A trial-ready cohort for finding unmet needs and improving quality of life among patients with esophageal cancer: a multicenter prospective cohort study.

Although esophageal cancer survivors experience lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL), it is hard to provide proper supportive care due to difficulties to find potential target population. This study aims to develop a trial-ready cohort (TRC) to assess the unmet needs and HRQoL of survivors of esophageal cancer. This prospective, multicenter TRC study will include 600 patients diagnosed with primary esophageal cancer who have undergone curative treatment.

Establishment of Human Lung Cancer Organoids Using Small Biopsy and Surgical Tissues.

Lung cancer is a highly diverse disease, and reliable preclinical models that accurately reflect tumor characteristics are essential for studying lung cancer biology and testing new therapies. This study aimed to establish patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) using small biopsy samples and surgical specimens to create a model system that preserves the genetic and histological features of the original tumors. PDTOs were generated from 163 lung cancer specimens, including 109 samples obtained using endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) or bronchoscopy, 52 surgical specimens, and 2 pleural fluid samples.

Deep-Learning Model for Real-Time Prediction of Recurrence in Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Multimodal Approach (RADAR CARE Study).

Purpose: The surveillance protocol for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not contingent upon individualized risk factors for recurrence. This study aimed to use comprehensive data from clinical practice to develop a deep-learning model for practical longitudinal monitoring.

Methods: A multimodal deep-learning model with transformers was developed for real-time recurrence prediction using baseline clinical, pathological, and molecular data with longitudinal laboratory and radiologic data collected during surveillance.

Adjuvant pembrolizumab therapy for completely resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma with micropapillary or solid histological subtypes: a single-center, single-arm, phase 2 trial.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with completely resected stage I lung adenocarcinoma with micropapillary or solid-pattern (MPSOL).

Methods: This was a single-center, single-arm phase 2 study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03254004).

Impact of tumor size by clinical N subclassification and histology in trimodality-treated N2 non-small cell lung cancer.

The evolving TNM classification has emphasized the tumor size's role in NSCLC prognosis, reclassifying stage IIIA patients from the previous edition as stage IIIB (T3-4N2M0, 8th edition). However, the prognostic implications of tumor size and survival in stage III NSCLC patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy remain unexplored. Therefore, we investigated the association between tumor size and mortality in N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery (trimodality therapy), considering the number of metastatic N2 stations and histology.

Therapeutic Effect of Lymph Node Dissection After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy Followed by Esophagectomy on Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using the Efficacy Index.

Background: The effect of lymph node (LN) dissection on the overall survival of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated by neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (nCRT) followed by esophagectomy has been controversial. This study investigated the patterns of metastatic LNs after nCRT and the benefits of LN dissection using the efficacy index (EI).

Methods: The EI was calculated by multiplying the frequency (%) of metastases to a zone and the 5-year overall survival rate (%) of patients with metastases to that zone and then dividing by 100.

Clinical N Staging Subclassification for Stage III-N2 NSCLC Patients Undergoing Trimodality Therapy: A Good Beginning Is Half the Battle.

Background: Lung cancer patients with stage III-N2 disease may benefit from the subclassification of nodal involvement before decision-making. We aimed to evaluate whether the clinical N descriptor subclassification predicts prognosis in patients undergoing trimodality therapy for stage III-N2 non-small cell lung cancer.

Methods: Using our institutional registry between 2003 and 2019, we analyzed 899 consecutive patients with stage III-N2 non-small cell lung cancer undergoing neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery.

Efficacy of contrast versus non-contrast CT surveillance among patients surviving two years without recurrence after surgery for stage I lung cancer.

Contrast-enhanced chest CT (CECT) is more sensitive than non-contrast-enhanced chest CT (NCECT), but NCECT may have comparable efficacy in detecting new primary lung cancer among stage I NSCLC survivors after two years of surveillance. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of NCECT versus CECT for surveillance among stage I NSCLC patients surviving two years after curative resection without disease recurrence. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with stage I NSCLC who underwent curative-intent lung resection between January 2009 and December 2017 using the Registry for Thoracic Cancer Surgery at the Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

Impact of the duration of corticosteroid treatment for postoperative acute lung injury following lung cancer surgery.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is one of the most serious pulmonary complications following lung resection. Despite the known beneficial effects of corticosteroid treatment for postoperative ALI, limited data are available regarding corticosteroid treatment duration. This study aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects of a short-course corticosteroid in patients with postoperative ALI following lung resection surgery for lung cancer.

Application of network analysis and association rule mining for visualizing the lymph node metastasis patterns in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Understanding the patterns of lymph node (LN) metastases in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is important for accurate staging and defining the extent of lymphadenectomy. This study clarified the patterns of LN metastases in ESCC using data mining techniques. 1181 patients with LN metastases who underwent upfront esophagectomy for ESCC were analyzed.

Comparison and validation of the Japanese classification 12th edition and American joint committee on cancer 8th edition on intrathoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th edition and Japanese classification 12th edition can be applied for esophageal cancer staging. This retrospective study aimed to compare these two staging systems in patients with surgically treated esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 2,853 patients who underwent esophagectomy and lymphadenectomy from 1994 to 2020.

Association of Obesity and Skeletal Muscle with Postoperative Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background A comprehensive assessment of skeletal muscle health is crucial to understanding the association between improved clinical outcomes and obesity as defined by body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) in lung cancer, but limited studies have been conducted on this topic. Purpose To investigate the association between BMI-defined obesity and survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent curative resection, with a specific focus on the status of skeletal muscle assessed at CT. Materials and Methods This retrospective study investigated Korean patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent curative resection between January 2008 and December 2019.

Association of pre-surgical circulating tumor DNA detection, use of sublobar resection with risk of recurrence in stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Sublobar resection is increasingly recognized as an effective treatment for early-stage NSCLC. However, no studies to date have investigated the potential role of preoperative ctDNA detection in guiding surgical decisions, such as opting for sublobar resection, in stage I NSCLC.

Methods: Patients with solid-dominant (CTR>0.