Examining the gastric cancer survival gap between Asians and whites in the United States

Disparities in Cancer Stage Outcomes by Catchment Areas for a Comprehensive Cancer Center

Importance

The National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer centers (CCCs) lack spatial and temporal evaluation of their self-designated catchment areas.

Objective

To identify disparities in cancer stage at diagnosis within and outside a CCC's catchment area across a 10-year period using spatial and statistical analyses.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional, population-based study conducted between 2010 and 2019 utilized cancer registry data for the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel CCC (SKCCC). Eligible participants included patients with cancer in the contiguous US who received treatment for cancer, a diagnosis of cancer, or both at SKCCC. Patients were geocoded to zip code tabulation areas (ZCTAs). Individual-level variables included sociodemographic characteristics, smoking and alcohol use, treatment type, cancer site, and insurance type. Data analysis was performed between March and July 2023.

Exposures

Distance between SKCCC and ZCTAs were computed to generate a catchment area of the closest 75% of patients and outer zones in 5% increments for comparison.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was cancer stage at diagnosis, defined as early-stage, late-stage, or unknown stage. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine associations of catchment area with stage at diagnosis.

Results

This study had a total of 94 007 participants (46 009 male [48.94%] and 47 998 female [51.06%]; 30 195 aged 22-45 years [32.12%]; 4209 Asian [4.48%]; 2408 Hispanic [2.56%]; 16 004 non-Hispanic Black [17.02%]; 69 052 non-Hispanic White [73.45%]; and 2334 with other or unknown race or ethnicity [2.48%]), including 47 245 patients (50.26%) who received a diagnosis of early-stage cancer, 19 491 (20.73%) who received a diagnosis of late-stage cancer , and 27 271 (29.01%) with unknown stage. Living outside the main catchment area was associated with higher odds of late-stage cancers for those who received only a diagnosis (odds ratio [OR], 1.50; 95% CI, 1.10-2.05) or only treatment (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.28-1.61) at SKCCC. Non-Hispanic Black patients (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.10-1.23) and those with Medicaid (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.46-1.86) and no insurance at time of treatment (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.79-2.51) also had higher odds of receiving a late-stage cancer diagnosis.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study of CCC data from 2010 to 2019, patients residing outside the main catchment area, non-Hispanic Black patients, and patients with Medicaid or no insurance had higher odds of late-stage diagnoses. These findings suggest that disadvantaged populations and those living outside of the main catchment area of a CCC may face barriers to screening and treatment. Care-sharing agreements among CCCs could address these issues.

Gastric adenocarcinoma location and postoperative complication rates in Asian patients: A 2014-2019 NSQIP analysis

BACKGROUND

Asian gastric cancer patients have higher long-term survival rates post-gastrectomy. This study compares 30-day post-gastrectomy outcomes between Asians and non-Asians.

METHODS

Gastric cancer patients undergoing elective gastrectomies were identified in 2014-2019 NSQIP datasets (n ​= ​1,438). Demographics, comorbidities, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

Asians had lower odds of total gastrectomy (AOR ​= ​0.52, p ​= ​0.003), age ≥65 (AOR ​= ​0.60, p ​= ​0.006), smoking history (AOR ​= ​0.35, p ​< ​0.001), dyspnea (AOR ​= ​0.25, p ​= ​0.01), and hypoalbuminemia (AOR ​= ​0.62, p ​= ​0.025); they also had lower BMI (p ​< ​0.001). Postoperative outcomes were not significantly different aside from a shorter median length of hospital stay in days (LOS) (Asians: 7 (6, 11); non-Asians: 8 (6, 11); p ​< ​0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Asian gastric cancer patients have significantly lower odds of having select preoperative comorbidities and have shorter hospital LOS.

Impact of Insurance Status on Late-Stage Disease Presentation and Disease-Specific Survival among US Patients With Gastric Cancer

Purpose

The impact of insurance status on cause-specific survival and late-stage disease presentation among US patients with gastric cancer (GC) has been less well-defined.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective study analyzed the 2007-2016 Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results. GC events were defined as GC-specific deaths; patients without the event were censored at the time of death from other causes or last known follow-up. Late-stage disease was stage III-IV. Insurance status was categorized as "uninsured/Medicaid/private." Five-year survival rates were compared using log-rank tests. Cox regression was used to assess the association between insurance status and GC-specific survival. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship of insurance status and late-stage disease presentation.

Results

Of 5,529 patients, 78.1% were aged ≥50 years; 54.2% were White, 19.4% Hispanic, and 14.0% Black; 73.4% had private insurance, 19.5% Medicaid, and 7.1% uninsured. The 5-year survival was higher for the privately insured (33.9%) than those on Medicaid (24.8%) or uninsured (19.2%) (p<0.001). Patients with Medicaid (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.22, 95%CI: 1.11-1.33) or uninsured (aHR 1.43, 95%CI: 1.25-1.63) had worse survival than those privately insured. The odds of late-stage disease presentation were higher in the uninsured (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.61, 95%CI: 1.25-2.08) or Medicaid (aOR 1.32, 95%CI: 1.12-1.55) group than those with private insurance. Hispanic patients had greater odds of late-stage disease presentation (aOR 1.35, 95%CI: 1.09-1.66) than Black patients.

Conclusions

Findings highlight the need for policy interventions addressing insurance coverage among GC patients and inform screening strategies for populations at risk of late-stage disease.

CDK5 promotes apoptosis and attenuates chemoresistance in gastric cancer via E2F1 signaling

BACKGROUND

Chemoresistance is a major clinical challenge that leads to tumor metastasis and poor clinical outcome. The mechanisms underlying gastric cancer resistance to chemotherapy are still unclear.

METHODS

We conducted bioinformatics analyses of publicly available patient datasets to establish an apoptotic phenotype and determine the key pathways and clinical significance. In vitro cell models, in vivo mouse models, and numerous molecular assays, including western blotting, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemical staining, and coimmunoprecipitation assays were used to clarify the role of factors related to apoptosis in gastric cancer in this study. Differences between datasets were analyzed using the Student's t-test and two-way ANOVA; survival rates were estimated based on Kaplan-Meier analysis; and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Bulk transcriptomic analysis of gastric cancer samples established an apoptotic phenotype. Proapoptotic tumors were enriched for DNA repair and immune inflammatory signaling and associated with improved prognosis and chemotherapeutic benefits. Functionally, cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) promoted apoptosis of gastric cancer cells and sensitized cells and mice to oxaliplatin. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that CDK5 stabilizes DP1 through direct binding to DP1 and subsequent activation of E2F1 signaling. Clinicopathological analysis indicated that CDK5 depletion correlated with poor prognosis and chemoresistance in human gastric tumors.

CONCLUSION

Our findings reveal that CDK5 promotes cell apoptosis by stabilizing DP1 and activating E2F1 signaling, suggesting its potential role in the prognosis and therapeutic decisions for patients with gastric cancer.

Multivalent tyrosine kinase inhibition promotes T cell recruitment to immune-desert gastric cancers by restricting epithelial-mesenchymal transition via tumour-intrinsic IFN-γ signalling

OBJECTIVE

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks fifth in incidence and fourth for mortality worldwide. The response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy in GC is heterogeneous due to tumour-intrinsic and acquired immunotherapy resistance. We developed an immunophenotype-based subtyping of human GC based on immune cells infiltration to develop a novel treatment option.

DESIGN

A algorithm was developed to reclassify GC into immune inflamed, excluded and desert subtypes. Bioinformatics, human and mouse GC cell lines, syngeneic murine gastric tumour model, and CTLA4 blockade were used to investigate the immunotherapeutic effects by restricting receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signalling in immune desert (ICB-resistant) type GC.

RESULTS

Our algorithm restratified subtypes of human GC in public databases and showed that immune desert-type and excluded-type tumours are ICB-resistant compared with immune-inflamed GC. Moreover, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signalling was highly enriched in immune desert-type GC, and syngeneic murine tumours exhibiting mesenchymal-like, compared with epithelial-like, properties are T cell-excluded and resistant to CTLA4 blockade. Our analysis further identified a panel of RTKs as potential druggable targets in the immune desert-type GC. Dovitinib, an inhibitor of multiple RTKs, strikingly repressed EMT programming in mesenchymal-like immune desert syngeneic GC models. Dovitinib activated the tumour-intrinsic SNAI1/2-IFN-γ signalling axis and impeded the EMT programme, converting immune desert-type tumours to immune inflamed-type tumours, sensitising these mesenchymal-like 'cold' tumours to CTLA4 blockade.

CONCLUSION

Our findings identified potential druggable targets relevant to patient groups, especially for refractory immune desert-type/ 'cold' GC. Dovitinib, an RTK inhibitor, sensitised desert-type immune-cold GC to CTLA4 blockade by restricting EMT and recruiting T cells.

Deep learning-based subtyping of gastric cancer histology predicts clinical outcome: a multi-institutional retrospective study

INTRODUCTION

The Laurén classification is widely used for Gastric Cancer (GC) histology subtyping. However, this classification is prone to interobserver variability and its prognostic value remains controversial. Deep Learning (DL)-based assessment of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained slides is a potentially useful tool to provide an additional layer of clinically relevant information, but has not been systematically assessed in GC.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to train, test and externally validate a deep learning-based classifier for GC histology subtyping using routine H&E stained tissue sections from gastric adenocarcinomas and to assess its potential prognostic utility.

METHODS

We trained a binary classifier on intestinal and diffuse type GC whole slide images for a subset of the TCGA cohort (N = 166) using attention-based multiple instance learning. The ground truth of 166 GC was obtained by two expert pathologists. We deployed the model on two external GC patient cohorts, one from Europe (N = 322) and one from Japan (N = 243). We assessed classification performance using the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUROC) and prognostic value (overall, cancer specific and disease free survival) of the DL-based classifier with uni- and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank test statistics.

RESULTS

Internal validation using the TCGA GC cohort using five-fold cross-validation achieved a mean AUROC of 0.93 ± 0.07. External validation showed that the DL-based classifier can better stratify GC patients' 5-year survival compared to pathologist-based Laurén classification for all survival endpoints, despite frequently divergent model-pathologist classifications. Univariate overall survival Hazard Ratios (HRs) of pathologist-based Laurén classification (diffuse type versus intestinal type) were 1.14 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.66-1.44, p-value = 0.51) and 1.23 (95% CI 0.96-1.43, p-value = 0.09) in the Japanese and European cohorts, respectively. DL-based histology classification resulted in HR of 1.46 (95% CI 1.18-1.65, p-value < 0.005) and 1.41 (95% CI 1.20-1.57, p-value < 0.005), in the Japanese and European cohorts, respectively. In diffuse type GC (as defined by the pathologist), classifying patients using the DL diffuse and intestinal classifications provided a superior survival stratification, and demonstrated statistically significant survival stratification when combined with pathologist classification for both the Asian (overall survival log-rank test p-value < 0.005, HR 1.43 (95% CI 1.05-1.66, p-value = 0.03) and European cohorts (overall survival log-rank test p-value < 0.005, HR 1.56 (95% CI 1.16-1.76, p-value < 0.005)).

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that gastric adenocarcinoma subtyping using pathologist's Laurén classification as ground truth can be performed using current state of the art DL techniques. Patient survival stratification seems to be better by DL-based histology typing compared with expert pathologist histology typing. DL-based GC histology typing has potential as an aid in subtyping. Further investigations are warranted to fully understand the underlying biological mechanisms for the improved survival stratification despite apparent imperfect classification by the DL algorithm.

The burden of stomach cancer mortality by county, race, and ethnicity in the USA, 2000-2019: a systematic analysis of health disparities

Background

There are persistent disparities in stomach cancer mortality among racial-ethnic groups in the USA, but the extent to which these patterns vary geographically is not well understood. This analysis estimated age-standardised mortality for five racial-ethnic groups, in 3110 USA counties over 20 years, to describe spatial-temporal variations in stomach cancer mortality and disparities between racial-ethnic groups.

Methods

Redistribution methods for insufficient cause of death codes and validated small area estimation methods were applied to death registration data from the US National Vital Statistics System and population data from the US National Center for Health Statistics to estimate annual stomach cancer mortality rates. Estimates were stratified by county and racial-ethnic group (non-Latino and non-Hispanic [NL] American Indian or Alaska Native [AIAN], NL Asian or Pacific Islander [Asian], NL Black [Black], Latino or Hispanic [Latino], and NL White [White]) from 2000 to 2019. Estimates were corrected for misreporting of racial-ethnic group on death certificates using published misclassification ratios. We masked (ie, did not display) estimates for county and racial-ethnic group combinations with a mean annual population of less than 1000; thus, we report estimates for 3079 (of 3110) counties for the total population, and 474, 667, 1488, 1478, and 3051 counties for the AIAN, Asian, Black, Latino, and White populations, respectively.

Findings

Between 2000 and 2019, national age-standardised stomach cancer mortality was lowest among the White population in every year. Nationally, stomach cancer mortality declined for all racial-ethnic groups across this time period, with the most rapid declines occurring among the Asian (percent decline 48.3% [45.1-51.1]) and Black populations (42.6% [40.2-44.6]). Mortality among the other racial-ethnic groups declined more moderately, decreasing by 36.7% (35.3-38.1), 35.1% (32.2-37.7), and 31.6% (23.9-38.0) among the White, Latino, and AIAN populations, respectively. Similar patterns were observed at the county level, although with wide geographic variation. In 2019, a majority of counties had higher mortality rates among minoritised racial-ethnic populations compared to the White population: 81.1% (377 of 465 counties with unmasked estimates for both racial-ethnic groups) among the AIAN population, 88.2% (1295 of 1469) among the Latino population, 99.4% (663 of 667) among the Asian population, and 99.9% (1484 of 1486) among the Black population. However, the size of these disparities ranged widely across counties, with the largest range from 0.3 to 17.1 among the AIAN population.

Interpretation

Stomach cancer mortality has decreased substantially across populations and geographies in the USA. However, disparities in stomach cancer mortality among racial-ethnic groups are widespread and have persisted over the last two decades. Local-level data are crucial to understanding the scope of this unequal burden among minoritised groups in the USA.

Funding

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; National Cancer Institute; National Institute on Aging; National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; Office of Disease Prevention; and Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health (contract #75N94019C00016).

History and Future of HER2-Targeted Therapy for Advanced Gastric Cancer

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that belongs to the human epidermal growth factor receptor family. It is overexpressed/amplified in approximately 20% of gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancers. HER2 is being developed as a therapeutic target in a variety of cancers, and several agents have been shown to be effective in breast cancer. The development of HER2-targeted therapy for gastric cancer successfully began with trastuzumab. However, while effective in breast cancer, the successive anti-HER2 agents lapatinib, T-DM1, and pertuzumab failed to demonstrate benefits regarding survival in gastric cancer compared with the existing standard therapies. Intrinsic differences lie between gastric and breast cancer in terms of HER2-positive tumor biology, which may make development difficult. Recently, a novel anti-HER2 agent, trastuzumab deruxtecan, was introduced, and the development of HER2-positive gastric cancer agents has been moving to the next stage. This review summarizes the current HER2-targeted therapy for gastric or gastroesophageal cancer in chronological order and describes the promising future of HER2-targeted therapy.

Incidence and mortality trends in gastric cancer in the United States, 1992-2019

Our study aimed to estimate the epidemiological trends of gastric cancer in the United States from 1992 to 2019. This population-based study used the US Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-12 database as a fundamental cohort to analyze gastric cancer incidence, incidence-based mortality (IBM), overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) probabilities from 1992 to 2019. The Global Burden of Disease study (1990-2018) was used as a likely validation cohort. Age-period-cohort analyses were performed to explore the underlying causes of trend changes. We found that the incidence rate of gastric cancer decreased from 1992 to 2019. IBM also decreased significantly from 1997 to 2019. The 3-year OS and CSS of gastric cancer increased from 22.3% to 28.7% and 25.7% to 33.5%, respectively. However, the proportion of distant gastric cancer cases had unexpectedly increased rapidly from 33.1% in 1992 to 44.7% in 2019. Age-period-cohort modeling found that the incidence and IBM rates remained stable in the groups aged below 50 years, while that in all age groups older than 50 years showed a significant downward trend. High incidence and mortality risks were observed in the younger birth cohorts (birth year after 1990). To conclude, we observed a decline in incidence and mortality rates of gastric cancer in the United States in the past decades. We determined that progression of primary and tertiary preventive measures is the main reason for the reduction in the disease burden of gastric cancer. However, secondary preventive measures for gastric cancer still need to be strengthened.

Recent Advances in the Systemic Treatment of Localized Gastroesophageal Cancer

The overall survival expectancy of localized gastroesophageal cancer patients still remains under 5 years despite advances in neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment strategies in recent years. For almost a decade, immunotherapy has been successfully implemented as a first-line treatment for various oncological diseases in advanced stages. In the case of advanced gastroesophageal cancer, 2021 witnessed several approvals of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies by different authorities. Although it is still a debate whether this treatment should be restricted to a certain subgroup of patients based on biomarker selection, immunotherapy agents are making remarkable steps in resectable settings as well. The Checkmate-577 study demonstrated significant benefits of nivolumab as an adjuvant treatment for resectable esophageal and gastroesophageal junction tumors and thereby obtained approvals both from U.S. American and European authorities. First results of further potential practice-changing clinical trials are expected in 2023, which might change the treatment armamentarium for resectable gastroesophageal cancers significantly. This review aims to demonstrate the advances of immunotherapy and targeted therapies in treatment of localized gastric, gastroesophageal junction and esophageal tumors and gives a short summary on promising ongoing clinical trials.

Pembrolizumab versus paclitaxel for previously treated, advanced gastro-esophageal junction cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

BACKGROUND

This paper aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of pembrolizumab and paclitaxel as a second line for patients with locally advanced gastroesophageal cancer.

METHODS

By searching PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Ovid, any randomized clinical study comparing the effectiveness of paclitaxel and pembrolizumab as second-line therapy for advanced gastroesophageal cancer met the inclusion criteria. Only 3 of the 23 eligible studies that were fully reviewed were eligible for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The total number of patients included in the meta-analysis was 635 in the pembrolizumab group and 596 in the paclitaxel group. In terms of objective response rate, there was no statistically significant difference between pembrolizumab and paclitaxel (relative risk = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.80-1.50, P = .57). Furthermore, Pembrolizumab and paclitaxel did not differ in terms of the rate of partial response statistically significantly from one another, according to the overall analysis (relative risk = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.57-1.52, P-value = .78).

CONCLUSION

There is no difference between pembrolizumab and paclitaxel in objective response rate. The objective response rate shows that doctors may consider either treatment for patients with advanced gastroesophageal cancer, given the time to response is comparable across therapies.

Kinase Inhibitor Screening Displayed ALK as a Possible Therapeutic Biomarker for Gastric Cancer

Despite advances in cancer chemotherapy, gastric cancer (GC) continues to have high recurrence rates and poor prognosis with limited treatment options. Understanding the etiology of GC and developing more effective, less harmful therapeutic approaches are vital and urgent. Therefore, this work describes a novel kinase target in malignant gastric cells as a potential therapeutic strategy. Our results demonstrate that among 147 kinase inhibitors (KI), only three molecules were significantly cytotoxic for the AGP-01 cell line. Hence, these three molecules were further characterized in their cellular mode of action. There was significant cell cycle impairment due to the expression modulation of genes such as TP53, CDKN1A, CDC25A, MYC, and CDK2 with subsequent induction of apoptosis. In fact, the Gene Ontology analysis revealed a significant enrichment of pathways related to cell cycle regulation (GO:1902749 and GO:1903047). Moreover, the three selected KIs significantly reduced cell migration and Vimentin mRNA expression after treatment. Surprisingly, the three KIs share the same target, ALK and INSR, but only the ALK gene was found to have a high expression level in the gastric cancer cell line. Additionally, lower survival rates were observed for patients with high ALK expression in TCGA-STAD analysis. In summary, we hypothesize that ALK gene overexpression can be a promising biomarker for prognosis and therapeutic management of gastric adenocarcinoma.

A predictive model for early death in elderly patients with gastric cancer: A population-based study

Background

The mean age of gastric cancer (GC) patients has increased due to the aging society. Elderly GC patients with poor physical status tend to develop complications during the treatment courses, which cause early death. This study aimed to identify risk factors and establish nomograms for predicting total early death and cancer-specific early death in elderly GC patients.

Methods

Data for elderly GC patients were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. These patients were randomly assigned to a training cohort and a validation cohort. The univariate logistic regression model and backward stepwise logistic regression model were used to identify independent risk factors for early death. Nomograms were constructed to predict the overall risk of early death and their performance was validated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, decision curve analyses (DCA), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and net reclassification improvement (NRI) in both training and validation cohorts.

Results

Among the 3102 enrolled patients, 1114 patients died within three months from the first diagnosis and 956 of them died due to cancer-specific causes. Non-Asian or Pacific Islander (API) race, non-cardia/fundus or lesser/greater curvature, higher AJCC stage, no surgery and no chemotherapy were all related to a high risk of both all-cause early death and cancer-specific early death. Higher T stage and N0 stage were only positively related to total early mortality, while liver metastasis was only positively related to cancer-specific early mortality. Based on these identified factors, two nomograms were developed for predicting the risk of all-cause and cancer-specific early death, which showed good performance with the AUC of the nomograms were 0.775 and 0.766, respectively. The calibration curves, DCAs, NRI, and IDI also confirmed the value of these nomograms.

Conclusions

These nomogram models were considered a practical tool to identify the early death of elderly GC patients and help provide a more individualized treatment strategy.

A prospective cohort study on the association between waterpipe tobacco smoking and gastric cancer mortality in Northern Vietnam

Tobacco consumption, as a worldwide problem, is a risk factor for several types of cancer. In Vietnam, tobacco consumption in the form of waterpipe tobacco smoking is common. This prospective cohort study aimed to study the association between waterpipe tobacco smoking and gastric cancer mortality in Northern Vietnam. A total of 25,619 eligible participants were followed up between 2008 and 2019. Waterpipe tobacco and cigarette smoking data were collected; semi-quantitative food frequency and lifestyle questionnaires were also utilized. Gastric cancer mortality was determined via medical records available at the state health facilities. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). During 314,992.8 person-years of follow-up, 55 men and 25 women deaths due to gastric cancer were identified. With never-smokers as the reference, the risk of gastric cancer mortality was significantly increased in participants who were ever-smoking (HR = 2.43, 95% CI = 1.35–4.36). The positive risk was also observed in men but was not significantly increased in women. By types of tobacco use, exclusive waterpipe smokers showed a significantly increased risk of gastric cancer mortality (HR = 3.22, 95% CI = 1.67–6.21) but that was not significantly increased in exclusive cigarette smokers (HR = 1.90, 95% CI = 0.88–4.07). There was a significant positive association between tobacco smoking and gastric cancer death for indicators of longer smoking duration, higher frequency per day, and cumulative frequency of both waterpipe and cigarette smoking. Waterpipe tobacco smoking would significantly increase the risk of gastric cancer mortality in the Vietnamese population. Further studies are required to understand the waterpipe tobacco smoking-driven gastric cancer burden and promote necessary interventions.

Better Prognosis of Gastric Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Than Gastric Adenocarcinoma among Whites in the United States: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis Based on SEER

It was generally believed that the prognosis of gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (GNEC) was worse than gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). However, almost all previous studies compared the prognosis of GNEC and GAC based on East Asians. In this study, we evaluated the clinicopathological features and prognosis of GNEC and GAC in Whites. Patients with GNEC and GAC were identified from 2000 to 2018 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We used propensity score matching (PSM) analysis to match the age, sex, TNM stage, and treatments received between GNEC and GAC, then compared the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in the two types. A total of 392 cases of GNEC and 12,835 cases of GAC in Whites were recognized. After PSM, the 5-year OS rates of GNEC and GAC were 50.3% and 43.0%, respectively (p = 0.010). The 5-year CSS rates of GNEC and GAC were 57.4% and 50.1%, respectively (p = 0.012). Besides, multivariable cox regression analyses showed that GNEC was an independent predictor of improved OS (HR 0.719; 95% CI 0.607–0.853) and CSS (HR 0.691; 95% CI 0.571–0.835) in the matched data. The prognosis of GNEC was better than GAC in Whites, showing significant ethnic differences. Appropriate treatments and follow-up strategies for GNEC in Whites are probably different from East Asians. The potential genetic and molecular mechanisms need to be further explored.

Development of an alarm symptom-based risk prediction score for localized oesophagogastric adenocarcinoma (VIOLA score)

BACKGROUND

Gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma is a major contributor to global disease burden with poor prognosis even in resectable, regionally limited stages. Feasible prognostic tools are crucial to improve patient management, yet scarce.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Disease-related symptoms, patient, tumour, treatment as well as laboratory parameters at initial diagnosis and overall survival (OS) of patients with stage II and III gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, who were treated between 1990 and 2020 at the Medical University of Vienna, were evaluated in a cross-validation model to develop a feasible risk prediction score.

RESULTS

In total, 628 patients were included in this single-centre analysis. The final score ranked from 0 to 10 and included the factors sex (female +1), age, years (30-59 +1, >60 +2), underweight classified by body mass index (+2), location of the tumour (stomach +1), stage (III +2), stenosis in endoscopy (+1) and weight loss (+1). The score was grouped into low- (0-3), medium- (4-6) and high-risk (7+) subgroups. The median OS were 70.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 51.2-111.8], 23.4 (95% CI 21.2-26.7) and 12.6 (7.0-16.1) months, respectively. The 1-year survival probabilities were 0.88 (95% CI 0.83-0.93), 0.75 (95% CI 0.70-0.79) and 0.54 (95% CI 0.39-0.74), whereas the 5-year survival probabilities were 0.57 (95% CI 0.49-0.66), 0.24 (95% CI 0.20-0.28) and 0.09 (95% CI 0.03-0.28), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The VIennese risk prediction score for Oesophagogastric Localized Adenocarcinoma (VIOLA) risk prediction score poses a feasible tool for the estimation of OS in patients with regionally limited gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma and, thus, may improve patient management in clinical routine. Prospective analyses should be carried out to confirm our findings.

Comparable long-term outcomes after endoscopic therapy and gastrectomy of early adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction: a population-based study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Current guidelines recommend consideration of endoscopic therapy (ET) when treating selected early gastric cancers. However, clinical decision-making on ET versus gastrectomy for early adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEGJ) remains challenging because of uncertain long-term outcomes.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2004 to 2017 of early AEGJ patients underwent ET or gastrectomy. Multivariate models were used to compare cancer-specific survival (CSS).

RESULTS

Of 881 included early AEGJ patients, 227 (36.2%) patients underwent ET and 654 (63.8%) patients underwent gastrectomy. Early AEGJ patients who underwent ET experienced a similar hazard of cancer-specific death compared with those underwent gastrectomy in both multivariate Cox regression (HR [hazard ratio], 0.93; 95% CI [confidence interval], 0.55-1.56; P = 0.78) and the multivariate competing risk model (subdistribution HR [SHR], 0.86; 95% CI 0.50-1.45; P = 0.56). Propensity score matching was used, 210 patients underwent ET were matched with 210 patients underwent gastrectomy. Patients underwent ET experienced a similar hazard of cancer-specific death compared with those underwent gastrectomy in both multivariate Cox regression (HR, 0.97; 95% CI 0.53-1.77; P = 0.92) and the multivariate competing risk model (SHR, 0.96; 95% CI 0.52-1.77; P = 0.89).

CONCLUSION

Early AEGJ patients who received ET or gastrectomy had comparable long-term outcomes, which lend support to the role of ET in the treatment of these patients.

Gastric cancer: An epigenetic view

Gastric cancer (GC) poses a serious threat worldwide with unfavorable prognosis mainly due to late diagnosis and limited therapies. Therefore, precise molecular classification and search for potential targets are required for diagnosis and treatment, as GC is complicated and heterogeneous in nature. Accumulating evidence indicates that epigenetics plays a vital role in gastric carcinogenesis and progression, including histone modifications, DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs. Epigenetic biomarkers and drugs are currently under intensive evaluations to ensure efficient clinical utility in GC. In this review, key epigenetic alterations and related functions and mechanisms are summarized in GC. We focus on integration of existing epigenetic findings in GC for the bench-to-bedside translation of some pivotal epigenetic alterations into clinical practice and also describe the vacant field waiting for investigation.

A Practical Nomogram for Predicting the Prognosis of Elderly Patients with Gastric Adenocarcinoma After Gastrectomy

Purpose

To establish a pragmatic prognostic nomogram for predicting the survival of elderly patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma.

Patients and Methods

Data of elderly patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma between 2004 and 2015 were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Prognostic factors were identified by the Kaplan–Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards model. Based on these factors, we developed a nomogram to predict the overall survival (OS) and gastric cancer-specific survival (GCSS). Concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve are employed to assess the predictive accuracy of the model. Decision curve analysis (DCA) and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis are applied to further appraise the clinical utility of the model.

Results

A total of 8401 cases were incorporated into this research. After univariate and multivariate analyses, nine prognostic factors of OS were identified, including age (P < 0.001), race (P < 0.001), marital status (P < 0.001), tumor site (P < 0.001), tumor size (P = 0.024), differentiation (P < 0.001), T stage (P < 0.001), N stage (P < 0.001), and M stage (P < 0.001); ten prognostic factors of GCSS were identified, including age (P < 0.001), race (P < 0.001), tumor site (P < 0.001), tumor size (P = 0.002), differentiation (P < 0.001), T stage (P < 0.001), N stage (P < 0.001), M stage (P < 0.001), radiotherapy (P < 0.001) and chemotherapy (P < 0.001). The C-index of the constructed nomogram for OS was 0.708 (95% CI: 0.701–0.715) while for GCSS was 0.745 (95% CI: 0.737–0.753). The calibration curves of the nomogram predictions and actual observations displayed good agreement for the 3- and 5-year OS and GCSS probabilities. The results of DCA and the area under the curve calculated by ROC analysis showed that the developed model was superior than TNM stage.

Conclusion

The nomogram we established could accurately predict the prognosis of individual elderly patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma.

Genomic landscape of a mouse model of diffuse-type gastric adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

There is a need for a model of diffuse-type gastric cancer that captures the features of the disease, facilitates the study of its mechanisms, and aids the development of potential therapies. One such model may be Cdh1 and Trp53 double conditional knockout (DCKO) mice, which have histopathological features similar to those of human diffuse-type gastric cancer. However, a genomic profile of this mouse model has yet to be completed.

METHODS

Whole-genome sequences of tumors from eight DCKO mice were analyzed and their molecular features were compared with those of human gastric adenocarcinoma.

RESULTS

DCKO mice gastric cancers harbored single nucleotide variations and indel patterns comparable to those of human genomically stable gastric cancers, whereas their copy number variation fraction and ploidy were more similar to human chromosomal instability gastric cancers (perhaps due to Trp53 knockout). Copy number variations dominated changes in cancer-related genes in DCKO mice, with typical high-level amplifications observed for oncogenic drivers, e.g., Myc, Ccnd1, and Cdks, as well as gastrointestinal transcription factors, e.g., Gata4, Foxa1, and Sox9. Interestingly, frequent alterations in gastrointestinal transcription factors in DCKO mice indicated their potential role in tumorigenesis. Furthermore, mouse gastric cancer had a reproducible but smaller number of mutational signatures than human gastric cancer, including the potentially acid-related signature 17, indicating shared tumorigenic etiologies in humans and mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Cdh1/Trp53 DCKO mice have similar genomic features to those found in human gastric cancer; hence, this is a suitable model for further studies of diffuse-type gastric cancer mechanisms and therapies.

Pembrolizumab versus paclitaxel for previously treated advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer (KEYNOTE-063): A randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial in Asian patients

Background

KEYNOTE‐063 (NCT03019588) investigated pembrolizumab versus paclitaxel as second‐line therapy in Asian patients with advanced programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1)–positive (combined positive score ≥1) gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer.

Methods

This randomized, open‐label, phase 3 study was conducted at 36 medical centers in China (mainland), Malaysia, South Korea, and Taiwan. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to 200 mg of pembrolizumab intravenously every 3 weeks for ≤2 years or 80 mg/m² of paclitaxel intravenously every week. Primary end points were overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS). Secondary end points were objective response rate (ORR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 and safety.

Results

Between February 16, 2017, and March 12, 2018, 94 patients were randomly assigned (47 pembrolizumab/47 paclitaxel) after screening; enrollment was stopped on March 12, 2018, based on the results of the global KEYNOTE‐061 study, and patients were followed until the last patient's last visit. Median OS was 8 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4‐10 months) with pembrolizumab versus 8 months (95% CI, 5‐11 months) with paclitaxel (hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 95% CI, 0.63‐1.54). Median PFS was 2 months (95% CI, 1‐3 months) with pembrolizumab versus 4 months (95% CI, 3‐6 months) with paclitaxel (HR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.04‐2.52). ORR was 13% for pembrolizumab versus 19% for paclitaxel. Any‐grade treatment‐related adverse events occurred in 28 pembrolizumab‐treated patients (60%) and 42 paclitaxel‐treated patients (96%); grades 3 to 5 events occurred in 5 patients (11%) and 28 patients (64%), respectively.

Conclusions

Definitive conclusions about the efficacy of second‐line pembrolizumab in Asian patients with advanced PD‐L1–positive gastric/GEJ cancer are limited because of insufficient power, but pembrolizumab was well tolerated in this patient population. Efficacy followed a trend similar to that observed in the phase 3 KEYNOTE‐061 trial.

In this small sample of Asian patients with advanced PD‐L1–positive (combined positive score [CPS] ≥1) gastric/gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer enrolled in the randomized, open‐label, phase 3 KEYNOTE‐063 study, definitive conclusions on clinical outcomes are limited; however, second‐line pembrolizumab monotherapy seems to be well tolerated in this patient population. These findings are consistent with those of the larger global KEYNOTE‐061 study in patients with CPS ≥1 gastric/GEJ cancer.

Immunogenomic Landscape and Immune-Related Gene-Based Prognostic Signature in Asian Gastric Cancer

Background

Asians have the highest incidence of gastric cancer (GC), and the prognosis of Asian GC is poor. Furthermore, the therapeutics for Asian GC is limited because of genetic heterogeneity and screening difficulty at the early stage. This study aimed to develop an immune-related gene (IRG)-based prognostic signature and to explore prognosis-related regulatory mechanism and therapeutic target for Asian GC.

Methods

To elucidate the prognostic value of IRGs in Asian GC, a comprehensive analysis of IRG expression profiles and overall survival times in 364 Asian GC patients from the Asian Cancer Research Group (ACRG) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases was performed, and a novel prognostic index was established. To further explore regulatory prognosis mechanisms and therapeutic targets, a tumor immunogenomic landscape analysis, including stromal and immune subcomponents, cell types, panimmune gene sets, and immunomodulatory genes, was performed.

Result

Our analysis allowed the creation of an optimal risk assessment model, the Asian-specific IRG-based prognostic index (ASIRGPI), which showed a high accuracy in predicting survival in Asian GC. We also developed an ASIRGPI-based nomogram to predict the 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) of Asian GC patients. The impact of the ASIRGPI on the worse prognosis of Asian GC was possibly related to the stromal component remodeling. Specifically, TGFβ gene sets were significantly associated with the ASIRGPI and worse prognosis. Immunomodulatory gene analysis further revealed that TGFβ1 and EDNRB may be the novel potential therapeutic targets for Asian GC.

Conclusions

As a tumor microenvironment-relevant gene set-based prognostic signature, the ASIRGPI model provides an effective approach for evaluating the prognosis of Asian GC and may even prolong OS by enabling the selection of individualized therapy with the novel targets.

Eliciting gastric cancer survivors' preferences for follow-up services: a discrete choice experiment protocol

INTRODUCTION

Follow-up care is important for gastric cancer survivors, but follow-up strategies for gastric cancer survivors remain inconsistent, and compliance of gastric cancer survivors with follow-up care is very low. Understanding the needs and preferences of gastric cancer survivors is conducive to developing appropriate and acceptable follow-up strategies, thereby improving patient compliance. Discrete choice experiments can quantify individual needs and preferences. However, to date, there is no discrete choice experiment on the preferences of gastric cancer survivors, and no studies have examined how gastric cancer survivors make choices based on different characteristics of follow-up. This paper outlines an ongoing discrete choice experiment that aims to (1) explore follow-up service-related characteristics that may affect gastric cancer survivors' choices about their follow-up, (2) elicit how gastric cancer survivors consider the trade-offs among different follow-up service options using discrete choice experiment, (3) determine whether gastric cancer survivors' needs and preferences for follow-up vary due to the economy, politics, technology and culture in different regions.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Six attributes were developed through a literature review, semistructured interviews and experts and focus group discussions. A fractional factorial design was used to evaluate the interaction between attributes. A multiple logit model will be used to understand the trade-off between the follow-up characteristics of gastric cancer survivors. A mixed logit model will be used to explore the willingness to pay and uptake rate of gastric cancer survivors for follow-up attributes and further explore the preferences of different groups.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the ethics committee of the School of Nursing, Jilin University. The results of this study will be shared through online blogs, policy briefs, seminars and peer-reviewed journal articles and will be used to modify the current strategy of gastric cancer survivors' follow-up services according to economic development and regional culture.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0000751 serves as a microRNA-488 sponge to suppress gastric cancer progression via ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 2 regulation

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are RNA molecules that do not encode proteins but are known to regulate tumor progression. This study was designed to explore the underlying mechanism driving circRNA-mediated modulation of gastric cancer (GC). Bioinformatics analysis of gene chip GSE83521 was used to identify multiple circRNAs that were differentially regulated in matched GC and adjacent normal tissues. The circRNA with the largest variation in expression (hsa_circ_0000751) was selected for further examination. The expression profile of hsa_circ_0000751 and its target-specific interactions with microRNAs (miRNAs) and downstream gene transcripts were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, luciferase reporter assays, and rescue assays in human tissues and cells. The relationship between hsa_circ_0000751 expression and the clinicopathological parameters of 25 GC patients was analyzed. Furthermore, ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 2 (UQCRC2), a GC suppressor, was detected via western blot analysis. The results showed that hsa_circ_0000751 levels were markedly downregulated in GC tissues and cell lines, which were also inversely proportional to the stage of tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification, tumor volume, and lymph node metastasis in GC patients. Conversely, hsa_circ_0000751 overexpression suppressed tumor progression, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. From our results, we showed that hsa_circ_0000751 may serve as a miRNA sponge to suppress the activity of miR-488, thereby increasing the expression of the miR-488-target gene, UQCRC2, and limiting GC progression. Given its negative regulation of oncogenic miRNAs, the hsa_circ_0000751/miR-488/UQCRC2 axis may be crucial in the development of novel GC therapies.

Preferences of gastric cancer survivors for follow-up care-a multicenter discrete choice experiment study

PURPOSES

The purposes of this discrete choice experiment are as follows: (1) to investigate the preferences of gastric cancer survivors for follow-up care, and (2) to quantify the importance of follow-up care-related characteristics that may affect the gastric cancer survivors' choices of their follow-up, so as to provide references for the development of the follow-up strategy of gastric cancer survivors.

METHODS

Discrete choice experimental design principle was applied to develop the survey instrument. All questionnaires were filled out by the respondents and collected on site. A mixed logit model was used to estimate gastric cancer survivors' preferences. Willingness to pay estimates and simulations of follow-up uptake rates were calculated.

RESULTS

All six attributes are significantly important for the follow-up care of gastric cancer survivors (p < 0.05). Achieving very thorough follow-up contents was the most valued attribute level (coefficient = 1.995). Specialist doctors are the most preferred providers followed by specialist nurses, and gastric cancer survivors were willing to pay more for these attribute levels. Changes in attribute levels affected uptake rate of follow-up. When the multiple attribute levels were changed at the same time, a very thorough follow-up content was provided by the same specialist doctor (specialist nurse), and the probability of receiving follow-up increases by 95.82% (94.90%).

CONCLUSIONS

The characteristics of follow-up care in our study reflect the health management services' expectations of gastric cancer survivors. A dedicated specialist nurse involved in follow-up care should be developed to contribute to solve the complex and multifaceted personal needs of gastric cancer survivors.

Anti-Asian American Racism: A Wake-Up Call for Population-Based Cancer Research

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans have been subjected to rising overt discrimination and violent hate crimes, highlighting the health implications of racism toward Asian Americans. As Asian Americans are the only group for whom cancer is the leading cause of death, these manifestations of anti-Asian racism provoke the question of the impact of racism across the cancer continuum for Asian Americans. In this Commentary, we describe how the myth of the "model minority" overlooks the diversity of Asian Americans. Ignoring such diversity in sociocultural trends, immigration patterns, socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and barriers to care masks disparities in cancer risk, access to care, and outcomes across Asian American populations. We recommend cancer epidemiologists, population science researchers, and oncology providers direct attention toward: (i) studying the impacts of structural and personally mediated racism on cancer risk and outcomes; (ii) ensuring studies reflect the uniqueness of individual ethnic groups, including intersectionality, and uncover underlying disparities; and (iii) applying a critical race theory approach that considers the unique lived experiences of each group. A more nuanced understanding of cancer health disparities, and how drivers of these disparities are associated with race and differ across Asian American ethnicities, may elucidate means through which these disparities can be alleviated.

Gastric tumorigenesis after radical resection combined with adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer: two case reports and a literature review

Radical resection with or without adjuvant chemotherapy is a common option for stage II and III colorectal cancer. Few reports exist regarding gastric tumorigenesis, including gastric cancer, gastric intraepithelial neoplasia, and gastric stromal tumor, in patients who received this protocol as the standard treatment for colorectal cancer. We present two cases of gastric tumorigenesis in patients with colorectal cancer following radical resection combined with adjuvant chemotherapy. Both patients underwent gastrectomy and D2 lymphadenectomy for their gastric tumors; neither patient developed recurrence up to 2 years after treatment. These cases indicate that patients should be monitored closely for gastric tumorigenesis after treatment for colorectal cancer. Early detection and active surgical treatment can provide satisfactory results for colorectal cancer followed by gastric tumorigenesis. Long-term follow-up and regular examinations, especially gastroscopy, are necessary to detect gastric tumorigenesis after colorectal cancer. The focus on monitoring colorectal cancer alone in colorectal cancer patients should be changed to include a broader range of cancers in addition to precancers and other tumors, such as gastric stromal tumor.

[Update on gastric cancer. New molecular classifications]

Gastric cancer (GC) is an aggressive tumor, which is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and shows high mortality rates. Several GC classifications have been published, based on features such as tumor location, endoscopic features or microscopic architecture. However, TNM stage remains the mainstay of GC management and treatment. In the last years, technical advances have allowed us to investigate the biological heterogeneity of GC and develop new molecular classifications. This knowledge may enhance current classifications, and has the potential to refine GC management and aid in the identification of new molecular targets. In this literature review we have summarized the main findings in epidemiology, screening, classification systems and treatment of GC, focusing on the molecular alterations and new molecular classifications published in the last years.

Evolution of the Role of Radiotherapy for Anal Cancer

Prior to the 1980s, the primary management of localized anal cancer was surgical resection. Dr. Norman Nigro and colleagues introduced neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy prior to abdominoperineal resection. Chemoradiotherapy 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin C afforded patients complete pathologic response and obviated the need for upfront surgery. More recent studies have attempted to alter or exclude chemotherapy used in the Nigro regimen to mitigate toxicity, often with worse outcomes. Reductions in acute adverse effects have been associated with marked advancements in radiotherapy delivery using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guidance radiation delivery, resulting in increased tolerance to greater radiation doses. Ongoing trials are attempting to improve IMRT-based treatment of locally advanced disease with efforts to increase personalized treatment. Studies are also examining the role of newer treatment modalities such as proton therapy in treating anal cancer. Here we review the evolution of radiotherapy for anal cancer and describe recent advances. We also elaborate on radiotherapy's role in locally persistent or recurrent anal cancer.

Disaggregated mortality from gastrointestinal cancers in Asian Americans: Analysis of United States death records

Asian Americans (AAs) are heterogeneous, and aggregation of diverse AA populations in national reporting may mask high-risk groups. Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers constitute one-third of global cancer mortality, and an improved understanding of GI cancer mortality by disaggregated AA subgroups may inform future primary and secondary prevention strategies. Using national mortality records from the United States from 2003 to 2017, we report age-standardized mortality rates, standardized mortality ratios and annual percent change trends from GI cancers (esophageal, gastric, colorectal, liver and pancreatic) for the six largest AA subgroups (Asian Indians, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans and Vietnamese). Non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) are used as the reference population. We found that mortality from GI cancers demonstrated nearly 3-fold difference between the highest (Koreans, 61 per 100 000 person-years) and lowest (Asian Indians, 21 per 100 000 person-years) subgroups. The distribution of GI cancer mortality demonstrates high variability between subgroups, with Korean Americans demonstrating high mortality from gastric cancer (16 per 100 000), and Vietnamese Americans demonstrating high mortality from liver cancer (19 per 100 000). Divergent temporal trends emerged, such as increasing liver cancer burden in Vietnamese Americans, which exacerbated existing mortality differences. There exist striking differences in the mortality burden of GI cancers by disaggregated AA subgroups. These data highlight the need for disaggregated data reporting, and the importance of race-specific and personalized strategies of screening and prevention.

Identification of an Immune Gene-Associated Prognostic Signature and Its Association With a Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer Patients

The immune response plays a critical role in gastric cancer (GC) development, metastasis, and treatment. A better understanding of the tumor-immune system interactions in gastric cancer may provide promising diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers for patients with this disease. In the present study, we aimed to identify a prognostic signature of GC through a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis on the tumor-immune interactions as well as the molecular characteristics. We firstly identified two immunophenotypes and immunological characteristics by employing multiple algorithms, such as the single sample Gene Sets Enrichment Analysis and Cell type Identification By Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts. Next, we developed a six-immune-gene signature as a promising independent prognostic biomarker for GC using Lasso Cox regression and verified it via the external validation set and systematically correlated the immune signature with GC clinicopathologic features and genomic characteristics. Finally, a nomogram was successfully constructed based on the immune signature and clinical characteristics and showed a high potential for GC prognosis prediction. This study may shed light on the treatment strategies for GC patients from the perspective of immunology.

Epidemiology, Diagnosis, Staging and Multimodal Therapy of Esophageal and Gastric Tumors

Gastric and esophageal tumors are diverse neoplasms that involve mucosal and submucosal tissue layers and include squamous cell carcinomas, adenocarcinomas, spindle cell neoplasms, neuroendocrine tumors, marginal B cell lymphomas, along with less common tumors. The worldwide burden of esophageal and gastric malignancies is significant, with esophageal and gastric cancer representing the ninth and fifth most common cancers, respectively. The approach to diagnosis and staging of these lesions is multimodal and includes a combination of gastrointestinal endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, and cross-sectional imaging. Likewise, therapy is multidisciplinary and combines therapeutic endoscopy, surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic chemotherapeutic tools. Future directions for diagnosis of esophageal and gastric malignancies are evolving rapidly and will involve advances in endoscopic and endosonographic techniques including tethered capsules, optical coherence tomography, along with targeted cytologic and serological analyses.

Prognostic role of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes assessed by H&E-stained section in gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Some studies have identified tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in H&E-stained sections of gastric cancer, but the prognostic and clinicopathological significance of this remains unclear. The objective of this study is to evaluate the associations between H&E-based TIL density and prognosis and clinicopathological characteristics of patients with gastric cancer.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Cochrane Library, PubMed and Embase databases were searched through 25 February 2020.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Studies evaluating the correlations between TILs assessed by H&E-stained sections and prognosis and clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer were included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Relevant data were extracted and risks of bias were assessed independently by two reviewers. HR and relative risk (RR) with 95% CI were pooled by random-effect models to estimate the associations between TIL density and overall survival (OS) and clinicopathological characteristics, respectively.

RESULTS

We enrolled nine studies including 2835 cases for the present meta-analysis. High TILs were associated with superior OS (HR=0.68, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.87, p=0.003) compared with low TILs. High TILs were significantly associated with lower depth of invasion (T3-T4 vs T1-T2) (RR=0.58, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.66, p<0.001), less lymph node involvement (presence vs absence) (RR=0.68, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.81, p<0.001) and earlier TNM (tumour, node, metastasis) stage (III-IV vs I-II) (RR=0.68, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.83, p<0.001). TIL density was not associated with age, gender, Lauren classification or histological grade. The methodology for evaluating TIL and its cut-off value varied across different studies, which might affect the results of our meta-analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis suggests that H&E-based TIL density is a reliable biomarker to predict the clinical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer. Multicentre, prospective studies are needed to further confirm our findings.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020169877.

Decision-making of adjuvant therapy in pT1N1M0 gastric cancer: Should radiotherapy be added to chemotherapy? A propensity score-matched analysis

Background: Early gastric cancer (EGC) with metastatic lymph nodes (mLNs) has a relatively higher recurrence rate and poorer prognosis than EGC without mLNs. However, the postoperative treatment directions of pT1N1M0 vary from different guidelines. This study attempted to confirm the value of postoperative treatments in pT1N1M0 GC patients.

Methods: Overall, 379 patients with pT1N1M0 GC following gastrectomy from 2000 to 2016 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis was used to reduce bias. Overall survival was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to confirm the independent prognostic factors.

Results: Before matching, the results of survival analyses indicated that adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) and chemoradiotherapy (ACRT) could significantly prolong the survival time of the cohort (P < 0.05). After PSM analysis, 136 patients remained and ACRT maintained significance in the survival analysis (P = 0.018). Furthermore, patients with well or moderately differentiated GC (HR = 0.226, P =0.018) or intestinal type GC (HR = 0.380, P = 0.040) achieved a significantly superior prognosis with ACRT, compared to patients receiving ACT.

Conclusion: The survival benefit of ACRT and ACT for pT1N1M0 GC patients following gastrectomy was confirmed in the SEER cohort. RT added to ACT might be recommended according to Lauren's classification and tumor grade in clinical decision making.

Development of a simplified tumor-lymph node ratio classification system for patients with resected gastric cancer: A western study

INTRODUCTION

Gastric cancer (GC) shows high recurrence and mortality rates. The AJCC TNM staging system is the best prognostic predictor, but lymph node assessment is a major source of controversy. Recent studies have found that lymph node ratio (LNR) may overcome TNM limitations. Our aim is to develop a simplified tumor-LNR (T-LNR) classification for predicting prognosis of resected GC.

METHODS

Retrospective study of all GC resected in a tertiary center in Spain (N = 377). Clinicopathological features were assessed, LNR was classified into N0:0%, N1:1-25%, N2:>25%, and a T-LNR classification was developed. Statistical analyses were performed.

RESULTS

317 patients were finally included. Most patients were male (54.6%) and mean age was 72 years. Tumors were intestinal (61%), diffuse (30.8%) or mixed (8.1%). During follow-up, 36.7% and 27.4% of patients progressed and died, respectively. T-LNR classification divided patients into five prognostic categories (S1-S5). Most cases were S1-S4 (26.2%, 19.9%, 22.6% and 23.6%, respectively). 7.6% of tumors were S5. T-LNR classification was significantly associated with tumor size, depth, macroscopical type, Laurén subtype, signet ring cells, histologic grade, lymphovascular invasion, perineural infiltration, infiltrative growth, patient progression and death. Kaplan-Meier curves for OS showed an excellent patient stratification with evenly spaced curves. As for DFS, T-LNR classification also showed good discriminatory ability with non-overlapping curves. T-LNR classification was independently related to both OS and DFS.

CONCLUSIONS

T-LNR classifications can successfully predict prognosis of GC patients. Larger studies in other geographic regions should be performed to refine this classification and to validate its prognostic relevance.

The incidence, risk factors and predictive nomograms for early death among patients with stage IV gastric cancer: a population-based study

Background

Although advances in the treatment of stage IV gastric cancer (GC) patients, some patients were observed to die within 3 months of initial diagnosis. The present study aimed to explore the early mortality and risk factors for stage IV GC and further develop nomograms.

Methods

A total of 2,174 eligible stage IV GC patients were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors and develop the nomograms to predict all-cause early death and cancer-specific early death. The predictive performance of the nomograms was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), calibration plots and decision curve analyses (DCA) in both training and validation cohorts.

Results

Of 2,174 patients enrolled, 708 died within 3 months of initial diagnosis (n=668 for cancer-specific early death). Early mortality remained stable from 2010-2015. Non-Asian or Pacific Islander (API) race, poorer differentiation, middle sites of the stomach, no surgery, no radiotherapy, no chemotherapy, lung metastases and liver metastases were associated with high risk of both all-causes early death and cancer-specific early death. The nomograms constructed based on these factors showed favorable sensitivity, with the area under the ROC range of 0.816-0.847. The calibration curves and DCAs also exhibited adequate fit and ideal net benefit in prediction and clinical application.

Conclusions

Approximately one-third of stage IV GC patients experienced early death. These associated risk factors and predictive nomograms may help clinicians identify the patients at high risk of early death and be the reference for treatment choices.

An Innovative Prognostic Model Based on Four Genes in Asian Patient with Gastric Cancer

Purpose

Gastric cancer (GC) has substantial biological differences between Asian and non-Asian populations, which makes it difficult to have a unified predictive measure for all people. We aimed to identify novel prognostic biomarkers to help predict the prognosis of Asian GC patients.

Materials and Methods

We investigated the differential gene expression between GC and normal tissues of GSE66229. Univariate, multivariate and Lasso Cox regression analyses were conducted to establish a four-gene-related prognostic model based on the risk score. The risk score was based on a linear combination of the expression levels of individual genes multiplied by their multivariate Cox regression coefficients. Validation of the prognostic model was conducted using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. A nomogram containing clinical characteristics and the prognostic model was established to predict the prognosis of Asian GC patients.

Results

Four genes (RBPMS2, RGN, PLEKHS1, and CT83) were selected to establish the prognostic model, and it was validated in the TCGA Asian cohort. Receiver operating characteristic analysis confirmed the sensitivity and specificity of the prognostic model. Based on the prognostic model, a nomogram containing clinical characteristics and the prognostic model was established, and Harrell’s concordance index of the nomogram for evaluating the overall survival significantly higher than the model only focuses on the pathologic stage (0.74 vs. 0.64, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The four-gene-related prognostic model and the nomogram based on it are reliable tools for predicting the overall survival of Asian GC patients.

Circular RNAs in Gastric Cancer: Potential Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), as a recently established group of endogenous noncoding RNAs, have been involved in the occurrence and development of different malignancies. Gastric cancer (GC) remains a globally significant contributor to death in cancer patients due to insufficient early diagnosis, limited treatment measures, and poor prognosis. An increasing number of studies have found that many circRNAs are dysregulated in GC and are closely associated with its tumorigenesis and metastasis. Thus, circRNAs have the potential to serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and even therapeutic targets. This review comprehensively summarizes the most recent findings on how circRNAs influence GC progression and their clinical value. In addition, we present several methological deficiencies in the studies and provide some promising ideas for future research.

Disadvantages for non-Hispanic whites in gastric carcinoma survival in Florida

PURPOSE

The prognosis for gastric carcinoma (GC) remains challenging with less than 35% of patients surviving 5 years. GC survival varies greatly by anatomical site, cardia and non-cardia. However, these important differences have not been thoroughly studied in relation to the increasing diversity in US populations such as Florida. In this study we examined, for the first time, the effect of race-ethnicity on risk of death from GC controlling for potential risk factors separately for cardia and non-cardia GCs.

METHODS

Data on GCs diagnosed in Florida from 2005-2016 were obtained from the statewide cancer registry. Age-standardized GC-specific 5-year survival was computed by anatomical site and race-ethnicity. In addition, a competing risk analysis was performed to assess prognostic factors and to estimate subdistribution hazard ratios of death from GC.

RESULTS

Whites had high proportions of cardia GC (43.9%) compared to all racial/ethnic minorities (10.9%, 19.6%, and 13.8% in Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians, respectively; p < .0001). Among 12,302 cases included, there were 7534 deaths from GC and 1179 from other causes. Age standardized GC-specific 5-year survival was significantly lower for Whites (28.0%) compared to Blacks (31.6%), Hispanics (37.6%), and Asians, (39.6%) and significantly lower for cardia GC (25.0%, 95% CI 23.4-26.6) compared to non-cardia GC (37.0%, 95% CI 35.5-38.4). Multivariable competing risk analysis in patients with non-cardia GC showed that Asians (sHR: 0.64, 95% CI 0.51-0.80), Hispanics (sHR 0.71, 95% CI 0.64-0.78), and Blacks (sHR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75-0.92) all had lower risks of death from GC compared to Whites. In patients with cardia GC, only Hispanics had statistically significant lower risk of death from GC than Whites (sHR 0.84, 95% CI 0.74-0.95, p = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

The study of racial/ethnic survival disparities in patients with GC in Florida reveals Whites as the most disadvantaged group. Whites are more afflicted by cardia GC, which is associated with higher risk of death than non-cardia GC. However, even within non-cardia GC, Whites had higher risk of death than the other racial-ethnic groups. Commonly assessed survival determinants do not adequately explain these unusual disparities; thus, further investigation is warranted.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Marked Heterogeneity in Incidence of and Survival from Gastric Cancer among Asian American Subgroups

BACKGROUND

Asian Americans are at higher risk for noncardia gastric cancers (NCGC) relative to non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Asian Americans are genetically, linguistically, and culturally heterogeneous, yet have mostly been treated as a single population in prior studies. This aggregation may obscure important subgroup-specific cancer patterns.

METHODS

We utilized data from 13 regional United States cancer registries from 1990 to 2014 to determine secular trends in incidence and survivorship from NCGC. Data were analyzed for NHWs and the six largest Asian American subgroups: Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, and South Asian (Indian/Pakistani).

RESULTS

There exists substantial heterogeneity in NCGC incidence between Asian subgroups, with Koreans (48.6 per 100,000 person-years) having seven-fold higher age-adjusted incidence than South Asians (7.4 per 100,000 person-years). Asians had generally earlier stages of diagnosis and higher rates of surgical resection compared with NHWs. All Asian subgroups also demonstrated higher 5-year observed survival compared with NHWs, with Koreans (41.3%) and South Asians (42.8%) having survival double that of NHWs (20.1%, P < 0.001). In multivariable regression, differences in stage of diagnosis and rates of resection partially explained the difference in survivorship between Asian subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

We find substantial differences in incidence, staging, histology, treatment, and survivorship from NCGC between Asian subgroups, data which challenge our traditional perceptions about gastric cancer in Asians. Both biological heterogeneity and cultural/environmental differences may underlie these findings.

IMPACT

These data are relevant to the national discourse regarding the appropriate role of gastric cancer screening, and identifies high-risk racial/ethnic subgroups who many benefit from customized risk attenuation programs.

Asian Americans have better outcomes of non-metastatic gastric cancer compared to other United States racial groups: A secondary analysis from a randomized study

BACKGROUND

It has been recognized for a long time that gastric cancer behavior and outcomes might be different between patients living in Asian countries vs patients living in Western countries. It is not clear if these differences would persist between patients of Asian ancestry and patients of other racial subgroups within the multiethnic communities of North America. The current study hypothesizes that these differences will present within North American multiethnic communities.

AIM

To evaluate the impact of race on survival outcomes of non-metastatic gastric cancer patients in the United States.

METHODS

This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (CALGB 80101 study) that evaluated two adjuvant chemoradiotherapy schedules following resection of non-metastatic gastric cancer. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank testing were utilized to explore the overall and disease-free survival differences according to the race of the patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were then used to explore factors affecting overall and disease-free survivals.

RESULTS

A total of 546 patients were included in the current analysis. Of which, 73.8% have white race (vs 12.8% black Americans and 8.2% Asian Americans). Using Kaplan-Meier analysis/log-rank testing, Asian Americans appear to have better overall and disease-free survival outcomes compared to other United States racial groups (White Americans, Black Americans, and other racial groups) (P = 0.011; P = 0.010; respectively). Moreover, in an adjusted multivariate model, Asian American race seems to be associated with better overall and disease-free survival (hazard ratio: 0.438; 95% confidence interval: 0.254-0.754), P = 0.003; hazard ratio: 0.460; 95% confidence interval: 0.280-0.755, P = 0.002; respectively).

CONCLUSION

Asian American patients with non-metastatic gastric cancer have better overall and disease-free survival compared to other racial groups in the United States. Further preclinical and clinical research is needed to clarify the reasons behind this observation.

S-1 in Patients with Advanced Esophagogastric Adenocarcinoma: Results from the Safety Compliance Observatory on Oral fluoroPyrimidines (SCOOP) Study

Background and Objectives

S-1-based regimens have been shown to be as effective as other fluoropyrimidine-based regimens with a better safety profile in patients with advanced esophagogastric adenocarcinoma. However, real-world data on S-1 in European patients with advanced esophagogastric adenocarcinoma are lacking. The Safety Compliance Observatory on Oral fluoroPyrimidines (SCOOP) study evaluated safety and relative dose intensities for patients treated with S-1-based regimens for advanced esophagogastric adenocarcinoma as part of daily practice.

Methods

Overall, data for 125 patients with advanced esophagogastric adenocarcinoma were collected at 21 centers in five countries in Europe. Demographics, treatment, and adverse-event data were recorded over a planned treatment of six cycles.

Results

Most patients (87%) received combination treatment of S-1 plus a platinum compound. Adverse events related to S-1 treatment were mostly grade 1 or 2 while reported grade 3–4 serious adverse events related to S-1 occurred in 12 patients and were most often grade 3 neutropenia (n = 4, 3.2%) or diarrhea (n = 5, 4%). The most common adverse events of any grade that were attributable to S-1 treatment included neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. No patients experienced mucositis, dehydration, or febrile neutropenia, whereas 2% (3/125) of patients experienced hand-foot syndrome.

Conclusion

The overall relative dose intensity was 70%. In a real-world setting, patients with advanced esophagogastric adenocarcinoma tolerated S-1 treatment well with high compliance rates. The SCOOP study provides valuable information on S-1 relative dose intensity that can be used for treatment decision making.

Low Frequency of Lymph Node Metastases in Patients in the United States With Early-stage Gastric Cancers That Fulfill Japanese Endoscopic Resection Criteria

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In the West, early gastric cancer is increasingly managed with endoscopic resection (ER). This is, however, based on the assumption that the low prevalence and risk of lymph node metastases observed in Asian patients is applicable to patients in the United States. We sought to evaluate the frequency of and factors associated with metastasis of early gastric cancers to lymph nodes, and whether the Japanese ER criteria are applicable to patients in the US.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of 176 patients (mean age 68.5 years; 59.1% male; 58.5% white) who underwent surgical resection with lymph node dissection of T1 and Tis gastric adenocarcinomas, staged by pathologists, at 7 tertiary care centers in the US from January 1, 1999, through December 31, 2016. The frequency of lymph node metastases and associated risk factors were determined.

RESULTS

The mean size of gastric adenocarcinomas was 23.0 ± 16.6 mm-most were located in the lower-third of the stomach (67.0%), invading the submucosa (55.1%), and moderately differentiated (31.3%). Lymphovascular invasion was observed in 18.2% of lesions. Overall, 20.5% of patients had lymph node metastases. Submucosal invasion (odds ratio, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.4-10.7) and lymphovascular invasion (odds ratio, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.8-12.0) were independently associated with increased risk of metastasis to lymph nodes. The frequency of lymph node metastases among patients fulfilling standard and expanded Japanese criteria for ER were 0 and 7.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency of lymph node metastases among patients with early gastric cancer in a US population is higher than that of published Asian series. However, early gastric cancer lesions that meet the Japanese standard criteria for ER are associated with negligible risk of metastasis to lymph nodes, so ER can be recommended for definitive therapy. Expanded criteria cancers appear to have a higher risk of metastasis to lymph nodes, so ER may be considered for select cases.

Postoperative dynamic survival of gastric cancer patients: A multi-institutional, international analysis of 22 265 patients

BACKGROUND

How to best evaluate the disease-specific survival (DSS) of gastric cancer (GC) survivors over time is unclear.

METHODS

Clinicopathological data from 22 265 patients who underwent curative intend resection for GC were retrospectively analyzed. Changes in the patients' 3-year conditional disease-specific survival (CS3) were analyzed. We used time-dependent Cox regression to analyze which variables had long-term effects on DSS and devised a dynamic predictive model based on the length of survival.

RESULTS

Based on 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivorships, the CS3 of the population increased gradually from 62% to 68.1%, 83.7%, and 90.6%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the CS3 of patients who had poor prognostic factors initially demonstrated the greatest increase in postoperative survival time (eg, N3b: 26.6%-84.1%, Δ57.5% vs N0: 84.1%-93.3%, Δ9.2%). Time-dependent Cox regression analysis showed the following predictor variables constantly affecting DSS: age, the number of examined lymph nodes (LNs), T stage, N stage, and site (P < .05). These variables served as the basis for a dynamic prediction model.

CONCLUSIONS

The influence of prognostic factors on DSS and CS3 changed dramatically over time. We developed an effective model for predicting the DSS of patients with GC based on the length of survival time.

Prognosis of Young Survivors of Gastric Cancer in China and the U.S.: Determining Long-Term Outcomes Based on Conditional Survival

BACKGROUND

Young survivors of gastric cancer (GC) have better prognoses than elderly patients, yet their disease-specific survival (DSS) has received little attention.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data on young patients (aged ≤40 years) with GC undergoing resections at three Chinese institutions (n = 542) and from the SEER database (n = 533) were retrospectively analyzed. Three-year conditional disease-specific survival (CS3) was assessed. The effects of well-known prognostic factors over time were analyzed by time-dependent Cox regression.

RESULTS

Overall, young Chinese patients with GC had a better 5-year DSS than U.S. patients (62.8% vs. 54.1%; p < .05). The disease-specific mortality likelihood of the entire cohort was not constant over time, with most deaths occurring during the first 3 years after surgery but peaking at 1 and 2 years in China and the U.S., respectively. Based on 5-year survivorship, the CS3 rates of both groups were similar (90.9% [U.S.] vs. 91.5% [China]; p > .05). Cox regression showed that for Chinese patients, site, size, T stage, and N stage were independent prognostic factors at baseline (p < .05). For U.S. patients, grade, T stage. and N stage significantly affected DSS at baseline (p < .05). In both groups, only T stage continuously affected DSS within 3 years after gastrectomy. However, for both groups, the initial well-known prognostic factors lost prognostic significance after 5 years of survival (all p > .05). Although the 5-year DSS rates of young Chinese patients with T3 and T4a disease were significantly better than those of young U.S. patients, in each T stage, the CS3 of both regions trended toward consistency over time.

CONCLUSION

For young patients with GC, the factors that predict survival at baseline vary over time. Although the initial 5-year DSS is heterogeneous, insight into conditional survival will help clinicians evaluate the long-term prognoses of survivors while ignoring population differences.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

With the increasing number of young survivors of gastric cancer (GC), it is essential for clinicians to understand the dynamic prognosis of these patients. Based on large data sets from China and the U.S., this study found that the prognostic factors that predict survival for young patients with GC at baseline vary over time. Although the initial 5-year disease-specific survival is heterogeneous, insight into conditional survival will help clinicians evaluate the long-term prognoses of survivors while ignoring population differences. This knowledge may be more effective in helping young patients with GC to manage future uncertainties, especially when they need to make important life plans.

Racial/ethnic differences in survival among gastric cancer patients in california

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer is an important cause of death among racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. The objective of this study was to investigate racial disparities in survival among gastric cancer patients within demographic and disease subgroups.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with invasive epithelial gastric cancer between 2006 and 2015 were identified from the California Cancer Registry. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify factors associated with survival among non-Hispanic whites (NHWs, n = 7,475), non-Hispanic blacks (NHBs, n = 1,246), Hispanics (n = 6,274), and Asians/Pacific Islanders (APIs, n = 4,204). Survival was compared across race/ethnicity within subgroups of demographic and disease factors. Five-year relative survival was also calculated within subgroups.

RESULTS

There were notable differences in patient characteristics by race/ethnicity, but predictors of survival were similar for each group. Overall, APIs (HR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.79, 0.88, p < 0.0001) and Hispanics (HR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.99, p = 0.0104) had better survival than NHWs, but NHBs and NHWs did not have different prognosis (HR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.98, 1.15, p = 0.2237). The survival advantage of APIs persisted in nearly every demographic and disease subgroup, but Hispanics and NHBs had similar survival as NHWs in most groups. Race was not a significant predictor of survival among those with public or no insurance and patients with cardia tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

There are some differences in survival by race/ethnicity, but race/ethnicity alone cannot explain disparate outcomes in gastric cancer. Future studies, particularly ones that investigate the role of population-specific etiological factors and molecular tumor profiles, are needed to further understand factors associated with survival.

Nature versus nurture: the impact of nativity and site of treatment on survival for gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of gastric cancer patients is better in Asia than in the West. Genetic, environmental, and treatment factors have all been implicated. We sought to explore the extent to which the place of birth and the place of treatment influences survival outcomes in Korean and US patients with localized gastric cancer.

METHODS

Patients with localized gastric adenocarcinoma undergoing potentially curative gastrectomy from 1989 to 2010 were identified from the SEER registry and two single institution databases from the US and Korea. Patients were categorized into three groups: Koreans born/treated in Korea (KK), Koreans born in Korea/treated in the US (KUS), and White Americans born/treated in the US (W), and disease-specific survival rates compared.

RESULTS

We identified 16,622 patients: 3,984 (24.0%) KK, 1,046 (6.3%) KUS, and 11,592 (69.7%) W patients. KK patients had longer unadjusted median (not reached) and 5-year disease-specific survival (81.6%) rates than KUS (87 months, 55.9%) and W (35 months, 39.2%; p < 0.001 for all comparisons) patients. This finding persisted on subset analyses of patients with stage IA tumors, without cardia/GEJ tumors, with > 15 examined lymph nodes, and treated at a US center of excellence. On multivariable analysis, KUS (HR 2.80, p < 0.001) and W (HR 5.79, p < 0.001) patients had an increased risk of mortality compared to KK patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Both the place of birth and the place of treatment significantly contribute to the improved prognosis of patients with gastric cancer in Korea relative to those in the US, implicating both nature and nurture in this phenomenon.

Concordance Rate between Clinicians and Watson for Oncology among Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer: Early, Real-World Experience in Korea

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS

Watson for Oncology (WFO) is a cognitive technology that processes medical information by analyzing the latest evidence and guidelines. However, studies of the concordance rate between WFO and clinicians for advanced gastric cancer (AGC) are lacking.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 65 patients with AGC who consulted WFO and the Gachon Gil Medical Center multidisciplinary team (GMDT) in 2016 and 2017. The recommendations of WFO were compared with the opinions of the GMDT. WFO provided three treatment options: recommended (first treatment option), for consideration (second treatment option), and not recommended.

RESULTS

In total, 65 patients (mean age 61.0 years; 44 males and 21 females) were included in the study. The concordance rate between WFO and the GMDT was 41.5% (27/65) at the recommended level and 87.7% (57/65) at the for consideration level. The main causes of discordance between WFO and the GMDT were as follows. First, WFO did not consider the medical history. Second, WFO recommended the use of agents that are considered outdated in Korea. Third, some patients wanted to be involved in a clinical trial. Fourth, some patients refused to use the biologic agents recommended by WFO for financial reasons as they were not covered by medical insurance.

CONCLUSIONS

The concordance rate at the recommended level was relatively low but was higher at the for consideration level. Discordances arose mainly from the different medical circumstances at the Gachon Gil Medical Center (GMC) and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), the main WFO consulting center. The utility of WFO as a tool for supporting clinical decision making could be further improved by incorporating regional guidelines.

Development and validation of a nomogram to individually predict survival of young patients with nonmetastatic gastric cancer: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Evidence regarding gastric cancer (GC) patients <40 years old is limited. The aim of the study was to identify risk factors affecting overall survival (OS) of young patients with nonmetastatic GC and to establish a nomogram for prognostic prediction using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Furthermore, this study sought to externally validate this nomogram in an independent patient cohort.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, the records of patients aged <40 years with nonmetastatic GC (n = 559), from the SEER database, between 2006 and 2015, were examined. The nomogram was established based on the Cox proportional hazards regression model using the SEER dataset. Patients with nonmetastatic GC (n = 201) in our department between 2009 and 2015 were selected as an external validation set. Discrimination and calibration were performed in both cohorts.

RESULTS

The multivariate Cox model identified race, tumor subsites, tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, number of examined lymph nodes, and surgery as independent covariates associated with OS. The nomogram exhibited superior discriminative power than the eighth tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging system in both the training set [Harrell's concordance index (C index): 0.762 vs. 0.635,P < 0.001] and validation set (C index: 0.805 vs. 0.712,P= 0.176). Calibration of the nomogram was good in both cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a nomogram predicting 3- and 5-year OS rates in young patients with nonmetastatic GC. Both the training set and validation set showed good discrimination and calibration, suggesting good clinical applicability.