Targeted Therapy Followed by Salvage Surgery and Adjuvant Therapy: A Promising Therapy for Lung Cancer With Malignant Pleural Effusion From a Case Report

Introduction: Malignant pleural effusion was encountered in about 8–15% of lung cancer patients at initial cancer diagnosis. The optimal therapeutic strategies for lung cancer with malignant pleural effusion (MPE) remain unclear.Case Description: In this study, we reported a case of lung cancer with MPE, which was successfully managed with a multidisciplinary therapeutic strategy. The patient initially received gefitinib for 4 months with excellent response and he underwent salvage thoracoscopic lobectomy and systematic lymphadenectomy. Pathological complete response was confirmed for the patient and he discontinued gefitinib but received 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy instead. The patient is still alive without disease progression for 62 months after surgery.Conclusions: Combining targeted therapy, salvage surgery, and adjuvant therapy may be a promising treatment strategy for lung cancer with MPE harboring oncogene-targeted mutations.

Feasibility of dpFAMM flap in Tongue Reconstruction After Facial Vessels Ligation and Radiotherapy- Case Presentation

BackgroundSalvage surgery with reconstruction of the second and next primary tongue cancer remains difficult, especially after earlier neck dissection and radiotherapy. In the current report, we describe the feasibility of the extended, double-pedicled facial artery musculomucosal (dpFAMM) flap in the reconstruction of the patient with second primary tongue squamous cell carcinoma, after facial vessels ligation and radiotherapy. Case presentation81-year-old female patient was operated on due to tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) on the left side T3N1M0 in 2019. Bilateral selective neck dissection with tongue reconstruction was performed by island FAMM flap. The patient also suffered from synchronous mucinous breast carcinoma treated with tamoxifen. Second primary SCC of the tongue on the opposite (right) side was detected in 2020. The patient did not agree for surgical treatment therefore radiotherapy was performed. Local recurrence of the tongue cancer of the right side was treated surgically in 2021. Salvage surgery comprised hemiglossectomy and dpFAMM flap reconstruction with uneventful postoperative follow-up.ConclusionsThis case presentation proved that dpFAMM flap can be used in salvage surgery and reconstruction even in patients after ligation of facial vassels, irradiation and in the course of hormone therapy. The flap is easy to handle, has good vascularity and comprises predictable method of reconstruction, especially for patients with severe comorbidities.