A randomized controlled trial comparing primary tumour resection plus chemotherapy with chemotherapy alone in incurable stage IV colorectal cancer: JCOG1007 (iPACS study)

Multimodal Management of Colorectal Liver Metastases: State of the Art

Liver is the most common site of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases. Treatment of CRC liver metastases (CRLM) includes different strategies, prevalently based on the clinical and oncological intent. Valid approaches in liver-limited or liver-prevalent disease include surgery, percutaneous ablative procedures (radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation), intra-arterial perfusional techniques (chemo-embolization, radio-embolization) as well as stereotactic radiotherapy. Systemic treatments, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and other biological agents, are the only options for patients with no chance of locoregional approaches. The use of chemotherapy in other settings, such as neoadjuvant, adjuvant or conversion therapy of CRLM, is commonly accepted in the clinical practice, although data from several clinical trials have been mostly inconclusive. The optimal integration of all these strategies, when applicable and clinically indicated, should be ever considered in patients affected by CRLM based on clinical evidence and multidisciplinary experience. Here we revised in detail all the possible therapeutic approaches of CRLM focusing on the current evidences, the studies still in progress and the often contradictory data.

Palliative resection of the primary tumour improves survival in incurable metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Studies show conflicting results on whether primary tumour resection (PTR) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) prolongs survival. The aim of this study was to analyse prognostic factors and the effects of PTR on overall survival (OS) in mCRC patients.

METHODS

In this population-based cohort study, factors associated with PTR and OS were assessed in 188 mCRC patients with mCRC treated with palliative chemotherapy between 2008 and 2019. The Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to assess factors associated with PTR. The log-rank test was used to compare Kaplan-Meier estimates for OS. Cox regression was used to identify factors predicting OS.

RESULTS

Patients undergoing PTR had significantly better performance status, fewer metastatic sites, lower CEA levels, and more often had left-sided CRC than patients not undergoing PTR. OS was longer in palliative mCRC patients undergoing PTR (P < 0.01) and PTR was an independent variable in the Cox regression analysis (P < 0.05). Median OS was 22.9 ± 1.9 months for the PTR group and 14.5 ± 1.5 months for the non-operated group. Poor performance status and liver metastases were significantly associated with poor prognosis.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that PTR had a positive effect on OS and may be considered in patients suitable for surgery. PTR was offered to palliative mCRC patients with prognostic factors associated with better prognosis.

Impact of MRI on the post-therapeutic diagnosis of T4 esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND

Opportunities for T4b esophageal cancer patients to receive curative surgery are increasing with the development of multidisciplinary treatments. However, the best modality to accurately diagnose infiltration to the organs surrounding T4b esophageal cancer is still unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the performance of CT and MRI in diagnosing T stage in T4b esophageal cancer, with reference to the pathological diagnosis.

METHODS

A retrospective medical records review of patients with T4b esophageal cancer patients from January 2017 to December 2021 was conducted. Among 125 patients who were treated for cT4b esophageal cancer in Osaka University Hospital, 30 patients were diagnosed with cT4b esophageal cancer by CT, ycT staging with CT (contrast-enhanced images) and MRI (T2-FSE images), and curative R0 resection was performed. Preoperative MRI staging was independently performed by two experienced radiologists. The diagnostic performance of CT and MRI were examined using McNemar's test.

RESULTS

Nineteen and 12 patients were diagnosed with ycT4b by CT and MRI, respectively. Combined T4b organ resection was performed in 15 patients. A pathological diagnosis of ypT4b was made in 11 cases. In comparison to CT, MRI showed a higher diagnostic performance, specificity (47% vs. 89%, p = 0.013), and accuracy (60% vs. 90%, p = 0.015) for CT vs. MRI.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results-with reference to the pathological diagnosis-revealed that MRI had a superior diagnostic performance to CT for diagnosing T4b esophageal cancer invading the surrounding organs. An accurate diagnosis of T4b esophageal cancer may facilitate the implementation of appropriate treatment strategies.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict which patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases would benefit from primary tumor resection

PURPOSE

The use of primary tumor resection (PTR) in the treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) patients has become increasingly controversial. Our goal is to establish a nomogram to screen for the candidates that would benefit from PTR in CRLM patients.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was searched for 8366 patients with colorectal liver cancer metastases (CRLM) from 2010 to 2015. Overall survival (OS) rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier curve. After propensity score matching (PSM), predictors were analyzed by logistic regression analysis, and a nomogram was created to predict for survival benefit of PTR using R software.

RESULTS

After PSM, there were 814 patients in both PTR group and non-PTR group, respectively. The median OS time in the PTR group was 26 months (95%CI = 23.33 ~ 28.67) and the median OS time in the non-PTR group was 15 months (95%CI = 13.36 ~ 16.64). The Cox regression analysis found that PTR was an independent predictive factor (HR = 0.46, 0.41 ~ 0.52) for OS. Additionally, logistic regression was used to study the factors impacting PTR benefit, and the results showed that CEA (P = 0.016), chemotherapy (P < 0.001), N stage (P < 0.001), histological grade (P < 0.001), and lung metastasis (P = 0.001) are independent predictive factors affecting the therapeutic outcome of PTR in patients with CRLM. The developed nomogram displayed good discriminative ability in predicting the beneficial probability of PTR surgery, with the area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.801 in training set and 0.739 in validation set respectively.

CONCLUSION

We developed a nomogram that predicts the survival benefits of PTR in CRLM patients with relatively high accuracy, and quantifies the predictive factors for PTR-related benefits.

The impact of the advanced lung cancer inflammation index on the outcomes of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who receive chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Advanced lung cancer inflammation index (ALI) is reported to be a prognosticator in various cancer patients with chemotherapy. However, the clinical impact of the ALI on treatment strategies in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients remains unclear.

METHODS

A total of 356 patients, who received first-line chemotherapy for mCRC between April 2005 and November 2019 in a single institution, were retrospectively enrolled. The association of pretreatment ALI (calculated as follows: BMI × albumin value/neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio) status with clinicopathological factors and patient survival outcome was analyzed, using subgroup analysis.

RESULTS

The ALI-low cases were significantly associated with female sex, more synchronous metastasis, multiple metastatic sites, less primary tumor resection, less liver resection after chemotherapy, and poor overall survival (OS). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis clarified that the ALI-low status was independently associated with poor OS (HR: 1.78, 95% CI 1.27-2.48, P = 0.001), in addition to right side tumor, multiple metastatic sites, and the non-performance of liver resection after chemotherapy. A subgroup analysis revealed that primary tumor resection and the resection of liver metastases after chemotherapy could not improve the prognosis of ALI-low cases in comparison with ALI-high cases, and the type of first-line chemotherapy did not significantly affect the association between the prognosis and the ALI status.

CONCLUSION

ALI comprehensively evaluates the prognostic host status and is a reliable prognosticator for the mCRC patients with chemotherapy. Calculating pretreatment ALI may serve as a cost-effective and easily available tool for constructing treatment strategies.

American Society of Clinical Oncology 2022 Annual Meeting Highlights for Radiation Oncologists

The American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting is the largest multidisciplinary oncology-focused conference in the world. With almost 5000 total abstracts in 2022, it is difficult for individuals to evaluate all the results. Here we present a review of 28 selected abstracts, across all disease sites, focusing on those of greatest relevance to radiation oncologists.

Inoperable de novo metastatic colorectal cancer with primary tumour in situ: Evaluating discordant responses to upfront systemic therapy of the primary tumours and metastatic sites and complications arising from primary tumours (experiences from an Irish Cancer Centre)

Systemic therapy is the mainstay of treatment for de novo metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Heterogeneity between primary tumours and metastases may lead to discordant responses to systemic therapy at these sites. The aim of the present study was to examine these discrepancies and to evaluate the rates of complications arising from the primary tumour and the strategies employed to manage these complications. Electronic medical records were screened for patients eligible for data analysis between January 1st, 2014 and December 31st, 2019. All patients diagnosed with de novo mCRC with primary tumour in situ at the time of initial systemic therapy were included in data analysis. Responses in primary tumour and metastatic sites (according to the Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumours v1.1), discrepancies in these responses and rates of complications arising from primary tumours were assessed along with patient, pathological or molecular factors that may be associated with these discrepant responses or primary tumour complications. A total of 50 patients were identified (median age, 62 years). Right-colon, left-colon and rectal primary tumours comprised 34, 44 and 22% of CRC cases, respectively. All patients received 5-fluorouracil-based chemotherapy (either alone or in combination with oxaliplatin or irinotecan). Disease response (DR), stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD) were observed as the first response to systemic therapy in 24, 62 and 12% of primary tumours and in 36, 18 and 44% of metastatic sites, respectively. Only 36% of patients demonstrated concordant responses between the primary tumours and metastases, while the remaining 62% demonstrated discordant responses between the primary tumour and distant metastases (22% had DR with SD; 36% had DR or SD with PD; and 4% had PD with SD in the primary tumour and metastases, respectively). Restaging images were not available for 2% of the patients. Approximately 30% of patients developed complications from primary tumours, including bowel obstruction (6.12%), perforation (6%), rectal pain (6%) and rectal bleeding (10%). Approximately 10% of patients underwent palliative stoma creation. Additionally, 12% required palliative radiotherapy to the primary tumour (due to localized complications arising from the tumour). Discordant responses to systemic therapy between primary tumours and metastases occurred in 60% of patients with de novo mCRC (with primary tumour in situ at the time of first systemic therapy). The observations of the present study have potential implications for molecular tissue analysis to help guide systemic therapy. Tissue from metastatic sites may be preferable to confirm biomarker status in mCRC based on this study.

Sixty-Day Mortality of Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Randomized to Systemic Treatment vs Primary Tumor Resection Followed by Systemic Treatment: The CAIRO4 Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

The role of primary tumor resection (PTR) in synchronous patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who had unresectable metastases and few or absent symptoms of their primary tumor is unclear. Studying subgroups with low postoperative mortality may identify patients who potentially benefit from PTR.

Objective

To determine the difference in 60-day mortality between patients randomized to systemic treatment only vs PTR followed by systemic treatment, and to explore risk factors associated with 60-day mortality.

Design, Setting, and Participants

CAIRO4 is a randomized phase 3 trial initiated in 2012 in which patients with mCRC were randomized to systemic treatment only or PTR followed by systemic treatment with palliative intent. This multicenter study was conducted by the Danish and Dutch Colorectal Cancer Group in general and academic hospitals in Denmark and the Netherlands. Patients included between August 2012 and December 2019 with histologically proven colorectal cancer, unresectable metastases, and a primary tumor with few or absent symptoms were eligible.

Interventions

Systemic treatment, consisting of fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy with bevacizumab vs PTR followed by fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy with bevacizumab.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The aim of the current analysis was to compare 60-day mortality rates in both treatment arms. A secondary aim was the identification of risk factors for 60-day mortality in the treatment arms. These aims were not predefined in the study protocol.

Results

A total of 196 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis (112 [57%] men; median [IQR] age, 65 [59-70] years). Sixty-day mortality was 3% (95% CI, 1%-9%) in the systemic treatment arm and 11% (95% CI, 6%-19%) in the PTR arm (P = .03). In a per-protocol analysis, 60-day mortality was 2% (95% CI, 1%-7%) vs 10% (95% CI, 5%-18%; P = .048). Patients with elevated serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and/or neutrophils who were randomized to PTR had a significantly higher 60-day mortality than patients without these characteristics.

Conclusions and Relevance

Patients with mCRC who were randomized to PTR followed by systemic treatment had a higher 60-day mortality than patients randomized to systemic treatment. Especially patients randomized to the PTR arm with elevated serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase, neutrophils, aspartate aminotransferase, and/or alanine aminotransferase were at high risk of postoperative mortality. Final study results on overall survival have to be awaited.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01606098.

Primary Tumor-Related Complications Among Patients With Unresectable Stage IV Colorectal Cancer in the Era of Targeted Therapy: A Competing Risk Regression Analysis

BACKGROUND

Whether prolonged survival with current chemotherapy using molecular target agents has changed the rate of primary tumor-related complications in patients with unresectable stage IV colorectal cancer is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the rate of primary tumor-related complications among patients receiving targeted therapy as compared with patients receiving chemotherapy without molecular target agents.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective review of data from a prospectively maintained database.

SETTINGS

The study was conducted at a high-volume multidisciplinary tertiary cancer center in Japan.

PATIENTS

Subjects were 352 consecutive patients with unresectable stage IV colorectal cancer who received systemic chemotherapy without primary tumor resection from 2001 to 2015. Patients were categorized into nontargeted and targeted groups according to the use of molecular target agents.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Complication rates attributed to primary tumors were measured.

RESULTS

Of the 352 patients, 159 were categorized into the nontargeted group and 193 patients into the targeted group. Competing risk-adjusted univariate analysis revealed that the primary tumor-related complication rates in the nontargeted group were 6.9% (95% CI, 3.8%-11.9%) at 1 year and 8.2% (95% CI, 4.8%-13.8%) at 2 years, whereas the targeted group had complication rates of 11.5% (95% CI, 7.5%-16.6%) at 1 year and 16.7% (95% CI, 12.4%-23.3%) at 2 years. Multivariate analysis revealed that the targeted group was ≈2 times more likely to have primary tumor-related complications (subdistribution HR = 2.04 (95% CI, 1.12-4.01); p = 0.020). Median survival time was 12.0 months in the nontargeted group and 24.1 months in the targeted group (p < 0.001).

LIMITATIONS

This study was limited by the retrospective design.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeted therapy was associated with a significantly increased risk of primary tumor-related complications during chemotherapy. However, targeted therapy also improved overall survival, making it a tolerable therapy. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B536.

COMPLICACIONES PRIMARIAS RELACIONADAS CON EL TUMOR ENTRE PACIENTES CON CNCER COLORRECTAL EN ESTADIO IV IRRESECABLE EN LA ERA DE LA TERAPIA DIRIGIDA UN ANLISIS DE REGRESIN DEL RIESGO COMPETITIVO

ANTECEDENTES:No está claro si la supervivencia prolongada con la quimioterapia actual utilizando agentes moleculares dirigidos ha cambiado la tasa de complicaciones relacionadas con el tumor primario en pacientes con cáncer colorrectal en estadio IV irresecable.OBJETIVO:Este estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar la tasa de complicaciones relacionadas con el tumor primario entre los pacientes que reciben terapia dirigida, en comparación con pacientes que reciben quimioterapia sin agentes moleculares dirigidos.DISEÑO:Revisión retrospectiva de datos de una base de datos mantenida prospectivamente.ESCENARIO CLINICO:Centro oncológico de tercer nivel multidisciplinario de alto volumen en Japón.PACIENTES:352 pacientes consecutivos con cáncer colorrectal en estadio IV irresecable que recibieron quimioterapia sistémica sin resección del tumor primario entre 2001 y 2015. Los pacientes se clasificaron en grupos dirigidos y no dirigidos según el uso de agentes moleculares dirigidos.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE VALORACION:Tasas de complicaciones debidas a tumores primarios.RESULTADOS:De los 352 pacientes, 159 se clasificaron en el grupo no dirigido y 193 pacientes en el grupo dirigido. El análisis univariado ajustado al riesgo competitivo reveló que las tasas de complicaciones primarias relacionadas con el tumor en el grupo no dirigido fueron del 6,9% (intervalo de confianza (IC) del 95%, 3,8 - 11,9%) al año y del 8,2% (IC del 95%, 4,8%). - 13,8%) a los dos años, mientras que el grupo dirigido tuvo tasas de complicaciones del 11,5% (IC del 95%, 7,5 - 16,6%) al año y del 16,7% (IC del 95%, 12,4 - 23,3%) a los dos años. El análisis multivariado reveló que el grupo dirigido tenía aproximadamente dos veces más probabilidades de tener complicaciones relacionadas con el tumor primario (razón de riesgo de subdistribución, 2,04; IC del 95%, 1,12 a 4,01; p = 0,020). La mediana del tiempo de supervivencia fue de 12,0 meses en el grupo no dirigido y de 24,1 meses en el grupo dirigido (p <0,001).LIMITACIONES:Este estudio estuvo limitado por el diseño retrospectivo.CONCLUSIONES:La terapia dirigida se asoció con un riesgo significativamente mayor de complicaciones relacionadas con el tumor primario durante la quimioterapia. Sin embargo, la terapia dirigida también mejoró la SG, convirtiéndola en una terapia tolerable. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B536.

Impact of Primary Tumor Resection on Mortality in Patients with Stage IV Colorectal Cancer with Unresectable Metastases: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Primary tumor resection (PTR) before commencing systemic chemotherapy in patients with stage IV colorectal cancer and unresectable metastases (mCRC) remains controversial. This study aimed to assess whether PTR before systemic chemotherapy is associated with mortality in mCRC patients, after adjusting for confounding factors, such as the severity of the primary tumor and metastatic lesions.

METHODS

We analyzed hospital-based cancer registries from nine designated cancer hospitals in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Patients were divided into two groups (PTR and non-PTR), based on whether PTR was performed as initial therapy for mCRC or not. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed, and survival estimates were compared using the log-rank test. Adjusted hazard ratios were calculated using Cox regression to adjust for confounding factors. All tests were two-sided; P-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Between 2008 and 2015, 616 mCRC patients were included (PTR: 414 [67.2%]; non-PTR: 202 [32.8%]). The median follow-up time was 18.0 (interquartile range [IQR]: 8.4-29.7) months, and 492 patients (79.9%) died during the study period. Median overall survival in the PTR and non-PTR groups was 23.9 (IQR: 12.2-39.9) and 12.3 (IQR: 6.2-23.8) months, respectively (P < 0.001, log-rank test). PTR was significantly associated with improved overall survival (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.51; 95% confidence interval: 0.42-0.64, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

PTR before systemic chemotherapy in patients with mCRC was associated with improved survival.

Clinical TNM staging for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancers in the era of neoadjuvant therapy: A systematic review of the literature

AIM

Clinical staging is vital for selecting appropriate candidates and designing neoadjuvant treatment strategies for advanced tumors. The aim of this review was to evaluate diagnostic abilities of clinical TNM staging for gastrointestinal, gastrointestinal cancers.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review of recent publications to evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic modalities on gastrointestinal cancers. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE using the keywords "TNM staging," "T4 staging," "distant metastases," "esophageal cancer," "gastric cancer," and "colorectal cancer," and the search terms used in Cochrane Reviews between January 2005 to July 2020. Articles focusing on preoperative diagnosis of: (a) depth of invasion; (b) lymph node metastases; and (c) distant metastases were selected.

RESULTS

After a full-text search, a final set of 55 studies (17 esophageal cancer studies, 26 gastric cancer studies, and 12 colorectal cancer studies) were used to evaluate the accuracy of clinical TNM staging. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were the best modalities to assess distant metastases. Fat and fiber mode of CT may be useful for T4 staging of esophageal cancer, CT was a partially reliable modality for lymph node staging in gastric cancer, and CT combined with MRI was the most reliable modality for liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

CONCLUSION

The most reliable diagnostic modality differed among gastrointestinal cancers depending on the type of cancer. Therefore, we propose diagnostic algorithms for clinical staging for each type of cancer.

Incurable locoregional disease is a strong poor prognostic factor in recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

BACKGROUND

Distant metastasis is a poor prognostic factor in recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. However, limited information on the prognostic impact of locoregional disease is available, despite its life-threatening features. We investigated the prognostic impact of incurable locoregional disease and distant metastasis in recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 156 patients with recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who received palliative chemotherapy between August 2006 and December 2019.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time for all censored patients was 12.1 (range 1.9-63.5) months. The median overall survival was 12.4 (95% confidence interval 10.1-15.1) months. Incurable locoregional disease (hazard ratio: 2.31, P = 0.007), liver metastasis (hazard ratio: 2.84, P = 0.006), disease-free interval > 13 months (hazard ratio: 0.51, P = 0.041), cetuximab use (hazard ratio: 0.59, P = 0.007), and immune checkpoint inhibitor use (hazard ratio: 0.56, P = 0.006) were associated with prognosis. The number of distant metastatic sites was not associated with overall survival (1-2: hazard ratio: 0.60, P = 0.16; 3-4: hazard ratio: 1.34, P = 0.50). Patients with incurable locoregional disease had more life-threatening events than those with curable locoregional disease.

CONCLUSION

The presence of incurable locoregional disease had a significant prognostic impact, whereas the number of distant metastatic sites had no prognostic impact. Liver metastasis was a poor prognostic factor for recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Surgical resection and survival outcomes in metastatic young adult colorectal cancer patients

Background

The incidence of colorectal cancer in adults younger than age 50 has increased with rates expected to continue to increase over the next decade. The objective of this study is to examine the survival benefit of surgical resection (primary and/or metastatic) versus palliative therapy in this patient population.

Methods

We identified 6708 young adults aged 18–45 years diagnosed with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) from 2004 to 2015 from the SEER database. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier estimation, log rank test, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

Sixty‐three percent of patients in our study underwent primary tumor resection (PTR), with 40% undergoing PTR alone and 23% undergoing both resection of primary disease and metastasectomy. The median OS for patients who underwent both PTR and metastasectomy was 36 months, compared to 13 months for those who did not receive any surgical intervention. The multivariate analysis showed significant OS benefit of receiving both PTR and metastasectomy (HR 0.34, 95% CI: 0.31–0.37, p < 0.001) compared to palliative therapy. Undergoing PTR only and metastasectomy only were also associated with improved OS (HR 0.46, 95% CI: 0.43–0.49, p < 0.001 and HR 0.64, 95% CI: 0.55–0.76, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

This is the largest observational study to evaluate survival outcomes in young‐onset mCRC patients and the role of surgical intervention of the primary and/or metastatic site. Our study provides evidence of statistically significant increase in OS for young mCRC patients who undergo surgical intervention of the primary and/or metastatic site.

Impact of postoperative complications after primary tumor resection on survival in patients with incurable stage IV colorectal cancer: A multicenter retrospective cohort study

AIMS

Primary tumor resection for patients with incurable stage IV colorectal cancer can prevent tumor-related complications but may cause postoperative complications. Postoperative complications delay the administration of chemotherapy and can lead to the spread of malignancy. However, the impact of postoperative complications after primary tumor resection on survival in patients with incurable stage IV colorectal cancer remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how postoperative complications after primary tumor resection affect survival in this patient group.

METHODS

We reviewed data on 966 patients with stage IV colorectal cancer who underwent palliative primary tumor resection between January 2006 and December 2007. We examined the association between major complications (National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0 grade 3 or more) and overall survival using Cox proportional hazard model and explored risk factors associated with major complications using multivariable logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Ninety-three patients (9.6%) had major complications. The 2-year overall survival rate was 32.7% in the group with major complications and 50.3% in the group with no major complications. Patients with major complications had a significantly poorer prognosis than those without major complications (hazard ratio: 1.62; 95% confidence interval: 1.21-2.18; P < .01). Male, rectal tumor, and open surgery were identified to be risk factors for major complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative complications after primary tumor resection was associated with decreased long-term survival in patients with incurable stage IV colorectal cancer.

The Impact of Primary Tumor Resection on Survival in Asymptomatic Colorectal Cancer Patients With Unresectable Metastases

Purpose

This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of primary tumor resection (PTR) in asymptomatic colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with unresectable metastases using the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method to minimize selection bias.

Methods

We selected 146 patients diagnosed with stage IV CRC with unresectable metastasis between 2001 and 2018 from our institutional database. In a multivariate logistic regression model using the patients’ baseline covariates associated with PTR, we applied the IPTW method based on a propensity score and performed a weighted Cox proportional regression analysis to estimate survival according to PTR.

Results

Upfront PTR was performed in 98 patients, and no significant differences in baseline factors were detected. The upweighted median survival of the PTR group was 18 months and that of the non-PTR group was 15 months (P = 0.15). After applying the IPTW, the PTR was still insignificant in the univariate Cox regression (hazard ratio [HR], 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5–1.21). However, in the multivariate weighted Cox regression with adjustment for other covariates, the PTR showed a significantly decreased risk of cancer-related death (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40–0.94).

Conclusion

In this study, we showed that asymptomatic CRC patients with unresectable metastases could gain a survival benefit from upfront PTR by analysis with the IPTW method. However, randomized controlled trials are mandatory.

Primary Tumor Resection Plus Chemotherapy Versus Chemotherapy Alone for Colorectal Cancer Patients With Asymptomatic, Synchronous Unresectable Metastases (JCOG1007; iPACS): A Randomized Clinical Trial

It remains controversial whether primary tumor resection (PTR) before chemotherapy improves survival in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) with asymptomatic primary tumor and synchronous unresectable metastases.

Influence of primary tumor location and resection on survival in metastatic colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients with right sided colorectal cancer are known to have a poorer prognosis than patients with left sided colorectal cancer, whatever the cancer stage. To this day, primary tumor resection (PTR) is still controversial in a metastatic, non resectable setting.

AIM

To explore the survival impact of PTR in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) depending on PTL.

METHODS

We retrospectively collected data from all consecutive patients treated for mCRC at the Centre Georges Francois Leclerc Hospital. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the influence of PTR on survival. We then evaluated the association between PTL and overall survival among patients who previously underwent or did not undergo PTR. A propensity score was performed to match cohorts.

RESULTS

Four hundred and sixty-six patients were included. A total of 153 (32.8%) patients had unresected synchronous mCRC and 313 (67.2%) patients had resected synchronous mCRC. The number of patients with right colic cancer, left colic cancer and rectal cancer was respectively 174 (37.3%), 203 (43.6%) and 89 (19.1%). In the multivariate analysis only PTL, PTR, resection of hepatic and or pulmonary metastases and the use of oxaliplatin, EGFR inhibitors or bevacizumab throughout treatment were associated to higher overall survival rates. Survival evaluation depending on PTR and PTL found that PTR improved the prognosis of both left and right sided mCRC. Results were confirmed by using a weighted propensity score.

CONCLUSION

In mCRC, PTR seems to confer a higher survival rate to patients whatever the PTL.

The Role of Primary Tumor Resection in Colorectal Cancer Patients with Asymptomatic, Synchronous, Unresectable Metastasis: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

We aimed to assess the survival benefits of primary tumor resection (PTR) followed by chemotherapy in patients with asymptomatic stage IV colorectal cancer with asymptomatic, synchronous, unresectable metastases compared to those of upfront chemotherapy alone. This was an open-label, prospective, randomized controlled trial (ClnicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01978249). From May 2013 to April 2016, 48 patients (PTR, n = 26; upfront chemotherapy, n = 22) diagnosed with asymptomatic colorectal cancer with unresectable metastases in 12 tertiary hospitals were randomized (1:1). The primary endpoint was two-year overall survival. The secondary endpoints were primary tumor-related complications, PTR-related complications, and rate of conversion to resectable status. The two-year cancer-specific survival was significantly higher in the PTR group than in the upfront chemotherapy group (72.3% vs. 47.1%; p = 0.049). However, the two-year overall survival rate was not significantly different between the PTR and upfront chemotherapy groups (69.5% vs. 44.8%, p = 0.058). The primary tumor-related complication rate was 22.7%. The PTR-related complication rate was 19.2%, with a major complication rate of 3.8%. The rates of conversion to resectable status were 15.3% and 18.2% in the PTR and upfront chemotherapy groups. While PTR followed by chemotherapy resulted in better two-year cancer-specific survival than upfront chemotherapy, the improvement in the two-year overall survival was not significant.