Correction to: Rates of TP53 Mutation are Significantly Elevated in African American Patients with Gastric Cancer

In the original article Kaitlin C. McLoughlin's name is spelled incorrectly. It is correct as reflected here.

Longitudinal Analysis of Quality-of-Life Recovery After Gastrectomy for Cancer

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with quality-of-life recovery after gastrectomy.

METHODS

Patients anticipated to undergo gastric cancer resection were invited to complete the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ C30 and STO22 surveys in the preoperative setting and at 0-1.5 months (early), > 1.5-6 months (intermediate), and > 6-18 months (late) following resection. Quality-of-life recovery was measured as paired differences between pre- and postoperative results. Multivariable linear regression identified factors associated with preoperative quality of life and degree of change following resection.

RESULTS

Across 393 participants, response rates at the intermediate and late postoperative time points were 58% (n = 228) and 71% (n = 277), respectively. Relative to baseline, median global health scale decreased in the early (- 15.1 pts, p < 0.001) and intermediate (- 3.6 pts, p = 0.02) time points, but recovered by the late time point (+ 1.2 pts, p = 0.411). Relative to distal/subtotal gastrectomy, proximal/total gastrectomy was associated with worse recovery in both the early and late time points. Surgical complications were associated with worse early recovery. Patients who presented with locally advanced tumors (T3-T4) had lower preoperative quality-of-life scores, and more readily recovered to baseline after surgery. A minimally invasive approach was not associated with postoperative recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

Most patients recover to baseline within 1 year following major gastrectomy, and recovery is easier with more limited resections. Patients with locally advanced tumors tend to have poorer baseline quality of life, which may improve following resection.

Predicting malignancy in patients with adrenal tumors using 18 F-FDG-PET/CT SUVmax

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

¹⁸ F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸ F-FDG-PET/CT) parameters may help distinguish malignant from benign adrenal tumors, but few have been externally validated or determined based on definitive pathological confirmation. We determined and validated a threshold for ¹⁸ F-FDG-PET/CT maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) in patients who underwent adrenalectomy for a nonfunctional tumor.

METHODS

Database review identified patients with ¹⁸ F-FDG-PET/CT images available (training cohort), or only SUVmax values (validation cohort). Discriminative accuracy was assessed by area under the curve (AUC), and the optimal cutoff value estimated by maximally selected Wilcoxon rank statistics.

RESULTS

Of identified patients (n = 171), 86 had adrenal metastases, 20 adrenal cortical carcinoma, and 27 adrenal cortical adenoma. In the training cohort (n = 96), SUVmax was significantly higher in malignant versus benign tumors (median 8.3 vs. 3.0, p < .001), with an AUC of 0.857. Tumor size did not differ. The optimal cutoff SUVmax was 4.6 (p < .01). In the validation cohort (n = 75), this cutoff had a sensitivity of 75% and specificity 55%.

CONCLUSIONS

¹⁸ F-FDG-PET/CT SUVmax was associated with malignancy. Validation indicated that SUVmax ≥ 4.6 was suggestive of malignancy, while lower values did not reliably predict benign tumor.

Robotic Gastrectomy for Gastric Adenocarcinoma in the USA: Insights and Oncologic Outcomes in 220 Patients

BACKGROUND

While multiple Asian and a few Western retrospective series have demonstrated the feasibility and safety of robotic-assisted gastrectomy for gastric cancer, its reliability for thorough resection, especially for locoregional disease, has not yet been firmly established, and reported learning curves vary widely. To support wider implementation of robotic gastrectomy, we evaluated the learning curve for this approach, assessed its oncologic feasibility, and created a selection model predicting the likelihood of conversion to open surgery in a US patient population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed data on all consecutive patients who underwent robotic gastrectomy at a high-volume institution between May 2012 and March 2019.

RESULTS

Of the 220 patients with gastric cancer selected to undergo curative-intent robotic gastrectomy, surgery was completed using robotics in 159 (72.3%). The median number of removed lymph nodes was 28, and ≥ 15 lymph nodes were removed in 94% of procedures. Surgical time decreased steadily over the first 60-80 cases. Complications were generally minor: 7% of patients experienced complications of grade 3 or higher, with an anastomotic leak rate of 2% and mortality rate 0.9%. Factors predicting conversion to open surgery included neoadjuvant chemotherapy, BMI ≥ 31 kg/m², and tumor size ≥ 6 cm.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support the safety and oncologic feasibility of robotic gastrectomy for selected patients with gastric cancer. Proficiency can be achieved by 20 cases and mastery by 60-80 cases. Ideal candidates for this approach are patients with few comorbidities, BMI < 31 kg/m², and tumors < 6 cm.

PD-L1 positive esophagogastric (EG) cancer is associated with distinct bacteria

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Background: Pembrolizumab is approved for chemotherapy-refractory PD-L1 CPS >1 mEG cancer. In clinical trials, pts with MSI-H, EBV+ and PD-L1 CPS >10 EG cancers derive the greatest benefit with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Pre-clinical data suggest that the gut microbiome modulates response to ICB; however, the EG cancer microbiome has not been characterized in EG cancer with respect to PD-L1 and MSI-H status. Therefore, we evaluated the EG tumor microbiome in the context of PD-L1 expression in order to define biologically unique EG tumor phenotypes for future therapeutic development. Methods: Clinical and pathologic characteristics, including age, stage at diagnosis, tumor PD-L1 CPS, HER2 IHC, EBV ISH, genomic analysis, treatment history and survival status were reviewed. CPS was stratified a priori using cutoffs of >1/>10/>20 due to biologic differences. MSK-IMPACT, a capture-based next-generation sequencing platform that detects mutations, copy-number alterations, and select fusions was used to detect non-human bacterial reads identified in the NCBI NT database. Bacterial species found in >2 pts were analyzed and stratified by highest PD-L1 CPS score for each individual patient (Vanderbilt, AMP 2018) and Bonferroni correction was used for odds ratio (OR) confidence intervals where each unique species was considered an independent hypothesis. Results: Molecular data from 311 pts was clinically annotated. PD-L1 results (Table) correlated with bacterial species identified on tumor sequencing. PD-L1 CPS >1 was associated with Selenomonas sputigena (OR: 8.2, 95% CI:1.2-53.6), and PD-L1 CPS >20 was associated with presence of Bifidobacterium dentium (OR: 7.4, 95% CI:1.1-48.5) and Prevotella denticola (OR: 4.2, 95% CI: 1.1-16.6) after multiple comparison correction for the 166 bacterial species identified in the cohort. No differences were seen between PD-L1 < 10 vs >10. Four patients were also found to have EBV+ tumors using this approach, including the 1/54 patients identified by EBER ISH. Conclusions: PD-L1 > 20 EG cancer represents a biologically unique subset, enriched for Bifidobacterium dentium and Prevotella denticola. Correlation between PD-L1 expression, microbial and immune environment, and survival on ICB is underway. [Table: see text]

Genomic correlates of extreme pathologic response following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced gastric cancer to reveal distinct vulnerabilities

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Background: Clinical factors associated with pathologic response (PResp) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) in locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) are well studied; however, genomic correlates of such response have not been previously investigated. Methods: Evaluable pre-NCT tumor samples from patients with LAGC who underwent resection and demonstrated extreme pathologic response (EPR; ≤10% PResp: n = 21, ≥80% PResp: n = 19) were sequenced using a targeted exome capture platform. Gene- and signaling pathway-level correlates of EPR and disease-specific survival (DSS) were examined. Results: Of 40 patients, a majority had ≥cT2/N+ disease and were treated with predominantly platinum (98%) or 5-FU (88%) based NCT regimens. Two patients with MSI-high tumors had ≤10% PResp and were excluded from analysis. The EPR cohorts did not differ significantly in demographic or clinical (i.e., tumor location, cT/N status, NCT regimen, extent of gastrectomy, number of lymph nodes examined, or margin status) characteristics. Although EPR cohorts did not differ with respect to tumor differentiation/grade, Lauren classification, proportions of TCGA consensus CIN or GS subtypes, tumors with ≤10% PResp were more likely to have vascular (P < 0.001) and perineural (P = 0.007) invasion. At median follow-up of 31m (IQR 21-57), ≥80% PResp was associated with improved DSS compared with ≤10% PResp (median NR vs. 32m, P = 0.04). On gene-level analysis, tumors with ≤10% PResp were significantly more likely to be ERBB2-altered (32% vs 5%, P = 0.04) compared with ≥80% PResp tumors. Conversely, ARID1A truncating mutations were enriched in tumors with ≥80% vs ≤10% PResp (32% vs 5%, P = 0.04). There was no difference in pathway-level alteration frequency between EPR cohorts. While frequency of oncogenic TP53 alterations was similar between EPR cohorts, TP53-altered tumors were associated with worse DSS vs TP53-wildtype tumors (median 80m vs 24m, P = 0.005) in patients demonstrating ≤10%, but not ≥80%, PResp. Conclusions: Genomic comparison of cohorts demonstrating EPR after NCT in LAGC reveal molecular vulnerabilities with distinct prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Assessment of variation in 30-day mortality following cancer surgeries among older adults across US hospitals

Background

While public reporting of surgical outcomes for noncancer conditions is common, cancer surgeries have generally been excluded. This is true despite numerous studies showing outcomes to differ between hospitals based on their characteristics. Our objective was to assess whether three prerequisites for quality assessment and reporting are present for 30‐day mortality after cancer surgery: low burden for timely reporting, hospital variation, and potential for public health gains.

Study Design

We used Fee‐for‐Service (FFS) Medicare claims to examine the extent of variation in 30‐day cancer surgical mortality between 3860 US hospitals. We included 340 489 surgeries for 12 cancer types for FFS Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥66 years, 2011‐2013. Hierarchical mixed‐effects logistic regression models adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics and with a random hospital effect were fit to obtain hospital‐specific risk‐standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) and 99% confidence intervals (CI). We calculated a hospital odds ratio to describe the difference in mortality risk for a hospital above vs below average quality and estimated the potential mortality reduction.

Results

The median number of cancer surgeries per hospital was 34. The median RSMR overall was 2.41% (99% CI 2.28%, 2.66%). In aggregate and for most cancers, variation between hospitals exceeded that due to differences in patient and hospital characteristics. For individual cancers, relative differences exceeded 20% in mortality risk between patients undergoing surgery at a hospital below vs above average quality, with the potential for an estimated 500 deaths prevented annually given hypothetical improvements.

Conclusion

Quality measurement and reporting of 30‐day mortality for cancer surgery is worthy of consideration.

Poor survival after resection of early gastric cancer: extremes of survivorship analysis reveal distinct genomic profile

A subset of patients with early gastric cancer demonstrate early recurrence and poor survival despite margin-negative resection. This study used an extremes-of-survivorship approach to identify an association between TP53 hotspot mutations co-occurring with loss of heterozygosity and unexpectedly poor survival in early gastric cancer. This distinct genomic profile may be a novel biomarker of poor survival in patients with completely resected early gastric cancer, and warrants large-scale validation. Promising, validation needed.

Esophageal and Esophagogastric Junction Cancers, Version 2.2019, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common histology in Eastern Europe and Asia, and adenocarcinoma is most common in North America and Western Europe. Surgery is a major component of treatment of locally advanced resectable esophageal and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) cancer, and randomized trials have shown that the addition of preoperative chemoradiation or perioperative chemotherapy to surgery significantly improves survival. Targeted therapies including trastuzumab, ramucirumab, and pembrolizumab have produced encouraging results in the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic disease. Multidisciplinary team management is essential for all patients with esophageal and EGJ cancers. This selection from the NCCN Guidelines for Esophageal and Esophagogastric Junction Cancers focuses on recommendations for the management of locally advanced and metastatic adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and EGJ.

Development and validation of a staging system for gastric adenocarcinoma after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy is commonly used for patients with locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. The eighth AJCC ypTNM staging system was validated based on patients undergoing more limited lymphadenectomy (less than D2). The aim of this study was to develop a system for accurate staging of patients with locally advanced gastric adenocarcinoma who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy.

METHODS

A modified system of ypTNM was developed, based on overall survival (OS) of patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and validated using data from an international cohort of patients who had similar treatment.

RESULTS

Of 325 patients in the derivation cohort, 33 (10·2 per cent) had ypT0 N0/+ tumours, which are not classifiable under the AJCC system. The 5-year OS rate for modified ypTNM stages I, II, IIIA and IIIB was 89, 71, 42·3 and 10 per cent respectively, compared with 82, 65·2 and 24·1 for AJCC stages I, II and III respectively. The concordance index (0·730 versus 0·709), estimated area under the curve (0·765 versus 0·740) and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve throughout the observation period were all superior for modified ypTNM staging. For the validation cohort of 186 patients, the modified system was again better at separating patients into prognostic groups for OS.

CONCLUSION

The modified ypTNM staging system improves the accuracy of OS prediction for patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy.

Total neoadjuvant chemo (ctx; TNT) for locally advanced gastric cancer (GC): The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center experience

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Background: Peri-op chemo (ctx) and surgery is a standard in the treatment of GC, based on the MAGIC (NEJM 2006; 355:11) and FLOT4 (J Clin Oncol 35:4004 [abstr]) studies. However, less than half of patients (pts) completed ctx in the MAGIC and FLOT4 studies, mainly from issues delivering post-op therapy. We assessed safety and feasibility of TNT, where all ctx is given pre-op. Methods: We reviewed GC pts who received TNT or peri-op ctx and had surgery; decision for TNT was by physician preference, based on clinical or radiographic benefit to justify completing ctx pre-op. Pt characteristics were compared using Fisher’s exact and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests. Post-op length of stay (LOS) was calculated from date of surgery (DOS) to date of discharge and surgical morbidity was determined using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from DOS using Kaplan-Meier methods and compared between groups using the log-rank test. Results: 120 pts were identified, median age 63, 62.5% male, 98% ECOG 0/1. 93 pts (77.5%) received peri-op ctx and 27 (22.5%) received TNT. In peri-op pts, 19%, 43% and 38% received FLOT, platinum/fluropyrimidine (FP) and ECF/EOX respectively. In TNT pts, 56%, 37% and 7% received FLOT, platinum/FP and ECF/EOX respectively. 57% had subtotal gastrectomy. Surgical outcomes were similar between groups; median LOS was 6 and 7 days (p = 0.31) in peri-op and TNT pts respectively. There was no significant difference in Clavien Dindo grade I-II or III-IV morbidity between groups (p = 0.103). There were no deaths. TNT pts received higher proportions of planned treatment than peri-op ctx pts: 90% vs. 60% FP (0.001); 85% vs. 41% platinum ( < 0.001); 100% vs. 9% epirubicin (0.015) and 53% vs. 28% docetaxel (p = 0.169). At median follow-up of 19 months, median PFS and OS were not reached. There was no significant difference in PFS (p = 0.089) or OS (p = 0.59) between groups. Conclusions: TNT appears safe with no increase in post-op LOS or surgical morbidity observed. TNT pts had higher percentage drug delivery, suggesting potential benefit for administering all ctx before surgery. While longer survival follow-up is required, TNT may be considered in pts with locally advanced GC who are candidates for ctx.

Opportunity for performance measurement: 30-day mortality following cancer surgeries across U.S. hospitals

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Background: While public reporting of surgical outcomes for non-cancer conditions is common, measures of outcomes following surgery for cancer have generally been excluded. This is true even though numerous studies show large variations between hospitals. We assessed whether prerequisites for quality reporting are present for the measure of 30-day cancer surgical mortality: low burden for timely reporting, hospital variation, and potential for public health gains. Methods: We used Fee-for-Service (FFS) Medicare claims to examine the extent of variation in 30-day mortality between 3,860 U.S. hospitals performing cancer surgery for patients ≥66 years, 2011-2013. Hierarchical mixed-effects logistic regression models adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics and with a random hospital effect were fit to obtain hospital-specific risk-standardized mortality rates (RSMRs) and 99% confidence intervals (CI). From these models we calculated a hospital odds ratio to describe the difference in the mortality risk for a hospital above versus below average quality and estimated the potential reduction in mortality under a scenario of improved quality for the lowest performers. Outcomes included extent of hospital variability in 30-day mortality after cancer surgery; and impact on lives saved from improving performance at outlier hospitals. Results: Over the three-year observation period, the median number of cancer surgeries performed per hospital was 34. For individual cancer sites, it was < 10, except for breast (median 17) and colorectal (median 14). The median RSMR overall was 2.41% (99% CI 2.28%, 2.66%). Breast had the lowest RSMR (median 0.24%) and gastroesophageal the highest (median 5.72%). In aggregate and for most individual cancers, variation between hospitals exceeded that due to differences in patient and hospital characteristics, and was robust to excluding emergent cases. For individual cancer sites, relative differences exceeded 20% in the risk of 30-day mortality between patients undergoing surgery at a hospital below average quality versus above average quality, with the potential for an estimated 500 deaths prevented annually given hypothetical improvements. Conclusions: Quality measurement and reporting of 30-day mortality for cancer surgery is worthy of consideration.

KEYNOTE-585: Phase III study of perioperative chemotherapy with or without pembrolizumab for gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection is the only curative treatment option for gastric cancer. Despite widespread adoption of multimodality perioperative treatment strategies, 5-year overall survival rates remain low. In patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, pembrolizumab has demonstrated promising efficacy and manageable safety as monotherapy in previously treated patients and as first-line therapy in combination with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. Combining chemotherapy with pembrolizumab in the neoadjuvant/adjuvant setting may benefit patients with locally advanced, resectable disease.

AIM

To describe the design and rationale for the global, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, Phase III KEYNOTE-585 study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy compared with placebo plus chemotherapy as neoadjuvant/adjuvant treatment for localized gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT03221426.

Systemic chemo (CTX) plus surgery and intraperitoneal (IP) CTX for patients (pts) with gastric cancer (GC) and peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC)

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Background: The role of IP CTX in pts with GC and PC is unclear. The PHOENIX-GC phase III study (J Clin Oncol 2018;35:1922) did not show overall survival (OS) benefit for IP CTX plus systemic CTX while a retrospective French study suggested benefit for IP CTX and cytoreductive surgery (J Clin Oncol 36:8 [abstr]). Prolonged survival may be possible in pts with chemosensitive disease (dz). Methods: We reviewed GC pts diagnosed with PC (+ve cytology and/or gross dz) at diagnostic laparoscopy (DL). We identified pts treated with gastrectomy and IP floxuridine 1,000mg/ m2/leucovorin 240 mg/m2 ×3d q14d and pts who had CTX alone. Pts with visible dz on imaging were excluded. Progression-free survival (PFS) and OS were calculated from surgery date and estimated using Kaplan-Methods in surgery + IP CTX pts. Pt characteristics were compared using Fisher’s exact test and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests. Results: From 2000-2017, 18 pts had surgery + IP CTX (IP); 45 pts received CTX alone. Median age was 50 in IP pts and 65 in CTX only pts (p = 0.002); 94% of IP pts were ECOG PS 0/1 vs. 78% in CTX only pts (p = 0.16). 56% and 67% of pts had gross dz at DL in IP and CTX only pts respectively; remaining pts had +ve cytology only. IP pts received CTX (72% 5-FU/platinum based) for a median 3.3 months before repeat DL. 14/18 pts cleared dz; four pts with residual dz (1 +ve cytology only) had gross dz at baseline. Fourteen pts had R0 resection; 83% of tumors were ypT3-4N+. 4 pts had R1 resection; three had residual gross PC at DL. Pts received IP CTX for a median of 1 month post surgery. Median PFS and OS were 12.4 and 23 months respectively in surgery + IP CTX pts. While there was no difference in PFS in pts with -ve vs. persistently +ve cytology at repeat DL following CTX (15.5 vs. 4.7 months, p = 0.3), median OS was improved in pts who cleared cytology (29 vs. 8 months, p = 0.01). Median PFS and OS were 7 and 13.5 months respectively in CTX only pts. Conclusions: Surgery and IP CTX may have a role in highly select pts with GC and +ve cytology or small-volume gross dz. While survival was encouraging, no pt had OS > 5 years. Surgery and IP CTX may be considered in pts who have a -ve repeat DL after initial CTX. Survival in CTX only pts is comparable with stage IV pts enrolled on clinical trials.

Comparison of gastric cancer survival after R0 resection in the US and China

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Gastric cancer (GC) outcomes differ between Asian and Western countries, even when controlling for contributing factors, but whether this difference holds true for China remains inadequately studied. We sought to compare the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of patients with GC undergoing curative intent (R0) resection between the US and China, and to ascertain whether geography/ institution is an independent predictor of disease-specific survival (DSS).

METHODS

Data were analyzed from patients with GC undergoing R0 resection at high-volume cancer centers in the US (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center [MSKCC], n = 1378) and China (Fujian Medical University Union Hospital [FMUUH], n = 4262) between 2000 and 2014. Factors associated with DSS were examined by multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The 5-year DSS ( P < 0.001) for all patients was better at MSKCC than at FMUUH, even among patients not receiving preoperative chemotherapy ( P < 0.001), but stratification by substage eliminated this difference ( P > 0.05). Factors independently associated with DSS included age, histology, tumor size, T category, N category, gastrectomy type, and preoperative chemotherapy, but not institution.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the presentation of patients with GC between MSKCC and FMUUH differs, survival of patients with curatively resected GC, when matched for clinical stage, is comparable.

Gastric Cancer Etiology and Management in Asia and the West

Regional variation in treatment paradigms for gastric adenocarcinoma has attracted a great deal of interest. Between Asia and the West, major differences have been identified in tumor biology, implementation of screening programs, extent of surgical lymphadenectomy, and routine use of neoadjuvant versus adjuvant treatment strategies. Minimally invasive techniques, including both laparoscopic and robotic platforms, have been studied in both regions, with attention to safety, feasibility, and long-term oncologic outcomes. The purpose of this review is to discuss advances in the understanding of the etiology and underlying biology of gastric cancer, as well as the current state of management, focusing on the differences between Asia and the West.

Autonomous detection, grading, and reporting of postoperative complications using natural language processing

INTRODUCTION

Natural language processing, a computer science technique that allows interpretation of narrative text, is infrequently used to identify surgical complications. We designed a natural language processing algorithm to identify and grade the severity of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (together: venous thromboembolism).

METHODS

Patients from our 2011-2014 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project cohorts with a duplex ultrasound or a computerized tomography angiography of the chest performed within 30 days of surgery were divided into training and validation datasets. A "bag of words" approach classified the reports; other electronic health record data classified the venous thromboembolism's severity.

RESULTS

Of the 10,295 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project patients, 251 were used in our deep venous thromboses validation cohort (273 total ultrasounds) and 506 in our pulmonary embolisms cohort (552 total computerized tomography angiographies). For deep venous thromboses the sensitivity and specificity were 85.1% and 94.6%, while for pulmonary embolisms they were 90% and 98.7%. Most discordances were due to lack of imaging documentation of a deep venous thrombosis (28/41, 68.3%) or pulmonary embolism (6/6, 100%). Most deep venous thromboses (28 patients, 54.6%) and pulmonary embolisms (25 patients, 75.8%) required administration of therapeutic intravenous or subcutaneous anticoagulation.

CONCLUSION

Natural language processing can reliably detect the presence of postoperative venous thromboembolisms, and its use should be expanded for the detection of other conditions from narrative documentation.

Checkpoint blockade in esophagogastric cancer

There are few effective treatment options for metastatic esophagogastric adenocarcinomas after progression on second-line chemotherapy. Immune checkpoint blockade therapy is a promising treatment strategy for selected advanced esophagogastric cancer, and the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab has recently been approved for metastatic or recurrent gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer that has progressed beyond second-line systemic therapy. We review the current data supporting immune checkpoint blockade therapy in advanced esophagogastric adenocarcinoma.