Appendiceal neoplasms derived from appendiceal tip remnants following appendectomy: a report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Neoplasms derived from remnant appendix are rarely described, with most cases arising from the appendiceal "stump". Here, we present two surgical cases of appendiceal neoplasms derived from appendiceal "tip" remnants. CASE PRESENTATION: The first patient was a 71-year-old man who had undergone laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis 12 years prior. During appendectomy, the appendiceal root was ligated, but the appendix was not completely removed due to severe inflammation. At the most recent presentation, computed tomography (CT) was performed to examine choledocholithiasis, which incidentally revealed a cystic lesion of approximately 90 mm adjacent to the cecum. A retrospective review revealed that the cystic lesion had increased in size over time, and laparoscopic ileocecal resection was performed. Pathology revealed no continuity from the appendiceal orifice to the cyst, and a diagnosis of low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) was made from the appendiceal tip remnant. The patient was discharged without complications. The second patient was a 65-year-old man who had undergone surgery for peritonitis due to severe appendicitis 21 years prior. During this operation, the appendix could not be clearly identified due to severe inflammation; consequently, cecal resection was performed. He was referred to our department with a chief complaint of general fatigue and loss of appetite and a cystic lesion of approximately 85 mm close to the cecum that had increased over time. CT showed irregular wall thickening, and malignancy could not be ruled out; therefore, laparoscopic ileocecal resection with D3 lymph node dissection was performed. The pathological diagnosis revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma (TXN0M0) arising from the remnant appendiceal tip. The patient is undergoing follow-up without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, with no evidence of pseudomyxoma peritonei or cancer recurrence for 32 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: If appendicitis-associated inflammation is sufficiently severe that accurate identification of the appendix is difficult, it may remain on the apical side of the appendix, even if the root of the appendix is ligated and removed. If the appendectomy is terminated incompletely, it is necessary to check for the presence of a residual appendix postoperatively and provide appropriate follow-up.

Midesophageal diverticulum with elevated intrabolus pressure: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal diverticulum is commonly associated with esophageal motility disorders, which can be diagnosed using high-resolution manometry (HRM) according to the Chicago classification. Although midesophageal diverticulum (M-ED) is associated with inflammatory processes, esophageal motility disorders have been recently identified as an etiology of M-ED. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a patient with M-ED and elevated intrabolus pressure (IBP), which did not meet the criteria for esophageal motility disorders according to the Chicago classification. A 71-year-old man presented with gradually worsening dysphagia for two years and was diagnosed as having an 8-cm-long M-ED and multiple small diverticula in lower esophagus. HRM revealed a median integrated relaxation pressure of 14.6 mmHg, a distal latency of 6.4 s, and an average maximum IBP of 35.7 mmHg. He underwent thoracoscopic resection of the M-ED and myotomy, which successfully alleviated the symptoms and reduced the intrabolus pressure to normal levels. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to recognize the esophageal diverticulum pathology with HRM findings even in cases where the results may not meet the Chicago classification and to include myotomy based on the results.

Utility of articulating instruments as an alternative to robotic devices in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy.

Laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision with central vessel ligation has been widely accepted for its oncological benefits in colon cancer surgery. However, laparoscopic right hemicolectomy involves a risk for vascular injury during dissection around the surgical trunk. This technical difficulty has been attributed to the limited movement of conventional laparoscopic forceps. Although robotic devices can overcome the restricted motion of laparoscopic devices, they are not yet widely used. The ArtiSential is an articulating laparoscopic instrument that has a two-joint end-effector that enables a wide range of motion precisely reflecting the surgeon's finger movements, and is designed to compensate for the drawbacks of conventional laparoscopic tools. The present study demonstrated the utility of articulating instruments in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy by comparing the authors' laparoscopic procedures, using articulating instruments, with robotic procedures. Articulating laparoscopic instruments can be successfully maneuvered in virtually the same manner as robotic devices and, as such, represent a viable alternative to robotic surgery. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13691-024-00654-w.

Prediction for oxaliplatin-induced liver injury using patient-derived liver organoids.

BACKGROUND: Liver injury associated with oxaliplatin (L-OHP)-based chemotherapy can significantly impact the treatment outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases, especially when combined with surgery. To date, no definitive biomarker that can predict the risk of liver injury has been identified. This study aimed to investigate whether organoids can be used as tools to predict the risk of liver injury. METHODS: We examined the relationship between the clinical signs of L-OHP-induced liver injury and the responses of patient-derived liver organoids in vitro. Organoids were established from noncancerous liver tissues obtained from 10 patients who underwent L-OHP-based chemotherapy and hepatectomy for colorectal cancer. RESULTS: Organoids cultured in a galactose differentiation medium, which can activate the mitochondria of organoids, showed sensitivity to L-OHP cytotoxicity, which was significantly related to clinical liver toxicity induced by L-OHP treatment. Organoids from patients who presented with a high-grade liver injury to the L-OHP regimen showed an obvious increase in mitochondrial superoxide levels and a significant decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential with L-OHP exposure. L-OHP-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress was not observed in the organoids from patients with low-grade liver injury. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that L-OHP-induced liver injury may be caused by mitochondrial oxidative damage. Furthermore, patient-derived liver organoids may be used to assess susceptibility to L-OHP-induced liver injury in individual patients.

Downregulation of osteoprotegerin in colorectal cancer cells promotes liver metastasis via activating tumor-associated macrophage.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a secreted cytokine that functions as a decoy receptor for receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B (RANK) ligand (RANKL). Anti-RANKL treatment for bone metastasis has been widely accepted for solid tumors. However, the mechanism of OPG-RANKL-RANK signaling in systemic colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the relevance and function of OPG expression in CRC liver metastasis. First, we performed in silico analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas public database and found that lower OPG expression in CRC was associated with poor overall survival. Immunohistochemistry analyses using resected specimen from patients with CRC in our institute confirmed the result. Patient-matched primary CRC and liver metastases showed a significant downregulation of OPG expression in metastatic lesions. In CRC cell lines, OPG expression did not suppress cell proliferation and migration. However, OPG expression inhibited macrophage migration by suppressing the RANKL-RANK pathway. Moreover, in vivo mouse liver metastasis models showed that OPG expression in CRC cells suppressed liver metastases. In addition, treatment with an anti-RANKL neutralizing antibody also suppressed liver metastases. These results showed that downregulation of OPG expression in CRC cells promotes liver metastasis by activating tumor-associated macrophage, which can become a candidate for targeted therapy with anti-RANKL neutralizing antibody for CRC liver metastasis.

Postoperative recurrence in locally advanced rectal cancer: how does neoadjuvant treatment affect recurrence pattern?

BACKGROUND: The treatment strategy for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has recently expanded from total mesorectal excision to additional neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and/or systemic chemotherapy (NAC). Data on disease recurrence after each treatment strategy are limited. METHODS: Clinical stage II to III rectal cancer patients who underwent curative surgery between July 2005 and February 2021 were analyzed. The cumulative incidence and site of first recurrence were assessed. The median follow-up duration was 4.6 years. RESULTS: Among the 332 patients, we performed nCRT and NAC in 15.4% (N=51) and 14.8% (N=49), respectively. The overall recurrence rate was 23.5% (N=78). Although several differences in tumor stage or location were observed, there was no significant difference in the rate among the surgery alone (N=54, 23.3%), nCRT (N=11, 21.6%), and NAC (N=13, 26.5%) groups. In this cohort, the local recurrence rate (18.4%) was higher than the rate of distant metastasis in the NAC group (14.3%). All patients with recurrence in the nCRT group had distant metastases (N=11: one patient had distant and local recurrences simultaneously). For pathological stage 0-I, the recurrence rate was higher in the nCRT and NAC groups than in the surgery-alone group (nCRT, 10.0%; NAC, 15.4%; and surgery-alone, 2.0%). Curative-intent resection of distant-only recurrences significantly improved patients' overall survival (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.34 [0.14-0.84]), which was consistent even when stratified according to neoadjuvant treatment. Regardless of neoadjuvant treatment, >80% of recurrences occurred in the first 2.2 years, and 98.7% within 5 years after surgery. CONCLUSION: Regardless of neoadjuvant treatment, detecting distant metastases with intensive surveillance, particularly in the first 2 years after surgery, is important. Also, even if neoadjuvant treatment can downstage LARC to pathological stage 0-I, careful follow-up is needed.

Total pelvic exenteration for mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from an implantation cyst 26 years after surgery for rectal cancer.

A 47-year-old man underwent low anterior resection for rectal cancer and was surveilled for 5 years without metastasis. Twenty-four years later, the patient developed an implantation cyst at the anastomotic site. Two years after the diagnosis, colonoscopy revealed a disintegrated area in the lesion, and pathological examination of the biopsy specimen revealed adenocarcinoma. Due to the suspicion of invasion into the surrounding organs, the patient underwent laparoscopic total pelvic exenteration after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. A transabdominal and transperineal endoscopic approach was used for safe en bloc excision of the tumor. Pathological examination of the specimen confirmed mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from the implantation cyst. Although an implantation cyst is considered benign, it is important to suspect malignant transformation when its appearance changes. For the accurate diagnosis of implantation cysts, surgeons, endoscopists, and radiologists should be aware of this disease.

Comparison of Minimally Invasive Surgery with Open Surgery for Remnant Gastric Cancer: A Multi-institutional Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite growing evidence of the effectiveness of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for primary gastric cancer, MIS for remnant gastric cancer (RGC) remains controversial due to the rarity of the disease. This study aimed to evaluate the surgical and oncological outcomes of MIS for radical resection of RGC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with RGC who underwent surgery between 2005 and 2020 at 17 institutions were included, and a propensity score matching analysis was performed to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of MIS with open surgery. RESULTS: A total of 327 patients were included in this study and 186 patients were analyzed after matching. The risk ratios for overall and severe complications were 0.76 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.45, 1.27] and 0.65 (95% CI: 0.32, 1.29), respectively. The MIS group had significantly less blood loss [mean difference (MD), -409 mL; 95% CI: -538, -281] and a shorter hospital stay (MD, -6.5 days; 95% CI: -13.1, 0.1) than the open surgery group. The median follow-up duration of this cohort was 4.6 years, and the 3-year overall survival were 77.9% and 76.2% in the MIS and open surgery groups, respectively [hazard ratio (HR), 0.78; 95% CI: 0.45, 1.36]. The 3-year relapse-free survival were 71.9% and 62.2% in the MIS and open surgery groups, respectively (HR, 0.71; 95% CI: 0.44, 1.16). CONCLUSIONS: MIS for RGC showed favorable short- and long-term outcomes compared to open surgery. MIS is a promising option for radical surgery for RGC.

Timing of real-time indocyanine green fluorescence visualization for lymph node dissection during laparoscopic colon cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: Although numerous studies have highlighted the potential value of indocyanine green (ICG) imaging in lymph node dissection of cancer surgery, its efficacy and optimal method remain to be clarified. This study aimed to investigate how lymphatic flow observation via ICG fluorescence could contribute to colon cancer surgery. METHODS: From October 2018 to March 2021, a total of 56 patients with colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision with intraoperative ICG imaging were analyzed. Lymphatic flow was examined at the following time points following ICG injection: within 5 min, 30-60 min, and over 60 min. We also evaluated the distribution of ICG fluorescence per each vascular pedicle. RESULTS: Lymphatic flow was observed within 5 min following ICG injection in 6 cases (10.7%), and at 30-60 min following ICG injection in 43 cases (76.8%). ICG-stained vascular pedicles were variable especially in hepatic flexural, transverse, and splenic flexural colon cancer. Lymph node metastases were observed in 14 cases. Although metastatic lymph nodes were present only in the area along the ICG-stained vascular pedicles in 12 of the 14 cases, two patients exhibited lymph node metastasis in areas along the ICG-unstained vascular pedicles. ICG fluorescence was observed outside the standard range of lymph node dissection in 9 cases (20.9%: 9/43). Although addition of the proposed resection areas was made in 8 of these 9 cases, there was no pathologically positive lymph node. CONCLUSION: Real-time ICG fluorescence imaging of lymph nodes may improve the performance of laparoscopic colon cancer surgery, although its oncological benefit is not yet clear.

Concordance between cancer gene alterations in tumor and circulating tumor DNA correlates with poor survival in a real-world precision-medicine population.

Genomic analysis, performed on tumoral tissue DNA and on circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from blood, is the cornerstone of precision cancer medicine. Herein, we characterized the clinical prognostic implications of the concordance of alterations in major cancer genes between tissue- and blood-derived DNA in a pan-cancer cohort. The molecular profiles of both liquid (Guardant Health) and tissue (Foundation Medicine) biopsies from 433 patients were analyzed. Mutations and amplifications of cancer genes scored by these two tests were assessed. In 184 (42.5%) patients, there was at least one mutual gene alteration. The mean number of mutual gene-level alterations in the samples was 0.67 per patient (range: 0-5). A higher mutual gene-level alteration number correlated with shorter overall survival (OS). As confirmed in multivariable analysis, patients with ≥2 mutual gene-level alterations in blood and tissue had a hazard ratio (HR) of death of 1.49 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1-2.2; P=0.047), whereas patients with ≥3 mutual gene-level alterations had an HR of death 2.38 (95% CI=1.47-3.87; P=0.0005). Together, our results show that gene-level concordance between tissue DNA and ctDNA analysis is prevalent and is an independent factor predicting significantly shorter patient survival.

Single-incision laparoscopic partial cecectomy for appendiceal mucocele in a patient with porphyria photosensitivity.

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare hereditary subtype of cutaneous porphyria characterized by photosensitivity. Increased exposure to light irradiation may precipitate acute liver failure, and surgical light-induced intestinal burns and perforations are known to occur. We report a case of EPP in a patient who underwent laparoscopic partial cecectomy for appendiceal mucocele. A 55-year-old man with EPP was presented for treatment of appendiceal mucocele. A light test using two types of laparoscopes (Companies O and S) was performed preoperatively. Light from the laparoscope manufactured by Company O caused photosensitivity; this effect was not observed with light from the laparoscope manufactured by Company S. Therefore, we performed laparoscopic partial cecectomy through a single umbilical incision using the laparoscope from Company S. Except for the incision site, the patient's skin was completely covered using surgical drapes. No intra- or postoperative complications were observed. Histopathological examination of the resected specimen revealed a low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm.

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte Expression of PD-1 Predicts Response to Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Immunotherapy.

Introduction: Many studies have focused on the role of programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in predicting immunotherapy outcomes. Limited clinical data are available regarding the role of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1; the PD-L1 receptor) expressing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in PD-1/PD-L1 antibody responsiveness. However, preclinical studies demonstrate that TILs expressing PD-1 contribute to tumor immune evasion. Methods: This study analyzed the association between TIL-PD-1 status and outcome after immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. We evaluated 123 patients with various solid tumors treated with monoclonal antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling axis. Additionally, 8706 solid tumor specimens were assessed for TIL-PD-1 and tumor mutational burden (TMB) status. Results: The presence of PD-1-expressing TILs in tumors was associated with increased median progression-free survival (7.0 vs 1.9 months; p = 0.006) and overall survival (18.1 vs 8.0 months; p = 0.04) after treatment with ICB. TIL-PD-1-positive patients had an objective response rate (ORR) of 41% (95% CI, 24-61; N = 12/29) compared with 17% (95% CI, 4-43; N = 3/17) for TIL-PD-1-negative patients (p = 0.18). Analyzed as continuous variables, TIL-PD-1 and TMB showed a weak correlation in 8706 solid tumor samples (Pearson r = 0.074); when analyzed as categorical variables (cutoffs: TIL-PD-1 ≥ 1% and TMB ≥ 10 mutations/Mb), the two variables are correlated (p < 0.0001). TIL-PD-1-positive status is also associated with enrichment of pathologic variants within several genes, most notably TP53 (adjusted p < 0.05). Conclusion: TIL-PD-1 positivity in tumors (≥ 1%) is associated with significantly longer progression-free and overall survival after ICB. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02478931.

Pan-cancer molecular tumor board experience with biomarker-driven precision immunotherapy.

Despite remarkable responses to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in some advanced cancers, most patients do not benefit, perhaps due to the complexity of tumor/immune/genome interactions. We implemented a multidisciplinary Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) that reviewed multi-omic cancer characteristics to develop N-of-One therapies for patients in the pan-cancer, advanced, refractory setting. This study evaluates the experience of 80 patients who were presented to the MTB and received a treatment regimen that included ICB. Overall, 60/80 patients (75%) who received ICB following MTB discussion had a high degree of matching between tumor molecular characteristics, including ICB biomarkers (reflected by a high Matching Score (≥50%)) and therapy administered. Patients with high versus low Matching Score experienced significantly longer median progression-free survival (6.4 vs. 3.0 months; p = 0.011) and median overall survival (15.3 vs. 4.7 months; p = 0.014) and higher clinical benefit rates (stable disease ≥6 months/partial response/complete response) (53% vs. 21%, p = 0.019). Although most patients (52/80 (65%)) received a personalized combination therapy (e.g., targeted, hormonal, chemotherapy, or a second immunotherapy agent), administering >1 drug was not associated with outcome. Only degree of matching and age, but no other variables, including individual biomarkers (e.g., microsatellite status, tumor mutational burden, or PD-L1 status), were independently correlated with outcome. In the pan-cancer setting, the MTB facilitated a precision medicine strategy to match therapeutic regimens that included ICB alone or combined with matched targeted drugs to patients with advanced malignancy, which was associated with improved clinical outcomes.

Multi-omic analysis in carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP): therapeutic impact of knowing the unknown.

Carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) is a difficult-to-manage malignancy. Multi-omic profiles and treatment outcome vs. degree of precision matching were assessed. Tumours underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) [tissue and/or blood-derived cell-free DNA (cfDNA)]. Selected patients had transcriptome-based immune profiling and/or programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) immunohistochemistry analysis. Patients could be reviewed by a Molecular Tumor Board, but physicians chose the therapy. Of 6497 patients in the precision database, 97 had CUP. The median number of pathogenic tissue genomic alterations was 4 (range, 0-25), and for cfDNA, was 2 (range, 0-9). Each patient had a distinct molecular landscape. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved biomarkers included the following: PD-L1+ ≥ 1%, 30.9% of CUPs tested; microsatellite instability, 3.6%; tumour mutational burden ≥ 10 mutations·Mb-1 , 23%; and neurotrophic receptor tyrosine kinase (NTRK) fusions, 0%. RNA-based immunograms showed theoretically druggable targets: lymphocyte activation gene 3 protein (LAG-3), macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), adenosine receptor A2 (ADORA2) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1). Overall, 56% of patients had ≥ 1 actionable biomarker (OncoKB database). To quantify the degree of matching (tumours to drugs), a Matching Score (MS; roughly equivalent to number of alterations targeted/total number of deleterious alterations) was calculated post hoc. Comparing evaluable treated patients [MS high, > 50% (N = 15) vs. low ≤ 50% (N = 47)], median progression-free survival was 10.4 vs. 2.8 months (95% CI 0.11-0.64; HR 0.27; P = 0.002); survival, 15.8 vs. 6.9 months (95% CI 0.17-1.16; HR 0.45; P = 0.09); and clinical benefit rate (stable disease ≥ 6 months/partial/complete response), 71% vs. 24% (P = 0.003). Higher MS was the only factor that predicted improvement in outcome variables after multivariate analysis. In conclusion, CUPs are molecularly complex. Treatments with high degrees of matching to molecular alterations (generally achieved by individualized combinations) correlated with improved outcomes.

Identification of high-risk stage I colon and rectal cancer patients: a retrospective analysis of a large Japanese cohort.

PURPOSE: Data regarding risk factors for recurrence in stage I colorectal cancer patients are limited. The aim of this study was to clarify the existence of a high-recurrence-risk population among stage I colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: This analysis included 7,539 stage I colorectal cancer patients treated between 1997 and 2012 at 24 leading hospitals in Japan. Risk factors for time to recurrence were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model, and a high-risk group for recurrence was identified. Prognostic outcomes of high-risk stage I colorectal cancer patients were compared with those of low-risk stage I and stage II patients. RESULTS: Multivariable analyses identified left-sided location (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-2.58), T2 tumors (HR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.21-2.66), and lymphatic invasion (HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.05-2.28) as risk factors for recurrence in stage I colon cancer, and patients with these three risk factors were classified as high risk. For stage I rectal cancer, patients with poor differentiation (HR: 2.86, 95% CI: 1.21-5.69), T2 tumors (HR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.07-2.23), and venous invasion (HR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.08-2.13) were identified as high risk. The Kaplan-Meier analysis of cumulative recurrence rate and recurrence-free survival revealed that the high-risk stage I colorectal cancer patients have poorer clinical outcomes than the low-risk patients. CONCLUSION: Although stage I colorectal cancer patients generally have a favorable prognosis after curative surgery, poorer prognosis was observed in high-risk stage I colorectal cancer patients than in low-risk patients.

Precision medicine-based therapies in advanced colorectal cancer: The University of California San Diego Molecular Tumor Board experience.

Treatment for advanced colorectal cancer is often limited by complex molecular profiles, which promote resistance to systemic agents and targeted monotherapies. Recent studies suggest that a personalized, combinatorial approach of matching drugs to tumor alterations may be more effective. We implemented a precision medicine strategy by forming a Molecular Tumor Board (MTB), a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, scientists, bioinformaticians and geneticists. The MTB integrated molecular profiling information and patient characteristics to develop N-of-One treatments for 51 patients with advanced colorectal cancer. All patients had metastatic disease and 63% had received ≥ 3 prior therapy lines. Overall, 34/51 patients (67%) were matched to ≥ 1 drug recommended by the MTB based on individual tumor characteristics, whereas 17/51 (33%) patients received unmatched therapies. Patients who received matched therapy demonstrated significantly longer progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-0.81; P = 0.01) and a trend towards higher clinical benefit rates (41% vs. 18%, P = 0.058) (all multivariate) compared to patients receiving unmatched therapy. The MTB facilitated personalized matching of drugs to tumor characteristics, which was associated with improved progression-free survival in patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Case series of outcomes in advanced cancer patients with single pathway alterations receiving N-of-One therapies.

Though advanced cancers generally display complex molecular portfolios, there is a subset of patients whose malignancies possess only one genomic alteration or alterations in one oncogenic pathway. We assess how N-of-One therapeutic strategies impact outcomes in these patients. From 12/2012 to 9/2018, 429 therapy-evaluable patients with diverse treatment-refractory cancers were presented at Molecular Tumor Boards at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego. The clinical benefit rate, defined by RECIST1.1, was assessed for patients with solid tumors who underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) profiling revealing one genomic or pathway alteration, subsequently managed with N-of-One therapies. Nine of 429 patients (2.1%) met evaluation criteria. Using matched therapy indicated by NGS, the clinical benefit rate (stable disease ≥ 6 months/partial/complete response) was 66.7%. Median progression-free survival was 11.3 months (95% CI: 3.4-not evaluable). Thus, a small subset of diverse cancers has single pathway alterations on NGS testing. These patients may benefit from customized therapeutic matching.

Real-World Data From a Molecular Tumor Board: Improved Outcomes in Breast and Gynecologic Cancers Patients With Precision Medicine.

PURPOSE: Next-generation sequencing is increasingly used in gynecologic and breast cancers. Multidisciplinary Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) may guide matched therapy; however, outcome data are limited. We evaluate the effect of the degree of matching of tumors to treatment as well as compliance to MTB recommendations on outcomes. METHODS: Overall, 164 patients with consecutive gynecologic and breast cancers presented at MTB were assessed for clinicopathologic data, next-generation sequencing results, MTB recommendations, therapy received, and outcomes. Matching score (MS), defined as percentage of alterations targeted by treatment over total pathogenic alterations, and compliance to MTB recommendations were analyzed in context of oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: Altogether, 113 women were evaluable for treatment after MTB; 54% received matched therapy. Patients with MS ≥ 40% had higher overall response rate (30.8% v 7.1%; P = .001), progression-free survival (PFS; hazard ratio [HR] 0.51; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.85; P = .002), and a trend toward improved overall survival (HR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.34 to 1.25; P = .082) in univariate analysis. The PFS advantage remained significant in multivariate analysis (HR 0.5; 95% CI, 0.3 to 0.8; P = .006). Higher MTB recommendation compliance was significantly associated with improved median PFS (9.0 months for complete; 6.0 months for partial; 4.0 months for no compliance; P = .004) and overall survival (17.1 months complete; 17.8 months partial; 10.8 months none; P = .046). Completely MTB-compliant patients had higher MS (P < .001). In multivariate analysis comparing all versus none MTB compliance, overall response (HR 9.5; 95% CI, 2.6 to 35.0; P = .001) and clinical benefit (HR 8.8; 95% CI, 2.4 to 33.2; P = .001) rates were significantly improved with higher compliance. CONCLUSION: Compliance to MTB recommendations resulted in higher degrees of matched therapy and correlates with improved outcomes in patients with gynecologic and breast cancers.