The concept of oligometastases in colorectal cancer: from the clinical evidences to new therapeutic strategies

Feasibility and Tolerability of Anlotinib Plus PD-1 Blockades for Patients with Treatment-Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Exploratory Study

Objective

Therapeutic regimens are relatively scarce among patients with treatment-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to determine the feasibility and tolerability of anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades in patients with treatment-refractory metastatic CRC retrospectively.

Methods

A total of 68 patients with previously treated metastatic CRC who received anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades in clinical practice were included in this study retrospectively. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients, therapeutic outcomes and safety profile during administration were collected and briefly analyzed. All subjects were followed up regularly. Therapeutic outcomes, including drug response and prognosis, were presented, and a safety profile was depicted to illustrate the adverse reactions.

Results

A total of 68 patients with treatment-refractory metastatic CRC who received anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades in clinical practice were included in the final analysis. Best therapeutic response during treatment indicated that partial response was observed in 11 patients, stable disease was noted in 41 patients, and progressive disease was found in 16 patients, producing an objective response rate of 16.2% (95% CI: 8.4%-27.1%) and a disease control rate of 76.5% (95% CI: 64.6%-85.9%). Prognostic analysis suggested that the median progression-free survival (PFS) of the 68 patients was 5.3 months (95% CI: 3.01-7.59), and the median overall survival (OS) was 12.5 months (95% CI: 9.40-15.60). Of the 11 patients who responded, the median duration of response was 6.7 months (95% CI: 2.89-10.53). Safety profile during treatment showed that patients experienced adverse reactions regardless of grade, and grade ≥3 adverse reactions were found in 61 patients (89.7%) and 41 patients (60.3%), respectively. Common adverse reactions were hypertension, myelosuppression (including leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia), fatigue, and hand-foot syndrome.

Conclusion

Anlotinib plus PD-1 blockades demonstrated encouraging efficacy and acceptable safety profile in patients with treatment-refractory metastatic CRC preliminarily in clinical practice. This conclusion should be confirmed in prospective clinical trials.

Association between primary tumor characteristics and histopathological growth pattern of liver metastases in colorectal cancer

INTRODUCTION

The microarchitecture of liver metastases (LMs), or histopathological growth pattern (HGP), has been demonstrated to be a significant prognostic factor in patients undergoing resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs). Currently, however, HGP can be only determined on the operative specimen. Therefore, the development of new tools to predict the HGP of CRLMs before surgery and to understand the mechanisms that drive these patterns is important for improving individualization of therapeutic management. In this study, we analyzed data from a retrospective series of patients who underwent surgery for CRLMs to compare primary tumor characteristics, including markers of local aggressiveness and migratory capacity, and HGP of liver metastases.

METHODS

Data from a retrospective series of 167 patients who underwent curative-intent resection of CRLMs and in whom pathological samples from both primary tumor and liver metastases were available were reviewed. At the primary tumor level, KRAS mutational status, grade of differentiation, and tumor budding were assessed. HGP was scored in each resected CRLM, according to consensus guidelines, and classified as desmoplastic (dHGP) or non-desmoplastic (non-dHGP). Associations between primary tumor characteristics and HGP of CRLMs were evaluated using a binary logistic regression model. Overall survival and disease-free survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

CRLMs were classified as dHGP in 36% of the patients and as non-dHGP in 64%. Higher rates of moderately or poorly differentiated primary tumors were observed in the non-dHGP CRLM group (80%), as compared with the dHGP group (60%) (OR = 3.6; 95%CI: 1.6-7.05; p = 0.001). Higher rates of tumor budding were observed in the non-dHGP CRLM group, with a median tumor budding value of 4 as compared with 2.5 in the dHGP group (p = 0.042). In the entire series, 5-year overall and disease-free survival were 43% and 32.5%, respectively. The non-dHGP CRLM group had worse post-hepatectomy survival, with 5-year overall and disease-free survival of 32.2% and 24.6%, respectively, as compared with 60.8% and 45.9%, respectively, for the dHGP group (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Colorectal tumors with moderate or poor differentiation and those with high tumor budding are more frequently associated with CRLMs with a non-dHGP. This suggests that primary tumor characteristics of local aggressiveness and migratory capacity could preferentially promote the development of CRLMs with an infiltrating pattern and that these parameters should be considered as part of new scores for predicting HGP before surgery. This finding may stimulate new lines of research for more individualized therapeutic decision in patients with CRLM candidate to surgery.

Ascending colon cecal junction carcinoma with prostate metastasis: A case report and literature review

RATIONALE

Colon carcinoma is the most common type of cancer, and a leading cause of cancer-related death. Clinically, the most common sites of metastases from colon carcinoma are the liver, lungs, peritoneum, and lymph nodes, while the incidence of metastases to the prostate is low. There are few relevant studies on colon carcinoma, most of them being case reports.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 76-year-old man treated with radical resection of right colon carcinoma due to primary poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the cecum. Postoperative pathological examination suggested that he had cancer at the junction of the ascending colon and the cecum. He had received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. One year later, he received transurethral plasma resection of the prostate due to urinary system discomfort. Postoperative pathological immunohistochemistry suggested prostate metastasis of colorectal carcinoma, and he received individualized treatment, but this produced no clear survival benefit.

DIAGNOSES

Ascending colon cecal junction carcinoma with prostate metastasis.

INTERVENTIONS

Radical resection, chemotherapy, anti-androgen therapy, surgery to relieve primary lesion obstruction symptoms, and local radiotherapy of the prostate.

OUTCOMES

At present, clinical cases of colon carcinoma with prostate metastasis are rare. By sharing a rare case of ascending colon cecal junction carcinoma with prostate metastasis and reviewing the relevant literature, this paper explores and optimizes the clinical treatment of colon carcinoma with prostate metastasis.

Effects of metastatic CRC predictors on treatment outcomes

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed malignant tumor. The problem of mCRC is urgent due to both an increase in the number of metastatic tumors and the implementation of high-tech treatment methods that have significantly improved the results of a 5-year survival.

METHODS

The research used the method of experiment and observation. Current study included data of 332 patients with CRC who received comprehensive treatment from 2014 to 2018 in oncology centers of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The patients were treated according to the clinical protocols for the treatment of oncological diseases approved in the Republic of Kazakhstan, including surgical treatment, as well as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, depending on the stage and localization of the process. A comprehensive treatment also included surgical treatment, chemotherapy, targeted chemotherapy and, in some cases, radiation therapy for rectal cancer. The diagnosis was confirmed morphologically in all patients; process dissemination was recorded using standard examination methods. Among the patients, women prevailed - 182 (54.8%) women and 150 men (45.2%) were included; the Caucasian race prevailed - 170 (51.2%) patients and 162 (48.8%) patients were of the Asian race. The mean age of the patients at the time of treatment was 56.4 ± 0.6 years (from 25 to 79 years). Histologically, adenocarcinoma prevailed represented by glandular - in 95.6%, mucous - in 2.9% and trabecular - in 1.5% of cases. A comprehensive treatment was used in 209 (63.0%) patients and other types of treatment were used in 123 (37.0%) patients (PCT, stoma + PCT). Radiation therapy was administered to 13 (3.9%) patients diagnosed with rectal cancer.

RESULTS

A comparative analysis of the results of pharmacotherapy in the patients with mCRC showed that of 332 patients, 263 (79.2%) received targeted chemotherapy and 69 (20.8%) received standard polychemotherapy. At the time of the study, 85 (32.3%) patients in the targeted chemotherapy group were still alive, with a median survival of 42.0 ± 1.7 months, 95% CI (38.6-45.4). In the polychemotherapy group, 7 (10.1%) patients were alive, while the median survival rate was 20.0 ± 1.7 months, 95% CI (16.6-23.4).

CONCLUSION

Based on the results, it was concluded that targeted chemotherapy schemes increased progression-free survival, compared to standard polychemotherapy schemes.

Molecular Mechanisms Related with Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer-Is It Just a Matter of Numbers?

During the last decade, the body of knowledge regarding the oligometastatic state has increased exponentially. Several molecular frameworks have been established, aiding our understanding of metastatic spread caused by genetically unstable cells that adapt to a tissue environment which is distant from the primary tumor. In the current narrative review, we provide an overview of the current treatment landscape of oligometastatic cancer, focusing on the current biomarkers used in the identification of true oligometastatic disease and highlighting the impact of molecular imaging on stage shift in different scenarios. Finally, we address current and future directions regarding the use of genetic and epigenetic targeting treatments in oligometastatic prostate cancer.

Association Between Tumor Mutation Profile and Clinical Outcomes Among Hispanic-Latino Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

In the United States, CRC is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Although the incidence of CRC among the Hispanic population has been declining, recently, a dramatic increase in CRC incidents among HL younger than 50 years of age has been reported. The incidence of early-onset CRC is more significant in HL population (45%) than in non-Hispanic Whites (27%) and African-Americans (15%). The reason for these racial disparities and the biology of CRC in the HL are not well understood. We performed this study to understand the biology of the disease in HL patients. We analyzed formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue samples from 52 HL patients with mCRC. We compared the results with individual patient clinical histories and outcomes. We identified commonly altered genes in HL patients (APC, TP53, KRAS, GNAS, and NOTCH). Importantly, mutation frequencies in the APC gene were significantly higher among HL patients. The combination of mutations in the APC, NOTCH, and KRAS genes in the same tumors was associated with a higher risk of progression after first-line of chemotherapy and overall survival. Our data support the notion that the molecular drivers of CRC might be different in HL patients.

Does surgery benefit patients with oligometastatic or metastatic prostate cancer? - A retrospective cohort study and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To evaluate long-term oncological outcomes of radical prostatectomy (RP) plus androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in oligometastatic prostate cancer (PCa) patients.

METHODS

Our study included oligometastatic PCa patients hospitalized between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015, who received ADT with or without RP. We evaluated survival by employing Kaplan-Meier methods, with log-rank tests and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. A meta-analysis of previously published studies was additionally performed.

RESULTS

The median follow-up times of both groups were 68.4 months (interquartile range = 56.5-85.0). In this cohort study, significant statistical difference in preoperative total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA; p = .121), clinical T stage (p = .115), and N stage (p = .394) were not found between the two groups. Meanwhile, the difference in overall survival (OS) between the two groups did not reach statistical significance (p = .649). A significant difference was not observed in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)-free survival between two groups as well (p = .183). Numbers of metastases might be an independent prognosis factor (p = .05) for OS, and postoperative tPSA is a risk predictor for CRPC-free survival (p = .032). A meta-analysis of four relevant studies demonstrated significant statistical difference in clinical improvement with RP plus ADT over ADT alone in OS survival (p < .001; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.38-0.69) instead of CRPC-free survival (p = .42; HR = 0.86; 95% CI = 0.59-1.24).

CONCLUSION

The addition of RP to ADT for the treatment of oligometastatic PCa was associated with an improved OS instead of CRPC-free survival.

Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers in Oligometastatic Disease

Metastatic lesions are largely responsible for cancer-related deaths and are synonymous with a poor prognosis. However, this is not always true for patients with oligometastases whose disease may be amenable to curative-intent local therapies. It has been proposed that an "intermediate state" (oligometastasis) exists in between locoregional and advanced disease states; however, the clinical definition of oligometastasis varies, and there is limited understanding of how tumor biology differs between oligometastases and polymetastases. There is evidence that local therapies can extend survival in patients with oligometastases, yet patient selection for local intervention and/or systemic therapy remains a challenge. Prognostic and predictive biomarkers of oligometastatic disease are strongly needed to identify patient candidates most likely to gain survival benefit from local therapies and to aid in the incorporation of ablative treatments in the context of existing systemic therapies.

Impact of surveillance among patients with resected pancreatic cancer following adjuvant chemotherapy

Background

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma carries a high risk of recurrence even after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Current guidelines do not endorse routine surveillance imaging due to lack of evidence supporting a survival benefit. With current first-line palliative chemotherapy options, it is unclear whether surveillance allows for early detection of asymptomatic disease and therefore an improved opportunity to offer chemotherapy to fit patients. We sought to describe patterns of surveillance of resected pancreatic cancer at British Columbia (BC) Cancer and determine whether utilization of computerized tomography (CT) scans affected likelihood of receiving palliative chemotherapy at the time of recurrence.

Methods

A retrospective review was completed to identify patients treated at BC Cancer centres between 2010-2016 who had undergone curative intent resection and received at least one cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy. Information was collected on baseline characteristics, imaging scans done between adjuvant chemotherapy and recurrence, and receipt of palliative chemotherapy. Two cohorts were defined based on number of scans done between completion of adjuvant chemotherapy and recurrence: those with only 1 scan were defined as "symptomatic" recurrences and patients who had undergone more than 1 scan were considered "surveillance" recurrences.

Results

In total, 142 patients were included of which 115 (81%) patients developed recurrence. There were 22 patients (19%) in the "symptomatic" cohort and 93 patients (81%) in the "surveillance" cohort. Median time to recurrence 274 days (9.1 months) in the symptomatic cohort compared to 471 days (15.7 months) in the surveillance group. Patients who underwent surveillance scans were more likely to receive palliative chemotherapy at the time of recurrence, though statistical significance was not reached: 51% in surveillance group versus 27% in symptomatic group [odds ratio (OR) 2.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.75-6.58, P=0.17].

Conclusions

Despite the absence of surveillance recommendations, the majority of patients underwent surveillance imaging. We demonstrated a non-significant increase in the likelihood of receiving palliative chemotherapy among patients who underwent surveillance scans. With more efficacious palliative chemotherapy options available, studies to determine whether receipt of chemotherapy in asymptomatic recurrences translates into improved survival and/or quality of life are warranted.

Long-term outcomes in patients with advanced adrenocortical carcinoma after image-guided locoregional ablation or embolization

Background

To evaluate outcomes and survival rates in patients with metastatic adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) who were treated with image‐guided locoregional treatments (IGLTs).

Purpose

To evaluate the overall survival (OS) and clinical impact of IGLT in the management of patients with advanced metastatic ACC.

Methods

Retrospective review of 39 patients treated with IGLT between 1999 and 2018 was performed. Short‐ and long‐term efficacy of treatments were defined based upon imaging and clinical data. Subgroup survival analysis was performed on patients with metastatic disease at diagnosis (N = 17) and compared with the same stage group from the most recent National Cancer Database (NCDB) report. Statistical analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

Treatments were performed at different anatomic sites including liver (N = 46), lung (N = 14), retroperitoneum (N = 5), bone (N = 4), subcutaneous (N = 2), and intracaval (N = 1). Radiofrequency, microwave, cryoablation, or a combination of two modalities (45, 18, 3, 3, respectively) were used in 69 ablation sessions. Intra‐arterial procedures were performed in 12 patients in 18 treatment cycles (range 1–3 per patient). As of a 2019 analysis, 11 patients were alive with a mean follow‐up of 169 months (range 63–292 months) from diagnosis. Two‐ and 5‐year OS rates for all patients were 84.5% and 51%, respectively, and 76.5% and 59% for patients with metastatic disease at diagnosis (N = 17). This compares favorably with an NCDB report of 35% 5‐year survival rate for patients with metastatic disease. Female gender and longer time from diagnosis to first IGLT were found to be predictors of prolonged survival with hazard ratios of 0.23 (p < 0.001) and 0.66 (p = 0.001), respectively.

Conclusion

IGLT may be associated with prolonged life expectancy in select patients with metastatic ACC.

Efficacy of Local Therapy for Oligometastatic Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis

Purpose

With respect to various solid cancers, patients with oligometastasis may benefit from local therapy. However, this approach is not widely accepted for hepatocellular carcinoma. This study investigated the efficacy of local therapy for oligometastatic lesions in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Patients and Methods

The study included 69 hepatocellular carcinoma patients presenting with oligometastasis to the lung. Characteristics of the patients and treatment options for metastatic lesions were reviewed, and a survival analysis was performed. After propensity score matching, overall survival and progression-free survival were calculated from the time of pulmonary metastasis detection. Factors predicting prognosis were analyzed using a multivariate Cox regression analysis.

Results

After propensity score matching, 58 patients with Child-Pugh grade A disease were selected. Among them, 22 patients were treated with systemic therapy alone while 36 patients received local therapy or a combination of local and systemic therapies for metastatic lesions. Survival rates were higher in patients receiving local therapy than in those receiving systemic therapy (2-year overall survival rate, 66.6 vs 31.2%, p<0.001; 2-year progression-free survival rate, 47.0 vs 10.6%, p=0.005). In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, alpha-fetoprotein levels less than 400 ng/mL and the use of local therapy for metastatic lesions were found to be significant favorable prognostic factors.

Conclusion

Local therapy for metastatic lesions improved the oncologic outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with pulmonary oligometastasis.

How we treat metastatic colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. About 20% of patients suffer from metastatic disease at diagnosis, while about one-third of patients treated with curative intent relapsed. In these patients, an accurate staging allows to plan a treatment strategy within a multidisciplinary team in order to achieve predefined goals. Patient's clinical features, tumour characteristics and molecular profile (RAS/BRAF and microsatellite instability (MSI) status) should be considered during the treatment choice. Combination of chemotherapy (fluoropyrimidines, oxaliplatin and irinotecan) plus biological agents (antiepidermal growth factor receptor or antiangiogenic drugs) in addition to surgery, could give a chance of cure in resectable or potentially resectable tumours. However, in never resectable tumours, disease control and prolonging survival should be the goal to achieve simultaneously with control of symptoms. In addition to standard therapies, especially in case of unresectable oligometastatic disease, several local ablative treatment are available. In later lines, when improving quality of life become predominant, regorafenib and trifluridine/tipiracil demonstrated survival benefit, while re-challenge therapies represent an option only in selected patients. In patients with BRAFV600E-mutant tumour or with MSI, new therapies showed survival gain and probably will be a new piece in the treatment algorithm.

Long-term survival results after treatment for oligometastatic brain disease

Aim

The aim of this study was to characterize the survival results of patients with up to four brain metastases after intense local therapy (primary surgery or stereotactic radiotherapy) if extracranial metastases were absent or limited to one site, e.g. the lungs.

Background

Oligometastatic disease has repeatedly been reported to convey a favorable prognosis.

Material and methods

This retrospective study included 198 German and Norwegian patients treated with individualized approaches, always including brain radiotherapy. Information about age, extracranial spread, number of brain metastases, performance status and other variables was collected. Uni- and multivariate tests were performed.

Results

Median survival was 16.5 months (single brain metastasis) and 9.8 months (2-4, comparable survival for 2, 3 and 4), respectively (p = 0.001). After 5 years, 15 and 2% of the patients were still alive. In patients alive after 2 years, added median survival was 23 months and the probability of being alive 5 years after treatment was 26%. In multivariate analysis, extracranial metastases were not significantly associated with survival, while primary tumor control was.

Conclusion

Long-term survival beyond 5 years is possible in a minority of patients with oligometastatic brain disease, in particular those with a single brain metastasis. The presence of extracranial metastases to one site should not be regarded a barrier towards maximum brain-directed therapy.

Clinical Implication of Concordant or Discordant Genomic Profiling between Primary and Matched Metastatic Tissues in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify the concordant or discordant genomic profiling between primary and matched metastatic tumors in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and to explore the clinical implication.

Materials and Methods

Surgical samples of primary and matched metastatic tissues from 158 patients (335 samples) with CRC at Korea University Anam Hospital were evaluated using the Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel. We compared genetic variants and classified them as concordant, primary-specific, and metastasis-specific variants. We used a combination of principal components analysis and clustering to find genomic groups. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to appraise survival between genomic groups. We used machine learning to confirm the correlation between genetic variants and metastatic sites.

Results

A total of 282 types of deleterious non-synonymous variants were selected for analysis. Of a total of 897 variants, an average of 40% was discordant. Three genomic groups were yielded based on the genomic discrepancy patterns. Overall survival differed significantly between the genomic groups. The poorest group had the highest proportion of concordant KRAS G12V and additional metastasis-specific SMAD4. Correlation analysis between genetic variants and metastatic sites suggested that concordant KRAS mutations would have more disseminated metastases.

Conclusion

Driver gene mutations were mostly concordant; however, discordant or metastasis-specific mutations were present. Clinically, the concordant driver genetic changes with additional metastasis-specific variants can predict poor prognosis for patients with CRC.