Faculty Bibliography

Injury from blunt or penetrating trauma to the esophagus is relatively rare. Treatment strategy is contingent on the clinical status of the patient, associated injuries, and the degree of esophageal injury and the time of injury until diagnosis. Although nonoperative intervention may be acceptable in highly selected patients with contained injuries or those who are more than 24 hours removed from the injury and are clinically stable, operative intervention is the most conservative and safest approach. There are many potential surgical approaches but resection or diversion should be discouraged. Operative approaches include either side of the neck or chest, and an abdominal approach for selected injuries. Sometimes combined incisions are needed. The goal of any operation for a traumatic esophageal injury is removal of infected material, debridement of the esophagus, assessment of the distal and proximal extent of the injury, decortication of the lung if the injury soils the pleural space, primary closure of the esophageal defect if possible with buttressing of the closure with autologous pedicles tissue or muscle flaps, and to ensure distal patency without esophageal pathology.

BACKGROUND: Factors that predict poor survival or increased risk of recurrence for patients with N1 disease may be dependent on tumor characteristics. METHODS: This study was a retrospective review of a prospective database of consecutive patients who had clinical or pathologic N1 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent preoperative 2-[18F] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) scans and complete resection with thoracic lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: There were 135 patients (88 men). The 5-year disease-free rate was 55%. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that poor differentiation (p = 0.036), multiple N1 stations (p = 0.010), and the lack of adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.039) were all associated with a shorter 5-year disease-free rate. Multivariate disease-free analysis demonstrated that only multiple stations (p = 0.002) were independently associated with recurrence. The overall 5-year survival was 48%. Univariate analysis showed that multiple nodes within one station (p = 0.016), multiple station involvement (p = 0.041), and lack of adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.039) and moderate-to-poor tumor differentiation (p = 0.046) were associated with decreased survival. Multivariate analysis found that multiple stations, multiple nodes, and lack of adjuvant chemotherapy were independent predictors of poor survival. Integrated PET-computed tomography (CT) was significantly more sensitive for staging N1 disease than dedicated FDG-PET (p = 0.032). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy given to 48 nonrandomized patients did not seem to impact disease recurrence or overall 5-year survival rates (p = 0.349). CONCLUSIONS: Factors that predict a poor outcome in patients with resected N1 NSCLC are the involvement of multiple N1 stations, multiple N1 nodes, and the lack of adjuvant chemotherapy. Integrated PET-CT is more sensitive for detecting N1 disease then dedicated PET. These data may influence preoperative or postoperative therapy, or both.

BACKGROUND: The impact that smoking cigarettes has on the characteristics and survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is disputed. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study using a prospective database of patients with NSCLC over a 6-year period. Clinical and histologic characteristics and survival rates were compared between smokers and never-smokers. RESULTS: There were 730 patients; 562 patients (77%) were smokers and 168 patients (23%) were never-smokers. The overall 5-year survival rate was greater in never-smokers (64%) compared to smokers (56%; p = 0.031). Never-smokers were more likely to be younger (p = 0.04), female (p = 0.01), symptomatic at the time of presentation (p < 0.001), have poorly differentiated tumors (p = 0.04), and have a higher maximum standardized uptake value (maxSUV) on positron emission tomography (PET) (p = 0.026) than smokers. The stage-specific 5-year survival rate was greater for never-smokers compared to smokers for stage I disease (62% vs 75%, respectively; p = 0.02), stage II disease (46% vs 53%, respectively; p = 0.09), and stage III disease (36% vs 41%, respectively; p = 0.13). The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower in patients who had a smoking history of > 20 pack-years. CONCLUSIONS: Never-smokers in whom NSCLC develops are more likely to be young, female, and have poorly differentiated tumors with higher maxSUV values on PET scans. Never-smokers with early-stage cancer have a significantly better survival rate than smokers. Patients with a smoking history of > or = 20 pack-years have worse survival. Thus, smoking not only causes lung cancer, but once NSCLC is diagnosed, the prognosis becomes worse. A biological, hormonal, and genetic explanation is currently lacking to explain these findings, and these data may help to improve treatment and surveillance.

This report describes the surgical management of a tumor that filled the left chest of a 58-year-old man. Histopathologic examination showed that this was an angiomyolipoma, a tumor that most commonly occurs in the kidney. The preoperative evaluation and intraoperative management are presented, along with a brief review of this unusual neoplasm.

BACKGROUND: We assessed our experience with partial or circumferential resection of the pulmonary artery during lobectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a prospective electronic database of patients who underwent pulmonary artery resection. The technique used was an R0 resection with end-to-end anastomosis only if needed, distal control of the pulmonary artery by clamping the vein (not the artery), and no postoperative anticoagulation. RESULTS: Between October 1998 and June 6, 2006, 42 (3.2%) of 1328 patients who underwent lobectomy performed by one surgeon required resection of the pulmonary artery (38 partial, 4 circumferential) to achieve a margin-negative resection and avoid pneumonectomy. Of these, 41 had non-small cell lung cancer, and 23 (55%) had neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (median dose of 60 Gy). Right upper lobectomy was performed in 2 patients and a left upper lobectomy in 40. A negative bronchial and vascular margin was achieved in all. Morbidity occurred in 11 patients (atrial fibrillation in 6) and left recurrent laryngeal neurapraxia in 2. Aspiration resulted in one operative death. Follow-up (median, 48 months) showed no local recurrence on the pulmonary artery and normal blood flow through it. Five-year survival was 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary artery resection and reconstruction to avoid pneumonectomy can be performed safely, even in a highly irradiated field. Clamping of the remaining pulmonary vein for distal control is safe and affords more room. Circumferential resection with end-to-end anastomosis of the pulmonary artery is rarely required. Partial resection is safe, does not impede blood flow, and does not compromise local recurrence rates. Postoperative anticoagulation is not needed.

BACKGROUND: The maximum standardized uptake value (maxSUV) on F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan of mediastinal (N2) lymph nodes may predict pathology in patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer. However, the maxSUV varies among PET scanners. Thus, we evaluated the ratio of the maxSUV of the lymph node to the primary tumor at different centers to determine whether it was a universal predictor of lymph node malignancy. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of a prospective database. Patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer, a dedicated FDG-PET with the maxSUV of the primary lung tumor and FDG-avid mediastinal (N2) nodes reported (before therapy), and who underwent lymph node removal were eligible. RESULTS: There were 239 patients with 335 FDG-PET-positive N2 nodes at 14 different PET centers. The median ratio of the maxSUV of the lymph node to the maxSUV of the primary tumor of the pathologically proven malignant nodes was 0.58 (range, 0.32 to 1.61). Benign nodes had a median ratio of 0.40 (range, 0.21 to 1.10, p = 0.02). The median value was similar for all centers except one. Receiver operating characteristics analysis determined the optimal value of the ratio that maximized sensitivity to be 0.56 or greater (+LR 6.6, sensitivity 94%, specificity 72%). CONCLUSIONS: The ratio of the maxSUV of the mediastinal (N2) lymph node to the maxSUV of the primary tumor in patients with nonsmall-cell lung cancer predicts mediastinal nodal pathology across different PET centers. When the ratio is 0.56 or greater, there is a 94% chance that the node is malignant. The ratio may take into account the different techniques used at different centers.

OBJECTIVES: The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group trial Z0060 is a prospective multi-institutional trial with a primary objective to evaluate whether positron emission tomography (PET) with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) detects evidence of metastastic disease that precludes esophagectomy in patients with esophageal cancer who are surgical candidates after routine staging. METHODS: Patients with resectable, biopsy-proven carcinoma were enrolled after computed tomography of chest and abdomen demonstrated no evidence of metastasis. FDG-PET was performed according to specified standards. FDG-PET findings suggesting metastases required confirmation and patients without metastases on PET were expected to proceed to surgery. RESULTS: A total of 262 patients were registered. Of these, 199 were deemed eligible and of these, 189 patients were evaluable. Seventy-three patients were ineligible or unevaluable. Reasons for ineligibility included nonresectable disease by routine staging (39), missing or outdated staging procedures (12), PET technical protocol violations (10), no cancer (4), pre-PET induction therapy (3), claustrophobia (1), and other causes (4). There were 145 (78%) patients who went on to have surgery, 42 (22%) who did not, and 2 patients for whom the surgical status was not determined. The reasons for no resection included the following: M1 disease found by PET and confirmed (9), M1 disease found by PET and not confirmed (2), M1 disease at exploration not found by PET (7), decline or death before surgery (10), patient refusal of surgery (7), unresectable local tumor at exploration (5), and extensive N1 disease precluding operation (2). Eight (4.2%) patients undergoing resection had a recurrence in the first 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Although 22% of eligible patients did not undergo esophagectomy, FDG-PET after standard clinical staging for esophageal carcinoma identified confirmed M1b disease in at least 4.8% (95% confidence interval: 2.2%-8.9%) of patients before resection. Unconfirmed PET evidence of M1 disease and regional adenopathy (N1 disease) led to definitive nonsurgical or induction therapy in additional patients.