Clinical Research Directory

Study of Collection and Analysis of Clinical, Anamnestic, Functional, Biological Data Through the Support of Artificial Intelligence to Evaluate the Possibility of Defining a Digital Twin of the Lung (LUCE)

This research study aims to retrospectively and prospectively analyze the clinical, anamnestic, functional, biological data of patients who have performed or will perform non-contrast chest photon count CT. The use of contrast medium is evaluated by the physician. Main objective The study aims to understand how many people who undergo non-contrast photon-counting chest CT have: lung nodules, chest tumors, and other non-cancerous lung diseases. Secondary objectives * Analyze the data with the help of artificial intelligence to create a "digital twin" of the lung, that is, a virtual copy of the lung that allows you to study and simulate the behavior of the lung for research and analysis purposes, without directly intervening on the patient. * Follow any suspicious lung changes over time to understand how they change and whether they are linked to clinical, biological, or laboratory parameters. The enrollment phase will last 12 months and will begin with the approval of the study. At this stage, clinical data already present in the patient's medical record and data relating to the photon count CT examination will be collected. After the enrollment phase, the patient will be observed for a further total duration of 10 years: in particular, a follow-up visit will be arranged at two, five and ten years. More specifically, if there are no radiological elements that require scheduling a visit to the center, the patient will be contacted by telephone for a telematic update of the data. If, however, pulmonary alterations are identified during the study, the patient will be referred to the Reference Operating Unit, as per clinical practice, to continue with the most appropriate personalized diagnostic-therapeutic process. In these cases, the patient will be contacted by telephone and an appointment with the institution will be suggested.

Cadherin 3(CDH3)-Targeted PET in Lung Malignant Tumors

Lung malignant tumors are a significant health threat with high incidence and mortality rates, and molecular imaging is crucial for early diagnosis, staging, prognosis evaluation, and therapeutic efficacy assessment. 18F-FDG PET imaging is widely used, but has limitations. CDH3 is a promising target for tumor-targeted imaging, as it is only expressed in cancerous epithelial cells. A new PET probe, 68Ga-TOI-1, targeting CDH3 has been developed with better affinity and selectivity than previous probes. Preclinical data support its safety and metabolic stability, and future research will explore its diagnostic and staging value in different types of lung tumors, providing a new and precise evaluation method for lung malignant tumors.

Tubeless Strategy for Enhanced Recovery After Sublobar Resection

This is a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial conducted at a single center. The study aims to evaluate whether a "tubeless" strategy can enhance recovery for patients undergoing minimally invasive thoracoscopic sublobar resection (wedge or segment resection) for small lung nodules. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: * The experimental group will receive the "tubeless" strategy, which includes non-endotracheal intubation anesthesia (using a laryngeal mask) and no routine chest tube drainage after surgery. * The control group will receive the traditional strategy, which includes double-lumen endotracheal intubation anesthesia and routine chest tube drainage. The main goal is to compare the rate of achieving high-quality fast-track recovery at 24 hours after surgery between the two groups. This study will provide evidence on whether the tubeless approach can help patients recover faster and more comfortably without compromising safety.

Shape-Sensing Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy for Diagnosis of Peripheral Pulmonary Nodules in Korea

What is this study about? This study tests a new robotic technology to take tissue samples from lung nodules (small spots in the lungs). Some lung nodules are cancer, but doctors need a tissue sample to know for sure. What is the problem? Current methods to get tissue from lung nodules only work about 7 out of 10 times. When they don't work, doctors may need riskier procedures. What is the new technology? The new technology is called robotic bronchoscopy (ssRAB). It uses a robot with special sensors to guide a thin tube more accurately to lung nodules than current methods. Who can join? Adults aged 19 or older who have lung nodules that need tissue sampling and are healthy enough for the procedure. What happens? Participants will have the robotic procedure while asleep under anesthesia. The robot guides a thin tube to the lung nodule to take a small tissue sample. Participants are watched for problems and followed for 6 months. What are the risks and benefits? The new technology may be more accurate and safer than current methods. The main risks are small chance of lung collapse or bleeding, similar to regular procedures. Why is this important? This study will show if the new robotic technology works well and is safe in Korea. If successful, it could help diagnose lung cancer earlier and more accurately. This study will include 100 people at Ulsan University Hospital in Korea.

Non-intubated Versus Intubated Anesthesia for Thoracoscopic Sublobar Resection

This is a large clinical study that compares two different types of anesthesia for patients undergoing a specific kind of minimally invasive lung surgery (thoracoscopic sublobar resection) to remove small, early-stage lung nodules. The study aims to find out if a newer anesthesia method, known as "non-intubated anesthesia" (where patients breathe on their own with the help of a laryngeal mask airway and nerve blocks for pain control), is as safe as the traditional "intubated anesthesia" (which uses a breathing tube and a machine to breathe for the patient). The main goals of the study are, in order: 1. Safety First: To confirm that the non-intubated method does not lead to more lung complications within 30 days after surgery compared to the traditional method. 2. Effectiveness: If it is proven safe, the study will then check if patients receiving the non-intubated anesthesia have a better quality of recovery in the first 24 hours after surgery (e.g., less pain, fewer side effects like a sore throat, and a faster return to normal activities). Approximately 1600 patients from multiple hospitals will be randomly assigned (like flipping a coin) to receive one of the two anesthesia methods. Neither the patients nor the surgeons will be told which group the patient is in when assessing the main outcomes after surgery, to ensure the results are fair and unbiased. The results of this study will provide high-quality evidence to help doctors and patients choose the best and most comfortable anesthesia option for this type of lung surgery.

Percutaneous Robotic Navigation Microwave Ablation Versus CT-guided Microwave Ablation in the Treatment of Pulmonary Nodules With Ground-glass Opacity

1. To compare the precision of robot-guided microwave ablation and CT-guided microwave ablation in the treatment of ground-glass nodules. 2. To evaluate the safety of robot-assisted microwave ablation and CT-guided microwave ablation in the treatment of ground-glass nodules. 3. Explore the application potential of robot navigation microwave ablation technology in the treatment of pulmonary nodules.

Intelligent Support for Radiological Reporting of Lung Neoplasms

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers and has one of the worst prognoses, mainly due to the difficulty of early diagnosis. In Italy, there are an estimated 41,000 new cases each year, and in 2021, the disease was responsible for approximately 34,000 deaths. The social impact is significant, as the disease is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, when the chances of survival are reduced: the 5-year survival rate is around 18% in advanced stages, while it can reach 90% if diagnosed at an early stage. Early-stage lung cancer mainly manifests itself in the form of pulmonary nodules, which can be detected by computed tomography (CT). However, the diagnosis of these nodules often requires invasive procedures, such as bronchoscopy, CT-guided needle biopsy, or surgical biopsies, which affect patients' quality of life and healthcare costs. For this reason, the ability to accurately distinguish between benign and malignant nodules is a central theme in clinical research. In recent years, artificial intelligence, particularly deep learning techniques, has shown considerable potential in supporting CT screening. Results show that AI can achieve performance superior to that of individual radiologists and comparable to that of a multidisciplinary team, using histological reports as a diagnostic reference. This confirms the value of AI as a tool to support clinical decision-making. Considering the multimodal nature of clinical data (images, text reports, diagnostic tests), there is growing interest in models capable of integrating multiple sources of information. In this context, the research project aims to develop a system capable of automatically recognizing pulmonary nodules and generating natural language text descriptions of the findings.

Effect of Technology-Assisted Preoperative Home Exercise on Postoperative Handgrip Strength, Muscle Endurance, and Psychological Distress in Patients With Pulmonary Nodules Undergoing Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

This study aims to evaluate the effects of a technology-assisted preoperative home-based exercise program, delivered through a LINE Official Account and LINE BOT, on postoperative hand-grip strength, muscle endurance, and psychological distress in patients undergoing thoracoscopic pulmonary nodule resection. The study adopts a single-group pretest post-test design and plans to recruit 60 eligible patients. The intervention consists of at least one week of home exercise training before surgery, incorporating aerobic, resistance, and breathing exercises. Education, guidance, and interactive feedback are provided through the LINE platform to support adherence and exercise performance. Outcomes will be assessed at three time points: baseline (T0), immediately before surgery (T1), and two weeks after surgery (T2).

The Percutaneous Interventional Surgery Control System for Pulmonary Nodule Biopsy

This prospective, single-center, non-inferiority, randomized controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a percutaneous interventional surgical control system in performing percutaneous needle biopsy of pulmonary nodules, compared with conventional manual biopsy. The study will be conducted at Shanghai Chest Hospital and plans to enroll 158 patients who meet the indications for percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) and have no contraindications. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: the experimental group will undergo PTNB assisted by the percutaneous interventional surgical control system, while the control group will receive traditional manual PTNB. The primary endpoint is diagnostic yield; secondary endpoints include technical success rate, number of needle adjustments, puncture time, total procedure time, radiation dose, and complication rates.

Local Anaesthetic Spread and Sensory Block Range of the Retro-superior Costotransverse Ligament Space Block

The aim of this clinical trial is to investigate the effects of local anesthetic diffusion range and sensory block range during retro-SCTLB(retro superior costotransverse ligament space block) and TPVB(thoracic paravertebral block) in patients undergoing CT-guided lung nodule localization. The main issue of the study is to determine the differences in the diffusion range and sensory block range of local anesthetics between the retro-SCTLB and TPVB nerve block methods.

New Method to Differentiate Benign and Malignant Pulmonary Nodules.

The goal of this observational clinical trial is to establish a new method for differentiating benign and malignant pulmonary nodules by peripheral blood detection in patients with pulmonary nodules (\<3cm). The main questions it aims to answer is: How to combine blood metabolomic mass spectrometry detection and artificial intelligence image analysis to establish a new model for differentiating benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. Participants will be asked provide 4 mL peripheral blood for the test.

Constructing a Predictive Model for Differentiating Between Benign and Malignant Solid Pulmonary Nodules Based on Clinical and Imaging Features.

Study Objective: To comprehensively analyze the preoperative clinical and imaging characteristics of solid pulmonary nodules, investigate the risk factors associated with malignant solid pulmonary nodules, and provide a reference for preoperative treatment decisions. Significance of the Study: According to the 2020 Global Cancer Report, lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. While the majority of patients with stage I lung cancer achieve long-term survival, survival rates for advanced-stage patients are extremely low. Early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer are crucial. With the widespread implementation of early lung cancer screening, a growing number of pulmonary nodules are being detected, among which solid pulmonary nodules constitute a significant proportion. Unlike ground-glass nodules, accurately distinguishing between benign and malignant solid nodules is critical for determining appropriate treatment strategies. For benign solid nodules, follow-up observation is the preferred approach, whereas early surgical intervention is essential for malignant solid nodules. Although previous studies have explored the correlation between clinical and imaging characteristics, they have not conducted systematic analyses, and most have been based on small sample sizes. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of preoperative clinical and imaging characteristics, build a predictive model to differentiate between benign and malignant solid pulmonary nodules, and provide a reliable reference for selecting treatment strategies.

The SEQUENCE Trial: Evaluating Diagnostic Yield of Robotic-assisted Bronchoscopy When Staging EBUS is Performed First or Second in the Same Procedure

Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy (RaB) has afforded proceduralists the ability to accurately reach the periphery of the lung for biopsy of pulmonary nodules1. This has paved the way for patients to undergo both biopsy of a peripheral nodule and a staging linear endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) in the same anesthesia event, promoting quicker throughput from discovery of a lesion to guideline-adherent treatment2. Further, introduction and mainstream utilization of cone-beam CT (CBCT) has provided the bronchoscopist the ability to refine needle position with tool-in-lesion confirmation3. While there are no randomized clinical trials promoting efficacy of RaB and CBCT in comparison with other bronchoscopic methods, in single center retrospective studies, diagnostic yield has consistently proven to be in the 70-85% range, superior to prior technologies4-6. One of the limitations of utilization of RaB and CBCT is the detrimental effect that atelectasis plays in the bronchoscopy procedure. This can lead to false positive radial EBUS (rEBUS) signals and non-diagnostic procedures7. This incidence of atelectasis has been evaluated prospectively, using a protocol featuring 8-10 cmH2O of PEEP and limiting hyperoxia8, and results suggest this ventilator strategy does an adequate job preventing intraprocedural lung collapse. However, this study only evaluated incidence of atelectasis and did not elaborate on its impact on diagnostic yield. Further unknown is the optimal sequence of performance of RaB and a staging linear EBUS in patients with a radiographically normal mediastinum. Starting with either the RaB or Linear EBUS both have their pros and cons. The benefit to performance of a linear EBUS first is the potential to obviate the need for peripheral nodule biopsy by obtaining rapid, on-site pathologic feedback of occult nodal disease, reducing some of the risk of the procedure (i.e. bleeding and pneumothorax).6 Conversely, the pitfalls to performing linear EBUS first is the possible contribution of atelectasis resultant of the increased time from intubation to peripheral nodule biopsy, blood in the airway causing bronchospasm, and resorption atelectasis from hyperoxia9. There are no prospective data evaluating this in a randomized fashion, but one Monte Carlo simulation (with assumption of diagnostic yield from navigational bronchoscopy of 70% when performed first and 60% when performed second) suggested a higher diagnostic yield and less need for repeat procedure in the navigation first group, despite a 10% assumption of occult nodal disease10. As outlined in the specific aims above, the overarching goals of this study are to assess in a multicenter, randomized clinical trial performed by members of the Interventional Pulmonary Outcomes Group (IPOG), whether sequence of staging EBUS plays a role in diagnostic yield, incidence of atelectasis, and safety outcomes in patients undergoing RaB.