ObjectivesDespite recent advances in thoracic oncology, most patients with metastatic lung cancer die within months of diagnosis. Aggressiveness of their end-of-life (EOL) care has been the subject of numerous studies. This study was undertaken to evaluate the literature on aggressive inpatient EOL care for lung cancer and analyse the evolution of its aggressiveness over time.MethodsA systematic international literature search restricted to English-language publications used terms associated with aggressiveness of care, EOL and their synonyms. Two independent researchers screened for eligibility and extracted all data and another a random 10% sample of the abstracts. Electronic Medline and Embase databases were searched (2000–20 September 2018). EOL-care aggressiveness was defined as follows: 1) chemotherapy administered during the last 14 days of life (DOL) or new chemotherapy regimen during the last 30 DOL; 2) >2 emergency department visits; 3) >1 hospitalisation during the last 30 DOL; 4) ICU admission during the last 30 DOL and 5) palliative care started <3 days before death.ResultsAmong the 150 articles identified, 42 were retained for review: 1 clinical trial, 3 observational cohorts, 21 retrospective analyses and 17 administrative data-based studies. The percentage of patients subjected to aggressive therapy seems to have increased over time. Early management by palliative care teams seems to limit aggressive care.ConclusionsOur analysis indicated very frequent aggressive EOL care for patients with lung cancer, regardless of the definition used. The extent of that aggressiveness and its impact on healthcare costs warrant further studies.

Background: In spite of adhesion to recommended disinfection procedures, the transmission of infections by bronchoscopes is a permanent problem. Objective: The new device may prevent nosocomial infections because it consists of two parts: a specific bronchoscope Vision Sciences BF100 and a single-use protective sheath for each procedure. The aim of this paper is to report our practice and the difficulties encountered when using this system. Methods: We report our experience from 1997 to 2002 after 328 elective and emergency endoscopic procedures with the BF100 device. In a retrospective study, we describe the population and the incidents during procedure. We discuss the impact of the use of BF100 on the cost of bronchoscopies. Results: The major constraint is the care required in assembling the optical device and disposable sheath. The intrinsic qualities of the optics are confirmed; any sample may be taken although image quality and suction capacity are inferior to videoscopes. Maneuverability is inferior to videoscopes, but improves with a short experience. In addition, this device is expensive. Conclusions: The technical performances of the BF100 device are inferior to those of videoscopes but the concept of sterile single-use sheaths is able to prevent the nosocomial infections related to bronchoscopes. Because of the cost, examination with the BF100 should be reserved to patients with proved or suspected infection (multiresistant bacteria, tuberculosis, hepatitis C and B virus, HIV, prions) and immunosuppression (hematologic diseases).

A 16-year-old boy was hospitalized for fever, chest pain, and cardiovascular collapse. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a 30-mm circumferential echogenic "porridge-like" pericardial effusion with signs of cardiac tamponade. Tuberculosis (TB) was suspected because of its prevalence in Djibouti. Emergency pericardiocentesis was attempted, but only 10 ml of pericardial fluid was obtained. Subxiphoid pericardiotomy and drainage were then performed, and pericardial fibrinous pockets were surgically collapsed. Antituberculosis chemotherapy was given, and the pericardial effusion progressively disappeared without corticosteroids. The diagnosis of TB was subsequently confirmed by cultures of the pericardial fluid. A pericardial biopsy was normal. After 3 months of follow-up, there was no sign of constrictive pericarditis. Pericardiocentesis may fail in cases of advanced-stage fibrinous TB pericardial effusion. Thus, pericardiotomy with complete open draining is the only lifesaving procedure.

Introduction:The value of a nonanthracyclin regimen in thymic carcinoma and malignant thymoma is not well defined. These regimens may be useful in some patients, particularly with cardiac diseases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the response rate, progression free survival, overall survival and toxicity of combined etoposide, ifosfamide, and cisplatin in patients with advanced thymoma and thymic carcinoma. Methods: From October 1995 to April 2001, 18 patients with advanced thymoma or thymic carcinoma were entered on trial, and receive etoposide (100 mg/m 2 on days 1-3), ifosfamide (1500 mg/m 2 on days 1-3), s and cisplatin (30 mg/m 2 on days 1-3). Cycles were repeated every 3 weeks for a total of six cycles. Results: Among 16 evaluable patients, there were no complete responses and four partial responses (complete and partial responses rate, 25%; confidence interval [CI] 95, 7-48%). The median follow-up was 32.6 months (range, Ͻ9 -84 months), and the median overall survival has not yet been reached because more than 50% of patients are still alive. Based on Kaplan-Meier estimates, the 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 93.8 and 78.1%, respectively. The toxicity was predominantly myelosuppresion and alopecia. Conclusions: The combined etoposide, ifosfamide, and cisplatin regimen has moderate activity in patients with advanced thymic tumors. Our results confirm the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group trial published in 2001. Response rates appear to be lower to many phase II trials, but survival seems similar.

Targeted therapies have markedly improved the management of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but their efficacy in localized NSCLC is less well established. The aim of this review is to analyze trials of targeted therapies in localized NSCLC. In patients with wild-type EGFR, tyrosine kinase inhibitors have shown no efficacy in Phase III trials. Few data are available for EGFR-mutated localized NSCLC, as routine biological profiling is not recommended. Available studies are small, often retrospectives, and/or conducted in a single-center making it difficult to draw firm conclusions. Ongoing prospective Phase III trials are comparing adjuvant tyrosine kinase inhibitor administration versus adjuvant chemotherapy. By analogy with the indication of bevacizumab in advanced NSCLC, use of antiangiogenic agents in the perioperative setting is currently restricted to nonsquamous NSCLC. Several trials of adjuvant or neoadjuvant bevacizumab are planned or ongoing, but for the moment there is no evidence of efficacy. Data on perioperative use of biomarkers in early-stage NSCLC come mainly from small, retrospective, uncontrolled studies. Assessment of customized adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy in localized NSCLC (with or without oncogenic driver mutations) is a major challenge.