Controversial issues of neoadjuvant treatment in borderline resectable pancreatic cancer

Low Pre-ChemoradiotherapyPan-Immune-Inflammation Value (PIV) Measures Predict Better Survival Outcomes in Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinomas

Objective

This study sought to determine whether pretreatment pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) could be used to predict prognosis in patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma (LA-PAC) following definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (C-CRT).

Methods

The outcomes of 178 LA-PAC patients who received definitive C-CRT were analyzed retrospectively. For all patients, the PIV was calculated using the peripheral blood platelet (P), monocyte (M), neutrophil (N), and lymphocyte (L) counts obtained on the first day of C-CRT: PIV=P×M×N÷L. The optimum cutoff values for PIV connected to progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) results were sought using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The OS and PFS differences between the PIV groups constituted the primary and secondary endpoints, respectively.

Results

ROC curve analysis indicated that the ideal PIV cutoff was 464 (AUC: 75.9%, sensitivity: 74.1%, specificity: 71.9%), which categorized patients into two groups based on PFS and OS results: low PIV (L-PIV; N = 69) and high PIV (H-PIV; N = 109). According to comparative survival analyses, patients in the L-PIV group had significantly longer median PFS (14.3 vs 7.3 months; HR: 3.04; P<0.001) and OS (25.9 vs 13.3 months; HR: 2.86; P<0.001) than those in the H-PIV group. Although none of the H-PIV patients could survive beyond 5 years, the estimated 5-year OS rate was 29.7% in the L-PIV cohort. In multivariate analyses, besides the L-PIV, N₀ nodal stage, and CA 19–9 ≤ 90 U/mL appeared to be the independent predictors of better PFS (P < 0.05 for each) and OS (P < 0.05 for each) results.

Conclusion

The present results indicated that pre-C-CRT L-PIV measures were associated with favorable median and long-term PFS and OS results in LA-PAC patients, suggesting that the PIV is a potent and independent novel prognostic biomarker.

Multidisciplinary standards of care and recent progress in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Despite tremendous gains in the molecular understanding of exocrine pancreatic cancer, the prognosis for this disease remains very poor, largely because of delayed disease detection and limited effectiveness of systemic therapies. Both incidence rates and mortality rates for pancreatic cancer have increased during the past decade, in contrast to most other solid tumor types. Recent improvements in multimodality care have substantially improved overall survival, local control, and metastasis-free survival for patients who have localized tumors that are amenable to surgical resection. The widening gap in prognosis between patients with resectable and unresectable or metastatic disease reinforces the importance of detecting pancreatic cancer sooner to improve outcomes. Furthermore, the developing use of therapies that target tumor-specific molecular vulnerabilities may offer improved disease control for patients with advanced disease. Finally, the substantial morbidity associated with pancreatic cancer, including wasting, fatigue, and pain, remains an under-addressed component of this disease, which powerfully affects quality of life and limits tolerance to aggressive therapies. In this article, the authors review the current multidisciplinary standards of care in pancreatic cancer with a focus on emerging concepts in pancreatic cancer detection, precision therapy, and survivorship.

The Yonsei criteria as a clinically detectable parameter for excellent prognosis in resected left-sided pancreatic cancer: outcomes of a propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to identify that Yonsei criteria (YC) can be regarded as a preoperative clinical parameter to predict biological behavior of the left-sided pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

Between June 2007 and December 2014, 135 patients who underwent minimally invasive (MIS) or open distal pancreatectomy for left-sided pancreatic cancer were enrolled in this study consecutively. Perioperative short-term and long-term oncologic outcomes were analyzed according to the YC retrospectively.

RESULTS

Fifty-four and 81 patients did and did not meet the YC, respectively. Short-term oncologic outcomes were favorable among those meeting the YC even after propensity score matching. Patients within the YC also had better disease-free and disease-specific overall survival (p < 0.05). In analysis for receiver operating characteristic curve, area under curve of CA19-9 was satisfactory only within YC group. Multivariate analysis for disease-free survival identified the YC as a strong independent prognostic factor (p < 0.05). In preoperative clinical setting, patients' survival was clearly different based on following clinical groups, such as within YC, beyond YC, and unresectable.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative CT-based determined YC can predict excellent short-term and long-term oncologic outcomes. YC might have a potential role as a preoperative clinical staging for left-sided pancreatic cancer. External validations of YC based on multicenter cohorts are mandatory to confirm this oncologic significance of YC.

Clinically determined type of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose uptake as an alternative prognostic marker in resectable pancreatic cancer

PURPOSE

To investigate the association between clinical PET (positron emission tomography) type and oncologic outcome in resectable pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

Between January 2008 and October 2012, patients who underwent potentially curative resection for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma without neoadjuvant treatment were retrospectively investigated. Clinical PET type was defined as follows: pancreatic cancer with similar 18FDG uptake to renal calyx was determined as kidney-type (K-type), and relatively lower 18FDG uptake than that of renal calyx was regarded as Non-K type.

RESULTS

A total of 53 patients were enrolled. After agreement-based reclassification, agreement based K-type (aK-type) was noted in 34 patients (64.2%), and agreement based Non-K type (aNon K-type) was found in 19 patients (35.8%). There was a significant difference between aK-type and aNon K-type pancreatic cancer (tumor size (P = 0.030), adjusted CA 19-9 (P = 0.007), maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax,P<0.001), metabolic tumor volume (MTV2.5, P<0.001), total lesion glycolysis (TLG, P<0.001)). K-type pancreatic cancer (n = 31) showed a significantly shorter disease-free time compared with Non-K type (n = 16) (10.8 vs. 24.1 months, P = 0.013). It was also noted that aK-type showed inferior disease-free survival to that of aNon-K type pancreatic cancer (11.9 vs. 28.6 months, P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical PET type is a reliable clinical marker to estimate aggressive tumor biology and can be utilized in predicting tumor recurrence and necessity for postoperative chemotherapy.

Preoperative FOLFIRINOX for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer: Is radiation necessary in the modern era of chemotherapy?

BACKGROUND

No consensus exists regarding the optimal neoadjuvant treatment paradigm for patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC), including the respective roles of chemotherapy and radiation.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis, including detailed pathologic and radiologic review, of pancreatic cancer patients undergoing FOLFIRINOX, with or without radiation therapy (RT), prior to surgical resection at a high-volume academic center over a 4-year period.

RESULTS

Of 26 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 22 (84.6%) received FOLFIRINOX alone without RT (median number of treatment cycles = 9). The majority of patients met formal radiographic criteria for BRPC, with the superior mesenteric vein representing the most common vessel involved. R0 resection rate was 90.9%, with 12 patients (54.5%) requiring vascular reconstruction. Treatment response was classified as moderate or marked in 16 patients (72.7%) according to the College of American Pathologists grading system. Estimated median disease-free and overall survival rates are 22.6 months and not reached (NR), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This is one of the largest series to describe the use of neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX, without radiation therapy, in patients with BRPC undergoing surgical resection. Given the high R0 resection rates and favorable clinical outcomes with chemotherapy alone, this strategy should be further assessed in prospective study design. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:587-596. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preoperative Volume-Based PET Parameter, MTV2.5, as a Potential Surrogate Marker for Tumor Biology and Recurrence in Resected Pancreatic Cancer

This study aims to evaluate the role of volume-based positron emission tomography parameters as potential surrogate markers for tumor recurrence in resected pancreatic cancer. Between January 2008 and October 2012, medical records of patients who underwent surgical resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and completed ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT as a part of preoperative staging work-up were retrospectively reviewed. Not only clinicopathologic variables but also positron emission tomography parameters such as SUVmax, MTV2.5 (metabolic tumor volume), and TLG (total lesion glycolysis) were obtained. Twenty-six patients were women and 31 were men with a mean age of 62.9 ± 9.1 years. All patients were preoperatively determined to resectable pancreatic cancer except 1 case with borderline resectability. R0 resection was achieved in all patients and 45 patients (78.9%) received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy. Median overall disease-free survival was 12.8 months with a median overall disease-specific survival of 25.1 months. SUVmax did not correlate with radiologic tumor size (P = 0.501); however, MTV2.5 (P = 0.001) and TLG (P = 0.009) were significantly associated with radiologic tumor size. In addition, MTV2.5 (P < 0.001) and TLG (P < 0.001) were significantly correlated with a tumor differentiation. There were no significant differences in TLG and SUVmax according to lymph node ratio; only MTV2.5 was related to lymph node ratio with marginal significance (P = 0.055). In multivariate analysis, lymph node ratio (Exp [β] = 2.425, P = 0.025) and MTV2.5 (Exp[β] = 2.273, P = 0.034) were identified as independent predictors of tumor recurrence following margin-negative resection. Even after tumor size-matched analysis, MTV2.5 was still identified as significant prognostic factor in resected pancreatic cancer (P < 0.05). However, preoperative neoadjuvant treatment attenuated adverse oncologic impact of high preoperative MTV2.5 (P = 0.210). Preoperatively determined volume-based PET parameter, MTV2.5, can potentially be used as a surrogate marker to estimate tumor biology and tumor recurrence. Individual treatment strategies for pancreatic cancer can be suggested based on patients' preoperative MTV2.5.

Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreas adenocarcinoma is an aggressive malignancy. The risk of recurrence remains high even for patients with localized disease undergoing surgical resection. Adjuvant systemic therapy has demonstrated the ability to reduce the risk of recurrence and prolong survival. Determination of optimal adjuvant treatment, systemic therapy, and/or combinations to further improve recurrence rates and overall survival are still needed. Neoadjuvant therapy represents an alternative emerging paradigm of investigation with several theoretic advantages over adjuvant therapy. This article summarizes the major adjuvant and neoadjuvant studies for pancreas adenocarcinoma and highlights key areas of ongoing investigation.

Pathological Complete Remission of Pancreatic Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy; Not the End of Battles

In spite of controversial issues, pancreatectomy following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NeoCRT) has been applied in treating advanced pancreatic cancer. Cases of pathological complete remission (pCR) following NeoCRT is rare, and its long-term follow-up data are still lacking.From January 2000 to December 2012, medical records of the patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. Characteristics of the patients with pCR were summarized and their long-term follow-up data were analyzed.Among 86 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent radical pancreatectomy following NeoCRT, 10 patients (11.6%) were reported to pCR. Nine out of 10 patients received gemcitabine-based chemoradiation therapy. Median pre-NeoCRT serum CA 19-9 was 313.5 U/ml, and post-NeoCRT serum CA 19-9 was 9.9 U/ml, which was shown to be significant difference between 2 serum CA 19-9 level (P = 0.005). Pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was done in 8 patients, and the others received distal pancreatosplenectomy. Postoperative chemotherapy was received in 6 patients. Disease-free survival was statistically superior in patients with pCR than patients without pCR (P < 0.05). However, 5 patients experienced cancer recurrence and no clinicopathologic variables including preoperative resectability could not predict the potential recurrence of tumor in patients with pCR (P > 0.05).pCR is rarely reported following NeoCRT, but this condition is not telling the cure of the disease. Early recurrence in the pattern of liver metastasis and peritoneal seeding can be expected. However, long-term survival could be maintained in patients without recurrence. Further investigation is necessary for predicting failure of treatment.

The Role of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy in Patients With Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer With Isolated Venous Vascular Involvement

The rationale for neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (Neo-CRT) and the definition of borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (BRPC) are still controversial. In particular, surgical treatment of BRPC with isolated venous vascular involvement (IVVI) is debatable.From January 2000 to December 2013, 84 patients diagnosed with BRPC according to NCCN guidelines were identified, and 70 patients were found to have BRPC with IVVI. We divided all 70 patients into 3 groups: surgery first without Neo-CRT (Group 1); pancreatectomy following Neo-CRT (Group 2); and no operation following Neo-CRT (Group 3). Patient characteristics including oncologic outcomes were analyzed for each of the 3 patients groups.Thirty-seven patients were female and 33 were male, with a mean age of 61.7 ± 9.74 years. Among the 70 BRPC patients with IVVI, 28 patients (40%) belonged to Group 1, 30 patients (42.9%) belonged to Group 2, and 12 patients (17.1%) belonged to Group 3. Pathological tumor size (P < 0.001), pT stage (P = 0.001), pTNM stage (P=0.002), combined vascular resection (P = 0.003), completeness of adjuvant therapy (P = 0.004) were found to be statistically significantly different between Groups 1 and 2. In addition, disease-free survival (P = 0.055) and disease-specific survival (DSS) (P=0.006) were improved in Group 2. Interestingly, when comparing DSS, there was no statistically significant difference between Groups 1 and 3 (P = 0.991).The clinical practice of pancreatectomy following Neo-CRT in BRPC with IVVI provided favorable oncologic outcomes. The effect of Neo-CRT in BRPC with IVVI may be multifactorial, providing proper patient selection, complete adjuvant chemotherapy, and potential therapeutic (downstaging) effect.

Novel directions in neoadjuvant therapy for pancreas adenocarcinoma

Surgical resection of pancreatic carcinoma has long represented the only viable option for a potential cure of pancreas cancer. The use of adjuvant chemotherapy post-resection has been established in treating micro metastases and prolonging disease-free survival. However, studies of neoadjuvant therapy have not come to any definitive conclusion regarding the overall efficacy of such treatment, despite the theoretical benefits. In this review, we examine the historical precedent as well as the current state of affairs regarding neoadjuvant therapy in resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In addition, we review the definitions for resectable and borderline resectable disease and highlight key areas of clinical investigation in the field and summarize the major ongoing neoadjuvant studies focused on resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Neoadjuvant strategies for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the fourth cause of cancer death in Western countries, the only chance for long term survival is an R0 surgical resection that is feasible in about 10%-20% of all cases. Five years cumulative survival is less than 5% and rises to 25% for radically resected patients. About 40% has locally advanced in PC either borderline resectable (BRPC) or unresectable locally advanced (LAPC). Since LAPC and BRPC have been recognized as a particular form of PC neoadjuvant therapy (NT) has increasingly became a valid treatment option. The aim of NT is to reach local control of disease but, also, it is recognized to convert about 40% of LAPC patients to R0 resectability, thus providing a significant improvement of prognosis for responding patients. Once R0 resection is achieved, survival is comparable to that of early stage PCs treated by upfront surgery. Thus it is crucial to look for a proper patient selection. Neoadjuvant strategies are multiples and include neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCT), and the association of nCT with radiotherapy (nCRT) given as either a combination of a radio sensitizing drug as gemcitabine or capecitabine or and concomitant irradiation or as upfront nCT followed by nRT associated to a radio sensitizing drug. This latter seem to be most promising as it may select patients who do not go on disease progression during initial treatment and seem to have a better prognosis. The clinical relevance of nCRT may be enhanced by the application of higher active protocols as FOLFIRINOX.

Minimally invasive radical pancreatectomy for left-sided pancreatic cancer: Current status and future perspectives

Minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy has been regarded as a safe and effective treatment for benign and borderline malignant pancreatic lesions. However, its application for left-sided pancreatic cancer is still being debated. The clinical evidence for radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS)-based minimally invasive approaches for left-sided pancreatic cancer was reviewed. Potential indications and surgical concepts for minimally invasive RAMPS were suggested. Despite the limited clinical evidence for minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy in left-sided pancreatic cancer, the currently available clinical evidence supports the use of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy under oncologic principles in well-selected left sided pancreatic cancers. A pancreas-confined tumor with an intact fascia layer between the pancreas and left adrenal gland/kidney positioned more than 1 or 2 cm away from the celiac axis is thought to constitute a good condition for the use of margin-negative minimally invasive RAMPS. The use of minimally invasive (laparoscopic or robotic) anterior RAMPS is feasible and safe for margin-negative resection in well-selected left-sided pancreatic cancer. The oncologic feasibility of the procedure remains to be determined; however, the currently available interim results indicate that even oncologic outcomes will not be inferior to those of open radical distal pancreatosplenectomy.