Background Concurrent chemotherapy plus radiation therapy (chemoRT) is the standard treatment for stage IIIA(N2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a common disease entity. Phase II studies demonstrated feasibility of resection after chemoRT with encouraging survival rates. This phase III trial compared both approaches. Methods Patients with stage T1-3pN2M0 NSCLC were randomized before induction chemoRT (2 cycles of cisplatin and etoposide [PE] concurrent with 45 Gy RT). If no progression, arm 1 underwent resection, and arm 2 continued RT uninterrupted to 61 Gy. Two additional cycles of PE were given. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Findings Progression-free survival for 396 eligible patients was superior in arm 1: median 12.8 versus 10.5 months, p=0.017, hazard ratio (HR) 0.77 (0.62,0.96); 5-yr 22.4% versus 11.1%. Median OS was 23.6 versus 22.2 months, p=0.24, HR 0.87 (0.70,1.10). Five-year survivals were arm 1, 27.2% and arm 2, 20.3%; odds ratio 0.63 (0.36,1.10, p=0.10). N0 status at thoracotomy predicted median OS of 33.5 months (5-year, 41.8%). Major chemoRT toxicities were neutropenia and esophagitis. Treatment-related death occurred in 16 (7.9%) patients on arm 1, of which 14 were post-pneumonectomy; and in 4 (2.1%) on arm 2. An exploratory analysis showed improved OS for patients who underwent lobectomy versus a matched cohort on chemoRT alone, but not for those undergoing pneumonectomy (matched similarly). Interpretation There was no significant survival advantage to surgery after chemoRT, despite improved PFS. Both chemoRT with definitive RT and chemoRT followed by resection (preferably lobectomy) are options for patients with stage IIIA(N2) NSCLC.

The proposed system for defining and recording perioperative complications associated with esophagectomy provides an infrastructure to standardize international data collection and facilitate future comparative studies and quality improvement projects.

Standardized methods provide contemporary international benchmarks for reporting outcomes after esophagectomy.

EBUS-TBNA and mediastinoscopy achieve similar results for the mediastinal staging of lung cancer. As performed in this study, EBUS-TBNA can replace mediastinoscopy in patients with potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective To determine if mediastinal lymph node dissection (MLND) improves survival compared to mediastinal lymph node sampling (MLNS) in patients undergoing resection for N0 or non-hilar N1, T1 or T2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Patients with NSCLC underwent sampling of 2R, 4R, 7 and 10R for right sided tumors, and 5, 6, 7 and 10L for left sided tumors. If all were negative for malignancy, patients were randomized to no further lymph node sampling (MLNS) or complete MLND. Results Of 1,111 patients randomized, 1,023 (498 MLNS, 525 MLND) were eligible/evaluable. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographics, ECOG status, histology, location of the cancer, type or extent of resection, or pathological stage. Occult N2 disease was found in 21 patients in the MLND group. At median follow-up of 6.5 years, 435 (43%) patients have died; (MLNS: 217 (44%);MLND:218 (42%)). The median survival for MLNS is8.1 years, and 8.5 years for MLND (p=0.25). The 5-year disease free survival rate was 69% (95% CI: 64%-74%) in the MLNS group versus 68%(95% CI: 64%-73%) years in the MLND group (p=0.92). There was no difference for local (p=0.52), regional (p=0.10), or distant (p=0.76) recurrence between the two groups. Conclusions If systematic, thorough presection sampling of the mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes is negative, MLND does not improve survival in patients with early stage NSCLC but these results are not generalizable to patients staged radiographically or those with higher stage tumors.

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Aspiration of duodenogastroesophageal refluxate is prevalent after lung transplantation and is associated with the development of BOS. Elevated BALF bile acids may promote early BOS development via an inflammatory process, possibly mediated by IL-8 and alveolar neutrophilia.

Patients undergoing video-assisted lobectomy had fewer respiratory complications and shorter length of stay. These data suggest video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy is safe in patients with resectable lung cancer. Longer follow-up is needed to determine the oncologic equivalency of video-assisted versus open lobectomy.