The current use of the EORTC QLQ-NMIBC24 and QLQ-BLM30 questionnaires for the assessment of health-related quality of life in bladder cancer patients: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: Investigating the use of the EORTC bladder cancer (BC) modules by evaluating: (a) study contexts/designs; (b) languages/countries in which the modules were administered; (c) their acceptance by patients/investigators; and (d) their psychometric properties. METHODS: A systematic review was performed with studies from 1998 until 20/10/2021 in five databases. Articles/conference abstracts using the EORTC-QLQBLM30 (muscle invasive BC) and the EORTC-QLQNMIBC24 (previously referred to as QLQ-BLS24; non-muscle invasive BC) were included. Two authors independently screened titles/abstracts/full-texts and performed data extraction. RESULTS: A total of 76 eligible studies were identified. Most studies included the BLM30 (n = 53), were in a urological surgery context (n = 41) and were cross-sectional (n = 35) or prospective (n = 30) in design. The BC modules were administered in 14 languages across 19 countries. Missing data were low-moderate for all non-sex related questions (< 1% to 15%). Sex-related questions had higher rates of missing data (ranging from 6.9% to 84%). Most investigators did not use all scales of the questionnaires. One validation study for the original BLS24 led to the development of the NMIBC24, which adopted a new scale structure for which good structural validity was confirmed (n = 3). Good reliability and validity was shown for the NMIBC24 module, except for malaise and bloating/flatulence scales. Psychometric evidence for BLM30 is lacking. CONCLUSION: These results provide insight into how the EORTC BC quality of life modules could be further improved. Current work is ongoing to update the modules and to determine if the two modules can be combined into a single questionnaire that works well in both the NMIBC and MIBC settings.

Clinical Relevance of the Tumor Location-Modified Laurén Classification System for Gastric Cancer in a Western Population.

BACKGROUND: The Tumor Location-Modified Laurén Classification (MLC) system combines Laurén histologic subtype and anatomic tumor location. It divides gastric tumors into proximal non-diffuse (PND), distal non-diffuse (DND), and diffuse (D) types. The optimum classification of patients with Laurén mixed tumors in this system is not clear due to its grouping with both diffuse and non-diffuse types in previous studies. The clinical relevance of the MLC in a Western population has not been examined. METHODS: A cohort study investigated 404 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma between 2005 and 2020. The classification of Laurén mixed tumors was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and comparison of clinicopathologic characteristics (chi-square). Survival analysis was performed using multivariable Cox regression. RESULTS: The ROC curve analysis demonstrated a slightly higher area under the curve value for predicting survival when Laurén mixed tumors were grouped with intestinal-type rather than diffuse-type tumors (0.58 vs 0.57). Survival, tumor recurrence, and resection margin positivity in mixed tumors also was more similar to intestinal type. Distal non-diffuse tumors had the best 5-year survival (DND 64.7 % vs PND 56.1 % vs diffuse 45.1 %; p = 0.006) and were least likely to have recurrence (DND 27.0 % vs PND 34.3 % vs diffuse 48.3 %; p = 0.001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that MLC was an independent prognostic factor for survival (PND: hazard ratio [HR], 1.64; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.16-2.32 vs diffuse: HR, 2.20; 95 % CI, 1.56-3.09) CONCLUSIONS: The MLC was an independent prognostic marker in this Western cohort of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. The patients with PND and D tumors had worse survival than those with DND tumors.

Validation and reliability of the Dutch version of the EORTC QLQ-BLM30 module for assessing the health-related quality of life of patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Quality of Life (QoL) of bladder cancer patients has been largely neglected. This is partly due to the lack of well-validated QoL questionnaires. The aim of this study is to examine the structural validity, reliability (i.e., internal consistency and test-retest reliability), construct validity (i.e., divergent validity and known group validity) and responsiveness of the Dutch version of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL questionnaire for muscle invasive bladder cancer (EORTC-QLQ-BLM30). METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) participating in the population-based 'Blaaskankerzorg In Beeld' (BlaZIB) study who completed the EORTC-QLQ-BLM30 at baseline were included. BlaZIB is a Dutch nationwide population-based prospective cohort study collecting clinical data and QoL data of bladder cancer patients. QoL is assessed with a self-administered questionnaire at four points in time: 6 weeks (baseline), 6 months, 12 months and 24 months after diagnosis. Confirmatory factor analysis and multitrait scaling analysis were used to investigate and adapt the scale structure. Reliability, construct validity and responsiveness of the revised scales were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 1542 patients invited to participate, 650 patients (42.2%) completed the QLQ-BLM30 at baseline. The questionnaire's scale structure was revised into seven scales and eight single items. Internal consistency and test-reliability were adequate for most scales (Cronbach's α ≥0.70 and intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.70, respectively), with the exception of the revised urostomy problem scale and abdominal bloating and flatulence scale. The questionnaire exhibited little overlap with the EORTC-QLQ-C30: all correlations were < 0.40, except for the correlation between emotional function (QLQ-C30) and future worries (QLQ-BLM30). The questionnaire was able to distinguish between patient subgroups formed on the basis of physical function, but not - as hypothesized- based on stage. Changes in health due to treatment were captured by the questionnaire, indicating that the questionnaire is responsive to change. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the adapted scale structure of the EORTC-QLQ-BLM30 generally exhibits good measurement properties in Dutch patients, but needs to be validated in other languages and settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: BlaZIB, NL8106, www.trialregister.nl.

Evaluating the performance of temporal pattern discovery: new application using statins and rhabdomyolysis in OMOP databases.

BACKGROUND: Temporal pattern discovery (TPD) is a method of signal detection using electronic healthcare databases, serving as an alternative to spontaneous reporting of adverse drug events. Here, we aimed to replicate and optimise a TPD approach previously used to assess temporal signals of statins with rhabdomyolysis (in The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database) by using the OHDSI tools designed for OMOP data sources. METHODS: We used data from the Truven MarketScan US Commercial Claims and the Commercial Claims and Encounters (CCAE). Using an extension of the OHDSI ICTemporalPatternDiscovery package, we ran positive and negative controls through four analytical settings and calculated sensitivity, specificity, bias and AUC to assess performance. RESULTS: Similar to previous findings, we noted an increase in the Information Component (IC) for simvastatin and rhabdomyolysis following initial exposure and throughout the surveillance window. For example, the change in IC was 0.266 for the surveillance period of 1-30 days as compared to the control period of - 180 to - 1 days. Our modification of the existing OHDSI software allowed for faster queries and more efficient generation of chronographs. CONCLUSION: Our OMOP replication matched the we can account forwe can account for of the original THIN study, only simvastatin had a signal. The TPD method is a useful signal detection tool that provides a single statistic on temporal association and a graphical depiction of the temporal pattern of the drug outcome combination. It remains unclear if the method works well for rare adverse events, but it has been shown to be a useful risk identification tool for longitudinal observational databases. Future work should compare the performance of TPD with other pharmacoepidemiology methods and mining techniques of signal detection. In addition, it would be worth investigating the relative TPD performance characteristics using a variety of observational data sources.

Adjuvant therapy following oesophagectomy for adenocarcinoma in patients with a positive resection margin.

BACKGROUND: The role of adjuvant therapy in patients with oesophagogastric adenocarcinoma treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy is contentious. In UK practice, surgical resection margin status is often used to classify patients for receiving adjuvant treatment. The aim of this study was to assess the survival benefit of adjuvant therapy in patients with positive (R1) resection margins. METHODS: Two prospectively collected UK institutional databases were combined to identify eligible patients. Adjusted Cox regression analyses were used to compare overall and recurrence-free survival according to adjuvant treatment. Recurrence patterns were assessed as a secondary outcome. Propensity score-matched analysis was also performed. RESULTS: Of 616 patients included in the combined database, 242 patients who had an R1 resection were included in the study. Of these, 112 patients (46·3 per cent) received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, 46 (19·0 per cent) were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and 84 (34·7 per cent) had no adjuvant treatment. In adjusted analysis, adjuvant chemoradiotherapy improved recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio (HR) 0·59, 95 per cent c.i. 0·38 to 0·94; P = 0·026), with a benefit in terms of both local (HR 0·48, 0·24 to 0·99; P = 0·047) and systemic (HR 0·56, 0·33 to 0·94; P = 0·027) recurrence. In analyses stratified by tumour response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, non-responders (Mandard tumour regression grade 4-5) treated with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy had an overall survival benefit (HR 0·61, 0·38 to 0·97; P = 0·037). In propensity score-matched analysis, an overall survival benefit (HR 0·62, 0·39 to 0·98; P = 0·042) and recurrence-free survival benefit (HR 0·51, 0·30 to 0·87; P = 0·004) were observed for adjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus no adjuvant treatment. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant therapy may improve overall survival and recurrence-free survival after margin-positive resection. This pattern seems most pronounced with adjuvant chemoradiotherapy in non-responders to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

ANTECEDENTES: El papel del tratamiento adyuvante en pacientes con adenocarcinoma esofagogástrico tratados con quimioterapia neoadyuvante es polémico. En la práctica del Reino Unido, el estado del margen de resección quirúrgico se utiliza a menudo para identificar a los pacientes que reciben tratamiento adyuvante. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el beneficio en la supervivencia del tratamiento adyuvante en pacientes con márgenes de resección positivos (R1). MÉTODOS: Se combinaron dos bases de datos de instituciones del Reino Unido que recogen información de forma prospectiva para identificar pacientes elegibles. Se utilizaron análisis de regresión de Cox ajustados para comparar la supervivencia global y la supervivencia libre de recidiva según el tratamiento adyuvante. Los patrones de recidiva se evaluaron como resultado secundario. También se realizó un análisis de emparejamiento por puntaje de propensión. RESULTADOS: De 616 pacientes incluidos en la base de datos combinada, se incluyeron en el estudio 242 pacientes con resección R1. De estos pacientes, 112 (46%) recibieron quimiorradioterapia adyuvante, 46 (19%) pacientes fueron tratados con quimioterapia adyuvante y 84 (35%) pacientes no recibieron ningún tratamiento. En el análisis ajustado, la quimiorradioterapia adyuvante mejoró la supervivencia libre de recidiva (cociente de riesgos instantáneos, hazard ratio, HR 0,59, i.c. del 95% 0,38-0,94; P = 0,026) con un beneficio tanto para la recidiva local (HR 0,48, i.c. del 95% 0,24-0,99; P = 0,047) como para la sistémica (HR 0,56, i.c. del 95% 0,33-0,94; P = 0,027). Cuando los pacientes se clasificaron según la respuesta tumoral a la quimioterapia neoadyuvante, los no respondedores (Mandard Grado 4/5) tratados con quimiorradioterapia adyuvante obtuvieron un beneficio en la supervivencia (HR 0,61, i.c. del 95% 0,38-0,97; P = 0,037). En el análisis por emparejamiento por puntaje de propensión, se observó un beneficio en la supervivencia global (HR 0,62, i.c. del 95% 0,39-0,98; P = 0,042) y en la supervivencia libre de recidiva (HR 0,51.i.c. del 95% 0,30-0,87; P = 0,004) con la quimiorradioterapia adyuvante frente a no recibir tratamiento adyuvante. CONCLUSIÓN: El tratamiento adyuvante puede mejorar la supervivencia global y la supervivencia libre de recidiva en pacientes con margen de resección positivo. Este patrón parece más pronunciado con la quimiorradioterapia adyuvante en pacientes que no responden a la quimioterapia.

Guy's cancer cohort - real world evidence for cancer pathways.

BACKGROUND: The burden of disease due to cancer remains substantial. Since the value of real-world evidence has also been recognised by regulatory agencies, we established a Research Ethics Committee (REC) approved research database for cancer patients (Reference: 18/NW/0297). CONSTRUCTION AND CONTENT: Guy's Cancer Cohort introduces the concept of opt-out consent processes for research in a subset of oncology patients diagnosed and treated at a large NHS Trust in the UK. From April 2016 until March 2017, 1388 eligible patients visited Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) for breast cancer management. For urological cancers this number was 1757 and for lung cancer 677. The Cohort consists of a large repository of routinely collected clinical data recorded both retrospectively and prospectively. The database contains detailed clinical information collected at various timepoints across the treatment pathway inclusive of diagnostic data, and data on disease progression, recurrence and survival. CONCLUSIONS: Guy's Cancer Cohort provides a valuable infrastructure to answer a wide variety of research questions of a clinical, mechanistic, and supportive care nature. Clinical research using this database will result in improved patient safety and experience. Guy's Cancer Cohort promotes collaborative research and will accept applications for the release of anonymised datasets for research purposes.

Serum inflammatory markers in relation to prostate cancer severity and death in the Swedish AMORIS study.

Inflammation is a well-documented driver of cancer development and progression. However, little is known about its role in prostate carcinogenesis. Thus, we examined the association of C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin, albumin and white blood cells (WBC) with prostate cancer (PCa) severity (defined by PCa risk category and clinicopathological characteristics) and progression (defined by PCa death). We selected 8,471 Swedish men with newly diagnosed PCa who had exposure measurements taken approximately 14 years prior to diagnosis. We calculated odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the associations between the inflammatory markers and PCa severity using logistic regression, while Cox proportional hazard regression was used for the associations with overall and PCa death. Serum CRP levels were associated with increased odds of high risk and metastatic PCa, and high PSA levels (≥20 µg/L) (OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.06-1.56, 1.32; 1.05-1.65 and 1.51; 1.26-1.81, respectively). Similarly, higher haptoglobin levels were associated with increased odds of metastatic PCa, high PSA level and possibly high grade PCa (1.38; 1.10-1.74, 1.50; 1.17-1.93 and 1.25; 1.00-1.56, respectively). Albumin was positively associated with Gleason 4 + 3 tumour (1.38; 1.02-1.86) and overall death (HRunit increase in log : 1.60; 95% CI: 1.11-2.30), but inversely associated with high risk PCa and high PSA levels (≥20 µg/L) (0.71; 0.56-0.89 and 0.72; 0.5 9-0.90). WBC was associated with increased odds of T3-T4 PCa. Except for albumin, none of these markers were associated with PCa death or overall death. Systemic inflammation as early as 14 years prior to diagnosis may influence prostate cancer severity.

Determinants of non-adherence to adjuvant endocrine treatment in women with breast cancer: the role of comorbidity.

PURPOSE: To examine factors associated with non-adherence during 5 years of endocrine treatment, including the possible influence of comorbidity burden and specific medical conditions. METHODS: From all women diagnosed with stage I-III, ER-positive breast cancer in Stockholm-Gotland, Uppsala-Örebro and Northern Sweden between 2006 and 2009, we included 4645 women who had at least one dispensation of tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and 5 years of follow-up without distant recurrence. A medical possession ratio of < 80% was used to define non-adherence. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of non-adherence. RESULTS: During follow-up, 977 (21%) women became non-adherents. Non-adherence was associated with greater comorbidity burden assessed by Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) during follow-up (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.08-1.88 for ≥ 2 additional scores compared to 0), pre-diagnostic HRT use (OR 1.99; 1.58-2.49), not married (OR 1.42; 1.23-1.64), high educational level (OR 1.25; 1.02-1.53 compared to lowest level), and use of symptom-relieving drugs. HER-2 positivity (OR 0.61; 0.45-0.81) and adjuvant chemotherapy (OR 0.42; 0.35-0.52) were associated with lower odds of non-adherence. Similar patterns were observed for the presence of lymph node metastasis, higher tumour grade, and use of AIs compared to tamoxifen. Myocardial infarction and chronic pulmonary disease was suggested as leading conditions associated with non-adherence in women with increasing CCI. CONCLUSION: We identified subgroups of women with breast cancer at increased risk of non-adherence. Our findings related to comorbidity suggest the importance of focusing on the presence of specific co-existing conditions when monitoring adherence.

Lymph node regression and survival following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to define the pathological response in lymph nodes following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for oesophageal adenocarcinoma and to quantify any associated survival benefit. METHODS: Lymph nodes retrieved at oesophagectomy were examined retrospectively by two pathologists for evidence of a response to chemotherapy. Patients were classified as lymph node-negative (either negative nodes with no evidence of previous tumour involvement or negative with evidence of complete regression) or positive (allocated a lymph node regression score based on the proportion of fibrosis to residual tumour). Lymph node responders (score 1, complete response; 2, less than 10 per cent remaining tumour; 3, 10-50 per cent remaining tumour) and non-responders (score 4, more than 50 per cent viable tumour; 5, no response) were compared in survival analyses using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Among 377 patients, 256 had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Overall, 68 of 256 patients (26·6 per cent) had a lymph node response and 115 (44·9 per cent) did not. The remaining 73 patients (28·5 per cent) had negative lymph nodes with no evidence of regression. Some patients had a lymph node response in the absence of a response in the primary tumour (27 of 99, 27 per cent). Lymph node responders had a significant survival benefit (P < 0·001), even when stratified by patients with or without a response in the primary tumour. On multivariable analysis, lymph node responders had decreased overall (hazard ratio 0·53, 95 per cent c.i. 0·36 to 0·78) and disease-specific (HR 0·42, 0·27 to 0·66) mortality, and experienced reduced local and systemic recurrence. CONCLUSION: Lymph node regression is a strong prognostic factor and may be more important than response in the primary tumour.

A comparison of the left thoracoabdominal and Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy.

The purpose of this study was to assess the oncological outcomes of a large multicenter series of left thoracoabdominal esophagectomies, and compare these to the more widely utilized Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy. With ethics approval and an established study protocol, anonymized data from five centers were merged into a structured database. The study exposure was operative approach (ILE or LTE). The primary outcome measure was time to death. Secondary outcome measures included time to tumor recurrence, positive surgical resection margins, lymph node yield, postoperative death, and hospital length of stay. Cox proportional hazards models provided hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusting for age, pathological tumor stage, tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, and neoadjuvant treatment. Among 1228 patients (598 ILE; 630 LTE), most (86%) had adenocarcinoma (AC) and were male (81%). Comparing ILE and LTE for AC patients, no difference was seen in terms of time to death (HR 0.904 95%CI 0.749-1.1090) or time to recurrence (HR 0.973 95%CI 0.768-1.232). The risk of a positive resection margin was also similar (OR 1.022 95%CI 0.731-1.429). Median lymph node yield did not differ between approaches (LTE 21; ILE 21; P = 0.426). In-hospital mortality was 2.4%, significantly lower in the LTE group (LTE 1.3%; ILE 3.6%; P = 0.004). Median hospital stay was 11 days in the LTE group and 14 days in the ILE group (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, this is the largest series of left thoracoabdominal esophagectomies to be submitted for publication and the only one to compare two different transthoracic esophagectomy strategies. It demonstrates oncological equivalence between operative approaches but possible short- term advantages to the left thoracoabdominal esophagectomy.

Investigating nutrition and lifestyle factors as determinants of abdominal obesity: an environment-wide study.

BACKGROUND: The increasing global trends in obesity and its associated burden of disease indicate a need to identify modifiable determinants of obesity. METHODS: A total of 182 nutrition and lifestyles factors were investigated in relation to abdominal obesity among 7,403 male and 8,328 female participants of the Third U.S. National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES III). We used the first phase (1988-1991) of the NHANES III to identify factors with a false discovery rate (FDR) of <5%. Of these, we tentatively replicated our findings in the second phase (1992-1994) of the survey. Principal component analysis was performed to identify unobserved factors underlying the association between validated factors and abdominal obesity, defined as waist circumference >88 cm for women and >102 cm for men. RESULTS: We found five tentatively replicated factors showing significant associations with abdominal obesity in men: serum α-carotene, ß-carotene, serum ß-cryptoxanthin, serum vitamin D and vigorous physical activity. In women, 7 factors were identified: serum α-carotene, ß-carotene, serum ß-cryptoxanthin, serum vitamin C, serum vitamin D, vigorous physical activity and aspartame intake. In contrast to the other factors which showed inverse associations with abdominal obesity, aspartame intake displayed a positive relationship with this outcome (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10-1.26 for each log increase in aspartame intake in women). Principal component analysis suggested three principal components underlying such associations, each comprising: (1) serum antioxidants; (2) serum vitamin D and vigorous physical activity; and (3) aspartame intake. All three principal components also displayed significant associations with abdominal obesity. CONCLUSION: Our observational investigation that systematically investigates multiple modifiable factors simultaneously has enabled the creation of data-driven hypotheses regarding the possible role of determinants of abdominal obesity and has identified potential avenues for mechanistic investigations to clarify suitable targets of intervention.

King's Health Partners' Prostate Cancer Biobank (KHP PCaBB).

The KHP PCaBB was established in 2013 and recruits donors from the Urology or Oncology Departments at Guy's Hospital in London (UK). Prostate cancer patients may be approached to give their consent for biobanking at any point in their treatment pathway, which allows residual material from their earlier diagnosis to be transferred and used by the Biobank. Currently, patients are specifically asked to donate samples of blood and surplus prostate tissue as well as permitting access to their clinical and pathological data that continues to be added throughout the course of their disease. Between 2013 and 2015, 549 prostate cancer patients gave their consent to the biobank and, the tissue repository collected 489 blood samples, 120 frozen prostate tissue samples and 1064 formalin fixed paraffin embedded diagnostic blocks.Prostate cancer has become a chronic disease in a large proportion of men, with many men receiving multiple subsequent treatments, and their treatment trajectory often spanning over decades. Therefore, this resource aims to provide an ideal research platform to explore potential variations in treatment response as well as disease markers in the different risk categories for prostate cancer.A recent audit of the KHP PCaBB revealed that between 2013 and 2015, 1796 patients were diagnosed with prostate cancer at King's Health Partners (KHP), out of which 549 (30.6%) gave their consent to KHP PCaBB. Comparisons between demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who had consented compared to the total patient population revealed that the KHP PCaBB is demographically representative of the total prostate cancer patient population seen in Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). We observed no differences in distribution of ethnicity (p = 0.507) and socioeconomic status (p = 0.097). Some differences were observed in clinical characteristics, specifically with treatment type - which differed significantly between the patients who had given consent and total patient population.The KHP PCaBB has thereby amassed a rich data and tissue repository that is largely reflective of both the demographic and clinical diversity within the total prostate cancer patient population seen at KHP, making it an ideal platform for prostate cancer research.

A latent class model for competing risks.

Survival data analysis becomes complex when the proportional hazards assumption is violated at population level or when crude hazard rates are no longer estimators of marginal ones. We develop a Bayesian survival analysis method to deal with these situations, on the basis of assuming that the complexities are induced by latent cohort or disease heterogeneity that is not captured by covariates and that proportional hazards hold at the level of individuals. This leads to a description from which risk-specific marginal hazard rates and survival functions are fully accessible, 'decontaminated' of the effects of informative censoring, and which includes Cox, random effects and latent class models as special cases. Simulated data confirm that our approach can map a cohort's substructure and remove heterogeneity-induced informative censoring effects. Application to data from the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men cohort leads to plausible alternative explanations for previous counter-intuitive inferences on prostate cancer. The importance of managing cardiovascular disease as a comorbidity in women diagnosed with breast cancer is suggested on application to data from the Swedish Apolipoprotein Mortality Risk Study. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Systematic review of high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation in the treatment of breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: A systematic review was undertaken to assess the clinical efficacy of non-invasive high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation in the treatment of breast cancer. METHODS: MEDLINE/PubMed library databases were used to identify all studies published up to December 2013 that evaluated the role of HIFU ablation in the treatment of breast cancer. Studies were eligible if they were performed on patients with breast cancer and objectively recorded at least one clinical outcome measure of response (imaging, histopathological or cosmetic) to HIFU treatment. RESULTS: Nine studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The absence of tumour or residual tumour after treatment was reported for 95·8 per cent of patients (160 of 167). No residual tumour was found in 46·2 per cent (55 of 119; range 17-100 per cent), less than 10 per cent residual tumour in 29·4 per cent (35 of 119; range 0-53 per cent), and between 10 and 90 per cent residual tumour in 22·7 per cent (27 of 119; range 0-60 per cent). The most common complication associated with HIFU ablation was pain (40·1 per cent) and less frequently oedema (16·8 per cent), skin burn (4·2 per cent) and pectoralis major injury (3·6 per cent). MRI showed an absence of contrast enhancement after treatment in 82 per cent of patients (31 of 38; range 50-100 per cent), indicative of coagulative necrosis. Correlation of contrast enhancement on pretreatment and post-treatment MRI successfully predicted the presence of residual disease. CONCLUSION: HIFU treatment can induce coagulative necrosis in breast cancers. Complete ablation has not been reported consistently on histopathology and no imaging modality has been able confidently to predict the percentage of complete ablation. Consistent tumour and margin necrosis with reliable follow-up imaging are required before HIFU ablation can be evaluated within large, prospective clinical trials.

Adjuvant taxanes and the development of breast cancer-related arm lymphoedema.

BACKGROUND: Despite affecting approximately one-quarter of all patients undergoing axillary lymph node dissection, the pathophysiology of breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL) remains poorly understood. More extensive locoregional treatment and higher body mass index have long been identified as major risk factors. This study aimed to identify risk factors for BCRL with a specific focus on the potential impact of chemotherapy on the risk of BCRL. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of a cohort of consecutive patients with breast cancer treated at a major London regional teaching hospital between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2012. All patients had node-positive disease and underwent axillary lymph node dissection. Data regarding tumour-, patient- and treatment-related characteristics were collected prospectively. The diagnosis of BCRL was based on both subjective and objective criteria. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the association between treatment and risk of BCRL. RESULTS: Some 27.1 per cent of all patients (74 of 273) developed BCRL over the study period. Administration of taxanes showed a strong association with the development of BCRL, as 52 (33.5 per cent) of 155 patients who received taxanes developed BCRL. Multivariable Cox regression analysis demonstrated that patients who received taxanes were nearly three times more likely to develop BCRL than patients who had no chemotherapy (hazard ratio 2.82, 95 per cent c.i. 1.31 to 6.06). No such increase was observed when taxanes were administered in the neoadjuvant setting. CONCLUSION: The present findings suggest that adjuvant taxanes play a key role in the development of BCRL after surgery. This may support the use of taxanes in a neoadjuvant rather than adjuvant setting.

Understanding quality of life issues in patients with advanced melanoma: Phase 1 and 2 in the development of the EORTC advanced melanoma module.

AIMS: We aimed to develop a European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life (QoL) module tailored for patients with advanced (resectable or unresectable stage III/IV) melanoma receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors or targeted therapy. METHODS: Following the EORTC QoL Group module development guidelines, we conducted phases 1 and 2 of the development process. In phase 1, we generated a list of health-related (HR)QoL issues through a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients with advanced melanoma. In phase 2, these issues were converted into questionnaire items to create the preliminary module. RESULTS: Phase 1: we retrieved 8006 articles for the literature review, of which 35 were deemed relevant, resulting in 84 HRQoL issues being extracted to create the initial issue list. Semi-structured interviews with 18 HCPs and 28 patients with advanced melanoma resulted in 28 issues being added to the initial issue list. Following EORTC module development criteria, 26 issues were removed, and two issues were added after review by patient advocates. Phase 2: To ensure uniformity and avoid duplication, 16 issues were consolidated into eight items. Additionally, an independent expert contributed one new item, resulting in a preliminary module comprising 80 HRQoL items. CONCLUSION: We identified a range of HRQoL issues (dry skin, xerostomia, and arthralgia) relevant to patients with stage III/IV melanoma. Future module development phases will refine the questionnaire. Once completed, this module will enable standardized assessment of HRQoL in patients with (locally) advanced melanoma.

Cancer care for Ukrainian refugees: Strategic impact assessments in the early days of the conflict.

BACKGROUND: The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has resulted in destruction of healthcare infrastructure and triggered the largest wave of internally displaced populations and refugees since World War Two. Conflicts in transitioned countries such as Ukraine create new non-communicable disease (NCD) challenges, especially for cancer care for refugees and humanitarian assistance in host countries. In the early days, rapid attempts were made to model possible impacts. METHODS: By evaluating open source intelligence used in the first three months of the conflict through snowball search methods, we aimed to address: (i) burden of cancer in Ukrainian population, specifically considering translating to the refugees population, and its cancer care capacity; ii) baseline capacity/strengths of cancer systems in initial host countries. Moreover, using a baseline scenario based on crude cancer incidence in Ukraine, and considering data from UNHCR, we estimated how cancer cases would be distributed across host countries. Finally, a surveillance assessment instrument was created, intersecting health system's capacity and influx of internally displaced populations and refugees. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: The total new cancer patients per month in pre-conflict Ukraine was estimated as 13,106, of which < 1 % are paediatric cases. The estimated cancer cases in the refugee population (combining prevalent and incident), assuming 7.5 million refugees by July 2022 and a female:male ratio of 9:1, was 33,121 individuals (Poland: 19284; Hungary: 3484; Moldova: 2651; Slovakia: 2421; Romania: 5281). According to our assessments, Poland is the only neighbouring country classified as green/yellow for cancer capacity, i.e. sufficient ablility to absorb additional burden into national health system; Slovakia we graded as yellow, Hungary and Romania as yellow/red and Moldova as red.

ReIMAGINE: a prostate cancer research consortium with added value through its patient and public involvement and engagement.

BACKGROUND: ReIMAGINE aims to improve the current prostate specific antigen (PSA)/biopsy risk stratification for prostate cancer (PCa) and develop a new image-based method (with biomarkers) for diagnosing high/low risk PCa in men. ReIMAGINE's varied patient and public involvement (PPI) and engagement (PE) strategy maximises the impact of its scientific output by informing and shaping the different stages of research. AIMS: Through including the voice of patients and the public, the ReIMAGINE Consortium aims to translate these different perspectives into the design and implementation process. This will improve the overall quality of the research by: reflecting the needs and priorities of patients and the public, ensuring methods and procedures are feasible and appropriate ensuring information is relevant and accessible to those being recruited to the study identifying dissemination channels relevant to patients/the public and developing outputs that are accessible to a lay audience With support from our patient/user groups, the ReIMAGINE Consortium aims to improve our ability to derive prognostic information and allocate men to the most appropriate and effective therapies, using a novel image-based risk stratification with investigation of non-imaging biomarkers. FINDINGS: We have been working with patients and the public from initiation of the project to ensure that the research is relevant to men and their families. Our PPI Sub-Committee, led by a PCa patient, has been involved in our dissemination strategy, outreach activities, and study design recommendations. For example, the sub-committee have developed a variety of informative videos relevant and accessible to those being recruited, and organised multiple online research engagement events that are accessible to a lay audience. As quoted by one of the study participants, "the more we present the benefits and opportunities to patients and the public, the more research commitment we obtain, and the sooner critical clinical questions such as PCa diagnostics will be addressed".

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa). Most will not die of it, but our ability to identify those men whose cancer poses the greatest threat to life has, thus far, been poor. Some men are diagnosed with small cancers which will never cause them a problem, some will have treatment which is unnecessary, others will have their cancers missed, and others will be misclassified as either having low risk cancer and will therefore miss out on the appropriate treatment, or told their cancer is high risk and have unnecessary treatment. Nowhere else in modern medicine are these errors of over-diagnosis, over-treatment, missed-diagnoses, and poor risk-stratification more common. The ReIMAGINE Consortium has been developed to undertake discoveries that will correct these four key errors in the PCa diagnostic pathway. We will investigate how to best identify which men have, or will develop, aggressive prostate cancer using imaging combined with advanced biomarker analyses of blood and urine (i.e., OMICs technologies such as whole genome sequencing, targeted sequencing (e.g.: = , methylation). We will achieve this by building on established partnerships between patients, advocacy organisations, clinicians, imaging experts, molecular biologists, methodologists, and a broad range of industrial partners.The Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) sub-committee is an integral part of the study workflow, contributing to study design and recruitment, results analysis, and dissemination. The committee, led by a funded PPI co-ordinator and a patient chair, have given invaluable insight into the study modifications due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Prediction of a positive circumferential resection margin at surgery following neoadjuvant chemotherapy for adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus.

Background: A positive circumferential resection margin (CRM) has been associated with higher rates of locoregional recurrence and worse survival in oesophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to establish if clinicopathological and radiological variables might predict CRM positivity in patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery for oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods: Multivariable analysis of clinicopathological and CT imaging characteristics considered potentially predictive of CRM was performed at initial staging and following neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Prediction models were constructed. The area under the curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals (c.i.) from 1000 bootstrapping was assessed. Results: A total of 223 patients were included in the study. Poor differentiation (odds ratio (OR) 2·84, 95 per cent c.i. 1·39 to 6·01) and advanced clinical tumour status (T3-4) (OR 2·93, 1·03 to 9·48) were independently associated with an increased CRM risk at diagnosis. CT-assessed lack of response (stable or progressive disease) following chemotherapy independently corresponded with an increased risk of CRM positivity (OR 3·38, 1·43 to 8·50). Additional CT evidence of local invasion and higher CT tumour volume (14 cm3) improved the performance of a prediction model, including all the above parameters, with an AUC (c-index) of 0·76 (0·67 to 0·83). Variables associated with significantly higher rates of locoregional recurrence were pN status (P = 0·020), lymphovascular invasion (P = 0·007) and poor response to chemotherapy (Mandard score 4-5) (P = 0·006). CRM positivity was associated with a higher locoregional recurrence rate, but this was not statistically significant (P = 0·092). Conclusion: The presence of advanced cT status, poor tumour differentiation, and CT-assessed lack of response to chemotherapy, higher tumour volume and local invasion can be used to identify patients at risk of a positive CRM following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Antecedentes: Un margen de resección circunferencial (circumferential resection margin, CRM) positivo se ha asociado con tasas más elevadas de recidiva locorregional y peor supervivencia en el cáncer de esófago. El objetivo de este estudio fue establecer si las variables clínico­patológicas y radiológicas podrían predecir la positividad del CRM en el adenocarcinoma de esófago tras quimioterapia neoadyuvante antes de la cirugía. Métodos: Se realizó un análisis multivariable de las características clínico­patológicas y de la tomografía computarizada (computed tomography, CT) que se consideraron potencialmente predictivas de CRM en la estadificación inicial y tras la quimioterapia neoadyuvante. Se construyeron modelos de predicción. Se evaluó el área bajo la curva (area under curve, AUC) con el i.c. del 95% a partir de 1.000 muestras bootstrap. Resultados: Se incluyeron 223 pacientes en el estudio. Una pobre diferenciación (razón de oportunidades, odds ratio, OR 2,84, i.c. del 95% 1,39­6,01) y un estadio clínico T avanzado (T3­4) (OR 2,93, i.c. del 95% 1,03­9,48) se asociaron de forma independiente con un riesgo aumentado de CRM en el diagnóstico. La falta de respuesta en la CT (estable o enfermedad en progresión) tras la quimioterapia se correspondía de forma independiente con un riesgo aumentado de CRM positivo (OR 3,38, i.c. del 95% 1,43­8,50). Además, la evidencia por CT de invasión local y un mayor volumen del tumor en CT (14 cm3) mejoraron el funcionamiento del modelo predictivo, incluyendo todos los parámetros previamente señalados; con AUC (índice c) de 0,76 (0,68­0,83). Las variables asociadas de forma significativa con tasas más elevadas de recidiva locorregional fueron el estado de los ganglios linfáticos patológicos (P = 0,002), la invasión linfovascular (P = 0,007) y la respuesta pobre a la quimioterapia (Mandard 4 y 5 (P = 0,006)). La positividad del CRM se asoció con una tasa de recidiva locorregional más elevada pero sin alcanzar significación estadística (P = 0,09). Conclusión: La presencia de un estadio clínico T avanzado, tumor pobremente diferenciado, falta de respuesta a la quimioterapia en la TC, mayor volumen del tumor en la TC e invasión local pueden ser utilizados para identificar pacientes en riesgo de un CRM positivo tras quimioterapia neoadyuvante.

Impact of incremental circumferential resection margin distance on overall survival and recurrence in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Previous analyses of the oesophageal circumferential resection margin (CRM) have focused on the prognostic validity of two different definitions of a positive CRM, that of the College of American Pathologists (tumour at margin) and that of the Royal College of Pathologists (tumour within 1 mm). This study aimed to analyse the validity of these definitions and explore the risk of recurrence and survival with incremental tumour distances from the CRM. METHODS: This cohort study included patients who underwent resection for adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus between 2000 and 2014. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the hazard ratio (HR) with 95 per cent confidence intervals for recurrence and mortality in CRM increments: tumour at the cut margin, extending to within 0·1-0·9, 1·0-1·9, 2·0-4·9 mm, and 5·0 mm or more from the margin. RESULTS: A total of 444 patients were included in the study. Kaplan-Meier and unadjusted analyses showed a significant incremental improvement in overall survival (P < 0·001) and recurrence (P for trend < 0·001) rates with increasing distance from the CRM. Tumour distance of 2·0 mm or more remained a significant predictor of survival on multivariable analysis (HR for risk of death 0·66, 95 per cent c.i. 0·44 to 1·00). Multivariable analysis of overall survival demonstrated a significant difference between a positive and negative CRM with the Royal College of Pathologists' definition (HR 1·37, 1·01 to 1·85), but not with the College of American Pathologists' definition (HR 1·22, 0·90 to 1·65). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated an incremental improvement in survival and recurrence rates with increasing tumour distance from the CRM.