Preoperative radiation as part of a multidisciplinary strategy for a medically inoperable patient with a bleeding colon cancer.

An 84-year-old man with a history of deep vein thrombosis on warfarin and coronary artery disease presented with haematochezia and was diagnosed with an ascending colon cancer. He was short of breath with lower extremity oedema at the initial surgical consultation. Evaluation revealed an acute exacerbation of congestive heart failure, and further workup and treatment were recommended by the cardiology team. After multidisciplinary discussion, he underwent radiation for the control of bleeding, followed by cardiac catheterisation and placement of a bare metal stent. The patient subsequently underwent robotic-assisted right hemicolectomy. Pathology demonstrated a complete response, and the patient recovered uneventfully. He is alive swith no evidence of disease recurrence 12 months after surgery and 18 months after initial diagnosis.

Nonoperative management after neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer: A single institution experience over 5 years.

BACKGROUND: Nonoperative or "watch and wait" strategies have emerged as a potential option for patients with rectal cancer that obtain a complete clinic response (cCR) after neoadjuvant therapy. We sought to evaluate our patients that experienced a cCR and their outcomes after non-operative management. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients at our center with rectal cancer from 2012 to 2016. We then identified patients that had a documented "complete clinical response" of their tumors after different neoadjuvant treatments and underwent non-operative management. Patients were followed on a surveillance schedule that included physical exam, endoscopy and imaging. RESULTS: A total of 29 patients elected to undergo nonoperative management with a mean patient age of 67 years old. All patients were treated with neoadjuvant long course chemoradiotherapy. Seven patients were treated with initial induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation and 11 received consolidation chemotherapy. During a median follow-up of 27.6 months, there were 6 (21%) recurrences (1 = local, 1 = local and distant, 4 distant). Of the 6 total recurrences, 5 patients were candidates for salvage surgical resection. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant treatment strategies may facilitate durable rates of cCR. Continued responses after these treatments could possibly enable more patients to undergo nonoperative management. We believe nonoperative management can be offered to patients seeking rectal preservation, but more research is required to select the appropriate patients. For those patients experiencing recurrence, the majority of patients can be salvaged surgically.

A novel anesthesiologist-led multidisciplinary model for evaluating high-risk surgical patients at a comprehensive cancer center.

The objective of this retrospective analysis was to describe the development and implementation of an anesthesiologist-led multidisciplinary committee to evaluate high-risk surgical patients in order to improve surgical appropriateness. The study was conducted in an anesthesia preoperative evaluation clinic at an academic comprehensive cancer center. One hundred sixty-seven high-risk surgical patients with cancer-related diagnoses were evaluated and discussed at a High-Risk Committee (HRC) meeting to determine surgical appropriateness and optimize perioperative care. The HRC is an anesthesiologist-led model for multidisciplinary review of high-risk patients developed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. The group of high-risk patients in which surgery was not performed had, on average, a greater percentage of hypertension, smoking history, dyspnea, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, renal failure, and sleep apnea than the group in whom surgery was performed. Only one of 107 high-risk patients who had surgery died within the first 30 days after surgery. A smaller percentage of patients died in the group that had surgery versus the group in which surgery was canceled. For all patients discussed by the HRC, the mortality was less than 2% within the first 30 days after the HRC.

Preoperative survival calculator for resectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Estimation of preoperative overall survival (OS) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may guide surgical decision-making. METHODS: OS was analyzed using the National Cancer Data Base from 1998-2012. Patients with HCC who underwent wedge resection, lobectomy or extended lobectomy were selected. Patients who had metastatic disease or previous treatment prior to surgery were excluded. Data was randomly allocated to model building (nb =4,364) and validation cohorts (nv =1,091). Multivariable regression analyses of the nb were used to construct prediction models and optimized using nv. RESULTS: HCC patients (n=5,455) who underwent curative resection had a median OS of 36 months (95% CI, 34-38 months) with 1- and 3-year OS of 73% (95% CI, 72-74%) and 50% (95% CI, 49-51%), respectively. The patient median age was 65, 66% of patients were male, median tumor size was 60 mm; clinical stage 1 =25%, stage 2 =30% and stage 3 =45%. Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) was elevated in 63% of patients. Factors significant in the prediction model included degree of resection, age, race, tumor size, grade, and histologic subtype. CONCLUSIONS: A preoperative OS calculator was developed to assist in the treatment evaluation and OS prediction of HCC patients.

Trends in intensity modulated radiation therapy use for locally advanced rectal cancer at National Comprehensive Cancer Network centers.

PURPOSE: Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been rapidly incorporated into clinical practice because of its technological advantages over 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (CRT). We characterized trends in IMRT utilization in trimodality treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer at National Comprehensive Cancer Network cancer centers between 2005 and 2011. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Using the prospective National Comprehensive Cancer Network Colorectal Cancer Database, we determined treatment patterns for 976 patients with stage II-III rectal cancer who received pelvic radiation therapy at contributing centers between 2005 and 2011. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with IMRT versus 3-dimensional CRT. Radiation therapy compliance and time to completion were used to compare acute toxicity. RESULTS: A total of 947 patients (97%) received 3-dimensional CRT (80%) or IMRT (17%). Ninety-eight percent of these patients received radiation therapy preoperatively, and 81% underwent definitive resection. IMRT use increased from <13% pre-2009 to >30% in 2010 and thereafter, with significant variability among institutions (range, 0%-43%). Other factors associated with IMRT use included age ≥65 years, dose >50.4 Gy, African-American race, and no transabdominal surgery. Rates of and time to radiation therapy completion were similar between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although most patients with stage II-III rectal cancer at queried National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers between 2005 and 2011 received 3-dimensional CRT, significant and increasing numbers received IMRT. IMRT utilization is highly variable among institutions and not uniform among sociodemographic groups but may be more consistently embraced in specific clinical settings. Given this trend, comparative-effectiveness research is needed to evaluate the benefits of IMRT for rectal cancer.

Does adjuvant therapy improve overall survival for stage IA/B pancreatic adenocarcinoma?

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines recommend adjuvant chemotherapy for resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, no studies have addressed its survival benefit for stage I patients as they comprise <10% of PDAC. METHODS: Using the NCDB 2006-2012, resected PDAC patients with stage I disease who received adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy or chemoradiation) were analyzed. Factors associated with overall survival (OS) were identified. RESULTS: 3909 patients with resected stage IA or IB PDAC were identified. Median OS was 60.3 months (mo) for stage IA and 36.9 mo for IB. 45.5% received adjuvant chemotherapy; 19.9% received adjuvant chemoradiation. There was OS benefit for both stage IA/IB patients with adjuvant chemotherapy (HR = 0.73 and 0.76 for IA and IB, respectively, p = 0.002 and <0.001). For patients with Stage IA disease (n = 1,477, 37.8%), age ≥70 (p < 0.001), higher grade (p < 0.001), ≤10 lymph nodes examined (p = 0.008), positive margins (p < 0.001), and receipt of adjuvant chemoradiation (p = 0.002) were associated with worse OS. For stage IB patients (n = 2,432, 62.2%), similar associations were observed with the exception of adjuvant chemoradiation whereby there was no significant association (p = 0.35). CONCLUSION: Adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with an OS benefit for patients with stage I PDAC; adjuvant chemoradiation was either of no benefit or associated with worse OS.

Lymphovascular and perineural invasion are associated with poor prognostic features and outcomes in colorectal cancer: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Lymphovascular and perineural invasion (LVI and PNI) are associated with poor outcomes in several cancers. We sought to identify clinical variables associated with LVI and PNI in colorectal cancer (CRC) and to determine their impact on survival. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), 2004-2011. Patients with CRC and a documented LVI or PNI status were included. Multivariate analysis was conducted to examine the associations between clinical variables and LVI/PNI, PNI and survival, and LVI/PNI and lymph node (LN) status in patients with T1 and T2 tumors. RESULTS: In total, 158,777 patients were included. LVI status was documented for 139,026 patients, 26.3% of whom were positive. PNI status was documented in 142,034 patients, 11.1% of whom were positive. The multivariable model identified a number of pathologic and clinical characteristics associated with the presence of LVI and PNI, including a number of features of advanced CRC. PNI was independently associated with reduced survival (HR 3.55, 95%CI 1.78-7.09). In T1 or T2 tumors, LVI and PNI were significantly associated with LN involvement. CONCLUSIONS: LVI and PNI are associated with advanced CRC. PNI is an independent poor prognostic marker for survival in CRC. LVI and PNI are associated with LN involvement in T1 and T2 tumors. Documentation of LVI and PNI status on biopsy specimens may help in prognostication and decision-making in the management of these early tumors.

National disparities in minimally invasive surgery for pancreatic tumors.

BACKGROUND: For patients with pancreatic tumors, several disparities have been shown to impact access to care, including surgery, and subsequently adversely affect long-term oncologic outcomes. The aim of this study was to investigate national disparities in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) across different demographics for pancreatic tumors. METHODS: We utilized the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) to identify patients with pancreatic tumors from 2010 to 2011 who had undergone surgery through either an open or MIS approach. Multivariable analysis was performed to investigate differences in patient characteristics in relation to surgical approach and conversion to open. RESULTS: A total of 2809 patients were identified. The initial surgical approach included 86.5 % open (2430) and 13.5 % MIS (87.6 % were laparoscopic, and 12.4 % were robotic). Tumor histology was significantly associated with MIS, whereby patients with neuroendocrine tumors were more than twice as likely to have an MIS approach compared to adenocarcinoma. Tumor location within the pancreas was also associated with MIS, with tumors in the tail being three times more likely to be removed through MIS compared to tumors in the head. For patients with disease in the body or tail of the pancreas, ethnicity was independently associated with MIS whereby patients of Hispanic origin were less likely to have MIS. The conversion rate to open was 27.7 %, and geographic location was associated with conversion rates. CONCLUSIONS: MIS procedures comprise approximately 13.5 % of surgical procedures for pancreatic tumors. In addition to tumor histology, differences in surgical approach were identified with respect to ethnicity for patients with tumors in the body/tail of the pancreas.

No Survival Difference with Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Compared with Chemotherapy in Resectable Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma: Results from the National Cancer Data Base.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant treatment improves survival in resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma, but the optimal regimen has not been defined. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) is associated with higher pathologic complete response (pCR) relative to chemotherapy (nCTX), but has not been shown to improve survival; however, previous studies have been underpowered to demonstrate a survival difference. The objective of this study was to determine if nCRT is associated with increased survival relative to nCTX in patients with resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma. STUDY DESIGN: The National Cancer Data Base (2006 to 2013) was retrospectively reviewed for patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma who underwent neoadjuvant treatment followed by resection. Data were collected regarding patient, disease, and treatment variables. Outcomes included 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS), pCR rate, and short-term postoperative outcomes. Propensity-adjusted analysis was conducted to account for baseline differences between treatment groups. RESULTS: Six hundred fifty patients received nCTX and 6,336 received nCRT. Patients who underwent nCTX had slightly smaller tumors, and fewer were clinical stage III at baseline. Pathologic complete response was 17.2% with nCTX and 31.6% with nCRT (p < 0.001). Receiving nCRT was associated with fewer nodes examined, fewer nodes involved, fewer T3/4 tumors, and fewer positive margins than nCTX. There was no significant difference in OS between the 2 groups (hazard ratio [HR] 1.08 nCRT vs nCTX, 95% CI 0.95, 1.21, p = 0.228). There was no significant difference in short-term postoperative outcomes by treatment modality. CONCLUSIONS: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation is not associated with improved survival relative to nCTX for resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma. Radiation may potentially be omitted in some patients with this disease.

Predictors of circumferential resection margin involvement in surgically resected rectal cancer: A retrospective review of 23,464 patients in the US National Cancer Database.

INTRODUCTION: The circumferential resection margin (CRM) is a key prognostic factor after rectal cancer resection. We sought to identify factors associated with CRM involvement (CRM+). METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of the National Cancer Database, 2004-2011. Patients with rectal cancer who underwent radical resection and had a recorded CRM were included. Multivariable analysis of the association between clinicopathologic characteristics and CRM was performed. Tumor <1 mm from the cut margin defined CRM+. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of 23,464 eligible patients, 13.3% were CRM+. Factors associated with CRM+ were diagnosis later in the study period, lack of insurance, advanced stage, higher grade, undergoing APR, and receiving radiation. Nearly half of CRM+ patients did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. CRM+ patients who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy were more likely to be female, older, with more comorbidities, smaller tumors, earlier clinical stage, advanced pathologic stage, and CEA-negative disease compared to those who received it. CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with CRM+ include features of advanced disease, undergoing APR, and lack of health insurance. Half of CRM+ patients did not receive neoadjuvant treatment. These represent cases where CRM status may be modifiable with appropriate pre-operative selection and multidisciplinary management.

National Disparities in Surgical Approach to T1 Rectal Cancer and Impact on Outcomes.

This study investigated disparities between patients who had local excision versus radical resection for T1 rectal cancer. A retrospective analysis was performed using the National Cancer Data Base, 2004 to 2011. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients with T1, N0 rectal adenocarcinoma that were <3 cm, well or moderately differentiated without perineural invasion. Patients were stratified based on local excision and radical surgery. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, unplanned readmission rates, and postoperative length of stay. A total of 2235 patients were identified; 1335 (59.7%) underwent local excision and 900 (40.3%) had radical surgery. Overall, radical surgery was associated with an improved 5-year OS rate compared to local excision (0.86 vs 0.78, P = 0.009), increased unplanned readmission (6.5% vs 2.7%, P < 0.001), and longer postoperative length of stay (6.9 days vs 3.1 days, P < 0.001). For patients who had local excision, insurance status was an independent predictor of OS. Compared to patients with private insurance, those with government plans or no insurance had poorer OS (hazard ratio = 1.77 and 17.45, respectively, P = 0.006). Further study is warranted to understand the reasons accounting for this disparity in surgical approach to T1 rectal cancer.

Nationwide analysis of short-term surgical outcomes of minimally invasive esophagectomy for malignancy.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) is being increasingly utilized for esophageal cancer. It is unclear if MIE if being safely performed with satisfactory outcomes across the USA. We aimed to analyze the short-term surgical outcomes of MIE as compared to open esophagectomy (OE). METHODS: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients who underwent MIE or OE for esophageal malignancy between 2010 and 2011. Margin positivity, lymph node retrieval, 30-day mortality, 30-day unplanned readmission rate and hospital length of stay. RESULTS: A total of 4047 patients were identified; 3050 (75.4%) underwent OE, and 997 (24.6%) underwent MIE. The proportion of MIE increased from 21.9% in 2010 to 27.4% in 2011 (p < 0.001). The conversion rate was 13.7%. There were no differences in-patient or tumor characteristics between the two cohorts. OE and MIE were comparable in terms of margin positive resection rate (7.4% vs. 8.1%, p = 0.48), 30-day unplanned readmission rate (7.6% vs. 7.2%, p = 0.64) and 30-day mortality rate (4.3% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.71). Compared to OE, MIE was associated with higher node retrieval (median 12 vs 14, p < 0.001), and shorter hospital stay (median 11.0 vs 10.0 days, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that surgical approach (OE vs MIE) was not associated with 30-day mortality rate. In an ANCOVA analysis, MIE was independently associated with a shorter hospital stay compared to OE (estimated mean difference 1.57 ± 0.53 days, p = 0.003). MIE patients who underwent conversion had a longer hospital stay compared to those who did not (11.0 vs 10.0 days, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: MIE is being offered more frequently to patients with esophageal cancer, and maybe accompanied with better short-term outcomes including shorter hospital stay when compared to open esophagectomy.

Predictors of Pathologic Complete Response Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Some patients with rectal cancer who receive neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) achieve a pathologic complete response (pCR) and may be eligible for less radical surgery or non-operative management. The aim of this study was to identify variables that predict pCR after nCRT for rectal cancer and to examine the impact of pCR on postoperative complications. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of the NCDB from 2006 to 2011. Patients with rectal cancer who received nCRT followed by radical resection were included in this study. Multivariable analysis of the association between clinicopathologic characteristics and pCR was performed, and propensity-adjusted analysis was used to identify differences in postoperative morbidity between pCR and non-pCR patients. RESULTS: A total of 23,747 patients were included in the study. Factors associated with pCR included lower tumor grade, lower clinical T and N stage, higher radiation dose, and delaying surgery by more than 6-8 weeks after the end of radiation, while lack of health insurance was linked with a lower likelihood of pCR. Complete response was not associated with an increased risk of major postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Several clinical, pathologic, and treatment variables can help to predict which patients are most likely to have pCR after nCRT for rectal cancer. Awareness of these variables can be valuable in counseling patients regarding prognosis and treatment options.

National disparities in minimally invasive surgery for rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Social and racial disparities have been identified as factors contributing to differences in access to care and oncologic outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate national disparities in minimally invasive surgery (MIS), both laparoscopic and robotic, across different racial, socioeconomic and geographic populations of patients with rectal cancer. METHODS: We utilized the American College of Surgeons National Cancer Database to identify patients with rectal cancer from 2004 to 2011 who had undergone definitive surgical procedures through either an open, laparoscopic or robotic approach. Inclusion criteria included only one malignancy and no adjuvant therapy. Multivariate analysis was performed to investigate differences in age, gender, race, income, education, insurance coverage, geographic setting and hospital type in relation to the surgical approach. RESULTS: A total of 8633 patients were identified. The initial surgical approach included 46.5% open (4016), 50.9% laparoscopic (4393) and 2.6% robotic (224). In evaluating type of insurance coverage, patients with private insurance were most likely to undergo laparoscopic surgery [OR (odds ratio) 1.637, 95% CI 1.178-2.275], although there was a less statistically significant association with robotic surgery (OR 2.167, 95% CI 0.663-7.087). Patients who had incomes greater than $46,000 and received treatment at an academic center were more likely to undergo MIS (either laparoscopic or robotic). Race, education and geographic setting were not statistically significant characteristics for surgical approach in patients with rectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive approaches for rectal cancer comprise approximately 53% of surgical procedures in patients not treated with adjuvant therapy. Robotics is associated with patients who have higher incomes and private insurance and undergo surgery in academic centers.