Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent and deadly malignances worldwide. Cigarette smoking has been identified to be the major risk factor of lung cancer, and nicotine is one of the most harmful components in tobacco smoke. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are universally expressed in mammalian cells, including tumor cells, and perform various critical biological functions. α7nAChR, an important member of nAChRs family, possesses a high affinity for nicotine and plays a core role in the nicotine-mediated lung cancer cell proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. Nowadays, lots of α7nAChR antagonists have been found to inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, and therefore prevented disease progression. These studies indicated that α7nAChR might be a potential target in treating lung cancer. In this review, we summarized the current researches on α7nAChR in the progress of lung cancer.
ObjectiveTo investigate the safety and efficacy of robot-assisted pulmonary lobectomy using da Vinci S System, and explore its advantages in minimally invasive surgery. MethodsFrom May 2009 to May 2013, 12 patients with suspected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) underwent robot-assisted lobectomy using da Vinci S System in Shanghai Chest Hospital. There were 6 male and 6 female patients with their age of 40-61 (52±8) years. Robotic instruments were used through a 12-mm observation port, two 8-mm thoracoscopic ports and a 12 to 40 mm utility incision without rib spreading. Perioperative data of the patients were collected and analyzed. ResultsAll the 12 patients successfully received surgical resection. All types of lobectomy were performed, and all the procedures were radical resection. Each patient received 4 to 9 (5±1) stations of lymph node dissection. None of the patients underwent conversion to thoracotomy. There was no perioperative mortality or morbidity in this group. Chest drainage duration was 3-11 (8±7) days. Length of hospital stay was 6 to 18 (14±8) days. Operation time was 60 to 280 (185±78) minutes. Intraoperative blood loss was 20 to 200 (108±71) ml. There was no perioperative blood transfusion. ConclusionsRobot-assisted lobectomy is initially proven a safe and effective procedure with enhanced visualization and better dexterity and stability than video-assisted thoracopscopic surgery. Thus surgical indications for robot-assisted lobectomy can be widened. Robot-assisted lobectomy is an important choice in the new age of minimally invasive thoracic surgery.
ObjectivesTo investigate the safety and efficacy of robot-assisted surgery for mediastinal tumor. MethodsWe respectively analyzed the clinical data of 47 patients with clinical diagnosis of mediastinal tumor undergoing robot-assisted surgery in our hospital from May 2009 to March 2015. There were 29 males and 18 females at age of 48 (20-78) years. Robotic instruments were used through two 8 mm thoracoscopic ports and camera placed through a 12 mm observation port, without any additional utility incision. ResultsAll 47 surgeries were accomplished successfully. The operative time was 73±36 minutes. The blood loss was 48±15 ml. There was only one conversion due to bleeding during the operation. No perioperative mortality or morbidity occurred. There was no perioperative transfusion. Learning curve showed operative time shortened sharply as the procedures increased. After 20 cases of procedure, operative time was stabilized as the learning curve established. The equation is y(min)=-20.41ln(x)+119.43, R2=0.312, P<0.01. ConclusionRobot-assisted surgery for mediastinal tumor are initially proved safe and feasible with great perspective in the new age of minimally invasive thoracic surgery.
Objective To investigate the efficacy, early and late outcomes of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for cN0-pN2 lung cancer patients compared to open lobectomy. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 262 out of 1 754 patients’ clinical records with cN0-pN2 lung cancer who underwent VATS or open lobectomy in our center between January 2009 and December 2014. There were 107 patients in a VATS group with 50 males and 57 females at the age of 61.5±10.7 years, and 155 patients in an open lobectomy group consisting of 104 males and 51 females at the age of 59.0±8.7 years. Results There was no statistical difference in patients’ age, pulmonary function, and underlying diseases between two groups. Operation time was shorter in the open lobectomy group than that in the VATS group (P=0.044). Postoperative in-hospital time was shorter in the VATS surgery group than that in the open lobectomy group (P=0.008). There was an obvious difference in tumor’s maximum diameter (P<0.05). As for mediatinal lymph node, there was no statistical difference in station dissected and positive rate. One year overall survival rate was 91.6% in the VATS group and 81.9% in the open group. Three-year overall survival rate was 58.3% in the VATS group and 47.3% in the open lobectomy group (P<0.05). Conclusion VATS can achieve both the thoroughness and feasibility as the same as open surgery and with better early outcomes. The overall survival rate may have more to do with tumor’s maximum diameter, not the operation method. Still, it needs prospective studies to demonstrate this relationship.
Objective To investigate the perioperative outcome of robot-assisted pulmonary lobectomy in treating pathological stage Ⅰ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 333 consecutive p-T1 NSCLC patients who underwent robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy in our hospital between May 2013 and April 2016. There were 231 females (69.4%) and 102 males (30.6%) aged from 20–76 (55.01±10.46) years. Cancer was located in the left upper lobectomy in 37 (11.1%) patients, left lower lobectomy in 71 (21.3%) patients, right upper lobectomy in 105 (31.5%) patients, right middle lobectomy in 32 (9.6%) patients, right lower lobectomy in 88 (26.4%) patients. Adenocarcinoma was confirmed in 330 (99.1%) patients and squamous cell cancer was confirmed in 3 (0.9%) patients. Results Total operative time was 46–300 (91.51±30.80) min. Estimated intraoperative blood loss was 0–100 ml in 319 patients (95.8%), 101–400 ml in 12 patients (3.6%), >400 ml in 2 patients (0.6%). Four patients were converted to thoracotomy, including 2 patients due to pulmonary artery branch bleeding and 2 due to pleural adhesion.No patient died within 30 days after surgery. And no perioperative blood transfusion occurred. Postoperative day 1 drain was 0–960 (231.39±141.87) ml. Chest drain time was 2–12 (3.96±1.52) d.And no patient was discharged with chest tube. Length of hospital stay after surgery was 2–12 (4.96±1.51) d. Persistent air leak was in 12 patients over 7 days. No readmission happened within 30 days. All patients underwent lymph node sampling or dissection with 2–9 (5.69±1.46) groups and 3–21 (9.80±3.43) lymph nodes harvested. Total intraoperative cost was 60 389.66–134 401.65 (93 809.23±13 371.26) yuan. Conclusion Robot-assisted pulmonary lobectomy is safe and effective in treating p-Stage Ⅰ NSCLC, and could be an important supplement to conventional VATS. Regarding to cost, it is relatively more expensive compared with conventional VATS. RATS will be widely used and make a great change in pulmonary surgery with the progressive development of surgical robot.
As a standard of care, lymph node dissection is an indispensible step in lung cancer surgery. The quality of dissection determines completeness of surgery and the accuracy of N staging. Hereby, we suggest labeling all surgically resected nodes according to the new lymph node map in the 8th TNM classification for lung cancer. As systematic lymph node dissection remains the gold standard of lymphadenectomy, at least three mediastinal stations and ten nodes should be removed in an en-bloc fashion, if possible. For patients with stage Ⅰ lung cancer, lymph node dissection via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or open thoracotomy may has similar oncological outcome. Besides, limited lymph node sampling in selected patients with early staged lung cancer to minimize unnecessary surgical damage still need further investigation.
ObjectiveTo estimate postoperative pain and use of analgesic of patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) or robotic assisted thoracoscopic surgery(RATS). MethodsFrom October 2014 through August 2015, 339 patients were treated by surgery in Shanghai Chest Hospital. Among them, 116 patients with intrathoracic lesions who underwent RATS with the da Vinci? Surgical System were as a RATS group with 51 males and 65 females at age of 52.59±11.49 years. Another 223 patients by VATS were as a VATS group with 93 males and 130 females at age of 58.00±10.56 years. We recorded the data of the VAS score and use analgesic of the patients after surgery. ResultsThere was a significant difference in VAS score between the RATS group and the VATS group(3.01±0.18 vs. 5.19±0.14, P<0.05). Astatistical difference of analgesic use between RATS and VATS was also found(1.09±0.12 vs. 1.77±0.10, P<0.05). ConclusionCompared with VATS, the postoperative pain of the patients who underwent RATS is lighter. And the use of analgesic is less.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness and safety of robotic lobectomy in clinical N0 lung malignant tumor≥3 cm. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 182 patients with lung malignant tumor≥3 cm receiving robotic or thoracoscopic lobectomy at Shanghai Chest Hospital in 2019. The patients were divided into a robotic surgery group (RATS group) and a thoracoscopic surgery group (VATS group). There were 39 males and 38 females with an average age of 60.55±8.59 years in the RATS group, and 51 males and 54 females with an average age of 61.58±9.30 years in the VATS group. A propensity score matching analysis was applied to compare the operative data between the two groups. ResultsA total of 57 patients were included in each group after the propensity score matching analysis. Patients in the RATS group had more groups of N1 lymph node dissected (2.53±0.83 groups vs. 2.07±0.88 groups, P=0.005) in comparison with the VATS group. No statistical difference was found in operation time, blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, number of N1 and N2 lymph nodes dissected, groups of N2 lymph node dissected, lymph node upstage rate or postoperative complications. The hospitalization cost of RATS was higher than that of VATS (P＜0.001). ConclusionIn contrast with thoracoscopic lobectomy, robotic lobectomy has similar operative safety, and a thorough N1 lymphadenectomy in patients with clinical N0 lung malignant tumor≥3 cm.
ObjectiveTo compare the perioperative outcomes between robot-assisted complex segmentectomy and simple segmentectomy for stage ⅠA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MethodsThe clinical data of 285 patients with NSCLC undergoing robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) in our hospital from January 2015 to August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 105 males and 180 females aged 23-83 years. The patients were divided into a complex segmentectomy group (n=170) and a simple segmentectomy group (n=115) according to tumor location and surgical method. The clinical pathological baseline characteristics and perioperative outcomes between the two groups were compared, including operative time, blood loss volume, dissected lymph nodes, conversion rate, postoperative duration of drainage, postoperative hospital stay, the incidence of persistent air leakage and postoperative 30 d mortality. ResultsThere was no statistical difference in baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). No postoperative 30 d death was observed. One patient in the complex segmentectomy group was transferred to thoracotomy. No statistical difference was observed between the two groups in the operative time (97.36±38.16 min vs. 94.65±31.67 min, P=0.515), postoperative duration of drainage (3.69±1.85 d vs. 3.60±1.90 d, P=0.679), postoperative hospital stay (4.07±1.85 d vs. 4.05±1.97 d, P=0.957), dissected lymph nodes (5.15±3.53 vs. 5.13±2.93, P=0.952), incidence of blood loss volume<100 mL (98.2% vs. 99.1%, P=0.650), and incidence of postoperative persistent air leakage (6.5% vs. 5.2%, P=0.661). ConclusionThe safety and effectiveness of robot-assisted complex segmentectomy and simple segmentectomy are satisfactory in the treatment of stage ⅠA NSCLC. The perioperative results of RATS complex segmentectomy and simple segmentectomy are similar.