Background and purposeRadiotherapy of central lung tumors carries a higher risk of treatment-related toxicity and local failure. In the era of aggressive oligometastic management the exploration of the proper dose-fractionation for metastatic central lung tumors is essential.Materials and methodsPatients diagnosed with high-risk metastatic lesions of the central pulmonary tree comprised this single-institutional retrospective analysis. “High-risk” central pulmonary lesions were defined as those with abutment and/or invasion of the mainstem bronchus. All patients were treated using the CyberKnife SBRT system in 5 fractions to a total dose of 35 or 40 Gy.ResultsTwenty patients were treated from 2008 to 2011 at Georgetown University Hospital. At a median follow up of 19 months, 1-year Kaplan-Meier local control and overall survival was 70 and 75 %, respectively. Late grade 2 or higher atelectasis was the most common treatment-related toxicity and was significantly associated with maximum dose to the mainstem bronchus. Gross endobronchial involvement was associated with significantly lower overall survival.ConclusionsFive-fraction SBRT to a total dose of 35 or 40 Gy appears to be a safe and effective management strategy for high-risk central pulmonary metastatic lesions, though care should be taken to limit the maximum point dose to the mainstem bronchus.
Our study demonstrates a 100% negative predictive value for the exclusion of PTX via TUS' verification of SL. The practical value of TUS post-TBLCB may lie in its application as a rule-out study, thereby avoiding CXR.
Background and objective-OSA is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Pathogenic mechanisms of vascular diseases include thickened vascular walls due to the increased number of smooth muscle cells (SMC). Retinoic acid (RA) suppresses the growth of SMC, and reduced retinoid levels are associated with vascular diseases. Oxidant signalling promotes SMC growth, thus antioxidant levels may also influence the development of cardiovascular diseases. The present study tested the hypothesis that plasmas from OSA patients contain altered levels of retinoids, carotenoids and tocopherols.
This survey exposes deficits among pulmonologists in their ability to confidently and correctly diagnose and manage TBM. These deficits are not surprising as our understanding of this clinical entity is evolving. There exists a need for further education of pulmonologists about TBM and a need to promote collaborative efforts through research and expert consensus committees to progress our knowledge and management of this disease.
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