A systematic review of the literature on localized gastrointestinal tract amyloidosis: Presentation, management and outcomes.

PURPOSE: Localized gastrointestinal tract amyloidosis is uncommon and little is known regarding this entity. There is no current standard of care for the management of localized amyloidosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics, available treatments, outcomes and surveillance of these patients. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of cases reported in the literature from 1962 to 2021. Patients with gastrointestinal amyloidosis reported in English literature were included in the analysis. We described and summarized the patient's characteristics, treatments, clinical presentations, outcomes and surveillance. RESULTS: The systematic review of reported clinical cases included 62 patients. In these patients, the most common site of amyloid deposition was the stomach (42%). The median age of diagnosis is 64.4 years old; there is a 2:1 prevalence among males (63%) to females (37%); abdominal pain is the most common type of presentation (41%), although patients could also be asymptomatic. There is a high curative rate (100%) with resection alone. Among patients treated with a type of systemic therapy, 80% achieved a complete response. The minority of cases reported a type of surveillance post treatment, and among those 62% pursued serial clinical evaluations alone. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first and largest systematic review of the literature in gastrointestinal tract amyloidosis. This is more common among males and seems to have an excellent curative rate (100%) with surgery alone. Systemic therapy is an option for those with non-resectable amyloidomas. Serial clinical evaluations should be part of the standard surveillance care in these patients.

Immunotherapy Efficacy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Diverse and Underserved Population in the United States.

Background :   Incidence of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) in the Bronx is 61% higher than the rest of New York State. Underserved populations are not well represented in clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Methods: Demographics were tabulated for 194 patients treated with ICI at the Montefiore-Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) between 2017 and 2022. Categorical variables were analyzed by Chi-squared test, and survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves. Results: MECCC patients were 40.7% Hispanic and 20.6% Black, compared with 3% and 2%, respectively, in the landmark IMbrave 150 study. Median overall survival (mOS) on ICI was 9.0 months, 25.0 months for the 100 (51.5%) favorable-prognosis Child Pugh A (CPA) patients included in HCC clinical trials. Disease control rate (DCR) was 58.5% among 123 evaluable patients per mRECIST 1.1. Baseline liver function, as defined by CP and the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium (MELD-Na), correlated with survival (p < 0.001). Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and alcoholism were over-represented relative to National Cancer Institute (NCI) data (56.2% vs 4.7% and 38.7% vs 8.2%, respectively). HCV treatment correlated with prolonged survival in infected patients (p = 0.0017). AFP decline correlated with response (p = 0.001). Hispanic patients lived longer when clinical variables were controlled for (mOS 52 vs 23 months; p = 0.011). Conclusion: In an underserved HCC population, ICI yielded a DCR of 58.5% and low rates of severe toxicity. This work highlights ICI efficacy in minority groups, a need for earlier HCC diagnosis and for studies of genetic and environmental factors in Hispanics with HCC.

Healthcare providers' experiences of continuing care for older adults with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great strain on older adults with cancer and their healthcare providers. This study explored healthcare providers' reported changes in cancer care, clinical barriers to care, patient questions, and the overall experiences of caring for older adults with cancer during the COVID-19 crisis. METHODS: The Advocacy Committee of the Cancer and Aging Research Group and the Association of Community Cancer Centers developed a survey for healthcare providers of adults with cancer, inquiring about their experiences during the pandemic. Responses from the survey's four open-ended items were analyzed by four independent coders for identification of common themes using deductive and inductive methods. RESULTS: Participants (n = 137) represented a variety of demographic and clinical experiences. Six overall themes emerged, including (1) telehealth use, (2) concerns for patient mental health, (3) patient physical and social isolation, (4) patient fear of contracting COVID-19, (5) continued disruptions to cancer care, and (6) patients seeking guidance, particularly regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Questions fielded by providers focused on the COVID-19 vaccination's safety and efficacy during older adults' cancer treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Additional resources (e.g., technology support, established care guidelines, and sufficient staffing) are needed to support older adults with cancer and healthcare providers during the pandemic. Future research should explore universally effective in-person and virtual treatment strategies for older adults with cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Persistence of telehealth barriers, particularly a lack of infrastructure to support telehealth visits, social isolation, and restrictive visitor policies as a result of COVID-19, negatively impacted the mental health of older adults with cancer.

Impact of racial disparities on potential years of life lost due to gynecologic cancer in the United States: Trends from 1975 to 2017 based on SEER database.

INTRODUCTION: We assessed potential years of life lost (PYLL) in women secondary to gynecologic cancers (cervical, uterine, ovarian, vaginal, vulvar, and other) in the United States from 1975 to 2017 using SEER database. We also highlight racial disparities and economic costs of mortality from gynecologic malignancies. METHODS: PYLL up to and including age 75 years were calculated [75 - (age at diagnosis + overall survival)] after stratifying for tumor site. Subgroup comparison was done using nonparametric method Kruskal-Wallis H with post-hoc analysis. Linear regression model was used to calculate every five-year incremental trends. Productivity losses were calculated using mortality data multiplied by age-adjusted estimated total lifetime productivity. RESULTS: Total 304,995 patients were included with 1,472,152.67 PYLL from 1975 to 2017. Median PYLL for cervical cancer (12.58 years) was higher than other gynecologic malignancies (0.83, 6.00, 0.67 and - 0.25 years respectively for uterine, ovarian, vaginal and vulvar cancers). The median PYLL for Non-Hispanic White (NHW) population was lower than women from other racial groups for uterine, ovarian and vulvar cancers. From 1975 to 2017, median PYLL trend in the entire cohort showed a steady increment (p < 0.001, B1 = 1.65 years). Most rapid rise was noted in cervical cancer (p < 0.001, B1 = 2.68 years) and Hispanic population (p < 0.001, B1 = 1.92). Total productivity loss was $79 billion during 1975-2017 with maximum loss seen in uterine cancer and NHW population. CONCLUSION: Ours is the first study to analyze PYLL in gynecologic malignancies and estimate productivity losses due to premature deaths. Data shows a clear trend pointing towards racial and ethnic disparities.

Healthcare providers' attitudes towards delay in cancer treatment during COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented obstacles leading to delays in treatment for older adults with cancer. Due to limited resources at the height of the pandemic, healthcare providers were constantly faced with ethical dilemmas regarding postponing or rescheduling care for their patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two survey-based studies were conducted at different time-points during the pandemic looking at factors affecting oncology care providers' attitudes towards delay in treatment for older adults with cancer. Eligible participants were recruited by email sent through professional organizations' listservs, email blasts, and social media. Change in provider attitude over time was analyzed by comparing responses from the 2020 and 2021 surveys. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and chi-squares. RESULTS: In 2020, 17.5% of respondents were strongly considering/considering postponing cancer treatment for younger patients (age 30 and below), while 46.2% were considering delaying treatment for patients aged >85. These responses were in stark contrast to the results of the 2021 survey, where only 1.4% of respondents strongly considered postponing treatment for younger patients, and 13.5% for patients aged >85. DISCUSSION: All recommendations to postpone treatment for older adults with cancer must be made after mutual discussion with the patient. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, oncology care providers had to consider multiple factors while treating patients, frequently making most decisions without appropriate institutional support.

Novel targeted therapies for advanced non-small lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer accounting for almost 80%-85% of all lung cancer cases. Unfortunately, more than half of the patients will be diagnosed with advanced disease at the time of presentation, which makes their disease incurable. Historically, the 5 year overall survival for advanced NSCLC was 5%. However, there has been a significant increase in our understanding of the genetic basis of NSCLC, which has led to development of both immunotherapy and targeted therapy agents. This has improved the 5 year overall survival to become within the range of 15%-50% depending on certain mutations and biomarkers. Over the last decade the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved almost 20 new targeted therapies and clinical trials are still undergoing to evaluate more novel agents. In this review, we will present recent updates on novel targeted therapies.

Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Survival in Patients With Functional Neuroendocrine Tumors of Gastrointestinal Origin.

OBJECTIVES: Functional neuroendocrine tumors (FNETs) are characterized by excess secretion of disease-specific hormones. In this study, we attempted to define survival trends in patients with some of these uncommon tumors. METHODS: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, 529 patients with FNETs (gastrinoma, insulinoma, glucagonoma, VIPoma, and somatostatinoma) were identified. We analyzed patient and tumor characteristics, overall survival, and cancer-specific survival. RESULTS: Functional neuroendocrine tumors were found to be more predominant in White patients older than 50 years. Most common FNETs were gastrinoma (56.3%) and insulinoma (23.8%). Most FNETs were found in the pancreas, with the second most common location being the small bowel. Surgery was the primary modality of treatment, used in 55.8% of the cases. Median overall survival was 9.8 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.9-11.8) with a median cancer-specific survival of 18.5 years (95% CI, 12.8-24.2). In multivariate analysis, age >50 years (hazard ratio [HR], 2.7; 95% CI, 2.02-3.64), no surgical resection (HR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.43-2.46), metastasis (HR, 3.0; 95% CI, 2.0-4.5), and poor differentiation were associated with poor survival. Site and histology did not have a significant impact on survival (P = 0.82 and 0.57 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the most important prognostic factors for gastrointestinal FNETs.

Primary Pancreatic Lymphoma: An Uncommon Presentation in the Pancreatic Tail.

Primary pancreatic lymphoma is a rare form of pancreatic cancer that represents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge due to its rarity and presentation mimicking pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Herein, we report a case of a 57-year-old Caucasian male who presented with left-sided chest pain, epigastric pain, and melena. Abdominal imaging was remarkable for a large, necrotic mass near the tail of the pancreas extending into the splenic hilum and left kidney. Biopsy of the mass confirmed lymphoma of B-cell origin. The patient was diagnosed with Stage IV disease and started on chemotherapy. This case combines an uncommon presentation of lymphoma with a rarely documented primary site in the tail of the pancreas.

Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Presenting as Bilateral Renal Masses: Successful Treatment with Dose-adjusted REPOCH (Rituximab, Etoposide, Prednisone, Vincristine, Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin) Chemotherapy Regimen.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBL) is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Renal involvement in NHL is not uncommon in advanced stages; however, it is rare to have kidneys affected early in the course of the disease. Usual chemotherapy regimen for DLBL is rituximab, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, oncovin and prednisone (R-CHOP). This is a case of a 50-year-old female diagnosed with DLBL who presented with bilateral renal involvement at disease onset and also underwent complete remission after six cycles of dose-adjusted rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin (DA-REPOCH). Limited data exist on outcomes of patients with DLBL and renal disease who are treated with high-intensity regimes such as DA-REPOCH. It would be worth looking further into outcomes of DLBL patients especially with renal involvement on DA-REPOCH. Multicenter trials are required to demonstrate which of the two chemotherapy regimens (R-CHOP vs. DA-REPOCH) have better progression-free survival in this particular subset of patients.