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Clinical Trials and Research

The Upstate Division of Thoracic Surgery has a long tradition of participation in pivotal thoracic oncology research. 

Currently, our surgeons are actively enrolling patients in several important clinical trials. Our interests in clinical trials comes from a desire to answer important clinical questions in order to optimize patient outcomes. Our surgeons are currently interested in understanding the role of neoadjuvant immunotherapy prior to lung cancer surgery as well as the optimal treatment of early stage lung cancer in patients with limited pulmonary function.

   Upstate Cancer Center – Clinical Trials   

 

In addition to clinical trials, our surgeons actively collaborate with research laboratories at SUNY-Upstate Medical University. Working with Guirong Wang, PhD, our surgeons are interested in understanding the role of TP53 polymorphisms in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. Our surgeons are also active in the Upstate Cancer Center biorepository research study.

Research Publications from the Division of Thoracic Surgery Faculty

  • Floess M, Steinle T, Werner F, Wang Y, Wagner WL, Steinle V, Liu BS, Zheng Y, Chen Z, Ackermann M, Mentzer SJ, Giessen H. 3D stimulated Raman spectral imaging of water dynamics assciated with pectin-glycocalcyeal entanglement. Biomed Opt Express. 2023 Mar 7;14(4):1460-1471. doi: 10.1364/BOE.485314.
  • Nissen AP, Vreeland TJ, Teshome M, Archer MA, Francescatti AB, Katz MHG, Hunt KK, Zheng L, Mullett TW. American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Standard for Curative-intent Pulmonary Resection. Ann Thorac Surg. 2022 Jan;113(1):5-8. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.05.051
  • Archer MA, Martin LW. Lymph Node Assessment in Lung Cancer-New Practice Standards. Ann Thorac Surg. 2023 Jan;115(1):173-174. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2022.06.020.
  • Zheng Y, Pierce AF, Wagner WL, Khalil HA, Chen Z, Servais AB, Ackermann M, Mentzer SJ. Functional Adhesion of Pectin Biopolymers to the Lung Visceral Pleura. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Sep 2;13(17):2976. doi: 10.3390/polym13172976.
  • Zheng Y, Pierce AF, Wagner WL, Khalil HA, Chen Z, Funaya C, Ackermann M, Mentzer SJ. Biomaterial-Assisted Anastomotic Healing: Serosal Adhesion of Pectin Films. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Aug 21;13(16):2811. doi: 10.3390/polym13162811.
  • Pines G, Jacobson F, Zheng Y, Magali P, Lerut T, Bueno R. Long-Term Radiologic Evaluation of Microaspirations among Patients after Esophagectomy. Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2021 Apr;69(3):204-210. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1710579. Epub 2020 Jun 27.
  • Luc JGY, Archer MA, Arora RC, et al. The Thoracic Surgery Social Media Network Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 18]. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020;10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.05.006. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.05.006
  • Luc JGY, Archer MA, Arora RC, et al. Does Tweeting Improve Citations? One-Year Results from the TSSMN Prospective Randomized Trial [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 3]. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020;S0003-4975(20)30860-2. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2020.04.065
  • Kuckelman J, Conner J, Zheng Y, Pierce A, Jones I, Lammers D, Cuadrado D, Eckert M, Mentzer S. Improved outcomes utilizing a novel pectin-based pleural sealant following acute lung injury. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2020 Nov;89(5):915-919. doi: 10.1097/TA.0000000000002754.
  • Luc JGY, Archer MA, Arora RC, et al. Social Media Improves Cardiothoracic Surgery Literature Dissemination: Results of a Randomized Trial. Ann Thorac Surg. 2020;109(2):589-595. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2019.06.062
  • Pierce A, Zheng Y, Wagner WL, Scheller HV, Mohnen D, Tsuda A, Ackermann M, Mentzer SJ. Pectin biopolymer mechanics and microstructure associated with polysaccharide phase transitions. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2020 Feb;108(2):246-253. doi: 10.1002/jbm.a.36811.
  • Zheng Y, Pierce A, Wagner WL, Scheller HV, Mohnen D, Tsuda A, Ackermann M, Mentzer SJ. Analysis of pectin biopolymer phase states using acoustic emissions.  Carbohydr Polym. 2020 Jan 1;227:115282. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115282.
  • Spechler SJ, Hunter JG, Wallen JM, Jones KM, et al. Randomized Trial of Medical versus Surgical Treatment for Refractory Heartburn. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(16):1513-1523. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1811424
  • Byun C, Zheng Y, Pierce A, Wagner WL, Scheller HV, Mohnen D, Ackermann M, Mentzer SJ. The Effect of Calcium on the Cohesive Strength and Flexural Properties of Low-Methoxyl Pectin Biopolymers Molecules. 2019 Dec 24;25(1):75. doi: 10.3390/molecules25010075.
  • Kohman LJ, Gu L, Wallen, JM, Altorki N, et al. Biopsy first: Lessons learned from Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 140503. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2017;153(6):1592-1597. doi:10.1016/j.jtcvs.2016.12.045
  • Murga A, Copeland H, Hargrove R, Wallen JM, Zaheer S. Treatment for sternoclavicular joint infections: a multi-institutional study. J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(6):1503-1508. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.05.76
  • Heimes J, Copeland H, Wallen JM, Lulla A, et al. The use of thrombolytics in the management of complex pleural fluid collections. J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(5):1310-1316. doi:10.21037/jtd.2017.04.56
  • Bogart JA, Wallen J. Management of Patients With Stage I Lung Cancer. J Oncol Pract. 2017;13(2):69-76. doi:10.1200/JOP.2016.019711
  • Afolayan O, Copeland H, Zaheer S, Wallen JM. Pulmonary Mucormycosis Treated With Lobectomy. Ann Thorac Surg. 2017;103(6):e531-e533. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2017.01.10
  • Agoston AT, Srivastava A, Zheng Y, Bueno R, Odze RD, Szallasi Z. Paraneoplastic thrombocytosis is associated with increased mortality and increased rate of lymph node metastasis in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Pathology. 2017 Aug;49(5):471-475. doi: 10.1016/j.pathol.2017.04.001. Epub 2017 Jun 28.
  • Mehdiratta N, Archer MA, Stewart M, Dennis B, Grogan E. Novel Airway and Ventilator Management of Tracheobronchial Disruption After Blunt Trauma. Ann Thorac Surg. 2017;104(5):e359-e361. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2017.06.032
  • Afolayan O, Copeland H, Hargrove R, Zaheer S, Wallen JM. Successful Treatment of Invasive Pulmonary Mucormycosis in an Immunocompromised Patient. Ann Thorac Surg. 2016;101(4):e117-e119. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2015.09.098
  • Theerman IL, Choi M, Wallen JM, Fowler A, et al. Post traumatic pulmonary pseudoaneurysm requiring pneumonectomy: a case report. Ann Transl Med. 2016;4(12):242. doi:10.21037/atm.2016.06.09
  • Zheng Y, Jaklitsch MT, Bueno R. Neoadjuvant Therapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2016 Jul;25(3):567-84. doi: 10.1016/j.soc.2016.02.010.
  • De Rienzo A, Archer MA, Yeap BY, et al. Gender-Specific Molecular and Clinical Features Underlie Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Cancer Res. 2016;76(2):319-328. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-0751
  • Gill RR, Zheng Y, Barlow JS, Jayender J, Girard EE, Hartigan PM, Chirieac LR, Belle-King CJ, Murray K, Sears C, Wee JO, Jaklitsch MT, Colson YL, Bueno R. Image-guided video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (iVATS) - phase I-II clinical trial. J Surg Oncol. 2015 Jul;112(1):18-25. doi: 10.1002/jso.23941. Epub 2015 May 28
  • Agoston AT, Zheng Y, Bueno R, Lauwers GY, Odze RD, Srivastava A. Predictors of Disease Recurrence and Survival in Esophageal Adenocarcinomas With Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy. Am J Surg Pathol. 2015 Aug;39(8):1085-92. doi: 10.1097/PAS.0000000000000420.
  • Bueno R, Hughes E, Archer MA, Wagner S, et al. Validation of a molecular and pathological model for five-year mortality risk in patients with early stage lung adenocarcinoma. J Thorac Oncol. 2015;10(1):67-73. doi:10.1097/JTO.0000000000000365
  • Zheng Y, Bueno R. Commercially available prognostic molecular models in early-stage lung cancer: a review of the Pervenio Lung RS and Myriad myPlan Lung Cancer tests. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2015 May;15(5):589-96. doi: 10.1586/14737159.2015.1028371.
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