Baseline metabolic tumour burden improves risk stratification in Hodgkin lymphoma: A Children's Oncology Group study.

The Children's Oncology Group AHOD0831 study used a positron emission tomography (PET) response-adapted approach in high-risk Hodgkin lymphoma, whereby slow early responders (SERs) received more intensive therapy than rapid early responders (RERs). We explored if baseline PET-based characteristics would improve risk stratification. Of 166 patients enrolled in the COG AHOD0831 study, 94 (57%) had baseline PET scans evaluable for quantitative analysis. For these patients, total body metabolic tumour volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax ) and peak SUV (SUVpeak ) were obtained. MTV/TLG thresholds were an SUV of 2.5 (MTV2.5 /TLG2.5 ) and 40% of the tumour SUVmax (MTV40% /TLG40% ). TLG2.5 was associated with event-free survival (EFS) in the complete cohort (p = 0.04) and in RERs (p = 0.01), but not in SERs (p = 0.8). The Youden index cut-off for TLG2.5 was 1841. Four-year EFS was 92% for RER/TLG2.5  up to 1841, 60% for RER/TLG2.5  greater than 1841, 74% for SER/TLG2.5  up to 1841 and 79% for SER/TLG2.5  greater than 1841. Second EFS for RER/TLG2.5  up to 1841 was 100%. Thus, RERs with a low baseline TLG2.5 experienced excellent EFS with less intensive therapy, whereas RERs with a high baseline TLG2.5 experienced poor EFS. These findings suggest that patients with a high upfront tumour burden may benefit from intensified therapy, even if they achieve a RER.

Equivocal end-of-therapy imaging findings do not predict a higher risk of local relapse after definitive radiotherapy in pediatric Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Posttherapy imaging studies can provide reassurance or induce anxiety regarding risk of recurrence for patients and their families. In some cases, it is difficult to determine if imaging findings represent posttreatment changes or residual disease. Equivocal radiographic findings can occur due to therapy-related inflammation or residual, inactive soft tissue masses, but it is unknown if such findings indicate an increased likelihood of local recurrence. The aim of this study was to assess the value of initial posttherapy scans for predicting local relapse in patients with Ewing sarcoma (EWS) or rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) who received radiotherapy (RT) for local control. These findings are critical to inform clinicians' surveillance recommendations and ability to accurately counsel patients and their families. PROCEDURE: The primary endpoint was time to local progression (LP). Patients were classified as having posttherapy scans that were "positive" (residual disease within the RT field), "negative" (no evidence of residual disease within the RT field), or "equivocal" (no determination could be made). The value of initial posttreatment scans for predicting LP was assessed using positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS: Negative imaging findings (n = 51) had an NPV of 88%, and positive imaging findings (n = 1) had a PPV of 100%. When equivocal findings (n = 16) were categorized with negative results (i.e., positive vs. equivocal/negative), the NPV was 90%. When equivocal findings were categorized with positive results (equivocal/positive vs. negative), the PPV was 12%. CONCLUSION: Equivocal findings within the RT field on end-of-therapy imaging studies indicate no higher risk of local recurrence than negative findings. These results may contribute to appropriate surveillance schedules and accurate counseling of patients with RMS and EWS who have received RT for local control.

Stage I-II nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma: a multi-institutional study of adult patients by ILROG.

Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is an uncommon histologic variant, and the optimal treatment of stage I-II NLPHL is undefined. We conducted a multicenter retrospective study including patients ≥16 years of age with stage I-II NLPHL diagnosed from 1995 through 2018 who underwent all forms of management, including radiotherapy (RT), combined modality therapy (CMT; RT+chemotherapy [CT]), CT, observation after excision, rituximab and RT, and single-agent rituximab. End points were progression-free survival (PFS), freedom from transformation, and overall survival (OS) without statistical comparison between management groups. We identified 559 patients with median age of 39 years: 72.3% were men, and 54.9% had stage I disease. Median follow-up was 5.5 years (interquartile range, 3.1-10.1). Five-year PFS and OS in the entire cohort were 87.1% and 98.3%, respectively. Primary management was RT alone (n = 257; 46.0%), CMT (n = 184; 32.9%), CT alone (n = 47; 8.4%), observation (n = 37; 6.6%), rituximab and RT (n = 19; 3.4%), and rituximab alone (n = 15; 2.7%). The 5-year PFS rates were 91.1% after RT, 90.5% after CMT, 77.8% after CT, 73.5% after observation, 80.8% after rituximab and RT, and 38.5% after rituximab alone. In the RT cohort, but not the CMT cohort, variant immunoarchitectural pattern and number of sites >2 were associated with worse PFS (P < .05). Overall, 21 patients (3.8%) developed large-cell transformation, with a significantly higher transformation rate in those with variant immunoarchitectural pattern (P = .049) and number of involved sites >2 (P = .0006). OS for patients with stage I-II NLPHL was excellent after all treatments.

Brachytherapy in children, adolescents, and young adults: An underutilized modality in the United States?

BACKGROUND: Brachytherapy (BT) delivers highly conformal radiation and spares surrounding tissues, which may limit late effects in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult (AYA) patients. We aimed to characterize trends in BT use for this population in the United States, focusing on patients with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). METHODS: The National Cancer Database was queried to identify patients ≤ 21 who were treated for solid tumor malignancies in the United States from 2004 to 2016. We obtained disease, treatment, and outcome data for patients treated with BT, in particular for RMS. RESULTS: 99 506 pediatric and AYA patients met study inclusion. Of these, 22 586 (23%) received radiation therapy (external beam radiation therapy [EBRT] and/or BT) and 240 (0.2%) received BT. Among patients treated with BT, 139 (58%) underwent surgery and 58 (24%) received EBRT. A total of 3836 patients were treated for RMS during this period. Of these, 2531 (66%) received any radiation and 37 (1%) received BT (EBRT + BT in 3, BT in 34). Of patients treated with BT for RMS, 28 (76%) underwent surgery + BT. Survival data were available for 31 patients treated with BT for RMS. With a median follow-up of 63 months, overall survival was 100% for patients with RMS of a favorable site treated with BT. CONCLUSIONS: BT is rarely used to treat pediatric and AYA patients in the United States. Patients treated with BT for RMS experienced favorable survival, suggesting that this approach may not compromise oncologic outcomes and warrants further study as a therapeutic option in pediatric and AYA patients, specifically in RMS.

Non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft-tissue sarcoma.

Non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft-tissue sarcomas (NRSTS) comprise 4% of childhood cancers and consist of numerous histologic subtypes. Prognostic factors associated with poor outcome include high histologic grade, large tumor size, presence of metastases, and unresectability. Complete surgical resection is critical for the best oncologic outcomes and is prioritized in treatment algorithms. The use of radiation therapy (RT) and chemotherapy is based upon factors such as resectability, histologic grade, tumor size, and stage. North American and European trials are defining a risk-based approach to NRSTS to limit treatment-related toxicity and to maximize therapeutic efficacy. In this paper, we summarize the current roles of surgery, RT, and chemotherapy in NRSTS and describe ongoing research that is advancing the care of NRSTS patients.

Medical and rehabilitation interventions in pediatric central nervous system radiation necrosis: A case report.

Radiation necrosis is a potentially debilitating side effect of therapy necessary to treat pediatric central nervous system tumors. Clinical signs of cerebral radiation necrosis (CRN) are similar to symptoms of disease progression and require close monitoring. The case of an infant diagnosed with a malignant rhabdoid tumor is presented to describe the medical and rehabilitation interventions implemented to address CRN. Rehabilitation providers should routinely be consulted in children with CRN as they fill a critical role in treatment, neurological symptom monitoring, and intervention planning to address family-centered functional goals.

Prognostic value of baseline metabolic tumor volume in children and adolescents with intermediate-risk Hodgkin lymphoma treated with chemo-radiation therapy: FDG-PET parameter analysis in a subgroup from COG AHOD0031.

BACKGROUND: Positron emission tomography (PET)-based measures of baseline total-body tumor burden may improve risk stratification in intermediate-risk Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Evaluable patients were identified from a cohort treated homogeneously with the same combined modality regimen on the Children's Oncology Group AHOD0031 study. Eligible patients had high-quality baseline PET scans. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were each measured based on 15 thresholds for every patient. Univariate and multivariable Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses assessed for an association of MTV and TLG with event-free survival (EFS). RESULTS: From the AHOD0031 cohort (n = 1712), 86 patients were identified who (i) were treated with four cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vincristine, etoposide, prednisone, cyclophosphamide (ABVE-PC) chemotherapy followed by involved field radiotherapy, and (ii) had a baseline PET scan that was amenable to quantitative analysis. Based on univariate Cox regression analysis, six PET-derived parameters were significantly associated with EFS. For each of these, Kaplan-Meier analyses and the log-rank test were used to compare patients with highest tumor burden (i.e., highest 15%) to the remainder of the cohort. EFS was significantly associated with all six PET parameters (all p < .029). In a multivariable model controlling for important covariates including disease bulk and response to chemotherapy, MTV2BP was significantly associated with EFS (p = .012). CONCLUSION: Multiple baseline PET-derived volumetric parameters were associated with EFS. MTV2BP was highly associated with EFS when controlling for disease bulk and response to chemotherapy. Incorporation of baseline MTV into risk-based treatment algorithms may improve outcomes in intermediate-risk HL.

Reclassifying patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma based on functional radiographic markers at presentation.

The presence of bulky disease in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), traditionally defined with a 1-dimensional measurement, can change a patient's risk grouping and thus the treatment approach. We hypothesized that 3-dimensional measurements of disease burden obtained from baseline 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) scans, such as metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), would more accurately risk-stratify patients. To test this hypothesis, we reviewed pretreatment PET-CT scans of patients with stage I-II HL treated at our institution between 2003 and 2013. Disease was delineated on prechemotherapy PET-CT scans by 2 methods: (1) manual contouring and (2) subthresholding of these contours to give the tumor volume with standardized uptake value ≥2.5. MTV and TLG were extracted from the threshold volumes (MTVt, TLGt) and from the manually contoured soft-tissue volumes. At a median follow-up of 4.96 years for the 267 patients evaluated, 27 patients were diagnosed with relapsed or refractory disease and 12 died. Both MTVt and TLGt were highly correlated with freedom from progression and were dichotomized with 80th percentile cutoff values of 268 and 1703, respectively. Consideration of MTV and TLG enabled restratification of early unfavorable HL patients as having low- and high-risk disease. We conclude that MTV and TLG provide a potential measure of tumor burden to aid in risk stratification of early unfavorable HL patients.

Encouraging activity for R-CHOP in advanced stage nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.

Nodular lymphocyte Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare disease for which the optimal therapy is unknown. We hypothesized that rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) could decrease rates of relapse and transformation. We retrospectively reviewed patients with NLPHL diagnosed between 1995 and 2015 confirmed by central pathologic review. Fifty-nine had sufficient treatment and follow-up data for analysis. We described progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and histologic transformation according to treatment strategy and explored prognostic factors for PFS and OS. The median age at diagnosis was 41 years; 75% were male, and 61% had a typical growth pattern. Twenty-seven patients were treated with R-CHOP with an overall response rate of 100% (complete responses 89%). The median follow-up was 6.7 years, and the estimated 5- and 10-year PFS rates for patients treated with R-CHOP were 88.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 68.4% to 96.1%) and 59.3 (95% CI, 25.3% to 89.1%), respectively. Excluding patients with histologic transformation at diagnosis, the 5-year cumulative incidence of histologic transformation was 2% (95% CI, 87% to 100%). No patient treated with R-CHOP experienced transformation. A high-risk score from the German Hodgkin Study Group was adversely prognostic for OS (P = .036), whereas male sex and splenic involvement were adversely prognostic for PFS (P = .006 and .002, respectively) but not OS. Our data support a potential role for R-CHOP in patients with NLPHL. Larger prospective trials are needed to define the optimal chemotherapy regimen.

Pre-treatment neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and platelet/lymphocyte ratio are prognostic of progression in early stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

To determine whether pre-treatment neutrophil/lymphocyte (NLR) or platelet/lymphocyte ratios (PLR) are predictive for progression in early-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), we derived NLR and PLR values for 338 stage I/II cHL patients and appropriate cut-off point values to define progression. Two-year freedom from progression (FFP) for patients with NLR ≥6·4 was 82·2% vs. 95·7% with NLR <6·4 (P < 0·001). Similarly, 2-year FFP was 84·3% for patients with PLR ≥266·2 vs. 96·1% with PLR <266·2 (P = 0·003). On univariate analysis, both NLR and PLR were significantly associated with worse FFP (P = 0·001). On multivariate analysis, PLR remained a significant, independent prognostic factor (P < 0·001).

A multi-institutional analysis of peritransplantation radiotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: No consensus exists regarding the use of radiotherapy (RT) in conjunction with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC/ASCT) for patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The objectives of the current study were to characterize practice patterns and assess the efficacy and toxicity of RT at 2 major transplantation centers. METHODS: Eligible patients underwent HDC/ASCT from 2006 through 2015 using the combination of either carmustine (BCNU), etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BEAM) or cyclophosphamide, BCNU, and etoposide (CBV). RESULTS: For the cohort of 189 patients, the 4-year overall survival rate was 80%, the progression-free survival rate was 67%, and the local control (LC) rate was 68%. RT was used within 4 months of ASCT for 22 patients (12%) and was given more often for disease that was early stage, primary refractory, or [18 F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid at the time of HDC/ASCT. Disease recurrence occurring after HDC/ASCT was associated with primary refractory disease and FDG-avidity at the time of HDC/ASCT. RT was not found to be associated with LC, progression-free survival, or overall survival on univariate analysis. In a model incorporating primary refractory HL and FDG-avid disease at the time of HDC/ASCT, RT was found to be associated with a decreased risk of local disease recurrence (hazard ratio, 0.3; P = .02). In patients with primary refractory HL and/or FDG-avid disease at the time of HDC/ASCT, the 4-year LC rate was 81% with RT versus 49% without RT (P = .03). There was one case of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade ≥ 3 RT-related toxicity (acute grade 3 pancytopenia). CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing ASCT for relapsed/refractory HL, peritransplantation RT was used more often for disease that was early stage, primary refractory, or FDG-avid after salvage conventional-dose chemotherapy. RT was associated with improved LC of high-risk localized disease and was well tolerated with modern techniques. Cancer 2017;123:1363-1371. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients with follicular dendritic cell sarcoma.

Dendritic cell sarcomas are rare tumours of antigen presenting cells. Data regarding their biology, management and outcomes are sparse. We analysed 66 patients with follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS). Six patients also had Castleman disease, 9 had another malignancy and 13 had an autoimmune disease. Fifty-four per cent of patients presented with localized disease and 46% with systemic involvement. The median progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) following frontline therapy was 21 and 50 months, respectively. Survival outcomes were significantly inferior in patients with extranodal, bulky or intra-abdominal disease at presentation. Stage was not associated with survival. Management approaches were heterogeneous. Patients who underwent an upfront gross total resection (GTR) experienced better PFS and OS (both P < 0·0001). In patients who underwent a GTR, consolidative radiotherapy was associated with improved local control (P = 0·03), PFS (P = 0·04) and OS (P = 0·05). In patients with measureable disease, gemcitabine with a taxane yielded an overall response rate of 80%. The pattern of relapse was predominantly locoregional. Salvage rates after recurrence were poor. Studies are underway at our institution to define the genomic profile in FDCS and identify potential novel therapeutic targets.

Early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma outcomes after combined modality therapy according to the post-chemotherapy 5-point score: can residual pet-positive disease be cured with radiotherapy alone?

Early-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients are evaluated by an end-of-chemotherapy positron emission tomography-computed tomography (eoc-PET-CT) after doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD) and before radiation therapy (RT). We determined freedom from progression (FFP) in patients treated with ABVD and RT according to the eoc-PET-CT 5-point score (5PS). Secondarily, we assessed whether patients with a positive eoc-PET-CT (5PS of 4-5) can be cured with RT alone. The cohort comprised 174 patients treated for stage I-II HL with ABVD and RT alone. ABVD was given with a median of four cycles and RT with a median dose of 30·6 Gy. Five-year FFP was 97%. Five-year FFP was 100% (0 relapses/98 patients) for patients with a 5PS of 1-2, 97% (2/65) for a 5PS of 3, 83% (1/8) for a 5PS of 4, and 67% (1/3) for a 5PS of 5 (P < 0·001). Patients with positive eoc-PET-CT scans who were selected for salvage RT alone had experienced a very good partial response to ABVD. Risk factors for recurrence in this subgroup included a small reduction in tumour size and a 'bounce' in ≥1 PET-CT parameter (reduction then rise from interim to final scan). Thus, a positive eoc-PET-CT is associated with inferior FFP; however, appropriately selected patients can be cured with RT alone.

Dorsal column myelopathy after intrathecal chemotherapy for leukemia.

Intrathecal chemotherapy with methotrexate, a folate antagonist, is widely used to treat central nervous system malignancies. The mechanisms underlying methotrexate-induced neurotoxicity are unclear but may be related to increased homocysteine levels. Intrathecal methotrexate-induced myelopathy mimicking subacute combined degeneration, with normal B12 levels, has been documented. We examined treatment and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of 13 patients with leukemia who received intrathecal methotrexate and developed urinary and bowel incontinence, ascending motor weakness, and sensory loss with dorsal column hyperintensity on MRI between 2000 and 2016. Cerebrospinal fluid evaluation was negative for leukemia in all patients and positive for elevated protein in 12 patients. Seven of eight patients with available data had reduced serum folate, increased serum homocysteine, or both, implicating methotrexate as the cause of neurotoxicity. Autopsy of one patient revealed loss of myelinated axons in the posterior columns. These findings suggest that methotrexate neurotoxicity may be mediated by folate antagonism. Awareness and a high index of suspicion of these characteristic clinical and radiographic features in patients who develop myelopathy after intrathecal methotrexate may help to avoid additional neurotoxic therapy in such patients.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma with central nervous system involvement: An international multicenter collaboration.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is rare in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Thus, the clinical features and outcomes are not well described. Cases of histologically confirmed CNS HL diagnosed between 1995 and 2015 were retrospectively identified in institutional (n = 7), national (n = 2), and cooperative group (n = 1) databases. We screened 30,781 patients with HL in our combined databases and identified 21 patients meeting eligibility criteria, an estimated frequency of 0.07%. CNS involvement was present at initial diagnosis in 10 patients (48%) and a feature of relapsed/refractory disease in 11 (52%). Among these 11 patients, the median time from initial diagnosis of HL to development of CNS involvement was 1.9 years (range 0.4-6.6) and the median number of prior lines of therapy was 2 (range 1-7). Altogether, treatments included radiation, multiagent systemic chemotherapy, combined modality therapy, and subtotal resection. The overall response rate was 65%. After a median follow-up of 3.6 years (range 0.8-13.2) from diagnosis of CNS HL, the median PFS and OS were 7.6 and 29 months, respectively. CNS involvement as a feature of relapsed/refractory disease was adversely prognostic for both PFS and OS; however, four patients remain alive and free of relapse at 7-78 months follow-up. CNS involvement in HL is exceedingly rare and has a distinct clinical presentation with predilection for parenchymal lesions with dural extension. Around one-quarter of patients, mostly with CNS involvement at initial HL diagnosis, experience prolonged disease-free survival. Am. J. Hematol. 91:894-899, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neoadjuvant radiation therapy prior to total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer is not associated with postoperative complications using current techniques.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant radiation therapy (RT) downstages rectal cancer but may increase postoperative morbidity. This study aims to quantify 30-day complication rates after total mesorectal excision (TME) using current techniques and to assess for an association of these complications with neoadjuvant RT. METHODS: Stage I-III rectal cancer patients who underwent TME from 2005 to 2010 were identified. Complications occurring within 30 days after TME were retrieved from a prospectively maintained institutional database of postoperative adverse events. RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 461 patients. Median age was 59 years (range 18-90), and 274 patients (59 %) were male. Comorbid conditions included obesity (n = 147; 32 %), coronary artery disease (n = 83; 18 %), diabetes (n = 65; 14 %), and inflammatory bowel disease (n = 19; 4 %). A low anterior resection (LAR) was performed in 383 cases (83 %), an abdominoperineal resection (APR) was performed in 72 cases (16 %), and a Hartmann's procedure was performed in 6 cases (1 %). Preoperative RT was delivered to 310 patients (67 %; median dose of 50.4 Gy, range 27-55.8 Gy). The 30-day incidence of postoperative mortality was 0.4 % (n = 2), any complication 25 % (n = 117), grade 3 or more complication 5 % (n = 24), intra-abdominal infection 3 % (n = 12), abdominal wound complication 9 % (n = 42), perineal wound complication after APR 11 % (n = 8/72), and anastomotic leak after LAR 2 % (n = 6/383). These events were not associated with neoadjuvant RT. CONCLUSION: In a cohort undergoing TME using current techniques, neoadjuvant RT was not associated with 30-day postoperative morbidity or mortality.

Quantifying the risk of recurrence and death in stage III (FIGO 2009) endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Advanced endometrial cancer patients comprise a heterogeneous group. This study assessed the association of clinicopathological factors with relapse and death from endometrial cancer. METHODS: Eligible patients were treated for stage III (FIGO 2009) endometrial adenocarcinoma, had peritoneal cytology performed, and had no gross residual disease post-operatively. RESULTS: Of 192 patients, 59% were ≥60 years old, 48% had ≥50% myometrial invasion, 71% lymphovascular invasion, 25% cervical stromal invasion, 37% adnexal involvement, and 23% positive peritoneal cytology. High-grade histology (serous, clear cell, undifferentiated, or grade 3 endometrioid) was present in 45%. Pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed in 93% and para-aortic lymphadenectomy in 73%. Adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy was administered to 93%. At a median follow-up of 42 months, the 5-year rate of relapse was 37% and of death from endometrial cancer was 30%. On multivariate analysis, both outcomes were associated with high-grade histology, positive peritoneal cytology, and deep myometrial invasion (p≤0.04). The cohort was divided into subgroups of patients with 0 (n=46), 1 (n=83), or ≥2 (n=63) of these high-risk characteristics. The 5-year relapse rate for patients with 0 risk factors was 13%, 1 risk factor was 27%, and ≥2 risk factors was 62% (p<0.001). The corresponding 5-year rates of death from endometrial cancer were 11%, 20%, and 56%, respectively (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Stratification of stage III endometrial cancer according to high-grade histology, positive peritoneal cytology, and deep myometrial invasion is useful for prognostication and may grant insight into the optimal treatment for specific subgroups of patients.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® rectal cancer: metastatic disease at presentation.

The management of rectal cancer in patients with metastatic disease at presentation is highly variable. There are no phase III trials addressing therapeutic approaches, and the optimal sequencing of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery remains unresolved. Although chemoradiation is standard for patients with stage II/III rectal cancer, its role in the metastatic setting is controversial. Omitting chemoradiation may not be appropriate in all stage IV patients, particularly those with symptomatic primary tumors. Moreover, outcomes in this setting are vastly different, as some treatments carry the potential for cure in selected patients, while others are purely palliative. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed every 3 years by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and review include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer-reviewed journals and the application, by the panel, of a well-established consensus methodology (Modified Delphi) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures. In instances in which evidence is lacking or not definitive, expert opinion may be used as the basis for recommending imaging or treatment.