CDK4/6-Inhibitors Versus Chemotherapy in Advanced HR+/HER2-Negative Breast Cancer: Results and Correlative Biomarker Analyses of the KENDO Randomized Phase II Trial.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment approach for hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (HR+/HER2-negative MBC) with aggressive characteristics remains controversial, with lack of randomized trials comparing cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/6-inhibitors (CDK4/6i) + endocrine therapy (ET) with chemotherapy + ET. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted an open-label randomized phase II trial (NCT03227328) to investigate whether chemotherapy + ET is superior to CDK4/6i + ET for HR+/HER2-negative MBC with aggressive features. PAM50 intrinsic subtypes (IS), immunological features, and gene expression were assessed on baseline samples. RESULTS: Among 49 randomized patients (median follow-up: 35.2 months), median progression-free survival (mPFS) with chemotherapy + ET (11.2 months, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.7-15.4) was numerically shorter than mPFS (19.9 months, 95% CI: 9.0-30.6) with CDK4/6i + ET (hazard ratio: 1.41, 95% CI: 0.75-2.64). Basal-like tumors under CDK4/6i + ET exhibited worse PFS (mPFS: 11.4 months, 95% CI: 3.00-not reached [NR]) and overall survival (OS; mOS: 18.8 months, 95% CI: 18.8-NR) compared to other subtypes (mPFS: 20.7 months, 95% CI: 9.00-33.4; mOS: NR, 95% CI: 24.4-NR). In the chemotherapy arm, luminal A tumors showed poorer PFS (mPFS: 5.1 months, 95% CI: 2.7-NR) than other IS (mPFS: 13.2 months, 95% CI: 10.6-28.1). Genes/pathways involved in BC cell survival and proliferation were associated with worse outcomes, as opposite to most immune-related genes/signatures, especially in the CDK4/6i arm. CD24 was the only gene significantly associated with worse PFS in both arms. Tertiary lymphoid structures and higher tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes also showed favorable survival trends in the CDK4/6i arm. CONCLUSIONS: The KENDO trial, although closed prematurely, adds further evidence supporting CDK4/6i + ET use in aggressive HR+/HER2-negative MBC instead of chemotherapy. PAM50 IS, genomic, and immunological features are promising biomarkers to personalize therapeutic choices.

Use of Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trials (SMARTs) in oncology: systematic review of published studies.

Sequential multiple assignments randomized trials (SMARTs) are a type of experimental design where patients may be randomised multiple times according to pre-specified decision rules. The present work investigates the state-of-the-art of SMART designs in oncology, focusing on the discrepancy between the available methodological approaches in the statistical literature and the procedures applied within cancer clinical trials. A systematic review was conducted, searching PubMed, Embase and CENTRAL for protocols or reports of results of SMART designs and registrations of SMART designs in clinical trial registries applied to solid tumour research. After title/abstract and full-text screening, 33 records were included. Fifteen were reports of trials' results, four were trials' protocols and fourteen were trials' registrations. The study design was defined as SMART by only one out of fifteen trial reports. Conversely, 13 of 18 study protocols and trial registrations defined the study design SMART. Furthermore, most of the records considered each stage separately in the analysis, without considering treatment regimens embedded in the trial. SMART designs in oncology are still limited. Study powering and analysis is mainly based on statistical approaches traditionally used in single-stage parallel trial designs. Formal reporting guidelines for SMART designs are needed.

Nurse-led telephone follow-up for early palliative care patients with advanced cancer.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To present our experience of a nursing telephone consultation service, describing patient and caregiver requests, and outlining ensuing nursing or medical interventions. BACKGROUND: Recently, there has been an increase in the use of telephone consultation for cancer patients. However, there is still limited data on the characteristics of this type of service and on the nature of the interventions carried out. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this observational retrospective study, we evaluated the phone calls made over a 6-month period by patients or caregivers to the early palliative care team of a cancer institute. Information regarding telephone calls (frequency, reason and management) was systematically collected by a nursing case manager. The study complies with the STROBE checklist File S1. RESULTS: 171 patients used the service, for a total of 323 phone calls. The majority (80.8%) were from patients followed at the outpatient clinic and the most common requests were for pain management (38.4%) and for updates on the clinical situation (23.8%). Other frequent requests were for medication management (18.9%) and scheduling (18.3%). 210 of the 323 phone calls were handled by the nurse, while 22 were managed in collaboration with a physician. An 87.6% effectiveness in telephone management was observed. CONCLUSION: The overall use of the phone service was higher for early palliative care patients. The majority of phone calls were effectively handled by the nursing case manager. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: An effective and feasible nurse-led telephone follow-up of early palliative care patients with advanced cancer could improve their care experience. Specifically, it could impact on patients and families improving quality of life and symptom control securing access to timely care without travel or additional cost.It can also improve continuity of care, adherence to oncological treatments and minimise acute care visits.

Towards Personalized Treatment and Molecular Research on Gastrointestinal Tumors.

Gastrointestinal cancers (GC) account for 26% of all cancer incidences and 35% of all cancer-related deaths [...].

Impact of Somatic DNA Repair Mutations on the Clinical Outcomes of Bone Metastases from Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Up to 80% of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients develop bone metastases during the natural history of disease and about 25% harbor mutations in DNA damage repair (DDR) genes. This retrospective observational study evaluated the prevalence of DDR alterations in CRPC patients and their effect on the clinical outcomes associated with bone metastases. The mutational status of CRPC patients was analyzed per FoundationOne® analysis in tissue biopsy or, when it was not possible, in liquid biopsy performed at the onset of metastatic CRPC (mCRPC). The impact of DDR gene mutations on bone-related efficacy endpoints was evaluated at the time of mCRPC diagnoses. In total, 121 mCRPC patients with bone metastases were included: 38 patients had mutations in at least one DDR gene, the remaining 83 ones had a non-mutated DDR status. DDR mutated status was associated with bone metastases volume (p = 0.006), but did not affect SRE (skeletal-related events) incidence and time to SRE onset. Liquid and tissue biopsies were both available for 61 patients with no statistically significant difference in terms of incidence and type of molecular DDR alterations. Mutated DDR status was associated with higher bone metastasic volume, although a not detrimental effect on the other bone-related efficacy endpoints was observed.

Plasma tumor DNA is associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism in metastatic castration-resistant cancer patients.

Cancer is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE). Plasma tumor DNA (ptDNA) is an independent predictor of outcome in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We aimed to investigate the association between ptDNA and VTE in mCRPC. This prospective biomarker study included 180 mCRPC patients treated with abiraterone and enzalutamide from April 2013 to December 2018. We excluded patients with a previous VTE history and/or ongoing anticoagulation therapy. Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed to determine ptDNA fraction from pretreatment plasma samples. VTE risk based on survival analysis was performed using cumulative incidence function and estimating sub-distributional hazard ratio (SHR). At a median follow-up of 58 months (range 0.5-111.0), we observed 21 patients who experienced VTE with a cumulative incidence at 12 months of 17.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.3-23.9). Elevated ptDNA, visceral metastasis, prior chemotherapy and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were significantly associated with higher VTE incidence compared to patients with no thrombosis (12-month estimate, 18.6% vs 3.5%, P = .0003; 44.4% vs 14.8%, P = .015; 24.7% vs 4.5%, P = .006; and 30.0% vs 13.5%, P = .05, respectively). In the multivariate analysis including ptDNA level, visceral metastases, number of lesions and serum LDH, high ptDNA fraction was the only independent factor associated with the risk of thrombosis (HR 5.78, 95% CI 1.63-20.44, P = .006). These results first suggest that baseline ptDNA fraction in mCRPC patients treated with abiraterone or enzalutamide may be associated with increased VTE risk. These patients may be followed-up more closely for the VTE risk, and the need for a primary thromboprophylaxis should be taken into account in mCRPC with elevated ptDNA.

Circulating tumor cell gene expression and plasma AR gene copy number as biomarkers for castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with cabazitaxel.

BACKGROUND: Cabazitaxel improves overall survival (OS) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients progressing after docetaxel. In this prospective study, we evaluated the prognostic role of CTC gene expression on cabazitaxel-treated patients and its association with plasma androgen receptor (AR) copy number (CN). METHODS: Patients receiving cabazitaxel 20 or 25 mg/sqm for mCRPC were enrolled. Digital PCR was performed to assess plasma AR CN status. CTC enrichment was assessed using the AdnaTest EMT-2/StemCell kit. CTC expression analyses were performed for 17 genes. Data are expressed as hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were fully evaluable. CTC expression of AR-V7 (HR=2.52, 1.24-5.12, p=0.011), AKR1C3 (HR=2.01, 1.06-3.81, p=0.031), AR (HR=2.70, 1.46-5.01, p=0.002), EPCAM (HR=3.75, 2.10-6.71, p< 0.0001), PSMA (HR=2.09, 1.19-3.66, p=0.01), MDK (HR=3.35, 1.83-6.13, p< 0.0001), and HPRT1 (HR=2.46, 1.44-4.18, p=0.0009) was significantly associated with OS. ALDH1 (OR=5.50, 0.97-31.22, p=0.05), AR (OR=8.71, 2.32-32.25, p=0.001), EPCAM (OR=7.26, 1.47-35.73, p=0.015), PSMA (OR=3.86, 1.10-13.50, p=0.035), MDK (OR=6.84, 1.87-24.98, p=0.004), and HPRT1 (OR=7.41, 1.82-30.19, p=0.005) expression was associated with early PD. AR CN status was significantly correlated with AR-V7 (p=0.05), EPCAM (p=0.02), and MDK (p=0.002) expression. In multivariable model, EPCAM and HPRT1 CTC expression, plasma AR CN gain, ECOG PS=2, and liver metastases and PSA were independently associated with poorer OS. In patients treated with cabazitaxel 20 mg/sqm, median OS was shorter in AR-V7 positive than negative patients (6.6 versus 14 months, HR=3.46, 1.47-8.17], p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline CTC biomarkers may be prognosticators for cabazitaxel-treated mCRPC patients. Cabazitaxel at lower (20 mg/sqm) dose was associated with poorer outcomes in AR-V7 positive patients compared to AR-V7 negative patients in a post hoc subgroup analysis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03381326 . Retrospectively registered on 18 December 2017.

Patients with multiple myeloma referred for palliative care consultation: from retrospective analysis to future directions to improve clinical outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: New treatments have improved the overall survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). At diagnosis and during the course of the disease, patients often report pain and other symptoms. Given the long disease trajectory, psychological and social issues are also frequent. Recently, the potential usefulness of early palliative care (EPC) was hypothesized in the area of hematology. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with MM referred to our institute for a palliative care (PC) consultation between January 2017 and June 2020. Our aim was to evaluate the main reasons (pain or other clinical symptoms) for the referral for a first PC consultation. METHODS: We examined the main reasons for the first PC consultation, the number of PC consultations carried out, and the period of time between diagnosis, first and subsequent PC visits, and death. We also recorded information on the type of pain experienced and the treatments administered. RESULTS: Of the 325 patients with MM followed at our hematology unit during the study period, 43 were referred for a PC consultation (39 for pain management and 4 to determine the most appropriate care setting (hospice or palliative homecare service)). Nineteen (44.2%) of the 43 patients reported other symptoms in addition to pain. The median time between MM diagnosis and the first PC consultation was 473 days. Fifteen patients died, with a median 332 days between the first PC visit and death. CONCLUSION: Randomized studies on MM involving larger patient populations with access to EPC are needed to identify an effective clinical model to improve the management of patients with MM.

Prognostic role of hERG1 Potassium Channels in Neuroendocrine Tumours of the Ileum and Pancreas.

hERG1 potassium channels are widely expressed in human cancers of different origins, where they affect several key aspects of cellular behaviour. The present study was designed to evaluate the expression and clinical relevance of hERG1 protein in cancer tissues from patients suffering from neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of ileal (iNETs) and pancreatic (pNETs) origin, with available clinicopathological history and follow-up. The study was carried out by immunohistochemistry with an anti-hERG1 monoclonal antibody. In a subset of samples, a different antibody directed against the hERG1/ß1 integrin complex was also used. The analysis showed for the first time that hERG1 is expressed in human NETs originating from either the ileum or the pancreas. hERG1 turned out to have a prognostic value in NETs, showing (i) a statistically significant positive impact on OS of patients affected by ileal NETs, regardless the TNM stage; (ii) a statistically significant positive impact on OS of patients affected by aggressive (TNM stage IV) disease, either ileal or pancreatic; (iii) a trend to a negative impact on OS of patients affected by less aggressive (TNM stage I-III) disease, either ileal or pancreatic. Moreover, in order to evaluate whether ERG1 was functionally expressed in a cellular model of pNET, the INS1E rat insulinoma cell line was used, and it emerged that blocking ERG1 with a specific inhibitor of the channel (E4031) turned out in a significant reduction in cell proliferation.

177Lu-PRRT in advanced gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors: 10-year follow-up of the IRST phase II prospective study.

PURPOSE: In March 2014, we reported the activity and safety of 177Lu-DOTA-octreotate peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (Lu-PRRT) at two different dosages (18.5 GBq and 27.5 GBq in 5 cycles) in patients with progressive metastatic gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors (GI-NETs). Disease control rate (DCR) and toxicity were addressed. Herein, we report the late toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) in the same cohort after a 10-year follow-up. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, disease-oriented prospective phase II trial. From March 2008 to June 2011, 43 patients received 3.7 GBq or 5.5 GBq of Lu-PRRT every 6 to 8 weeks, each cycle repeated 5 times. All patients showed 68Gallium-DOTA-peptide PET/Octreoscan® positivity (score 3-4 Rotterdam scale) in known lesions. Tumor burden was estimated radiologically. Time-to-event data (PFS and OS) were described using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared with the log-rank test. RESULTS: Forty-three patients (28 males and 15 females) were evaluable and were monitored for a median period of 118 months (range 12.6-139.6). Median PFS in patients receiving 18.5 GBq was 59.8 months (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 14.3-79.6), identical to that of patients treated with 27.5 GBq (59.8 months, 95% CI 23.4-82.0). Median OS was 71.0 months (95% CI 46.1-107.3) in the group who received 18.5 GBq and 97.6 months (95% CI 64.3-not reached) in the group treated with 27.5 GBq (P = 0.22). Patients with progression limited to lymph nodes showed significantly longer median PFS and OS than those with hepatic lesions (P = 0.02 for PFS and P = 0.04 for OS). Age over 65 years at the time of PRRT was also significant for OS. Of note, no late hematological or renal toxicity was observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term follow-up of the IRST phase II study shows that Lu-PRRT is a safe and effective therapy for patients with advanced GI-NET, the most important prognostic factor being tumor burden, hepatic lesions, and age. We believe that Lu-PRRT should be offered to patients with early-stage disease.

Early Gastric Cancer: identification of molecular markers able to distinguish submucosa-penetrating lesions with different prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Early Gastric Cancer (EGC) reaches 25% of the gastric cancers surgically treated in some areas of Northeastern Italy and is usually characterized by a good prognosis. However, among EGCs classified according to Kodama's criteria, Pen A subgroup is characterized by extensive submucosal invasion, lymph node metastases and worse prognosis, whereas Pen B subgroup by better prognosis. The aim of the study was to characterize the differences between Pen A, Pen B and locally advanced gastric cancer (T3N0) in order to identify biomarkers involved in aggressiveness and clinical outcome. METHODS: We selected 33 Pen A, 34 Pen B and 20 T3N0 tumors and performed immunohistochemistry of mucins, copy number variation analysis of a gene panel, microsatellite instability (MSI), TP53 mutation and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analyses. RESULTS: Pen A subgroup was characterized by MUC6 overexpression (p = 0.021). Otherwise, the Pen B subgroup was significantly associated with the amplification of GATA6 gene (p = 0.002). The higher percentage of MSI tumors was observed in T3N0 group (p = 0.002), but no significant differences between EGC types were found. Finally, TP53 gene analysis showed that 32.8% of Pen tumors have a mutation in exons 5-8 and 50.0% presented LOH. Co-occurrence of TP53 mutation and LOH mainly characterized Pen A tumors (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses revealed that clinico-pathological parameters, microsatellite status and frequency of TP53 mutations do not seem to distinguish Pen subgroups. Conversely, the amplification of GATA6 was associated with Pen B, as well as the overexpression of MUC6 and the TP53mut/LOH significantly characterized Pen A.

Special Issue on Molecular and Translational Research on Colorectal Cancer 2.0.

The present editorial aims to summarise the six scientific papers that have contributed to this Special Issue, focusing on different aspects of molecular and translational research on colorectal cancer. We believe that the present Special Issue might contribute to the expansion of the current knowledge concerning potential molecular predictive and/or prognostic biomarkers in CRC, as well as new targets for anticancer treatment. This may help in identifying new strategies to improve diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Plasma tumour DNA as an early indicator of treatment response in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Plasma tumour DNA (ptDNA) levels on treatment are associated with response in a variety of cancers. However, the role of ptDNA in prostate cancer monitoring remains largely unexplored. Here we characterised on-treatment ptDNA dynamics and evaluated its potential for early assessment of therapy efficacy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). METHODS: Between 2011 and 2016, 114 sequential plasma samples from 43 mCRPC abiraterone-treated patients were collected. Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed to determine ptDNA fraction. ptDNA progressive disease was defined as a rise in the fraction compared to the pre-treatment. RESULTS: A ptDNA rise in the first on-treatment sample (interquartile range (IQR) 2.6-3.7 months) was significantly associated with increased risk of early radiographic or any prostate-specific antigen (PSA) rise (odds ratio (OR) = 15.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.5-60.2, p = 0.0002 and OR = 6.0, 95% CI 1.6-20.0, p = 0.01, respectively). We also identified exemplar cases that had a rise in PSA or pseudoprogression secondary to bone flare but no rise in ptDNA. In an exploratory analysis, initial ptDNA change was found to associate with the duration of response to prior androgen deprivation therapy (p < 0.0001) but not to prior taxanes (p = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS: We found that ptDNA assessment for therapy monitoring in mCRPC is feasible and provides data relevant to the clinical setting. Prospective evaluation of these findings is now merited.

Clinical and psychometric validation of the BreSAS questionnaire module for symptom assessment among breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: The large number of women surviving many years post breast cancer (BC) diagnosis has heightened interest in studying long-term effects of cancer on quality of life (QoL). Several cancer-specific health-related measures have been developed, but these may not be appropriate for long survivors. This study evaluates the reliability and clinical and psychometric validity of the BreSAS questionnaire (BQ) among BC survivors. METHODS: The BQ is a quick, simple ten-item module for the assessment of long-term physical, psychological, sexual, and cognitive effects that may influence QoL. The total BreSAS score ranks from 0 to 100, with a low score indicating a better QoL. Patients complete the BQ, the FACT-ES questionnaire, and case report forms for clinical and socio-demographic data during follow-up visits. Reliability and clinical and psychometric validity of the questionnaires are assessed by correlation analyses and exploration of known group comparisons. RESULTS: From September 2015 to February 2016, 149 patients from three Italian oncology units were enrolled. Baseline questionnaires were returned from all, and 134 patients (89%) completed the BQ and FACT-ES in less than 15 min. For reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficients for each scale were greater than 0.70 in all analyzed symptoms. Convergent validity of BQ showed by Pearson's r demonstrated a high correlation between intensity of symptoms and QoL, especially for pain and depression. No data were provided about reproducibility with test-retest study. CONCLUSION: The BQ demonstrates sufficient validity and reliability to support its use to assess patient-reported symptoms during planned follow-up clinical visits among BC survivors. Further full validation studies are needed.

Molecular and Translational Research on Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world [...].

Instability of Non-Standard Microsatellites in Relation to Prognosis in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Very few data are reported in the literature on the association between elevated microsatellite alterations at selected tetranucleotide repeats (EMAST) and prognosis in advanced colorectal cancer. Moreover, there is no information available in relation to the response to antiangiogenic treatment. We analyzed EMAST and vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B) microsatellite status, together with standard microsatellite instability (MSI), in relation to prognosis in 141 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with chemotherapy (CT) alone (n = 51) or chemotherapy with bevacizumab (B) (CT + B; n = 90). High MSI (MSI-H) was detected in 3% of patients and was associated with progression-free survival (PFS; p = 0.005) and overall survival (OS; p < 0.0001). A total of 8% of cases showed EMAST instability, which was associated with worse PFS (p = 0.0006) and OS (p < 0.0001) in patients treated with CT + B. A total of 24.2% of patients showed VEGF-B instability associated with poorer outcome in (p = 0.005) in the CT arm. In conclusion, our analysis indicated that EMAST instability is associated with worse prognosis, particularly evident in patients receiving CT + B.

Testosterone levels and androgen receptor copy number variations in castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with abiraterone or enzalutamide.

PURPOSE: Our study aims to investigate the association between copy number of the androgen receptor (AR) and testosterone levels in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with second-generation antiandrogen therapies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from mCRPC treated with abiraterone acetate and enzalutamide. Serum testosterone levels were collected at baseline, at 3 months since the start of therapy and at disease progression. A cohort of cases treated with docetaxel was also used to evaluate the impact of testosterone levels. RESULTS: Patients treated with abiraterone with AR copy number aberrations and basal testosterone levels below 0.09 nmol/L had worse progression-free survival (PFS) compared to patients with no AR copy number abnormalities (8.5 vs 2.9 months, P = 0.005). No relevant differences were observed in the enzalutamide group with a PFS of 3.9 months (no AR gain) vs 2.7 months ( AR gain, P = 0.004) for patients with below 0.09 nmol/L testosterone levels. Similar results are obtained for univariate analysis for overall survival (OS). The negative prognostic role of AR copy number gain in OS for both treatment groups (25.5 vs 10.6 months, P = 0.0002 for abiraterone and 14.1 vs 8.3 months, P = 0.031 for enzalutamide) was confirmed, and it was recognized the negative prognostic impact of testosteronemia below 0.09 only for patients treated with enzalutamide (8.8 vs 42.8 months, P = 0.016). On multivariate analysis for patients treated with abiraterone, low testosterone levels below 0.09 and plasma AR gain were significantly associated with worse PFS and OS. These data are confirmed in the enzalutamide group for PFS. CONCLUSIONS: Testosterone levels and the AR copy number alterations were considered as independent prognostic factors. The results of this study show that serum testosteronemia associated with changes in copy number of AR gene could represent a noninvasive biomarker useful to identify a subgroup of patients with worse prognosis that can benefit less from second-generation antiandrogen therapies in the mCRPC setting.

Systematic vs. on-demand early palliative care in gastric cancer patients: a randomized clinical trial assessing patient and healthcare service outcomes.

PURPOSE: Early palliative care (EPC) has shown a positive impact on quality of life (QoL), quality of care, and healthcare costs. We evaluated such effects in patients with advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: In this prospective, multicenter study, 186 advanced gastric cancer patients were randomized 1:1 to receive standard cancer care (SCC) plus on-demand EPC (standard arm) or SCC plus systematic EPC (interventional arm). Primary outcome was a change in QoL between randomization (T0) and T1 (12 weeks after T0) in the Trial Outcome Index (TOI) scores evaluated through the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Gastric questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were patient mood, overall survival, and family satisfaction with healthcare and care aggressiveness. RESULTS: The mean change in TOI scores from T0 to T1 was - 1.30 (standard deviation (SD) 20.01) for standard arm patients and 1.65 (SD 22.38) for the interventional group, with a difference of 2.95 (95% CI - 4.43 to 10.32) (p = 0.430). The change in mean Gastric Cancer Subscale values for the standard arm was 0.91 (SD 14.14) and 3.19 (SD 15.25) for the interventional group, with a difference of 2.29 (95% CI - 2.80 to 7.38) (p = 0.375). Forty-three percent of patients in the standard arm received EPC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated a slight, albeit not significant, benefit from EPC. Findings on EPC studies may be underestimated in the event of suboptimally managed issues: type of intervention, shared decision-making process between oncologists and PC physicians, risk of standard arm contamination, study duration, timeliness of assessment of primary outcomes, timeliness of cohort inception, and recruitment of patients with a significant symptom burden. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01996540).

Special Issue on Basic and Translational Research in Colorectal Cancer.

The present editorial aims to summarize the 17 scientific papers that have contributed to this Special Issue focusing on different aspects of basic and translational research in colorectal cancer.

Role of SIRT-3, p-mTOR and HIF-1α in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients Affected by Metabolic Dysfunctions and in Chronic Treatment with Metformin.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma deriving from metabolic dysfunctions has increased in the last years. Sirtuin- (SIRT-3), phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin (p-mTOR) and hypoxia-inducible factor- (HIF-1α) are involved in metabolism and cancer. However, their role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metabolism, drug resistance and progression remains unclear. This study aimed to better clarify the biological and clinical function of these markers in HCC patients, in relation to the presence of metabolic alterations, metformin therapy and clinical outcome. A total of 70 HCC patients were enrolled: 48 and 22 of whom were in early stage and advanced stage, respectively. The expression levels of the three markers were assessed by immunohistochemistry and summarized using descriptive statistics. SIRT-3 expression was higher in diabetic than non-diabetic patients, and in metformin-treated than insulin-treated patients. Interestingly, p-mTOR was higher in patients with metabolic syndrome than those with different etiology, and, similar to SIRT-3, in metformin-treated than insulin-treated patients. Moreover, our results describe a slight, albeit not significant, benefit of high SIRT-3 and a significant benefit of high nuclear HIF-1α expression in early-stage patients, whereas high levels of p-mTOR correlated with worse prognosis in advanced-stage patients. Our study highlighted the involvement of SIRT-3 and p-mTOR in metabolic dysfunctions that occur in HCC patients, and suggested SIRT-3 and HIF-1α as predictors of prognosis in early-stage HCC patients, and p-mTOR as target for the treatment of advanced-stage HCC.