• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.9
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• pp.659-663
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• 2002

The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness of bone scans in routine preoperative examinations of patients with newly diagnosed non-small cell lung carcinoma. Material and Method: We reviewed the medical records of 258 patients who were newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer in our hospital between January 2000 and December 2000. More than half of the patients (132) were deemed to be inoperable due to their advanced stage based on the CT scans. The remaining 126 patients were considered potentially operable. For these patients, clinical evaluation including the presence of bone pain, serum alkaline phosphatase, and calcium levels was used as clinical predictors of bone metastasis. All patients received bone scans. Bone X-rays, MRI or bone biopsy were performed to confirm the presence of bone metastasis. The usefulness of the bone scan was evaluated by comparing its power of predicting bone metastasis to that of the clinical information. Result: In all patients, the positive and negative predictive values of bone scans for the bone metastasis were 44%, and 99%, respectively. Those of the clinical information were 38% , and 94%. However, in potentially operable patients, the negative predictive value of the clinical information was as high as 99%. Conclusion: If newly diagnosed non-small cell lung cancer patients are presented as potentially operable on the basis of CT scan with no clinical evidence of distant metastases, curative resection could be considered without performing routine bone scans because of the low probability of bone metastasis. However, if there are positive clinical findings, further evaluations, including bone scan should be followed as metastasis will be documented in more than 30% of patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.967-977
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• 2004

Background: DNA methylation is one of the important gene expression mechanisms of the cell. When cytosine of CpG dinucleotide in promotor is hypomethylated, expression of some genes that is controlled by this promoter is altered. In this study, the author investigated the effect of DNA demethylating agent, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (ADC), on the expressions of cancer antigen genes, MHC and B7 in 4 lung cancer cell lines, NCIH1703, NCIH522, MRC-5, and A549. Material and Method: After treatment of cell lines, NCIH1703, NCIH522, MRC-5 and A549 with ADC (1 uM) for 48 hours, RT-PCR was performed by using the primers of MAGE, GAGE, NY-ESO-1, PSMA, CEA, and SCC antigen gene. In order to find the optimal ADC treatment condition for induction of cancer antigen, we studied the effect of ADC treatment time and dose on the cancer antigen gene expression. To know the effect of ADC on the expression of MHC or B7 and cell growth, cells were treated with 1 uM of ADC for 72 hours for FACS analysis or cells were treated with 0.2, 1 or 5 uM of ADC for 96 hours for cell counting. Result: After treatment of ADC (1 uM) for 48 hours, the expressions of MAGE, GAGE, NY-ESO-1, and PSMA genes increased in some cell lines. Among 6 MAGE isotypes tested, and gene expression of MAGE-1, -2, -3, -4 and -6 could be induced by ADC treatment. However, CEA gene expression did not change and SCC gene expression was decreased by ADC treatment. Gene expression was generally induced 24 - 28 hours after ADC treatment and expression of MAGE, GAGE, and NY-ESO-1 was maintained at least 14 days after ADC ADC teatment, and expression of MAGE, GAGE, and NY-ESO-1 was maintained at least 14 days after ADC teatment in ADC-Free medium. Most gene expression could be induced at 0.2 uM of ADC, but gene expression increased dependently on ADC treatment dose. The expression of MHC and B7 was not increased by ADC treatment in all four cell lines, and the growth rate of 4 cell lines decreased significantly with the increase of ADC concentrations. Conclusion: Treatment of lung cancer cell lines with ADC increases the gene expression MAGE, GAGE and NY-ESO-1 that are capable of induction of cytotoxic T lymphocyte response. We suggest that treatment with 1 uM of ADC for 48 hours and then culturing in ADC-free medium is optimal condition for induction of cancer antigen. However, ADC has no effect on MHC and B7 induction, additional modification for increase of expression of MHC, B7 and cytokine will be needed for production of efficient cancer cell vaccine.