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We compare the perioperative course, postoperative pain, and quality-of-life (QOL) in patients undergoing anatomic resections of early-stage lung cancer by means of robotic surgery (RATS), video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), or muscle-sparing thoracotomy (OPEN); 169 consecutive patients with known/suspected lung cancer, candidates to anatomic resection, were enrolled in a single-center prospective study from April 2016 to December 2018. EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 scores were obtained preoperatively and, at three time points, postoperatively. RATS and VATS groups were matched for ASA scores, while RATS and open surgery were matched for gender, ASA score, cancer stage, and tumor size; 58 patients underwent open surgery, 58 had VATS, and 53 had RATS. Hospital stay was shorter after RATS than OPEN (median 4.5 versus 5; p = 0.047). Comparing matched RATS and VATS groups, the number of hilar lymph nodes and nodal stations removed was significantly higher in the former approach (p = 0.01 vs. p < 0.0001); conversely, pain at 2 weeks was slightly lower after VATS (p = 0.004). No significant difference was observed in conversions, complications, duration of surgery, and postoperative hospitalization. The robotic approach was superior to OPEN in terms of QOL, pain, and length of postoperative stay and showed improved lymph node dissection compared to VATS.

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INTRODUCTION: The distinction between multiple primary lung cancers and intra-pulmonary metastases has been extensively investigated because of its important clinical and therapeutic implications. AREAS COVERED: Rapidly improving imaging technology and genomic analysis has led to a finer discrimination between multiple primary lung tumors and pulmonary metastases. However, over the past few decades, standardized criteria for the identification of multiple lung tumors have been lacking. Therefore, in 2017 a multidisciplinary international committee composed of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) addressed this problem when drawing up the 8th edition of TMN stage classification, that now represents a specific consensus on this topic. The most advanced diagnostic strategies associated with screening allow for the detection of early stage synchronous lung cancers. EXPERT OPINION: Although diagnostic confirmation relies on pathologic and clinical examination, new molecular analyses help in the discrimination between primary and secondary tumors. The treatment of multiple primary lung tumors remains, whenever possible, a local treatment based on surgical resection, providing the absence of distant or local (lymph node) metastases.

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OBJECTIVES: Lung cancer detection by low-dose computed tomographic screening reduces mortality. However, it is essential to assess cost-effectiveness. We present a cost-effectiveness analysis of screening in Italians at high risk of lung cancer, from the point of view of the Italian tax-payer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a decision model to estimate the cost-effectiveness of annual screening for 5 years in smokers (≥30 pack-years) of 55-79 years. Patients diagnosed in the COSMOS study were the screening arm; patients diagnosed and treated for lung cancer in the Lombardy Region, Italy, constituted the usual care arm. Treatment costs were extracted from our hospital database. Lung cancer survival in screened patients was adjusted for 2-year lead-time bias. Life-years and quality-adjusted life-years were estimated by stage at diagnosis, from which incremental cost-effectiveness ratios per life-year and quality-adjusted life-year gained were estimated. RESULTS: Base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were 3297 and 2944 euro per quality-adjusted life-year and life-year gained, respectively. Deterministic sensitivity analysis indicated that these values were particularly sensitive to lung cancer prevalence, screening sensitivity and specificity, screening cost, and treatment costs for stage I and IV disease. From the probabilistic sensitivity analysis incremental cost-effectiveness ratios had a 98 % probability of being <25,000 euro (widely-accepted threshold) and a 55 % probability of being <5000 euro. CONCLUSIONS: Low-dose computed tomographic screening is associated with an incremental cost of 2944 euro per life-year gained in high risk population, implying that screening can be introduced in Italy at contained cost, saving the lives of many lung cancer patients.

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OBJECTIVES: Smoking is the main risk factor for lung cancer, but environmental and occupational exposure to carcinogens also increase lung cancer risk. We assessed whether extending low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening to persons with occupational exposure to asbestos may be an effective way reducing lung cancer mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study within the COSMOS screening program, assessing past asbestos exposure with a questionnaire. LDCT scans of asbestos-exposed participants were reviewed to assess the presence of pulmonary, interstitial and pleural alterations in comparison to matched unexposed controls. We also performed an exhaustive review, with meta-analysis, of the literature on LDCT screening in asbestos-exposed persons. RESULTS: Exposure to asbestos, initially self-reported by 9.8% of COSMOS participants, was confirmed in 216 of 544 assessable cases, corresponding to 2.6% of the screened population. LDCT of asbestos-exposed persons had significantly more pleural plaques, diaphragmatic pleural thickening and pleural calcifications, but similar frequency of parenchymal and interstitial alterations to unexposed persons. From 16 papers, including this study, overall lung cancer detection rates at baseline were 0.81% (95% CI 0.50-1.19) in asbestos-exposed persons, 0.94% (95% CI 0.47-1.53) in asbestos-exposed smokers (12 studies), and 0.11% (95% CI 0.00-0.43) in asbestos-exposed non-smokers (9 studies). CONCLUSION: Persons occupationally exposed to asbestos should be monitored to gather more information about risks. Although LDCT screening is effective in the early detection lung cancer in asbestos-exposed smokers, our data suggest that screening of asbestos-exposed persons with no additional risk factors for cancer does is not viable due to the low detection rate.

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The robotic system has several technical advantages over the manual video thoracoscopic approach. It offers a high definition three-dimensional view and robotic arms are more comfortable to use, because they allow more precise, flexible, and intuitive movements. This case report describes a locally advanced thymoma in a 75-year-old male patient, excised through a robotic-assisted thymectomy with atypical resection of the infiltrated left upper lobe, the preservation of the left phrenic nerve and partial resection of the left anonymous vein involved, without necessity of reconstruction. Clinical staging was thymoma T3 B1-2, while the postoperative histological classification and radiation was thymoma T3, B3, Masaoka-Koga stage IIB. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged in second postoperative day. This case remarks that robotic devices are of great help in the intraoperative recognition and precise management of infiltrated structure, like important vessels and nerves, avoiding conversion to an open approach, which until now was the main surgical indication in these situations.