Chemoradiotherapy with capecitabine versus fluorouracil for locally advanced rectal cancer: a randomised, multicentre, non-inferiority, phase 3 trial

"Defendit Numerus": A Pooled Analysis of 6145 Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Treated with Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy

Objective: The optimal management of rectal cancer remains a subject of ongoing research. This meta-analysis of individual patient data assessed the benefit of chemoradiotherapy (fluorouracil-based) in local advanced rectal cancer: disease-free survival and overall survival. Methods: We pooled the data of 6145 patients from 24 studies of rectal cancer who received neoadjuvant radiotherapy with concomitant fluorouracil or capecitabine and surgery. The PRISMA 2020 abstract checklist was followed. Individual participant survival was reconstructed with an algorithm from published Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: The median OS was not reached; the mean survival time was 135.4 months (127.9-141.5). The median DFS was 176.9 months, and the mean disease-free survival time was 122.6 months (111.7-131.9). Conclusions: We provided a benchmark for future studies on rectal cancer treatment. The present results can be used in decision-making for locally advanced rectal cancer patients.

Total Neoadjuvant Therapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: How to Select the Most Suitable?

Rectal cancer shows specific characteristics in terms of pattern of recurrence, which occurs commonly at both local and distant sites. The standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) including neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, followed by surgery based on the total mesorectal excision principles leads to a reduction in the rates of local recurrences to 6-7% at 5 years. However, the outcomes among those with high-risk lesions remain unsatisfactory. On the contrary, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy results in long-term morbidities among those with low-risk lesions. Furthermore, the overall survival benefit of neoadjuvant therapy is still a subject to be debated, except for patients with complete or near-complete response to neoadjuvant therapy. Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) is a new paradigm of management of high-risk rectal cancer that includes early administration of the most effective systemic therapy either before or after neoadjuvant radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy prior to surgery with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. TNT potentially improves disease-free survival, even though whether it can prolong survival has been debatable. Recently, neoadjuvant chemotherapy only has been proved to be non-inferior to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with low-risk lesions. This review intends to review the current evidences of neoadjuvant therapy and propose a more customized paradigm of management of LARC.

Changes in serum uric acid, serum uric acid/serum creatinine ratio, and gamma-glutamyltransferase might predict the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive value of changes in serum uric acid (SUA), the ratio of serum uric acid to serum creatinine (SUA/SCr), and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) from before to after therapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

METHODS

Data from 114 LARC patients from January 2016 to December 2021 were included in this retrospective study. All patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME). The change in SUA was calculated as a ratio: (SUA level after nCRT-SUA level before nCRT)/SUA level before nCRT. The change ratios of SUA/SCr and GGT were calculated in the same way. The efficacy of nCRT was evaluated by magnetic resonance (MR) and postoperative pathological response. A nonlinear model was used to evaluate whether the change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT were associated with the efficacy of nCRT. The predictive power of the change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to measure the associations between disease-free survival (DFS) and other predictive indicators. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to further compare DFS between groups.

RESULTS

The nonlinear model indicated that the change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT were associated with the efficacy of nCRT. The change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT were used to predict the area under the ROC curve of efficacy for nCRT (0.95, 0.91-0.99), which was better than the prediction by the change ratio of SUA (0.94, 0.89-0.99), SUA/SCr (0.90, 0.84-0.96), or GGT alone (0.86, 0.79-0.93; p < 0.05). The optimal cut-off values of SUA, SUA/SCr, and GGT change were 0.02, 0.01, and 0.04, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier method indicated that patients with SUA, SUA/SCr, or GGT changes greater than the cut-off values had shorter DFS (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Change ratios of SUA, SUA/SCr, or GGT greater than the cut-off values implied a risk of poor pathological response after nCRT and shorter DFS in LARC patients.

Executive Summary of the American Radium Society on Appropriate Use Criteria for Nonoperative Management of Rectal Adenocarcinoma: Systematic Review and Guidelines

For patients with rectal cancer, the standard approach of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery (trimodality therapy) is associated with significant long-term toxicity and/or colostomy for most patients. Patient options focused on quality of life (QOL) have dramatically improved, but there remains limited guidance regarding comparative effectiveness. This systematic review and associated guidelines evaluate how various treatment strategies compare to each other in terms of oncologic outcomes and QOL. Cochrane and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology were used to search for prospective and retrospective trials and meta-analyses of adequate quality within the Ovid Medline database between January 1, 2012, and June 15, 2023. These studies informed the expert panel, which rated the appropriateness of various treatments in 6 clinical scenarios through a well-established consensus methodology (modified Delphi). The search process yielded 197 articles that advised voting. Increasing data have shown that nonoperative management (NOM) and primary surgery result in QOL benefits noted over trimodality therapy without detriment to oncologic outcomes. For patients with rectal cancer for whom total mesorectal excision would result in permanent colostomy or inadequate bowel continence, NOM was strongly recommended as usually appropriate. Restaging with tumor response assessment approximately 8 to 12 weeks after completion of radiation therapy/chemoradiation therapy was deemed a necessary component of NOM. The panel recommended active surveillance in the setting of a near-complete or complete response. In the setting of NOM, 54 to 56 Gy in 27 to 31 fractions concurrent with chemotherapy and followed by consolidation chemotherapy was recommended. The panel strongly recommends primary surgery as usually appropriate for a T3N0 high rectal tumor for which low anterior resection and adequate bowel function is possible, with adjuvant chemotherapy considered if N+. Recent data support NOM and primary surgery as important options that should be offered to eligible patients. Considering the complexity of multidisciplinary management, patients should be discussed in a multidisciplinary setting, and therapy should be tailored to individual patient goals/values.

Exploring treatment outcomes in Stage II-III rectal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy at a tertiary care center in Pakistan: a comprehensive analysis of pathological outcomes

BACKGROUND

Rectal cancer treatment has transformed in recent years, with neoadjuvant treatment (NT) and total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) aiming to enhance pathological responses. This pioneering study in our country delves into rectal cancer management, offering crucial insights by examining pathological outcomes in patients treated with the NT and TNT approach, shaping the evolving landscape.

METHODS

In this retrospective-cohort study spanning January 2017 to December 2022 at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan, ethical approval was obtained to examine outcomes of two treatments. Patients were divided into TNT (chemoradiation and pre-surgery 5 FU-based chemotherapy) and NT (chemoradiation, surgery, and subsequent 5 FU-based chemotherapy). The primary end-point was response rates-no response, pathological complete response (pCR), near complete response (near CR), and partial response (PR). The Chi-Square Test for Independence assessed the association between treatment response and type (TNT or NT). Data analysis used STATA MP 64; significance was set at p < 0.05 for all two-tailed tests.

RESULTS

We analyzed 77 patients, 60 underwent standard neoadjuvant chemoradiation, and 17 followed the total neoadjuvant approach. Predominantly male, most were > 65 with ECOG 0-1. The TNT group showed higher response rates (76% vs 62%, p = 0.039), with 40.38% achieving pCR. In the overall population, pCR and near-CR were similar (27.2% vs 26%), while PR were 14%. Treatment characteristics correlated significantly with chemotherapy type, concurrent chemoradiation, LVI, PNI, and T, N, M staging (p < 0.05). Median overall survival was not reached, and mean survival was 89.1 months (CI: 95.0 to 83.3). Side effects varied, with notable differences in neuropathy, diarrhea, oral mucositis, and thrombocytopenia between NT and TNT groups.

CONCLUSION

Our study adds to evidence favoring neoadjuvant approaches in managing rectal cancer in pakistan. Demonstrating a favorable pcr rate, ongoing research with extended follow-up is essential, given the dynamic landscape of rectal cancer treatment for improved patient outcomes.

Neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy or chemoradiation plus consolidative chemotherapy followed by radical operation for locally advanced rectal cancer

Introduction

Limited evidence compares short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) and long-course chemoradiotherapy (LCCRT), both of which are followed by consolidative chemotherapy before radical rectal surgery. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to assess treatment response, survival outcomes, and toxicity in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Materials and methods

Patients (cT3-4 and/or N+) treated with SCRT or LCCRT, consolidative chemotherapy, or total mesorectal excision between 2013 and 2021 were identified. the cause-specific cumulative incidence of disease-related treatment failure, locoregional recurrence, distant metastases, and overall survival were evaluated using flexible parametric competing risk analysis and Kaplan-Meier methods, adjusted for treatment regimens and clinicopathological factors. A pathological complete response (pCR), tumor downstaging, and toxicity have been reported.

Results

Among the 144 patients, 115 (80%) underwent curative rectal surgery. The LCCRT and SCRT groups achieved pCR in 10 (18%) and seven (12%) patients, respectively (odds ratio, 1.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59-4.78). The adjusted cause-specific hazard ratio for disease-related treatment failure with LCCRT versus SCRT was 0.26 (95% CI, 0.08-0.87). Three-year cumulative probability of disease-related treatment failure was 10.0% and 25.6% for LCCRT and SCRT, respectively. No significant differences in T-downstaging, N-downstaging, significant pathologic downstaging (ypT0-2N0), locoregional failure, distant metastasis, or overall survival were found. Late rectal toxicity occurred in 10 (15%) LCCRT and two (3%) SCRT patients, respectively.

Conclusion

LCCRT with consolidative chemotherapy demonstrated improved disease-related treatment failure compared with SCRT, despite higher late rectal toxicity. Further research is needed to assess the long-term oncologic outcomes and toxicity.

Combined DNA Analysis from Stool and Blood Samples Improves Tumor Tracking and Assessment of Clonal Heterogeneity in Localized Rectal Cancer Patients

Objectives: In this study, stool samples were evaluated for tumor mutation analysis via a targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) approach in a small patient cohort suffering from localized rectal cancer. Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) causes the second highest cancer-related death rate worldwide. Thus, improvements in disease assessment and monitoring that may facilitate treatment allocation and allow organ-sparing "watch-and-wait" treatment strategies are highly relevant for a significant number of CRC patients. Methods: Stool-based results were compared with mutation profiles derived from liquid biopsies and the gold standard procedure of tumor biopsy from the same patients. A workflow was established that enables the detection of de-novo tumor mutations in stool samples of CRC patients via ultra-sensitive cell-free tumor DNA target enrichment. Results: Notably, only a 19% overall concordance was found in mutational profiles across the compared sample specimens of stool, tumor, and liquid biopsies. Conclusion: Based on these results, the analysis of stool and liquid biopsy samples can provide important additional information on tumor heterogeneity and potentially on the assessment of minimal residual disease and clonal tumor evolution.

Quality of Surgical Outcome Reporting in Randomised Clinical Trials of Multimodal Rectal Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) continue to provide the best evidence for treatment options, but the quality of reporting in RCTs and the completeness rate of reporting of surgical outcomes and complication data vary widely. The aim of this study was to measure the quality of reporting of the surgical outcome and complication data in RCTs of rectal cancer treatment and whether this quality has changed over time.

METHODS

Eligible articles with the keywords ("rectal cancer" OR "rectal carcinoma") AND ("radiation" OR "radiotherapy") that were RCTs and published in the English, German, Polish, or Italian language were identified by reviewing all abstracts published from 1982 through 2022. Two authors independently screened and analysed all studies. The quality of the surgical outcome and complication data was assessed based on fourteen criteria, and the quality of RCTs was evaluated based on a modified Jadad scale. The primary outcome was the quality of reporting in RCTs and the completeness rate of reporting of surgical results and complication data.

RESULTS

A total of 340 articles reporting multimodal therapy outcomes for 143,576 rectal cancer patients were analysed. A total of 7 articles (2%) met all 14 reporting criteria, 13 met 13 criteria, 27 met from 11 to 12 criteria, 36 met from 9 to 10 criteria, 76 met from 7 to 8 criteria, and most articles met fewer than 7 criteria (mean 5.5 criteria). Commonly underreported criteria included complication severity (15% of articles), macroscopic integrity of mesorectal excision (17% of articles), length of stay (18% of articles), number of lymph nodes (21% of articles), distance between the tumour and circumferential resection margin (CRM) (26% of articles), surgical radicality according to the site of the primary tumour (R0 vs. R1 + R2) (29% of articles), and CRM status (38% of articles).

CONCLUSION

Inconsistent surgical outcome and complication data reporting in multimodal rectal cancer treatment RCTs is standard. Standardised reporting of clinical and oncological outcomes should be established to facilitate comparing studies and results of related research topics.

Radiotherapy in the preoperative neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are effective treatments for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and can significantly improve the likelihood of R0 resection. Radiotherapy can be used as a local treatment to reduce the size of the tumor, improve the success rate of surgery and reduce the residual cancer cells after surgery. Early chemotherapy can also downgrade the tumor and eliminate micrometastases throughout the body, reducing the risk of recurrence and metastasis. The advent of neoadjuvant concurrent radiotherapy (nCRT) and total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) has brought substantial clinical benefits to patients with LARC. Even so, given increasing demand for organ preservation and quality of life and the disease becoming increasingly younger in its incidence profile, there is a need to further explore new neoadjuvant treatment options to further improve tumor remission rates and provide other opportunities for patients to choose watch-and-wait (W&W) strategies that avoid surgery. Targeted drugs and immunologic agents (ICIs) have shown good efficacy in patients with advanced rectal cancer but have not been commonly used in neoadjuvant therapy for patients with LARC. In this paper, we review several aspects of neoadjuvant therapy, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy drugs, immune drugs and targeted drugs used in combination with neoadjuvant therapy, with the aim of providing direction and thoughtful perspectives for LARC clinical treatment and research trials.

Total neoadjuvant therapy followed by a watch-and-wait strategy for patients with rectal cancer (TOWARd): protocol for single-arm phase II/III confirmatory trial (JCOG2010)

BACKGROUND

Radical surgery is the standard treatment for rectal cancer, but can impact quality of life. Recently, the concept of total neoadjuvant therapy with a watch-and-wait strategy has been proposed in which patients with a cCR after total neoadjuvant therapy do not proceed to surgery. However, most investigations of a watch-and-wait strategy have reported cases where cCR was achieved coincidentally via total neoadjuvant therapy. The aim is to assess whether total neoadjuvant therapy is effective in early-stage rectal cancer in patients that achieve cCR and are offered a watch-and-wait strategy.

METHODS

JCOG2010 (TOWARd) is a multi-institutional, single-arm phase II/III confirmatory investigation of the safety and efficacy of total neoadjuvant therapy followed by a watch-and-wait strategy for rectal cancer. Key eligibility criteria include cT2-3 N0 M0 rectal adenocarcinoma, tumour diameter less than or equal to 5 cm, age 18-75 years, performance status 0-1, and no history of pelvic irradiation or rectal surgery. Total neoadjuvant therapy involves neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (capecitabine and radiotherapy: 45 Gy/25 fractions to the whole pelvis plus boost of 5.4 Gy/3 fractions to the primary tumour) followed by consolidation chemotherapy (four cycles of capecitabine/oxaliplatin). Patients will be re-staged every 8 weeks after total neoadjuvant therapy, and those who achieve cCR will undergo a watch-and-wait strategy, those with near complete response will undergo a watch-and-wait strategy or local resection, and those with an incomplete response will undergo radical surgery. The primary endpoint is the cCR rate in phase II and 5-year overall survival in phase III. Secondary endpoints include postoperative anal, urinary, and sexual function. A total of 105 patients (phase II, 40 patients; phase III, 65 patients) will be enrolled over 3.5 years.

CONCLUSION

This trial will determine whether total neoadjuvant therapy and a watch-and-wait strategy is an effective alternative to radical surgery for early-stage rectal cancer in patients with cT2-3 N0 M0 and tumour size less than or equal to 5 cm.

REGISTRATION NUMBER

jRCTs031220288 (https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs031220288).

Implications of Rectal Cancer Radiotherapy on the Immune Microenvironment: Allies and Foes to Therapy Resistance and Patients' Outcome

Aside from surgical resection, locally advanced rectal cancer is regularly treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Since the concept of cancer treatment has shifted from only focusing on tumor cells as drivers of disease progression towards a broader understanding including the dynamic tumor microenvironment (TME), the impact of radiotherapy on the TME and specifically the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) is increasingly recognized. Both promoting as well as suppressing effects on anti-tumor immunity have been reported in response to rectal cancer (chemo-)radiotherapy and various targets for combination therapies are under investigation. A literature review was conducted searching the PubMed database for evidence regarding the pleiotropic effects of (chemo-)radiotherapy on the rectal cancer TIME, including alterations in cytokine levels, immune cell populations and activity as well as changes in immune checkpoint proteins. Radiotherapy can induce immune-stimulating and -suppressive alterations, potentially mediating radioresistance. The response is influenced by treatment modalities, including the dosage administered and the highly individual intrinsic pre-treatment immune status. Directly addressing the main immune cells of the TME, this review aims to highlight therapeutical implications since efficient rectal cancer treatment relies on personalized strategies combining conventional therapies with immune-modulating approaches, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Can neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy benefit patients with microsatellite stable locally advanced rectal cancer? a pooled and integration analysis

Objective

To assess the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy for patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) locally advanced rectal cancer and provide evidence to support clinical decision-making.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted on the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Collaboration databases, conference summaries, and Chinese databases for clinical studies that investigated neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy for the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer with MSS status. The search spanned from the inception of each database through July 2023. Data from the identified studies were extracted using a pre-designed table, and efficacy outcomes were analyzed. An integrated analysis was conducted using Stata 12.0 software.

Results

Eight studies were included, comprising 204 patients with locally advanced MSS rectal cancer who received chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy. The integrated analysis revealed a pathologic complete remission rate of 0.33, a sphincter preservation rate of 0.86, an R0 resection rate of 0.83, a major pathologic remission rate of 0.33, and a clinical complete remission rate of 0.30.

Conclusion

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy demonstrates significant short-term efficacy in MSS-type locally advanced rectal cancer, notably enhancing the pathologic complete remission and sphincter preservation rates. This combination is a recommended treatment for patients with MSS-type rectal cancer.

Improved Pathologic response to chemoradiation in MGMT methylated locally advanced rectal cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

With the growing interest in total neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma (LARC) there is an urgent unmet need to identify predictive markers of response to long-course neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (LCRT). O6-Methylguanine (O6-MG)-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) gene methylation has been associated in some malignancies with response to concurrent chemoradiotherapy. We attempted to find if pathologic response to LCRT was associated with MGMT promoter hypermethylation (MGMTh).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients were identified with LARC, available pre-treatment biopsy specimens, and at least 1 year of follow-up who received LCRT followed by surgical resection within 6 months. Biopsies were tested for MGMTh using a Qiagen pyrosequencing kit (Catalog number 970061). The primary outcome of LCRT responsiveness was based on tumor regression grade (TRG), with grades of 0-1 considered to have excellent response and grades of 2-3 considered to be non-responders. Secondary outcomes included overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS).

RESULTS

Of 96 patients who met inclusion criteria, 76 had samples which produced reliable assay results. MGMTh corresponded with higher grade and age of the biopsy specimen. The percentage of responders to LCRT was higher amongst the MGMTh patients than the MGMTn patients (60.0% vs 27.5%, p value = 0.0061). MGMTh was not significantly associated with improved OS (2-year OS of 96.0% vs 98.0%, p = 0.8102) but there was a trend for improved RFS (2-year RFS of 87.6% vs 74.2%, p = 0.0903).

CONCLUSION

Significantly greater tumor regression following LCRT was seen in MGMTh LARC. Methylation status may help identify good candidates for close observation without surgery following LCRT.

Induction therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab followed by consolidative chemoradiation as organ-sparing treatment in urothelial bladder cancer: study protocol of the INDIBLADE trial

Introduction

Studies that assessed the efficacy of pre-operative immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in locally advanced urothelial cancer of the bladder showed encouraging pathological complete response rates, suggesting that a bladder-sparing approach may be a viable option in a subset of patients. Chemoradiation is an alternative for radical cystectomy with similar oncological outcomes, but is still mainly used in selected patients with organ-confined tumors or patients ineligible to undergo radical cystectomy. We propose to sequentially administer ICB and chemoradiation to patients with (locally advanced) muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Methods

The INDIBLADE trial is an investigator-initiated, single-arm, multicenter phase 2 trial. Fifty patients with cT2-4aN0-2M0 urothelial bladder cancer will be treated with ipilimumab 3 mg/kg on day 1, ipilimumab 3 mg/kg plus nivolumab 1 mg/kg on day 22, and nivolumab 3 mg/kg on day 43 followed by chemoradiation. The primary endpoint is the bladder-intact event-free survival (BI-EFS). Events include: local or distant recurrence, salvage cystectomy, death and switch to platinum-based chemotherapy. We will also evaluate the potential of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of the bladder to identify non-responders, and we will assess the clearance of circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker for ICB treatment response.

Discussion

This is the first trial in which the efficacy of induction combination ICB followed by chemoradiation is being evaluated to provide bladder-preservation in patients with (locally advanced) urothelial bladder cancer.

Clinical Trial Registration

The INDIBLADE trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov on January 21, 2022 (NCT05200988).

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with capecitabine based regimen in locally advanced rectal cancer: A retrospective study

Capecitabine-based neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer. The objective of this study is to analyze overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and prognostic factors of patients with stage II to III rectal cancer treated with nCRT in our institution. Between March 2014 to June 2020, 121 locally advanced rectal cancer patients were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. All of the enrolled patients were treated with capecitabine-based nCRT (pelvic radiotherapy: 45-50.4 Gy, 1.8 Gy/d plus concomitant capecitabine-based chemotherapy), total mesorectal excision surgery (surgery was carried out 8-12 weeks after the end of CRT), and capecitabine-based adjuvant chemotherapy. We examined the pathological complete response rate, 3-year OS, 3-year DFS and the other prognostic factors. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test were used to estimate and compare survival rate. With a median follow-up of 36 months, 3-year DFS and 3-year OS was 74.4% and 83.2%, respectively. Among the 121 patients, 24 achieved pathological complete remission (19.8%). After multivariate analysis, ypTNM stage (TNM stage after neoadjuvant therapy) was significantly associated with DFS. Positive mesorectal fasciae (MRF) status on magnetic resonance imaging and ypTNM stage were significantly related to OS. CRT with capecitabine based regimen provides high rates of survival and sphincter preservation with acceptable toxicity. YpTNM stage was significantly associated with DFS; magnetic resonance imaging MRF status and ypTNM stage were significant factors for OS after multivariate analysis. Distant metastasis is the dominant mode of treatment failure, and it is crucial to optimize systemic treatment for newly diagnosed patients.

Influence of proton pump inhibitors on the pathological response of rectal cancer: a multicentre study

Background

The standard neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer involves fluoropyrimidines and radiotherapy and, most recently, total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT). A drug-drug interaction between fluoropyrimidines and proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) was suggested, with a negative impact on oncological outcomes in breast, colon and gastric cancers. Little is known about such an effect on rectal tumours. We aimed to evaluate the impact of PPI utilisation on the pathological response after chemoradiation for rectal cancer.

Materials and methods

Retrospective multicentre study of rectal cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with capecitabine (cohort 1) or 5-fluororuracil (5-FU) (cohort 2); TNT with oxaliplatin-based regimens was allowed. The pathological response was considered a complete (ypCR) or complete + partial (ypCR + ypPR) according to American Joint Committee on Cancer. PPI use was considered at any time during the neoadjuvant period if concomitant to fluoropyrimidines.

Results

From January 2007 to November 2020, 251 patients received capecitabine and 196 5-FU. The rates of PPI use in cohorts 1 and 2 were 20.3% and 26.5%, respectively. TNT was offered to 18.3% in cohort 1. PPI use did not influence ypCR in cohort 1 (yes versus no: 29.4% versus 19.5%; p = 0.13) or 2 (yes versus no: 25.0% versus 26.4%; p = 1.0). Similar ypCR + ypPR were observed in both cohorts 1 (76.5% versus 72.0%; p = 0.60) and 2 (86.5% versus 76.4%; p = 0.16). PPI use was not associated with pathological response in multivariable analysis. PPI users experienced more grade 3 or higher diarrhoea and infections.

Conclusion

PPI concomitant to capecitabine/5-FU chemoradiation did not influence the pathological response in rectal cancer but was associated with more treatment-related adverse events.

The Impact of Age in the Treatment of Non-comorbid Patients with Rectal Cancer: Survival Outcomes from the National Cancer Database

BACKGROUND

Multimodal therapy has improved survival outcomes for rectal cancer (RC) significantly with an exemption for older patients. We sought to assess whether older non-comorbid patients receive substandard oncological treatment for localized RC referring to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines and whether it affects survival outcomes.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study using patient data from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) for histologically confirmed RC from 2002 to 2014. Non-comorbid patients between ≥50 and ≤85 years and defined treatment for localized RC were included and assigned to a younger (<75 years) and an older group (≥75 years). Treatment approaches and their impact on relative survival (RS) were analyzed using loess regression models and compared between both groups. Furthermore, mediation analysis was performed to measure the independent relative effect on age and other variables on RS. Data were assessed using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist.

RESULTS

Of 59,769 included patients, 48,389 (81.0%) were assigned to the younger group (<75 years). Oncologic resection was performed in 79.6% of the younger patients compared to 67.2% of the older patients (p < 0.001). Chemotherapy (74.3% vs. 56.1%) and radiotherapy (72.0% vs. 58.1%) were provided less often in older patients, respectively (p < 0.001). Increasing age was associated with enhanced 30- and 90-day mortality with 0.6% and 1.1% in the younger and 2.0% and 4.1% in the elderly group (p < 0.001) and worse RS rates [multivariable adjusted HR: 1.93 (95% CI 1.87-2.00), p < 0.001]. Adherence to standard oncological therapy resulted in a significant increase in 5-year RS (multivariable adjusted HR: 0.80 (95% CI 0.74-0.86), p < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that RS was mainly affected by age itself (84%) rather than the choice of therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The likelihood to receive substandard oncological therapy increases in the older population and negatively affects RS. Since age itself has a major impact on RS, better patient selection should be performed to identify those that are potentially eligible for standard oncological care regardless of their age.

Forecasting Individual Patients' Best Time for Surgery in Colon-Rectal Cancer by Tumor Regression during and after Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy

The standard treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer is neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy before surgery. For those patients experiencing a complete clinical response after the treatment, a watch-and-wait strategy with close monitoring may be practicable. In this respect, the identification of biomarkers of the response to therapy is extremely important. Many mathematical models have been developed or used to describe tumor growth, such as Gompertz's Law and the Logistic Law. Here we show that the parameters of those macroscopic growth laws, obtained by fitting the tumor evolution during and immediately after therapy, are a useful tool for evaluating the best time for surgery in this type of cancer. A limited number of experimental observations of the tumor volume regression, during and after the neoadjuvant doses, permits a reliable evaluation of a specific patient response (partial or complete recovery) for a later time, and one can evaluate a modification of the scheduled treatment, following a watch-and-wait approach or an early or late surgery. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy effects can be quantitatively described by applying Gompertz's Law and the Logistic Law to estimate tumor growth by monitoring patients at regular intervals. We show a quantitative difference in macroscopic parameters between partial and complete response patients, reliable for estimating the treatment effects and best time for surgery.

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy using tegafur/uracil, oral leucovorin, and irinotecan (TEGAFIRI) followed by oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy as total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: the study protocol for a phase II trial

BACKGROUND

Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) is a novel treatment strategy that is an alternative to preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, an optimal protocol for TNT has not yet been established. The present study will be an open-label, single-arm, single-center trial to develop a new protocol.

METHODS

Thirty LARC patients at high risk of distant metastasis will receive CRT consisting of long-course radiation, concurrent with tegafur/uracil, oral leucovorin, irinotecan (TEGAFIRI), followed by mFOLFOX-6 or CAPOX before undergoing surgery.

DISCUSSION

Since previous findings showed a high percentage of grade 3-4 adverse events with the TEGAFIRI regimen for CRT and TNT, the primary outcome of this study will be safety and feasibility. Our regimen for CRT consists of the biweekly administration of irinotecan for good patient compliance. The novel combination approach of this treatment may improve the long-term outcomes of LARC.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Japan Registry of Clinical Trials jRCTs031210660.

Chemoradiation for muscle-invasive bladder cancer using 5-fluorouracil versus capecitabine: A nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Oral capecitabine and intravenous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) are both used as a radiosensitizer in chemoradiotherapy (CRT). A capecitabine-based regimen is more convenient for both patients and healthcare professionals. Since large comparative studies are lacking, we compared toxicity, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) between both CRT-regimens in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

All patients diagnosed with non-metastatic MIBC between November 2017-November 2019 were consecutively included in the BlaZIB study. Data on patient, tumor, treatment characteristics and toxicity were prospectively collected from the medical files. From this cohort, all patients with cT2-4aN0-2/xM0/x, treated with capecitabine or 5-FU-based CRT were included in the current study. Toxicity in both groups was compared using Fisher-exact tests. Propensity score-based inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to correct for baseline differences between groups. IPTW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier OS and DFS curves were compared using log-rank tests.

RESULTS

Of the 222 included patients, 111 (50%) were treated with 5-FU and 111 (50%) with capecitabine. Curative CRT was completed according to treatment plan in 77% of patients in the capecitabine-based group and 62% of the 5-FU group (p = 0.06). Adverse events (14 vs 21%, p = 0.29), 2-year OS (73% vs 61%, p = 0.07) and 2-year DFS (56% vs 50%, p = 0.50) did not differ significantly between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Chemoradiotherapy with capecitabine and MMC is associated with a similar toxicity profile compared to 5-FU plus MMC and no difference in survival was found. Capecitabine-based CRT, as a more patient-friendly schedule, may be considered as an alternative to a 5-FU-based regimen.

Neoadjuvant PD-1 blockade with sintilimab in mismatch-repair deficient, locally advanced rectal cancer: an open-label, single-centre phase 2 study

BACKGROUND

The current standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer is neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by radical surgery, but this approach can lead to multiple complications. We aimed to investigate the clinical activity and safety of neoadjuvant therapy with sintilimab, a single-agent PD-1 antibody, in patients with mismatch-repair deficient locally advanced rectal cancer.

METHODS

This open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study was done at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China. Patients aged 18-75 years with mismatch-repair deficient or microsatellite instability-high locally advanced rectal cancer were enrolled and received neoadjuvant sintilimab monotherapy (200 mg by intravenous infusion) every 21 days. After an initial four cycles of treatment, patients and clinicians could choose one of the following options: total mesorectal excision surgery, followed by four cycles of adjuvant sintilimab with or without CapeOX chemotherapy (capecitabine 1000 mg/m², orally administered twice daily on days 1-14; oxaliplatin 130 mg/m², intravenously administered on day 1 every 3 weeks), determined by clinicians; or another four cycles of sintilimab followed by radical surgery or observation (only for patients with a clinical complete response; also known as the watch and wait strategy). The primary endpoint was the complete response rate, which included both a pathological complete response after surgery and a clinical complete response after completion of sintilimab treatment. Clinical response was evaluated by digital rectal examination, MRI, and endoscopy. Response was assessed in all patients who received treatment at least until the first tumour response assessment, after the first two cycles of sintilimab. Safety was analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of treatment. This trial is closed to enrolment and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04304209).

FINDINGS

Between Oct 19, 2019, and June 18, 2022, 17 patients were enrolled and received at least one dose of sintilimab. The median age was 50 years (IQR 35-59) and 11 (65%) of 17 patients were male. One patient was excluded from efficacy analyses because they were lost to follow-up after the first sintilimab cycle. Of the remaining 16 patients, six underwent surgery, of whom three had a pathological complete response. Nine other patients had a clinical complete response and chose the watch and wait strategy. One patient had a serious adverse event and discontinued treatment; this patient did not have a complete clinical response and refused to undergo surgery. A complete response was thus noted for 12 (75%; 95% CI 47-92) of 16 patients. One of the three patients who underwent surgery but did not have a pathological complete response showed an increase in tumour volume after the initial four cycles of sintilimab (at which point they underwent surgery); this patient was deemed to have primary resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors. After a median follow-up of 17·2 (IQR 8·2-28·5) months, all patients were alive and none had disease recurrence. Only one (6%) patient had a grade 3-4 adverse event, which was deemed a serious adverse event (grade 3 encephalitis).

INTERPRETATION

The preliminary results of this study suggest that anti-PD-1 monotherapy is effective and tolerable for patients with mismatch-repair deficient locally advanced rectal cancer and could potentially spare some patients from radical surgery. Longer treatment courses might be needed to achieve maximum effects in some patients. Longer follow-up is also needed to observe the duration of response.

FUNDING

The National Natural Science Foundation of China, CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences, Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou, and Innovent Biologics.

A Phase II Study of Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy with Capecitabine Plus Simvastatin in Patients with Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

PURPOSE

The purpose of this phase II trial was to evaluate whether the addition of simvastatin, a synthetic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, to preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with capecitabine confers a clinical benefit to patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with LARC (defined by clinical stage T3/4 and/or lymph node positivity) received preoperative radiation (45-50.4 Gy in 25-28 daily fractions) with concomitant capecitabine (825 mg/m2 twice per day) and simvastatin (80 mg, daily). Curative surgery was planned 4-8 weeks after completion of the CRT regimen. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR). The secondary endpoints included sphincter-sparing surgery, R0 resection, disease-free survival, overall survival, the pattern of failure, and toxicity.

RESULTS

Between October 2014 and July 2017, 61 patients were enrolled; 53 patients completed CRT regimen and underwent total mesorectal excision. The pCR rate was 18.9% (n=10) by per-protocol analysis. Sphincter-sparing surgery was performed in 51 patients (96.2%). R0 resection was achieved in 51 patients (96.2%). One patient experienced grade 3 liver enzyme elevation. No patient experienced additional toxicity caused by simvastatin.

CONCLUSION

The combination of 80 mg simvastatin with CRT and capecitabine did not improve pCR in patients with LARC, although it did not increase toxicity.

Efficacy and safety of different radiotherapy doses in neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer: A retrospective study

Background

This study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) with different radiotherapy doses (45Gy and 50.4Gy) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

Methods

Herein, 120 patients with LARC were retrospectively enrolled between January 2016 and June 2021. All patients underwent two courses of induction chemotherapy (XELOX), chemoradiotherapy, and total mesorectum excision (TME). A total of 72 patients received a radiotherapy dose of 50.4 Gy, while 48 patients received a dose of 45 Gy. Surgery was then performed within 5-12 weeks following nCRT.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between the baseline characteristics of the two groups. The rate of good pathological response in the 50.4Gy group was 59.72% (43/72), while in the 45Gy group achieved 64.58% (31/48) (P>0.05). The disease control rate (DCR) in the 50.4Gy group was 88.89% (64/72), compared to 89.58% (43/48) in the 45Gy group (P>0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions for radioactive proctitis, myelosuppression, and intestinal obstruction or perforation differed significantly between the two groups (P<0.05). The anal retention rate in the 50.4Gy group was significantly higher in contrast to the 45Gy group (P<0.05).

Conclusions

Patients receiving a radiotherapy dose of 50.4Gy have a better anal retention rate but also a higher incidence of adverse events such as radioactive proctitis, myelosuppression, and intestinal obstruction or perforation, and a comparable prognosis to patients treated with a radiotherapy dose of 45Gy.

Yttrium-90 Radioembolization and Concomitant Systemic Gemcitabine, Cisplatin, and Capecitabine as the First-Line Therapy for Locally Advanced Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

PURPOSE

To determine the safety and effectiveness of yttrium-90 transarterial radioembolization (TARE) combined with systemic gemcitabine, cisplatin, and capecitabine for the first-line treatment of locally advanced intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data of 13 patients with treatment-naïve, locally advanced iCCA treated with a downstaging protocol using gemcitabine, cisplatin, TARE, and capecitabine were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival (OS), local tumor response (modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors), progression-free survival (PFS), technical adverse events, and toxicity were measured.

RESULTS

Calculated from the time of diagnosis, the median OS was 29 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 15 to not reached), with a 1-year OS of 84.6% (95% CI, 52.2%-95.9%) and 2-year OS of 52.9% (95% CI, 20.3%-77.5%). The median OS values were 24 months (95% CI, 8 to not reached) and 21 months (95% CI, 5 to not reached) from the time of initial cycle of chemotherapy and TARE, respectively. Patients who were downstaged to surgery (n = 7, 53.8%) had a more favorable OS (median OS, not reached vs 15 months; P = .0221). Complete and partial radiologic responses were achieved in 5 (38.5%) and 6 (46.2%) patients, respectively. The median PFS was 13 months (95% CI, 12 to not reached). Although no serum toxicity with Grade >2 occurred within 3 months after TARE, 1 patient was no longer a surgical candidate given suboptimal nutrition status despite successful downstage on imaging studies. Two patients required a reduced dose or delay of post-TARE chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

First-line combination therapy with TARE and systemic gemcitabine, cisplatin, and capecitabine is an effective treatment with an acceptable safety profile for iCCA with a high rate of downstaging to resection.

Clinical benefits of oral capecitabine over intravenous 5-fluorouracyl regimen in case of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer

Background: During the last decade, one of the most important treatment options for locally advanced, potencially resectable rectal tumours was neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by surgery. Methods: Effects of the neoadjuvant treatment on surgical outcomes were retrospectively analysed in 185 patients with stage T2-T4 and N0-2, resectable rectal tumour among two patient groups defined by radiosensitizer agents. Group 1 (n = 94) involved radiotherapy (RT) with 50.4 Gy total dose (25 × 1.8 Gy + 3 × 1.8 Gy tumour bed boost), and intravenous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) (350 mg/m²) with leucovorin (20 mg/m²) on the 1-5 and 21-25 days, while Group 2 (n = 91) RT and orally administrated capecitabine (daily 2 × 825 mg/m²) on RT days. Surgery was carried out after 8-10 weeks. Side effects, perioperative complications, type of surgery, number of removed regional lymph nodes, resection margins and tumour regression grade (TRG) were analysed. Results: More favourable side effects were observed in Group 2. Despite the same rate of diarrhoea (Group 1 vs. Group 2: 54.3% vs. 56.0%), Grade 2-3 diarrhoea ratio was lower (p = 0.0352) after capecitabine (Group 2). Weight loss occurred in 17.0% and 2.2% (p = 0.00067), while nausea and vomiting was described in 38.3% and 15.4% (p = 0.00045) with 5-FU treatment and capecitabine respectively. Anaemia was observed in 33.0% and 22.0% (p = 0.0941). Complete tumour regression occurred in 25.3% after oral- and 13.8% after intravenous treatment (p = 0.049). Ratio of sphincter preservation was higher with laparoscopy than open surgery (72.3% vs. 39.7%) (p = 0.00001). Conclusion: The study confirms advantages of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy with oral capecitabine for rectal tumours, such as more favourable side effect profile and overall clinical outcome, with increased rate of complete tumour regression.

Associations between disrupted functional brain network topology and cognitive impairment in patients with rectal cancer during chemotherapy

Introduction

Cognitive impairment has been identified in patients with non-central nervous system cancer received chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-induced changes in the brain are considered as the possible causes of the cognitive deficits of patients. This study aimed to explore chemotherapy-related functional brain changes and cognitive impairment in rectal cancer (RC) patients who had just finished chemotherapy treatment.

Methods

In this study, RC patients after chemotherapy (on the day patients received the last dose of chemotherapy) (n=30) and matched healthy controls (HCs) (n=30) underwent cognitive assessments, structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI. The functional brain networks were constructed by thresholding the partial correlation matrices of 90 brain regions in the Anatomical Automatic Labeling template and the topologic properties were evaluated by graph theory analysis. Moreover, correlations between altered topological measures and scores of cognitive scales were explored in the patient group.

Results

Compared with HCs, RC patients had lower scores of cognitive scales. The functional brain network had preserved small-world topological features but with a tendency towards higher path length in the whole network. In addition, patients had decreased nodal global efficiency (E_glo(i)) in the left superior frontal gyrus (dorsolateral), superior frontal gyrus (orbital part), inferior frontal gyrus (opercular part), inferior frontal gyrus (triangular part) and right inferior frontal gyrus (triangular part). Moreover, values of E_glo(i) in the superior and inferior frontal gyrus were positively associated with cognitive function in the patient group.

Conclusion

These results suggested that cognitive impairment was associated with disruptions of the topological organization in functional brain networks of RC patients who had just finished chemotherapy, which provided new insights into the pathophysiology underlying acute effects of chemotherapy on cognitive function.

Short-term Outcomes of Laparoscopy-Assisted vs Open Surgery for Patients With Low Rectal Cancer: The LASRE Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

The efficacy of laparoscopic vs open surgery for patients with low rectal cancer has not been established.

Objective

To compare the short-term efficacy of laparoscopic surgery vs open surgery for treatment of low rectal cancer.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This multicenter, noninferiority randomized clinical trial was conducted in 22 tertiary hospitals across China. Patients scheduled for curative-intent resection of low rectal cancer were randomized at a 2:1 ratio to undergo laparoscopic or open surgery. Between November 2013 and June 2018, 1070 patients were randomized to laparoscopic (n = 712) or open (n = 358) surgery. The planned follow-up was 5 years. Data analysis was performed from April 2021 to March 2022.

Interventions

Eligible patients were randomized to receive either laparoscopic or open surgery.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The short-term outcomes included pathologic outcomes, surgical outcomes, postoperative recovery, and 30-day postoperative complications and mortality.

Results

A total of 1039 patients (685 in laparoscopic and 354 in open surgery) were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis (median [range] age, 57 [20-75] years; 620 men [59.7%]; clinical TNM stage II/III disease in 659 patients). The rate of complete mesorectal excision was 85.3% (521 of 685) in the laparoscopic group vs 85.8% (266 of 354) in the open group (difference, -0.5%; 95% CI, -5.1% to 4.5%; P = .78). The rate of negative circumferential and distal resection margins was 98.2% (673 of 685) vs 99.7% (353 of 354) (difference, -1.5%; 95% CI, -2.8% to 0.0%; P = .09) and 99.4% (681 of 685) vs 100% (354 of 354) (difference, -0.6%; 95% CI, -1.5% to 0.5%; P = .36), respectively. The median number of retrieved lymph nodes was 13.0 vs 12.0 (difference, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.1-1.9; P = .39). The laparoscopic group had a higher rate of sphincter preservation (491 of 685 [71.7%] vs 230 of 354 [65.0%]; difference, 6.7%; 95% CI, 0.8%-12.8%; P = .03) and shorter duration of hospitalization (8.0 vs 9.0 days; difference, -1.0; 95% CI, -1.7 to -0.3; P = .008). There was no significant difference in postoperative complications rate between the 2 groups (89 of 685 [13.0%] vs 61 of 354 [17.2%]; difference, -4.2%; 95% CI, -9.1% to -0.3%; P = .07). No patient died within 30 days.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this randomized clinical trial of patients with low rectal cancer, laparoscopic surgery performed by experienced surgeons was shown to provide pathologic outcomes comparable to open surgery, with a higher sphincter preservation rate and favorable postoperative recovery.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01899547.

A Rare Case of Multiple Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Coexisting with a Rectal Adenocarcinoma in a Patient with Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Syndrome and a Mini Review of the Literature

Background: Multiple gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are extremely rare entities that exist either as spontaneous GISTs or as part of various syndromes, such as Carney’s triad and type I neurofibromatosis (NF1). Attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis (AFAP) is a variant of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) with a milder clinical presentation. Both GISTs and AFAP have been reported to coexist with colorectal cancer, but the coexistence of GISTs and AFAP has never been reported in the literature before. Case report: A 45-year-old male patient with known AFAP arrived scheduled for a total colectomy and ileo-rectal anastomosis due to the malignancy of one of the previously biopsied polyps of the upper rectum. Intraoperatively, multiple nodular tumors were found at the jejunum within a length of 45 cm, for which an enterectomy and enteroanastomosis were performed. A histopathological examination of the whole colectomy specimen confirmed the presence of multiple polyps in the large intestine along with a rectal invasive adenocarcinoma. At the same time, in the examined part of the small intestine, 15 GISTs sized from 0.5 to 2.0 cm of prognostic group I, were identified. The patient’s postoperative course was uncomplicated. Conclusion: Multiple GISTs may present as an asymptomatic disease, and the same thing is true for colorectal cancer. Therefore, the appropriate screening is crucial for entities such as AFAP, since the surgery was performed because of the malignant transformation in one of the polyps and revealed multiple GISTs, as well.

Global status of research on radiotherapy for rectal cancer: A bibliometric and visual analysis

Radiotherapy for rectal cancer has received increasing research attention in recent years; however, no bibliometric assessment has been conducted on the progress of research in this field. This study aimed to visualize the research evolution and emerging research hotspots in the field of rectal cancer radiotherapy using bibliometric methods. Data were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database, including countries, institutions, authors, keywords, and co-citations of references, and the CiteSpace software was used for bibliometric analysis. A total of 5,372 publications on radiotherapy for rectal cancer, published between January 2000 and January 2022, were included. An increasing trend in the number of published articles was observed. There is an overall upward trend in the number of publications published, with the US publishing the most in this field, followed by China and the Netherlands. Italian writer Vincenzo Valentini and German writer R. Sauer ranked first in terms of published articles and co-cited authors, respectively. Literature co-citation and keyword co-occurrence analyses showed that early studies focused on topics such as preoperative radiotherapy, combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and total mesorectal excision. In recent years, gradually increasing attention has been paid to short-course radiotherapy, x-ray brachytherapy, and stereotactic systemic radiotherapy. Burst analysis suggested that magnetic resonance (MR)-guided neoadjuvant radiotherapy studies, mechanistic studies, and clinical trials may emerge as new research hotspots. Rectal cancer radiotherapy has been widely studied and the research hotspots have considerably changed in recent years. Future research hotspots may include MR-guided neoadjuvant radiotherapy studies, mechanistic studies, and clinical trials.

Multimodal Treatment of Rectal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is one of the three most common types of cancer in Germany. Approximately 30% of these cancers are located in the rectum, corresponding to about 18 000 new cases per year.

METHODS

This review is based on publications retrieved by a selective search in the PubMed database, including current guidelines and recommendations.

RESULTS

Specialized imaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging, is essential for treatment planning. In very early stages of this disease, tumors without risk factors can be excised locally. Otherwise, radical surgical resection with lymphadenectomy remains the standard treatment, and can be performed either minimally invasive or open. At present, neoadjuvant treatment plans are evolving in the direction of total neoadjuvant therapy. In addition, recent studies investigate whether the improved efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy might now enable patients with a complete clinical remission to be spared from surgical resection (organ-preserving watch-and-wait strategy).

CONCLUSION

The treatment of rectal cancer is a prime example of an interdisciplinary, multimodal approach. In the past, the focus was mainly on improving oncologic outcomes; at present, increasing attention is being devoted to the patients' quality of life as well and the functional aspects of the various modes of treatment.

Adult and Elderly Risk Factors of Mortality in 23,614 Emergently Admitted Patients with Rectal or Rectosigmoid Junction Malignancy

Background: Colorectal cancer, among which are malignant neoplasms of the rectum and rectosigmoid junction, is the fourth most common cancer cause of death globally. The goal of this study was to evaluate independent predictors of in-hospital mortality in adult and elderly patients undergoing emergency admission for malignant neoplasm of the rectum and rectosigmoid junction. Methods: Demographic and clinical data were obtained from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), 2005−2014, to evaluate adult (age 18−64 years) and elderly (65+ years) patients with malignant neoplasm of the rectum and rectosigmoid junction who underwent emergency surgery. A multivariable logistic regression model with backward elimination process was used to identify the association of predictors and in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 10,918 non-elderly adult and 12,696 elderly patients were included in this study. Their mean (standard deviation (SD)) age was 53 (8.5) and 77.5 (8) years, respectively. The odds ratios (95% confidence interval, P-value) of some of the pertinent risk factors for mortality for operated adults were 1.04 for time to operation (95%CI: 1.02−1.07, p < 0.001), 2.83 for respiratory diseases (95%CI: 2.02−3.98), and 1.93 for cardiac disease (95%CI: 1.39−2.70), among others. Hospital length of stay was a significant risk factor as well for elderly patients—OR: 1.02 (95%CI: 1.01−1.03, p = 0.002). Conclusions: In adult patients who underwent an operation, time to operation, respiratory diseases, and cardiac disease were some of the main risk factors of mortality. In patients who did not undergo a surgical procedure, malignant neoplasm of the rectosigmoid junction, respiratory disease, and fluid and electrolyte disorders were risk factors of mortality. In this patient group, hospital length of stay was only significant for elderly patients.

Are risk factors for anastomotic leakage influencing long-term oncological outcomes after low anterior resection of locally advanced rectal cancer with neoadjuvant therapy? A single-centre cohort study

PURPOSE

Anastomotic leakage (AL) poses the most serious problem following low anterior resection in patients with rectal cancer independent of surgical approach or technique. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors for the occurrence of AL and how they affect the oncological long-term outcome of patients who received neoadjuvant therapy.

METHODS

A single centre cohort study of 163 consecutive locally advanced rectal cancer patients (cT3, cT4, N +) that received neoadjuvant therapy followed by resection with primary anastomosis between January 1998 and December 2020 were included in this study. Short- and long-term findings were compared between patients with AL (Leakage +) and without AL (Leakage -).

RESULTS

A complete follow-up was obtained from 163 patients; thereby, 33 patients (20%) developed an AL. We observed more patients with comorbidities (38% vs. 61%, p = 0.049) which developed a leakage in the course. Permanent stoma rate (36% vs. 18%, p = 0.03) was higher, and time between primary operation and stoma reversal was longer (219 days [172-309] vs. 93 days [50-182], p < 0.001) in this leakage group as well. Tumour distance lower than 6 cm from the anal verge (OR: 2.81 [95%CI: 1.08-7.29], p = 0.04) and comorbidities (OR: 2.22 [95%CI: 1.01-4.90], p = 0.049) was evaluated to be independent risk factors for developing an AL after rectal cancer surgery. Oncological outcome was not influenced by AL nor by other associated risk factors.

CONCLUSION

We could clearly detect the distance of tumour from the anal verge and comorbidities independent risk factors for the occurrence of AL. Oncological findings and long-term outcome were not influenced by these particular risk factors.

Multicenter, Randomized, Phase III Trial of Short-Term Radiotherapy Plus Chemotherapy Versus Long-Term Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (STELLAR)

PURPOSE

To ascertain if preoperative short-term radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy is not inferior to a standard schedule of long-term chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with distal or middle-third, clinical primary tumor stage 3-4 and/or regional lymph node-positive rectal cancer were randomly assigned (1:1) to short-term radiotherapy (25 Gy in five fractions over 1 week) followed by four cycles of chemotherapy (total neoadjuvant therapy [TNT]) or chemoradiotherapy (50 Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks, concurrently with capecitabine [chemoradiotherapy; CRT]). Total mesorectal excision was undertaken 6-8 weeks after preoperative treatment, with two additional cycles of CAPOX (intravenous oxaliplatin [130 mg/m², once a day] on day 1 and capecitabine [1,000 mg/m², twice a day] from days 1 to 14) in the TNT group and six cycles of CAPOX in the CRT group. The primary end point was 3-year disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

Between August 2015 and August 2018, a total of 599 patients were randomly assigned to receive TNT (n = 302) or CRT (n = 297). At a median follow-up of 35.0 months, 3-year DFS was 64.5% and 62.3% in TNT and CRT groups, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.883; one-sided 95% CI, not applicable to 1.11; P < .001 for noninferiority). There was no significant difference in metastasis-free survival or locoregional recurrence, but the TNT group had better 3-year overall survival than the CRT group (86.5% v 75.1%; P = .033). Treatment effects on DFS and overall survival were similar regardless of prognostic factors. The prevalence of acute grade III-V toxicities during preoperative treatment was 26.5% in the TNT group versus 12.6% in the CRT group (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Short-term radiotherapy with preoperative chemotherapy followed by surgery was efficacious with acceptable toxicity and could be used as an alternative to CRT for locally advanced rectal cancer.

Tailored treatment strategies for cancer patients during COVID-19 pandemic

The global pandemic of respiratory disease caused by the novel human coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has caused indefinite global distress, uncertainty, and disturbance. This pandemic has had direct and indirect impacts for the healthcare systems across the world, but certain subgroups of patients have been particularly affected. Among these groups are patients with cancer, who as a result of their immunosuppressed status either from the disease itself or as a consequence of treatment, are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection and complications. The pandemic has also led to limited resources as medical services have been primarily directed to emergency care. In this context, physicians and healthcare providers have had to balance the importance of continuing treatment of cancer patients with the risk of virus infection. In this review, we outline the treatment strategies for cancer patients during this pandemic, focusing on tailored treatment in this challenging situation of varying risks and benefits.

Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy using infusional gemcitabine in locally advanced rectal cancer: A phase II trial

INTRODUCTION

Gemcitabine is a well-known radiosensitizer. Herein, we tested the efficacy and toxicity of preoperative concurrent infusional gemcitabine and radiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a phase II, single-arm trial. Eligible patients had a diagnosis of rectal adenocarcinoma with clinical stage T3-T4 and/or nodal involvement, age ≥18 years, and no prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Patients received preoperative radiation at a dose of 50.4-54 Gy over 28 days with concurrent infusional gemcitabine administered at a dose of 100 mg/m² over the course of 24 h weekly for 6 weeks. The primary endpoint was pathological complete response (pCR).

RESULTS

Forty patients were recruited. Only one patient did not complete therapy due to death. Eight patients did not undergo surgery, one died, two progressed to nonresectable disease, and five withdrew consent. Five patients progressed prior to surgery, with two having unresectable metastases and three having resectable liver metastases. One was found to have peritoneal metastasis during surgery. Out of the 32 patients who underwent surgery, seven achieved pCR at a rate of 20%. With a median follow-up of 30 months, four additional patients had a distant relapse (one had a subsequent local relapse). The 3-year event-free and overall survival rates were 70% and 85%, respectively. The commonest preoperative grade 3-4 toxicity included lymphopenia (50%), neutropenia (41%), anemia (15%), diarrhea (12%), abdominal pain (12%), and proctitis (8%).

CONCLUSION

Concurrent preoperative chemoradiotherapy using infusional gemcitabine for locally advanced rectal cancer achieved an encouraging degree of local control with manageable toxicity.

ACO/ARO/AIO-21 - Capecitabine-based chemoradiotherapy in combination with the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra for rectal cancer Patients: A phase I trial of the German rectal cancer study group

•

Response to chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer is highly heterogeneous, ranging from complete response to tumor progression.

•

Interleukin-1 signaling polarizes cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) towards an inflammatory phenotype and predisposes iCAFs to irradiation-induced senescence.

•

Targeting interleukin-1 could potentially reconstitute the tumor microenvironment and improve therapy response.

•

The ACO/ARO-AIO-21 phase I trial is testing the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in combination with fluoropyrimidine-based chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer.

Purpose

Methods/Design

Discussion

Quality of life in a randomized trial comparing two neoadjuvant regimens for locally advanced rectal cancer-INCAGI004

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neoCRT) followed by surgery is the standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), but the emergence of different drug regimens may result in different response rates. Good clinical response translates into greater sphincter preservation, but quality of life (QOL) may be impaired after treatment due to chemoradiotherapy and surgical side effects.

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively evaluate the impact of clinical response and surgical resection on QOL in a randomized trial comparing two different neoCRT regimens.

METHODS

Stage II and III rectal cancer patients were randomized to receive neoCRT with either capecitabine (group 1) or 5-Fu and leucovorin (group 2) concomitant to long-course radiotherapy. Clinical downstaging was accessed using MRI 6-8 weeks after treatment. EORTCs QLQ-C30 and CR38 were applied before treatment (T0), after neoCRT (T1), after rectal resection (T2), early after adjuvant chemotherapy (T3), and 1 year after the end of treatment or stoma closure (T4). The Wexner scale was used for fecal incontinence evaluation at T4. A C30SummaryScore (Geisinger and cols.) was calculated to compare QOL results.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients were assigned to group 1 and 31 to group 2. Clinical downstaging occurred in 70.0% of group 1 and 53.3% of group 2 (p = 0.288), and sphincter preservation was 83.3% in group 1 and 80.0% in group 2 (p = 0.111). No significant difference in QOL was detected when comparing the two treatment groups after neoCRT using QLQ-C30. However, the CR38 module detected differences in micturition problems (15.3 points), gastrointestinal problems (15.3 points), defecation problems (11.8 points), and sexual satisfaction (13.3 points) favoring the capecitabine group. C30SummaryScore detected significant improvement comparing T0 to T1 and deterioration comparing T1 to T2 (p = 0.025). The mean Wexner scale score was 9.2, and a high score correlated with symptoms of diarrhea and defecation problems at T4.

CONCLUSIONS

QOL was equivalent between groups after neoCRT except for micturition problems, gastrointestinal problems, defecation problems, and sexual satisfaction favoring the capecitabine arm after. The overall QOL using the C30SummaryScore was improved after neoCRT, but decreased following rectal resection, returning to basal levels at late evaluation. Fecal incontinence was high after sphincter preservation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03428529.

Molecular Biomarker of Drug Resistance Developed From Patient-Derived Organoids Predicts Survival of Colorectal Cancer Patients

The drug 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) is the critical composition of colorectal cancer (CRC) treatments. Prognostic and predictive molecular biomarkers for CRC patients (CRCpts) treated with 5-Fu-based chemotherapy can provide assistance for tailoring treatment approach. Here, we established a molecular biomarker of 5-Fu resistance derived from colorectal cancer organoids (CRCOs) for predicting the survival of CRCpts. Forty-one CRCO cultures were generated from 50 CRC tumor tissues after surgery (82%). The following experiments revealed a great diversity in drug sensitivity for 10 μM 5-Fu treatment tested by using organoid size change. Fourteen cases (34.1%) were 5-Fu sensitive and the other 27 (65.9%) were resistant. Then, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with 5-Fu resistance were outputted by transcriptome sequencing. In particular, DEGs were generated in two comparison groups: 1) 5-Fu sensitive and resistant untreated CRCOs; 2) CRCOs before 5-Fu treatment and surviving CRCOs after 5-Fu treatment. Some molecules and most of the pathways that have been reported to be involved in 5-Fu resistance were identified in the current research. By using DEGs correlated with 5-Fu resistance and survival of CRCpts, the gene signature and drug-resistant score model (DRSM) containing five molecules were established in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-CRC cohort by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis and 5-fold cross-validation. Multivariate analysis revealed that drug-resistant score (DRS) was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) in CRCpts in TCGA-CRC cohort (P < 0.001). Further validation results from four Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohorts elucidated that the DRSM based on five genes related to 5-Fu chemosensitivity and developed from patient-derived organoids can predict survival of CRCpts. Meanwhile, our model could predict the survival of CRCpts in different subgroups. Besides, the difference of molecular pathways, tumor mutational burden (TMB), immune response-related pathways, immune score, stromal score, and immune cell proportion were dissected between DRS-high and DRS-low patients in TCGA-CRC cohort.

Hyperfractionation versus Conventional Fractionation of Preoperative Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy with Oral Capecitabine in Locally Advanced Mid-Low Rectal Cancer: A Propensity Score Matching Study

Purpose

In theory, the hyperfractionated radiotherapy can enhance biological effect dose against tumor and alleviate normal tissue toxicity. This study is to assess the efficacy and safety of preoperative hyperfractionated intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with oral capecitabine in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

Methods

We retrospectively screened patients with LARC from January 2015 to June 2016. Patients that received hyperfractionated IMRT or conventional fractionated IMRT were eligible in the hyperfractionation (HF) group or conventional fractionation (CF) group, respectively. The primary outcome was the complete response rate. Secondary outcomes included toxicity, postoperative complications, anus-reservation operation rate, local recurrence and distant metastases rate, overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

335 patients were included in the analysis. The complete response rate for the hyperfractionated and conventional fractionated IMRT was 20.41% vs. 23.47% (P = 0.583). The anus-reservation operation rate was 68.37% vs. 65.31% (P = 0.649). There were no cases of grade 4 toxicity during radiotherapy; the rate of grade 3 toxicity and postoperative complications was both comparable between groups. However, in the CF group, more patients had a second operation due to complications (0.0% vs. 5.68%, P = 0.011). The cumulative local regional recurrence and distant metastases rates of the HF group and CF group were 5.10% vs. 9.18% (P = 0.267) and 22.45% vs. 24.49% (P = 0.736), respectively. The 5-year OS, CSS, and DFS in the HF group and CF group were 86.45% vs. 73.30% (P = 0.503), 87.34% vs. 75.23% (P = 0.634), and 70.80% vs. 68.11% (P = 0.891), respectively.

Conclusions

The preoperative hyperfractionated IMRT with oral capecitabine, with an acceptable toxicity and favorable response and survival, could reduce the rate of secondary surgery.

Simultaneous Integrated Boost Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Rectal Cancer: Long-Term Results after Protocol-Based Treatment

Background

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) is an advanced form of radiotherapy (RT) technology. The purpose of this study was to report long-term treatment outcomes in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer undergoing VMAT-SIB based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Methods

Between January 2016 and January 2018, a total of 22 patients with operable stage II-III rectal adenocarcinoma were recruited for the pre-designed VMAT-SIB RT protocol. All patients underwent standard diagnostic and staging work-up. The RT target volumes included the following areas: PTV1 = mesorectum that contained gross tumors and enlarged lymph node regions and PTV2 = mesorectum and regional lymphatics from L4-5/S1 to 3-4 cm below the tumor or levator ani muscle, excluding PTV1. The VMAT-SIB dose prescription was as follows: PTV1 = 52.5 Gy/daily 2.1 Gy/25 fractions, PTV2 = 45 Gy/daily 1.8 Gy/25 fractions.

Results

The mean age of the study population was 64 (range, 18-84) years, and 15 (68.2%) patients were male. Radical operation (total mesorectal excision) was performed by either low anterior resection, ultralow anterior resection, or abdominal perineal resection. All five (22.7%) of the patients with confirmed increasing serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level at diagnosis showed normalization of serum CEA level after the planned treatment. Among 20 patients who underwent preoperative CRT and surgery, tumor down staging in T- and N-stages was achieved in 10 patients (50%) and 13 patients (65%), respectively, with 20% of ypT0/Tis. With a median follow-up of 54.2 (range, 22.6-61.1) months, the 5-year disease-free survival, overall survival, and local control rates were 64.6%, 81.8%, and 84.4%, respectively. Five patients developed distant metastasis and one developed local recurrence as a first event. Two cases with anastomosis site leakage, three with adhesive ileus, and two with abscess formation were observed during postoperative periods.

Conclusions

The current VMAT-SIB-based CRT protocol provided acceptable treatment and toxicity outcomes.

SEOM-GEMCAD-TTD clinical guidelines for localized rectal cancer (2021)

The management of localized rectal cancer requires a multidisciplinary approach to optimize outcomes, reduce morbidity and prevent under or overtreatments. While early stages may obtain benefit of local resections without any additional therapies, locally advanced rectal cancer becomes a challenge defining the better sequential strategy of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The latest results of international phase III studies have positioned the total neoadjuvant therapy as a potential new standard of care in high risk rectal cancers, however, the best schedule is still not well defined.

Neoadjuvant treatment of sintilimab plus hypofractionated radiotherapy for MSI-H/dMMR rectal cancer: A prospective, multicenter, phase Ib study

BACKGROUND

Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by radical surgery is the standard treatment strategy for local advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, the efficacy of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy is limited, especially for patients with DNA mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) rectal cancer. Considering the amazing therapeutic effect of immune check point inhibitors for metastatic colorectal cancer, we conduct this multicenter, phase Ib study to investigate the safety and efficacy of anti-PD-1 antibody, sintilimab combined with hypofractionated radiotherapy in MSI-H/dMMR rectal cancer patients.

METHODS

Patients with MSI-H/dMMR LARC will receive hypofractionated radiotherapy (5 Gy × 5) and three cycles of sintilimab 200 mg IV every 2 weeks. Radical surgery will be performed 6-8 weeks after radiotherapy. The primary endpoint is adverse reaction after neoadjuvant treatment and perioperative complications. Secondary endpoints include pathological response rate, complete resection rate, and quality of life.

DISCUSSION

This is the first study to investigate the safety and effectiveness of neoadjuvant radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy for MSI-H/dMMR LARC. It is expected that this study will propose a brand new and effective treatment strategy for MSI-H/dMMR LARC.

Oxaliplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy rather than fluorouracil-based chemotherapy in rectal cancer is more efficient to decrease distant metastasis and increase survival after preoperative chemoradiotherapy and surgery: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The standard treatment of stage II-III rectal cancer is preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT), followed by total mesorectal excision (TME). However, the rate of metastasis is still high following this treatment. Therefore, several adjuvant chemotherapy studies have been conducted on reducing subsequent metastases and increasing survival, although there are still no definite conclusions.

METHODS

We searched for published prospective randomized controlled trials comparing adjuvant chemotherapy regimens following standard preoperative CRT and curative surgery in stage II-III rectal cancer. We systematically searched Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for relevant trials done from January 2004 to January 2021. Review Manager (RevMan, version 5.3) was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

We initially searched 1955 studies. We screened and carefully selected four randomized controlled trials with 2897 patients. Compared to the 5-FU-based regimen group, the oxaliplatin-added regimen group attained a higher 3-year locoregional control rate (relative risk [RR] of 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-0.86; p = 0.003) and 3-year distant metastasis control rate (RR of 0.82, 95% CI, 0.71-0.95; p = 0.007). The oxaliplatin-added regimen group had significantly increased 3-year disease-free survival with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.74-0.97, p = 0.020), but not overall survival (p = 0.740). Grade 3 or higher acute toxicity rates did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.190).

CONCLUSION

The addition of oxaliplatin to adjuvant therapy for stage II-III rectal cancer following preoperative CRT and TME may increase disease-free survival without significant increases in toxicity, but not overall survival.

Predicting response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in rectal cancer: from biomarkers to tumor models

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major contributor to cancer-associated morbidity worldwide and over one-third of CRC is located in the rectum. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgical resection is commonly applied to treat locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). In this review, we summarize current and novel concepts of neoadjuvant therapy for LARC such as total neoadjuvant therapy and describe how these developments impact treatment response. Moreover, as response to nCRT is highly divergent in rectal cancers, we discuss the role of potential predictive biomarkers. We review recent advances in biomarker discovery, from a clinical as well as a histopathological and molecular perspective. Furthermore, the role of emerging predictive biomarkers derived from the tumor environment such as immune cell composition and gut microbiome is presented. Finally, we describe how different tumor models such as patient-derived cancer organoids are used to identify novel predictive biomarkers for chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in rectal cancer.

Electronic self-reporting of adverse events for patients undergoing cancer treatment: the eRAPID research programme including two RCTs

Background

Cancer is treated using multiple modalities (e.g. surgery, radiotherapy and systemic therapies) and is frequently associated with adverse events that affect treatment delivery and quality of life. Regular adverse event reporting could improve care and safety through timely detection and management. Information technology provides a feasible monitoring model, but applied research is needed. This research programme developed and evaluated an electronic system, called eRAPID, for cancer patients to remotely self-report adverse events.

Objectives

The objectives were to address the following research questions: is it feasible to collect adverse event data from patients’ homes and in clinics during cancer treatment? Can eRAPID be implemented in different hospitals and treatment settings? Will oncology health-care professionals review eRAPID reports for decision-making? When added to usual care, will the eRAPID intervention (i.e. self-reporting with tailored advice) lead to clinical benefits (e.g. better adverse event control, improved patient safety and experiences)? Will eRAPID be cost-effective?

Design

Five mixed-methods work packages were conducted, incorporating co-design with patients and health-care professionals: work package 1 – development and implementation of the electronic platform across hospital centres; work package 2 – development of patient-reported adverse event items and advice (systematic and scoping reviews, patient interviews, Delphi exercise); work package 3 – mapping health-care professionals and care pathways; work package 4 – feasibility pilot studies to assess patient and clinician acceptability; and work package 5 – a single-centre randomised controlled trial of systemic treatment with a full health economic assessment.

Setting

The setting was three UK cancer centres (in Leeds, Manchester and Bristol).

Participants

The intervention was developed and evaluated with patients and clinicians. The systemic randomised controlled trial included 508 participants who were starting treatment for breast, colorectal or gynaecological cancer and 55 health-care professionals. The radiotherapy feasibility pilot recruited 167 patients undergoing treatment for pelvic cancers. The surgical feasibility pilot included 40 gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Intervention

eRAPID is an online system that allows patients to complete adverse event/symptom reports from home or hospital. The system provides immediate severity-graded advice based on clinical algorithms to guide self-management or hospital contact. Adverse event data are transferred to electronic patient records for review by clinical teams. Patients complete an online symptom report every week and whenever they experience symptoms.

Main outcome measures

In systemic treatment, the primary outcome was Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General, Physical Well-Being score assessed at 6, 12 and 18 weeks (primary end point). Secondary outcomes included cost-effectiveness assessed through the comparison of health-care costs and quality-adjusted life-years. Patient self-efficacy was measured (using the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Diseases 6-item Scale). The radiotherapy pilot studied feasibility (recruitment and attrition rates) and selection of outcome measures. The surgical pilot examined symptom report completeness, system actions, barriers to using eRAPID and technical performance.

Results

eRAPID was successfully developed and introduced across the treatments and centres. The systemic randomised controlled trial found no statistically significant effect of eRAPID on the primary end point at 18 weeks. There was a significant effect at 6 weeks (adjusted difference least square means 1.08, 95% confidence interval 0.12 to 2.05; p = 0.028) and 12 weeks (adjusted difference least square means 1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.05 to 1.98; p = 0.0395). No between-arm differences were found for admissions or calls/visits to acute oncology or chemotherapy delivery. Health economic analyses over 18 weeks indicated no statistically significant difference between the cost of the eRAPID information technology system and the cost of usual care (£12.28, 95% confidence interval –£1240.91 to £1167.69; p > 0.05). Mean differences were small, with eRAPID having a 55% probability of being cost-effective at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-recommended cost-effectiveness threshold of £20,000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained. Patient self-efficacy was greater in the intervention arm (0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.13 to 0.83; p = 0.0073). Qualitative interviews indicated that many participants found eRAPID useful for support and guidance. Patient adherence to adverse-event symptom reporting was good (median compliance 72.2%). In the radiotherapy pilot, high levels of consent (73.2%) and low attrition rates (10%) were observed. Patient quality-of-life outcomes indicated a potential intervention benefit in chemoradiotherapy arms. In the surgical pilot, 40 out of 91 approached patients (44%) consented. Symptom report completion rates were high. Across the studies, clinician intervention engagement was varied. Both patient and staff feedback on the value of eRAPID was positive.

Limitations

The randomised controlled trial methodology led to small numbers of patients simultaneously using the intervention, thus reducing overall clinician exposure to and engagement with eRAPID. Furthermore, staff saw patients across both arms, introducing a contamination bias and potentially reducing the intervention effect. The health economic results were limited by numbers of missing data (e.g. for use of resources and EuroQol-5 Dimensions).

Conclusions

This research provides evidence that online symptom monitoring with inbuilt patient advice is acceptable to patients and clinical teams. Evidence of patient benefit was found, particularly during the early phases of treatment and in relation to self-efficacy. The findings will help improve the intervention and guide future trial designs.

Future work

Definitive trials in radiotherapy and surgical settings are suggested. Future research during systemic treatments could study self-report online interventions to replace elements of traditional follow-up care in the curative setting. Further research during modern targeted treatments (e.g. immunotherapy and small-molecule oral therapy) and in metastatic disease is recommended.

Trial registration

The systemic randomised controlled trial is registered as ISRCTN88520246. The radiotherapy trial is registered as ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02747264.

Funding

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and will be published in full in Programme Grants for Applied Research; Vol. 10, No. 1. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Adding Consolidation Capecitabine to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Propensity-Matched Comparative Study

Aim

To determine whether adding consolidation capecitabine chemotherapy without lengthening the waiting period influences pathological complete response (pCR) and short-term outcome of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT).

Method

Totally, 545 LARC who received NCRT and radical resection between 2010 and 2018 were enrolled. Short-term outcome and pCR rate were compared between patients with and without additional consolidation capecitabine. Logistic analysis was performed to identify predictors of pCR.

Results

After propensity score matching, 229 patients were matched in both NCRT and NCRT-Cape groups. Postoperative morbidity was comparable between groups except for operation time, which is lower in the NCRT group (213.2 ± 67.4 vs. 227.9 ± 70.5, p = 0.025). Two groups achieved similar pCR rates (21.8 vs. 22.7%, p = 1.000). Tumor size (OR = 0.439, p < 0.001), time interval between NCRT and surgery (OR = 1.241, p = 0.003), and post-NCRT carcinoembryonic antigen (OR = 0.880, p = 0.008) were significantly correlated with pCR in patients with LARC. A predictive nomogram was constructed with a C-index of 0.787 and 0.741 on internal and external validation.

Conclusion

Adding consolidation capecitabine chemotherapy without lengthening CRT-to-surgery interval in LARC patients after NCRT does not seem to impact pCR or short-term outcome. A predictive nomogram for pCR was successful, and it could support treatment decision-making.