Lung cancer : journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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Multicenter Study
FDG-PET and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for stage I non-small-cell lung cancer.
To investigate the utility of positron emission tomography (PET) in patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) on prospective institutional trials. ⋯ Isolated nodal recurrence following PET-staged I NSCLC treated with SBRT is uncommon. Moderate post-SBRT PET hypermetabolic activity may persist 2 years following treatment without definite evidence of recurrence. Further study is needed to confirm these results in larger populations with longer follow-up.
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Phase II study of 3 cycles of triplet induction chemotherapy (response, toxicity) followed by radiotherapy in locally advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ⋯ Three cycles of the novel triplet combination of paclitaxel, carboplatin and gemcitabine (PACCAGE) is an active and feasible induction regimen for patients with locally advanced inoperable NSCLC. Neutropenia and to a lesser extent thrombocytopenia represent the main haematological toxicity. Whether this triplet regimen can improve outcome when compared to specific cisplatin doublet regimens should be evaluated in a phase III study.
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Computed tomography (CT)-guided transbronchial biopsy (TBB) using an ultrathin bronchoscope with simulation by virtual bronchoscopy (VB) is effective for diagnosing small peripheral pulmonary lesions. However, we occasionally lose the proper bronchi to the lesion when a bronchoscope is inserted into peripheral bronchi with severe rotation. To overcome this problem, the virtual bronchoscopic navigation system that can display real-time VB images during TBB procedures in comparison with actual bronchi has been developed. ⋯ Compared to simulation method, diagnostic sensitivity was higher in the navigation method, but the difference was not significant. However, the time to the first biopsy and total examination time were significantly shorter in the navigation method than in the simulation method (p<0.05). In summary, the virtual bronchoscopic navigation system was safely used, effective for diagnosing small peripheral pulmonary lesions, and useful for shortening the examination time of CT-guided TBB using an ultrathin bronchoscope.