Treatment options for patients with relapsed/refractory small cell lung cancer (R/R SCLC) are limited, and the efficacy of salvage therapies for heavily treated patients should be assessed. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of paclitaxel (PTX) in R/R SCLC patients.A single-institute retrospective chart review was conducted. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), whereas the secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate, disease control rate (DCR), and safety.Thirty-one patients (median age, 69 [range, 56–80] years) were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 122 (range, 28–1121) days. The median OS and PFS were 4.4 and 2.2 months, respectively. Adverse events of grade 3 or higher, other than hematological toxicity, were febrile neutropenia and neuropathy. Multivariate analyses identified the following independent predictors of poor OS: performance status and lactate dehydrogenase at the upper limit of normal.PTX monotherapy showed moderate efficacy with acceptable toxicity in heavily treated patients with R/R SCLC patients.

Background and Objective: Ultrathin bronchoscopy aids in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions. However, both the working channel and the specimens are small. A 1.1-mm ultrathin cryoprobe that can enter the working channel of the ultrathin bronchoscope is now available, which may overcome the limitations of small specimen size. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy and safety of ultrathin bronchoscopic cryobiopsy using an ultrathin cryoprobe for diagnosing peripheral pulmonary lesions. Methods: Patients with peripheral pulmonary lesions ≤30 mm in diameter were prospectively enrolled in the study. All patients underwent forceps biopsy followed by cryobiopsy using a 3.0-mm ultrathin bronchoscope under radial probe endobronchial ultrasound guidance, virtual bronchoscopic navigation and fluoroscopic guidance. The primary endpoint was the feasibility of cryobiopsy. Results: In total, 50 patients with peripheral pulmonary lesions were enrolled in the study; the median longest diameter on computed tomography was 17.9 mm. Cryobiopsy was performed successfully in 49 patients (98%). Forceps biopsy, cryobiopsy and the combination of these two methods provided a specific diagnosis in 54% (27/50), 62% (31/50) and 74% (37/50) of patients, respectively. The median size of specimens obtained via cryobiopsy was significantly larger than the median size obtained via forceps biopsy (7.0 vs. 1.3 mm 2 , respectively, p < 0.001). Mild bleeding during cryobiopsy occurred in 47 patients (94%). No moderate/severe bleeding or pneumothorax occurred. Conclusion: Ultrathin bronchoscopic cryobiopsy is feasible, effective and sufficiently safe for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions.

Background The safety and efficacy of endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) in patients aged 70 years and older has been established. However, few studies have evaluated the safety, usefulness, and significance of EBUS‐TBNA in patients aged 80 years and older. Methods We retrospectively investigated patients aged 80 years and older who underwent EBUS‐TBNA under local anesthesia. The study period was 10 years; from November 1, 2010 to October 31, 2020. The primary endpoint was the safety of EBUS‐TBNA, which was measured as the incidence of complications associated with the procedure. The secondary endpoints were the overall diagnostic rate, malignant disease diagnosis rate, and malignant disease treatment rate. Results A total of 111 patients were enrolled in the study, and the median age was 82 years (range: 80–89 years). The incidence of complications (the primary endpoint) was 5% (5/111) and comprised oversedation in one case, chest pain in one case, hypoxemia in two cases, and arrhythmia in one case. Regarding the secondary endpoints, the diagnostic rate for all patients was 75% (83/111), and the diagnostic rate of malignant disease was 89% (75/84). Of the 75 patients with malignant disease diagnosed with EBUS‐TBNA, 61 (81%) received tumor‐specific therapy in accordance with their diagnoses. Conclusion EBUS‐TBNA can be considered safe and effective even in patients aged 80 years and older.

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