This issue of Thoracic Surgery Clinics of North America focuses on Pulmonary Metastasectomy. Articles will include: Biology of Pulmonary Metastases; Preoperative Evaluations and Indications for Metastasectomy; Open Approaches to Pulmonary Metastases: Thoracotomy and Sternotomy; Ablative Approaches for Pulmonary Metastases: RFA, microwave, SBRT; Role of Lymphadenectomy with Pulmonary Metastasectomy; Results of Pulmonary Resection: Colorectal Carcinoma; Results of Pulmonary Resection: Sarcoma and Germ Cell Tumors; Isolated Lung Perfusion; Immunotherapy; Medical Management of Pulmonary Metastases: Is There a Role for Surgery?; Thoracoscopic Management of Pulmonary Metastases; Results of Pulmonary Resection: Other Epithelial Malignancies; Thoracoscopic Lung Suffusion; and more!

Surgical resection of lung metastases is a widely accepted procedure but long-term results are disappointing with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 40%. The main prognostic factor is complete resection and a better survival is reported in patients with a single metastasis and a disease-free survival of more than 3 years. Re-operations are feasible but often patients become inoperable due to insufficient pulmonary reserve and new treatment modalities are looked for. Intravenous (iv) chemotherapy has no major impact on survival due to systemic side-effects when high doses are given. As isolated limb and liver perfusion, isolated lung perfusion (ILuP) has the advantage of selectively delivering an agent into the lung while diverting the venous effluent. This allows the drug to be given in a significantly higher dose compared to iv therapy, while drug levels in the other organs are kept low enough to avoid major complications. ILuP has been shown to be very effective for the treatment of lung metastases in animal models. Phase I clinical studies to determine dose-limiting toxicity and maximum tolerated dose have recently been reported. The principal aim of this book is to discuss the current treatment of lung metastases and the possible contribution of ILuP.

This book is a comprehensive reference on diffuse cystic lung diseases (DCLDs). DCLDs are a group of pathophysiologically heterogenous processes that are characterized by the presence of multiple spherical or irregularly shaped, thin-walled, air-filled spaces within the pulmonary parenchyma. In recent years, tremendous advancements have been made in these diseases leading to improved understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, and improved outcomes with targeted therapies. The authors, who are leading experts in the field, delineate DCLDs as a separate category distinct from other interstitial lung diseases, and have created this textbook specifically dedicated to this disease group. This book begins with a chapter introducing the definition and classification of DCLDs. Subsequent chapters address the pathogenic mechanisms underlying pulmonary cyst formation and provide a detailed overview of the radiological and pathological features of DCLDs. The common as well as uncommon causes of DCLDs are comprehensively reviewed in individual chapters, as are the varied clinical presentations and extrapulmonary manifestations, and approaches to management and treatment. The book culminates in a final chapter that presents a practical algorithmic approach to diagnosis that progresses from least invasive to most invasive approaches. This textbook provides a one-stop, comprehensive and integrated, clinical, radiologic, and pathologic overview of DCLDs that will be as useful to the practicing clinician as it is to the clinical investigator.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Metastatic lung cancer is responsible for more than ninety percent of lung cancer related deaths. However, relatively little progress has been made in understanding the process of lung cancer metastasis. The two main aims of this book are a) to introduce clinical aspects to basic scientists and basic molecular and cellular concepts to clinical investigators, in order to promote collaboration and foster much needed translational research; and b) to introduce new and emerging concepts and approaches in metastasis research to lung cancer research community at large. In this attempt, the book will cover a broad spectrum of subjects ranging from the current trends in the clinical management of the metastatic disease, to the systems biology approach for gaining insights into the mechanisms of metastasis. Some of the subjects covered will include: defining basic hallmarks of a metastatic cell, the concept of tumor stem cells, epithelial-mesenchymal transitions, evasion of immune-surveillance, tumor-stromal interactions, angiogenesis, molecular imaging and biomarker discovery.

Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has emerged as an important innovative treatment for various primary and metastatic cancers. This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of the physical/technological, biological, and clinical aspects of SBRT. It will serve as a detailed resource for this rapidly developing treatment modality. The organ sites covered include lung, liver, spine, pancreas, prostate, adrenal, head and neck, and female reproductive tract. Retrospective studies and prospective clinical trials on SBRT for various organ sites from around the world are examined, and toxicities and normal tissue constraints are discussed. This book features unique insights from world-renowned experts in SBRT from North America, Asia, and Europe. It will be necessary reading for radiation oncologists, radiation oncology residents and fellows, medical physicists, medical physics residents, medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, and cancer scientists.