With the development of multi-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) technology and the popularization of low-dose spiral CT screening, more and more adenocarcinomas presenting ground-glass nodule (GGN) are found. Pathological invasiveness is one of the important factors affecting the choice of treatment strategy and prognosis of patients with early lung adenocarcinoma. Imaging features have attracted wide attention due to their unique advantages in predicting the pathologic invasiveness of early lung adenocarcinoma. The imaging characteristics of GGN can be used to predict the pathologic invasiveness of lung adenocarcinoma and provide evidence for clinical decisions. However, the imaging parameters and numerical values for predicting pathologic invasiveness are still controversial, which will be reviewed in this paper.
ObjectiveTo summarize the clinical experience of surgical resection of synchronous multiple ground-glass nodules (SMGN), and explore the individualized diagnosis and treatment strategy of SMGN.MethodsClinical data of 84 patients with SMGN who underwent thoracic surgery in Anhui Chest Hospital from July 2016 to August 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, including 18 males (21.4%) and 66 females (78.6%), aged 32-80 (55.6±10.3) years. The results of operation and the information of GGNs were analyzed.ResultsExcept for 1 patient who was converted to thoracotomy due to extensive dense adhesion of thoracic, other patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery successfully. All patients recuperated successfully after operation, without severe perioperative complications or death. Finally, 79 patients were diagnosed as malignant tumors (94.0%), and 5 patients of benign lesions (6.0%). A total of 240 GGNs were removed, among which there were 168 pGGNs, including 68 benign lesions (40.5%) and 100 malignant tumors (59.5%), and 72 mGGNs, including 2 benign nodules (2.8%) and 70 malignant tumors (97.2%). Nodules diameter (P<0.001), consolidation/maximum diameter of nodule ratio (P<0.001), vacuole sign (P<0.001), air bronchograms sign (P=0.001), spine-like process (P=0.001), pleural indentation sign (P<0.001), lobulation sign (P<0.001), and vascular convergence (P=0.002) were correlated with malignant tumor.ConclusionAnalysis of the imaging features of GGNs by thin-section CT scan and three-dimensional reconstruction is of great value in predicting the benign and malignant nodules, which can guide the surgical decision-making and preoperative planning. Through reasonable preoperative planning and following certain principles, simultaneous surgical treatment for SMGN is safe and feasible.
With the wide utilization of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in the lung cancer screening, patients detected with pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) have increased over time and account for a large proportion of all thoracic diseases. Because of its less invasiveness and fast recovery, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is currently the first choice of surgical approach to lung nodule resection. However, GGNs are usually difficult to recognize during VATS, and failure of nodule localization would result in conversion to thoracotomy or extended lung resection. In order to cope with this problem, a series of approaches for pulmonary nodule localization have developed in the last few years. This article aims to summarize the reported methods of lung nodule localization and analyze its corresponding pros and cons, in order to help thoracic surgeons to choose appropriate localization method in different clinical conditions.
ObjectiveTo explore the feasibility and clinical value of free-of-puncture positioning in three-dimension-guided anatomical segmentectomy for ground-glass nodule (GGN) compared with percutaneous positioning.MethodsClinical data of 268 enrolled patients undergoing anatomical pulmonary segmentectomy from October 2018 to June 2019 were retrospectively collected, including 75 males and 193 females with an average age of 56.55±12.10 years. The patients were divided into two groups, including a percutaneous positioning group (n=89) and a free-of-puncture positioning group (n=179). Perioperative data of the two groups were compared.ResultsThe average CT scan times of the percutaneous positioning group was 3.01±0.98 times, and the numerical rating scale (NRS) score of puncture pain was 3.98±1.61 points. Pulmonary compression pneumothorax (≥30%) occurred in 7 (7.87%) patients and intercostal vascular hemorrhage occurred in 8 (8.99%) patients after puncture. Lung nodules were successfully found and removed in both groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the location of nodules (P=0.466), operation time (151.83±39.23 min vs. 154.35±33.19 min, P=0.585), margin width (2.07±0.35 cm vs. 1.98±0.28 cm, P=0.750), or the number of excised subsegments (2.83±1.13 vs. 2.73±1.16, P=0.530).ConclusionAnatomical segmentectomy with three-dimensional navigation avoids the adverse consequences of puncture, which has the same clinical efficacy and meets the requirements of oncology compared with percutaneous positioning. The free-of-puncture positioning method can be used for GGN located in the central region of pulmonary segment/subsegment or adjacent to intersegment veins instead of percutaneous positioning.
Objective To explore the correlation between the imaging features of peripheral ground-glass pulmonary nodules and the invasion degree of lung adenocarcinoma, and the high risk factors for infiltrating lung adenocarcinoma under thin-slice CT, which provides some reference for clinicians to plan the surgical methods of pulmonary nodules before operation and to better communicate with patients, and assists in building a clinical predictive model for invasive adenocarcinoma. MethodsClinical data of the patients with peripheral ground-glass pulmonary nodules (diameter≤3 cm) in thin-slice chest CT in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2019 to January 2020 were continuously collected. All patients underwent thin-slice CT scan and thoracoscopic surgery in our center. According to the pathological examination results, they were divided into two groups: an adenocarcinoma lesions before infiltration group, and an invasive lung adenocarcinoma group. The thin-slice CT imaging parameters of pulmonary nodules were collected. The nodular diameter, mean CT value, consolidation tumor ratio (CTR), nodular shape, vacuolar sign, bronchial air sign, lobulation sign, burr sign, lesion boundary, pleural depression sign, vascular cluster sign and other clinical data were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to analyze the independent risk factors for the infiltrating lung adenocarcinoma, and to analyze the threshold value and efficacy of each factor for the identification of infiltrating lung adenocarcinoma. Results Finally 190 patients were enrolled. There were 110 patients in the adenocarcinoma lesions before infiltration group, including 21 males and 89 females with a mean age of 53.57±10.90 years, and 80 patients in the invasive lung adenocarcinoma group, including 31 males and 49 females with a mean age of 56.45±11.30 years. There was a statistical difference in the mean CT value, nodular diameter, CTR, gender, smoking, nodular type, nodular shape, vacuolar sign, lobulation sign, burr sign, lesion boundary, pleural depression sign, vascular cluster sign between the two groups (P＜0.05). However, there was no statistical difference between the two groups in age (P=0.081), lesion site (P=0.675), and bronchial air sign (P=0.051). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that nodular diameter, mean CT value, CTR and lobulation sign were independent risk factors for differentiating preinvasive adenocarcinoma from invasive adenocarcinoma. At the same time, the threshold value was calculated by Youden index, indicating that the CTR was 0.45, the nodal diameter was 10.5 mm and the mean CT value was –452 Hu. Conclusion In the peripheral ground-glass pulmonary nodules, according to the patient's CT imaging features, such as mixed ground-glass nodules, irregular shapes, vacuoles, short burrs, clear boundaries, pleural indentations, and vascular clusters, have a certain reference value in the discrimination of the invasion degree of ground-glass pulmonary nodules. At the same time, it is found in this research that peripheral ground-glass pulmonary nodules with diameter greater than 10.5 mm, CT value greater than –452 Hu, CTR greater than 0.45 and lobulation sign are more likely to be infiltrating lung adenocarcinoma.
Objective To develop and assess the performance of a predictive model for the infiltration degree of solitary pulmonary pure ground-glass nodules (pGGN) using CT, blood cell parameters, and tumor markers. Methods The clinical data of patients with solitary pulmonary pGGN, collected from Tangshan Gongren Hospital between June 2021 and April 2024, were analyzed. They were divided into a training set and a validation set in a 7 : 3 ratio. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for invasive adenocarcinoma and construct the model. The model's performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, mean absolute error (MAE), mean squared error (MSE), and accuracy. Results The study included 528 patients (265 males, 263 females) with a median age of 54 years (interquartile range: 45-59 years). LASSO-logistic regression identified increased diameter, vascular convergence sign, pleural indentation sign, elevated mean CT value, and elevated carcinoembryonic antigen levels as independent risk factors for solitary pulmonary pGGN infiltration. In contrast, a rounded or similarly rounded shape and an elevated platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were independent protective factors (P<0.05). In the training set, the area under the ROC curve of model Z (comprising diameter, vascular convergence sign, pleural indentation sign, rounded or similarly rounded, mean CT value, carcinoembryonic antigen, and PLR) was 0.875, which was greater than that of model C (comprising diameter, vascular convergence sign, pleural indentation sign, rounded or similarly rounded, and mean CT value; 0.852) and model S (comprising carcinoembryonic antigen and PLR; 0.753). The MAE, MSE, and accuracy of model Z were 0.035, 0.003, and 0.808, respectively, which were lower than those of model C (0.058, 0.006, and 0.827) and higher than those of model S (0.031, 0.001, and 0.648). In the validation set, the area under the ROC curve, MAE, MSE, and accuracy of model Z were 0.829, 0.051, 0.004, and 0.755, respectively, which were higher than those of model C (0.780, 0.038, 0.002, and 0.730) and model S (0.740, 0.042, 0.002, and 0.692). Conclusion The model constructed from diameter, vascular convergence sign, pleural indentation sign, rounded or similarly rounded shapes, mean CT value, carcinoembryonic antigen, and PLR aids in assessing the infiltration degree of pulmonary pGGN, with superior performance compared to models based solely on CT or those based on tumor markers combined with blood cell parameters.
The majority of incidentally found and screen-detected lung cancer is manifested as ground-glass nodule (GGN), which is more likely to be detected in the young people, women and non-smokers. An appropriate management strategy for GGN can not only reduce the mortality of lung cancer but also minimize overtreatment. Although most of persistent GGNs are finally diagnosed as adenocarcinoma or precursor glandular lesions, the GGN-featured lung cancer is characterized as indolent growth or even non-growth. Therefore, scheduled follow-up might be safe for the special radiologic type under a certain condition. We should design the individualized diagnosis and treatment strategy for each patient. The treatment decision-making depends on various factors, including invasion, dynamic change, efficacy and safety of the treatment, as well as physical and psychic condition of the patients. Different from other types of lung cancer, the indolent feature of GGN-featured lung cancer allows a long time to intervene. Therefore, the determination of proper timing for intervention should be made cautiously. Surgical resection is still the principal treatment for GGN-featured lung cancer. However, there is still no consensus on the optimal surgical approach for GGN-featured lung adenocarcinoma. Currently, sublobar resection without lymphadenectomy has been recommended to the patients with precursor glandular lesions. In light of the GGN-featured lung cancer which generally represents a local lesion, local ablation therapies have been used in those patients, especially in the ones who are inoperable or refuse to undergo surgery. The percutaneous local ablation includes different techniques: radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation and argon-helium cryoablation. The local ablation is safe, minimally invasive and repeatable. In addition, it offers the advantage to biopsy and treatment synchronously. Percutaneous ablation has the potential to be an alternative of surgery to cure GGN-featured lung cancer based on emerging evidences. The efficacy of transbronchial ablation guided by ultrasound or electromagnetic navigational system in the treatment of GGN-featured lung cancer has been primarily validated. As a developing technology, it might be a promising approach but needs further exploration. With the advance in ablation technology, we do believe that the interventional therapy will play an equal role as surgery in curative treatment of GGN-featured lung cancer in the future. Personalized treatment considering the condition of patients and the features of the lesion will maximize the benefit of every patient. This article will explore the diagnosis and treatment strategies of GGN on the basis of further understanding of GGN, and introduce the application of ablation therapy in GGN from the perspective of respiratory intervention.
Objective To analyze the relationship between the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) gene mutation and malignant pulmonary focal ground-glass lesion (fGGL). Methods We retrospectively collected the clinical data of 86 patients with surgical treatment in the department of cardiothoracic surgery of Changzheng Hospital from August 2012 to February 2015. There were 26 males and 60 females with a mean age of 56.14±10.55 years. We analyzed the relationship between the EGFR gene mutation and the related clinical data. Results Postoperative pathology showed atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) combined with focal adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) or AIS in 10 patients, minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) in 15, and lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma (LPA) in 61. The EGFR gene mutation reports showed the exon 19 19-del mutation in 14 patients, exon 21 L858R mutation in 27, and exon 21 L861Q mutation in 2. There was no difference between the mutation of EGFR gene and clinical factors except age and smoking (P>0.05). Till June 30, 2015, all patients were alive and follow-up was 440.48±186.61 days. Conclusion The EGFR gene in patients with malignant pulmonary fGGL shows a higher mutation rate, which provides important clinical reference data for the basic research and the clinical treatment.
Whether anatomical segmentectomy can replace lobectomy in the treatment of early-stage lung cancer remains controversial. A large number of studies have been conducted for decades to explore whether pulmonary segmentectomy can treat early-stage lung cancer, which is actually to explore the indications of intentional segmentectomy. With the development of scientific researches, it is found that many characteristics affect the malignancy of lung cancer, and the different grades of each characteristic affect the prognosis of patients. It is worth exploring whether different surgical approaches can be used for early-stage lung cancer with different characteristics and different grades. This article reviews the literature and studies to discuss the advances in indications of segmentectomy for early-stage lung in terms of tumor size, consolidation-to-tumor ratio, pathological classification and tumor location, respectively. The objective of this review is to help thoracic surgeons to objectively and scientifically select the surgical method according to the clinical characteristics of early-stage lung cancer.