Comprehensive analysis of the prognostic value of pre-treatment nutritional indicators in elderly rectal cancer patients.

Nutritional status assessment has been deemed essential in treating elderly cancer patients. This study aims to investigate and compare the prognostic value and clinical utility of pre-treatment nutritional indicators in elderly rectal cancer (RC) patients. We retrospectively collected data from 361 elderly rectal cancer patients. The optimal cut-off values for pre-treatment nutritional indicators were calculated using ROC curve analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were conducted to identify independent prognostic nutritional indicators. The predictive performance and clinical utility of these independent nutritional indicators was evaluated using time-dependent ROC. Multivariate analyses showed that body mass index (BMI), prognostic nutritional index (PNI), geriatric nutrition risk index (GNRI), and platelet-albumin ratio (PAR) independently predicted overall survival and progression-free survival in elderly RC patients (all p < 0.05), except for advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI). According to the nomogram model, the pre-treatment nutritional prognosis score was calculated and the patients were risk stratified. The KM curve showed that the survival of the high-risk group was significantly worse than that of the low-moderate risk group. Time-dependent ROC indicated that novel nutritional prognostic indicator (NNPI) had the best predictive ability compared with the independent prognostic nutritional indicator. Subgroup analysis also showed that NNPI had prognostic value across different clinical factors and had significant clinical utility. In elderly RC patients, BMI, PNI, GNRI, PAR, and NNPI serve as objective assessment tools for nutrition-related mortality risk. Identifying elderly patients at higher nutritional risk can guide early clinical nutritional interventions and improve patient outcomes.

NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Rectal Cancer, Version 3.2024.

The determination of an optimal treatment plan for an individual patient with rectal cancer is a complex process. In addition to decisions relating to the intent of rectal cancer surgery (ie, curative or palliative), consideration must also be given to the likely functional results of treatment, including the probability of maintaining or restoring normal bowel function/anal continence and preserving genitourinary functions. Particularly for patients with distal rectal cancer, finding a balance between curative-intent therapy while having minimal impact on quality of life can be challenging. Furthermore, the risk of pelvic recurrence is higher in patients with rectal cancer compared with those with colon cancer, and locally recurrent rectal cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. Careful patient selection and the use of sequenced multimodality therapy following a multidisciplinary approach is recommended. These NCCN Guidelines Insights detail recent updates to the NCCN Guidelines for Rectal Cancer, including the addition of endoscopic submucosal dissection as an option for early-stage rectal cancer, updates to the total neoadjuvant therapy approach based on the results of recent clinical trials, and the addition of a "watch-and-wait" nonoperative management approach for clinical complete responders to neoadjuvant therapy.

Utility of SATB2 and MOC-31 Immunostains to Distinguish Between Poorly Differentiated Rectal Adenocarcinoma and Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Colorectal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) can arise in the anorectum and present a significant diagnostic challenge when poorly differentiated. Accurate diagnosis can significantly influence management, as the treatments for these conditions involve distinct neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy regimens. MOC-31 and SATB2 have been utilized as specific markers of glandular differentiation and colorectal origin, respectively, but studies have shown that they may be positive in squamous cell carcinoma of other sites. This raises the concern that MOC-31 and SATB2 may be positive in squamous cell carcinoma of the anorectum, and overreliance on these stains may be a potential diagnostic pitfall in differentiating rectal poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (PDA) from anal nonkeratinizing SCC. METHODS: We identified biopsies from 10 rectal PDA and 17 anorectal nonkeratinizing SCC cases and stained them for MOC-31 and SATB2. RESULTS: We found that MOC-31 was highly sensitive, being positive in 10/10 cases of rectal PDA, but not specific, as it was also positive in 11/17 SCC cases. In contrast, SATB2 was both sensitive, with positive staining in 10/10 rectal PDA cases, and specific, with negative staining in 17/17 SCC cases. This includes equivocal staining in 4 of these negative SCC cases. MOC-31 had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 35.3%, while SATB2 had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike squamous mucosa of the head and neck, and esophagus, SCC of the anus does not frequently stain positively for SATB2. These data suggest that SATB2 is a reliable marker in distinguishing rectal PDA from anorectal nonkeratinizing SCC, whereas MOC-31 is commonly positive in SCC of the anus. It is also important to note that equivocal SATB2 staining may be seen in SCC.

[Anorectal melanoma: Clinical case]. / Melanoma anorrectal: un caso clínico.

Background: Anorectal melanoma (AM) is a rare and aggressive type of tumor, with varied and inconclusive scientific information. Its preoperative diagnosis is challenging due to its rarity and similarity to other anorectal conditions. It represents only 1.3% of melanomas and affects more women than men. Approximately 20-30% of AM cases are amelanotic, complicating endoscopic detection and leading to misdiagnoses. AM is often confused with hemorrhoids, polyps, and rectal cancer in two thirds of patients due to similar symptoms. The causes and risk factors of AM are not well understood, but they are suspected to differ from cutaneous and ocular melanomas. Diagnosis is performed through biopsy and immunohistochemical staining. Colonoscopy helps to characterize the lesions, and histological examination is crucial for definitive diagnosis. Clinical case: 50-year-old woman with rectal bleeding and proctalgia. AM was diagnosed through colonoscopy, and transanal resection with hemorrhoidectomy was performed. Conclusions: Management of AM is complicated by the lack of randomized trials. Resection surgery is the standard treatment, but there is no established protocol. Wide local excision may be an option for limited cases. Further research is needed to improve the management and treatment of AM. Early detection and complete surgical removal are crucial for enhancing survival in these patients.

Introducción: el melanoma anorrectal (MA) es un tipo raro y agresivo de tumor, cuya información científica es variada y poco concluyente. Su diagnóstico preoperatorio es un desafío debido a su rareza y a su similitud con otras afecciones anorrectales. Representa solo el 1.3% de los melanomas y afecta más a mujeres que a hombres. Aproximadamente el 20-30% de los casos de MA son amelanóticos, lo que complica su detección endoscópica y conduce a diagnósticos erróneos. El MA se confunde con hemorroides, pólipos y cáncer de recto en dos tercios de los pacientes debido a síntomas similares. Las causas y factores de riesgo del MA aún no se conocen bien, pero se sospecha que son diferentes de los melanomas cutáneos y oculares. El diagnóstico se realiza mediante biopsia y tinción inmunohistoquímica. La colonoscopía permite caracterizar las lesiones y el examen histológico es crucial para el diagnóstico definitivo. Caso clínico: mujer de 50 años con rectorragia y proctalgia. Se diagnosticó MA mediante colonoscopía y se realizó una resección transanal con hemorroidectomía. Conclusiones: el manejo del MA es complicado por la falta de ensayos aleatorizados. La cirugía de resección es el tratamiento habitual, pero no hay un protocolo establecido. La escisión local amplia puede ser una opción para casos limitados. Se necesita más investigación para mejorar el manejo y tratamiento del MA. La detección temprana y la extirpación quirúrgica completa son cruciales para mejorar la supervivencia en estos pacientes.

Pathologic Features of Primary Colon, Rectal, and Anal Malignancies.

In USA, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, second in women, as well as the third leading cause of cancer deaths (Siegel et al. in Cancer J Clin 73:1-112, 2023 [109]). Worldwide, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death and causes almost 916,000 deaths each year (Ferlay in Global cancer observatory: cancer today. International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, 2020 [28]). Fortunately, due to the colon's surgical and endoscopic accessibility and functional redundancy, colorectal cancer is very treatable. Colonoscopic surveillance has the potential for not only providing tissue for the diagnosis of precancerous polyps and invasive carcinoma, but also preventing development of invasive carcinoma by the removal of precancerous lesions. This chapter discusses the clinical and pathologic features of the spectrum of epithelial, hematolymphoid, and mesenchymal malignant tumors of the colon, rectum, appendix, and anus.

Point/Counterpoint #2: Current Clinical Considerations With Nonoperative Management of Rectal Cancer.

ABSTRACT: Locally advanced rectal cancer has historically been treated with multimodal therapy consisting of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and total mesorectal excision. However, recent prospective trials and registry studies have demonstrated similar disease outcomes with nonoperative management for patients who experience an excellent clinical response to radiation and chemotherapy. This article reviews data regarding nonoperative management for rectal cancer, and highlights current challenges and limitations in a point-counterpoint format, in the context of two clinical cases.

The Role of Circulating Tumor DNA for Management of Patients With Rectal Cancer: Challenges and Opportunities.

ABSTRACT: Recently, organ preservation with total neoadjuvant therapy resulted in substantial progress in the management of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). The PROSPECT trial showed noninferiority of de-escalation of radiotherapy for patients with low-risk LARC who do not need abdominoperineal resection. Although these escalation and de-escalation approaches offer more personalized therapeutic approaches, the current state of care for patients with rectal cancer is far from individualized management. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is known to be one of the most powerful prognostic factors for early relapse and has been investigated in several interventional clinical trials to offer more precise treatment algorithms. In this review article, we discuss recent updates from studies examining the role of ctDNA for the prediction of treatment response and recurrence for patients with rectal cancer. We also elaborate on the future potential use of ctDNA in treatment escalation and de-escalation approaches for more personalized therapeutic interventions.

[Report on the application of endoscopic intermuscular dissection for diagnostic resection of early rectal cancer].

Objective: This report presents the initial outcomes of endoscopic intermuscular dissection (EID), a novel technique introduced by our team for the diagnostic resection of early rectal cancer, focusing on the postoperative status of the vertical margins. Methods: On January 26, 2024, a patient with early rectal cancer (cT1-2N0M0) underwent Endoscopic Intermuscular Dissection. The EID procedure consists of six steps: (1) mucosal incision; (2) submucosal dissection; (3) superficial muscular layer incision; (4) intermuscular dissection; (5) complete tumor removal; (6) wound management. Results: The patient was a 70-year-old male with rectal cancer (cT1-2N0M0). The tumor was located on the left anterior wall of the rectum, approximately 9 cm from the anal margin, and measured 20mm in size. The dissection rate was 2.68 mm²/minute, and the total duration of the surgery was 109 minutes. The patient was successfully discharged on the fifth day after surgery. Pathological examination of the post-endoscopic surgery specimen revealed pT1b, with negative vertical margins. Follow-up after more than one month showed good recovery with no complications such as bleeding, perforation, infection, or stricture occurring. Colonoscopy indicated the presence of a granulation tissue suggestive of inflammation. Conclusion: Endoscopic Intermuscular Dissection for the diagnostic resection of early rectal cancer is potentially safe and may achieve negative vertical margins.

[Application value of artificial intelligence in surgical precision diagnosis and treatment of rectal cancer].

Colorectal cancer is the most common malignant tumor of digestive tract, and the incidence of colorectal cancer in China is especially characterized by middle and low rectal cancer. In recent years, with the progress of computer science, artificial intelligence technology has developed rapidly, and has achieved a lot of application results in the medical field. At present, artificial intelligence technology has covered various stages of colorectal cancer, including screening, individualized assessment, auxiliary diagnosis and treatment decision-making, refined surgery and prognosis judgment, providing help for the accurate and individualized treatment of rectal cancer. However, the lack of standardized, systematic, and scalable AI models remains a major pain point for the field. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out large-scale prospective clinical studies on artificial intelligence model to further confirm its application value in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of rectal cancer.

Automated, High-Throughput Platform to Generate a High-Reliability, Comprehensive Rectal Cancer Database.

PURPOSE: Dynamic operations platforms allow for cross-platform data extraction, integration, and analysis, although application of these platforms to large-scale oncology enterprises has not been described. This study presents a pipeline for automated, high-fidelity extraction, integration, and validation of cross-platform oncology data in patients undergoing treatment for rectal cancer at a single, high-volume institution. METHODS: A dynamic operations platform was used to identify patients with rectal cancer treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2016 and 2022 who had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging and preoperative treatment details available in the electronic health record (EHR). Demographic, clinicopathologic, tumor mutation, radiographic, and treatment data were extracted from the EHR using a methodology adaptable to any disease site. Data accuracy was assessed by manual review. Accuracy before and after implementation of synoptic reporting was determined for MRI data. RESULTS: A total of 516 patients with localized rectal cancer were included. In the era after institutional adoption of synoptic reports, the dynamic operations platform extracted T (tumor) category data from the EHR with 95% accuracy compared with 87% before the use of synoptic reports, and N (lymph node) category with 88% compared with 58%. Correct extraction of pelvic sidewall adenopathy was 94% compared with 78%, and extramural vascular invasion accuracy was 99% compared with 89%. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation data were 99% accurate for patients who had synoptic data sources. CONCLUSION: Using dynamic operations platforms enables automated cross-platform integration of multiparameter oncology data with high fidelity in patients undergoing multimodality treatment for rectal cancer. These pipelines can be adapted to other solid tumors and, together with standardized reporting, can increase efficiency in clinical research and the translation of actionable findings toward optimizing patient outcomes.

[Treatment of localized rectal cancer in 2024]. / Prise en charge du cancer du rectum localisé en 2024.

The management of localized rectal cancer has evolved significantly over the last two years. On one hand, intensification of treatments (radio-chemotherapy, chemotherapy, then surgery) for the most advanced tumors has shown an improvement in clinical results compared to less intense regiments. On the other hand, the possibility, as for prostate cancers, of opting for active surveillance without surgery in patients presenting a complete clinical response after a treatment phase, is now accepted. More recently, the Swiss recommendations for the surveillance of rectal cancer have been modified and now differ from those of colon cancers, by incorporating pelvic MRI and rectoscopy in addition, as well as special guidelines for tumors under active surveillance.

La prise en charge du cancer du rectum localisé a beaucoup évolué ces deux dernières années. D'un côté, l'intensification des traitements (radio-chimiothérapie, chimiothérapie, puis chirurgie) pour les tumeurs les plus avancées a montré une amélioration des résultats cliniques par rapport aux traitements moins intenses. De l'autre côté, la possibilité, comme pour les cancers de la prostate, d'opter pour une surveillance active sans chirurgie chez les patients présentant une réponse clinique complète après une phase de traitement est aujourd'hui acceptée. Plus récemment, les recommandations suisses pour la surveillance du cancer du rectum ont été modifiées et se différencient maintenant de celles des cancers du côlon, en incorporant IRM pelvienne et rectoscopie en sus, de même qu'un suivi spécial pour les tumeurs en surveillance active.

Assessing circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) as a prognostic biomarker in locally advanced rectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker in various cancer types, including locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), offering potential insights into disease progression, treatment response and recurrence. This review aims to comprehensively evaluate the utility of ctDNA as a prognostic biomarker in LARC. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched as part of our review. Studies investigating the utility of ctDNA in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) were assessed for eligibility. Quality assessment of included studies was performed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) risk of bias tool. Outcomes extracted included basic participant characteristics, ctDNA details and survival data. A meta-analysis was performed on eligible studies to determine pooled recurrence-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: Twenty-two studies involving 1676 participants were included in our analysis. Methodological quality categorised by the Newcastle Ottawa Scale was generally satisfactory across included studies. ctDNA detected at various time intervals was generally associated with poor outcomes across included studies. Meta-analysis demonstrated a pooled hazard ratio of 8.87 (95% CI 4.91-16.03) and 15.15 (95% CI 8.21-27.95), indicating an increased risk of recurrence with ctDNA positivity in the post-neoadjuvant and post-operative periods respectively. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review provides evidence supporting the prognostic utility of ctDNA in patients with LARC, particularly in identifying patients at higher risk of disease recurrence in the post-neoadjuvant and post-operative periods.

Dutch national guidelines for locally recurrent rectal cancer.

Due to improvements in treatment for primary rectal cancer, the incidence of LRRC has decreased. However, 6-12% of patients will still develop a local recurrence. Treatment of patients with LRRC can be challenging, because of complex and heterogeneous disease presentation and scarce - often low-grade - data steering clinical decisions. Previous consensus guidelines have provided some direction regarding diagnosis and treatment, but no comprehensive guidelines encompassing all aspects of the clinical management of patients with LRRC are available to date. The treatment of LRRC requires a multidisciplinary approach and overarching expertise in all domains. This broad expertise is often limited to specific expert centres, with dedicated multidisciplinary teams treating LRRC. A comprehensive, narrative literature review was performed and used to develop the Dutch National Guideline for management of LRRC, in an attempt to guide decision making for clinicians, regarding the complete clinical pathway from diagnosis to surgery.

Synchronous Double Primary Angiosarcoma Originating from the Stomach and Rectum: A Case Report and a Literature Review.

Angiosarcomas originating from the gastrointestinal tract are rare but highly aggressive tumors with poor prognosis. These tumors can be misdiagnosed as benign and malignant gastrointestinal tract lesions. The definitive histological diagnosis of angiosarcomasis made by pathologists based on immunohistochemical analysis demonstrating cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31), factor VIII-related antigen (FVIIIRAg), erythroblast transformation specific related gene (ERG), and cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34). Angiosarcomas are treated with a single or multimodality approach that may include resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and palliative care, depending on the stage of disease and the condition of the patient. No matter the treatment option, metastasis and death rates are substantially highin patients with angiosarcoma. In this context, a 59-year-old male with synchronous double primary angiosarcoma arising from the gastric and rectum who presented with the complaint of abdominal pain and distention to the outpatient clinic is presented in this case report, along with a brief literature review.

Rectal cancer survival and prognostic factors in Iranian population: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Rectal cancer (RC) poses a significant global health challenge, causing substantial morbidity and mortality. This study aims to investigate the survival rates of RC patients and identify the factors that influence their survival. The study considers demographic characteristics, tumor features, and treatment received as the factors under consideration. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 593 RC patients. Data were collected through a comprehensive review of medical records and conducting telephone interviews. Survival rates were estimated using the life table method, and subgroup comparisons were performed using the log-rank test. Cox regression analysis was utilized to assess the independent associations between RC survival time and various covariates. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 593 RC patients, with a predominantly male representation. The mean age at diagnosis was 58.18 years, and the majority of patients (78.6 %) underwent surgical interventions. The median age at symptom onset and diagnosis were 58 and 59 years, respectively. Survival rates at 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 10th years were estimated to be 85 %, 59 %, 47 %, and 36 %, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed several significant prognostic factors, including age, education, symptoms, and cancer stage. In the multivariate Cox proportional-hazards analysis, advanced regional stage (HR = 1.54, 95 % CI, 1.13-2.08), presence of metastasis (HR = 3.73, 95 % CI, 2.49-5.58), and age over 70 (HR = 1.65) were associated with a higher risk of mortality. CONCLUSION: Given the alarming prognosis of RC observed in the study area and the significant delay between symptom onset and diagnosis, it is crucial to address this issue and potentially improve the survival rates of RC patients.