Cardiovascular diseases may determine therapy outcomes of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The evidence for how iatrogenic cardiovascular complications contribute to ceasing anticancer treatment, decreasing the quality of life or even premature death, is unclear. Older patients and smokers are at risk of atherosclerosis and arterial thromboembolic events (TE), such as myocardial infarction or stroke. Venous TE can be observed in up to 15% of NSCLC patients, but the risk increases three to five times in ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase)-rearranged NSCLC. ALK inhibitors are associated with electrophysiological disorders. Cytotoxic agents and anti-VEGF inhibitors mainly cause vascular complications, including venous or arterial TE. Cardiac dysfunction and arrhythmias seem to be less frequent. Chemotherapy is often administered in two-drug regimens. Clinical events can be triggered by different mechanisms. Among epidermal growth factor inhibitors, erlotinib and gefitinib can lead to coronary artery events; however, afatinib and osimertinib can be associated with the development of heart failure. During anti-PD1/anti-PDL1 therapy, myocarditis is possible, which must be differentiated from acute coronary syndrome and heart failure. Awareness of all possible cardiovascular complications in NSCLC encourages vigilance in early diagnostics and treatment.

Adverse events may predict the outcomes of cancer patients. Apart from skin rash, change in D-dimer concentration may be valuable parameter in creation of predictive and prognostic models in NSCLC patients receiving anti-EGFR targeted therapy.

Purpose: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of trachea is a relatively rare malignant neoplasm, for which there is a lack of prospective clinical trials investigating treatment effectiveness. Most of the authors prefer surgical resection followed by post-operative radiation therapy in case of incomplete excision. There are no available prospective data on post-relapse treatment.Case presentation: The current paper presents a case of tracheal ACC in a young woman, treated solely with surgical resection without radiotherapy due to postoperative neurological complications requiring additional diagnostics, management, and treatment. As a complication itself, spinal cord dysfunction after tracheal surgery is extremely rare, in which radical radiotherapy and brachytherapy were successfully administered after disease recurrence.Conclusions: Lack of post-operative radiotherapy resulting from neurological complications could be a reason for ACC recurrence in our patient. Administration of radiotherapy after incomplete resection of recurrent disease may lead to long-term locoregional control.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is recommended for locally advanced and unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but radiotherapy alone may be used in patients that are ineligible for combined-modality therapy due to poor performance status or comorbidities, which may concern elderly patients in particular. The best candidates for sequential chemoradiotherapy remain undefined. The purpose of the study was to determine the importance of a patients’ age during qualification for sequential chemoradiotherapy. The study enrolled 196 patients. Older patients (age > 65years) more often had above the median Charlson Comorbidity Index CCI > 4 (p < 0.01) and Simplified Charlson Comorbidity Index SCCI > 8 (p = 0.03), and less frequently the optimal Karnofsky Performance Score KPS = 100 (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in histological diagnoses, frequency of stage IIIA/IIIB, weight loss, or severity of smoking between older and younger patients. Older patients experienced complete response more often (p = 0.01) and distant metastases less frequently (p = 0.03). Univariable analysis revealed as significant for overall survival: age > 65years (HR = 0.66; p = 0.02), stage IIIA (HR = 0.68; p = 0.01), weight loss > 10% (HR = 1.61; p = 0.04). Multivariable analysis confirmed age > 65years as a uniquely favorable prognostic factor (HR = 0.54; p < 0.01) independent of lung cancer disease characteristics, KPS = 100, CCI > 4, SCCI > 8. Sequential chemoradiotherapy may be considered as favorable in elderly populations.

The study was conducted in the era when maintenance immunotherapy with durvalumab was not available in clinical practice after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The main aim of the study was to check whether the presence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and their pharmacotherapy affects the overall survival (OS) in such NSCLC patients undergoing sequential CRT. The group of 196 patients were analyzed: 101 patients with CVD (51.53%) and 95 patients with other reasons of qualification for sequential CRT (decreased performance status, older age, and other non-cardiovascular co-morbidities). Although patients with CVD were more often in older age, and they more often experienced cardiac and nephrological complications (p < 0.05 for all), there was a statistically nonsignificant trend for lower all-cause mortality in patients with CVD. The lowest all-cause mortality was observed in patients treated with beta-blockers and statins after two (HR = 0.31; 95%CI: 0.1–0.98; p = 0.047), three (HR = 0.33; 95%CI: 0.13–0.81; p = 0.015) and even four (HR = 0.45; 95%CI: 0.22–0.97; p = 0.027) years of follow-up. The benefit in OS remained significant in 101 patients with CVD treated with beta-blockers (HR = 0.65; 95%CI: 0.43–0.99; p = 0.045), and eventually statin, throughout the whole follow-up (log-rank p < 0.05). Further prospective studies are necessary to confirm the role of beta-blockers and statins in reduction of mortality in NSCLC patients undergoing radical CRT.