Risk of Cancer in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Umbrella Review and Reanalysis of Meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To summarize the epidemiologic evidence and assess the validity of claimed associations of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) with overall and site-specific cancer risk. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Scopus from inception to May 10, 2021, to identify and comprehensively reanalyze the data of meta-analyses on associations between IBDs (ie, Crohn's disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]) and subsequent risk of cancer. The strength of epidemiologic evidence was graded as high, moderate, or weak, by applying prespecified criteria that included the random effects estimate, its 95% confidence interval, and P value, estimates of heterogeneity, small-study effects, and robustness to unmeasured confounding. RESULTS: This study critically appraised 277 estimates derived from 24 published meta-analyses and our own meta-analyses. The association between pediatric-onset IBDs and overall risk of cancer showed high epidemiologic evidence. Twenty associations (15 cancer types) demonstrated moderate evidence: any cancer (pediatric-onset UC), mouth to terminal ileum (CD), small bowel (CD/UC), colon (CD), rectum (CD/UC), colon-rectum (IBDs, pediatric-onset CD/UC), bile ducts and liver (CD/UC), liver (CD), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IBDs), bile ducts (CD), skin (CD), squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (CD), nonmelanoma skin cancer (UC), kidney (CD), and thyroid cancer (IBDs). Another 40 associations (23 cancer types) showed statistical significance; however, our confidence in these effect estimates was weak. No statistical significance was found regarding further 47 associations. CONCLUSIONS: Associations between IBDs and different types of malignancy showed varying levels of evidence and magnitude of risk. Further primary research investigating the impact of a consistent set of risk factors that are known to affect cancer risk is warranted. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42021254996.

Health-related quality of life in patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer treated with panitumumab-based first-line treatment strategy: A pre-specified secondary analysis of the Valentino study.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QoL) patient-reported outcomes (PROs) data from pivotal first-line trials in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are poor. The Valentino study showed that de-escalation to single-agent panitumumab after 4-month induction with panitumumab-FOLFOX is inferior to panitumumab-5-FU/LV in patients with RAS wild-type mCRC, although slightly reducing toxicity. We report QoL, a secondary end-point. METHODS: PROs were assessed by European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire - Core 30 (QLQ-C30), EORTC QLQ-CR29, EuroQol EQ-5D questionnaires, at baseline and every 8 weeks until disease progression. First two evaluations correspond to induction treatment (identical in both arms), while subsequent to maintenance. To describe QoL changes over time, mean changes from baseline at each time point were calculated in overall population. To compare maintenance between two arms, mean changes and proportion of improved/stable/worse patients versus baseline were compared for each item. RESULTS: In arm A/B, 91.5%/92.0% of enrolled patients completed questionnaires at baseline. No significant differences in the two arms were reported in compliance, baseline scores and mean changes versus baseline for the three questionnaires during maintenance (24/32/40 weeks). Overall, mean changes versus baseline showed an early deterioration during induction with partial recovering during maintenance for global QoL, functional scales and several symptoms/items of QLQ-C30 (fatigue, nausea/vomiting, appetite loss, diarrhoea) and QLQ-CR29 (body image, dry mouth, hair loss, taste, faecal incontinence, sore skin), and EQ-5D Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score. CONCLUSION: In patients with RAS wild-type mCRC, induction with oxaliplatin-containing chemotherapy plus anti-EGFRs induces a transient significant QoL deterioration. After induction phase, treatment deintensification determines an overall recovery of health-related QoL, besides the expected prevention of oxaliplatin-related neurotoxicity.

Oral ulcer as an exclusive sign of gastric cancer: report of a rare case.

BACKGROUND: The oral cavity is a rare but occasional target for metastases, which may masquerade as various benign and inflammatory lesions, and sometimes also be asymptomatic. Oral metastatic lesions have been described in various cancers, particularly lung, breast and kidney carcinoma. CASE PRESENTATION: We here describe an uncommon case of a hard palate mucosa and gingival metastasis from gastric carcinoma that was originally diagnosed as a periodontal disease. Histopathological examination of a biopsy of the lesion revealed a signet-ring cell carcinoma, and a subsequent biopsy of an ulcerated stomach lesion showed a poorly differentiated gastric carcinoma. The patient underwent gastric resection but died of heart failure on the tenth postoperative day; a post-mortem examination revealed a residual bilateral ovarian infiltration by gastric carcinoma (Krukenberg's tumor). CONCLUSION: An occult carcinoma of the stomach may rarely metastasise to the oral cavity even as a first and exclusive manifestation; it is important to bear this possibility in mind because such conditions may mimic a benign disease.

Unexpected low efficacy of stealth liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx) and vinorelbine in metastatic breast cancer.

In this phase II study, 23 patients with metastatic breast cancer were treated with a combination of Caelyx (40 mg/m2 on day 1) and vinorelbine (20 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8) every 4 weeks. According to the statistical design, enrollment was closed after the first stage due to the low response rate observed (four partial remissions, 12 stabilizations). Toxicity was acceptable, however, grade 3-4 neutropenia was not negligible. Our study does not support the development of this combination in advanced breast cancer.