Comparison of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy and Surgery for Stage I Lung Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Cohort Study Utilizing Propensity Score Overlap Weighting and AI-Based CT Imaging Analysis.

With rising life expectancy and widespread lung cancer screening, early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) incidence has increased. While surgery is the standard treatment for operable stage I NSCLC, many patients are ineligible due to age or comorbidities. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has achieved good primary tumor control rates and overall survival.

Effectiveness of Radiation Shields to Minimize Operator Dose in the Bronchoscopy Suite: A Phantom Study and Clinical Application.

: Fluoroscopy has been widely adopted in interventional pulmonology, as it facilitates real-time visualization of the bronchoscope, endobronchial ultrasound, and biopsy tools during procedures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of radiation shields in minimizing scattered X-ray dose to the bronchoscopist in a phantom study and to determine the dose of scattered X-ray dose to medical staff with radiation shields in clinical application. : An anthropomorphic torso phantom was positioned on the fluoroscopic table between the C-arm X-ray tube and the image detector to mimic bronchoscopic operations.

Cross-sectional study of lung cancer patients as a potential high-risk factor for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is more common in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Considering that ruptured AAA is potentially fatal, timely management of AAA would result in long-term survival benefits. We assess the prevalence and characteristics of AAA in resectable NSCLC patients who would benefit from AAA surveillance.

Spatial profiling of non-small cell lung cancer provides insights into tumorigenesis and immunotherapy response.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Despite advances in targeted therapy and immunotherapy, the prognosis remains unfavorable, especially in metastatic cases. This study aims to identify molecular changes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients based on their response to treatment.

Malnutrition is associated with mortality in Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease.

The role of nutritional status as a prognostic factor in patients with Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease (SjS-ILD) is currently unclear. This study aimed to predict the prognosis of patients with SjS-ILD through their nutritional status assessment. In this retrospective observational study, nutritional status was evaluated at the time of diagnosis using body mass index (BMI) and nutritional markers such as controlling nutritional status (CONUT), the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), and prognostic nutrition index (PNI) for all participants.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Pulmonary Diseases Caused by Coinfections With Multiple Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Species.

Background: Coinfections with multiple nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) species have not been widely studied. We aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients with NTM-pulmonary disease (PD) caused by coinfection with multiple NTM species.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with NTM-PD at a tertiary referral hospital in Korea between March 2012 and December 2018.

Factors affecting accuracy of clinical staging in resectable non-small cell lung cancer in a real-world study.

Background: The clinical staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is well known to be related to their prognosis. However, there is usually a discrepancy between clinical staging and pathological staging. There are few analyses of clinical staging accuracy in patients with NSCLC.

Risk Factors for Unfavorable Outcomes of Tuberculosis in Korea: Implications for Patient-Centered Care in Tuberculosis Treatment.

Background: The treatment success rate for tuberculosis (TB) has stagnated at 80-81% in South Korea, indicating unsatisfactory outcomes. Enhancing treatment success rate necessitates the development of individualized treatment approaches for each patient. This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with unfavorable treatment outcomes to facilitate tailored TB care.

Usefulness of bronchial washing fluid for detection of EGFR mutations in non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: The implementation of bronchial washing fluid (BWF) as a diagnostic specimen may complement the low diagnostic yields of plasma in detecting EGFR mutation (mEGFR) in non-small cell lung cancer. However, the diagnostic value of BWF in detecting mEGFR has yet to be clarified.

Materials And Methods: From March 2021 to August 2022, patients with histologically confirmed NSCLC with matched tumor tissue, BWF, and/or plasma samples were enrolled.

Galactomannan Titer as a Diagnostic Marker of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Lung Transplant Recipients: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) can occur in immunocompromised patients, and an early detection and intensive treatment are crucial. We sought to determine the potential of Aspergillus galactomannan antigen titer (AGT) in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum titers of beta-D-glucan (BDG) to predict IPA in lung transplantation recipients, as opposed to pneumonia unrelated to IPA. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 192 lung transplant recipients.

Clinical features and molecular genetics associated with brain metastasis in suspected early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: Regarding whether brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should be routine in patients with suspected early-stage lung cancer, guideline recommendations are inconsistent. Therefore, we performed this study to evaluate the incidence of and risk factors for brain metastasis (BM) in patients with suspected early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: A review of the medical charts of consecutive NSCLC patients diagnosed between January 2006 and May 2020 was performed.

Protective effect of methotrexate on lung function and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Studies on the risk and protective factors for lung function decline and mortality in rheumatoid arthritis-related interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) are limited.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate clinical factors and medication uses associated with lung function decline and mortality in RA-ILD.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined the medical records of patients with RA-ILD who visited Severance Hospital between January 2006 and December 2019.

New Targeted Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer ranks first in cancer mortality in Korea and cancer incidence in Korean men. More than half of Korean lung cancer patients undergo chemotherapy, including adjuvant therapy. Cytotoxic agents, targeted therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors are used in chemotherapy according to the biopsy and genetic test results.

Identification of nontuberculous mycobacteria isolated from household showerheads of patients with nontuberculous mycobacteria.

This study aimed to examine whether nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) inside household showerheads are identical to those in patients with NTM-pulmonary disease (PD) since household water is one of the potential NTM sources. Samples were obtained from 32 household showerheads of patients with NTM-PD recruited through the Pulmonary Outpatient Department at the Severance Hospital between October 2018 and October 2019. All isolates from patients with NTM-PD were diagnosed using a reverse-hybridization line probe assay based on the ropB gene.

Malignant thoracic lymph node classification with deep convolutional neural networks on real-time endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) images.

Background: Thoracic lymph node (LN) evaluation is essential for the accurate diagnosis of lung cancer and deciding the appropriate course of treatment. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is considered a standard method for mediastinal nodal staging. This study aims to build a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) for the automatic classification of metastatic malignancies involving thoracic LN, using EBUS-TBNA.

Clinical impact of pneumothorax in patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and respiratory failure in an HIV-negative cohort.

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) with acute respiratory failure can result in development of pneumothorax during treatment. This study aimed to identify the incidence and related factors of pneumothorax in patients with PCP and acute respiratory failure and to analyze their prognosis.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the occurrence of pneumothorax, including clinical characteristics and results of other examinations, in 119 non-human immunodeficiency virus patients with PCP and respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilator treatment in a medical intensive care unit (ICU) at a tertiary-care center between July 2016 and April 2019.

Relationship of the lung microbiome with PD-L1 expression and immunotherapy response in lung cancer.

Background: Lung cancer is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The human lung serves as a niche to a unique and dynamic bacterial community that is related to the development of multiple diseases. Here, we investigated the differences in the lung microbiomes of patients with lung cancer.

Long- and short-term clinical impact of awake extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as bridging therapy for lung transplantation.

Background: As lung transplantation (LTx) is becoming a standard treatment for end-stage lung disease, the use of bridging with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is increasing. We examined the clinical impact of being awake during ECMO as bridging therapy in patients awaiting LTx.

Methods: In this single-center study, we retrospectively reviewed 241 consecutive LTx patients between October 2012 and March 2019; 64 patients received ECMO support while awaiting LTx.

Impact of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis on critically ill patients in Korea: a retrospective observational study.

This study investigated the impact of bronchiectasis on patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in Korea. Patients with bronchiectasis were diagnosed using results of chest computed tomography performed before ICU admission. The severity of bronchiectasis was based on the number of affected lobes, and patients with ≥ 3 bronchiectatic lobes were classified into the severe bronchiectasis group.

The Association between Behavioral Risk Factors and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease.

Purpose: We aimed to determine the relationship between environmental exposure and nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) in Korea.

Materials And Methods: A group of 150 patients with NTM-PD and a control group of 217 patients with other respiratory diseases were prospectively enrolled between June 2018 and December 2020 in Seoul, Korea. They were surveyed with a standardized questionnaire, and their medical records were reviewed.

Corticosteroid responsiveness in patients with acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease admitted to the emergency department.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD), particularly idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), has a poor prognosis. Corticosteroids are widely used in the treatment of acute exacerbation of ILD (AE-ILD). This study aimed to clarify the causes of AE-ILD, determine the efficacy of corticosteroids for treating AE-ILD, and detect differences in the mortality rate among subgroups of ILD.

Correlation between serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels and computed tomography severity score in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

There is no validated clinical biomarker for disease severity or treatment response for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD). We investigated the correlation between elevated serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 levels and NTM-PD disease activity, defined using an imaging severity score based on chest computed tomography (CT). We retrospectively examined 79 patients with NTM-PD who underwent serum CA19-9 level assessments and chest CT less than 1 month apart.

Human herpesvirus 8-negative effusion-based lymphoma with indolent clinical behavior in an elderly patient: A case report and literature review.

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that is usually characterized by lymphomatous effusions in the body cavity without any detectable tumor masses. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) schema for tumor classification, PEL is defined by the presence of human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) in malignant lymphoid cells. However, a subset of effusion-based B-cell lymphoma is not HHV8-positive and exhibits different clinicopathological characteristics.

Hepatic Fibrosis Assessed Using Fibrosis-4 Index Is Predictive of All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Various comorbidities influence the prognosis of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We investigated if liver fibrosis assessed using fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) is associated with all-cause mortality in patients with COPD.

Methods: We included 756 patients diagnosed with COPD between 2006 and 2010.