Comparing the efficacy of regorafenib and 5-fluorouracil-based rechallenge chemotherapy in the third-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) after the second line is still controversial. Regorafenib has been the standard of care in this setting as it improved overall survival (OS) compared to placebo. In real-world practice chemotherapy rechallenge is also a preferred option even though supporting evidence is not enough. We aim to compare the efficacy of regorafenib and 5-fluorouracil-based (5-FU) rechallenge treatment in the third line setting of mCRC. METHODS: In this retrospective multi-institutional trial, mCRC patients from 21 oncology centers who progressed after 2 lines of chemotherapy were analyzed. Patients who were treated with regorafenib or rechallenge therapy in the third-line setting were eligible. Rechallenge chemotherapy was identified as the re-use of the 5-FU based regimen which was administered in one of the previous treatment lines. OS, disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival (PFS) and toxicity were analyzed. RESULTS: Three hundred ninety-four mCRC patients were included in the study. 128 (32.5%) were in the rechallenge, and 266 (67.5%) were in the regorafenib group. Median PFS was 5.82 months in rechallenge and 4 months in regorafenib arms (hazard ratio:1.45,95% CI, p = 0.167). DCR was higher in the rechallenge group than regorafenib (77% vs 49.5%, respectively, p = < 0.001). Median OS after the third-line treatment was 11.99 (95% CI, 9.49-14.49) and 8.08 months (95% CI, 6.88-9.29) for rechallenge and regorafenib groups, respectively (hazard ratio:1.51, 95% CI, p < 0.001). More adverse effects and discontinuation were seen with regorafenib treatment. CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that higher disease control and OS rates were achieved with rechallenge treatment compared to regorafenib, especially in patients who achieved disease control in one of the first two lines of therapy.

Are Syrian refugee breast cancer patients diagnosed at advanced stage and do they have treatment delays?

Aim: To compare the clinicopathological features and time to reach treatment of patients with breast cancer among Syrian refugees (SR) and Turkish citizens (TC). Methods: Retrospective data from 2014 to 2021 were extracted from the hospital database. Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to compare the two groups. Results: Data of 88 SR and 402 TC patients were analyzed. The mean age was 45 years for SRs and 50 years for TCs. Breast cancer subtypes were similar in both groups. The de novo metastatic ratio was 23% in SRs and 21.3% in TCs and the time to reach treatment was similar between the two groups. Conclusion: Provided the absence of any obstacle in the healthcare system, SRs are diagnosed and treated like the citizens of their host nation.

Efficacy of trastuzumab and potential risk factors on survival in patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of trastuzumab and potential risk factors on survival in patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer. Methods: We retrospectively included 138 patients who were given trastuzumab-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment and analyzed the relationship between clinical response rates and maintenance treatment status and survival outcomes. Results: In the whole group, the median progression-free survival and overall survival were 10.2 and 16 months, respectively. Clinical response was obtained in 79% of patients. The median overall survival was 16.9 months in follow-up group and 19.0 months in the maintenance group in patients with clinical response. Continuation of maintenance trastuzumab created a significant survival advantage (p = 0.021). Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 2 (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.02), grade 3 (HR: 1.78) and more than four metastatic lesions (HR: 1.67) were determined as risk factors for death. Conclusion: We recommend the continuation of maintenance trastuzumab in patients with clinical response, but those with identified risk factors may not benefit from treatment because life expectancy may be low.

Gastric cancer has a poor prognosis despite available treatments. Inclusive studies are still needed with real-life data. Our research retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of trastuzumab and potential risk factors on survival in patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer who received trastuzumab-based chemotherapy as first-line therapy. In total, 138 patients were included in this study. Clinical response to trastuzumab-based chemotherapy was obtained in 79% of the patients. We also divided the patients who had a clinical response into two groups according to whether they received maintenance therapy. In the present study, trastuzumab administration had compatible survival outcomes with recent studies. Continuation of trastuzumab maintenance treatment provided a survival advantage in patients with clinical response. We suppose that maintenance trastuzumab may be recommended in patients with clinical responses to the first-line treatment. Furthermore, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status 2, grade 3 and having more than four metastatic lesions were determined as risk factors for death. Therefore, although we recommend maintenance of trastuzumab in patients with clinical response, those with identified risk factors may not benefit from treatment.

The predictive role of metabolic tumor volume on no response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the predictive significance of pretreatment metabolic tumor volume on pathologic response in patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. METHODS: Seventy patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy between 2013 and 2017 years were enrolled in the study. Pathologic responses and 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography metabolic dates of patients were obtained from archive files. RESULTS: Forty-six (65.7%) patients were in stage II and 24 (34.3%) patients were in stage III; 25 (35.7%) patients were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive, 46 (65.7%) patients were estrogen receptor-positive, 26 (37.1%) patients were progesterone receptor-positive. According to the Miller-Payne grading system, 24 (34.3%) patients constituted 100% pathological response; patients with 91-99% pathological response were 12 (17.1%), the number of patients with non-pathologic response was 6 (8.6%). Median metabolic tumor volume was 7.3 cm3 (7.1 ± 3.5), 8.8 (11.4 ± 9.4), 7.7 (8.3 ± 4.6) and 22 cm3 (19.8 ± 11.0) in patients with stages IIA, IIB, IIIA, and IIIB, respectively (p = 0.032). In Miller-Payne grading, the median metabolic tumor volume value was higher in patients with no pathologic response group than 100% response group (p = 0.003). The cut-off metabolic tumor volume value determining no pathologic response was calculated as higher than 13.62 cm3 (sensitivity 83.3% and specificity 82.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggest that higher pretreatment metabolic tumor volume values are predictive on no pathologic response in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Efficacy and tolerability of adjuvant therapy in ≥70-year-old patients with T3N0M0 colorectal cancer: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to retrospectively investigate the efficacy and tolerability of adjuvant chemotherapy in ≥70-year-old patients with stage IIA (T3N0M0) colorectal cancer. METHODS: Lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, margin positivity, dissected lymph node count of <12, and presence of perforation/obstruction were accepted as risk factors. Those patients with at least one risk factor were regarded as having high risk. RESULTS: The study included 168 patients, among which 95 (56.5%) were male and 73 (43.5%) were female. The median age of patients was 73 years (range: 70-94). One hundred one (60.1%) patients were identified to have high risk. Eighty-one (87%) patients received 5-flourouracil+leucovorin and 12 (13%) patients received capecitabine regimens as adjuvant chemotherapy. The patients receiving capecitabine regimen had significantly higher rates of dose reduction at initiation and during the treatment. Among low-risk group, there was no statistically significant difference between patients with and without adjuvant chemotherapy in terms of disease-free survival or overall survival (p = 0.528 and p = 0.217, respectively). In high-risk group, patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy significantly differed from those not receiving adjuvant chemotherapy in terms of median disease-free survival and overall survival (p = 0.009 and p < 0.001, respectively). While the grade, lymph node status, and adjuvant chemotherapy were identified as the most significant independent factors for disease-free survival, the most significant factors for overall survival were the age, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, adjuvant chemotherapy, and recurrence. CONCLUSION: The findings of our study showed improved disease-free survival and overall survival in high-risk ≥70-year-old patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy due to T3N0M0 colorectal cancer. We believe that 5-flourouracil+leucovorin or capecitabine regimens should be recommended for these older high-risk patients who could receive adjuvant chemotherapy regardless of age.

Pretreatment Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score for Predicting Prognosis and Survival in Elderly Patients with Gastric Cancer Treated with Perioperative FLOT.

The adverse effects of chemotherapy are more apparent in elderly patients and lead to worse prognosis and mortality. Identifying immunonutritional risk factors is of great importance in terms of treatment effectiveness, prognosis, and mortality in geriatric oncology. The modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) is an immunonutritional index based on serum CRP and albumin levels. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of mGPS in predicting prognosis and survival in elderly patients with gastric cancer receiving perioperative FLOT treatment. We retrospectively enrolled 71 patients aged over 65 years and grouped them according to their pretreatment mGPS score. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis showed overall survival was significantly worse in the mGPS 1 and mGPS 2 groups than in the mGPS 0 group (p = 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively). Compared to the mGPS 0 group, the mGPS 1 group had a 6.25 times greater risk of death (95% CI: 1.61-24.28, p = 0.008), and the mGPS 2 group had a 6.59 times greater risk of death (95% CI: 2.08-20.85, p = 0.001). High BMI was identified as a significant risk factor for being in the mGPS 2 group (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.018-1.425, p = 0.030). In conclusion, elevated pretreatment mGPS was associated with poor overall survival in elderly patients with gastric cancer treated with perioperative FLOT therapy. As such, pretreatment mGPS can be a simple and useful tool to predict mortality in this specific patient group.

Major and minor salivary gland cancers: A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Most of the studies on salivary gland cancers are limited for various reasons such as being single-center, small number of patients, including only major or minor SGCs, or only including epidemiological data. METHODS: A total of 37 medical oncology clinics from different regions of Turkey participated in this retrospective-multicenter study. The analyzed data included clinical and demographical features, primary treatment, metastasis localizations, and treatments and includes certain pathologic features. RESULTS: The study included data from a total of 443 SGCs. 56.7% was in major salivary glands and 43.3% was in minor salivary glands. Distant metastasis in the major SGCs was statistically significantly more common than in the minor SGCs, locoregional recurrence was statistically significantly more common in the minor SGCs than in the major SGCs (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiological information, metastasis and recurrence patterns, treatment modalities, and survival analysis of the patients over 20 years of follow-up are presented.

Efficacy and safety of trastuzumab emtansine in older patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: a real-world study.

INTRODUCTION: Ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) is an antibody-drug conjugate and its survival advantage has been shown in advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. However, clinical trials underrepresent patients ⩾65 years of age, leading to a lack of information in this population. We analyzed the real-world outcomes of older women who were treated with T-DM1 therapy. METHODS: We performed a multicenter, observational, retrospective analysis of patients aged ⩾65 years treated with T-DM1. A total of 93 patients from 10 cancer centers were involved in the study. Our goal was to determine the survival, response rates, and toxicity profile in T-DM1-treated patients, as well as the factors that influence survival. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 12.2 months. Objective response rate was 29%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 8.47 and 15.0 months, respectively. In multivariate analysis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Score 2 was found to be an independent prognostic factor for worse PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.81, p = 0.032) and OS (HR 2.33, p = 0.006). Any adverse event (AE) was seen in 92.5% of patients; grade 3 or 4 AEs were seen in 30.1%. Dose reduction or treatment discontinuation rates were 11.8% and 6.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of T-DM1 was acceptable and it was generally well-tolerated among older patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.

Does the Waiting Period for Genetic Tests Affect the Prognosis in Chemotherapy-Treated de novo Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients without a Driver Mutation?

INTRODUCTION: The length of the necessary waiting period to test driver mutations may generate anxiety in patients and clinicians. For this reason, an investigation was conducted to determine whether the duration between diagnosis and the start of first-line chemotherapy (DDC) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients without driver mutations has an impact on prognosis. METHODS: The study included 303 de novo metastatic NSCLC patients without a driver mutation and patients were divided into 2 groups according to DDC: ≤30 days (group A) or >30 days (group B). The determinant factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were examined by Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean DDC was calculated as 38.2 ± 54.5 days. The number of patients in group A and B were 183 and 120, respectively. The median PFS in groups A and B was 5.0 and 6.0 months (p = 0.268) and the median OS was 10.0 and 11 months, respectively (p = 0.341). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that DDC was not a factor associated with PFS and OS. CONCLUSION: Our results show that a higher DDC was not associated with a worse prognosis in metastatic NSCLC patients without driver mutations. In this context, it is safer for patients and their physicians to wait for test results before starting chemotherapy.

The Prognostic Value of Postoperative Lymph Node Ratio in Gastric Adenocarcinoma Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Objective In this study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of postoperative lymph node ratio (LNR)in locally advanced gastric cancer (GC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Methods LNR was calculated as the ratio of positive LNs to the total LNs removed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to estimate the cut-off value of LNR for recurrence. The area under the curve of LNR was 0.714 (95% CI: 0.604-0.825, p<0.001) with 60% sensitivity and >0.255 with 76% specificity. Patients were grouped as group I (≤0.255) and group II (>0.255). Results In this study, 157 GC patients were included (39.5% female and 60.5% male). Of the patients, 97 (61.8%) were in group I and 60 (38.2%) were in group II. Disease­free survival (DFS) was not reached in group I, and it was 16 months in group II (p<0.001). Overall survival (OS) was 58 months in group I and 28 months in group II (p>0.001). In multivariate analysis, lymphovascular invasion, neoadjuvant response, adjuvant treatment, and LNR were found to be the factors associated with DFS and OS (p<0.05). Conclusion In our study, it was observed that LNR can predict survival rates better than LN staging.

Clinical and Pathological Characteristics of Patients with High-Risk Breast Cancer Based on BRCA Mutation Profiles: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the differences in clinicopathological features of Turkish patients with high-risk breast cancer based on the mutation status of two breast cancer susceptibility genes (BRCA1/2) . MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study enrolled patients with invasive breast cancer who have been evaluated for BRCA1/2 mutations due to the presence of high-risk factors admitted to two tertiary referral centers in Turkey. Clinical and histopathological features were analyzed in BRCA1 mutation carriers, BRCA2 mutation carriers, and non-carriers. RESULTS: A total of 302 patients with a mean age of 44.2±9.9 (22-82) years were included. BRCA1/2 mutation was found in 75 (24%) patients, of whom 41 (13.6%) were BRCA1 mutation carriers and 37 (12.3%) were BRCA2 mutation carriers. Moreover, 104 (34.4%) and 4 (1.3%) patients had family history of breast and ovarian carcinoma, respectively. The rates of triple negativity (56.1%), histologic grade 3 (65.9%), and lymphovascular invasion (78%) were significantly higher in BRCA1 mutation carriers than in non-carriers and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Furthermore, 87% of triple-negative BRCA1 mutation carriers had histologic grade 3 tumors compared with 38.9% in non-triple-negative BRCA1 mutation carriers, and the difference was significant. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study showed that BRCA1-related breast cancers represent a distinct group with unique pathological features, which are usually associated with a poor prognosis.

The effects of diabetes and fasting plasma glucose on treatment of breast cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of diabetes and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level on the pathologic response in patients with breast cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five patients files who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy between 2013 and 2017 years, were scanned. Pathologic responses, diabetes, and FPG dates of patients were reached from archive files. Patients were grouped as diabetic and nondiabetic. RESULTS: Patients with higher than 90% pathologically response according to Miller-Payne grading system, constituted 11 (44%) and 61 (55.5%) of patients; patients with equally or lower than 90% pathologically response were 14 (56%) and 49 (44.5%) and the number of patients with nonpathologic response 5 (20%) and 2 (1.8%) in diabetic and nondiabetic group, respectively. This difference between diabetic and nondiabetic groups was statistically significant (P = 0.005). In Miller-Payne groups, the median FPG levels were 135 mg/dl (165.6 ± 86.5), 96 mg/dl (110.0 ± 30.6), 97 mg/dl (101.9 ± 23.9), 91.5 mg/dl (102.5 ± 44.3) and 93.5 mg/dl (112.0 ± 61.2) respectively 0%, 1%-30%, 31%-90%, 91%-99%, and 100%. Patients with lower 91% pathologic response had statistically significant higher FPG levels compared with patients with higher patholocig response (P = 0.008). The cut-of FPG value to determine nonpathologic response was calculated 105 mg/dl (sensitivity 85.7% specificity 74.2%). The FPG, diabetes, lymph node positivity, and disease stage were statistically significant in the multivariate analysis for affecting non-pathologic response (P = 0.013, P = 0.016, P = 0.036, and P = 0.035 respectively). CONCLUSION: Diabetes and high FPG level may be predictive to the non-response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer.

The effect of body mass index on location of recurrence and survival in early-stage colorectal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity has become one of the major public health problems in many countries. Controversial results were reported in publications on the relationship between obesity and mortality in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) and that receive curative treatment. In this study, we evaluated the effects of body mass index (BMI) on the location of recurrence and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with early-stage CRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients that were followed up and treated in the Department of Medical Oncology between 1999 and 2016 were retrospectively included in the study. Patients with operated Stage I, II, and III CRC were included in the study. Patients were divided into three groups based on their BMI (kg/m2) of below 25, between 25 and 30, and above 30. RESULTS: A total of 950 patients, of which 527 (55.5%) were male and 423 (44.5%) were female, were included in the study. The median age of the patients was 56 years. Of the patients, 408 (42.4%) had BMI of <25, 370 (38.9%) had BMI between 25 and 30, and 172 (18.2%) had BMI of ≥30. Local recurrence rate was significantly higher in the group with BMI ≥30 compared to the other groups (P <0.01). When compared with DFS, there was a statistically significant difference between groups with BMI of <25 and ≥30 (P = 0.02) and that difference was more evidently observed in Stage III (P = 0.02). There was no statistically significant difference of overall survival in the BMI groups (P = 0.87). In multivariate analysis, the BMI ≥30 (hazard ratio [HR], 1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-2.17), rectal tumor (HR, 1.70, 95% CI, 1.15-2.51), Stage III (HR, 3.91, 95% CI, 1.86-8.25), number of positive lymph nodes (HR, 1.05, 95% CI, 1.03-1.07), and R1 resection (HR, 3.47, 95% CI, 1.71-7.05) were identified as independent risk factors negatively affecting DFS. CONCLUSION: In this study, we observed that the high BMI increased the risk of recurrence, especially in Stage III CRC patients, and that the recurrence frequently occurred locally.

Prognostic Significance of Mean Platelet Volume on Local Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Managed with Chemoradiotherapy.

Mean platelet volume (MPV), the most commonly used measure of platelet size, and is altered in patients with malignancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MPV on overall survival (OS) of patients with locally advanced (Stage IIIA/B) inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This retrospective study included patients who received concomitant chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with cisplatin + etoposide regimen due to locally advanced stage IIIA/B NSCLC. The study included a total of 115 cases, consisting of 110 (95.7%) male and 5 (4.2%) female patients. The mean age of the patients was 61.3 ± 10.4 (22-82) years. ROC curve generated by MPV for OS yielded an AUC of 0.746 (95% CI 0.659-0.833), (p < 0.001). MPV was detected as >9 fL with a sensitivity of 74.4% and a specificity of 72.0%. In patients with stage IIIA, median OS was 45.0 months (95% CI 17.3-74.1) and 21 months (95% CI 10.6-31.3) in groups with MPV > 9.0 fL and ≤9.0 fL, respectively (p = 0.013). In patients with stage IIIB, median OS was 44.0 months (95% CI 13.8-60.6) and 16 months (95% CI 9.5-22.4) in groups with MPV > 9.0 fL and ≤9.0 fL, respectively (p = 0.036). ECOG performance score, total platelet count, and MPV were found as the most significant independent factors affecting survival (p < 0.001, p = 0.008, and, p = 0.034, respectively). In this study, we showed that decreased pre-treatment MPV was an independent risk factor for survival in NSCLC patients who were administered CCRT. As part of routine complete blood count panel, MPV may represent one of the easiest measuring tools as an independent prognostic marker for survival in locally advanced NSCLC.

Factors Affecting Survival in Neuroendocrine Tumors: A 15-Year Single Center Experience

Background: Neuroendocrine tumors are a heterogeneous group of tumors that can originate from all of the neuroendocrine cells in the body, mostly from the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to early diagnosis, streaming patients into appropriate prognostic groups is an important component of treatment. In this study, we examined the factors that affect survival in patients we followed in our center between 2000-2016. Methods: The demographic data, clinical and pathological features of patients were obtained from their medical files. TNM staging and tumor grading were performed according to AJCC and WHO 2010 classification. SPSS 15.0 for Windows programme was used for statistical analysis. Results: 85 patients (32 male, 53 female) were included into the study. The median age of the patients was 55,7 (27-83) years. Eighty percent of the tumors were of gastroenteropancreatic system, most commonly stomach (27.1%) origin. Nineteen patients (22.4%) died during follow-up. In univariate analysis; age (p<0,001), stage (p=0.002), primary tumor localization (p=0.005), grade (p<0.001), Ki-67 value (p<0.001), number of metastases (p=0.001) and type of surgery (p<0.001) were found to be factors affecting survival. Age (p=0.024) and Ki67 (p <0.001) were the independent prognostic factors for survival in multivariate analysis. For the cut-off value of 6%, Ki-67 had a sensitivity of 83.3% and specifity of 71.4% for survival determination. Conclusion: Ki-67 ratio and age were the most important factors affecting survival in neuroendocrine tumors in our study. Ki-67 ratio has a high sensitivity and specificity for predicting survival, a cut-off value of 6% may be used to predict survival.

Prognostic significance of primary tumor localization in stage II and III colon cancer.

AIM: To investigate the effects of tumor localization on disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with stage II-III colon cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study included 942 patients with stage II and III colon cancer, which were followed up in our clinics between 1995 and 2017. The tumors from the caecum to splenic flexure were defined as right colon cancer (RCC) and those from splenic flexure to the sigmoid colon as left colon cancer (LCC). RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 58 years (range: 19-94 years). Male patients constituted 54.2%. The rates of RCC and LCC were 48.4% (n = 456) and 51.6% (n = 486), respectively. During the median follow-up of 90 mo (range: 6-252 mo), 14.6% of patients developed recurrence and 9.1% of patients died. In patients with stage II and III disease with or without adjuvant therapy, DFS was similar in terms of primary tumor localization (stage II; P = 0.547 and P = 0.481, respectively; stage III; P = 0.976 and P = 0.978, respectively). In patients with stage II and III disease with or without adjuvant therapy, OS was not statistically significant with respect to primary tumor localization (stage II; P = 0.381 and P = 0.947, respectively; stage III; P = 0.378 and P = 0.904, respectively). The difference between median OS of recurrent RCC (26 ± 6.2 mo) and LCC (34 ± 4.9 mo) cases was eight months (P = 0.092). CONCLUSION: Our study showed no association of tumor localization with either DFS or OS in patients with stage II or III colon cancer managed with or without adjuvant therapy. However, post-recurrence OS appeared to be worse in RCC patients.

Prognostic significance of high free T4 and low free T3 levels in non-thyroidal illness syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Non-thyroidal illness syndrome is characterized by decreased serum free T3 (FT3) level and associates with long term mortality. Serum free T4 (FT4) may affect on mortality with FT3 in course of chronic illness. This study performed to evaluate the association between both decreased FT3 with elevated FT4 levels and mortality risk. METHODS: This study is a retrospective cohort analysis and consisted up 1164 (571 male, 593 female) patients with a 36 months follow up period. Patients divided into four groups according to thyroid functions. Patients with euthyroidism were in Group A, elevated FT3 in group B, decreased FT3 in group C and both decreased FT3 and elevated FT4 levels in group D. The levels of thyroid hormones and all cause mortality were compared between four groups. RESULTS: Mortality rate was elevated between Groups A and B, A and C, A and D, B and C, B and D, C and D, (p < .001, p < .001, p < .001, p < .001, p < .001, p:0.019, respectively). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model was performed to evaluate the mortality risk between groups. A close relationship was observed in Group C and D patients for the mortality risk (OR:1.561, 95% CI:1.165-2.090, p:0.003 and OR:2.224, 95% CI:1.645-3.006, p:0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Both decreased FT3 and elevated FT4 levels are independent predictor for long term mortality risk in hospitalized chronic patients with non-thyroidal illness syndrome.