Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Korea. Although the smoking rate has decreased over time, the prevalence of lung cancer still remains high. In this study, we reviewed recent trends on the incidence, epidemiology, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer in Korea by analyzing data from the national lung cancer registry and recently-published studies. Although approximately 40% of patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were diagnosed as stage IV, the 5-year relative survival rate improved from 11.3% (1993–1995) to 30.2% (2013–2017), possibly due to advances in methods of diagnosis and therapy. In addition, the 2019 implementation of the national lung cancer screening program with low-dose computed tomography may have also contributed to these improvements in survival rates. Recently, molecular diagnosis has become more widely used in the identification of genetic mutations in tissue specimens. Target therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors have also been successfully used, particularly in cases of advanced NSCLC. In the future, further research on the optimal management of lung cancer remains necessary.

BackgroundRight ventricular heart failure (RVHF) is a critical complication in patients with respiratory failure particularly among those who transitioned to lung transplantation using veno-venous (V-V) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). In these patients, both cardiac and respiratory functions are supported using veno-arterial (V-A) or veno-arterial-venous (V-AV) ECMO. However, these modalities increase the risk of device-related complications, such as thromboembolism, bleeding, and limb ischemia, and they may disturb early rehabilitation. Due to these limitations, a right ventricular assist device with an oxygenator (Oxy-RVAD) using ECMO may be considered for patients with RVHF with V-V ECMO. MethodsThe study included patients who underwent Oxy-RVAD using ECMO due to RVHF while on V-V ECMO as a bridge to lung transplantation (BTT) due to severe respiratory failure. The patients were enrolled at a tertiary care, university hospital between 2018 and 2020. ResultsEight patients underwent Oxy-RVAD using ECMO due to RVHF for BTT. Seven patients were bridged successfully to lung transplantation. One patient died prior to transplantation from complications of interstitial lung disease. There were no major ECMO-related complications during the Oxy-RVAD using ECMO period in any patient. For those patients who were successfully bridged, the average duration of V-V ECMO was 10 days and Oxy-RVAD using ECMO was 12 days. All patients with BTT were discharged with a 30-day survival rate of 100% (7/7 patients). The 180-day survival rate was 85% (6/7 patients). ConclusionsThis study suggests that Oxy-RVAD using ECMO may be a viable option for bridging patients with RVHF to lung transplantation.