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Biomedicines
Special Issues
Thoracic Malignancies: From Pathophysiology to Novel Therapeutic Approaches
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Thoracic Malignancies: From Pathophysiology to Novel Therapeutic Approaches

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Biology and Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 791

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yanyun Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Interests: thoracic malignancy; chemotherapy resistance; target therapy; tumor microenvironment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among thoracic malignancies, lung cancer is the most frequent and deadly cancer type worldwide, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Esophageal cancer is also involved in thoracic oncology, and occurs more often in Asian populations. Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a rare but very aggressive thoracic malignancy, originating from mesothelium tissues covering the lung (pleura), usually associated with exposure to asbestos. To treat thoracic malignancies, many promising drugs have been approved, with clear improvements in terms of outcomes, new immunotherapeutic drugs, new combinations, and new targeted drugs, based on pathological understanding. The results of tumor biology and translational studies for these cancers are worth spreading throughout the scientific community. Moreover, the intrinsic and acquired resistance mechanisms to these new strategies need to be explored.

In this collection, we aim to include original articles and reviews on histological, molecular, and biological mechanisms, as well as novel treatments of thoracic malignancies, including NSCLC, SCLC, oesophageal cancer, and pleural mesothelioma. We also welcome articles on promising study models for these cancers (organoids, tissue slices, and mouse models). 

Dr. Yanyun Gao
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • thoracic malignancies
  • lung cancer
  • esophageal cancer
  • pleural mesothelioma (PM)
  • molecular subtypes
  • drug resistance
  • target therapy
  • biomarkers
  • immunotherapy
  • preclinical models

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 1295 KiB  
Article
Non-Specific Pleuritis After Medical Thoracoscopy: The Portrait of an Open Issue and Practical Hints for Its Management
by Matteo Daverio, Mariaenrica Tinè, Umberto Semenzato, Roberta Prevedello, Matteo Dalla Libera, Elisabetta Cocconcelli, Elisabetta Balestro, Marco Damin, Paolo Spagnolo and Davide Biondini
Biomedicines 2025, 13(8), 1934; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13081934 - 8 Aug 2025
Viewed by 182
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Up to one third of pleural biopsies performed during medical thoracoscopy (MT) are labelled as non-specific pleuritis (NSP). The histological diagnosis of NSP has long been worrisome for pulmonologists, with the potential to evolve into a life-threatening condition. The aim of this [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Up to one third of pleural biopsies performed during medical thoracoscopy (MT) are labelled as non-specific pleuritis (NSP). The histological diagnosis of NSP has long been worrisome for pulmonologists, with the potential to evolve into a life-threatening condition. The aim of this study was to identify clinical and biological predictors for patients with a diagnosis of NSP to guide clinical decisions. Methods: Baseline, procedural and follow-up data of NSP patients were retrospectively analysed to identify potential outcome predictors. Results: Of the 272 patients who underwent MT, 192 (71%) were diagnosed with malignancies, 9 (3%) with benign diseases and 71 (26%) with NSP. At follow-up, 17% were diagnosed with malignant disease and 21% with a benign condition and 62% remained idiopathic. A thoracoscopist’s evaluation of the pleural appearance reported a PPV of 28% and an NPV of 91% to predict malignancy. Patients with a subsequent diagnosis of malignancy tended to have a higher volume of fluid drained than those with persistently idiopathic NSP [2.7 litres (L) vs. 1.6 L p = 0.06]. A lymphocytic pleural effusion was more common in the malignant and idiopathic groups (63% and 60%, respectively) than the benign group (16%; p = 0.06 and p = 0.01). The three groups had a similar rate of effusion recurrence. Overall survival was higher in patients with idiopathic pleural effusion than in those with malignant (p = 0.04) or benign disease (p = 0.008). Conclusions: NSP diagnosis hides a malignancy in one in five cases, underlying the importance of closely following up these patients. The volume of drained pleural fluid, cell count and thoracoscopist’s impression may guide clinicians in the challenging management of patients with NSP. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Thoracic Malignancies: From Pathophysiology to Novel Therapeutic Approaches)
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