The influence of multidisciplinary team meetings on treatment decisions in advanced bladder cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of specialised genitourinary multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) in decision-making and identify factors that influence the probability of receiving a treatment plan with curative intent for patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data relating to patients with cT2-4aN0/X-1 M0 urothelial cell carcinoma, diagnosed between November 2017 and October 2019, were selected from the nationwide, population-based Netherlands Cancer Registry ('BlaZIB study'). Curative treatment options were defined as radical cystectomy (RC) with or without neoadjuvant chemotherapy, chemoradiation or brachytherapy. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between MDTM factors and curative treatment advice and how this advice was followed. RESULTS: Of the 2321 patients, 2048 (88.2%) were discussed in a genitourinary MDTM. Advanced age (>80 years) and poorer World Health Organization performance status (score 1-2 vs 0) were associated with no discussion (P < 0.001). Being discussed was associated with undergoing treatment with curative intent (odds ratio [OR] 3.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9-4.9), as was the involvement of a RC hospital (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.09-2.65). Involvement of an academic centre was associated with higher rates of bladder-sparing treatment (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.31-3.21). Patient preference was the main reason for non-adherence to treatment advice. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with MIBC, the probability of being discussed in a MDTM was associated with age, performance status and receiving treatment with curative intent, especially if a representative of a RC hospital was present. Future studies should focus on the impact of MDTM advice on survival data.

Incidence and clinical predictors of 30-day emergency readmission after colorectal cancer surgery - A nationwide cohort study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the risk and predictors of 30-day emergency readmission and surgical reintervention after discharge from colorectal cancer surgery with curative intent in Denmark. METHOD: This is a retrospective cohort study using Danish nationwide registry data. We included all patients who underwent colorectal tumour resection with curative intent between 1 January 2005 and 1 December 2018. The primary outcome was 30-day emergency readmission, defined as any emergency hospital visit within 30 days of discharge. Secondary outcomes were 30-day emergency readmission with a minimum duration of 2 days and 30-day emergency readmission including any abdominal procedure. Twenty-three candidate predictors including patient comorbidities, tumour characteristics, surgical treatment and length of stay were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression models. Length of stay was categorized into percentiles and standardized according to year of surgery. RESULTS: Of the 40 782 patients included in the study, 8360 (20.5%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Median time to readmission was 6 days (interquartile range 2-15 days). A total of 4968 patients (12.2%) were readmitted for at least 2 days, and 793 patients (1.9%) underwent an abdominal procedure during their readmission. The strongest predictors of 30-day readmission were length of stay below the fifth percentile (OR 2.36; P < 0.001) and American Society of Anesthesiologists score IV (OR 2.21; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Emergency readmission is frequent after colorectal cancer surgery with curative intent, and almost 10% of readmitted patients require surgical reintervention. An increased focus on predicting preventable readmissions might facilitate interventions to reduce morbidity and hospital expenses.

Impact of serum albumin concentration and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio score on gastric cancer prognosis.

INTRODUCTION/AIM: Serum albumin concentration (COA) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could reflect immunological and nutritional status. We aim to evaluate the impact of COA-NLR score on the prognosis of gastric cancer (GC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We perform a retrospective analysis on a database of 637 GC cases, between January 2010 and December 2017. In 396 patients, the inclusion criteria for this study were met (non-resectional or palliative surgery were excluded). Analytic data was only available in 203 patients. COA-NLR score was defined as follows: COA under 35 g/L and NLR value of 2.585 or higher, score 2; one of these conditions, score 1; and neither, score 0. RESULTS: In our population (n = 203), 87 patients were classified as score 0, 82 as score 1 and 34 as score 2. COA-NLR score was significantly associated with DFS (HR 1.674; CI 95% 1.115-2.513; p = 0.013) and with OS (HR 2.072; CI 95% 1.531-2.805; p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis (log rank test) revealed that a higher score of COA-NLR predicted a worse OS (p < 0.001) and DFS (p = 0.03). COA-NLR was an independent prognostic factor for OS when adjusted to pStage and age (adjusted HR 1.566; CI 95% 1.145-2.143; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative COA-NLR score was significantly associated with worse OS and DFS and, in this way, with worse prognosis on GC patients submitted to curative-intent resectional surgery.

Circulating Tumor DNA as a Minimal Residual Disease Assessment and Recurrence Risk in Patients Undergoing Curative-Intent Resection with or without Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Emerging data have suggested that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can be a reliable biomarker for minimal residual disease (MRD) in CRC patients. Recent studies have shown that the ability to detect MRD using ctDNA assay after curative-intent surgery will change how to assess the recurrence risk and patient selection for adjuvant chemotherapy. We performed a meta-analysis of post-operative ctDNA in stage I-IV (oligometastatic) CRC patients after curative-intent resection. We included 23 studies representing 3568 patients with evaluable ctDNA in CRC patient post-curative-intent surgery. Data were extracted from each study to perform a meta-analysis using RevMan 5.4. software. Subsequent subgroup analysis was performed for stages I-III and oligometastatic stage IV CRC patients. Results showed that the pooled hazard ratio (HR) for recurrence-free survival (RFS) in post-surgical ctDNA-positive versus -negative patients in all stages was 7.27 (95% CI 5.49-9.62), p < 0.00001. Subgroup analysis revealed pooled HRs of 8.14 (95% CI 5.60-11.82) and 4.83 (95% CI 3.64-6.39) for stages I-III and IV CRC, respectively. The pooled HR for RFS in post-adjuvant chemotherapy ctDNA-positive versus -negative patients in all stages was 10.59 (95% CI 5.59-20.06), p < 0.00001. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis has revolutionized non-invasive cancer diagnostics and monitoring, with two primary forms of analysis emerging: tumor-informed techniques and tumor-agnostic or tumor-naive techniques. Tumor-informed methods involve the initial identification of somatic mutations in tumor tissue, followed by the targeted sequencing of plasma DNA using a personalized assay. In contrast, the tumor-agnostic approach performs ctDNA analysis without prior knowledge of the patient's tumor tissue molecular profile. This review highlights the distinctive features and implications of each approach. Tumor-informed techniques enable the precise monitoring of known tumor-specific mutations, leveraging the sensitivity and specificity of ctDNA detection. Conversely, the tumor-agnostic approach allows for a broader genetic and epigenetic analysis, potentially revealing novel alterations and enhancing our understanding of tumor heterogeneity. Both approaches have significant implications for personalized medicine and improved patient outcomes in the field of oncology. The subgroup analysis based on the ctDNA method showed pooled HRs of 8.66 (95% CI 6.38-11.75) and 3.76 (95% CI 2.58-5.48) for tumor-informed and tumor-agnostic, respectively. Our analysis emphasizes that post-operative ctDNA is a strong prognostic marker of RFS. Based on our results, ctDNA can be a significant and independent predictor of RFS. This real-time assessment of treatment benefits using ctDNA can be used as a surrogate endpoint for the development of novel drugs in the adjuvant setting.

Overall survival and prognostic factors in Stage I lung adenocarcinoma treated with curative intent: A real-life 19-year cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Important differences in Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are related to the delay in the diagnosis to the treatment, hospitals' specialised status, comorbidities, tumour stage and histological type. METHODS: A 19-year retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 681 patients with NSCLC in clinical-stage IA-IB. The variables analysed were gender, age, schooling, type of health care provider, type of treatment, period of 5-year treatment, the time between first attendance to diagnosis and the time between diagnosis and treatment, and hospital's specialised status. RESULTS: Patients who underwent radiotherapy alone had three times more risk of death than those who underwent surgery alone (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR] = 3.44; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.45-4.82; p <0.001). The independent risk of death factors was being treated in nonhigh complexity centres in oncology hospitals and having started the treatment more than 2 months after diagnosis (adjHR = 1.80; 95% CI: 1.26-2.56; p <0.001) and (adjHR = 2.00; 95% CI: 1.33-3.00; p <0.001), respectively. In addition, the patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2015 had a 40% lower risk of death when compared to those diagnosed between 2000 and 2005 (95% CI: 0.38-0.94; p = 0.027). CONCLUSION: The overall survival in curative intent Stage-I lung cancer patients' treatment was associated with the 5-year diagnosis group, the delayed time between diagnosis and treatment and the hospital qualification.

Predictors of five-year survival among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States: an analysis of SEER-Medicare.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are ≥ 65 years old at diagnosis and ~ 20% present with disease amenable to curative intent surgical therapy. The aim of this study was to examine whether treatment, the demographic variables, and clinical factors could predict 5-year survival among HCC patients. METHODS: We included patients, 66 years or older, diagnosed with a first primary HCC from 1994 through 2007 in the SEER-Medicare database, and followed up until death or 31 December 2012. Curative intent treatment was defined as liver transplantation, surgery resection, or ablation. We estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations with 5-year survival using logistic regression. RESULTS: We identified 10,826 patients with HCC with mean age 75.3 (standard deviation, 6.4) years. Most were male (62.2%) and non-Hispanic white (59.7%). Overall, only 8.1% of patients were alive 5 years post-HCC diagnosis date. Among all patients that survived ≥ 5 years, 69.8% received potentially curative treatment. Conversely, patients who received potentially curative treatment represented only 15.7% of patients who survived < 5 years. Curative intent treatment was the strongest predictor for surviving ≥ 5 years (vs. none/palliative treatment; adjusted OR 8.12, 95% CI 6.90-9.64). While stage at diagnosis and comorbidities were also independently associated with ≥ 5-year survival in HCC patients, these factors did not improve discrimination between short- and long-term survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Curative intent treatment was the strongest predictor for survival ≥ 5 years among HCC patients. Given the limited availability of liver transplant and limited eligibility for surgical resection, finding curative intent HCC therapies remain critically important.

Survival analysis of patients with stage T2a and T2b perihilar cholangiocarcinoma treated with radical resection.

BACKGROUND: Both the 7th and 8th editions of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) had the same definition for T2a and T2b. But the value of this classification as prognostic factor remains unclear. METHODS: 178 patients with stage T2a or T2b who underwent curative intent resection for pCCA between Jan 2010 and Dec 2018 were enrolled. Relationships between survival and clinicopathological factors including patient demographics and tumor characteristics were evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The overall survival (OS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in OS between T2a and T2b groups, and the median OS duration were 37 and 31 months (P = 0.354). Both the 7th and 8th edition of the AJCC TNM staging demonstrated a poor prognostic predictive performance. High level of preoperative AST (≥85.0 IU/L) and CA19-9 (≥1000 U/mL), vascular resection and lower pathological differentiation of the tumor were the independent predictors for poor survival after resection. CONCLUSION: The newly released 8th edition of AJCC staging system demonstrated a poor ability to discriminate the prognosis of patients with stage T2a and T2b pCCA after resection.

Current status of radiotherapy for patients with thoracic esophageal cancer in Japan, based on the Comprehensive Registry of Esophageal Cancer in Japan from 2009 to 2011 by the Japan Esophageal Society.

BACKGROUND: Although esophagectomy is the standard treatment for resectable esophageal cancer, chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy alone is also selected for some cases. However, there have been very few detailed studies conducted on a large scale on the efficacy of these treatments in Japan. METHODS: Of the patients enrolled in the Comprehensive Registry of Esophageal Cancer in Japan by the Japan Esophageal Society for the 2015-2017 surveys (patients treated between 2009 and 2011), the data of 388 patients treated by definitive radiotherapy alone (RTx) and 1964 patients treated by definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRTx) were analyzed. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 78 years in the RTx group and 69 years in the CRTx group; thus, the proportion of elderly patients was significantly higher in the RTx group than in the CRTx group (p < 0.0001). With regard to the rates of treatment by the two modalities according to the depth of invasion, extent of lymph node metastasis, and disease stage, the treatment rate by CRTx increased more significantly than that by RTx as the disease progressed (p < 0.0001). With regard to the distribution of the total irradiation dose, 11.4% and 2.3% of patients in the RTx and CRTx groups, respectively, received a dose of 67 Gy or more; thus, the RTx group received significantly higher total irradiation doses (p < 0.0001). In the RTx group, the 5-year overall survival rate was 23.2%, and the rates in patients with cStage 0-I, II, III, and IV disease were 41.8%,18.5%, 9.3%, and 13.9%, respectively. In the patients of the RTx group showing complete response (CR), the 5-year overall survival rate was 46.6% and the rates in patients with cStage 0-I, II, III, and IV disease were 54.8%, 39.6%, 32.4%, and 38.9%, respectively. In the CRTx group, the 5-year overall survival rate was 30.6% and the rates in patients with cStage 0-I, II, III, and IV disease were 57.8%, 47.8%, 23.4%, and 13.0%, respectively. In the patients of the CRTx group showing CR, the 5-year overall survival rate was 59.2% and the rates in patients with cStage 0-I, II, III, and IV disease were 67.9%, 59.5%, 56.5%, and 39.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the current status of treatment of esophageal cancer in Japan, and we think that we have been able to establish the grounds for explaining to patients with esophageal cancer and their families the treatment decisions made for them in daily clinical practice.

Curative-intent radiotherapy for pediatric osteosarcoma: The St. Jude experience.

BACKGROUND: Radiation therapy (RT) confers local tumor control and survival advantages in some patients with osteosarcoma, yet pediatric and adolescent and young adult (AYA) population studies are limited. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients treated with curative-intent RT (median dose, 59.4 Gy; range, 40-76 Gy) at our institution from 1990 to 2017 were retrospectively identified. Cumulative incidence (CIN) of local failure (LF) was estimated by Gray's method and overall survival (OS) by the Kaplan-Meier method. Competing-risk regression and Cox proportional hazards models determined predictors of outcome. Toxicity was reported according to CTCAE v4.0. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 99.1 months in living patients, nine patients (32.1%) developed LF. Estimated CINs of LF with competing risk of death at 5 years for the entire cohort, patients at initial diagnosis (n = 16), and recurrent/refractory patients (n = 12) were 32.7% (95% CI, 16.0-50.5%), 25.0% (95% CI, 7.3-48.0%), and 43.8% (95% CI, 13.6-71.0%), respectively (P = 0.31). Estimated 5-year OS was 42.6% (95% CI, 23.2-62.0%), 54.6% (95% CI, 29.5-79.6%), and 24.3% (95% CI, 0-52.2%), respectively (P = 0.15). No clinicopathologic features were significantly associated with LF, yet lack of chemotherapy or metastasis at the time of RT was independent significant prognostic factors of decreased OS. Eleven patients experienced RT-related morbidity, with two grade 3 toxicities and no grade 4/5 events. CONCLUSIONS: Curative-intent RT in pediatric and AYA patients was well tolerated and achieved a local tumor control rate of 75% in patients with primary disease. Local control rates were similar to those in primarily adult studies, with similar or lower doses.

The outcome of prostate cancer patients treated with curative intent strongly depends on survival after metastatic progression.

BACKGROUND: Five-year survival in patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa) is nearly 100%, but metastatic disease still remains incurable. Clinical management of metastatic patients has become increasingly complex as novel therapeutic strategies have emerged. This study aims at evaluating the impact of the first metastatic progression on the outcome of PCa patients treated with curative intent. METHODS: The analysis was conducted using data of 913 cases of localized PCa diagnosed between 2000 and 2014. All patients were treated with curative surgery (N = 382) or radiotherapy (N = 531) with or without adjuvant therapy. All metastases were radiologically documented. The prognostic impact of the first site of metastasis on metastasis-free survival (MFS) and PCa-specific survival (PCaSS) was investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-six (14.9%) patients developed a metastatic hormone-sensitive PCa and had a median PCaSS of 50.4 months after first metastatic progression. Bone (N = 50, 36.8%) and LN or locoregional (N = 52, 38.2%) metastases occurred more frequently with a median PCaSS of 39.7 and 137 months respectively (p < 0.0001). Seven patients developed visceral metastasis only (5.1%; liver, lung, brain) and 27 (19.9%) concurrent metastases; this last group was associated with the worst survival with a median value of only 17 months. Thus, each subgroup exhibited a survival after metastasis significantly different from each other. In multivariate analysis the site of the first metastasis was an independent prognostic factor for PCaSS along with Gleason score at diagnosis. The correlation between survival and first site of metastasis was confirmed separately for each therapy subgroup. Median metastasis-free survival from primary diagnosis to first metastasis was not correlated with the first site of metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: In non-metastatic PCa patients treated with curative intent, the PCa-specific survival time depends on the time after metastatic progression rather than the time from diagnosis to metastasis. Moreover, the site of first metastasis is an independent prognostic factor for PCaSS. Our data confirm that the first metastatic event may confer a differential prognostic impact and may help in identifying patient at high risk of death supporting the treatment-decision making process following metastatic progression.

Overall survival by pattern of recurrence following curative intent surgery for colorectal liver metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Following curative intent surgery (CIS) for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM), patterns of recurrence and subsequent survival outcomes are not widely reported. METHODS: An institutional database (January 2002-December 2012) was reviewed to evaluate patterns of recurrence following CIS for CRLM. RESULTS: 163 patients with CRLM underwent successful CIS. Median follow-up and disease-free interval were 33 and 16 months, respectively. 5-year overall survival (OS) was 55%. After initial CIS, 102 (63%) patients recurred: liver-44% (5-year OS 55%), lung-15% (5-year OS 45%), and other/multifocal-41% (5-year OS 24%). OS for isolated liver and lung recurrences were not significantly different. Liver only recurrence was associated with 1-5 mm liver resection margins (P = 0.048). Lung only recurrence was associated with extrahepatic metastasis (at the time of initial CRLM) (P = 0.025). Other/multifocal recurrence was associated with bilobar CRLM (P = 0.026), and extrahepatic metastasis (P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of recurrence following CIS for CRLM have important implications for OS. 5-year OS was similar between isolated lung and liver recurrences. During CIS, decreased liver resection margin may be associated with increased risk of liver only recurrence. Patients with aggressive primary or metastatic liver disease are at higher risk for pulmonary or other/multifocal recurrence.

Service Improvements and Workload Increases: Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) Re-Audit of Curative Intent Radiotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).

AIMS: The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) audit of radical radiotherapy (RR) for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in 2013 concluded that there was under-treatment compared to international comparators and marked variability between cancer networks. Elderly patients were less likely to receive guideline recommended treatments. Access to technological developments was low. Various national and local interventions have since taken place. This study aims to re-assess national practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Radiotherapy departments completed one questionnaire for each patient started on RR for 4 weeks in January 2023. RESULTS: Ninety-three percent of centres returned data on 295 patients. RR has increased 70% since 2013 but patients on average wait 20% longer to start treatment (p = 0.02). Staging investigations were often outside a desirable timeframe (79% of PET/CT scans). Advanced planning techniques are used more frequently: 4-dimensional planning increased from 33% to 90% (P < 0.001), cone beam imaging from 67% to 97% (p < 0.001) and colleague led peer review increased from 41% to 73% (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There have been significant improvements in care. There has been a considerable increase in clinical oncology workload with evidence of stress on the system that requires additional resourcing.

Temporal trends of health disparity in the utilization of curative-intent treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma: are we making progress?

BACKGROUND: Liver-directed treatments - ablative therapy (AT), surgical resection (SR), liver transplantation (LT), and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) - improve the overall survival of patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although racial and socioeconomic disparities affect access to liver-directed therapies, the temporal trends for the curative-intent treatment of HCC remain to be elucidated. METHODS: This study performed chi-square, logistic regression, and temporal trends analyses on data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2011 to 2019. The outcome of interest was the rate of AT, SR, LT (curative-intent treatments), and TACE utilization, and the primary predictors were racial/ethnic group and socioeconomic status (SES; insurance status). RESULTS: African American and Hispanic patients had lower odds of receiving AT (African American: odds ratio [OR], 0.78; P < .001; Hispanic: OR, 0.84; P = .005) and SR (African American: OR, 0.71; P < .001; Hispanics: OR, 0.64; P < .001) than White patients. Compared with White patients, the odds of LT was lower in African American patients (OR, 0.76; P < .001) but higher in Hispanic patients (OR, 1.25; P = .001). Low SES was associated with worse odds of AT (OR, 0.79; P = .001), SR (OR, 0.66; P < .001), and LT (OR, 0.84; P = .028) compared with high SES. Although curative-intent treatments showed significant upward temporal trends among White patients (10.6%-13.9%; P < .001) and Asian and Pacific Islander/other patients (14.4%-15.7%; P = .007), there were nonsignificant trends among African American patients (10.9%-10.1%; P = .825) or Hispanic patients (12.2%-13.7%; P = .056). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated concerning disparities in the utilization of curative-intent treatment for HCC based on race/ethnicity and SES. Moreover, racial/ethnic disparities have widened rather than improved over time.

The Role of Surgery for Stage IV Breast Cancer.

Surgery for the management metastatic breast cancer has traditionally been considered a palliative procedure. However, some retrospective publications indicated that there may be a survival benefit to surgery in the presence of metastatic disease. Recent randomized trials will be reviewed for both management of the intact primary tumor in de novo breast cancer and systemic secondary metastases.

Mortality during or shortly after curative-intent radio-(chemo-) therapy over the last decade at a large comprehensive cancer center.

Background and Introduction: Definitive surgical, oncological and radio-oncological treatment may result in significant morbidity and acute mortality. Mortality during or shortly after treatment in patients undergoing curative radio-(chemo)-therapy has not been studied systematically. We reviewed all curative radio-(chemo-)therapies at a large comprehensive cancer center over the last decade. Materials and Methods: The institutional record was screened for patients who received curative-intent radio-(chemo-)therapy and deceased during or within 30 days after radiotherapy. Curative therapy was defined as prescribed dosage of EQD2 ≥ 50 Gy for radiotherapy alone and EQD2 ≥ 40 Gy for radiochemotherapies. Data on demographics, disease and treatment were assembled and assessed. Results: Of 15,255 radiotherapy courses delivered at our center, 8,515 (56%) were performed with curative-intent. During or within 30 days after radio-(chemo-)therapy, 78 patients died (0.9% of all curative-intent courses). Median age of the deceased patients was 70 (IQR, 62-78) years, and 36% (28/78) were female. Median pre-therapeutic ECOG-PS was 1 (IQR, 0-2) and Charlson-Comorbidity-Index was 3+ (IQR, 2-3+). The most common primary malignancies were head and neck cancer (33/78; 42%) and central nervous system tumors (13/78; 17%). Peritherapeutic mortality varied by primary tumor, with the highest prevalence observed in head and neck and gastrointestinal cancer patients with 2.9% (33/1,144) and 2.4% (8/332), respectively. Among patients with known cause of death (34/78; 44%), tumor progression (12/34; 35%) and pulmonary complications/causes (11/34; 35%) were most common. On multivariable regression analysis, a worse ECOG-PS was associated with a relatively earlier peri-radiotherapeutic death (p = 0.014). Conclusion: Mortality during or within 30 days of curative-intent radio-(chemo-)therapy was low, yet highest for head and neck (2.9%) and gastrointestinal tumor (2.4%) patients. Reasons for these findings include rapid tumor progression in some cancers, good patient selection, with ECOG-PS being most useful and predictive for avoiding early mortality. Future research should help refine predictors for peri-RT mortality.

Comparison of clinicopathological characteristics of mucinous adenocarcinoma and conventional adenocarcinoma of gallbladder.

BACKGROUND: Gallbladder mucinous adenocarcinoma (GBMAC) is a rare type of gallbladder malignant tumor, whereas little is known regarding the clinicopathological features and surgical outcomes of GBMAC. METHODS: From January 2000 till December 2015, 54 GBMAC patients who underwent curative-intent surgical resection at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. We compared the clinicopathological features and surgical outcomes of these GBMAC patients with a relatively large cohort of surgically resected conventional gallbladder adenocarcinoma (GBAC) patients without existence of mucinous components. RESULTS: The clinicopathological features of GBMAC were significantly different from conventional GBAC, including poorer tumor differentiation (P < 0.001), higher CA19-9 levels (P < 0.001), larger tumor sizes (P = 0.020), advanced AJCC tumor stage (P = 0.002), higher frequency of liver parenchyma invasion (P = 0.020), portal vein invasion (P = 0.003), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.016), lympho-vascular invasion (P < 0.001) and perineural invasion (P = 0.025). Relative to conventional GBAC patients, GBMAC patients showed significantly worse overall survival (OS) (29.0 vs 15.0 months; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed the surgical margin (P = 0.046), tumor differentiation grade (P = 0.018), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.024), and presence of signet-ring cell component (P = 0.005) as independent prognostic factors influencing OS of patients with GBMAC. CONCLUSION: GBMAC always had more aggressive biological behaviors and poor survival outcomes even after curative surgery. GBMAC patients with the presence of signet-ring cell component showed even worse survival outcome.

Impact of Epithelial Histological Types, Subtypes, and Growth Patterns on Oncological Outcomes for Patients with Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer Treated with Curative Intent: A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: The optimal management for men with prostate cancer (PCa) with unconventional histology (UH) is unknown. The outcome for these cancers might be worse than for conventional PCa and so different approaches may be needed. OBJECTIVE: To compare oncological outcomes for conventional and UH PCa in men with localized disease treated with curative intent. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic review adhering to the Referred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022296013) was performed in July 2021. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: We screened 3651 manuscripts and identified 46 eligible studies (reporting on 1 871 814 men with conventional PCa and 6929 men with 10 different PCa UHs). Extraprostatic extension and lymph node metastases, but not positive margin rates, were more common with UH PCa than with conventional tumors. PCa cases with cribriform pattern, intraductal carcinoma, or ductal adenocarcinoma had higher rates of biochemical recurrence and metastases after radical prostatectomy than for conventional PCa cases. Lower cancer-specific survival rates were observed for mixed cribriform/intraductal and cribriform PCa. By contrast, pathological findings and oncological outcomes for mucinous and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN)-like PCa were similar to those for conventional PCa. Limitations of this review include low-quality studies, a risk of reporting bias, and a scarcity of studies that included radiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Intraductal, cribriform, and ductal UHs may have worse oncological outcomes than for conventional and mucinous or PIN-like PCa. Alternative treatment approaches need to be evaluated in men with these cancers. PATIENT SUMMARY: We reviewed the literature to explore whether prostate cancers with unconventional growth patterns behave differently to conventional prostate cancers. We found that some unconventional growth patterns have worse outcomes, so we need to investigate if they need different treatments. Urologists should be aware of these growth patterns and their clinical impact.

Protocol for a randomised controlled trial on impact of comprehensive geriatric and supportive assessment versus standard care in older adults with cancer undergoing curative treatment: The Geriatric Oncology SuPportive clinic for ELderly (GOSPEL) study.

Cancer affects older adults with varying levels of frailty, but cancer treatment is extrapolated from clinical trials involving predominantly young and robust subjects. Recent geriatric oncology randomised controlled trials (RCT) report that geriatric assessment leading to frailty-guided intervention reduces treatment-related toxicity whilst maintaining survival and improving quality of life (QoL). However, these positive results have not have been consistently reported in the literature. We postulate that the impact of geriatric interventions has been underestimated in these studies with the inclusion of subjects receiving palliative-intent chemotherapy in whom dose reduction is common. Integrating supportive care with current geriatric oncology models may improve the QoL of older adults undergoing treatment. However, no studies as yet have examined such integrated geriatric and supportive models of care. The Geriatric Oncology SuPportive clinic for Elderly (GOSPEL) study is a single-centre, open-label, analyst-blinded RCT evaluating the impact of comprehensive geriatric and supportive care on QoL of older adults with cancer undergoing curative treatment. Older adults aged above 65, with a Geriatric-8 score ≤ 14, with plans for high dose radiotherapy and/or curative chemotherapy will be recruited. The primary QoL outcome is measured using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-ELD14 mobility scale at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes include overall and disease-free survival, treatment-related adverse events, and hospital admissions. We pre-powered this study to recruit 200 subjects based on the minimally clinically important difference for EORTC QLQ-ELD14 to achieve 80% statistical power (alpha 0.05), assuming 25% attrition. Outcomes will be analysed using intention-to-treat. Intervention consists of multi-domain comprehensive geriatric and supportive care assessments from a multidisciplinary team targeting unmet needs. These include functional decline, falls, incontinence, cognitive impairment, multi-morbidity, polypharmacy, and symptom relief, as well as social and psycho-spiritual concerns. Standard care entails routine oncological management with referral to geriatrics based on the discretion of the primary oncologist. Recruitment has been ongoing since August 2020. Results from the GOSPEL study will increase understanding of the impact of integrated geriatric and supportive care programs in older adults with cancer receiving curative treatment. Trial registration: This study is registered under ClinicalTrials.gov (ID NCT04513977).

Definitive Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy in Early-Stage Solitary Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Australian Multi-Institutional Review of Outcomes.

AIMS: Standard curative options for early-stage, solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are often unsuitable due to liver dysfunction, comorbidities and/or tumour location. Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) has shown high rates of local control in HCC; however, limited data exist in the treatment-naïve, curative-intent setting. We report the outcomes of patients with solitary early-stage HCC treated with SBRT as first-line curative-intent therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multi-institutional retrospective study of treatment-naïve patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage 0/A, solitary ≤5 cm HCC, Child-Pugh score (CPS) A liver function who underwent SBRT between 2010 and 2019 as definitive therapy. The primary end point was freedom from local progression. Secondary end points were progression-free survival, overall survival, rate of treatment-related clinical toxicities and change in CPS >1. RESULTS: In total, 68 patients were evaluated, with a median follow-up of 20 months (range 3-58). The median age was 68 years (range 50-86); 54 (79%) were men, 62 (91%) had cirrhosis and 50 (74%) were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0. The median HCC diameter was 2.5 cm (range 1.3-5) and the median prescription biologically effective dose with a tumour a/b ratio of 10 Gy (BED10) was 93 Gy (interquartile range 72-100 Gy). Two-year freedom from local progression, progression-free survival and overall survival were 94.3% (95% confidence interval 86.6-100%), 59.5% (95% confidence interval 46.3-76.4%) and 88% (95% confidence interval 79.2-97.6%), respectively. Nine patients (13.2%) experienced grade ≥2 treatment-related clinical toxicities. A rise >1 in CPS was observed in six cirrhotic patients (9.6%). CONCLUSION: SBRT is an effective and well-tolerated option to consider in patients with solitary, early-stage HCC. Prospective, randomised comparative studies are warranted to further refine its role as a first-line curative-intent therapy.

A meta-analysis of prognostic factors for early recurrence in perihilar cholangiocarcinoma after curative-intent resection.

BACKGROUND: Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) is a type of cancer that has a high rate of recurrence after curative-intent surgery, with about half of all recurrences occurring within the first year. The primary aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors (PFs) for early recurrence (ER, within 12 months) after surgery. METHODS: Systematic searching was conducted from database inception to September 28th, 2022, with duplicate independent review and data extraction. Data on eight predefined PFs were collected, and meta-analysis was performed on PFs for ER, summarized using forest plots. RESULTS: The study enrolled 11 studies comprising 2877 patients. In the risk-of-bias assessment, seven studies were rated as low risk and four as moderate risk. More than 34.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 26.1-42.5%) of the patients experienced ER after curative-intent pCCA resection. Of the PFs, vascular invasion (HR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.47-3.95; OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.17-2.18), lymph node metastases (HR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.92-3.37; OR, 4.26; 95% CI, 2.40-7.57), and R1 resection (HR, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.81-5.92; OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.36-4.22) were associated with an increased hazard for ER. The combined OR values also showed that tumor size, poor tumor differentiation, and perineural invasion were linked to an elevated risk of ER, but all of them had apparent heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: These findings from the review could be used to plan surveillance of ER and guide post-operative individualized management in pCCA. Furthermore, prospective studies are needed to explore more prognostic factors for ER of pCCA.