Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): French intergroup clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatments and follow-up (SNFGE, FFCD, GERCOR, UNICANCER, SFCD, SFED, SFRO, SFR)

National Guidelines for Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) in Peritoneal Malignancies: A Worldwide Systematic Review and Recommendations of Strength Analysis

BACKGROUND

National guidelines (GLs) for surgical cytoreduction (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the management of peritoneal malignancies (PMs) vary across countries, scientific societies, and government agencies. This study aimed to systematically review and compare the recommendations for CRS/HIPEC in the treatment of ovarian cancer (EOC), gastric cancer, colorectal cancer (CRC), mesothelioma, and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP).

METHODS

Medical databases, search engines, and national websites of 193 countries were queried using artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software for scientific societies and/or government agencies guidelines. The study excluded consensus statements and guidelines without appropriate references. Non-English guidelines were translated, and data, including GRADE strength of recommendations, were extracted.

RESULTS

The study analyzed 138 guidelines, 24 for gastric cancer, 36 for colorectal cancer, 29 for primary ovarian cancer (p-)EOC, 28 for recurrent ovarian cancer (r-)EOC, 10 for mesothelioma, and 11 for PMP. Guidelines were retrieved from 51 (26.4%) nations, mostly from developed countries (62.1%; p < 0.001). The CRS procedure received robust positive recommendations (GRADE I/IIa) for CRC (74.2%), p-/r-EOC (100%/78.5%), PMP (90.9%), and mesothelioma (90.0%). Conversely, CRS was not indicated for gastric cancer (61.6%, GRADE III; p < 0.001). The HIPEC procedure had robust positive recommendations for PMP (90.9%) and mesothelioma (90.0%), but was controversial for p-EOC (42.3%) and CRC (38.0%) and contraindicated for r-EOC (80.0%) and gastric cancer (62.4%) (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

National guidelines concordantly recommend CRS for colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, PMP, and mesothelioma. In contrast, HIPEC recommendations are less homogeneously shared, except for PMP and mesothelioma. No positive concordance exists among guidelines on gastric cancer for CRS nor HIPEC. Furthermore, high-level evidence is needed to strengthen future guidelines on peritoneal metastases.

Bevacizumab-based chemotherapy adaptive to pharmacokinetic of bevacizumab in first-line treatment of patients with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer: A double-blind, multicenter, randomized phase III trial study (PHARBEVACOL trial)

Bevacizumab shows inter-individual pharmacokinetic variability, with an exposure-response relationship in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. This study explores whether a double dose of bevacizumab, compared to a standard dose, increases efficacy in mCRC patients treated with bevacizumab-based chemotherapy as first-line therapy and who have a low initial trough concentration of bevacizumab. PHARBEVACOL is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, two-parallel group trial. All patients will receive first-line bi-weekly 5 mg/kg bevacizumab-based chemotherapy and those with low initial bevacizumab concentrations (≤15.5 mg/L) will be randomized to either continue the standard dose (5 mg/kg every 14 days) or receive a double dose (10 mg/kg every 14 days). The primary objective is to evaluate the effect of doubling dose on progression-free survival (PFS). During a screening phase, the first serum trough concentration will be measured on day 14, before the second infusion of bevacizumab. We hypothesize a 40 % PFS in the control group at 9 months versus 60 % in the study group, corresponding to a hazard ratio of 0.56. With 80 % power, a 5 % two-sided type I error, and a minimum 12-month follow-up, 116 patients need to be included. Since only 50 % of screened patients will be eligible for randomization, approximately 244 patients will be screened. Recruitment is scheduled to begin in February 2025.

Extent-based tailored strategy for rectal cancer with resectable synchronous liver metastases: Long-term oncologic results of a multicentric cohort study

BACKGROUND

There is no standard surgical management for rectal cancer with synchronous resectable liver metastases. The aim of this study was to assess the oncologic outcomes of an adaptative and individualized strategy considering the extension of both tumoral sites in the management of rectal cancer with synchronous resectable liver metastases.

METHODS

From 2011 to 2020, all consecutive patients treated for low/midrectal cancer with resectable synchronous resectable liver metastases in 4 French centers were included. The choice of strategy was not systematic but tailored on a case-by-case basis to the extension of rectal cancer and liver metastases, prioritizing the most advanced site. The success of the strategy was defined as complete resection of both tumor sites.

RESULTS

Among 83 included patients, most had locally advanced rectal cancer (cT3T4 = 96%) and a median of 3 liver metastases. Forty patients underwent a rectum-first strategy, 31 a liver-first strategy, and 12 a simultaneous resection strategy. Complete resection rate of both sites was 82%. After a 43-month follow-up, median overall survival was 58 months. One- and 3-year survival rates were 94% and 73%, with no difference between strategies (P = .650). In multivariate analysis, the only prognostic factor for overall survival was complete resection of both sites (P = .011, hazard ratio, 0.321; 95% confidence interval, 0.135-0.768), with a median overall survival of 72 months in these patients.

CONCLUSION

Extent-based tailored strategy for rectal cancer with synchronous resectable liver metastases, on the basis of disease extension, allows high rates of complete resection and favorable long-term survival outcomes. This individualized approach maximizes potential for curative outcomes in patients with metastatic rectal cancer.

The role of health economic evidence in clinical practice guidelines for colorectal cancer: a comparative analysis across countries

Aim: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most prevalent malignancies globally and causes massive resource consumption and economic burden. Health economic evidence (HEE) has been used in clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for cancer to facilitate the rational allocation of health resources. However, in certain guideline development organizations, HEE is not yet utilized as a formal decision-making criterion. This study aimed to compare the discrepancies in the utilization of health economics as evidence in CRC CPGs across different countries and review specific features of economic evidence concerning the guidelines' applicability. Materials & methods: A systematic review was conducted using databases including Medline, Embase, CNKI, WanFang, and other guidelines databases to identify CPGs for CRC published in English or Chinese from January 2017 to September 2023. Data on the incorporation and application of HEE were extracted, and the method and quality of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) studies were evaluated. Descriptive analyses were used to summarize the results. Results: Out of 53 CPGs from 14 countries, most originated from the USA (n = 17 of 53 [32%]) and Canada (n = 9 of 53 [17%]). Sixty-eight percent (36/53) considered cost justification, and 57% (30/53) incorporated health economics studies as evidence. The included HEE cited in CPGs ranged from 1990 to 2021 and were not aligned with the countries in which the guidelines were issued. Among these CEA studies, 52% (26/50) were related to screening strategies, and 32% (16/50) pertained to treatment measures. The Markov model was the most frequently used (n = 27 of 50 [54%]). Based on the CHEQUE tool, the methodological quality of these CEA studies was inadequate in areas such as multiple data sources, approaches to select data sources, assessing the quality of data, and relevant equity or distribution. Conclusion: In summary, 57% of guidelines incorporated health economics studies as evidence, with a variation between different countries. The included HEE still had deficiencies in methodology and reporting quality. In the future, it is suggested that health economics research should use a standardized methodology and reporting approach to assist in clinical decision making.

Relative dose intensity of first-line triplet chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Relative dose intensity (RDI) is a measurement of chemotherapy (CT) dose defined as the actual dose received divided by the standard calculated dose during a set period. The study objective was to assess the impact of a RDI ≥ 80% on response and survival of patients treated in first line CT by FOLFOXIRI or FOLFIRINOX ± Bevacizumab (BV) for an unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was a retrospective, non-interventional, multicenter study calculating RDI from the first cycles of CT to the first CT-scan evaluation (CT-scan1). Objective response and disease control rates (ORR and DCR), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between patients with RDI ≥ 80% and <80% and results were adjusted for age, gender, ECOG, tumor location, number of metastatic sites, RAS and BRAF status, the CT regimen, the use of BV, the delay from C1 to CT scan1.

RESULTS

Among 152 screened patients, 100 met inclusion criteria, with a mean (± standard deviation) age at 59.0 (± 10.7) years. The ECOG performance status was 0-1 in 96 (96%) patients; metastases were synchronous in 95 (95%), RAS and BRAF were mutated in 60 (60%) and 22 (22%), respectively. ORR was observed in 51 (51%) at CT-scan1 with median PFS and OS of 10.5 and 21.9 months, respectively. A RDI ≥ 80% was observed in 44 (44%) patients without impact on ORR (ORa: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.37 to 2.89, p = 0.94) but was significantly associated to improved PFS and OS with HRa 0.50 (95%CI: 0.29 to 0.87, p = 0.013) and 0.52 (95% CI: 0.29 to 0.91, p = 0.023), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest a low level of FOLFOXIRI or FOLFIRINOX +/- BV exposure in first-line mCRC is associated with a significant trend on PFS and OS.

Multimodal treatment improves survival in patients with lung metastases from colorectal cancer: A network meta-analysis

AIM

The lungs represent the second most common site of colorectal cancer metastases. Although surgery is commonly considered the best treatment, many other invasive and noninvasive procedures and treatments have been adopted to improve patient survival and there is no clear evidence in the literature of which is the more effective. The aim of this work was to identify which treatment confers the best gain in overall survival for patients with pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer.

METHOD

A systematic review and network meta-analysis of survival hazard ratio (HR) including 11 studies was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane protocol on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library up to 31 December 2023. Surgery, image-guided thermoablation, stereotactic body radiotherapy, chemotherapy and best standard care, associated or alone, were evaluated. Chemotherapy was adopted as the treatment reference to define survival HRs. Network metaregression was then performed considering patients with pulmonary only or multisite metastases from colorectal cancer.

RESULTS

In patients with pulmonary metastases, the association of surgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the best performing (HR 0.22), while the most effective components alone are image-guided thermoablation (HR 0.53) and surgery (HR 0.57), although this was not significant. After metaregression, multimodal treatments still represent the strategy conferring the best survival gain. However, while surgery (incremental HR 0.26) has the most important role in patients with isolated pulmonary metastatic disease, chemotherapy (incremental HR 0.3) leads for patients with multimetastatic disease.

CONCLUSION

Multimodal treatment confers the best gain in overall survival in patients with pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer. Combining multiple therapeutic strategies improves survival, with oligometastatic patients benefiting more from surgery and local therapies while multimetastatic patients mainly benefit from chemotherapy, although ablation and surgery can enhance outcomes when feasible.

Advances in pharmacotherapy for the treatment of peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer

INTRODUCTION

Patients with peritoneal metastasis (PM) from colorectal cancer (CRC) typically have a poor prognosis with historically few treatment options. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) is the mainstay of treatment to remove macrometastases into the peritoneum, but residual micrometastases are often left behind. Systemic chemotherapy remains a cornerstone of treatment for micrometastases, but intraperitoneal therapy offers advantages including higher local dose concentration with fewer systemic side effects from treatment.

AREAS COVERED

This review covers advancements in the routes and types of pharmacotherapies for PM in CRC.

EXPERT OPINION

More evidence is needed to justify HIPEC with CRS as the standard of care treatment modality for patients with resectable PM in CRC. New therapies such as oncolytic viruses, biologics, and small-molecule inhibitors may become additional treatment modalities for PM.

Peritoneal Carcinomatosis in Colorectal Cancer: Review and Update of Current Clinical Data

The peritoneal metastasized colorectal cancer (pmCRC) represents a serious health problem worldwide with a special emphasis in the developed countries. Several guidelines recognize the role of multimodal therapy consisting of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the treatment of pmCRC. New data suggests that some other factors, eg, tumor biology, immune profile, neoadjuvant chemotherapy may play a predictive role for the oncological outcome of these patients.

Management of Colorectal Cancer with Synchronous Liver Metastases: A systematic review of national and International Clinical Guidelines (CoSMIC-G)

Introduction

The contemporary management of patients with colorectal cancer and synchronous liver metastases is complex. This study appraises the recommendations made by national/international guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with synchronous liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

Methods

A systematic review of national and international guidelines published between 2011 and 2024 was carried out using PubMed, OvidSP and Guidelines International Network databases. The quality of guidelines was evaluated using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument. Guidelines were assessed for the quality of advice for specific scenarios. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021243744).

Results

The search strategy returned ninety unique articles with 11 guidelines eligible for inclusion. Of these, one (9 %) guideline defined 'synchronous disease' at outset, eight (73 %) recommended neoadjuvant chemotherapy as first intervention. Seven (64 %) guidelines supported synchronous hepatic resection with colectomy. One (9 %) recommended against synchronous surgery.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates important variations between international clinical guidelines on diagnostic workup and management of synchronous liver metastases in colorectal cancer. [167 words].

Does portal vein anatomy influence intrahepatic distribution of metastases from colorectal cancer?

BACKGROUND

Other than location of the primary colorectal cancer (CRC), a few factors are known to influence the intrahepatic distribution of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM). We aimed to assess whether the anatomy of the portal vein (PV) could influence the intrahepatic distribution of CRLM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with CRLM diagnosed between January 2018 and December 2022 at two tertiary centers were included and imaging was reviewed by two radiologists independently. Intra-operator concordance was assessed according to the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The influence of the diameter, angulation of the PV branches and their variations on the number and distribution of CRLM were compared using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Pearson's Chi-square and Spearman's correlation tests.

RESULTS

Two hundred patients were included. ICC was high (> 0.90, P < 0.001). Intrahepatic CRLM distribution was right-liver, left-liver unilateral and bilateral in 66 (33%), 24 (12%) and 110 patients (55%), respectively. Median number of CRLM was 3 (1-7). Type 1, 2 and 3 portal vein variations were observed in 156 (78%), 19 (9.5%) and 25 (12%) patients, respectively. CRLM unilateral or bilateral distribution was not influenced by PV anatomical variations (P = 0.13), diameter of the right (P = 0.90) or left (P = 0.50) PV branches, angulation of the right (P = 0.20) or left (P = 0.80) PV branches and was independent from primary tumor localisation (P = 0.60). No correlations were found between CRLM number and diameter (R: 0.093, P = 0.10) or angulation of the PV branches (R: 0.012, P = 0.83).

CONCLUSIONS

PV anatomy does not seem to influence the distribution and number of CRLM.

Debulking hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastasis: Analysis of risk factors for progression free survival

BACKGROUND

The study explores the role of liver debulking surgery in cases of unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), challenging the traditional notion that surgery is not a valid option in such scenarios.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with advanced but resectable disease who underwent surgery with a curative intent (Group I) and those with advanced incompletely resectable disease who underwent a "debulking" hepatectomy (Group II) were compared.

RESULTS

There was no difference in the intra-operative and post-operative results between the two groups. The 3-year and 5-year OS rates were 69% and 47% for group 1 vs 64% and 35% for group 2 respectively (p = 0.14). The 3-year and 5-year PFS rates were 32% and 21% for group 1 vs 12% and 8% for group 2 respectively (p = 0.009). Independent predictors of PFS in the debulking group were bilobar metastases (HR = 2.70; p = 0.02); the presence of extrahepatic metastasis (HR = 2.65, p = 0.03) and the presence of more than 9 metastases (HR = 2.37; p = 0.04). Iterative liver surgery for CRLM was a significant protective factor (HR = 0.34, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

An aggressive palliative surgical approach may offer a survival benefit for selected patients with unresectable CRLM, without increasing the morbidity. The decision for surgery should be made on a case-by-case basis.

Triplet chemotherapy plus cetuximab as first-line treatment in extended RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Triplet chemotherapy plus cetuximab showed promising results in phase II trials in unsystematically selected RAS population. We evaluated FOLFIRINOX+cetuximab efficacy as first-line treatment in extended RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed patients treated with FOLFIRINOX+cetuximab, using data from clinical trials and real-life practice. Extended mutation analysis was performed when RAS/BRAF status was unavailable. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

Seventy patients (61.4 % male, median age 58.7 years) were analyzed. Eighty percent had left-sided mCRC and 97.1 % had liver metastases. Median PFS and overall survival (OS) were 13.3 and 48.5 months, respectively. The objective response rate was 85.7 %, with 20 % complete response. Primary tumor location did not affect OS and PFS. BRAF wild-type patients (n = 65) had longer PFS (13.3 vs. 6.0 months; p = 0.005) and OS (50.1 vs. 21.2 months; p = 0.007) than BRAF mutated patients (n = 5, including four BRAFV600E). Median OS was significantly longer in resected patients (n = 39, 55.1 vs. 30.7 months; p = 0.030). Main toxicities were diarrhea (31.4 %) and neutropenia (21.4 %).

CONCLUSION

FOLFIRINOX+cetuximab provides good PFS, high response rate and prolonged disease control in initially unresectable extended RAS wild-type mCRC. This combination is particularly interesting for selected patients with liver-limited disease eligible to secondary resection.

Prognostic value of the tumor-to-liver density ratio in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with bevacizumab-based chemotherapy. A post-hoc study of the STIC-AVASTIN trial

BACKGROUND

The Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) are often inadequate for the early assessment of the response to cancer therapy, particularly bevacizumab-based chemotherapy. In a first cohort of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM), we showed that variations of the tumor-to-liver density (TTLD) ratio and modified size-based criteria determined using computed tomography (CT) data at the first restaging were better prognostic criteria than the RECIST. The aims of this study were to confirm the relevance of these radiological biomarkers as early predictors of the long-term clinical outcome and to assess their correlation with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) parameters in a new patient cohort.

METHODS

In this post-hoc study of the multicenter STIC-AVASTIN trial, we retrospectively reviewed CT data of patients with CRLM treated with bevacizumab-based regimens. We determined the size, density and TTLD ratio of target liver lesions at baseline and at the first restaging and also performed a morphologic evaluation according to the MD Anderson criteria. We assessed the correlation of these parameters with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) using the log-rank test and a Cox proportional hazard model. We also examined the association between TTLD ratio and quantitative CEUS parameters.

RESULTS

This analysis concerned 79 of the 137 patients included in the STIC-AVASTIN trial. PFS and OS were significantly longer in patients with tumor size reduction > 15% at first restaging, but were not correlated with TTLD ratio variations. However, PFS was longer in patients with TTLD ratio > 0.6 at baseline and first restaging than in those who did not reach this threshold. In the multivariate analysis, only baseline TTLD ratio > 0.6 was a significant survival predictor. TTLD ratio > 0.6 was associated with improved perfusion parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Although TTLD ratio variations did not correlate with the long-term clinical outcomes, TTLD absolute values remained a good predictor of survival at baseline and first restaging, and may reflect tumor microvascular features that might influence bevacizumab-based treatment efficiency.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT00489697, registration number of the STIC-AVASTIN trial.

First-Line LV5FU2 with or without Aflibercept in Patients with Non-Resectable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Randomized Phase II Trial (PRODIGE 25-FFCD-FOLFA)

Fluropyrimidine monotherapy is an option for some patients with inoperable metastatic colorectal cancer. Unlike bevacizumab, the addition of aflibercept, an antibody acting as an anti-angiogenic agent, has never been evaluated in this context. The aim of the study was to determine whether aflibercept could increase the efficacy of fluoropyrimidine monotherapy without increasing toxicity. This multicenter phase II non-comparative trial evaluated the addition of aflibercept to infusional 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid (LV5FU2 regimen) as first-line treatment in patients unfit to receive doublet cytotoxic chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was 6-month progression-free survival (PFS). The clinical hypotheses expected a PFS rate at 6 months of over 40% (60% expected). A total of 117 patients, with a median age of 81 years, were included: 59 in arm A (LV5FU2-aflibercept) and 58 in arm B (LV5FU2 alone). Six-month PFS was 54.7% in both arms (90% CI 42.5-66.5 in both). Median overall survival was 21.8 months (arm A) and 25.1 months (arm B). Overall toxicity was more common in arm A: grade ≥ 3 toxicity in 82% versus 58.2%. Given the 6-month PFS, the study can be considered positive. However, the toxicity of aflibercept in this population was high, and continuation of the trial into phase III is not envisaged.

Factors of oncological failure in two stage hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases

BACKGROUND

Two-stage hepatectomy (TSH) has increased the chance of surgical resections for bilobar colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). Nevertheless, drop-out between stages and early recurrence rates raise the question of surgical futility in some situations. This study aimed to identify factors of TSH oncological failure.

METHODS

Patients with bilobar CRLM eligible for TSH in three tertiary centers between 2010 and 2021 were included, and divided in Failure and Success groups. Oncological failure was defined as failure of the second stage hepatectomy for tumor progression or recurrence within 6 months after resection.

RESULTS

Among 95 patients, 18 (18.9%) had hepatic progression between the two stages, and 7 (7.4%) failed to complete the second stage hepatectomy. After TSH, 31 (32.6%) patients experienced early recurrence. Overall, 38 (40.0%) patients experienced oncological failure (Failure group). The Failure group had lower median DFS (3 vs. 32 months, p < 0.001) and median OS (29 vs. 70 months, p = 0.045) than the Success group. On multivariable analysis, progression between the two stages in the future liver remnant (OR = 15.0 (3.22-113.0), p = 0.002), and maximal tumor size ≥40 mm in the future liver remnant (OR = 13.1 (2.12-117.0), p = 0.009) were independent factors of oncological failure.

CONCLUSION

Recurrence between the two stages and maximal tumor size ≥40 mm in the future liver remnant were associated with TSH failure for patients with bilobar CRLM.

Implementing patient derived organoids in functional precision medicine for patients with advanced colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Patient Derived Organoids (PDOs) emerged as the best technology to develop ex vivo tumor avatars. Whether drug testing on PDOs to identify efficient therapies will bring clinical utility by improving patient survival remains unclear. To test this hypothesis in the frame of clinical trials, PDO technology faces three main challenges to be implemented in routine clinical practices: i) generating PDOs with a limited amount of tumor material; ii) testing a wide panel of anti-cancer drugs; and iii) obtaining results within a time frame compatible with patient disease management. We aimed to address these challenges in a prospective study in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

Fresh surgical or core needle biopsies were obtained from patients with CRC. PDOs were established and challenged with a panel of 25 FDA-approved anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapies and targeted therapies) to establish a scoring method ('chemogram') identifying in vitro responders. The results were analyzed at the scale of the cohort and individual patients when the follow-up data were available.

RESULTS

A total of 25 PDOs were successfully established, harboring 94% concordance with the genomic profile of the tumor they were derived from. The take-on rate for PDOs derived from core needle biopsies was 61.5%. A chemogram was obtained with a 6-week median turnaround time (range, 4-10 weeks). At least one hit (mean 6.16) was identified for 92% of the PDOs. The number of hits was inversely correlated to disease metastatic dissemination and the number of lines of treatment the patient received. The chemograms were compared to clinical data obtained from 8 patients and proved to be predictive of their response with 75% sensitivity and specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

We show that PDO-based drug tests can be achieved in the frame of routine clinical practice. The chemogram could provide clinicians with a decision-making tool to tailor patient treatment. Thus, PDO-based functional precision oncology should now be tested in interventional trials assessing its clinical utility for patients who do not harbor activable genomic alterations or have developed resistance to standard of care treatments.

Prognostic score for synchronous metastatic rectal cancer: A real-world study

BACKGROUND

Prognostic factors of metastatic rectal cancer are not well known.

AIM

The objective of this study was to identify prognostic factors of overall survival (OS) in a cohort of patients with non-resectable synchronous metastatic rectal cancer.

METHODS

Patients were retrospectively enrolled from 18 French centres. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for OS. A simple score was derived from this a development cohort RESULTS: A total of 243 patients with metastatic rectal cancer were included in the study. Median OS was 24.4 months, 95% CI [19.4-27.2]. Among patients with non-resected metastases (n=141), six independent prognostic factors associated with better OS were identified in multivariate analysis: primary tumour surgery, WHO score 0-1, middle or upper rectal tumour, lung metastases only, systemic chemotherapy and targeted agent in first line. A prognostic score individualized three groups, each factor counting for one point in the score (<3, = 3 et > 3). Their median OS were respectively 27.9 months, 95% CI [21.7-35.1], 17.1 months [11.9-19.7] (HR2/1=2.08, 95%, CI [1.31-3.30], p2/1=0.002) and 9.1 months [4.9-11.7] (HR3/2=2.32, 95% CI [1.38-3.92], p3/2=0.001).

CONCLUSION

A prognostic score for non-resectable synchronous metastatic rectal cancer can be proposed to classify patients in three prognostic groups.

Complete pathological response after chemotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors in deficient MMR metastatic colorectal cancer: Results of a retrospective multicenter study

About 5% of the patients with metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRC) present microsatellite instability (MSI)/deficient mismatch repair system (dMMR). While metastasectomy is known to improve overall and progression-free survival in mCRC, specific results in selected patients with dMMR/MSI mCRC are lacking. Our study aimed to describe metastasectomy results, characterize histological response and evaluate pathological complete response (pCR) rate in patients with dMMR/MSI mCRC. We retrospectively reviewed data from all consecutive patients with dMMR/MSI mCRC who underwent surgical metastasectomy between January 2010 and June 2021 in 17 French centers. Primary outcome was to assess the pCR rate defined by tumor regression grade (TRG) 0. Secondary endpoints included relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS), and explored TRG as predictive factor for RFS and OS. Among the 88 patients operated, 109 metastasectomies were performed in 81 patients after neoadjuvant treatment [chemotherapy ± targeted therapy (CTT): 69, 85.2%; immunotherapy (ICI): 12, 14.8%], and pCR was achieved in 13 (16.1%) patients. Among the latter, pCR rate were 10.2% in the patients having received CTT (N = 7) and 50.0% in the patients treated with ICI (N = 6). Radiological response did not predict TRG. With a median follow-up of 57.9 (IQR 34.2-81.6) months, median RFS was 20.2 (15.4-not reached) months, median OS was not reached. Major pathological responses (TRG0 + TRG1) were significantly associated with longer RFS (HR 0.12, 95% CI 0.03-0.55; P = .006). The pCR rate of 16.1% achieved with neoadjuvant treatment in patients with dMMR/MSI mCRC is consistent with previously reported rates in pMMR/MSS mCRC. Immunotherapy showed better pCR rate than chemotherapy ± targeted therapy. Further prospective trials are needed to validate immunotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment in resectable/potentially resectable dMMR/MSI mCRC and identify predictive factors for pCR.

Maintenance Therapy With Cetuximab After FOLFIRI Plus Cetuximab for RAS Wild-Type Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

The optimal maintenance strategy after induction chemotherapy with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody for patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) remains to be debated.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of maintenance therapy with single-agent cetuximab after FOLFIRI (leucovorin [folinic acid], fluorouracil, and irinotecan) plus cetuximab induction therapy.

Design, Setting, and Participants

The TIME (Treatment After Irinotecan-Based Frontline Therapy: Maintenance With Erbitux]) (PRODIGE 28 [Partenariat de Recherche en Oncologie Digestive]-UCGI 27 [UniCancer GastroIntestinal Group]) phase 2 noncomparative, multicenter randomized clinical trial was conducted from January 15, 2014, to November 23, 2018, among 139 patients with unresectable RAS wild-type mCRC. The cutoff date for analysis was July 21, 2022.

Interventions

After first-line induction therapy with 8 cycles of FOLFIRI plus cetuximab, patients without disease progression were randomized (1:1) to biweekly maintenance with cetuximab or observation. On disease progression, the same induction regimen was recommended for 16 weeks followed by further maintenance with cetuximab or observation until disease progression under the full induction regimen.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary end point was the 6-month progression-free rate from randomization. Analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis. An exploratory biomolecular analysis, using next-generation sequencing, investigated the putative prognostic value of the tumor mutation profile.

Results

Of 214 patients enrolled (141 men [65.9%]; median age, 67 years [range, 23-85 years]), 139 were randomized to receive cetuximab (n = 67; 45 men [67.2%]; median age, 64 years [range, 34-85 years]) or to be observed (n = 72; 50 men [69.4%]; median age, 68 years [23-85 years]). The 6-month progression-free rate was 38.8% ([26 of 67] 95% CI, 27.1%-51.5%) in the cetuximab group and 5.6% ([4 of 72] 95% CI, 1.5%-13.6%) in the observation group. At a median follow-up of 40.5 months (95% CI, 33.6-47.5 months), median progression-free survival (PFS) from randomization was 5.3 months (95% CI, 3.7-7.4 months) in the cetuximab group and 2.0 months (95% CI, 1.8-2.7 months) in the observation group. Median overall survival (OS) was 24.8 months (95% CI, 18.7-30.4 months) in the cetuximab group and 19.7 months (95% CI, 13.3-24.4 months) in the observation group. In an exploratory multivariate analysis, any tumor-activating mutation in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway genes was associated with shorter PFS from randomization regardless of treatment group (hazard ratio, 1.63 [95% CI, 1.01-2.62]; P = .04). The most frequent grade 3 or 4 treatment-related toxic effect in the cetuximab group during maintenance therapy was rash (8 of 67 [11.9%]).

Conclusion and Relevance

The randomized clinical trial did not meet its primary end point but suggests clinically meaningful PFS and OS benefits associated with cetuximab maintenance therapy. However, maintenance cetuximab or treatment breaks after first-line combination FOLFIRI-cetuximab therapy seems inappropriate for patients with MAPK-mutated independently of the side of primary tumor. A more complete assessment of MAPK pathway mutations warrants further investigation to the refine treatment strategy for patients with RAS wild-type mCRC.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02404935.

Relationship Between Cetuximab Target-Mediated Pharmacokinetics and Progression-Free Survival in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Cetuximab, an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal immunoglobulin (Ig)G1 antibody, has been approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The influence of target-antigen on cetuximab pharmacokinetics has never been investigated using target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD) modelling. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cetuximab concentrations, target kinetics and progression-free survival (PFS).

METHODS

In this ancillary study (NCT00559741), 91 patients with mCRC treated with cetuximab were assessed. Influence of target levels on cetuximab pharmacokinetics was described using TMDD modelling. The relationship between cetuximab concentrations, target kinetics and time-to-progression (TTP) was described using a joint pharmacokinetic-TTP model, where unbound target levels were assumed to influence hazard of progression by an Emax model. Mitigation strategies of concentration-response relationship, i.e., time-varying endogenous clearance and mutual influences of clearance and time-to-progression were investigated.

RESULTS

Cetuximab concentration-time data were satisfactorily described using the TMDD model with quasi-steady-state approximation and time-varying endogenous clearance. Estimated target parameters were baseline target levels (R0 = 43 nM), and complex elimination rate constant (kint = 0.95 day-1). Estimated time-varying clearance parameters were time-invariant component of CL (CL0= 0.38 L/day-1), time-variant component of CL (CL1= 0.058 L/day-1) and first-order rate of CL1 decreasing over time (kdes = 0.049 day-1). Part of concentration-TTP was TTP-driven, where clearance and TTP were inversely correlated. In addition, increased target occupancy was associated with increased TTP.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study describing the complex relationship between cetuximab target-mediated pharmacokinetics and PFS in mCRC patients using a joint PK-time-to-progression model. Further studies are needed to provide a more in-depth description of this relationship.

Impact of Cardiovascular Comorbidities on the Effectiveness and Safety of Bevacizumab in Older Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular comorbidities are not contraindications of bevacizumab for metastatic colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the impact of cardiovascular comorbidities before bevacizumab treatment on overall survival and cardiovascular safety in older patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

METHODS

A 2009-2015 cohort of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer aged ≥ 65 years administered first-line bevacizumab was extracted from the French healthcare reimbursement claims database. Baseline heart failure, hypertension, and venous/arterial thromboembolic events were identified. The 36-month overall survival rate was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the impact of cardiovascular comorbidities on the 36-month overall survival using a time-dependent, multivariable, Cox proportional hazards model. The 36-month cumulative incidence of cardiovascular events, and the impact of cardiovascular comorbidities on the likelihood of cardiovascular events were evaluated using the Fine and Gray model, with death as a competing risk.

RESULTS

We included 9222 patients (56.4% male; median age 73 years). Two-thirds (66.7%) had baseline cardiovascular comorbidities. The median 36-month overall survival was 20.4 [95% confidence interval (CI) 19.9-21.0] and 21.8 [95% CI 21.1-22.6] months in patients with and without cardiovascular comorbidities, respectively. Age ≥ 75 years, dependency in activities of daily living, radiotherapy, and another targeted therapy were identified as death risk factors, but not cardiovascular comorbidities. At 36 months, cardiovascular events had occurred in 60.2% [95% CI 58.9-61.4] and 44.1% [95% CI 42.3-45.9] of patients with and without cardiovascular comorbidities. Baseline venous thrombosis, female, three or more cardiovascular medications, another targeted therapy, and more than six bevacizumab injections were identified as risk factors for cardiovascular events.

CONCLUSIONS

In clinical practice, cardiovascular comorbidities before administering bevacizumab to older patients with metastatic colorectal cancer impacted the cardiovascular safety, but not overall survival. Unless they limit functional independency, older patients with cardiovascular comorbidities should be treated with bevacizumab under close monitoring.

Differential expression of PLAC1 and Netrin-1 in liver metastasis of colorectal cancer and its predictive value

OBJECTIVE

To explore the differential expression of placental specific gene 1 (PLAC1) and neurite guidance factor 1 (netrin-1) in colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis and its predictive value.

METHODS

Paraffin specimens of primary CRC were selected, including 60 simple colorectal cancer specimens and 47 liver metastasis specimens. At the same time, 40 cases of normal colorectal mucosa were taken as the control group. The expression of PLAC1 and Netrin-1 in tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The correlation between PLAC1 and Netrin-1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of patients with CRC liver metastases was analyzed. Logistic analysis was adopted to analyze the influencing factors of liver metastasis in CRC. A prediction model was established and ROC curve was used to detect the discrimination of the prediction model. The clinical value of PLAC1 and netrin-1 in predicting liver metastasis of CRC was analyzed using ROC curve. The relationship between the expression of PLAC1 and netrin-1 and the prognosis of CRC patients with liver metastasis was analyzed using Kaplan Meier survival curve.

RESULTS

The positive staining of PLAC1 and netrin-1 was mainly located in the cytoplasm by IHC detection. Positive expression of PLAC1 and netrin-1 in CRC tissues was markedly higher than that in normal colorectal mucosal epithelium (P < 0.05). Positive expression of PLAC1 in metastatic group was higher than that in non-metastatic group without significant difference (P > 0.05). The metastasis group had much higher positive expression of netrin-1 than the non-metastasis group (P < 0.05). The content of PLAC1 in the tissues of CRC with liver metastasis had a close relationship with differentiation degree and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). The expression of Netrin-1 in the tissues of CRC with liver metastasis was associated with Dukes stage, differentiation degree and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that Dukes stage, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, CEA, Alb and D-dimer were the independent risk factors for liver metastasis of CRC (P < 0.05). The model was constructed according to the regression coefficients and constant terms, and the discrimination of the prediction model was evaluated using ROC curve, with the AUC of 0.903 (95% CI 0.831 ~ 0.975), the sensitivity of 93.80%, the specificity of 80.00%, and the Jordan index of 0.738. The AUC of PLAC1 and netrin-1 alone and combined detection to predict liver metastasis of CRC were 0.805, 0.793 and 0.921, respectively. The survival time of patients with positive PLAC1 and netrin-1 expression were sharply shorter than that of the patients with negative expression (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of PLAC1 and netrin-1 was strongly increased in CRC with liver metastasis, which had a certain clinical value in predicting liver metastasis of CRC. Dukes stage, differentiation degree, lymph node metastasis, CEA, Alb and D-dimer were independent risk factors for liver metastasis of CRC, and the model based on these indicators had good discrimination for effectively evaluating the risk of liver metastasis in CRC.

Deep learning for the prediction of the chemotherapy response of metastatic colorectal cancer: comparing and combining H&E staining histopathology and infrared spectral histopathology

Colorectal cancer is a global public health problem with one of the highest death rates. It is the second most deadly type of cancer and the third most frequently diagnosed in the world. The present study focused on metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who had been treated with chemotherapy-based regimen for which it remains uncertainty about the efficacy for all eligible patients. This is a major problem, as it is not yet possible to test different therapies in view of the consequences on the health of the patients and the risk of progression. Here, we propose a method to predict the efficacy of an anticancer treatment in an individualized way, using a deep learning model constructed on the retrospective analysis of the primary tumor of several patients. Histological sections from tumors were imaged by standard hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Images obtained were then processed by a convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract features and correlate them with the subsequent progression-free survival (PFS) of each patient. Separately, HE and IR imaging resulted in a PFS prediction with an error of 6.6 and 6.3 months respectively (28% and 26% of the average PFS). Combining both modalities allowed to decrease the error to 5.0 months (21%). The inflammatory state of the stroma seemed to be one of the main features detected by the CNN. Our pilot study suggests that multimodal imaging analyzed with deep learning methods allow to give an indication of the effectiveness of a treatment when choosing.

BRAFV600E Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Perspective from a Patient, a Caregiver, and an Oncologist

This article has been co-authored by a patient with right-sided BRAFV600E metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), his caregiver, and an oncologist. Here the patient and caregiver discuss their personal experiences struggling with cancer, including their fears, expectations, and attitudes as the disease progresses. The oncologist describes how patients with BRAFV600E mCRC are treated and how the management strategy can be balanced to mitigate any side effects. Improved diagnostic techniques and the availability of numerous treatment options, including various chemotherapy schemes and molecular-targeted drugs, can aid rapid implementation of treatment algorithms. The pivotal roles of patients' associations in the general support of patients and those close to them, and in facilitating the link with healthcare professionals, are highlighted in this perspective piece.

An optimised liver-first strategy for synchronous metastatic rectal cancer leads to higher protocol completion and lower surgical morbidity

INTRODUCTION

The optimal management of rectal cancer with synchronous liver metastases remains debatable. Thus, we propose an optimised liver-first (OLF) strategy that combines concomitant pelvic irradiation with hepatic management. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and oncological quality of the OLF strategy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients underwent systemic neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by preoperative radiotherapy. Liver resection was performed in one step (between radiotherapy and rectal surgery) or in two steps (before and after radiotherapy). The data were collected prospectively and analysed retrospectively as intent to treat.

RESULTS

Between 2008 and 2018, 24 patients underwent the OLF strategy. The rate of treatment completion was 87.5%. Three patients (12.5%) did not proceed to the planned second-stage liver and rectal surgery because of progressive disease. The postoperative mortality rate was 0%, and the overall morbidity rates after liver and rectal surgeries were 21% and 28.6%, respectively. Only two patients developed severe complications. Liver and rectal complete resection was performed in 100% and 84.6%, respectively. A rectal-sparing strategy was performed in 6 patients who underwent local excision (n = 4) or a watch and wait strategy (n = 2). Among patients who completed treatment, the median overall and disease-free survivals were 60 months (range 12-139 months) and 40 months (range 10-139 months), respectively. Eleven patients (47.6%) developed recurrence, among whom five underwent further treatment with curative intent.

CONCLUSION

The OLF approach is feasible, relevant, and safe. Organ preservation was feasible for a quarter of patients and may be associated with reduced morbidity.

Intentional R1 resection of liver metastases: A new treatment paradigm for patients with advanced colorectal cancer based on a propensity score-Matched case-control analysis

BACKGROUND

Clinical outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients after an incomplete microscopic (R1) resection of liver metastases may not differ from those following a microscopically margin negative (R0) resection, when the latest is not feasible because of anatomic issues. We aimed at comparing the clinical outcomes of CRC patients with an intentional R1 or with a R0 resection of liver metastases.

METHODS

All patients with advanced in CRC and liver metastases consecutively treated by liver resection between February 2005 and January 2019 at in the department of Digestive and Hepatobiliary Surgery of Henri Mondor University Hospital (Créteil, France) were included in this retrospective case-control study. Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were compared between patients who underwent an intentional (pre-operative decision) R1 resection (iR1) to those who had a R0 resection of liver metastases. To account for confounding, comparison between the 2 groups was performed after adjustment using propensity score analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-six CRC patients treated by iR1 resection of liver metastases were compared to 98 patients treated by R0 resection. Median OS reached 39 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 25-67] and 63 months [95% CI: 52-76] in the iR1 and R0 groups, respectively. After adjustment by inverse probability of treatment weighting, patients' OS and EFS did not differ significantly between the iR1 and R0 groups (hazard ratio (HR): 1.19 [0.54-2.62] and 1.67 [0.93-3.03]), respectively.

CONCLUSION

iR1 resection of liver metastases in advanced CRC patients is an acceptable therapeutic strategy, when R0 resection is not feasible.

Carcinoembryonic antigen kinetics predict response to first-line treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer: Analysis from PRODIGE 9 trial

BACKGROUND

To examine the relationship between carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) kinetics and prognosis in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients receiving first-line chemotherapy in the PRODIGE9 trial.

METHODS

Associations between monthly CEA measurements within 6 months since baseline and progression-free survival (PFS) were evaluated using a joint-latent class-mixed model. A validation set was used to test our prognosis model. Correlations between CEA trajectories (classes) and baseline characteristics were also investigated.

RESULTS

Three classes were identified. Class 1 had low baseline CEA with small variations. Class 2 had high baseline CEA with a rapid decrease reaching the same CEA level at 6 months as in class 1. Class 3 had high baseline CEA with a transient decrease followed by an increase to reach, at 6 months, the same CEA level as at baseline. Six-month PFS was significantly lower in class 3 than in classes 1 and 2 (57% vs. 91% and 93% respectively; p<0.01). Class 3 was significantly associated with ECOG 2 status, a high LDH level and non-resected primary tumor.

DISCUSSION

Variations in CEA kinetics correlate with prognosis in patients receiving first-line chemotherapy for mCRC. We propose here a user-friendly application to classify CEA trajectory.

Multiple Laparoscopic Liver Resection for Colorectal Liver Metastases

Over the past decades, liver cancer's minimally invasive approach has primarily become as a new standard of oncological care. Colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) are one of the most developed indications of laparoscopic liver resection (LLR). CRLM resection is still the best treatment known in terms of survival. As multiple CRLM are found in up to 80% of cases at diagnosis (Manfredi S. and al, Annals of Surgery 2006), a lot of possible technical management approaches are described. With the development of the parenchymal-sparing strategy, multiple concomitant laparoscopic liver resections (LLR) are gaining acceptance. However, no recommendation is available regarding its indications and feasibility. Also, laparoscopic two-stage hepatectomy is developing for bilobar CRLM, and this also does not have established recommendation. The purpose of this paper was to highlight novelty and updates in the field of multiple minimally invasive liver resections. A review of the international literature was performed. The feasibility of laparoscopic concomitant multiple LLR and two-stage hepatectomy for CRLM as well as their outcomes were discussed. These clarifications could further guide the implementation of minimal resection in multiple colorectal liver metastases therapies.

Curative-intent treatment of pulmonary metastases from colorectal cancer: A comparison between imaging-guided thermal ablation and surgery

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary metastases (PM) are the most frequent extra-abdominal metastases from colorectal cancer. Lung resection and imaging-guided thermal ablation (IGTA) are used as curative-intent treatment. We compared the outcomes of patients with PM, treated with resection or ablation.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data from patients who underwent surgery or IGTA for colorectal PM between April 2011 and November 2020. Surgery was performed for peripheral PM and IGTA for deep-located PM not in contact with major vessels. Patients who had both procedures were excluded. Patients were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis, stratified according to number, size, and unilaterality of PM.

RESULTS

One hundred and fourty-six patients were included, 65 (44.5%) underwent surgery and 81 (55.5%) underwent IGTA. After PSM analysis, each group contained 46 patients. IGTA patients had a lower morbidity rate (13.1% vs. 15.2%, p = 0.028) and a shorter length of stay (5.13 vs. 2.63 days, p < 0.001). Oncological outcomes were similar in both groups with 5-year OS of 80% and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) of 30% (p = 0.657 and p = 0.504, respectively) with similar recurrence patterns.

CONCLUSION

Lung resection and IGTA seem to have similar oncologic outcomes for both OS and PFS. IGTA could be an alternative effective treatment for small PM, whenever technically feasible.

Incidence and associated factors of cetuximab-induced hypersensitivity infusion reactions in 1392 cancer patients treated in four French areas: a possible association with Lyme disease?

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have observed an increased incidence of Cetuximab-induced hypersensitivity infusion reactions (CI-IRs) in the southeastern states of the USA. Tick's bites were suspected of generating cross-reactions between cetuximab and alpha-gal. This study aims was to describe the incidence and associated risk factors of CI-IRs, in the French areas chosen according to their Lyme disease incidence.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients that received cetuximab infusion from January 2010 to June 2019 in 4 French areas with different Lyme disease incidence rates.

RESULTS

Of 1392 patients, 117 (8.4%) experienced a CI-IR, including 68 severe (grade 3 or 4) reactions (4.9%). This CI-IR incidence was significantly higher in the Lyme disease high-risk area than in the other areas (13.2% versus 7.1%, 8.1% and 6.4%; P = 0.016). Sex (P = 0.53), premedication (P = 0.91), primary cancer location (P = 0.46) and chemotherapy regimen type (P = 0.78) had no impact on CI-IR incidence in the overall population. In the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patient subgroup, CI-IRs were significantly more frequent in the high-risk area (16.4% versus 6.7%, 7.1% and 7.0%; P = 0.0015).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that patients treated in the French area with the highest incidence of Lyme disease are at a higher risk of CI-IRs.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digestive cancer staging, a case series

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic had an undeniable impact on the health system worldwide, this lead to a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive cancers.The purpose of our study was to assess this delay and its impact on patient care.

Method

Our work is a retrospective study about 165 patients that were admitted for digestive cancers at Sheik Khalifa hospital, Casablanca morocco during a 3-year period, that we divided into three. We included all the digestive adenocarcinomas (esophagus excluded) whether they were operated on or not. We excluded all other types of cancers (GIST, serous tumors …). We assessed the time between the beginning of the symptoms and the beginning of the treatment and the number of patients that were diagnosed at the complication stage. We also assessed the staging of the tumor at the moment of diagnosis and the complete surgical resection rate.

Results

Among the 165 patients admitted for digestive cancer, 54,9% were males with a sex ratio of 1,22 M/F. The average age of our patients was 62,8 years varying between 25 and 86 years old and with a standard deviation of 11,8 years. Digestive cancers were diagnosed in 79 patients during period 1, 43 patients during period2, and 43 during period 3. We found a statistically significant increase in the percentage of patients with advanced cancer by 21,7% (p = 0,045) from 2019 to 2020. The delay in diagnosis (p = 0,275), percentage of cancer discovered at the stage of complication(p = 0,728), and the reduction in complete surgical resection (p = 0,177) were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Our results show an undeniable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the staging of digestive cancers but the impact on their care remains to be proven and needs a long-term survival follow-up.

Analysis of the Relationship between the Expression Level of TTR and APOH and Prognosis in Patients with Colorectal Cancer Metastasis Based on Bioinformatics

The expression of TTR and apolipoprotein H (APOH) genes and their relationship with prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis by using bioinformatics analysis techniques are explored. The expression profiles of related genes in patients with CRC metastasis are retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The core genes transthyretin (TTR) and APOH are screened by constructing protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and the corresponding patient data of 327 patients are extracted and included in the metastasis group. The TTR and APOH genes of 300 patients without CRC metastasis are screened and included in the control group. The relationship between the expression levels of TTR and APOH and the clinicopathological parameters of patients with CRC metastasis is analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival curve is drawn to observe the influence of overexpression and low expression of TTR and APOH on the prognosis and survival of patients in the metastatic group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is drawn to observe the prognostic efficacy of combined TTR and APOH detection in patients with CRC metastasis. The experimental results show that bioassay can confirm the close relationship between TTR, APOH, and patients with CRC metastasis. Regular detection of serum TTR and APOH expression can effectively assess the patient's condition and take measures to improve the prognosis of the patients.

Interventional oncology of liver tumors: how it all started and where are we now

Liver was the very first organ for which interventional procedures were applied for the local treatment of primary and secondary malignancies. In this paper, the history of Interventional Oncology of liver, from the very beginning to the current situation, is summarized, including both percutaneous and intravascular procedures, and together with the evolution of the techniques for image guidance. The main ongoing developments, such as new techniques, combined interventional treatments and association of local interventions with new drugs are briefly described, too.

Analysis of reporting quality of clinical practice guidelines/consensuses on metastatic colorectal cancer based on the RIGHT checklist

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to assess the reporting quality of the clinical practice guidelines/consensuses on metastatic colorectal cancer based on the Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in HealThcare (RIGHT) checklist.

METHODS

We searched China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP database, Wanfang Data, Chinese Biological Literature Service System, PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Elsevier clinicalkey, BMJ Database, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, World Health Organization Network and other websites. We collected clinical practice guidelines/consensuses on metastatic colorectal cancer with published between 1 January 2017 and 1 April 2021 after release of the RIGHT checklist. Two reviewers extracted the basic information independently and conducted a RIGHT evaluation.

RESULTS

Eighteen guidelines/consensuses were included, 10 from China and 8 from other countries. The average reporting rate was 74.1%±11.2%. Thirteen items had 100% reporting rate, and the reporting rate for items No. 16 (11.1%), 17 (16.7%) and 18b (22.2%) was low. Basic information had the highest reporting rate (100%), whereas review and quality assurance had the lowest (13.9%). The average reporting rate of guidelines/consensuses published in other countries was higher than in China [p=0.005; odds ration (OR) 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.28]. The average reporting rate of the guidelines was higher than that of the consensus statements (p<0.001; OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10-1.31). The reporting rates of guidelines/consensuses focused on whole body (79.0%±12.7%) were higher than local organ (69.2%±7.3%) metastases (p=0.005; OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.04-1.25).

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of reporting using the RIGHT checklist varied among the guidelines/consensuses on metastatic colorectal cancer. Low-quality items were external review and quality assurance. Developers of guidelines/consensuses should aim to improve the reporting quality in the future.

Brazilian Society of Surgical Oncology surgical standards for resectable colorectal cancer liver metastases

The management of colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) has become complex because of the increasing availability of medical, radiological, and surgical treatment options applied either alone or in combination. However, resection remains the only evidence-based curative therapy. These Brazilian Society of Surgical Oncology surgical standards are intended to guide clinicians in the decision-making process for modern surgical management of CRLM within a multidisciplinary team in an evidence-based framework, focusing on resectable disease.

Conversion therapy with the intent to perform radical local treatment may not be suitable for patients with 10 or more liver metastases from colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

The number of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLMs) is usually considered a contradictory indicator to surgical resection. However, some patients with initially unresectable CRLMs can receive radical local treatment after conversion therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of radical local treatment after conversion therapy and the prognosis of patients with more than 10 initially unresectable CRLMs.

METHODS

Data for a total of 229 patients with initially unresectable CRLMs were retrospectively reviewed between December 2012 and January 2020. Among these patients, 107 had ≥10 CRLMs, and 122 had <10 CRLMs. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were used to reflect the prognosis of different groups of patients. Conversion therapy was defined as an initially unresectable liver metastasis converted into an R0 resectable lesion after systemic chemotherapy. Radical local treatment included hepatectomy and radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

RESULTS

Patients with ≥10 CRLMs had a lower conversion rate (42.7% vs. 56.6%, p = 0.001). Baseline clinical N stage 1-2, ≥8 first-line chemotherapy courses, and stable disease (SD) according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) were independent factors predictive of conversion failure. Primary tumour location in the right colon, RECIST response of SD, and the absence of targeted therapy were independent factors predictive of unfavourable OS. The survival curves revealed that the OS of patients with or without conversion could be distinguished only among patients with <10 CRLMs (89.9% [95% CI, 82.5%-98.0%] vs. 58.9% [95% CI, 45.2%-76.7%], p < 0.001); this cut-off point could also distinguish patients with a successful conversion outcome according to OS (89.9% [95% CI, 82.5-98.0%] vs. 58.2% [95% CI, 42.2-80.4%], p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION

For CRLMs ≥ 10, patients with a successful conversion outcome cannot be distinguished from those without successful conversion outcome according to OS. Thus, conversion therapy with the intent to perform radical local treatment may not be suitable for patients with 10 or more liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

Simultaneous or staged resection for synchronous liver metastasis and primary rectal cancer: a propensity score matching analysis

Background

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in France and by the time of the diagnosis, 15–25% of patients will suffer from synchronous liver metastases. Surgery associated to neoadjuvant treatment can cure these patients, but few studies focus only on rectal cancer. This study was meant to compare the outcomes of patients who underwent a simultaneous resection to those who underwent a staged resection (rectum first or liver first) in the University Hospital of Tours, France.

Methods

We assessed retrospectively a prospective maintained data base about the clinical, pathological and survival outcomes of patients who underwent a simultaneous or a staged resection in our center between 2010 and 2018. A propensity score matching was used, considering the initial characteristics of our groups.

Results

There were 70 patients (55/15 males, female respectively) with median age 60 (54–68) years. After matching 48 (69%) of them underwent a staged approach and 22 (31%) a simultaneous approach were compared. After PSM, there were 22 patients in each group. No differences were found in terms of morbidity (p = 0.210), overall survival (p = 0.517) and disease-free survival (p = 0.691) at 3 years after matching. There were significantly less recurrences in the simultaneous group (50% vs 81.8%, p = 0.026).

Conclusions

Simultaneous resection of the rectal primary cancer and synchronous liver metastases is safe and feasible with no difference in terms of survival.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12876-022-02250-9.

Treatment strategies to resectable metachronous colorectal liver metastases after adjuvant oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for primary colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

outcome of patients who develop resectable metachronous colorectal liver metastases (CLM) after adjuvant oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for Stage III colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well defined and the value of preoperative chemotherapy is controversial.

METHODS

From 2006 to 2013, all patients undergoing liver resection for Class I metachronous CLM after adjuvant oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for CRC, across 32 French academic centers, were included.

RESULTS

Sixty-two patients with an average of 2 ± 1 CLM were included. Thirty-two (52%) patients received preoperative chemotherapy. There was no significant difference in the characteristics of CLM between patients with or without preoperative chemotherapy. After a median follow-up of 29 months, 3-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 79.8% and 34.6%, respectively. The median disease-free survival was not different in patients with or without preoperative chemotherapy (17 vs. 35 months respectively, p = 0.112). In multivariate analysis, only CEA level > 200 ng/ml was associated with the risk of recurrence (p = 0.027; OR = 4.7, 95% CI = 1.2-18.7).

CONCLUSION

Liver resection provides a good outcome in patients with limited metachronous CLM after adjuvant oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for CRC. The interest of preoperative chemotherapy is not obvious and should be tested in a prospective controlled study.

Repeat hepatectomy for recurrent colorectal liver metastases: A comparative analysis of short- and long-term results

BACKGROUND

Liver recurrence after resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) is frequent. Repeat hepatectomy has been shown to have satisfactory perioperative results. However, the long-term outcomes and the benefits for patients with early recurrence have not been clarified. The aim of this study was to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing single hepatectomy and repeat hepatectomy for CRLM. Additionally, the oncological outcomes of patients with early (≤ 6 months) and late recurrence who underwent repeat hepatectomy were compared.

METHODS

Consecutive adult patients undergoing hepatectomy for CRLM between June 2000 and February 2020 were included and divided into two groups: single hepatectomy and repeat hepatectomy.

RESULTS

A total of 709 patients were included: 649 in the single hepatectomy group and 60 in the repeat hepatectomy group. Patients in the repeat hepatectomy group underwent more cycles of preoperative chemotherapy [4 (3-6) vs. 3 (2-4), P = 0.003]. Patients in the single hepatectomy group more frequently underwent major hepatectomies (34.5% vs. 16.7%, P = 0.004) and had a greater number of lesions resected (2.9 ± 3.6 vs. 1.9 ± 1.8, P = 0.011). There was no increase in operative time, estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay, complications, or mortality in the repeat hepatectomy group. There were no differences in overall survival (P = 0.626) and disease-free survival (P = 0.579) between the two groups. Similarly, for patients underwent repeat hepatectomy, no difference was observed between the early and late recurrence groups in terms of overall survival (P = 0.771) or disease-free survival (P = 0.350).

CONCLUSIONS

Repeat hepatectomy is feasible and safe, with similar short- and long-term outcomes when compared to single hepatectomy. Surgical treatment of early liver recurrence offers similar oncological outcomes to those obtained for late recurrence.

Percutaneous Thermal Segmentectomy: Proof of Concept

AIM

To report the multicenter retrospective experience on combination of balloon-occluded MWA(b-MWA) followed by balloon-occluded TACE(b-TACE) in patients with liver malignancies > 3 cm, focusing on appearance and volume of necrotic area, safety profile and oncological results.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-three patients with liver primary malignancies (hepatocellular carcinoma,HCC = 18; intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,iCC = 2) and metastasis (colorectal cancer metastasis = 1;sarcoma metastasis = 1;breast metastasis = 1) were treated. Maximum mean diameter of lesions was 4.4 cm (± 1 cm). Treatments were performed using a single-step approach:b-MWA was performed after balloon-microcatheter inflation, followed by b-TACE (with epirubicin or irinotecan). Necrotic area shape and discrepancy with the expected volume of necrosis suggested by vendor's ablation chart were assessed at post-procedural CT. Complications were categorized according to CIRSE classification. Oncological results at 1 and 3-6 months were evaluated using m-RECIST(HCC) and RECISTv1.1(metastasis/iCC).

RESULTS

Mean volume of necrotic area was 75 cm³ (± 36). Discrepancy with vendor chart consisted in a medium percentage of volumetric incrementation of necrotic area of 103.2% (± 99.8). Non-spherical shape was observed in 22/23 patients (95.7%). No complications occurred; Post-embolization syndrome occurred in 12/23patients. Complete response and partial response were, respectively, 91, 3% (21/23) and 8.7% (2/23) at 1 month, 85.7% (18/21) and 9.5% (2/21) at 3-6 months. Progression of disease was 4.7% (1/21) at 3-6 months for extra-hepatic progression. Among partial responders, average percentage of tumor volume debulking was 78.8% (± 9.8%).

CONCLUSION

b-MWA followed by b-TACE in a single-step procedure led to larger necrotic areas than the proposed by vendors ablation chart, non-spherical in shape and corresponded to the vascular segment occluded during ablation. This permitted to safely achieve promising oncological results in patients with > 3 cm tumors.

Microwave Ablation, Radiofrequency Ablation, Irreversible Electroporation, and Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy for Intermediate Size (3-5 cm) Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Purpose of Review

Based on good local control rates and an excellent safety profile, guidelines consider thermal ablation the gold standard to eliminate small unresectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). However, efficacy decreases exponentially with increasing tumour size. The preferred treatment for intermediate-size unresectable CRLM remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis compare safety and efficacy of local ablative treatments for unresectable intermediate-size CRLM (3–5 cm).

Recent Findings

We systematically searched for publications reporting treatment outcomes of unresectable intermediate-size CRLM treated with thermal ablation, irreversible electroporation (IRE) or stereotactic ablative body-radiotherapy (SABR). No comparative studies or randomized trials were found. Literature to assess effectiveness was limited and there was substantial heterogeneity in outcomes and study populations. Per-patient local control ranged 22–90% for all techniques; 22–89% (8 series) for thermal ablation, 44% (1 series) for IRE, and 67–90% (1 series) for SABR depending on radiation dose.

Summary

Focal ablative therapy is safe and can induce long-term disease control, even for intermediate-size CRLM. Although SABR and tumuor-bracketing techniques such as IRE are suggested to be less susceptible to size, evidence to support any claims of superiority of one technique over the other is unsubstantiated by the available evidence. Future prospective comparative studies should address local-tumour-progression-free-survival, local control rate, overall survival, adverse events, and quality-of-life.

Metastatic colorectal carcinoma with signet-ring cells: Clinical, histological and molecular description from an Association des Gastro-Entérologues Oncologues (AGEO) French multicenter retrospective cohort

BACKGROUND

Metastatic signet-ring cell colorectal carcinoma is rare. We analyzed its clinicopathological and molecular features, prognostic factors and chemosensitivity.

METHODS

Retrospective study from 2003 to 2017 in 31 French centers, divided into three groups: curative care (G1), chemotherapy alone (G2), and best supportive care (G3).

RESULTS

Tumors were most frequently in the proximal colon (46%), T4 (71%), and poorly differentiated (86%). The predominant metastatic site was peritoneum (69%). Microsatellite instability and BRAF mutation were found in 19% and 9% (mainly right-sided) of patients and RAS mutations in 23%. Median overall survival (mOS) of the patients (n = 204) was 10.1 months (95%CI: 7.9;12.8), 45.1 for G1 (n = 38), 10.9 for G2 (n = 112), and 1.8 months for G3 (n = 54). No difference in mOS was found when comparing tumor locations, percentage of signet-ring cell contingent and microsatellite status. In G1, relapse-free survival was 14 months (95%CI: 6.5-20.9). In G2, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.7 months (95%CI: 3.6;5.9]) with first-line treatment. Median PFS was higher with biological agents than without (5.0 vs 3.9 months, p = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

mSRCC has a poor prognosis with specific location and molecular alterations resulting in low chemosensitivity. Routine microsatellite analysis should be performed because of frequent MSI-high tumors in this population.

Chemotherapy (doublet or triplet) plus targeted therapy by RAS status as conversion therapy in colorectal cancer patients with initially unresectable liver-only metastases. The UNICANCER PRODIGE-14 randomised clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients have a better prognosis if metastases are resectable. Initially, unresectable liver-only metastases can be converted to resectable with chemotherapy plus a targeted therapy. We assessed which of chemotherapy doublet (2-CTx) or triplet (3-CTx), combined with targeted therapy by RAS status, would be better in this setting.

METHODS

PRODIGE 14 was an open-label, multicenter, randomised Phase 2 trial. CRC patients with initially defined unresectable liver-only metastases received either, 2-CTx (FOLFOX or FOLFIRI) or 3-CTx (FOLFIRINOX), plus bevacizumab/cetuximab by RAS status. The primary endpoint was to increase the R0/R1 liver-resection rate from 50 to 70% with the 3-CTx.

RESULTS

Patients (n = 256) were mainly men with an ECOG PS of 0, and a median age of 60 years. In total, 109 patients (42.6%) had RAS-mutated tumours. After a median follow-up of 45.6 months, the R0/R1 liver-resection rate was 56.9% (95% CI: 48-66) with the 3-CTx versus 48.4% (95% CI: 39-57) with the 2-CTx (P = 0.17). Median overall survival was 43.4 months with 3-CTx versus 40 months with 2-CTx.

CONCLUSION

We failed to increase from 50 to 70% the R0/R1 liver-resection rate with the use of 3-CTx combined with bevacizumab or cetuximab by RAS status in CRC patients with initially unresectable liver metastases.

Human Colonic Microbiota and Short-Term Postoperative Outcomes in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study

Despite the advances in surgical techniques and perioperative care, the complication rates after colorectal cancer surgery have remained stable. Recently, it has been suggested that colon microbiota may be implicated in several pathways that can lead to impaired colonic homeostasis and, thereby, to the development of complications after colorectal surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of colonic dysbiosis on postoperative course. This prospective human clinical study recruited patients operated on for left colon, sigmoid colon or rectal cancer. Colon mucosa and fecal samples were collected to study mucosa associated microbiota (MAM) and luminal microbiota (LM), accordingly. Preliminary analysis for the first 25 consecutive patients with V3–V4 16S rRNA metagenomic analysis was performed. Bacterial composition and abundance in patients who developed postoperative complications over a 90-day follow-up period were compared to those without postoperative complications. Abundance and distribution of genera in MAM differed significantly when compared to LM with a significant impact on neoadjuvant therapy on bacterial composition. Preliminary analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in LM nor in MAM composition when individuals with and without postoperative surgical complications were compared. In cases of postoperative complications, LM and MAM showed significantly decreased diversity. Composition of the colonic microbiota is altered by neoadjuvant therapy. Results on the impact of colonic dysbiosis on postoperative complications are pending the end of the present study, with 50 patients enrolled.

Next-Generation Sequencing Targeted Panel in Routine Care for Metastatic Colon Cancers

Simple Summary

The place of Next-Generation-Sequencing (NGS) targeted panel in routine practice in digestive oncology should be addressed. The aim of our retrospective study was to assess the results and impact of NGS panel for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients. In total, 210 patients with mCRC were included. Based on our findings, a major advantage of the NGS panel over single gene techniques is that, beyond the classical hotspots, it allows for an exhaustive search for molecular abnormalities in routinely recommended genes. In addition, routine NGS is a way to detect amplifications associated with resistance to anti-EGFR therapies and low-prevalence mutations in actionable genes, providing patients with the opportunity to access innovative targeted therapies. In conclusion, NGS targeted panel in mCRC is feasible in routine practice. Nevertheless, panels need to be regularly updated and in-depth studies are needed to better analyse the prognostic factors.

Abstract

In digestive oncology, the clinical impact of targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) in routine practice should be addressed. In this work, we studied the impact of a 22-gene NGS amplicon-based panel with Ion Torrent Proton Sequencing, prospectively performed in routine practice. We analyzed the results of extended molecular testing, beyond RAS and BRAF, in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients in a single-center, retrospective, observational study of consecutive mCRC patients followed up at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital between January 2016 and December 2018. Overall, 210 patients with mCRC were included. Median follow-up was 25.4 months (IQR: 14.9–39.5). The three most frequently mutated genes were: TP53 (63%), KRAS (41%) and PIK3CA (19%). A positive association was found between overall survival and performance status (PS) ≥ 2 (HR: 4.91 (1.84–13.1); p = 0.001) and differentiation (HR: 4.70 (1.51–14.6); p = 0.007) in multivariate analysis. The NGS panel enabled five patients to access a targeted therapy not currently registered for CRC. In conclusion, targeted NGS panels in mCRC are feasible in routine practice, but need to be regularly updated and in-depth studies are needed to better analyze the prognostic factors.

Randomized Phase II Trial Evaluating Two Sequential Treatments in First Line of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer: Results of the PANOPTIMOX-PRODIGE 35 Trial

PURPOSE

Metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) still harbors a dismal prognosis. Our previous trial (PRODIGE 4-ACCORD 11) demonstrated the superiority of 6-month chemotherapy with fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) over gemcitabine for overall survival. The high limiting oxaliplatin-related neurotoxicity supports the evaluation of an oxaliplatin stop-and-go strategy and a sequential strategy in mPC.

METHODS

In this phase II study, patients were randomly assigned to receive either 6 months of FOLFIRINOX (arm A), 4 months of FOLFIRINOX followed by leucovorin plus fluorouracil maintenance treatment for controlled patients (arm B), or a sequential treatment alternating gemcitabine and fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan every 2 months (arm C). The primary end point was progression-free survival at 6 months.

RESULTS

Between January 2015 and November 2016, 276 patients (mean age: 63 years; range: 40-76 years) were enrolled (A: 91, B: 92, and C: 90). Grade 3 or 4 neurotoxicity occurred in 10.2% of patients in arm A and 19.8% in arm B. The median ratio of received dose/targeted dose of oxaliplatin was 83% in arm A and 92% in arm B. The 6-month progression-free survival was 47.1% in A, 42.9% in B, and 34.1% in C. The median overall survival was 10.1 months in arm A, 11.2 in arm B, and 7.3 in arm C. Median survival without deterioration in quality-of-life scores was higher in the maintenance arm (11.4 months) than in arms A and C (7.2 and 7.5 months, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Maintenance with leucovorin plus fluorouracil appears to be feasible and effective in patients with mPC controlled after 4 months of induction chemotherapy with FOLFIRINOX. Severe neurotoxicity was higher in the maintenance therapy arm, probably because of the higher cumulative dose of oxaliplatin.