Efficacy of cisplatin-gemcitabine-durvalumab in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer experiencing early vs late disease relapse after surgery: a large real-life worldwide population.

BACKGROUND: In the TOPAZ-1, patients with biliary tract cancers (BTC) and recurrence within 6 months after surgery were excluded, even if this event is frequently observed in clinical practice. Our study aimed to assess if the efficacy of cisplatin-gemcitabine-durvalumab (CGD) in this population is comparable to that reported in the phase 3 trial. METHODS: The study cohort included patients with BTC who underwent surgery on the primary tumor, experienced disease recurrence occurring ≤6 months or >6 months after surgery or after the end of adjuvant therapy and started CGD. The primary objectives were overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). RESULTS: A total of 178 patients were enrolled. No significant differences were observed between early and late relapse groups in OS (23.4 months vs not reached; HR 1.26; 95% CI, 0.67-2.37; P = .45) and PFS [7.0 months vs 9.8 months; HR 1.3(95% CI, 0.9-2.1) P = .13]. Overall response rate and disease control rate (P = .33 and P = .62) were comparable between the 2 groups, as the overall safety profile. In addition, we compared survival outcomes between the selected population and a historical cohort of patients with BTC treated with cisplatin-gemcitabine (CG) and found that despite the absence of statistical significance, CGD showed an outcome trend compared with CG regardless of the time of recurrence after surgery or adjuvant chemotherapy [(CG ≤ 6 vs CGD ≤ 6 months: HR 0.59, 95%CI, 0.35-1.01, P = .05; HR 0.70; 95%CI, 0.46-1.06, P = .09, OS and PFS, respectively) and (CG > 6 vs. CGD > 6 months: HR 0.50; 95%CI, 0.29-0.88, P = 0.0165; HR 0.54; 95%CI, 0.35-0.84, P = .0068, OS and PFS, respectively)]. CONCLUSION: Our analysis suggests that CGD retains its efficacy independently of the timing of relapse after surgery or completion of adjuvant treatment in patients with advanced BTC.

Durvalumab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in advanced biliary tract cancer: An early exploratory analysis of real-world data.

BACKGROUND: The TOPAZ-1 phase III trial reported a survival benefit with the anti-programmed death cell ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) durvalumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. The present study investigated the efficacy and safety of this new standard treatment in a real-world setting. METHODS: The analysed population included patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the biliary tract treated with durvalumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin at 17 Italian centres. The primary endpoint of the study was progression-free survival (PFS), whereas secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR) and safety. Unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) by baseline characteristics were calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: From February 2022 to November 2022, 145 patients were enrolled. After a median follow-up of 8.5 months (95% CI: 7.9-13.6), the median PFS was 8.9 months (95% CI: 7.4-11.7). Median OS was 12.9 months (95% CI: 10.9-12.9). The investigator-assessed confirmed ORR was 34.5%, and the disease control rate was 87.6%. Any grade adverse events (AEs) occurred in 137 patients (94.5%). Grades 3-4 AEs occurred in 51 patients (35.2%). The rate of immune-mediated AEs (imAEs) was 22.7%. Grades 3-4 imAEs occurred in 2.1% of the patients. In univariate analysis, non-viral aetiology, ECOG PS >0 and NLR ≥3 correlated with shorter PFS. CONCLUSION: The results reported in this first real-world analysis mostly confirmed the results achieved in the TOPAZ-1 trial in terms of PFS, ORR and safety.

The PANDA study: a randomized phase II study of first-line FOLFOX plus panitumumab versus 5FU plus panitumumab in RAS and BRAF wild-type elderly metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Few data are available regarding the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer elderly patients with anti-EGFR agents in combination with chemotherapy. FOLFOX plus panitumumab is a standard first-line option for RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. Slight adjustments in chemo-dosage are commonly applied in clinical practice to elderly patients, but those modified schedules have never been prospectively tested. Clinical definition of elderly (≥70 years old) patients that may deserve a more or less intensive combination therapy is still debated. Several geriatric screening tools have been developed to predict survival and risk of toxicity from treatment. Among those, the G8 screening tool has been tested in cancer patients showing the strongest prognostic value for overall survival, while the CRASH score can stratify patients according to an estimated risk of treatment-related toxicities. METHODS: The PANDA study is a prospective, open-label, multicenter, randomized phase II trial of first-line therapy with panitumumab in combination with dose-adjusted FOLFOX or with 5-fluorouracil monotherapy, in previously untreated elderly patients (≥70 years) with RAS and BRAF wild-type unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer. RAS and BRAF analyses are centralized. Geriatric assessment by means of G8 and CRASH score is planned at baseline and G8 will be re-evaluated at disease progression. The primary endpoint is duration of progression-free survival in both arms. Secondary endpoints include prospective evaluation of the prognostic role of G8 score and the correlation of CRASH risk categories with toxicity. DISCUSSION: The PANDA study aims at exploring safety and efficacy of panitumumab in combination with FOLFOX or with 5FU/LV in elderly patients affected by RAS and BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer, to identify the most promising treatment strategy in this setting. Additionally, this is the first trial in which the prognostic role of the G8 score will be prospectively evaluated. Results of this study will drive further experimental developments for one or both combinations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PANDA is registered at Clinicaltrials.gov : NCT02904031 , July 11, 2016. PANDA is registered at EudraCT-No.: 2015-003888-10, September 3, 2015.

Efficacy of Regorafenib and Trifluridine/Tipiracil According to Extended RAS Evaluation in Advanced Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: There are few molecular markers driving treatment selection in later lines of treatment for advanced colorectal cancer patients. The vast majority of patients who progress after first- and second-line therapy undergo chemotherapy regardless of molecular data. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the prognostic and predictive effects of specific RAS mutations on overall survival of patients receiving regorafenib (rego), trifluridine/tipiracil (TFD/TPI), or both. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study based on data from a previous study of our research network, involving nine Italian institutions over a 10-year timeframe (2012-2022). Extended RAS analysis, involving KRAS exon 2-4 and NRAS exon 2-4, and BRAF were the main criteria for inclusion in this retrospective evaluation. Patients with BRAF mutation were excluded. Patients were classified according to treatment (rego- or TFD/TPI-treated) and RAS mutational status (wild-type [WT], KRAS codon 12 mutations, KRAS codon 13 mutations, KRAS rare mutations and NRAS mutations, KRAS G12C mutation and KRAS G12D mutation). RESULTS: Overall, 582 patients were included in the present analysis. Overall survival did not significantly differ in rego-treated patients according to RAS extended analysis, although a trend toward a better median survival in patients carrying G12D mutation (12.0 months), Codon 13 mutation (8.0 months), and Codon 12 mutation (7.0 months) has been observed, when compared with WT patients (6.0 months). Overall survival did not significantly differ in TFD/TPI-treated patients according to RAS extended analysis, although a trend toward a better median survival in WT patients had been observed (9.0 months) in comparison with the entire population (7.0 months). Patients receiving both drugs displayed a longer survival when compared with the population of patients receiving rego alone (p = 0.005) as well as the population receiving TFD/TPI alone (p < 0.001), suggesting a group enriched for favorable prognostic factors. However, when each group was analyzed separately, the addition of TFD/TPI therapy to the rego-treated group improved survival only in all-RAS WT patients (p = 0.003). Differently, the addition of rego therapy to TFD/TPI-treated patients significantly improved OS in the Codon 12 group (p = 0.0004), G12D group (p = 0.003), and the rare mutations group (p = 0.02), in addition to all-RAS WT patients (p = 0.002). The rego-TFD/TPI sequence, compared with the reverse sequence, significantly improved OS only in the KRAS codon 12 group (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that RAS mutations do not affect outcome in rego-treated patients as well as TFD/TPI-treated patients. Nevertheless, a trend toward a higher efficacy of rego in RAS-mutated (in particular codon 12, rare RAS mutations, and G12D) patients has been recorded. The rego-TFD/TPI sequence seems to be superior to the reverse sequence in patients carrying an RAS codon 12 mutation, although the impact of other factors as disease burden or performance status cannot be excluded.

Different Genomic Clusters Impact on Responses in Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer Treated with Cisplatin Plus Gemcitabine Plus Durvalumab.

BACKGROUND: The results reported in the TOPAZ-1 phase III trial led to the approval of the combination of cisplatin and gemcitabine with durvalumab as the new first-line standard of care for patients with locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma. OBJECTIVE: We performed a clustering analysis to classify patients into different groups based on their mutation profile, correlating the results of the analysis with clinical outcomes. METHODS: We selected 51 patients with cholangiocarcinoma who were treated with the combination of chemotherapy and durvalumab and who were screened using the next-generation sequencing-based FoundationOne gene panel. We conducted mutation-based clustering of tumors and a survival analysis. RESULTS: Three main clusters were identified. Cluster 1 is mostly characterized by mutations in genes belonging to the chromatin modification pathway, altered in 100% of patients. Cluster 2 is characterized by the alteration of several pathways, among which DNA damage control, chromatin modification, RTK/RAS, cell-cycle apoptosis, TP53, and PI3K were the most affected. Finally, most altered pathways in cluster 3 were RTK/RAS and cell-cycle apoptosis. Overall response rate was 4/13 (31%), 12/24 (50%), and 0/10 (0%) in cluster 1, cluster 2, and cluster 3, respectively, and the difference between the three clusters was statistically significant (p = 0.0188). CONCLUSIONS: By grouping patients into three clusters with distinct molecular and genomic alterations, our analysis showed that patients included in cluster 2 had higher overall response rates, whereas patients included in cluster 3 had no objective response. Further investigations on larger and external cohorts are needed in order to validate our results.

Durvalumab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in advanced biliary tract cancer: A large real-life worldwide population.

BACKGROUND: The TOPAZ-1 phase III trial showed a survival benefit with durvalumab plus gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). To understand this combination's real-world efficacy and tolerability, we conducted a global multicenter retrospective analysis of its first-line treatment outcomes. METHODS: We included patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic BTC treated with durvalumab, gemcitabine, and cisplatin at 39 sites in 11 countries (Europe, the United States, and Asia). The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). RESULTS: 666 patients were enrolled. Median OS was 15.1 months and median PFS was 8.2 months. The investigator-assessed overall response rate was 32.7 %, with stable disease in 45.2 % of patients. High baseline CEA levels, ECOG PS > 0, metastatic disease, and NLR > 3 were associated with poor survival. Any grade adverse events (AEs) occurred in 92.9 % of patients (grade >2: 46.6 %). Immune-related AEs (irAEs) occurred in 20.0 % (grade >2: 2.5 %). Three deaths (0.5 %) were deemed treatment-related, none linked to immunotherapy. Common irAEs were rash (8.2 % all grades; 0.3 % grade >2), itching (10.3 % all grades; 0.2 % grade >2), and hypothyroidism (5.1 % all grades; 0.3 % grade >2). Durvalumab discontinuation rate due to AEs was 1.5 %. ESMO-recommended genes were analyzed and no outcome differences were found. A comparative analysis with a historical cohort of patients treated with chemotherapy alone confirmed the positive survival impact of durvalumab in combination with cisplatin/gemcitabine. CONCLUSION: This first global real-world analysis largely confirmed the TOPAZ-1 findings, supporting gemcitabine, cisplatin, and durvalumab as a first-line standard of care for patients with advanced BTC.

Irinotecan- vs. Oxaliplatin-Based Doublets in KRASG12C-Mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer-A Multicentre Propensity-Score-Matched Retrospective Analysis.

BACKGROUND: KRASG12C-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has recently been recognized as a distinct druggable molecular entity; however, there are limited data on its sensitivity to standard chemotherapy. In the near future, the combination of chemotherapy plus a KRASG12C-inhibitor might become the standard of care; however, the optimal chemotherapy backbone is unknown. METHODS: A multicentre retrospective analysis was conducted including KRASG12C-mutated mCRC patients treated with first-line FOLFIRI or FOLFOX +/- bevacizumab. Both unmatched and propensity-score-matched analysis (PSMA) were conducted, with PSMA controlling for: previous adjuvant chemotherapy, ECOG PS, use of bevacizumab in first line, timing of metastasis appearance, time from diagnosis to first-line start, number of metastatic sites, presence of mucinous component, gender, and age. Subgroup analyses were also performed to investigate subgroup treatment-effect interactions. KRASG12D-mutated patients were analysed as control. RESULTS: One hundred and four patients treated with irinotecan-(N = 47) or oxaliplatin-based (N = 57) chemotherapy were included. In the unmatched population, objective response rate (ORR) and median (m) progression-free and overall survival (mPFS and mOS) were comparable between the treatment arms. However, a late (>12 months) PFS advantage was observed with irinotecan (HR 0.62, p = 0.02). In the PSMA-derived cohort, a significant improvement with irinotecan vs. oxaliplatin was observed for both PFS and OS: 12- and 24-month PFS rates of 55% vs. 31% and 40% vs. 0% (HR 0.40, p = 0.01) and mOS 37.9 vs. 21.7 months (HR 0.45, p = 0.045), respectively. According to the subgroup analysis, interaction effects between the presence of lung metastases and treatment groups were found in terms of PFS (p for interaction = 0.08) and OS (p for interaction = 0.03), with a higher benefit from irinotecan in patients without lung metastases. No difference between treatment groups was observed in the KRASG12D-mutated cohort (N = 153). CONCLUSIONS: First-line irinotecan-based regimens provided better survival results in KRASG12C-mutated mCRC patients and should be preferred over oxaliplatin. These findings should also be considered when investigating chemotherapy plus targeted agent combinations.

Treatment Settings and Outcomes with Regorafenib and Trifluridine/Tipiracil at Third-Line Treatment and beyond in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Real-World Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with refractory mCRC rarely undergo third-line or subsequent treatment. This strategy could negatively impact their survival. In this setting, regorafenib (R) and trifluridine/tipiracil (T) are two key new treatment options with statistically significant improvements in overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease control with different tolerance profiles. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety profiles of these agents in real-world practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2012-2022, 866 patients diagnosed with mCRC who received sequential R and T (T/R, n = 146; R/T, n = 116]) or T (n = 325]) or R (n = 279) only were retrospectively recruited from 13 Italian cancer institutes. RESULTS: The median OS is significantly longer in the R/T group (15.9 months) than in the T/R group (13.9 months) (p = 0.0194). The R/T sequence had a statistically significant advantage in the mPFS, which was 8.8 months with T/R vs. 11.2 months with R/T (p = 0.0005). We did not find significant differences in outcomes between groups receiving T or R only. A total of 582 grade 3/4 toxicities were recorded. The frequency of grade 3/4 hand-foot skin reactions was higher in the R/T sequence compared to the reverse sequence (37.3% vs. 7.4%) (p = 0.01), while grade 3/4 neutropenia was slightly lower in the R/T group than in the T/R group (66.2% vs. 78.2%) (p = 0.13). Toxicities in the non-sequential groups were similar and in line with previous studies. CONCLUSIONS: The R/T sequence resulted in a significantly longer OS and PFS and improved disease control compared with the reverse sequence. R and T given not sequentially have similar impacts on survival. More data are needed to define the best sequence and to explore the efficacy of sequential (T/R or R/T) treatment combined with molecular-targeted drugs.

Retrospective Correlation between First Drug Treatment Duration and Survival Outcomes in Sequential Treatment with Regorafenib and Trifluridine/Tipiracil in Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Real-World Subgroup Analysis.

Background: Patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) rarely receive third-line or further treatment. In this context, regorafenib (R) and trifluridine/tipiracil (T) are two important novel therapeutic choices with statistically significant increases in overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and disease control, with different toxicity profiles. This study is a subgroup analysis of our larger retrospective study, already published, whose objective was to assess the outcomes of patients when R and T were given sequentially. Patients and Methods: The study involved thirteen Italian cancer centers on a 10-year retrospective observation (2012-2022). In this subgroup analysis, we focused our attention on the correlation between the first drug treatment duration (<3 months, 3 to <6 months and ≥6 months) and survival outcomes in patients who had received the sequence regorafenib-to-trifluridine/tipiracil, or vice versa. Results: The initial study included 866 patients with mCRC who received sequential T/R, or R/T, or T or R alone. This analysis is focused on evaluating the impact of the duration of the first treatment in the sequence on clinical outcomes (OS, PFS) and includes 146 and 116 patients of the T/R and R/T sequences, respectively. Based on the duration of the first drug treatment, subgroups for the T/R sequence included 27 patients (18.4%) who received T for <3 months, 86 (58.9%) treated for 3 to <6 months, and 33 (22.6%) treated for ≥6 months; in the reverse sequence (R as the first drug), subgroups included 18 patients (15.5%) who received their first treatment for <3 months, 62 (53.4%) treated for 3 to <6 months, and 35 (31.0%) treated for ≥6 months. In patients who received their first drug treatment for a period of 3 to <6 months, the R/T sequence had a significantly longer median OS (13.7 vs. 10.8 months, p = 0.0069) and a longer median PFS (10.8 vs. 8.5 months, p = 0.0003) than the T/R group. There were no statistically significant differences between groups with first drug treatment durations of <3 months and ≥6 months. Conclusions: Our analysis seems to suggest that the administration of R for a period of 3 to <6 months before that of T can prolong both OS and PFS, as compared to the opposite sequence.

Health-related quality of life in patients with advanced colorectal cancer: a predictive nomogram including BMI, sex and age.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is not universally assessed in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. We tried to identify patient subgroups for whom HRQoL assessment should be strongly encouraged. METHODS: Consecutive mCRC patients who had been deemed candidates for first-line chemotherapy were enrolled in a prospective study (NCT03873064) and asked to complete the HRQoL questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30. Primary endpoint was the Global Health Status (GHS) of EORTC QLQ-C30. A nomogram was built for prediction of low GHS (i.e., <67%). RESULTS: Among recruited patients (n=173), a univariable logistic regression analysis (LRA) found that body mass index (BMI <23), age (>65 years) and sex (female) were significantly associated with low GHS. The multivariable LRA confirmed they were independently associated with the outcome (P values of 0.04-0.004). BMI, age and sex were included in a final predictive model (C-statistics, 67%; P=0.001) and used to build a nomogram. A total nomogram score ≥72 was associated with a risk of 28% or higher of having a low GHS. The 28% risk cut-off had a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 34% for identifying low GHS. A decision curve analysis revealed that a risk threshold of 28% of the model was associated to an added net benefit of ≥4% when using the nomogram. Low GHS was recorded in 58% vs. 23% of patients with >28% vs. <28% risk according to the nomogram, respectively (odds ratio 3.54, P=0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: High BMI together with young age and male sex were protective against HRQoL deterioration. In centers where HRQoL is not routinely assessed, such an assessment should be at least made for mCRC patients at risk according to the proposed nomogram (i.e., over 65-year-old females with BMI <23).

Clinical Utility of Plasma KRAS, NRAS and BRAF Mutational Analysis with Real Time PCR in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients-The Importance of Tissue/Plasma Discordant Cases.

BACKGROUND: Tumor tissue (T) mutational analysis represents the standard for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC); however, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detected by liquid biopsy in plasma (PL) can better represent tumor heterogeneity. METHODS: mCRC patients undergoing standard first-line chemotherapy with known T-KRAS/NRAS/BRAF status were enrolled in the present prospective study. PL mutations were assessed within 2 weeks before chemotherapy start with real time PCR and correlated with T status and Progression free survival (PFS). Clinical and biochemical variables including also total number of tumor lesions (TNL) and the sum of maximum diameter (SMD) of all lesions were assessed as potential predictors of T/PL discordance. RESULTS: Among 45 enrolled patients, all BRAF mutations were concordant between T and PL and there were 20% of patients RAS discordant: 9% wild type in T and mutated in PL and 11% mutated in T and wild type in PL. T mutations were significantly associated to median PFS (mPFS of 4.5, 8.3 and 22.9 months for T-BRAF mutated, T-RAS mutated, and T-wild type patients, respectively, p for trend 0.00014). PL mutations further refined prognosis: RAS wild type in T and mutated in PL had significantly shorter PFS than concordant RAS wild type in T and PL: mPFS 9.6 vs. 23.3 months, respectively, p = 0.02. Patients RAS mutated in T and wild type in PL had longer PFS than concordant RAS mutated in T and PL: 24.4 vs. 7.8 months, respectively, p = 0.008. At a multivariate cox regression analysis for PFS, PL mutations were independent prognostic factor superior to T analysis (HR 0.13, p = 0.0008). At multivariate logistic regression analysis TNL and SMD were significant predictors of discordant cases. CONCLUSIONS: PL mutational analysis allows a better prognostication than T analysis alone and could help in mCRC treatment management.

Gastric Inflammatory Prognostic Index (GIPI) in Patients with Metastatic Gastro-Esophageal Junction/Gastric Cancer Treated with PD-1/PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) demonstrated improved overall survival (OS) in heavily pretreated unselected patients with metastatic gastro-esophageal junction (mGOJ)/gastric cancer (GC). Attempts to select patients based on programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression appear to be suboptimal. A strong rationale suggests a prognostic role for inflammatory biomarkers for ICI-treated patients with mGOJ/GC. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess whether inflammatory markers are associated with survival in ICI-treated patients with mGOJ/GC. METHODS: Ten inflammatory markers were retrospectively analyzed at baseline in 57 patients with mGOJ/GC with unknown PD-L1 status treated with second-line ICIs and correlated with OS. Selected variables were then analyzed in a multivariate Cox-regression model and used to build a GIPI nomogram. RESULTS: Neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as continuous variables and albumin categorized as less than versus greater than 30 g/dL were the most significant predictors of OS and were used to build the GIPI nomogram. Nomogram-based lowest, mid-low, mid-high, and highest risk quartiles were associated with median OS (mOS) of 14.9, 7.1, 5.6, and 2.1 months, respectively (hazard ratio [HR] of highest vs. lowest risk 4.94; p = 0.0002). By optimally dichotomizing CRP and NLR, patients with one or more of the risk factors NLR > 6, CRP > 15 mg/L, and albumin < 30 g/dL (n = 29) had an mOS of 3.9 versus 14.2 months for patients with no risk factor (n = 28) (HR 2.48; p = 0.0015). CONCLUSIONS: GIPI, combining NLR, CRP, and albumin, is the first inflammatory index with a significant prognostic value in patients with mOGJ/GC receiving ICIs. GIPI merits validation in independent cohorts and prospective clinical trials.

Case Report of a Patient with Breast Metastasis from Gastric Cancer Treated with Paclitaxel and Ramucirumab Plus Regional Hyperthermia.

BACKGROUND: Breast metastases from extra mammary tumors are extremely rare. CASE REPORT: Here we report the case of a 50-year-old female with histologically-confirmed gastric cancer metastasis to the breast who was adequately treated with loco-regional hyperthermia plus standard second-line chemotherapy (paclitaxel plus ramucirumab). The best response achieved was a relatively long disease stabilization. CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy plus regional hyperthermia has been shown to have a synergistic antitumor effect and possible favorable immunomodulatory effects. Such an approach merits further investigation especially for the treatment of rare superficial metastatic sites.

Hemoglobin level and XRCC1 polymorphisms to select patients with locally advanced rectal cancer candidate for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with concurrent capecitabine and a platinum salt.

A platinum salt (oxaliplatin or cisplatin) is widely used to enhance chemoradation (CRT) response. The potential of cisplatin in neoadjuvant CRT for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has not been fully investigated. Consecutive patients with histologically confirmed LARC were treated with standard pelvic radiotherapy and concurrent cisplatin plus capecitabine (CisCape CRT). Surgery and eight cycles of adjuvant FOLFOX4 were offered to all patients after CRT. Common biochemical variables and key germline genetic polymorphisms were analyzed as predictors of pathological complete response (pCR). Fifty-one patients were enrolled. pCR (regression AJCC grade 0) was documented in 7 patients (14%), nearly complete response (AJCC grade 1) in 10 pts. There was a strong association between disease-free survival and AJCC grade (p 0.0047). Grade 3-4 toxicities (mainly diarrhea) was observed in 41% of patients. Among all analyzed variables, baseline hemoglobin (Hb) was significantly associated with AJCC grade 0-1 response (p 0.027). As for the pharmacogenetic analysis, XRCC1 rs25487 polymorphism was significantly associated with AJCC grade 0-1, Odds Ratio 25.8, p 0.049. AJCC grade 0-1 response rate for patients with high Hb and/or XRCC1 rs25487 G/G genotype was as high as 57%. Baseline Hb and XRCC1 polymorphisms are valuable selection criteria for the CisCape CRT regimen, given its otherwise meaningful toxicity.

Clinical significance of glycemic parameters on venous thromboembolism risk prediction in gastrointestinal cancer.

AIM: To investigate the possible predictive role of routinely used glycemic parameters for a first venous thromboembolism (VTE) episode in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer ambulatory patients - with or without clinically diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D) or obesity - treated with chemotherapy. METHODS: Pre-treatment fasting blood glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and homeostasis model of risk assessment (HOMA) were retrospectively evaluated in a cohort study of 342 GI cancer patients. Surgery was performed in 142 (42%) patients with primary cancer, 30 (21%) and 112 (79%) of whom received neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies, respectively. First-line chemotherapy was administered in 200 (58%) patients with metastatic disease. The study outcome was defined as the occurrence of a first symptomatic or asymptomatic VTE episode during active treatment. RESULTS: Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or T2D were diagnosed in 30% of GI cancer patients, while overweight/obesity had an incidence of 41%. VTE occurred in 9.4% of patients (7% of non-diabetic non-obese), especially in those with a high ECOG score (P = 0.025). No significant association was found between VTE incidence and T2D, obesity, different tumor types, metastatic disease, Khorana class of risk, or different anti-cancer drugs, although VTE rates were substantially higher in patients receiving bevacizumab (17% vs 8%, P = 0.044). Conversely, all glucose metabolic indexes were associated with increased VTE risk at ROC analysis. Multivariate Cox proportional analyses confirmed that HOMA index (HR = 4.13, 95%CI: 1.63-10.5) or fasting blood glucose (HR = 3.56, 95%CI: 1.51-8.39) were independent predictors of VTE occurrence during chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: The results here reported demonstrate that evaluating glucose metabolic asset may allow for VTE risk stratification in GI cancer, helping to identify chemotherapy-treated patients who might benefit from thromboprophylaxis. Further multicenter prospective studies involving a larger number of patients are presently needed.

Prognostic value of glycated hemoglobin in colorectal cancer.

AIM: To investigate the clinical significance of routinely used glycemic parameters in a cohort of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. METHODS: Pre-treatment fasting blood glucose, insulin, HbA1c and homeostasis model of risk assessment (HOMA-IR) were retrospectively evaluated in a case-control study of 224 CRC and 112 control subjects matched for sex, obesity and diabetes frequency and blood lipid profile. Furthermore, the prognostic value of routinely used glycemic parameters towards progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was prospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Fasting blood glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR and HbA1c (all P < 0.0001) levels were higher in non-diabetic CRC patients compared with obesity-matched controls. All parameters were associated with increased CRC risk at ROC analysis, but no relationship with clinical-pathological variables or survival outcomes was observed for glycemia, insulinemia or HOMA-IR. Conversely, advanced CRC stage (P = 0.018) was an independent predictor of increased HbA1c levels, which were also higher in patients who had disease progression compared with those who did not (P = 0.05). Elevated HbA1c levels showed a negative prognostic value both in terms of PFS (HR = 1.24) and OS (HR = 1.36) after adjustment for major confounders, which was further confirmed in a subgroup analysis performed after exclusion of diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: HbA1c might have a negative prognostic value in CRC, thus suggesting that glycemic metabolic markers should be carefully monitored in these patients, independently of overt diabetes.