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.

Real-world treatment outcomes from nationwide Onco-colon Turkey registry in RAS wild-type patients treated with biologics second-line mCRC.

BACKGROUNDS AND OBJECTIVES: Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality both globally and in our country. In Turkey, we conducted a multicenter investigation into the effectiveness of second-line treatments and real-life data for patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (NCT04757311). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, records from 28 centers were collected, and histopathological, molecular, and clinical characteristics were documented. Patients were categorized into groups based on their second-line biological treatments: anti-EGFR (Group A and Group B, panitumumab and cetuximab) and anti-VEGF (Group C, bevacizumab and aflibercept). They were then compared within these groups. RESULTS: A total of 588 patients with documented RAS wild-type status were evaluated. The median OS was 15.7, 14.3 and 14.7 months in Group A, Group B and Group C, respectively (p = 0.764). The median PFS of the patients in second-line setting that received panitumumab, cetuximab and bevacizumab/aflibercept were 7.8, 6.6 and 7.4 months, respectively (p = 0.848). CONCLUSION: According to the results of our real-life data study, there is no significant difference in efficiency between the combination of biological agent and chemotherapy used in the second-line treatments.

Efficacy of Capecitabine and Temozolomide Regimen in Neuroendocrine Tumors: Data From the Turkish Oncology Group.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to report the efficacy and safety of capecitabine plus temozolomide (CAPTEM) across different lines of treatment in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study analyzing the data of 308 patients with metastatic NETs treated with CAPTEM between 2010 and 2022 in 34 different hospitals across various regions of Turkey. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 41.0 months (range: 1.7-212.1), and the median age was 53 years (range: 22-79). Our results across the entire patient cohort showed a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 10.6 months and a median overall survival (OS) of 60.4 months. First-line CAPTEM treatment appeared more effective, with a median PFS of 16.1 months and a median OS of 105.8 months (median PFS 16.1, 7.9, and 9.6 months in first-, second- and ≥third-line respectively, P = .01; with median OS values of 105.8, 47.2, and 24.1 months, respectively, P = .003) In terms of ORR, the first-line treatment again performed better, resulting in an ORR of 54.7% compared to 33.3% and 30.0% in the second and third or higher lines, respectively (P < .001). Grade 3-4 side effects occurred only in 22.5% of the patients, leading to a discontinuation rate of 9.5%. Despite the differences in outcomes based on treatment line, we did not observe a significant difference in terms of side effects between the first and subsequent lines of treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The substantial superior outcomes in patients receiving first-line CAPTEM treatment highlight its potential as an effective treatment strategy for patients with metastatic NET.

Efficacy of subsequent treatments in patients with hormone-positive advanced breast cancer who had disease progression under CDK 4/6 inhibitor therapy.

BACKGROUND: There is no standard treatment recommended at category 1 level in international guidelines for subsequent therapy after cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6) based therapy. We aimed to evaluate which subsequent treatment oncologists prefer in patients with disease progression under CDKi. In addition, we aimed to show the effectiveness of systemic treatments after CDKi and whether there is a survival difference between hormonal treatments (monotherapy vs. mTOR-based). METHODS: A total of 609 patients from 53 centers were included in the study. Progression-free-survivals (PFS) of subsequent treatments (chemotherapy (CT, n:434) or endocrine therapy (ET, n:175)) after CDKi were calculated. Patients were evaluated in three groups as those who received CDKi in first-line (group A, n:202), second-line (group B, n: 153) and ≥ 3rd-line (group C, n: 254). PFS was compared according to the use of ET and CT. In addition, ET was compared as monotherapy versus everolimus-based combination therapy. RESULTS: The median duration of CDKi in the ET arms of Group A, B, and C was 17.0, 11.0, and 8.5 months in respectively; it was 9.0, 7.0, and 5.0 months in the CT arm. Median PFS after CDKi was 9.5 (5.0-14.0) months in the ET arm of group A, and 5.3 (3.9-6.8) months in the CT arm (p = 0.073). It was 6.7 (5.8-7.7) months in the ET arm of group B, and 5.7 (4.6-6.7) months in the CT arm (p = 0.311). It was 5.3 (2.5-8.0) months in the ET arm of group C and 4.0 (3.5-4.6) months in the CT arm (p = 0.434). Patients who received ET after CDKi were compared as those who received everolimus-based combination therapy versus those who received monotherapy ET: the median PFS in group A, B, and C was 11.0 vs. 5.9 (p = 0.047), 6.7 vs. 5.0 (p = 0.164), 6.7 vs. 3.9 (p = 0.763) months. CONCLUSION: Physicians preferred CT rather than ET in patients with early progression under CDKi. It has been shown that subsequent ET after CDKi can be as effective as CT. It was also observed that better PFS could be achieved with the subsequent everolimus-based treatments after first-line CDKi compared to monotherapy ET.

Real-life experience of patients with sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma: a multicenter retrospective study.

Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma (sRCC) is a rare variant of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and is associated with a poor prognosis. We reviewed the outcomes of patients from oncology centers in Turkey. Our aim is to share our real-life experience and to contribute to the literature. The demographic and clinical features, treatment, and survival outcomes of 148 patients with sRCC were analyzed. The median age at the time of diagnosis was 58 years (range: 19-83 years). Most patients (62.8%) had clear-cell histology. Most patients were in the intermediate Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) risk group (67.6%) and were stage 4 at the time of diagnosis (63.5%). The most common sites of metastasis were the lung (60.1%), lymph nodes (47.3%), and bone (35.8%). The patients received a median of two lines (range: 0-6) of treatment. The most common side effects were fatigue, hematological side effects, hypertension, and hypothyroidism. The median follow-up was 20.9 months (range: 1-162 months). The median overall survival (OS) was 30.8 months (95% confidence interval: 24.9-36.7 months). In multivariate analysis, high MSKCC scores, sarcomatoid differentiation rates >50%, having stage 4 disease, and having lung metastasis at the time of diagnosis were independent factors for poor prognosis affecting OS. No difference was observed between patients who received tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) as the first or second-line treatments. Similarly, no difference between TKI and immunotherapy as the second-line treatment. In conclusion, sRCC is a rare variant of RCC with a poor prognosis and response to treatment. Larger-scale prospective studies are needed to define an optimal treatment approach for longer survival in this aggressive variant.

Real-Life Analysis of Efficacy and Safety of Everolimus Plus Exemestane in Hormone Receptor-Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients: A Turkish Oncology Group (TOG) Study.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of everolimus (EVE) plus exemestane (EXE) in hormone-receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients in real-life settings. METHODS: Overall, 204 HR+, HER2- MBC patients treated with EVE + EXE after progressing following prior endocrine treatment were included. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and safety data were analyzed. RESULTS: The objective response rate, median PFS, and median OS were 33.4%, 8.9 months, and 23.4 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that negative progesterone receptor status was a significant determinant of poor treatment response (p = 0.035) and PFS (p = 0.024). The presence of bone-only metastasis was associated with better treatment response (p = 0.002), PFS (p < 0.001), and OS (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: We confirmed the favorable efficacy and safety profile of EVE + EXE for HR+, HER - MBC patients.

Real-world data on efficacy and safety of first-line alectinib treatment in advanced-stage, ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer patients: a Turkish Oncology Group study.

Aims: In this multicenter study, the authors aimed to determine the real-life efficacy and safety of first-line alectinib. Materials & methods: This retrospective trial included advanced-stage, ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer patients who were treated with first-line alectinib in terms of ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, regardless of previous chemotherapy. The co-primary end points were progression-free survival both for all patients and for the treatment-naive population. The secondary end points were overall response rate, overall survival, rate of CNS progression and safety. Results & conclusion: A total of 274 patients (n = 177 for treatment-naive patients) were enrolled in the study. The median progression-free survival was 26 and 28.8 months for all patients and the treatment-naive group, respectively. The overall response rate, CNS progression rate and 1-year overall survival ratio were 77.9, 12.4 and 77%. Alectinib is a highly effective therapy with a favorable safety profile.

The advancements in cancer treatment, particularly in the last two decades, have been promising. Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most important diseases experiencing these promising developments. ALK positivity, which is caused by the rearrangement of different gene fragments between two chromosomes, affects about 5% of NSCLC patients. This provides a target for next-generation therapies. One of these targeted therapy drugs is alectinib. The authors examined the outcomes of 271 patients with body-disseminated NSCLC who received alectinib as initial targeted therapy. These patients were not chosen to participate in a clinical phase study. They were treated with an approved drug; the study also included 97 patients who had previously received chemotherapy. The median duration of survival without disease worsening was 26 months for all patients receiving alectinib treatment. This value was 28.8 months in 177 patients who had not received any treatment before alectinib. Regardless of disease status, 77% of all patients were found to be alive at the end of the first year. Alectinib treatment resulted in a significant improvement of the disease in approximately four out of five patients. The treatment's side effects were generally tolerable or manageable. Only four patients were reported to have discontinued their medication due to treatment-related side effects. These real-world findings are compatible with previous clinical research. Alectinib is an important first-line treatment option for patients with advanced, ALK-positive NSCLC.

Prognostic factors of perioperative FLOT regimen in operable gastric and gastroesophageal junction tumors: real-life data (Turkish Oncology Group).

BACKGROUND: Perioperative FLOT regimen is a standard of care in locally advanced operable gastric and GEJ adenocarcinoma. We aimed to determine the efficacy, prognostic factors of perioperative FLOT chemotherapy in real-life gastric and GEJ tumors. METHODS: The data of patients who were treated with perioperative FLOT chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed from 34 different oncology centers in Turkey. Baseline clinical and demographic characteristics, pretreatment laboratory values, histological and molecular characteristics were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 441 patients were included in the study. The median of age our study population was 60 years. The majority of patients with radiological staging were cT3-4N(+) (89.9%, n = 338). After median 13.5 months (IQR: 8.5-20.5) follow-up, the median overall survival was NR (95% CI, NR to NR), and median disease free survival was 22.9 (95% CI, 18.6 to 27.3) months. The estimated overall survival at 24 months was 62%. Complete pathological response (pCR) and near pCR was achieved in 23.8% of all patients. Patients with lower NLR or PLR have significantly longer median OS (p = 0.007 and p = 0.033, respectively), and patients with lower NLR have significantly longer median DFS (p = 0.039), but PLR level did not affect DFS (p = 0.062). The OS and DFS of patients with better ECOG performance scores and those who could receive FLOT as adjuvant chemotherapy instead of other regimens were found to be better. NLR was found to be independent prognostic factor for OS in the multivariant analysis. At least one adverse event reported in 57.6% of the patients and grade 3-4 toxicity was seen in 23.6% patients. DISCUSSION: Real-life perioperative FLOT regimen in operable gastric and GEJ tumors showed similar oncologic outcomes compared to clinical trials. Better performance status, receiving adjuvant chemotherapy as same regimen, low grade and low NLR and PLR improved outcomes in real-life. However, in multivariate analysis, only NLR affected OS.

The Effect of Body Mass Index on Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Platinum-Based Therapy.

To investigate the effect of body mass index(BMI) on treatment outcomes and side-effect profile in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy(ChT) in the first-line setting. This was a retrospective analysis of 233 NSCLC patients who were treated and followed up from 2008 through 2018. NSCLC patients who had metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis and were treated with platinum-based ChT in the first-line setting were included. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the BMI as follows; BMI < 25 kg/m2 and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. This retrospective analysis enrolled 233 patients, 35 (15.0%) of whom were female. The BMI in 132 patients (56.2%) was < 25 kg/m2. The median age was 58 years (range, 21-90). Median progression-free survival(PFS) was 7 mo, in the patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 compared to 5.0 mo, in those with BMI < 25 kg/m2 (p = 0.032), with corresponding median overall survival(OS) durations of 12 vs. 9 mo, (p = 0.003). In multivariate analysis, ECOG PS 2, grade III histology, and brain or bone metastasis negatively affected OS, whereas BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 positively affected OS. A high BMI prior to therapy in patients with NSCLC treated with platinum-based ChT in the first-line setting was associated with more favorable PFS and OS.

Efficacy and tolerability of current treatments for hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients with visceral metastases.

Aim: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of the first-line treatment options for hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients with visceral metastases. Materials & methods: The records of 191 patients diagnosed with hormone-refractory prostate cancer with visceral metastases were analyzed retrospectively. Results: Docetaxel was administered to 61.2% (n = 117), abiraterone to 14.2% (n = 27) and enzalutamide to 9.4% (n = 18) as the first-line treatment. The median survival of the patients receiving docetaxel, abiraterone and enzalutamide as the first-line treatment during the hormone-refractory period was 15 (95% Cl: 12.9-17) months, 6 (95% Cl: 1.8-10.1) months and 11 (95% Cl: 0.9-23.1) months (p = 0.038), respectively. Conclusion: The present study established a statistically significant difference in favor of docetaxel in terms of overall survival and progression-free survival.

Lay abstract The optimal therapeutic option for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients with visceral metastases is unknown. We assessed the efficacy and tolerability of the first-line treatment options for CRPC patients with visceral metastasis. One hundred ninety-one patients diagnosed with CRPC with visceral metastases were included in the study. The present study established a statistically significant difference in favor of docetaxel in terms of overall survival and progression-free survival between first-line docetaxel, abiraterone and enzalutamide treatments in CRPC patients with visceral metastases. For patients who cannot undergo chemotherapy, enzalutamide, among novel androgen pathway inhibitors, may be the most appropriate option, given its numerical, although statistically insignificant, difference in overall survival and its fewer side effects compared with abiraterone.

The conversion of RAS status in metastatic colorectal cancer patients after first-line biological agent treatment.

AIM: The aim was to investigate the RAS discordance between initial and recurrent metastasectomy specimens in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with chemotherapy (CT) plus biological agents in a first-line setting. METHODS: Patients who had been treated with CT plus bevacizumab or cetuximab or panitumumab followed by R0 resection for potentially resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases were scanned. Among these, patients who developed resectable new metastases after a disease-free interval longer than 6 months were included in the study. We compared the RAS mutation status between the first biopsy and the second metastasectomy specimen. RESULTS: A total of 82 mCRC patients treated with CT plus biological agents in a first-line setting were included in the study. The first biopsy assessment showed wild-type RAS tumours in 39 (47.6%) patients and mutant RAS tumours in 43 (52.4%) patients. The mean time for new operable liver metastasis after R0 resection was 15.5 months. In the second metastasectomy specimens, the numbers of wild-type and mutant RAS tumours were 30 (36.6%) and 52 (63.4%), respectively. The comparison with the first biopsy specimens showed RAS status conversions in 17 (20.7%) patients. Univariate comparison between patients with and without RAS status conversion revealed that grade, pathological T stage, wild-type RAS tumour and longer biological agent use time in the first-line treatment were significant factors for RAS conversion. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that re-biopsy is needed for an optimal second-line treatment decision in mCRC patients regardless of backbone biological agent, especially in patients with wild-type RAS mCRC.

Is the prognostic nutritional index a prognostic and predictive factor in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line chemotherapy?

PURPOSE: We aimed to assess the prognostic and predictive significance of pretreatment Onodera's prognostic nutritional index (OPNI) in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC) treated with first-line chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with metastatic NSCLC who attended five different medical oncology clinics between December 2008 and January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cut-off point for OPNI was performed by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Patients were assigned to either the low OPNI group or high OPNI group. RESULTS: A total of 333 patients were included in the study. Significant differences between the low and high OPNI groups were found regarding the rates of response to chemotherapy, sex, and hemoglobin level (p < 0.05). The patients in high OPNI group had a longer overall survival (OS) (15.3 vs. 10.6 months, p < 0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) (6.7 vs. 5.3 months, p < 0.001) compared to the patients in low OPNI group. A multivariate analysis using Cox regression model revealed that a high OPNI score was an independent prognostic factor of OS (HR = 1.535, p = 0.002) and PFS (HR = 1.336, p = 0.014), but failed to demonstrate a statistical significance of pretreatment OPNI scores in predicting treatment response (p = 0.56). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment OPNI is an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS in metastatic NSCLC patients treated with first-line chemotherapy. Thus, it may be used as easily calculated and low-cost prognostic tool in the routine clinical practice in this patient group.

The impact of tumor regression grade on long-term survival in locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to investigate the prognostic effect of tumor regression grade (TRG) on long-term survival in locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: Medical records of 182 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, who were treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery between 2002 and 2016, were retrospectively reviewed. TRG was classified into five categories based on the pathological response as follows - TRG1: no viable cancer cell, TRG2: single cancer cell or small groups of cancer cells, TRG3: residual tumor outgrown by fibrosis, TRG4: residual tumor outgrowing fibrosis, TRG5: diffuse residual tumor without regression. TRG1, (TRG2+TRG3), and (TRG4+TRG5) were grouped as complete response, intermediate response, and no response, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 182 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, 112 (61.5%) were male. The mean age was 54.4 (range, 25-87) years. The total number of patients in complete response, intermediate response, and no response group was 24 (13.2%), 105 (57.7%), and 53 (29.1%), respectively. The corresponding five-year relapse-free survival and overall survival rates were 79.8%-92.3%, 74.7%-79.4%, and 55.7%-55.8%, respectively (p < 0.05 for relapse-free survival, p < 0.05 for overall survival). According to ypTNM stage, there was no significant difference in relapse-free survival among TRG groups in ypStage I and II patients (p > 0.05). In ypStage III patients, relapse-free survival was 62 months in no response group vs. not reached in intermediate response group (p < 0.05). According to the ypTNM, there was no significant difference in overall survival among TRG groups in ypStage I, II, and III patients (p > 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, pathological complete response was found to be an independent variable for relapse-free survival and overall survival (hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), 0.34 (0.17-6.77), 0.39 (0.18-0.83), respectively). CONCLUSION: This study showed that patients with pathological complete response to preoperative chemoradiotherapy had longer relapse-free survival and overall survival rates than those with residual disease.

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.

Factors Affecting Disease-Free Survival in Operated Nonmetastatic Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Possibly originating from interstitial Cajal cells, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) have variable biological behaviors. In this study, we aimed to examine the factors affecting the disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with GIST who underwent operation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included the patients who were followed up and treated for GIST in our oncology clinic between 2002 and 2017. The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology criteria (Miettinen risk score) were used for risk stratification of patients. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were included to the study, where female patients constituted 52.7%, and the median age was 56 (range: 24-83) y. Most common primary tumor location was the stomach (51.4%), followed by the small intestine (33.8%), colorectum (10.8%), and retroperitoneum (4.1%). Miettinen risk score showed 12 patients (16.7%) at very low risk, 15 patients (20.8%) at low risk, 18 patients (25%) at intermediate risk, and 27 patients (37.5%) at high risk. DFS was significantly lower in patients with small intestine involvement than in cases with stomach involvement (P = 0.004). DFS was significantly lower in patients at high risk than in patients with no high risk (P = 0.034). Small intestine localization (hazard ratio [HR], 8.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-8.18), high-risk score (HR, 5.16; 95% CI, 1.42-12.75), c-kit positivity (HR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.13-0.69), and adjuvant therapy (HR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.20-0.92) were found to be the most significant factors affecting DFS. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed negative effects of small intestine localization and high-risk category and positive effects of c-kit positivity and adjuvant therapy on DFS in patients with GIST who underwent operation. When a decision will be made in favor of adjuvant therapy, tumor localization and c-kit mutation should also be considered in addition to risk score.

Characteristic features and prognostic factors in gastric cancer patients with bone metastases: multicenter experience.

We evaluated the incidence, clinicopathological features, prognostic factors, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with gastric cancer and bone metastases. The medical records of 110 patients with bone metastases were retrospectively analyzed. In our study, the incidence of bone metastases was 3.2%. The median patient age was 60 years. A total of 68 (61.8%) patients exhibited synchronous metastases, and 42 (38.2%) patients developed metachronous metastases. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were high in 54 (49%) patients. At the median follow-up time of 9.8 months, median PFS and OS times were 4.7 and 6.3 months, respectively. The median interval from the diagnosis to bone metastases was 9.3 months. Univariate analysis showed that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) ≥2, stage at diagnosis, time of metastases, number of metastases, presence of extraskeletal metastases, use of zoledronic acid treatment, palliative chemotherapy post-bone metastases and radiotherapy to bone metastases were significant prognostic indicators for PFS. Additionally, ECOG PS ≥2, stage at diagnosis, time of metastases, number of metastases, presence of extraskeletal metastases, zoledronic acid treatment, palliative chemotherapy post-bone metastases, and radiotherapy to bone metastases significantly influenced OS. Moreover, in multivariate analysis, ECOG PS, time of metastases, presence of extra-bone metastases, and the use of palliative chemotherapy after bone metastases were found to be independent prognostic factors for PFS. Moreover, ECOG PS, time of metastases, and use of palliative chemotherapy after bone metastases were significantly independent prognostic indicators for OS. Our findings show that the presence of synchronous metastases, use of palliative chemotherapy, use of zoledronic acid after bone metastases, and ALP level within the normal range were significantly associated with prolonged OS in gastric cancer patients with bone metastases.