Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
2.7
3.2
Journals
Life
Special Issues
Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages
share announcement

Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Research".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 June 2024 | Viewed by 17815

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ancel Julien

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Respiratory Diseases, University Hospital of Reims, France University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, INSERM, P3Cell UMR-S1250, Reims, France
Interests: lung cancer; NSCLC; immunotherapy; biomarker; epithelial-mesenchymal transition
Dr. Paolo Mendogni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation Unit, IRCCS Foundation Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
Interests: thymoma; mesothelioma; lung cancer; lung transplantation; pneumothorax; video-assisted thoracic surgery
Dr. Zhiwei Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Interests: targeted immunotherapy; targeted photodynamic therapy; vascular tissue; necrosis; neoplasms; macular degeneration; choroidal neovascularization; lung neoplasms; breast neoplasms; neoplasm metastasis; melanoma; tumor immunology; immunotherapy; particularly antibody and CAR-NK cell immunotherapy; photodynamic therapy; gene therapy; cancer pathology; tumor angiogenesis; tumor microenvironment; immune cells; NK cells; MDSC; cancer stem cells
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Laura Bergantini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Respiratory Diseases and Lung Transplant Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Neurosciences, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: severe asthma; biological therapy; immunology; biomarkers; lung transplantation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lung cancer management highly improved across recent decades. Metastatic stages benefit many advances, such as personalized therapies based on immunotherapies or tyrosine kinases inhibitors (TKIs). The management of locally advanced stages III also effectively improved following immunotherapy consolidation post-radio-chemotherapy. Pre-operative treatment is currently evolving with promising immunotherapy (neo-)adjuvant clinical trials. Diagnosis and screening benefits of numerous data support implementation into clinical practice. However, many patients do not benefit from these advances, due to related toxicities, early resistance, and secondary progression, without relevant markers used to predict these discrepancies.

This personalized theragnostic approach includes biomarkers based on pathologic tissue and/or liquid biopsy to overcome these current challenges from screening, diagnosis, response prediction, and resistance through treatment.

This Special Issue of Life calls for original research articles, brief reports, and review articles focusing on new biomarkers, biologically driven strategies, and theragnostic markers in the field of lung cancer.

Dr. Ancel Julien
Dr. Paolo Mendogni
Dr. Zhiwei Hu
Dr. Laura Bergantini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • NSCLC
  • personalized medicine
  • biomarkers
  • therapy
  • immunotherapy
  • theragnostic

Published Papers (9 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review, Other

15 pages, 2104 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Association between Entropy in PET/CT and Response to Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Monotherapy in Stage III or IV NSCLC
by Julie Malet, Julien Ancel, Abdenasser Moubtakir, Dimitri Papathanassiou, Gaëtan Deslée and Maxime Dewolf
Life 2023, 13(4), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13041051 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1421
Abstract
Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy indications are broadened in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) do not provide benefits for the entire population. Texture features based on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), especially entropy (based on a gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)), could [...] Read more.
Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy indications are broadened in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) do not provide benefits for the entire population. Texture features based on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), especially entropy (based on a gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)), could be interesting as predictors in NSCLC. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the association between GLCM-entropy and response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monotherapy at the first evaluation in stage III or IV NSCLC, comparing patients with progressive disease (PD) and non-progressive disease (non-PD). In total, 47 patients were included. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1) were used to evaluate the response to ICI treatment (nivolumab, pembrolizumab, or atezolizumab). At the first evaluation, 25 patients were PD and 22 were non-PD. GLCM-entropy was not predictive of response at the first evaluation. Furthermore, GLCM-entropy was not associated with progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.393) or overall survival (OS) (p = 0.220). Finally, GLCM-entropy measured in PET/CT performed before ICI initiation in stage III or IV NSCLC was not predictive of response at the first evaluation. However, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using texture parameters in routine clinical practice. The interest of measuring PET/CT texture parameters in NSCLC remains to be evaluated in larger prospective studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1444 KiB  
Article
Clinical Stage III NSCLC Patients Treated with Neoadjuvant Therapy and Surgery: The Prognostic Role of Nodal Characteristics
by Marco Chiappetta, Diomira Tabacco, Amedeo Giuseppe Iaffaldano, Jessica Evangelista, Maria Teresa Congedo, Carolina Sassorossi, Elisa Meacci, Ettore D’Argento, Emilio Bria, Emanuele Vita, Giampaolo Tortora, Luca Boldrini, Diepriye Charles-Davies, Mariangela Massaccesi, Antonella Martino, Ciro Mazzarella, Vincenzo Valentini, Stefano Margaritora and Filippo Lococo
Life 2022, 12(11), 1753; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12111753 - 01 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1519
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to analyze the prognostic factors in patients that underwent induction therapy and surgery for clinical stage III NSCLC. METHODS: Clinical and pathological characteristics of stage III NSCLC patients for N2 involvement that underwent neoadjuvant treatment (NAD) [...] Read more.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to analyze the prognostic factors in patients that underwent induction therapy and surgery for clinical stage III NSCLC. METHODS: Clinical and pathological characteristics of stage III NSCLC patients for N2 involvement that underwent neoadjuvant treatment (NAD) and surgery from 1/01/1998 to 31/12/2017 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Tumor characteristics, yClinical, yPathological stage and lymph node characteristics were correlated to Overall Survival (OS). RESULTS: The analysis was conducted on 180 patients. Five-year OS (5YOS) was 50.9%. Univariable analysis results revealed old age (p = 0.003), clinical N2 post-NAD (p = 0.01), pneumonectomy (0.005), persistent pathological N2 (p = 0.039, HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.09–2.68) and adjuvant therapy absence (p = 0.049) as significant negative prognostic factors. Multivariable analysis confirmed pN0N1 (p = 0.02, HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.13–0.62) as a favorable independent prognostic factor and adjuvant therapy absence (p = 0.012, HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.23–5.50) as a negative prognostic factor. Patients with persistent N2 presented a 5YOS of 35.3% vs. 55.8% in pN0N1 patients. Regarding lymph node parameters, the lymph node ratio (NR) significantly correlated with OS: 5YOS of 67.6% in patients with NR < 50% vs. 29.5% in NR > 50% (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Clinical response aided the stratification of prognosis in patients that underwent multimodal treatment for stage III NSCLC. Adjuvant therapy seemed to be an important option in these patients, while node ratio was a strong prognosticator in patients with persistent nodal involvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1345 KiB  
Article
Immune-Checkpoint-Inhibitor-Related Lung Toxicity: A Multicentre Real-Life Retrospective Portrait from Six Italian Centres
by Paolo Cameli, Paola Faverio, Katia Ferrari, Viola Bonti, Stefania Marsili, Maria Antonietta Mazzei, Francesca Mazzoni, Maurizio Bartolucci, Vieri Scotti, Federica Bertolini, Fausto Barbieri, Cinzia Baldessari, Chiara Veronese, Roberto Boffi, Matteo Brighenti, Diego Cortinovis, Massimo Dominici, Alberto Pesci, Elena Bargagli and Fabrizio Luppi
Life 2022, 12(8), 1149; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12081149 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1819
Abstract
Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the therapeutic horizons of various cancers. However, immune-related adverse events have been reported, including interstitial lung diseases. Our aim was to describe the clinical and radiological features and survival of a multicentre cohort of patients who [...] Read more.
Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized the therapeutic horizons of various cancers. However, immune-related adverse events have been reported, including interstitial lung diseases. Our aim was to describe the clinical and radiological features and survival of a multicentre cohort of patients who developed ICI-related lung toxicity. Methods: Six Italian centres were involved in the study. Patients who were treated with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 mAbs and developed ICI-related lung toxicity were recruited retrospectively to study clinical, radiological, immunological and survival data. Results: A total of 41 patients (25 males, 66.8 ± 9.9 years) were enrolled. Lung toxicity occurred after 204.3 ± 208.3 days of therapy, with ground glass opacities being the most common HRCT pattern (23 cases). Male sex, lung cancer and acute respiratory failure were associated with a shorter latency of toxicity (p = 0.0030, p = 0.0245 and p = 0.0390, respectively). Patients who required high-flow oxygen therapy showed significantly worse survival (p = 0.0028). Conclusions: Our cohort showed heterogeneous clinical and radiological aspects of ICI-related lung toxicity, with a latency not limited to the first year of treatment. Severity was mainly mild to moderate, although life-threatening events did occur. Our data indicate that strict long-term follow-up is needed to enable early diagnosis and appropriate management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 5542 KiB  
Article
Characterization of NKG2-A/-C, Kir and CD57 on NK Cells Stimulated with pp65 and IE-1 Antigens in Patients Awaiting Lung Transplant
by Laura Bergantini, Miriana d’Alessandro, Ambra Otranto, Dalila Cavallaro, Sara Gangi, Antonella Fossi, Felice Perillo, Luca Luzzi, Edoardo Zanfrini, Piero Paladini, Piersante Sestini, Paola Rottoli, Elena Bargagli and David Bennett
Life 2022, 12(7), 1081; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12071081 - 19 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1517
Abstract
Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading opportunistic infection in lung transplant (LTx) recipients. CMV is associated with graft failure and decreased survival. Recently, new antiviral therapies have been proposed. The present study aimed to investigate NK and T cell subsets of patients awaiting [...] Read more.
Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the leading opportunistic infection in lung transplant (LTx) recipients. CMV is associated with graft failure and decreased survival. Recently, new antiviral therapies have been proposed. The present study aimed to investigate NK and T cell subsets of patients awaiting LTx. We analyzed the cellular populations between reactive and non-reactive QuantiFERON (QF) CMV patients for the prediction of immunological response to infection. Methods: Seventeen pre-LTx patients and 15 healthy controls (HC) have been enrolled. QF and IFN-γ ELISA assay detections were applied. NK cell subsets and T cell and proliferation assay were detected before and after stimulation with pp-65 and IE-1 CMV antigens after stratification as QF+ and QF−. Furthermore, we quantified the serum concentrations of NK− and T-related cytokines by bead-based multiplex analysis. Results: CD56brCD16lowNKG2A+KIR+ resulted in the best discriminatory cellular subsets between pre-LTx and HC. Discrepancies emerged between serology and QF assay. Better proliferative capability emerged from patients who were QF+, in particular in CD8 and CD25-activated cells. CD56brCD16low, adaptive/memory-like NK and CD8Teff were highly increased only in QF+ patients. Conclusions: QF more than serology is useful in the detection of patients able to respond to viral infection. This study provides new insights in terms of immunological responses to CMV in pre-LTX patients, particularly in NK and T cells biology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research, Other

11 pages, 1051 KiB  
Review
Deciphering Lung Adenocarcinoma Heterogeneity: An Overview of Pathological and Clinical Features of Rare Subtypes
by Andrea Mogavero, Paolo Bironzo, Luisella Righi, Alessandra Merlini, Federica Benso, Silvia Novello and Francesco Passiglia
Life 2023, 13(6), 1291; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13061291 - 31 May 2023
Viewed by 1700
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related death. The 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) classification provided a detailed and updated categorization of lung adenocarcinomas with a special focus on rare histological types, including [...] Read more.
Lung cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related death. The 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) classification provided a detailed and updated categorization of lung adenocarcinomas with a special focus on rare histological types, including enteric, fetal and colloid types, as well as not otherwise specified adenocarcinoma, overall accounting for about 5–10% of all cases. However, rare entities are nowadays difficult to diagnose in most centers, and evidence of optimal therapeutic management for these patients is still lacking. In recent years, increasing knowledge about the mutational profile of lung cancer, in addition to the spreading diffusion of next-generation sequencing (NGS) in different centers, have been helpful in the identification of rare variants of lung cancer. Hence, the hope is that several new drugs will be available in the near future to treat these rare lung tumors, such as in targeted therapy and immunotherapy, which are often used in clinical practice for several malignancies. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge about the molecular pathology and clinical management of the most common rare adenocarcinoma subtypes in order to provide a concise and updated report that can drive clinicians’ choices in their routine practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1282 KiB  
Review
Current Treatment Approaches for Thymic Epithelial Tumors
by Alfredo Tartarone, Rosa Lerose, Alessandro Rocco Lettini and Marina Tartarone
Life 2023, 13(5), 1170; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13051170 - 12 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2108
Abstract
Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), including thymoma, thymic carcinoma and neuroendocrine tumors, are uncommon tumors that originate from the epithelial cells of the thymus. Nevertheless, despite their rarity, they represent the most common tumor type located in the anterior mediastinum. Therapeutic choices based on [...] Read more.
Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs), including thymoma, thymic carcinoma and neuroendocrine tumors, are uncommon tumors that originate from the epithelial cells of the thymus. Nevertheless, despite their rarity, they represent the most common tumor type located in the anterior mediastinum. Therapeutic choices based on staging and histology may include surgery with or without neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy represented by chemotherapy, radiotherapy or chemo-radiotherapy. For patients with advanced or metastatic TETs, platinum-based chemotherapy remains the standard first-line treatment; however, some new drugs and combinations are currently under evaluation. In any case, proper management of patients with TETs requires a multidisciplinary team approach to personalize care for each patient. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 379 KiB  
Review
Endoscopic Technologies for Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions: From Diagnosis to Therapy
by Alberto Fantin, Massimiliano Manera, Vincenzo Patruno, Giulia Sartori, Nadia Castaldo and Ernesto Crisafulli
Life 2023, 13(2), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020254 - 17 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2095
Abstract
Peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) are frequent incidental findings in subjects when performing chest radiographs or chest computed tomography (CT) scans. When a PPL is identified, it is necessary to proceed with a risk stratification based on the patient profile and the characteristics found [...] Read more.
Peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) are frequent incidental findings in subjects when performing chest radiographs or chest computed tomography (CT) scans. When a PPL is identified, it is necessary to proceed with a risk stratification based on the patient profile and the characteristics found on chest CT. In order to proceed with a diagnostic procedure, the first-line examination is often a bronchoscopy with tissue sampling. Many guidance technologies have recently been developed to facilitate PPLs sampling. Through bronchoscopy, it is currently possible to ascertain the PPL’s benign or malignant nature, delaying the therapy’s second phase with radical, supportive, or palliative intent. In this review, we describe all the new tools available: from the innovation of bronchoscopic instrumentation (e.g., ultrathin bronchoscopy and robotic bronchoscopy) to the advances in navigation technology (e.g., radial-probe endobronchial ultrasound, virtual navigation, electromagnetic navigation, shape-sensing navigation, cone-beam computed tomography). In addition, we summarize all the PPLs ablation techniques currently under experimentation. Interventional pulmonology may be a discipline aiming at adopting increasingly innovative and disruptive technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages)
19 pages, 729 KiB  
Review
The Overview of Perspectives of Clinical Application of Liquid Biopsy in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
by Aleksandra Bożyk and Marcin Nicoś
Life 2022, 12(10), 1640; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12101640 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2176
Abstract
The standard diagnostics procedure for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) requires a pathological evaluation of tissue samples obtained by surgery or biopsy, which are considered invasive sampling procedures. Due to this fact, re-sampling of the primary tumor at the moment of progression is limited [...] Read more.
The standard diagnostics procedure for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) requires a pathological evaluation of tissue samples obtained by surgery or biopsy, which are considered invasive sampling procedures. Due to this fact, re-sampling of the primary tumor at the moment of progression is limited and depends on the patient’s condition, even if it could reveal a mechanism of resistance to applied therapy. Recently, many studies have indicated that liquid biopsy could be provided for the noninvasive management of NSCLC patients who receive molecularly targeted therapies or immunotherapy. The liquid biopsy of neoplastic patients harbors small fragments of circulating-free DNA (cfDNA) and cell-free RNA (cfRNA) secreted to the circulation from normal cells, as well as a subset of tumor-derived circulating tumor cells (CTCs) or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). In NSCLC patients, a longitudinal assessment of genetic alterations in “druggable” genes in liquid biopsy might improve the follow-up of treatment efficacy and allow for the detection of an early progression before it is detectable in computed tomography or a clinical image. However, a liquid biopsy may be used to determine a variety of relevant molecular or genetic information for understanding tumor biology and its evolutionary trajectories. Thus, liquid biopsy is currently associated with greater hope for common diagnostic and clinical applications. In this review, we would like to highlight diagnostic challenges in the application of liquid biopsy into the clinical routine and indicate its implications on the metastatic spread of NSCLC or monitoring of personalized treatment regimens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

14 pages, 2082 KiB  
Systematic Review
Do Patients with Bronchiectasis Have an Increased Risk of Developing Lung Cancer? A Systematic Review
by Nadia Castaldo, Alberto Fantin, Massimiliano Manera, Vincenzo Patruno, Giulia Sartori and Ernesto Crisafulli
Life 2023, 13(2), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020459 - 07 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2185
Abstract
Background: Initial evidence supports the hypothesis that patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) have a higher risk of lung cancer. We systematically reviewed the available literature to define the characteristics of lung malignancies in patients with bronchiectasis and the characteristics of patients who [...] Read more.
Background: Initial evidence supports the hypothesis that patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) have a higher risk of lung cancer. We systematically reviewed the available literature to define the characteristics of lung malignancies in patients with bronchiectasis and the characteristics of patients who develop bronchiectasis-associated lung cancer. Method: This study was performed based on the PRISMA guidelines. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO. Results: The frequency rates of lung cancer in patients with NCFB ranged from 0.93% to 8.0%. The incidence rate was 3.96. Cancer more frequently occurred in the elderly and males. Three studies found an overall higher risk of developing lung cancer in the NCFB population compared to the non-bronchiectasis one, and adenocarcinoma was the most frequently reported histological type. The effect of the co-existence of NCFB and COPD was unclear. Conclusions: NCFB is associated with a higher risk of developing lung cancer than individuals without NCFB. This risk is higher for males, the elderly, and smokers, whereas concomitant COPD’s effect is unclear. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Prevention and Diagnosis to Late Stages)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-9
Back to TopTop