Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer in Egypt: Pathological Characters, Patterns of Care, and Survival Compared to Average-Age Onset Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

PURPOSE: Early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is a rising health problem. The incidence of EOCRC has increased over the past 2 decades all over the world. Reports from Egypt since the 1990s have reported a higher incidence among young populations with no identifiable risk factors. The aim of this study was to assess EOCRC in Egypt regarding incidence, characteristics, treatment pattern, and survival compared with average age onset and elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective, record-based, cohort study combining data from four different cancer centers in Egypt. We grouped patients according to age into three categories: the EOCRC group for patients age ≤45 years and the average age onset and elderly cancer group (for patients age ≥65 years). RESULTS: The study included 1,310 patients with histopathologically proven colorectal cancer, representing four different geographical areas in Egypt. Patients with EOCRC represented 42.4% of the study population. Female patients were 50.6% among the EOCRC group and 52.5% among the average age group. Rectal tumors were significantly higher in EOCRC (54.7% v 40.6%; P < .001). There was no significant difference between both groups regarding the tumor stage at presentation, obstruction, or presence of metastases at presentation. Patients with EOCRC had a significantly higher rate of peritoneum/adnexa metastases than the average age ones (12.3% in EOCRC v 6.9% in the average age group; P < .001). No statistically significant differences between EOCRC and average age groups in both disease-free survival and overall survival were reported. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive framework for the study of EOCRC is required in Egypt as well as a genomic analysis to identify possible underlying genetic alterations responsible for the high incidence of EOCRC.

Resource Oriented Decision Making for Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC) in a Lower-Middle Income Country: Egyptian Foundation of Medical Sciences (EFMS) Consensus Recommendations 2020.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and the second cause of cancer related mortality. Treatment options for patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) expanded during the last two decades, with introduction of new chemotherapeutic and targeted agents. Egypt is a lower middle-income country; Egyptian health care system is fragmented with wide diversity in drug availability and reimbursement policies across different health care providing facilities. We report the results of consensus recommendations for treatment of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer developed by Egyptian Foundation of Medical Sciences (EFMS), aiming to harmonize clinical practice through structured expert consensus-based recommendations consistent with the national status. EFMS recommendations could be utilized in other countries with similar economic status. METHODS: EFMS recommendations were developed using a modified Delphi process, with three rounds of voting till the final recommendations were approved. A non-systematic review of literature was conducted before generating the provisional statements. Content experts were asked to vote on some recommendations in two different resource groups (restricted resources and non-restricted resources). External review board of experts from a low income and lower-middle countries voted on the applicability of EFMS recommendations in their countries. RESULTS: The current recommendations highlighted the discrepancy in health care between restricted and non-restricted resources with expected survival loss and quality of life deterioration. Access to targeted agents in first line is very limited in governmental institutions, and no access to agents approved for third line in patients who failed oxaliplatin and irinotecan containing regimens for patients treated in restricted resource settings. CONCLUSION: Management of mCRC in developing countries is a challenge. The currently available resource-stratified guidelines developed by international cancer societies represent a valuable decision-making tool, adaptation to national status in each country based on healthcare system status is required.

Impact of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Patients with Central Neurocytoma: A Multicentric International Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Central neurocytoma (CN) is a rare tumor accounting for <0.5% of all intracranial tumors. Surgery ± radiotherapy is the mainstay treatment. This international multicentric study aims to evaluate the outcomes of CNs patients after multimodal therapies and identify predictive factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified 33 patients with CN treated between 2005 and 2019. Treatment characteristics and outcomes were assessed. RESULTS: All patients with CN underwent surgical resection. Radiotherapy was delivered in 19 patients. The median radiation dose was 54 Gy (range, 50-60 Gy). The median follow-up time was 56 months. The 5-year OS and 5-year PFS were 90% and 76%, respectively. Patients who received radiotherapy had a significantly longer PFS than patients without RT (p = 0.004) and a trend towards longer OS. In addition, complete response after treatments was associated with longer PFS (p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: Using RT seems to be associated with longer survival rates with an acceptable toxicity profile.

Impact of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy in Patients With Male Breast Cancer: A Multicenter International Analysis.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer in men accounts for approximately 1% of all breast cancers. Breast cancer trials have routinely excluded men. The aim of this analysis was to determine the effect of different treatment factors, in particular, postoperative radiation therapy (RT) on long-term outcomes. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Seventy-one patients with male breast cancer treated in 5 closely cooperating institutions between 2003 and 2019 were analyzed. RESULTS: Almost all patients (95%) underwent surgical resection. Forty-two patients (59%) received chemotherapy, and 59 (83%) received adjuvant hormonal therapy. Of the 71 patients, 52 (73%) were treated with RT. The rate of recurrence was 20% in the whole cohort, with a locoregional recurrence rate of 3%. In the entire group, the 5-year local control (LC) was 95%, whereas 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS) were 62% and 96%, respectively. There was a lower rate of relapses after adjuvant RT (19% vs 32%, P = .05) without in-field relapse after postoperative RT (0%) versus 10% in patients without RT (P = .02). In the multivariate analysis performed, hormonal therapy administration was found to have a possible significant effect on LC and PFS. Administration of adjuvant RT and stage affect PFS. In patients who received RT, there were no grade 3 or 4 acute toxicities. CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant RT is an effective and safe treatment for male breast cancer patients with no infield relapses and better PFS. Hormonal therapy administration was found to have a possible effect on LC and PFS.

Pattern of Bone Generation after Irradiation in Vascularized Tissue Engineered Constructs.

BACKGROUND: Regenerative medicine modalities provide promising alternatives to conventional reconstruction techniques but are still deficient after malignant tumor excision or irradiation due to defective vascularization. METHODS: We investigated the pattern of bone formation in axially vascularized tissue engineering constructs (AVTECs) after irradiation in a study that mimics the clinical scenario after head and neck cancer. Heterotopic bone generation was induced in a subcutaneously implanted AVTEC in the thigh of six male New Zealand rabbits. The tissue construct was made up of Nanobone (Artoss GmbH; Rostock, Germany) granules mixed with autogenous bone marrow and 80 µL of bone morphogenic protein-2 at a concentration of 1.5 µg/µL. An arteriovenous loop was created microsurgically between the saphenous vessels and implanted in the core of the construct to induce axial vascularization. The constructs were subjected to external beam irradiation on postoperative day 20 with a single dose of 15 Gy. The constructs were removed 20 days after irradiation and subjected to histological and immunohistochemical analysis for vascularization, bone formation, apoptosis, and cellular proliferation. RESULTS: The vascularized constructs showed homogenous vascularization and bone formation both in their central and peripheral regions. Although vascularity, proliferation, and apoptosis were similar between central and peripheral regions of the constructs, significantly more bone was formed in the central regions of the constructs. CONCLUSION: The study shows for the first time the pattern of bone formation in AVTECs after irradiation using doses comparable to those applied after head and neck cancer. Axial vascularization probably enhances the osteoinductive properties in the central regions of AVTECs after irradiation.

Date palm pollen as a preventative intervention in radiation- and chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the effectiveness of date palm pollen (DPP) in the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis induced by radiation and chemotherapy. METHODS: Twenty subjects with varying head and neck cancers were enrolled. Ten subjects were treated with DPP administered orally (2 g daily for 42 days) as a swish and swallow suspension, and 10 control subjects received the facility standard of care. Objective oral assessments using the Oral Mucositis Assessment Scale (OMAS) were conducted at baseline and while the subjects were on treatment. Study subjects also evaluated the treatment impact by visual analog scales for severity of mouth pain and ability to swallow. RESULTS: The results obtained demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the mean OMAS score in the DPP treatment group and the control group. Symptoms such as impairment of solid food intake observed with the control group were not observed in the DPP-treated group following the treatment. Reduction of mucositis severity of pain and ability to swallow were statistically significant in the DPP-treated group. CONCLUSION: DPP treatment reduced the incidence of mouth pain and oral ulcers that often require modifications to soft/liquid diet. The complex mixture of bioactive constituents contained in DPP may have protected the oral mucosa by blocking oxidative free radicals, preventing DNA damage, and neutralizing inflammatory reactions. Further randomized controlled studies are needed to validate DPP efficacy in the broader management of chemotherapy- and radiation-induced mucositis.

Randomized study of concurrent carboplatin, paclitaxel, and radiotherapy with or without prior induction chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Multiple concepts of combined modality therapy for locally advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer have been investigated. These include induction chemotherapy, concomitant chemo-radiotherapy, and radiation only. To date, combined modality therapy specially the use of concomitant chemo-radiotherapy has led to promising results and was shown to be superior to radiotherapy alone in phase II studies. However the optimum chemo-therapeutic regimen to be used as well as the benefit of induction chemotherapy before concomitant chemo-radiotherapy are yet to be determined. Based on these observations, we investigated the use of paclitaxel and carboplatin concomitantly with radiotherapy and the benefit of prior two cycles induction chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this trial 60 patients with locally advanced inoperable non small cell lung cancer, good performance status and minimal weight loss have been randomized into 3 groups each of 20 patients. Group A received induction 2 cycles paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC 6) on day 1 and 28th followed by concomitant paclitaxel (45 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC 2) weekly with radiotherapy. Group B received concomitant carboplatin, paclitaxel (same doses as in group A) and radiotherapy with no prior induction chemotherapy. Group C received only radiotherapy to a total dose of 60 Gy in conventional fractionation. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients were enrolled in this study between 1998 and 2000. Pretreatment characteristics, including age, gender, performance status, histological features and stage were comparable in each group. The incidence of oesophagitis was significantly higher in group A and B than in group C (p=0.023). Hematological toxicities was also significantly higher in group A & B than in group C (p=0.003). The response rate was significantly higher in group A and B than in group C (75%, 79%, and 40% respectively) (p=0.020). The time to in-field progression was significantly higher in group B as compared to group A (48% vs. 32% failure in 2 years respectively) (p=0.000). The median 2 year survival was significantly higher in group A and B than in group C (p=0.039) but no statistical difference was seen between group A and B. CONCLUSION: Combined chemo-radiotherapy resulted in better response and survival as compared to conventional radiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer. Early initiation of radiation with concomitant chemotherapy resulted in prolonged time to infield progression. On the other hand, two cycles of induction chemotherapy did not show any significant difference regarding the response or survival. Weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin plus radiotherapy is a well tolerated regimen for outpatients with encouraging results.