat Ratio on Chest CT Predicts the Severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Background: Chest computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for diagnosing and predicting the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and assessing extrapulmonary organs. Reduced muscle mass and visceral fat accumulation are important features of a body composition phenotype in which obesity and muscle loss coexist, but their relationship with COVID-19 outcomes remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between the erector spinae muscle (ESM) to epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) ratio (ESM/EAT) on chest CT and disease severity in patients with COVID-19.

Coronary Artery Calcification on Chest Computed Tomography as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Adverse Events in Patients With COVID-19 - A Multicenter Retrospective Study in Japan.

Background: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) detected through chest computed tomography (CT) strongly predicts cardiovascular events in asymptomatic individuals undergoing primary prevention. Few studies with limited sample sizes have investigated the predictive value of CAC for cardiovascular complications in COVID-19. This study examined the impact of CAC on cardiovascular complications using a large-scale COVID-19 database.

Real-World Efficacy and Safety of Atezolizumab for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Japan: A Retrospective Multicenter Analysis.

Atezolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), was used in a phase III clinical trial, i.e., the OAK trial, of previously treated patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

The relationship between long COVID, labor productivity, and socioeconomic losses in Japan: A cohort study.

Objectives: We examined shifts in labor productivity and their economic ramifications among adult patients with long COVID in Japan.

Methods: A total of 396 patients were categorized into three groups based on symptom progression: non-long COVID, long COVID recovered, and long COVID persistent. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed at three time intervals: 3, 6, and 12 months after COVID-19 diagnosis.

Pulmonary function and chest CT abnormalities 3 months after discharge from COVID-19, 2020-2021: A nation-wide multicenter prospective cohort study from the Japanese respiratory society.

Background: No comprehensive analysis of the pulmonary sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Japan based on respiratory function tests and chest computed tomography (CT) has been reported. We evaluated post-COVID-19 conditions, especially focusing on pulmonary sequelae assessed by pulmonary function tests and chest CT.

Methods: For this prospective cohort study, we enrolled 1069 patients who presented pneumonia at the time of admission in 55 hospitals from February 2020 to September 2021.

Clinical utility of the Oncomine Dx Target Test multi-CDx system and the possibility of utilizing those original sequence data.

Background: Companion diagnostic tests play a crucial role in guiding treatment decisions for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The Oncomine Dx Target Test (ODxTT) Multi-CDx System has emerged as a prominent companion diagnostic method. However, its efficacy in detecting driver gene mutations, particularly rare mutations, warrants investigation.