Elective nodal irradiation versus involved-field irradiation for stage II-IV cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy: a retrospective propensity study with 8-year survival outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (dCCRT) is suggested as the standard treatment for cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (CESCC). This retrospective propensity study compared the 8-year survival outcomes and acute treatment toxicities of these patients treated with elective nodal irradiation (ENI) versus involved-field irradiation (IFI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with stage II-IV CESCC treated with dCCRT at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2020 were enrolled in the study. All the patients were restaged according to the American Joint Commission 8th edition criteria. The propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize the effects of treatment selection bias and potential confounding factors including sex, age, ECOG score, clinical T stage, clinical N stage, clinical TNM stage and radiation dose between the ENI group and IFI group. Survival and the prognostic factors were evaluated. RESULTS: The 131 eligible patients underwent ENI (60 patients, 45.8%) or IFI (71 patients, 54.2%). The median follow-up time was 91.1 months (range, 23.8-182.0 months) for all the patients. The median OS, 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-year OS rates were 44.4 months, 87.8%, 55.1%, 38.3%, and 27.2%, respectively. After PSM, there were 49 patients in each group. The median OS, 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-year OS rates for ENI and IFI group were 32.0 months, 83.7%, 48.5%, 38.5% and 31.1% versus 45.2 months, 89.8%, 52.5%, 37.5%, 26.1%, respectively (P = 0.966; HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.61-1.61). Similar locoregional control was obtained in both groups. The tendency of leukocytopenia and neutropenia was higher in ENI than in IFI (59.2% vs. 38.8%; P = 0.068 and 30.6% vs. 14.3%; P = 0.089) at the end of dCCRT. CONCLUSION: Cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients undergoing definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy has a satisfactory prognosis with organ conservation. The involved-field irradiation might be a better alternative owing to similar overall survival outcomes and local control with less toxicity of myelosuppression.

Outcome and risk prediction of early progression in patients with extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma from the CLCG study.

Recently, progression-free survival at 24 months (PFS24) was defined as clinically relevant for patients with extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma. Herein, the clinical data from two independent random cohorts (696 patients each in the primary and validation datasets) were used to develop and validate a risk index for PFS24 (PFS24-RI), and evaluate its ability to predict early progression. Patients achieving PFS24 had a 5-year overall survival (OS) of 95.8%, whereas OS was only 21.2% in those failing PFS24 (P<0.001). PFS24 was an important predictor of subsequent OS, independent of risk stratification. The proportion of patients achieving PFS24 and 5-year OS rates correlated linearly among risk-stratified groups. Based on multivariate analysis of the primary dataset, the PFS24-RI included five risk factors: stage II or III/IV, elevated lactate dehydrogenase, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score ≥2, primary tumor invasion, and extra-upper aerodigestive tract. PFS24-RI stratified the patients into low-risk (0), intermediate-risk (1-2), high-risk (≥3) groups with different prognoses. Harrell's C-index of PFS24-RI for PFS24 prediction was 0.667 in the validation dataset, indicating a good discriminative ability. PFS24-RI calibration indicated that the actual observed and predicted probability of failing PFS24 agreed well. PFS24-RI provided the probability of achieving PFS24 at an individual patient level.

Tracheoesophageal fistula closure after staged dose-escalated radiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a case report.

An esophageal fistula can be caused by an esophageal tumor as well as the surgery, radiotherapy (RT), or chemoradiotherapy used to treat the tumor. The most dangerous complications are massive hemoptysis and asphyxia. This report describes a 58-year-old man with a >1-month history of dysphagia and hemoptysis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed a tumor in the upper esophagus and a tracheoesophageal fistula. Esophagography revealed a large lesion measuring approximately 8 cm in length. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed an ulcerated tumor with raised margins originating 22 cm from the incisors, and histologic examination of a biopsy specimen indicated squamous cell carcinoma. The tumor was finally classified as stage IVA (T4bN0M0) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Massive hemoptysis occurred after the patient was admitted to the hospital. Therefore, we applied staged dose-escalated RT in three stages (6.0 Gy in 5 fractions, 7.5 Gy in 5 fractions, and 46.8 Gy in 26 fractions) to decrease the rate of tumor shrinkage brought on by RT and give the normal tissue enough time to close the fistula. Finally, the hemoptysis resolved and the patient's symptoms were significantly improved. Contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography revealed shrinkage of the tumor. In conclusion, staged dose-escalated RT can be applied for esophageal fistula closure.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the trachea treated with radiotherapy: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma originates in the marginal zone of lymphoid tissue. lung is one of the most frequent non-gastrointestinal organs involved, here known as bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) lymphoma. BALT lymphoma of unknown etiology, and most patients are asymptomatic. The treatment of BALT lymphoma is controversial. CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old man admitted to hospital had a three-month history of progressively coughing up yellow sputum, chest stuffiness, and shortness of breath. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed mucosal visible beaded bumps 4 cm from the tracheal carina at 9 o 'clock and 3 o 'clock, the right main bronchus, and the right upper lobe bronchus. Biopsy specimens showed MALT lymphoma. Computed tomography virtual bronchoscopy (CTVB) showed uneven main bronchial wall thickening and multiple nodular protrusion. BALT lymphoma stage IE was diagnosed after a staging examination. We treated the patient with radiotherapy (RT) alone. A total dose of 30.6 Gy/17 f/25 d was given. The patient had no obvious adverse reactions during RT. The CTVB was repeated after RT and showed that the right side of the trachea was slightly thickened. CTVB was repeated 1.5 mo after RT and again showed that the right side of the trachea was slightly thickened. Annual CTVB showed no signs of recurrence. The patient now has no symptoms. CONCLUSION: BALT lymphoma is an uncommon disease and shows good prognosis. The treatment of BALT lymphoma is controversial. In recent years, less invasive diagnostic and therapeutic approaches have been emerging. RT was effective and safe in our case. The use of CTVB could provide a noninvasive, repeatable, and accurate method in diagnosis and follow-up.

Clinical characteristics, treatment, and survival of 30 patients with gastrointestinal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the second most frequent extranasal involvement site for ENKTL. This study aimed to explore the clinicopathological features, treatment models, survival outcomes, and prognosis of gastrointestinal ENKTL (GI-ENKTL). METHODS: The clinical data of GI-ENKTL patients were extracted from the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group (CLCG) database and were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients were enrolled, with a male/female ratio of 4:1 and a median age of 42 years. Twenty-nine patients received chemotherapy, of whom 15 patients received asparaginase-based (ASP-based) regimens. Moreover, seven received surgery and three received radiotherapy. The overall response an d complete remission rates were 50.0% and 30.0% for the whole cohort, 50.0% and 37.5% for patients treated with ASP-based regimens, and 50.0% and 25.0% for those treated with non-ASP-based regimens, respectively. The median follow-up was 12.9 months and the 1-year overall survival rate was 40.0% for the whole cohort. For those patients in an early stage, ASP-based regimens resulted in a superior 1-year progression-free survival rate compared to non-ASP-based regimens (100.0% vs. 36.0%, p = .07). However, ASP-based regimens did not improve survival in patients at an advanced stage. CONCLUSION: GI-ENKTL still has a poor prognosis, even in the era of modern asparaginase-based treatment strategies.

Evidence of cure for extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma with current treatment: an analysis of the CLCG database.

Survival from extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) has substantially improved over the last decade. However, there is little consensus as to whether a population of patients with ENKTCL can be considered "cured" of the disease. We aimed to evaluate the statistical "cure" of ENKTCL in the modern treatment era. This retrospective multicentric study reviewed the clinical data of 1,955 patients with ENKTCL treated with non-anthracycline-based chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group multicenter database between 2008 and 2016. A non-mixture cure model with incorporation of background mortality was fitted to estimate cure fractions, median survival times and cure time points. The relative survival curves attained plateau for the entire cohort and most subsets, indicating that the notion of cure was robust. The overall cure fraction was 71.9%. The median survival was 1.1 years in uncured patients. The cure time was 4.5 years, indicating that beyond this time, mortality in ENKTCL patients was statistically equivalent to that in the general population. Cure probability was associated with B symptoms, stage, performance status, lactate dehydrogenase, primary tumor invasion, and primary upper aerodigestive tract site. Elderly patients (>60 years) had a similar cure fraction to that of younger patients. The 5-year overall survival rate correlated well with the cure fraction across risk-stratified groups. Thus, statistical cure is possible in ENKTCL patients receiving current treatment strategies. Overall probability of cure is favorable, though it is affected by the presence of risk factors. These findings have a high potential impact on clinical practice and patients' perspective.

Characteristics and prognosis of distant metastasis after primary treatment for early-stage extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma from the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group database.

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and prognosis of distant metastasis (DM) after primary treatment for early-stage extranodal nasal-type natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL). A total of 1619 patients from the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group database were retrospectively reviewed. The cumulative incidence of DM was assessed using Fine and Gray's competing risk analysis. The correlation between DM sites was evaluated using phi coefficients, while DM sites were classified using hierarchical clustering. Regression analysis was used to assess the linear correlation between DM-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS). The 5-year cumulative DM rate was 26.2%, with the highest annual hazard rate being in the first year (14.9%). The most frequent DM sites were the skin and soft tissues (SSTs, 32.4%) and distant lymph nodes (LNs, 31.3%). DM sites were categorized into four subgroups of distinct prognosis - distant LN, SST, extracutaneous site, and lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. SST or distant LN, solitary metastasis, and late-onset DM demonstrated a relatively favorable prognosis. Contemporary chemotherapy significantly decreased DM rates and improved DMFS. Decreased DM rates were further associated with increased OS probabilities. Our findings improve the understanding of the variable clinical behaviors of early-stage ENKTCL based on four distinct DM sites and thus provide guidance for future therapeutic decisions, metastatic surveillance, and translational trial design.

Primary Epithelial-Myoepithelial Carcinoma of the Lung Presenting as Multiple Synchronous Lesions.

Primary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma of the lung is an extremely rare histologic form that originates in the bronchial glands. Pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma in the peripheral lung is extremely rare, and multiple primary pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma has not been reported to date. Here, we report a case of pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma presenting as multiple synchronous lesions. The patient underwent two treatments by video-assisted thoracic surgery within 3 years. At the 4-month follow-up, the patient had no evidence of recurrence. In conclusion, our case report may contribute to the understanding of pulmonary epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma.

Progression-free survival as surrogate endpoint of overall survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a real-world data and literature-based analysis.

Background: The surrogacy of progression-free survival (PFS) for overall survival (OS) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unelucidated. This study aimed to determine the validity of PFS as a surrogate endpoint for OS in ESCC patients treated with definitive radiotherapy or definitive chemoradiotherapy (dRT/dCRT), as well as characterize the prognostic factors and survival of such patients. Methods: A total of 3662 patients from 10 cancer centers were enrolled. One-, 2-, and 3-year PFS (PFS12, PFS24, and PSF36, respectively) were used as time points for analysis. At each time point, ESCC-specific mortality and OS were characterized using competing risk and conditional survival models, while correlation between PFS and OS was evaluated by linear regression. Results: At PFS12, PFS24, and PFS36, a progressive decrease in 5-year ESCC-specific mortality (35.2%-13.4%) and increase in 5-year OS (46.6%-62.9%) were observed. Regardless, the OS of patients remained markedly lower than those of the age- and sex-matched Chinese general population. TNM stage remained a significant prognostic factor at PFS36. Strong correlation was found between 3-year PFS and 5-year OS, which was further externally validated. Conclusions: Three-year PFS may act as a potential surrogate endpoint for 5-year OS. TNM stage was considered a significant prognostic factor for OS, and may represent the optimal prognostic tool to guide clinical decision-making and post-treatment follow-up.

Treatment and outcome of a patient with pleural unilocular cystic mesothelial proliferation.

Pleural cystic mesothelial proliferation is an extremely uncommon disease arising in the mediastinal pleura. Usually, the cysts are incidentally found and preoperative diagnosis is difficult due to their atypical appearance. To date, only seven cases of pleural mesothelial proliferation have been reported, and only one patient with unilocular has been reported. Here, we report a case of a 55-year-old woman with a mediastinal pleural unilocular cystic mesothelial proliferation that was completely resected by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. After 2 years of follow-up, the patient had no evidence of recurrence. In conclusion, our case report may contribute to the understanding of pleural unilocular cystic mesothelial proliferation.

Long-Term Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Potentially Resectable Advanced Siewert Type II and III Adenocarcinomas of the Esophagogastric Junction.

BACKGROUND: Reports have shown that neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) increases the R0 resection rate for patients with Siewert type II or III adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction (AEG). However, the long-term efficacy of nCRT for AEG patients remains unclear. In this multicenter study, we investigated the long-term results of AEG patients treated with nCRT. METHODS: A total of 149 patients with potentially resectable advanced AEG (T3/4, Nany, M0) were randomly divided into two groups: the nCRT-treated group (treated group) (n = 76) and the surgery group (control group) (n = 73). The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS), and the secondary outcome indexes included the R0 resection rate, HER-2 expression, tumor regression grade (TRG), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and adverse events. RESULTS: In the treated group, the overall therapeutic efficacy rate was 40.8%, and the pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 16.9%. The rates of patients who underwent R0 resection in the treated and control groups were 97.0% and 87.7%, respectively (p < 0.05). The toxic effects were mainly graded 1-2 in the treated group. The median DFS times in the treated and control groups were 33 and 27 months, respectively (p = 0.08), whereas the median OS times were 39 and 30 months, respectively (p = 0.01). The median DFS times of patients with positive and negative HER-2 expression in the treated group were 13 and 43 months, respectively (p = 0.01), and the median OS times were 27 and 41 months, respectively (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Surgery after nCRT improved the efficacy of treatment for AEG patients and thus provided a better prognosis. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (number NCT01962246).

The promising outcome with simultaneous integrated boost intensity modulated radiotherapy in confined nasal extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma.

The study aimed to retrospectively analyze the prognosis of patients with stage IE nasal extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) with dose reduction to clinical target volume (CTV) by using simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT). Forty-four patients were reviewed retrospectively. The prescribed dose was 45 Gy/25 fractions for extended involved-field site and 50-55 Gy/25 fractions for primary tumor site by using SIB-IMRT. The 5-year overall survival (OS), local control (LC) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 81.2%, 93.0%, and 78.8%, respectively. The complete response (CR) rate was 85.4% (37/44). Three patients (6.8%) patients had local failure and 3 (6.8%) patients developed systemic failure. There was only one patient had grade 3 mucositis and 2 patients had grade 3 or grade 4 hematologic toxicities. For patients with stage IE nasal ENKTL, appropriate dose reduction to CTV by SIB-IMRT strategy is feasible and safe with a promising outcome.

Prophylactic cranial irradiation confers favourable prognosis for patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer in the era of MRI: A propensity score-matched analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is recommended for patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) who achieve good response after chemoradiotherapy. But PCI is neurotoxic. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the standard tool for evaluating brain metastasis (BM). This study was to retrospectively analyse the necessity of PCI in the era of MRI in LS-SCLC. METHODS: From July 2013 to June 2017, 190 patients with LS-SCLC who were treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy were included and analysed in this study. They were divided into the PCI group and non-PCI group. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to balance the variable differences. The Kaplan-Meier method was applied to estimate survival with log-rank test to ascertain significance between different groups. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients (40.5%) received PCI after chemoradiotherapy. After adjustment for propensity scores, 69 pairs of patients were matched between two groups. After PSM, the 1-year and 3-year OS rates were 96.9% and 48.5% in PCI group versus 89.9% and 25.0% in non-PCI group (HR: 0.419, 95% CI: 0.251-0.701, P = 0.001). The 1-year and 3-year BMFS in PCI group were 96.8% and 67.5% versus 62.3% and 37.9% in non-PCI group (HR: 0.247, 95% CI: 0.132-0.460, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: For patients showing no BM on MRI after definitive CRT, PCI confers less BM and better OS in LS-SCLC.

Interobserver variability in target volume delineation in definitive radiotherapy for thoracic esophageal cancer: a multi-center study from China.

PURPOSE: To investigate the interobserver variability (IOV) in target volume delineation of definitive radiotherapy for thoracic esophageal cancer (TEC) among cancer centers in China, and ultimately improve contouring consistency as much as possible to lay the foundation for multi-center prospective studies. METHODS: Sixteen cancer centers throughout China participated in this study. In Phase 1, three suitable cases with upper, middle, and lower TEC were chosen, and participants were asked to contour a group of gross tumor volume (GTV-T), nodal gross tumor volume (GTV-N) and clinical target volume (CTV) for each case based on their routine experience. In Phase 2, the same clinicians were instructed to follow a contouring protocol to re-contour another group of target volume. The variation of the target volume was analyzed and quantified using dice similarity coefficient (DSC). RESULTS: Sixteen clinicians provided routine volumes, whereas ten provided both routine and protocol volumes for each case. The IOV of routine GTV-N was the most striking in all cases, with the smallest DSC of 0.37 (95% CI 0.32-0.42), followed by CTV, whereas GTV-T showed high consistency. After following the protocol, the smallest DSC of GTV-N was improved to 0.64 (95% CI 0.45-0.83, P = 0.005) but the DSC of GTV-T and CTV remained constant in most cases. CONCLUSION: Variability in target volume delineation was observed, but it could be significantly reduced and controlled using mandatory interventions.

Clinical practice and outcome of radiotherapy for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma between 2002 and 2018 in China: the multi-center 3JECROG Survey.

PURPOSE: To determine the survival and prognostic factors of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients undergoing radical (chemo)radiotherapy in the era of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in China. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Jing-Jin-Ji Esophageal and Esophagogastric Cancer Radiotherapy Oncology Group (3JECROG) conducted the first nationwide survey of nine institutions. Detailed information was accumulated on 5185 patients with ESCC who received definitive 3DCRT/IMRT between 2002 and 2018. Relevant prognostic factors were evaluated to assess their influence on overall and progression-free survivals. RESULTS: After a median follow-up time of 47.0 (0.9-157.4) months, the 1-year, 2-year, 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates of the whole group were 69.8%, 46.6%, 37.9% and 30.1%. The 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year progression-free survival rates were 54.1%, 36.6%, 30.5% and 24.9%. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that sex, clinical stage, treatment modality and radiation dose were prognostic factors for OS. The survival of patients who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) was better than that of patients who received radiotherapy alone or sequential chemoradiotherapy. Patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy after CCRT had a better OS than patients receiving CCRT alone. Patients receiving higher radiation dose had a better OS than those patients receiving low-dose radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The survival of ESCC patients undergoing radical (chemo)radiotherapy was relatively satisfactory in the era of 3DCRTand IMRT. As the largest-scale multicenter research on esophageal cancer radiotherapy conducted in China, this study establishes national benchmarks and helps to provide references for subsequent related researches.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy improves survival in locally advanced adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: To analyze whether neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) could improve the survival for patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction compared with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT). Both neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone and chemoradiotherapy before surgery have been shown to improve overall long-term survival for patients with adenocarcinoma in the esophagus or esophagogastric junction compared to surgery alone. It remains controversial whether nCRT is superior to nCT. METHODS: 170 Patients with locally advanced (cT3-4NxM0) Siewert II and III adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin with or without concurrent radiotherapy in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was used and delivered in 5 daily fractions of 1.8 Gy per week for 5 weeks (total dose of PTV: 45 Gy). 120 Patients were included in the propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to compare the effects of nCRT with nCT on survival. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 41.2 months for patients alive after propensity score matching analysis, the 1- and 3-year OS were 84.8%, 55.0% in nCRT group and 78.3%, 38.3% in nCT group (P = 0.040; HR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.02-2.69). The 1- and 3-year PFS were 84.9%, 49.2% in nCRT group and 68.3%, 29.0% in nCT group (P = 0.010; HR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.14-2.85). The pathological complete response (pCR) was 17.0% in nCRT group and 1.9% in nCT group (P = 0.030). No significant difference was observed in postoperative complications between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The nCRT confers a better survival with improved R0 resection rate and pCR rate compared with nCT for the patients with locally advanced AEG.

Age plays an important role in the decision of definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC): a propensity-score matched analysis of multicenter data (3JECROG R-02A).

BACKGROUND: To examine the survival benefit of definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) compared to radiotherapy alone in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) using a real-world patient population. METHODS: This retrospective study included 2,762 patients with ESCC across ten medical centers in China from 2001 to 2017. A total of 1,133 patients received radiotherapy alone and 815 patients were treated with CCRT. The patient survival rates were assessed by propensity-score matching (PSM) and subgroup analysis. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics were significantly different between the two groups, with the CCRT group showing a higher proportion of males, younger patients, cervical/upper thoracic cancers, and worse T and N stages. There were no significant differences in the clinical characteristics between the two groups after PSM. Before PSM, the median overall survival (OS) rates were 31.2 and 24.1 months in the CCRT and RT alone groups, respectively, demonstrating the superior therapeutic effects (TEs) of the CCRT. However, the median OS rates were not significantly different between the two groups after PSM (32.6 and 39.4 months in the CCRT and radiotherapy alone groups, respectively). The subgroup analyses revealed that the median OS was significantly better in the CCRT group compared to the radiotherapy alone group (37.5 vs. 25.1 months, respectively) in patients less than 70 years of age [hazard ratio (HR) 0.782, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.657 to 0.932]. In contrast, in patients 70 years of age and older, the 5-year survival rate was poorer in the CCRT group (34.8%) compared to the radiotherapy alone group (73.4%). Therefore, CCRT was an independent poor prognostic risk factor (HR 3.206, 95% CI: 2.168 to 4.740). CONCLUSIONS: CCRT may not be suitable for all patients with localized ESCC. Younger patients less than 70 years of age might benefit significantly from CCRT. However, in patients aged 70 years and older, the potential survival benefit of CCRT and the optimal combination treatment regimens require further investigation.

Validation of nomogram-revised risk index and comparison with other models for extranodal nasal-type NK/T-cell lymphoma in the modern chemotherapy era: indication for prognostication and clinical decision-making.

Derived from our original nomogram study by using the risk variables from multivariable analyses in the derivation cohort of 1383 patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal-type (ENKTCL) who were mostly treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy, we propose an easily used nomogram-revised risk index (NRI), validated it and compared with Ann Arbor staging, the International Prognostic Index (IPI), Korean Prognostic Index (KPI), and prognostic index of natural killer lymphoma (PINK) for overall survival (OS) prediction by examining calibration, discrimination, and decision curve analysis in a validation cohort of 1582 patients primarily treated with non-anthracycline-based chemotherapy. The calibration of the NRI showed satisfactory for predicting 3- and 5-year OS in the validation cohort. The Harrell's C-index and integrated Brier score (IBS) of the NRI for OS prediction demonstrated a better performance than that of the Ann Arbor staging system, IPI, KPI, and PINK. Decision curve analysis of the NRI also showed a superior outcome. The NRI is a promising tool for stratifying patients with ENKTCL into risk groups for designing clinical trials and for selecting appropriate individualized treatment.

Progression-free survival at 24 months and subsequent survival of patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma: a China Lymphoma Collaborative Group (CLCG) study.

Limited evidence supports the use of early endpoints to evaluate the success of initial treatment of extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) in the modern era. We aim to analyze progression-free survival at 24 months (PFS24) and subsequent overall survival (OS) in a large-scale multicenter cohort of patients. 1790 patients were included from the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group (CLCG) database. Subsequent OS was defined from the time of PFS24 or progression within 24 months to death. OS was compared with age- and sex-matched general Chinese population using expected survival and standardized mortality ratio (SMR). Patients who did not achieve PFS24 had a median OS of 5.3 months after progression, with 5-year OS rate of 19.2% and the SMR of 71.4 (95% CI, 62.9-81.1). In contrast, 74% patients achieved PFS24, and the SMR after achieving PFS24 was 1.77 (95% CI, 1.34-2.34). The observed OS rate after PFS24 versus expected OS rate at 5 years was 92.2% versus 94.3%. Similarly, superior outcomes following PFS24 were observed in early-stage patients (5-year OS rate, 92.9%). Patients achieving PFS24 had excellent outcome, whereas patients exhibiting earlier progression had a poor survival. These marked differences suggest that PFS24 may be used for study design and risk stratification in ENKTCL.