These results confirm that lung metastasectomy is a safe and potentially curative procedure. Resectability, disease-free interval, and number of metastases enabled us to design a simple system of classification valid for different tumor types.

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.

This clinical trial strengthens the validity of using perioperative chemotherapy in the management of patients with resectable stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer. Further investigation of the perioperative chemotherapy strategy in earlier stage lung cancer is warranted.

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Frequent symptom monitoring with alerts to clinicians when symptoms became moderate or severe reduced symptom severity during the 4 weeks after thoracic surgery. Methods of automated symptom monitoring and triage may improve symptom control after major cancer surgery. These results should be confirmed in a larger study.

A retroviral vector containing the wild-type p53 gene under control of a beta-actin promoter was produced to mediate transfer of wild-type p53 into human non-small cell lung cancers by direct injection. Nine patients whose conventional treatments failed were entered into the study. No clinically significant vector-related toxic effects were noted up to five months after treatment. In situ hybridization and DNA polymerase chain reaction showed vector-p53 sequences in posttreatment biopsies. Apoptosis (programmed cell death) was more frequent in posttreatment biopsies than in pretreatment biopsies. Tumor regression was noted in three patients, and tumor growth stabilized in three other patients.

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Patients who undergo salvage esophagectomy for relapse of tumor after definitive chemoradiation therapy have increased morbidity, mortality, and hospital use relative to patients undergoing planned esophagectomy after preoperative chemoradiation. Nevertheless, long-term survival can be achieved in this group, and such treatment should be considered for carefully selected patients at an experienced center.