Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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The role of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) in the treatment of pathologic stage IIIA (N2) NSCLC remains controversial. We investigated practice patterns and outcomes for these patients in a prospectively maintained nationwide oncology outcomes database. ⋯ Improved survival is associated with receipt of PORT for patients with pathologic stage IIIA (N2) NSCLC treated with complete resection and multiagent chemotherapy.
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Targeted therapy significantly prolongs survival in lung adenocarcinoma. Current diagnostic guidelines include only EGFR and anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase gene (ALK) testing. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) reveals more actionable genomic alterations than do standard diagnostic methods. Data on the influence of hybrid capture (HC)-based NGS on treatment are limited, and we investigated its impact on treatment decisions and clinical outcomes. ⋯ HC-based NGS influenced treatment decisions in close to half of the patients with lung adenocarcinoma and was associated with an overall response rate of 65%, which may translate into a survival benefit.
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Comparative Study
Determinants of Complete Resection of Thymoma by Minimally Invasive and Open Thymectomy: Analysis of an International Registry.
Minimally invasive thymectomy (MIT) is a surgical approach to thymectomy that has more favorable short-term outcomes for myasthenia gravis than open thymectomy (OT). The oncologic outcomes of MIT performed for thymoma have not been rigorously evaluated. We analyzed determinants of complete (R0) resection among patients undergoing MIT and OT in a large international database. ⋯ The use of MIT for resection of thymoma has been increasing substantially over time, and MIT can achieve rates of R0 resection for thymoma similar to those achieved with OT.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in pathologic complete response (pCR) rates and overall survival among patients receiving either neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation before esophagectomy for locally advanced esophageal cancer. ⋯ Although neoadjuvant chemoradiation is more successful in downstaging esophageal cancer before esophagectomy, it was not independently prognostic for improved long-term survival. Other factors affecting long-term survival among pathologic complete responders and among patients with persistent disease should be investigated to clarify this association.