Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) are a relatively rare type of thoracic tumor, accounting for less than 1% of all tumors. The incidence of TETs is about 3.93/10000 in China, slightly higher than that of European and American countries. For resectable TETs, complete surgical resection is recommended. Radiotherapy or chemotherapy may be used as postoperative adjuvant treatment. Treatment for advanced, unresectable TETs consist mainly of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but there is a lack of standard first‐ and second‐line treatment regimens. Recently, targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown promising outcomes in TETs. Based on the currently available clinical evidences and the opinions of the national experts, the Thymic Oncology Group of Yangtze River Delta Lung Cancer Cooperation Group (East China LUng caNcer Group, ECLUNG; Youth Committee) established this Chinese expert consensus on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of TETs, covering the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and follow‐up of TETs.

The treatment strategy for brain metastasis (BM) in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) -mutant lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) remains controversial. In the present study, we compared the efficacy of brain radiotherapy (RT) in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and TKIs alone for advanced LAC patients with EGFR mutations and BM. We retrospectively studied 78 patients diagnosed with EGFR-mutant LAC who developed BM. These patients were divided into two groups: 49 patients in the combination treatment group who received brain RT in combination with EGFR-TKIs (including 23 patients with asymptomatic BM before RT); 29 patients in the TKI group who received EGFR-TKI targeted therapy alone (including 22 patients with asymptomatic BM before TKI treatment). The median intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS) of the combination treatment group was longer than that of the TKI alone group (21.5 vs. 15 months; P = 0.036). However, there were no significant differences in median progression-free survival (PFS, 12 vs. 13 months; P = 0.242) and median overall survival (mOS, 36 vs. 23 months; P = 0.363) between the two groups. Further analysis of asymptomatic BM showed that both the median iPFS and the mOS of the combination treatment group were significantly longer than for the TKI alone group (iPFS, 21.5 vs. 14.8 months, P = 0.026; mOS, 36 vs. 23 months, P = 0.041). Cox multivariate regression analysis found no independent adverse predictors of iPFS in all patients. The synchronous combination of brain RT and TKIs was superior to EGFR-TKIs alone for EGFR-mutant LAC patients with BM. The combination treatment group exhibited longer iPFS, while the PFS and OS were not significantly different between the two groups. In addition, the combination treatment could result in better iPFS and OS in those with asymptomatic BM. Therefore, addition of brain RT was useful for intracranial metastatic lesions.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a malignant tumor originating from the pleura, and its incidence has been increasing in recent years. Due to the insidious onset and strong local invasiveness of MPM, most patients are diagnosed in the late stage and early screening and treatment for high‐risk populations are crucial. The treatment of MPM mainly includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Immunotherapy and electric field therapy have also been applied, leading to further improvements in patient survival. The Mesothelioma Group of the Yangtze River Delta Lung Cancer Cooperation Group (East China LUng caNcer Group, ECLUNG; Youth Committee) developed a national consensus on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of MPM based on existing clinical research evidence and the opinions of national experts. This consensus aims to promote the homogenization and standardization of MPM diagnosis and treatment in China, covering epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and follow‐up.

Background: Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) is the most devastating complication of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and its incidence is increasing. There is currently no standard treatment for LM, and the efficacy of traditional intravenous drug treatment is low, making refractory LM a difficult problem. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of intrathecal chemotherapy (IC)-based regimens in patients with refractory LM. Methods: We retrospectively enrolled NSCLC patients with confirmed LM who received IC and systemic therapy at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from December 2017 to July 2022. We analysed overall survival (OS), intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS), clinical response, and safety in these patients. Results: A total of 41 patients were enrolled. The median number of IC treatments was seven (range: 2–22). Seven patients received intrathecal methotrexate, and 34 patients received intrathecal pemetrexed. Clinical manifestations related to LM improved after IC and systemic therapy in 28 (68.3%) patients. The median iPFS in the whole cohort was 8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.4–9.7 months), and the median OS was 10.1 months (95% CI: 6.8–13.4 months). Multivariate analysis of the 41 patients with LM using a Cox proportional risk model showed that bevacizumab was an independent prognostic factor in patients treated with combination therapy (p = 0.002; hazard ratio [HR] 0.240; 95% CI: 0.097–0.595). Poor ECOG performance status remained a significant predictor of poor prognosis for survival (p = 0.048; HR 2.560; 95% CI: 1.010–6.484). Myelosuppression was the major adverse event over all IC dose levels. There were 18 cases of myelosuppression, 15 cases of leukopenia, and nine cases of thrombocytopenia. Eleven patients had myelosuppression above grade 3, including four with thrombocytopenia and seven with leukopenia. Conclusions: Combination therapy based on IC had good curative effects, was safe to use, and was associated with prolonged survival in NSCLC patients with LM. The use of bevacizumab is a good prognostic factor for NSCLC LM patients with combination therapy.

This review article delves into the multifaceted role of lactylation modification in antitumor therapy, revealing the complex interplay between lactylation modification and the tumor microenvironment (TME), metabolic reprogramming, gene expression, and immunotherapy. As an emerging epigenetic modification, lactylation has a significant impact on the metabolic pathways of tumor cells, immune evasion, gene expression regulation, and sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. Studies have shown that lactylation modification significantly alters the development and therapeutic response of tumors by affecting metabolites in the TME, immune cell functions, and signaling pathways. In the field of immunotherapy, the regulatory role of lactylation modification provides a new perspective and potential targets for tumor treatment, including modulating the sensitivity of tumors to immunotherapy by affecting the expression of immune checkpoint molecules and the infiltration of immune cells. Moreover, research progress on lactylation modification in various types of tumors indicates that it may serve as a biomarker to predict patients' responses to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Overall, research on lactylation modification provides a theoretical foundation for the development of new tumor treatment strategies and holds promise for improving patient prognosis and quality of life. Future research will further explore the application potential of lactylation modification in tumor therapy and how to improve treatment efficacy by targeting lactylation modification.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have successfully treated a number of different types of cancer, which is of great significance for cancer treatment. With the widespread use of ICIs in clinical practice, the increasing checkpoint inhibitor pneumonia (CIP) will be a challenge to clinicians. To guide the diagnosis and treatment of CIP, we conducted in‐depth discussions based on the latest evidence, forming a consensus among Chinese experts on the multidisciplinary management of CIP.