Colorectal cancer mutations are associated with survival and recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy

Factors associated with receipt of pulmonary metastasectomy in patients with lung-limited metastatic colorectal cancer: Disparities in care and impact on overall survival

OBJECTIVES

Pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) for colorectal cancer may provide respite from systemic therapy and prolonged disease-free intervals. We sought to identify factors associated with PM and to characterize the differential impact on overall survival for those offered lung resection.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was queried for stage IV colorectal cancer patients with lung-limited metastatic disease between 2010 and 2016. Among patients who underwent primary tumor resection, those who underwent PM were compared with those who did not. Penalized regression with the least absolute selection and shrinkage operator was used to determine factors associated with receiving metastasectomy as well as overall survival.

RESULTS

In total, 867 (15.1%) patients underwent resection of both primary tumor and pulmonary metastases whereas 4864 (84.8%) had primary tumor resection alone. In unadjusted analyses, metastasectomy patents were younger, more often privately insured, more educated, and traveled farther to receive care (all P < .001). In multivariable analyses, younger age, traveling >25 miles, and care at high-volume hospitals were associated with PM (P < .01). In addition, primary site surgery without PM was associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.35; confidence interval, 1.23-1.49), even after adjusting for patient, tumor, and hospital-related factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who were older, who received care closer to home, and who were treated at low-volume hospitals were less likely to receive metastasectomy for lung-limited colorectal cancer after definitive resection of their primary tumor. Failure to receive PM resulted in worse overall survival, emphasizing the strong need for efforts to provide uniform, equitable care to all patients.

Recurrence-free survival curve for pulmonary metastasectomy in colorectal cancer plateaus at 3 years

Pulmonary metastasectomy in colorectal cancer (CRC) has encouraging results; however, specific criteria for lung resection and the timing of resection remain undetermined. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the long-term prognosis and 10-year survival rates and analyze poor prognostic factors in patients who underwent resection of pulmonary metastases from CRC. This retrospective, single-institution study included 156 patients with controlled primary CRC and metastases confined to the lungs or liver who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy between 2005 and 2022. Statistical analyses were conducted using the X2 and two-tailed Student's t test to compare variables. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the appropriate cut-off point for tumor size as a predictive factor of survival. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and non-parametric group comparisons were performed using log-rank tests. The 5- and 10-year OS rates were 67% and 59%, respectively. Further, there was no recurrence 38 months post-surgery, and the RFS curve plateaued. Moreover, by 88 months post-surgery, no deaths occurred, and the OS curve plateaued. Multivariate analysis revealed that a pulmonary metastatic tumor >14 mm and disease-free interval <2 years indicated poor prognosis. The RFS curve for pulmonary metastasectomy may plateau approximately 3 years after surgery. Pulmonary metastasectomy can achieve long-term survival in selected patients with CRC. Furthermore, surgical resection of recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy may lead to better results. Thus, tumor size and disease-free interval may be independent prognostic factors.

Lung surveillance following colorectal cancer pulmonary metastasectomy: Utilization of clinicopathologic risk factors to guide strategy

BACKGROUND

Appropriately selected patients clearly benefit from resection of colorectal cancer (CRC) pulmonary metastases (PMs). However, there remains equipoise surrounding optimal chest surveillance strategies following pulmonary metastasectomy. We aimed to identify risk factors that may inform chest surveillance in this population.

METHODS

Patients who underwent CRC pulmonary metastasectomy were identified from a single institution's prospectively maintained surgical database. Clinicopathologic and genomic characteristics were collected. Patients were stratified by diagnosis of subsequent PM within 6 months of the index lung resection. Multivariate modeling was used to evaluate risk factors.

RESULTS

A total of 197 patients met the study's inclusion criteria, of whom 52.3% (n = 103) developed subsequent PM, at a median of 9.51 months following the index metastasectomy. Patients with KRAS alterations (odds ratio [OR], 3.073; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.363-6.926; P = .007), TP53 alterations (OR, 3.109; 95% CI, 1.318-7.341; P = .010) were found to be at risk of PM diagnosis within 6 months of the index metastasectomy, while those with an APC alteration (OR, .218; 95% CI, 0.080-0.598; P = .003) were protected. Moreover, patients who received systemic therapy within 3 months of the initial PM diagnosis also were more likely to develop early lung recurrence (OR, 2.105; 95% CI, 0.971-4.563; P = .059).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with KRAS alterations, TP53 alterations, and no APC alterations developed early recurrence in the lung following pulmonary metastasectomy, as did those who received chemotherapy after their initial PM diagnosis. As such, these groups benefit from early lung imaging after metastasectomy, as chest surveillance protocols should be based on patient-centered clinicopathologic and genomic risk factors.

Do resected colorectal cancer patients need early chest imaging? Impact of clinicopathologic characteristics on time to development of pulmonary metastases

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

For patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), the lung is the most common extra-abdominal site of distant metastasis. However, practices for chest imaging after colorectal resection vary widely. We aimed to identify characteristics that may indicate a need for early follow-up imaging.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed charts of patients who underwent CRC resection, collecting clinicopathologic details and oncologic outcomes. Patients were grouped by timing of pulmonary metastases (PM) development. Analyses were performed to investigate odds ratio (OR) of PM diagnosis within 3 months of CRC resection.

RESULTS

Of 1600 patients with resected CRC, 233 (14.6%) developed PM, at a median of 15.4 months following CRC resection. Univariable analyses revealed age, receipt of systemic therapy, lymph node ratio (LNR), lymphovascular and perineural invasion, and KRAS mutation as risk factors for PM. Furthermore, multivariable regression showed neoadjuvant therapy (OR: 2.99, p < 0.001), adjuvant therapy (OR: 6.28, p < 0.001), LNR (OR: 28.91, p < 0.001), and KRAS alteration (OR: 5.19, p < 0.001) to predict PM within 3 months post-resection.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified clinicopathologic characteristics that predict development of PM within 3 months after primary CRC resection. Early surveillance in such patients should be emphasized to ensure timely identification and treatment of PM.

Long-term outcomes and early recurrence after resection for metachronous pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Properly selecting patients for aggressive curative resection for pulmonary metastases (PMs) from colorectal cancer (CRC) is desirable. We purposed to clarify prognostic factors and risk factors for early recurrence after metachronous PM resection.

METHODS

Clinical data of 151 patients who underwent R0 resection for metachronous PMs from CRC at two institutions between 2008 and 2021 were reviewed.

RESULTS

Seventy-six patients (50.3%) were male, and the median age was 71 (42-91) years. The numbers of colon/rectal cancers were 76/75, with pStage I/II/III/IV/unknown in 15/34/86/13/3. The duration from primary surgery to PM was 19.7 (1.0-106.4) months. The follow-up period was 41.9 (0.3-156.2) months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were 75.1%, 53.7%, and 51.1%, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 97.7%, 87.5%, and 68.2%. On multivariate analysis, lymph node metastasis of the primary lesion (HR 1.683, 95%CI 1.003-2.824, p = 0.049) was an independent predictor of poor RFS, and history of resection for extrapulmonary metastasis (e-PM) (HR 2.328, 95%CI 1.139-4.761, p = 0.021) was an independent predictor of poor OS. Patients who experienced early recurrence (< 6 months) after PM resection showed poorer OS than others (3-year OS 50.8% vs. 90.2%, p = 0.002). On multivariate analysis, e-PM was an independent predictor of early recurrence after PM resection (OR 3.989, 95%CI 1.002-15.885, p = 0.049).

CONCLUSION

Since a history of e-PM was a predictor of early recurrence and poor OS after R0 resection for PM, surgical treatment of patients with a history of e-PM should be considered carefully.

Implication of FDG-PET/CT in patients with potentially operable colorectal lung metastases

Objectives

This prospective study assessed the role of F-18-FDG-PET/CT in clinical staging for patients with colorectal cancer planned for pulmonary metastasectomy by thoracotomy or video-assisted surgery.

Patients and methods

In addition to conventional imaging, we performed 86 F-18-FDG-PET/CT studies in 76 patients with potentially resectable metastatic colorectal lung metastases. We then investigated the effect that PET/CT had on further clinical management. Based on the results from the 47 thoracotomies performed, we compared the number of pulmonary metastases discovered after histologic examination with the number predicted by the conventional computed tomography (CT) as an independent part of the F-18-FDG-PET/CT examination and by the F-18-FDG-PET component.

Results

F-18-FDG-PET/CT led to changes in treatment regime and diagnostic planning in many patients. In five patients PET/CT revealed previously undetected local recurrence of the primary colorectal cancer, in four patients hepatic metastases, in three patients bone metastases, in two patients soft-tissue metastases, and in three patients histologically preoperatively proven N2 or N3 station lymph node involvement. These all constituted exclusion criteria, and consequently the previously planned pulmonary metastasectomy was not performed. The sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) for detection of pulmonary metastases were 84.2% and 36.4% for CT and 75.0% and 61.6% for F-18-FDG-PET study. The calculated sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of F-18-FDG-PET/CT for detecting thoracic lymph node involvement were 85.7%, 93.0%, 66.7%, and 97.5%, respectively. Furthermore, we found that F-18-FDG-PET/CT may predict thoracic lymph node involvement based on the SUV of pulmonary nodules.

Conclusions

F-18-FDG-PET/CT has a clear role in the diagnostic workup for pulmonary metastatic colorectal cancer and may save patients from futile surgery. It cannot, however, be relied on to detect all possible pulmonary and nodal metastases, which surgeons must always consider when making treatment decisions.

Exosomes miR-22-3p Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Suppress Colorectal Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Regulating RAP2B and PI3K/AKT Pathway

Objective

Exosomes (exo) which contain proteins, microRNAs (miRNAs), and other bioactive substances can participate in intercellular signal transduction and material transport. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have a strong ability to produce exosomes. The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of hBMSCs-derived-exo miR-22-3p on proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and to explore its mechanism.

Methods

miR-22-3p and RAS oncogene family (RAP2B) expression was detected using qRT-PCR or Western blotting. Their interaction was confirmed by dual luciferase activity assay. Effects of miR-22-3p on cell proliferation and invasion were evaluated by CCK-8 and Transwell assay, respectively. Exosomes were extracted by the ultracentrifugation and identified through electron microscopy and Western blotting.

Results

In CRC tissues and cells, downregulation of miR-22-3p and upregulation of RAP2B were observed. According to the analysis of dual luciferase activity, RAP2B was a target gene of miR-22-3p. In addition, miR-22-3p obviously repressed the cells proliferation and invasion via mediating RAP2B/PI3K/AKT pathway. Coculture experiments indicated that miR-22-3p derived from hBMSCs-exo had inhibition effects on SW480 cell proliferation and invasion.

Conclusions

Collectively, miR-22-3p from hBMSCs-exo might impede CRC progression, which emphasized the potential of hBMSCs-exo-miR-22-3p as CRC treatment in the future.

Pulmonary metastasectomy in colorectal carcinoma

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It is estimated that 50% of all patients with CRC develop metastases, most commonly in the liver and the lung. Lung metastases are seen in approximately 10–15% of all patients with CRC. A large number of these patients with metastatic CRC can only receive palliative treatment due to invasion of other organs and disseminated disease. However, a subset of these patients present with potentially resectable metastases. Pulmonary metastasectomy is considered to be a potentially curative treatment for selected patients with resectable metastatic CRC. Current data suggest that patients that undergo pulmonary metastasectomy have 5-year survival rates of approximately 40%. However, the majority of data published regarding lung metastasectomy is based on small, retrospective case series. Due to this lack of prospective data, it is still unclear which subset of patients will benefit most from curative-intent surgery. Furthermore, there is also controversy regarding which prognostic and genetic factors are related to survival outcomes and whether there is a difference between open and thoracoscopic approaches in terms of overall and disease-free survival. In this review, we aim to summarize the latest data on prognostic factors and survival outcomes after pulmonary metastasectomy in patients with metastatic CRC.

Creation of a Novel Inflammation-Based Score for Operable Colorectal Cancer Patients

Aim

Systemic inflammation has been implicated in the progression of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). We evaluated the prognostic ability of a comprehensive score based on several inflammatory indexes in operable CRC patients.

Patients and Methods

Between July 2013 and September 2017, this study retrospectively identified 1279 CRC patients receiving radical surgery in Wuhan Union Hospital and randomly assigned them into training (N=921) and validation (N=358) sets. A novel score, the CRC-specific inflammatory index (CSII), was developed from a series of inflammatory indexes significantly associated with survival in patients with CRC. This novel score was then divided into three categories and compared to the well-known systematic inflammatory index (SII) and TNM stage. Finally, a survival nomogram was generated by combining the CSII and other informative clinical features.

Results

The CSII-OS was calculated as 1.110×lg ALRI + 1.082×CAR + 0.792×PI, while CSII-DFS was 1.709×lg ALRI + 1.033×CAR based on multivariable Cox regression analysis. Patients with high CSII experienced a worse OS (HR=23.72, 95% CI, 11.30-49.78, P <0.001) and worse DFS (HR=15.62, 95% CI, 6.95-35.08, P <0.001) compared to those in CRC patients with low CSII. Moreover, ROC analyses showed that the CSII possessed excellent performance (AUC=0.859) in predicting OS and DFS. The AUC of the OS nomogram based on CSII, TNM stage, and chemotherapy was 0.897, while that of the DFS nomogram based on CSII, T stage, and TNM stage was 0.873. High-quality calibration curves in both OS and DFS nomograms were observed. Verification in the validation dataset showed results consistent with those in the training dataset.

Conclusion

The CSII is a CRC-specific prognostic score based on the combination of available inflammatory indexes. High CSII is a strong predictor of worse survival outcomes. The CSII also exhibits better predictive performance compared to SII or TNM stage in operable CRC patients.