Precision Medicine in Thoracic Oncology: Targeted Therapies and Personalized Treatment Strategies

A special issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine (ISSN 2075-4426). This special issue belongs to the section "Personalized Therapy and Drug Delivery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1405

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Thoracic Surgery, A, Gemelli University Hospital Foundation IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
Interests: lung neoplasm; thymic tumors; mediastinum; thoracic cancer treatments; surgery; non-small cell lung cancer; minimally invasive surgery
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thoracic malignancies have a huge impact on patients and their families, requiring the beginning of a challenging route for physicians to individuate the appropriate treatment strategy.

The recent increase in knowledge about cancer biology and the possibility of identifying target therapies or immunotherapies in this setting will improve the survival rate in these cases.

However, identifying the best therapeutic strategy combining different specialties such as surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiotherapists is still evolving, considering the possibility of planning tailored therapies based on patient characteristics, stage, and tumor biology.

This Special Issue will highlight the recent advances and possibilities in thoracic oncology, focusing on tumor biology and possible therapeutic approaches integrating the different sub-specialties.

We invite the submission of the following types of manuscripts: original research articles, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, review articles, method articles, perspective articles, and technology reports.

Dr. Marco Chiappetta
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • thoracic oncology
  • thoracic tumors
  • translational research
  • target therapies

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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14 pages, 942 KB  
Article
A Precision Surgery Framework for Lung Resection: Robotic, Video-Assisted, and Open Segmentectomy
by Chiara Catelli, Miriana D’Alessandro, Federico Mathieu, Roberto Corzani, Marco Ghisalberti, Andrea Lloret Madrid, Susanna Guerrini, Piero Paladini and Luca Luzzi
J. Pers. Med. 2025, 15(8), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm15080387 - 19 Aug 2025
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Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate outcomes of patients undergoing lung segmentectomy using open thoracotomy, Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS), or Robotic-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (RATS) approaches. Methods: A total of 157 patients (mean age: 68.7 years; 58% male) who underwent lung segmentectomy from 2015 to 2024 at [...] Read more.
Objectives: To evaluate outcomes of patients undergoing lung segmentectomy using open thoracotomy, Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS), or Robotic-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (RATS) approaches. Methods: A total of 157 patients (mean age: 68.7 years; 58% male) who underwent lung segmentectomy from 2015 to 2024 at the Thoracic Surgery of Siena were retrospectively enrolled and divided into groups based on the surgical approach: thoracotomy (n = 60), VATS (n = 58), and RATS (n = 39). No significant differences were observed between groups in terms of age, gender, or tumor stage. Peri-operative outcomes, and, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, n = 104), long-term outcomes, were analyzed. Group comparisons were conducted using Kruskal–Wallis, Dunn’s test, Chi-squared, or Fisher’s exact test and Kaplan–Meier analysis with log-rank test. Results: Conversion rate was 13% and 0% for VATS and RATS, respectively (p = 0.005). Pleural effusion on first post-operative day was lower in RATS than VATS (p = 0.0006) and open (p < 0.0001). The maximum Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) value recorded was lower in RATS than open (p = 0.016) and VATS (p = 0.013). Surgery time was longer for RATS than open (p = 0.001) and VATS (p = 0.013). No differences were found in hospital stay and post-operative complications. In patients with NSCLC, the median follow-up was 25 months. The 90-day mortality rate was 9.5% in thoracotomy, 0% in VATS and RATS (p = 0.05). The 1- and 2-year overall survival was higher in VATS and RATS groups than thoracotomy (p = 0.001 and p = 0.040, respectively). The number of harvested lymph nodes was larger in the open group (p = 0.010), while a higher number of stations were harvested in RATS and open than VATS (p = 0.001). No differences were found in local recurrence (p= 0.08). Conclusions: RATS segmentectomy ensures a lower conversion rate, less post-operative pain, reduced daily pleural effusion, and a greater number of harvested lymph node stations compared to VATS, providing comparable peri-operative outcomes. RATS and VATS segmentectomy offer an advantage over the open approach in short- and long-term survival. Full article
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11 pages, 661 KB  
Systematic Review
The Role of Radiotherapy After Pleurectomy/Decortication for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: State of the Art
by Marco Andolfi, Michele Salati and Majed Refai
J. Pers. Med. 2025, 15(12), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm15120585 - 1 Dec 2025
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Abstract
Background: Considering the increased need to deliver adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) without exceeding the tolerance of the adjacent normal tissue, new advanced RT technologies have been developed. However, radiation to the whole hemithorax presents a [...] Read more.
Background: Considering the increased need to deliver adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) after pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) without exceeding the tolerance of the adjacent normal tissue, new advanced RT technologies have been developed. However, radiation to the whole hemithorax presents a challenge because of the increased risk of toxicity occurring with two intact radiosensitive lungs. The aim of this study is to systematically review the literature in order to assess the role of radiotherapy after P/D for MPM, based on the evidence published so far. Methods: We conducted this systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines and registered in an international public register of systematic review (PROSPERO). A PubMed and Cochrane database search was performed to identify articles published from 2005 to 2024 regarding the role of adjuvant radiotherapy after P/D for MPM. We included only level I–III-evidence studies according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine’s guidance. Results: We selected 11 level II studies. Based on published reports, delivery of high-dose external beam ‘conventional’ RT to the entire hemithorax is not recommended in a P/D setting and hemithoracic intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) may be considered an encouraging and reasonable therapeutic option, leading to excellent loco-regional control and survival results. Conclusions: Data and experience strongly support that the ideal platform to define potential indication of the adjuvant RT is a multidisciplinary team. Moreover, given the technical difficulty of IMRT treatment, we recommend considering this treatment in experienced centers with dedicated protocols for MPM due to their ability to detect and manage side effects resulting from the disease and the treatment as well as to ensure the best and the latest treatment plan for each patient. Full article
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