Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Improves Feasibility of Larynx Preservation and Prognosis in Resectable Locally Advanced Cervical Esophageal Cancer

BACKGROUND

The optimal strategy for cervical advanced esophageal cancer remains controversial in terms of oncologic outcome as well as vocal and swallowing function. Recently, in East Asian countries, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has been a standard strategy for advanced esophageal cancer.

METHODS

This study included 37 patients who underwent NAC, and 33 patients who underwent definitive chemoradiation therapy (dCRT) as larynx-preserving treatment for locally advanced cervical esophageal cancer from 2016 to 2021. This study retrospectively investigated outcomes, with comparison between NAC and dCRT for locally advanced cervical esophageal cancer.

RESULTS

Larynx preservation was successful for all the patients with NAC and dCRT. After NAC, the rate of complete or partial response was 78.4%, and 30 patients underwent larynx-preserving surgery. On the other hand, after dCRT, the complete response rate was 71.9%, and 4 patients underwent larynx-preserving salvage surgery. Overall survival (OS) and progression free survival were similar between the two groups. However, for the patients with resectable cervical esophageal cancer (cT1/2/3), the 2-year OS rate was significantly higher with NAC (79.9%) than with dCRT (56.8%) (P = 0.022), and the multivariate analyses identified only NAC and cN0, one of the two as a significantly independent factor associated with a better OS (NAC: P = 0.041; cN0, 1: P = 0.036).

CONCLUSION

The study showed that NAC as larynx-preserving surgery for resectable cervical esophageal cancer preserved function and had a better prognosis than dCRT. The authors suggest that NAC may be standard strategy for larynx preservation in patients with resectable cervical esophageal cancer.

Hydration Methods for Cisplatin Containing Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity (CIN) can be prevented by fluid hydration, electrolyte supplementation, or forced diuresis; however, the best way to prevent CIN is still unknown. The aim of this study was to provide objective evidence on the optimal design of hydration schemes to prevent CIN based on an update of the literature.

METHODS

A Pubmed and Embase search were conducted in December 2021 and repeated in April 2022 and March 2023. Two independent reviewers screened the articles. The included articles were categorized and reviewed per category.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria. The included studies varied widely. Four out of seven studies investigating diuretics found a protective effect of adding mannitol to the hydration scheme. All six studies investigating duration and amount of volume of hydration found that a short-hydration scheme resulted in less CIN than a longer hydration scheme. Seven out of nine articles evaluating the role of electrolytes found that magnesium supplementation reduced the risk of nephrotoxicity. Three studies investigated the safety of oral hydration and concluded that nephrotoxicity did not occur more frequently after oral hydration.

CONCLUSION

The hydration scheme of cisplatin should be short and consist of a relatively small amount of volume. The scheme should include mannitol and magnesium supplementation. Head-to-head studies are needed to investigate the safety of furosemide compared with mannitol and the dose of mannitol and magnesium.

Pro-Inflammatory Signalling PRRopels Cisplatin-Induced Toxicity

Cisplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapeutic that has long since been effective against a variety of solid-cancers, substantially improving the five-year survival rates for cancer patients. Its use has also historically been limited by its adverse drug reactions, or cisplatin-induced toxicities (CITs). Of these reactions, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity (CIN), cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), and cisplatin-induced ototoxicity (CIO) are the three most common of several CITs recognised thus far. While the anti-cancer activity of cisplatin is well understood, the mechanisms driving its toxicities have only begun to be defined. Most of the literature pertains to damage caused by oxidative stress that occurs downstream of cisplatin treatment, but recent evidence suggests that the instigator of CIT development is inflammation. Cisplatin has been shown to induce pro-inflammatory signalling in CIN, CIPN, and CIO, all of which are associated with persisting markers of inflammation, particularly from the innate immune system. This review covered the hallmarks of inflammation common and distinct between different CITs, the role of innate immune components in development of CITs, as well as current treatments targeting pro-inflammatory signalling pathways to conserve the use of cisplatin in chemotherapy and improve long-term health outcomes of cancer patients.

Intravenous Administration of Cisplatin with Magnesium Sulfate Supplement May Prevent Kidney Toxicity in Rats: The Role of Gender and Magnesium Sulfate Dose

Background. Cisplatin (CP) is widely used to treat various kinds of malignancies, but to avoid its side effects of nephrotoxicity and hypomagnesemia, magnesium supplementation is a subject of debate. The current study was designed to determine the protective role of intravenous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) against intravenous administration of CP in male and female rats. Method. In this case-control experimental study, 80 Wistar male and female rats in 12 groups of experiments were subjected to receive intravenous administration of CP accompanied with intravenous infusion of different doses (1, 3, and 10 mg/ml solution) of MgSO4 and were compared with the control groups. Results. CP administration increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), kidney tissue damage score (KTDS), and kidney weight (KW), and they were attenuated by the mid-dose of MgSO4 supplementation in female rats. However, in male rats, the increase of Cr, BUN, KTDS, and KW induced by CP was ameliorated by low, mid-, and high doses of MgSO4 supplements. The levels of these markers were significantly different between male and female rats in the mid-dose of MgSO4-treated group (BUN: $P=0.002$ , Cr: $P=0.005$ , KTDS: $P=0.002$ , and KW: $P=0.031$ ). CP reduced clearance of Cr (ClCr) in both male and female rats significantly compared to the control group of saline alone (Pmale = 0.002 and Pfemale = 0.001), and the mid- and high doses of MgSO4 supplements improved ClCr in female rats. There were also sex differences in ClCr in mid- ( $P=0.05$ ) and high ( $P=0.032$ ) doses of MgSO4-treated groups. CP accompanied with the mid-dose of MgSO4 supplement reduced the KTDS (Pmale = 0.04 and Pfemale = 0.004) and KW (Pmale = 0.002 and Pfemale = 0.042) in both male and female rats significantly when compared with the CP-alone-treated group, while there were also significant differences between the sexes (KTDS: $P=0.002$ and KW: $P=0.031$ ). CP accompanied with three different doses of MgSO4 supplements did not improve the serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase, urine level of sodium, malondialdehyde, urine flow, and nitrite statistically when compared with the CP-alone-treated group. Conclusion. The renal protective effect of MgSO4 could be dose and gender related.

Preloading magnesium attenuates cisplatin-associated nephrotoxicity: pilot randomized controlled trial (PRAGMATIC study)

Background

Cisplatin is one of the most potent chemotherapeutic drugs used in head and neck cancer treatment; however, nephrotoxicity is the major side-effect limiting usage. Magnesium supplementation has been reported to reduce risk in non-controlled studies. We investigated whether preloading with magnesium prevents nephrotoxicity with a low-dose weekly cisplatin regimen.

Methods

We carried out a prospective pilot, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial to compare cisplatin-associated acute kidney injury (cis-AKI) and acute kidney disease (cis-AKD) between two groups: intravenous 0.9% NaCl 500 ml + KCL 20 mEq over 4 h pre-cisplatin 40 mg/m² weekly for 7-8 weeks (control group) compared with additional 16 mEq magnesium added to the saline infusion (Mg group) in 30 head and neck cancer patients. Cis-AKI was defined as an increased serum creatinine (SCr) ≥ 0.3 mg/dl within 7 days and cis-AKD is an increased SCr ≥ 0.3 mg/dl between last SCr and baseline pre-chemotherapy SCr.

Results

The overall cisplatin tumor response rate and survival were comparable between groups. The baseline characteristics were comparable between groups, although SCr was lower in the controls (0.70 ± 0.17 versus 0.87 ± 0.17 mg/dl, P = 0.01). The incidence of cis-AKI was similar (4.6% versus 1.3%); however, the incidence of cis-AKD was higher for the control group (46.7% versus 6.7%, hazard ratio = 0.082, 95% confidence interval 0.008-0.79, P = 0.03). The time to develop cis-AKD was significantly shorter in the control group (P = 0.007).

Conclusions

The magnesium-preloading regimen was safe and significantly showed a decreased incidence of cis-AKD. The encouraging results of our pilot study need to be confirmed in a large-scale randomized controlled trial.

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The magnesium preloading regimen tend to lower incidence of cisplatin-associated acute kidney injury (cis-AKI).

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The effects of cisplatin on kidney function were mainly subacute, thus clinicians should carefully monitor not only for cis-AKI but also cis-AKD.

Influences of the Charlson Comorbidity Index and Nutrition Status on Prognosis After Esophageal Cancer Surgery

BACKGROUND

The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), an indicator that objectively quantifies comorbidities, reduces nutritional status; however, the impact of the CCI on the postoperative nutrition indexes of patients with esophageal cancer remains unclear.

METHODS

In total, 336 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent surgery between January 2011 and April 2017 were included in this study. We investigated the relationship between the CCI and postoperative nutrition indexes.

RESULTS

Patients were divided into two groups: CCI ≤1 (low CCI group) and CCI ≥2 (high CCI group). A high CCI was significantly associated with shortened overall survival (OS; 3-year OS rate of 77.9% in the low CCI group versus 59.7% in the high CCI group; p = 0.008). Nutritional indexes, such as the Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), at 1 month after esophagectomy were significantly lower in the high CCI group than in the low CCI group (p = 0.031); however, the PNI at 6 months after surgery was similar between the high and low CCI groups. Multivariate analysis identified high CCI as an independent risk factor associated with PNI <45 in esophageal cancer patients at 1 month after esophagectomy (p = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

This study showed that CCI ≥2 was significantly associated with poor PNI at 1 month after surgery for esophageal cancer, indicating that it is necessary to administer effective nutritional interventions for patients with postoperative malnutrition, especially those with multiple comorbidities.

Management of cisplatin-associated toxicities in bladder cancer patients

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cisplatin remains the treatment cornerstone for bladder cancer, either in neoadjuvant or in metastatic (cisplatin-gemcitabine or dose-dense methotrexate, vinblastine, and doxorubicin). Timely and adequate management of cisplatin's adverse events is important in order to avoid dose reductions, treatment delays, or cessation. Over the last years, several randomized studies and updated guidelines have been published on this subject.

RECENT FINDINGS

The incidence, physiopathology, risk factors, preventive treatment, and optimal management of such complications will be presented, with special focus on cisplatin-associated nausea and vomiting, acute kidney injury (AKI), hypomagnesemia, neurotoxicity, and ototoxicity.

SUMMARY

Optimal prevention of cisplatin-associated nausea and vomiting requires an aggressive approach with the use of a four-drug prophylactic regimen (NK1 receptor antagonist, 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, dexamethasone, olanzapine). The use of intensive hydration before and after cisplatin infusion has been the mainstay of AKI prevention. The management of hypomagnesemia and neurotoxicity remains largely symptomatic. In an adult population, no therapy has yet demonstrated benefits in the prevention or treatment of platinum-related ototoxicity.

Prognostic Implication of Postoperative Weight Loss After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer

BACKGROUND

Preoperative weight loss in esophageal cancer is reported to be associated with a poor prognosis. However, the impact of postoperative weight loss on the prognosis of patients with esophageal cancer remains unclear.

METHODS

This study included 186 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent surgery between January 2012 and January 2015. The relationship between weight loss 6 months after esophagectomy as well as the clinical factors and prognosis of patients was investigated.

RESULTS

The mean weight loss rate for all the patients was 9.3% at 3 months, 10.8% at 6 months, 11.1% at 12 months, and 11.4% at 24 months after surgery. The patients with severe weight loss 6 months after surgery (≥ 12%) exhibited lower serum albumin levels and a lower prognostic nutrition index 6 months after esophagectomy than the patients with moderate weight loss (< 12%; p = 0.011 and 0.009, respectively). Although overall survival did not differ significantly between the two groups, for all the patients, severe weight loss was significantly associated with shortened overall survival for the cStages 3 and 4 patients (3-year overall survival rate, 76.6% in the moderate group vs 54.5% in the severe group; p = 0.042). The multivariate analyses identified only severe weight loss as an independent factor associated with worse overall survival for the cStages 3 and 4 patients (p = 0.034).

CONCLUSION

This study showed that postoperative weight loss negatively affected the prognosis for patients with advanced esophageal cancer, indicating the necessity of administering nutritional interventions to these patients to prevent postoperative weight loss.