Efficacy of Oral Adjuvant Therapy After Resection of Colorectal Cancer: 5-Year Results From Three Randomized Trials

Spatial Proteomic Profiling of Colorectal Cancer Revealed Its Tumor Microenvironment Heterogeneity

Colorectal cancer is a predominant malignancy with a second mortality worldwide. Despite its prevalence, therapeutic options remain constrained and surgical operation is still the most useful therapy. In this regard, a comprehensive spatially resolved quantitative proteome atlas was constructed to explore the functional proteomic landscape of colorectal cancer. This strategy integrates histopathological analysis, laser capture microdissection, and proteomics. Spatial proteome profiling of 200 tissue section samples facilitated by the fully integrated sample preparation technology SISPROT enabled the identification of more than 4000 proteins on the Orbitrap Exploris 240 from 2 mm2 × 10 μm tissue sections. Compared with normal adjacent tissues, we identified a spectrum of cancer-associated proteins and dysregulated pathways across various regions of colorectal cancer including ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum. Additionally, we conducted proteomic analysis on tumoral epithelial cells and paracancerous epithelium from early to advanced stages in hallmark rectum cancer and sigmoid colon cancer. Bioinformatics analysis revealed functional proteins and cell-type signatures associated with different regions of colorectal tumors, suggesting potential clinical implications. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive spatially resolved functional proteome landscape of colorectal cancer, serving as a valuable resource for exploring potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Non-metastatic colon cancer: French Intergroup Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatments, and follow-up (TNCD, SNFGE, FFCD, GERCOR, UNICANCER, SFCD, SFED, SFRO, ACHBT, SFP, AFEF, and SFR)

INTRODUCTION

This article is a summary of the French intergroup guidelines regarding the management of non-metastatic colon cancer (CC), revised in November 2022.

METHODS

These guidelines represent collaborative work of all French medical and surgical societies involved in the management of CC. Recommendations were graded in three categories (A, B, and C) according to the level of evidence found in the literature published up to November 2022.

RESULTS

Initial evaluation of CC is based on clinical examination, colonoscopy, chest-abdomen-pelvis computed tomography (CT) scan, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) assay. CC is usually managed by surgery and adjuvant treatment depending on the pathological findings. The use of adjuvant therapy remains a challenging question in stage II disease. For high-risk stage II CC, adjuvant chemotherapy must be discussed and fluoropyrimidine monotherapy or oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy proposed according to the type and number of poor prognostic features. Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (FOLFOX or CAPOX) is the current standard for adjuvant therapy of patients with stage III CC. However, these regimens are associated with significant oxaliplatin-induced neurotoxicity. The results of the recent IDEA study provide evidence that 3 months of treatment with CAPOX is as effective as 6 months of oxaliplatin-based therapy in patients with low-risk stage III CC (T1-3 and N1). A 6-month oxaliplatin-based therapy remains the standard of care for high-risk stage III CC (T4 and/or N2). For patients unfit for oxaliplatin, fluoropyrimidine monotherapy is recommended.

CONCLUSION

French guidelines for non-metastatic CC management help to offer the best personalized therapeutic strategy in daily clinical practice. Each individual case must be discussed within a multidisciplinary tumor board and then the treatment option decided with the patient.

Comparison of the antifungal activity of the pyrimidine analogs flucytosine and carmofur against human-pathogenic dematiaceous fungi

Chromoblastomycosis (CBM) and pheohyphomycosis (PHM) are the most common implantation mycoses caused by dematiaceous fungi. In the past, flucytosine (5-FC) has been used to treat CBM, but development of resistance is common. Carmofur belongs to the same class as 5-FC and has in vitro inhibitory activity against the main agents of CBM and PHM. The aim of this study was to compare the action of these two pyrimidine analog drugs against CBM and PHM agents. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the selectivity index based on cytotoxicity tests of these two drugs against some agents of these mycoses were determined, with carmofur presenting a higher selectivity index than 5-FC. Carmofur demonstrated here synergistic interactions with itraconazole and amphotericin B against Exophiala heteromorpha, Fonsecaea pedrosoi, Fonsecaea monophora, and Fonsecaea nubica strains. Additionally, carmofur plus itraconazole demonstrated here synergism against a Phialophora verrucosa strain. To evaluate the development of carmofur resistance, passages in culture medium containing subinhibitory concentrations of this pyrimidine analog were carried out, followed by in vitro susceptibility tests. Exophiala dermatitidis quickly developed resistance, whereas F. pedrosoi took seven passages in carmofur-supplemented medium to develop resistance. Moreover, resistance was permanent in E. dermatitidis but transient in F. pedrosoi. Hence, carmofur has exhibited certain advantages, albeit accompanied by limitations such as the development of resistance, which was expected as with 5-FC. This underscores its therapeutic potential in combination with other drugs, emphasizing the need for a meticulous evaluation of its application in the fight against dematiaceous fungi.

Recurrence-free survival dynamics following adjuvant chemotherapy for resected colorectal cancer: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Several cytotoxic chemotherapies have demonstrated efficacy in improving recurrence-free survival (RFS) following resection of Stage II-IV colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the temporal dynamics of response to such adjuvant therapy have not been systematically quantified.

METHODS

The Cochrane Central Register of Trials, Medline (PubMed) and Web of Science were queried from database inception to February 23, 2023 for Phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) where there was a significant difference in RFS between adjuvant chemotherapy and surgery only arms. Summary data were extracted from published Kaplan-Meier curves using DigitizeIT. Absolute differences in RFS event rates were compared at matched intervals using multiple paired t-tests.

RESULTS

The initial search yielded 1469 manuscripts. After screening, 18 RCTs were eligible (14 Stage II/III; 4 Stage IV), inclusive of 16,682 patients. In the absence of adjuvant chemotherapy, the greatest rate of recurrence was observed in the first year (mean RFS event rate; 0-0.5 years: 0.22 ± 0.21; 0.5-1 years: 0.20 ± 0.09). Adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with significant decreases in the RFS event rates for the intervals 0-0.5 years (0.09 ± 0.09 vs. 0.22 ± 0.21, p < 0.001) and 0.5-1 years (0.14 ± 0.11 vs. 0.20 ± 0.09, p = 0.001) after randomization, but not at later intervals (1-5 years). In Stage IV trials, RFS event rates significantly differed for the interval 0-0.5 years (p = 0.012), corresponding with adjuvant treatment durations of 6 months. In Stage II/III trials, which included therapies of 6-24 months duration, there were marked differences in the RFS event rates between surgery and chemotherapy arms for the intervals 0-0.5 years (p < 0.001) and 0.5-1 years (p < 0.001) with smaller differences in the RFS event rates for the intervals 1-2 years (p = 0.012) and 2-3 years (p = 0.010).

CONCLUSIONS

In a systematic review of positive RCTs comparing adjuvant chemotherapy to surgery alone for Stage II-IV CRC, observed RFS improvements were driven by early divergences that occurred primarily during active cytotoxic chemotherapy. Late recurrence dynamics were not influenced by adjuvant therapy use. Such observations may have implications for the use of chemotherapy for micrometastatic clones detectable by cell-free DNA-based methodologies.

The complementary role of lymphovascular invasion and perineural invasion in the TNM staging process of rectal cancer

The aim of this study is to clarify the association between lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and/or perineural invasion (PNI) and the clinical characteristics and prognostic importance of rectal cancer, to provide a basis for early adjuvant treatment of rectal cancer. We retrospectively analyzed patients diagnosed with rectal cancer. This study involved rectal cancer tissue samples were obtained by surgical methods. Data on histological form, tumor classification, tumor size, gross growth pattern, blood and lymphatic vessel invasion, and PNI of the slice by HE staining were obtained from pathological examination. Immunohistochemical analysis of tissue samples was performed to determine p53 and EGFR expressions. There were 330 rectal cancer patients included in the study. LVI and/or PNI can be used as a high-risk factor for the prognosis of rectal cancer, predict prognostic survival, and guide adjuvant therapy. The detection rates of LVI and PNI were 32.1% and 16.1%. Differentiation grade, Union for International Cancer Control staging, tumor-lymph node-metastasis staging are significantly related to LVI or PNI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that poor differentiation and N ≥ 1 can be used as independent risk factors and predictive factors for LVI. At the same time, poor differentiation and T > 3 is an independent risk factor for PNI. Only poor differentiation is the risk factor for poor prognosis in Cox risk regression analysis. In addition, the simultaneous occurrence of LVI and PNI is an independent prognostic factor.

Versatile use of Carmofur: A comprehensive review of its chemistry and pharmacology

Carmofur, 1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil (HCFU) is an antineoplastic drug, which has been in clinics in Japan since 1981 for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Subsequently, it was also introduced in China, Korea, and Finland. Besides colorectal cancer, it has also shown antitumor activity in other cancers such as breast, head and neck, pancreatic, gastrointestinal, and solid brain tumors. A prodrug of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), carmofur has shown better gastrointestinal stability and superior antiproliferative activity compared to its active counterpart 5-FU. Recently, carmofur has gained attention as an acid ceramidase inhibitor and as a potential lead compound against several noncancerous diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019, Krabbe disease, acute lung injury, Parkinson's disease, dementia, childhood ependymoma etc. Carmofur has also been reported to have antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. Nevertheless, no comprehensive review is available on this drug. Herein, we summarized the chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacology of carmofur based on the literature published between January 1976 and March 2022 as identified from PubMed and Google Scholar search engines.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 is associated with poor prognosis after curative resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage III colon cancer

Purpose

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is a key enzyme involved in the base excision repair pathway. It also has redox activity and maintains various transcription factors in an active reduced state. APE1 may be associated with chemoresistance. In the present study, we first investigated the expression level of APE1 protein and its correlation with oncologic outcomes of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with stage III colon cancer. Further, we investigated the effects of human APE1 siRNA on the sensitivity of oxaliplatin in SNU-C2A colon cancer cells.

Methods

Tissue specimens from tumor and normal colon of 33 patients with stage III colon cancer were obtained from 2006 to 2009. The patients received at least eight cycles of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. APE1 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting using a cultured SNU-C2A cell line. Cell viability and apoptosis were determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 and caspase-3 cleavage using Western blotting.

Results

All the colon cancer tissues showed APE1 staining in the nucleus, whereas all the normal colon tissues were negative for APE1 staining in the cytoplasm. The group with a higher expression of APE1 demonstrated poorer prognosis than the group with low expression (P=0.026 for overall survival and P=0.021 for disease-free survival). Treatment with oxaliplatin resulted in a dose-dependent increase in APE1 expression in SNU-C2A cells. APE1 siRNA significantly enhanced oxaliplatin-induced growth inhibition, and also increased oxaliplatin-induced apoptosis in SNU-C2A cells.

Conclusion

APE1 could be considered a prognostic factor in colon cancer patients treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.

Plasma MMP-1 Expression as a Prognostic Factor in Colon Cancer

BACKGROUND

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are involved in the local and distant invasiveness of colorectal cancer. This study investigates the prognostic value of circulating matrix metalloproteinase levels in patients with colon cancer.

METHODS

A cohort of 152 patients was followed for more than 10 years. The correlation of plasma levels of MMP-1,-2, -7, -8, and -9 and survival was investigated.

RESULTS

A high level of MMP-1 in circulating plasma was associated with a poorer prognosis in colon cancer (HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.9) in multivariate analysis regarding 5-year cancer-specific survival. This was further seen in regard of 10-year cancer-specific survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Measurement of plasma MMP-1 concentration in patients planned for radical colon cancer surgery might be of importance when discussing prognosis and selection of patients for oncological treatment and postsurgery surveillance.

Analysis of relapse-associated alternative mRNA splicing and construction of a prognostic signature predicting relapse in I-III colon cancer

The literature comprehensively analyzed alternative splicing (AS) events in colon cancer is little and corresponding prognostic signature is still a lack. Based on data of TCGA, the relapse-associated ASs were comprehensively analyzed and a signature was further constructed to predict the relapse in I-III colon cancer. In total 1912 ASs of 1384 mRNA were identified as relapse-associated ASs, protein-protein interactions (PPI) and ASs-splicing factors (SF) interactions network were identified. We finally built a robust signature to predict the relapse of I-III colon cancer with a considerable AUC value in both the training group and the test group. The AUC in the entire set at 1, 3 and 5 year was 0.85, 0.83 and 0.836. Our study provided a profile of relapse-associated ASs in I-III colon cancer and built a robust signature to predict the relapse of I-III colon cancer.

Predictive Impact of Mucinous Tumors on the Clinical Outcome in Patients with Poorly Differentiated, Stage II Colon Cancer: A TOSCA Subgroup Analysis

BACKGROUND

Although American Society of Clinical Oncology and European Society for Medical Oncology guidelines have identified the negative prognostic factors that clinicians have to consider when treating their patients with stage II colon cancer (CC), the role of histological subtype is controversial.

SUBJECTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS

The randomized, multicenter, phase III TOSCA trial compared 3 versus 6 months of fluoropyrimidine-oxaliplatin adjuvant chemotherapy in 3,759 patients with high-risk stage II or stage III CC. The objective of this substudy was to evaluate the influence of histological subtypes on the impact of the treatment duration of adjuvant chemotherapy in terms of relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in 85 mucinous adenocarcinoma (MUC) and 389 nonmucinous adenocarcinoma (NMUC) patients with high-risk stage II, grade 3 CC.

RESULTS

A significant interaction between treatment duration and histology was observed in both RFS (p = .027) and OS (p = .017). In the subgroup of patients with MUC, worse RFS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 3.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-15.17; p = .045) and OS (HR, 9.56; 95% CI, 1.14-79.98; p = .037) were detected for patients treated in the 3-month arm. No statistically significant differences were found in the subgroup of patients with NMUC.

CONCLUSION

Patients with MUC, grade 3, stage II CC require special attention and may need 6 months of oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. Larger studies are required to assess the combined use of histology and other prognostic/predictive factors to define the administration of chemotherapy in patients with stage II CC and to improve their prognosis.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Although ASCO and ESMO guidelines define the prognostic factors for patients with stage II colon cancer to establish the use of adjuvant chemotherapy, the influence of histological subtypes is controversial in this population. This study underscores that patients with grade 3 mucinous adenocarcinomas may need adjuvant chemotherapy with oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidines for a duration of 6 months rather than 3 months.

Essential advances in surgical and adjuvant therapies for colorectal cancer 2018-2019

Surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy are the only treatment modalities for localized colorectal cancer that can obtain a "cure." The goal in surgically treating primary colorectal cancer is complete tumor removal along with dissection of systematic D3 lymph nodes. Adjuvant treatment controls recurrence and improves the prognosis of patients after they undergo R0 resection. Various clinical studies have promoted the gradual spread and clinical use of new surgical approaches such as laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery, and transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME). Additionally, the significance of adjuvant chemotherapy has been established and it is now recommended in the JSCCR (the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum) guideline as a standard treatment. Herein, we review and summarize current surgical treatment and adjuvant chemotherapy for localized colorectal cancer and discuss recent advances in personalized medicine related to adjuvant chemotherapy.

Prognostic value of the preoperative prognostic nutritional index in oldest-old patients with colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), which is calculated using serum albumin and the peripheral lymphocyte count, is a simple and useful score for predicting the prognosis in patients with various cancers. The correlation between the preoperative PNI and long-term outcomes is unclear in oldest-old patients with colorectal cancer.

METHODS

A total of 84 consecutive patients ≥ 85 years old who underwent resection for primary colon adenocarcinoma at our institution between April 2008 and March 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. The cut-off value of the PNI for predicting the relapse-free survival (RFS) was 42.4 on a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The clinical characteristics and markers of systemic inflammation were then compared between patients with a low PNI (PNI < 42.4, n = 33) and a high PNI (PNI ≥ 42.4, n = 51).

RESULTS

A low PNI was associated with systemic inflammation marker levels, including a low neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.048), a low platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.006), and a high lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (p < 0.001). The median follow-up period of this cohort was 34 months (1-151 months). The 5-year RFS, overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival were significantly worse in the low-PNI group than in the high-PNI group (p = 0.032, p = 0.004, p = 0.049, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, a low PNI was an independent predictor for both the RFS (HR 3.188, p = 0.041) and OS (HR 3.953, p = 0.027).

CONCLUSIONS

A low-preoperative PNI was significantly associated with a poor prognosis in oldest-old colorectal cancer patients. Perioperative nutritional support may be important for prolonging the survival.

Phase III randomised trial comparing 6 vs. 12-month of capecitabine as adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage III colon cancer: final results of the JFMC37-0801 study

BACKGROUND

Up to 6-months oxaliplatin-containing regimen is now widely accepted as a standard adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colorectal cancer (CRC). However, oral fluoropyrimidine monotherapy is used for some part of patients, especially in Asian countries including Japan, and its optimal duration is yet to be fully investigated.

METHODS

A total of 1306 patients with curatively-resected stage III CRC were randomly assigned to receive capecitabine (2500 mg/m2/day) for 14 out of 21 days for 6 (n = 654) or 12 (n = 650) months. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS), and the secondary endpoints were relapse-free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events.

RESULTS

The 3- and 5-year DFS were 70.0% and 65.3% in the 6M group and 75.3% and 68.7% in the 12M group, respectively (p = 0.0549, HR = 0.858, 90% CI: 0.732-1.004). The 5-year RFS was 69.3% and 74.1% in the 6M and 12M groups, respectively (p = 0.0143, HR = 0.796, 90% CI: 0.670-0.945). The 5-year OS was 83.2% and 87.6%, respectively (p = 0.0124, HR = 0.727, 90% CI: 0.575-0.919). The incidence of overall grade 3-4 adverse events was almost comparable in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Although 12-month adjuvant capecitabine did not demonstrate superior DFS to that of 6-month, the observed better RFS and OS in the 12-month treatment period could be of value in selected cases.

Construction and validation of a simple scoring system for stage III colorectal cancer recurrence (SiS-SCORE). A case control study

BACKGROUND

Stage III colorectal cancer is an indication for adjuvant chemotherapy; however, there is no definite view on the selection of regimen. If the recurrence can be predicted, it can serve as the indicator of regimen selection. The present study aimed to predict the recurrence of stage III colorectal cancer by constructing a simple scoring system.

METHODS

The information of stage III cases that underwent curative surgery was obtained from two facilities and analyzed. A scoring system was constructed from the analysis results and evaluated based on the cases from a different facility.

RESULTS

Five factors were extracted by multivariate analysis: age > 65, male, rectum, ≥pN2 and CA19-9 > 37. When these parameters were scored as 1 point each, the score was correlated with the cumulative recurrence rate. Additionally, when cases were divided into three groups (≤1 point, 2 points, ≥3 points), the 5-year recurrence rate was as follows:, ≤1 point: 33.3%, 2 points: 42.1%, ≥3 points: 78.6%. The cumulative recurrence rate of ≥3 points was significantly higher than that of ≤1 point (P < 0.001). Similar results were obtained by evaluating that cases at a different facility (P = 0.032). Both cases with 2 points were located between ≤1 point and ≥3 points, reflecting the average recurrence rate of each institution.

CONCLUSION

As the SiS-SCORE presented the same result in the facility that was different from the base facility, it can be used widely. However, a prospective study is required to prove the usefulness of the SiS-SCORE.

Molecular Mechanism of Inhibition of Acid Ceramidase by Carmofur

Human acid ceramidase (AC) is a lysosomal cysteine amidase, which has received a great deal of interest in recent years as a potential target for the development of new therapeutics against melanoma and glioblastoma tumors. Despite the strong interest in obtaining structural information, only the structures of the apo-AC enzyme in its zymogen and activated conformations are available. In this work, the crystal structure of AC in complex with the covalent carmofur inhibitor is presented. Carmofur is an antineoplastic drug containing an electrophilic carbonyl reactive group that targets the catalytic cysteine. This novel structural data explains the basis of the AC inhibition, provides insights into the enzymatic properties of the protein, and is a great aid toward the structure-based drug design of potent inhibitors for AC, providing the detailed mechanism, which has eluded the scientific community for more than 30 years, of carmofur's mysterious 5-fluorouracil-independent antitumor activity.

A randomised-controlled trial of 1-year adjuvant chemotherapy with oral tegafur-uracil versus surgery alone in stage II colon cancer: SACURA trial

BACKGROUND

Efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage II colon cancer is still controversial. The SACURA trial is a randomised-controlled study evaluating the superiority of 1-year adjuvant treatment with oral tegafur-uracil (UFT) to surgery alone for stage II colon cancer.

METHODS

Patients were randomly assigned to the surgery-alone group or UFT group (UFT at 500-600 mg/day for 5 days, followed by 2-day rest, for 1 year). The primary end-point was disease-free survival (DFS). Target sample size was 2000, determined with one-sided alpha of 0.05, power of 0.9 and assumed hazard ratio (HR) 0.729.

RESULTS

A total of 1982 patients (997 in the surgery-alone group and 985 in the UFT group) were analysed. Median follow-up was 69.5 months, median age was 66 years and for stage IIA/IIB/IIC, the distribution was 84%/13%/3%. The 5-year DFS rate was 78.4% in the surgery-alone group and 80.2% in the UFT group. The HR for DFS was 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-1.10; p = 0.31); superiority of UFT was not demonstrated. Approximately 9% of patients experienced second cancers, which consist 40.7% of the DFS events. The 5-year relapse-free and overall survival rates of the surgery-alone and UFT group were 84.6% and 87.2% (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.65-1.04) and 94.3% and 94.5% (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.66-1.31), respectively. Subgroup analysis failed to disclose superiority in prognosis of adding UFT to the patients with risk factors for recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Superiority of 1-year adjuvant UFT over surgery alone was not demonstrated in stage II colon cancer. Patients with risk factors for recurrence did not benefit from UFT.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials. Gov. #NCT00392899.

Clinical Signatures of Mucinous and Poorly Differentiated Subtypes of Colorectal Adenocarcinomas by a Propensity Score Analysis of an Independent Patient Database from Three Phase III Trials

BACKGROUND

Although colorectal cancer comprises several histological subtypes, the influences of histological subtypes on disease progression and treatment responses remain controversial.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to evaluate the prognostic relevance of mucinous and poorly differentiated histological subtypes of colorectal cancer by the propensity score weighting analysis of prospectively collected data from multi-institute phase III trials.

DESIGN

Independent patient data analysis of a pooled database from 3 phase III trials was performed.

SETTINGS

An integrated database of 3 multicenter prospective clinical trials (the Japanese Foundation for Multidisciplinary Treatment of Cancer 7, 15, and 33) was the source of study data.

INTERVENTIONS

Surgery alone or postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was offered in patients with resectable colorectal cancer.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

To balance essential variables more strictly for the comparison analyses, propensity score weighting was conducted with the use of a multinomial logistic regression model. We evaluated the clinical signatures of mucinous and poorly differentiated subtypes with regard to postoperative survival, recurrence, and chemosensitivity.

RESULTS

Of 5489 patients, 136 (2.5%) and 155 (2.8%) were pathologically diagnosed with poorly differentiated and mucinous subtypes. The poorly differentiated subtypes were associated with a poorer prognosis than the "others" group (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.00-2.87; p = 0.051), particularly in the patient subgroup of adjuvant chemotherapy (HR, 2.16). Although the mucinous subtype had a marginal prognostic impact among patients with stage I to III colorectal cancer (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.90-1.96), it was found to be an independent prognostic factor in the subpopulation of patients with stage II disease, being associated with a higher prevalence of peritoneal recurrence.

LIMITATIONS

The treatment regimens of postoperative chemotherapy are now somewhat outdated.

CONCLUSIONS

Both mucinous and poorly differentiated subtypes have distinct clinical characteristics. Patients with the mucinous subtype require special attention during follow-up, even for stage II disease, because of the risk of peritoneal or local recurrence. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A531.

Do High-risk Features Support the Use of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Stage II Colon Cancer? A Turkish Oncology Group Study

Background

A high-risk group of patients with stage II colon cancer has been identified by the results of studies in Western populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic factors of adjuvant chemotherapy in Turkish patients with stage II colon cancer.

Methods

A total of 554 stage II colon cancer patients were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Three hundred fifty-three patients had received adjuvant chemotherapy (5-FU-LV, FOLFOX or FLOX) and 201 had received no adjuvant chemotherapy. T4 tumor stage, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, bowel obstruction and/or perforation, <12 harvested lymph nodes, and poor differentiation were defined as high-risk factors.

Results

The median age of the patients was 62 years (range 26–88). The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 58.1 months (95% CI, 47.6 months to 68.5 months) in the non-treatment group and has not been reached in the treatment group (P <0.01). In univariate analysis, patient age >60 years and T4 tumor stage were statistically significant factors that affected DFS as poor prognostic factors. Adjuvant chemotherapy reduced the risk of recurrence with statistical significance (P <0.01). In multivariate analysis, patient age >60 years and T4 tumor stage were independent risk factors affecting DFS. In addition, adjuvant chemotherapy was an independent favorable prognostic factor for DFS (P <0.01).

Conclusions

Clinical and pathological risk factors in patients with stage II colon cancer may be different in the Turkish population compared to other populations. Further prospective studies in colon cancer are needed to understand the differences in biology and risk factors between races.

Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials in the era of individual patient data sharing

Background

Individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis is considered to be a gold standard when the results of several randomized trials are combined. Recent initiatives on sharing IPD from clinical trials offer unprecedented opportunities for using such data in IPD meta-analyses.

Methods

First, we discuss the evidence generated and the benefits obtained by a long-established prospective IPD meta-analysis in early breast cancer. Next, we discuss a data-sharing system that has been adopted by several pharmaceutical sponsors. We review a number of retrospective IPD meta-analyses that have already been proposed using this data-sharing system. Finally, we discuss the role of data sharing in IPD meta-analysis in the future.

Results

Treatment effects can be more reliably estimated in both types of IPD meta-analyses than with summary statistics extracted from published papers. Specifically, with rich covariate information available on each patient, prognostic and predictive factors can be identified or confirmed. Also, when several endpoints are available, surrogate endpoints can be assessed statistically.

Conclusions

Although there are difficulties in conducting, analyzing, and interpreting retrospective IPD meta-analysis utilizing the currently available data-sharing systems, data sharing will play an important role in IPD meta-analysis in the future.

Serum protein profiling using an aptamer array predicts clinical outcomes of stage IIA colon cancer: A leave-one-out crossvalidation

Background

In this study, we established and validated a model for predicting prognosis of stage IIA colon cancer patients based on expression profiles of aptamers in serum.

Methods

Bloods samples were collected from 227 consecutive patients with pathologic T3N0M0 (stage IIA) colon cancer. We incubated 1,149 serum molecule-binding aptamer pools of clinical significance with serum from patients to obtain aptamers bound to serum molecules, which were then amplified and marked. Oligonucleotide arrays were constructed with the base sequences of the 1,149 aptamers, and the marked products identified above were reacted with one another to produce profiles of the aptamers bound to serum molecules. These profiles were organized into low- and high-risk groups of colon cancer patients based on clinical information for the serum samples. Cox proportional hazards model and leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) were used to evaluate predictive performance.

Results

During a median follow-up period of 5 years, 29 of the 227 patients (11.9%) experienced recurrence. There were 212 patients (93.4%) in the low-risk group and 15 patients (6.6%) in the high-risk group in our aptamer prognosis model. Postoperative recurrence significantly correlated with age and aptamer risk stratification (p = 0.046 and p = 0.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, aptamer risk stratification (p < 0.001) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Disease-free survival curves calculated according to aptamer risk level predicted through a LOOCV procedure and age showed significant differences (p < 0.001 from permutations).

Conclusion

Aptamer risk stratification can be a valuable prognostic factor in stage II colon cancer patients.

Hazard rate of tumor recurrence over time in patients with colon cancer: implications for postoperative surveillance from three Japanese Foundation for Multidisciplinary Treatment of Cancer (JFMC) clinical trials

Purpose: Reliable risk estimates of recurrence are necessary to establish optimal postoperative surveillance strategies. The purpose of the present study was to clarify changes in the hazard rate (HR) for tumor recurrence over time in Japanese patients with colon cancer. Methods: Data for 3984 patients from three clinical trials evaluating the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer were analyzed. Estimated HRs were plotted over time for the entire cohort, as well as for node-positive and node-negative patients separately. The changes in risk were further analyzed according to eight clinical variables, and factors predictive of early (<3 years) and late (>3 years) recurrence were explored using Cox's regression analysis. Results: In node-positive patients, there was a prominent HR peak 0.6 years after surgery, whereas HR remained at consistently low levels in node-negative patients. In node-positive patients, HR decreased steadily until 3 years, after which the decline in HR plateaued. Those with T4 tumors had a prominent HR peak around 1 year, including node-negative patients. The HR for T1/T2 Stage III colon cancers showed a similar pattern as that for T1-T3 node-negative colon cancers. Cox regression analysis revealed that a lack of adjuvant chemotherapy, positive node status, T3/T4 factors, and male gender predict early recurrence, whereas patients with lymph node metastasis, T4 tumors, and a lesser extent of lymph node removal have a higher risk of recurrence 3-4 years after surgery (P<0.05). Conclusion: The present study supports the concept of intensive surveillance during the first 3 years after curative resection. However, a reduction in surveillance intensity may be acceptable for patients with T3 Stage II and T1/T2 Stage III colon cancer.

Change in clinical outcomes during the transition of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colorectal cancer

Background

There are robust data supporting the contribution of oxaliplatin (L-OHP) regarding clinical outcomes for colorectal cancer (CRC) in an adjuvant setting in European and US trials; however, there is no Japanese clinical evidence although L-OHP has been approved since 2009. We examined the transition of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colorectal cancer in our institute.

Methods

A total of 642 patients with histopathologically confirmed stage III CRC underwent curative surgery from 2005 to 2010. We examined disease free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors for stage III CRC patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy.

Results

A total of 509 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. 3-year DFS and 5-year OS rates were 74.5% and 87.5%, respectively. The frequency of inclusion of L-OHP as adjuvant chemotherapy was increased after 2008. A total of 189 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy from 2005 to 2007 increasing to 320 patients from 2008 to 2010; the 5-year OS rates were 82.4% and 91.5%, respectively, and the 3-year DFS rates were 69.2% and 76.6%, respectively (OS, P = 0.007; DFS, P = 0.023). In univariate analysis, adjuvant chemotherapy including L-OHP was no significant deference compared to FU monotherapy. (OS: HR 0.88, 95%CI 0.4–1.91, p = 0.75, DFS: HR 0.78, 95%CI 0.21–2.3, p = 0.29). In multivariate analysis, the OS was predicted by means of N stage (HR = 2; 95%CI, 1.1–3.8; P = 0.02) and pathology (HR = 0.28; 95%CI, 0.13–0.59; P = 0.0008). The DFS was predicted by means of N stage (HR = 2.67; 95%CI, 1.82–3.9; P < 0.05), T stage (HR = 1.61; 95%CI, 1.1–2.3; P = 0.01) pathology (HR = 0.47; 95%CI, 0.29–0.75; P < 0.05) and venous invasion (HR = 2.06; 95%CI, 1.12–3.77; P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Clinical outcomes of stage III CRC patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy improved. The frequency of L-OHP usage was increasing annually, however it was no influence for clinical outcomes in this study. It will be necessary to reevaluate additional effect of L-OHP with more patients.

Adjuvant systemic chemotherapy for stages II and III colon cancer after complete resection: a clinical practice guideline

BACKGROUND

Updated practice guidelines on adjuvant chemotherapy for completely resected colon cancer are lacking. In 2008, Cancer Care Ontario's Program in Evidence-Based Care developed a guideline on adjuvant therapy for stages ii and iii colon cancer. With newer regimens being assessed in this patient population and older agents being either abandoned because of non-effectiveness or replaced by agents that are more efficacious, a full update of the original guideline was undertaken.

METHODS

Literature searches (January 1987 to August 2015) of medline, embase, and the Cochrane Library were conducted; in addition, abstracts from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the European Society for Medical Oncology, and the European Cancer Congress were reviewed (the latter for January 2007 to August 2015). A practice guideline was drafted that was then scrutinized by internal and external reviewers whose comments were incorporated into the final guideline.

RESULTS

Twenty-six unique reports of eighteen randomized controlled trials and thirteen unique reports of twelve meta-analyses or pooled analyses were included in the evidence base. The 5 recommendations developed included 3 for stage ii colon cancer and 2 for stage iii colon cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with completely resected stage iii colon cancer should be offered adjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5fu)-based chemotherapy with or without oxaliplatin (based on definitive data for improvements in survival and disease-free survival). Patients with resected stage ii colon cancer without "high-risk" features should not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. For patients with "high-risk" features, 5fu-based chemotherapy with or without oxaliplatin should be offered, although no clinical trials have been conducted to conclusively demonstrate the same benefits seen in stage iii colon cancer.

Smaller tumor size is associated with poor survival in stage II colon cancer: An analysis of 7,719 patients in the SEER database

BACKGROUND

We hypothesized that in patients with colon cancer showing heavy intestinal wall invasion without lymph node metastasis (stage II), small tumor size would correlate with more aggressive tumor behaviors and thus poorer cancer-specific survival (CSS).

METHODS

We analyzed Caucasian patients with stage II colon cancer based on data from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to identify differences. Risk factors were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTS

A total of 7719 stage II colon cancer patients from the SEER database were included in the analysis. The cutoff value (5.0 cm) was determined using the X-tile program. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that tumors <5.0 cm had a poorer CSS compared to tumors ≥5.0 cm (p = 0.006). Multivariate analysis indicated that tumor size is an independent prognostic factor for stage II patients, and compared to tumors <5.0 cm, tumors ≥5.0 cm were more likely to result in a better CSS (HR 0.775, 95% CI 0.691-0.870, p < 0.001). Tumor size was also analyzed as a continuous variable in the multivariate analysis, and the CSS decreased with decreasing tumor size (HR 0.958, 95% CI 0.936-0.981, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses suggested that tumor size is also an independent prognostic factor for stage IIA (p = 0.002) and IIC (p < 0.001) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Smaller tumor size is associated with poor CSS in the stage II colon cancer and particularly in the stage IIA and IIC subgroups.

Postoperative irinotecan in resected stage II-III rectal cancer: final analysis of the French R98 Intergroup trial†

BACKGROUD

The R98 trial explores the addition of irinotecan to a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus leucovorin (5-FU/LV) adjuvant regimen in optimally resected stages II-III rectal cancers. We report the updated long-term results. Disease-free survival (DFS) was the primary end point.

PATIENST AND METHODS

Between March 1999 and December 2005, 357 patients were randomized: 178 in 5-FU/LV and 179 in LV5-FU2 + irinotecan arm. The trial was stratified by control arm: Mayo Clinic regimen or LV5-FU2 regimen.

RESULTS

Three hundred and fifty-seven randomized patients were evaluable for efficacy. With a follow-up of 156 months, the DFS was in favour of experimental arm but did not reach statistical significance [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.80, P = 0.154]. The same was observed for overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.87, P = 0.433). The 5-year DFS was 58% in the control arm and 63% in the experimental arm. The 5-year OS was 74% in the control arm and 75% in the experimental arm. Patients allocated to the experimental arm had more grade 3-4 neutropenia when compared with the LV5-FU2 arm (33% versus 6%, P = 0.03), but not when compared with the Mayo Clinic arm (33% versus 36%, P = 0.84). Grade 3-4 diarrhoea tended to be higher in the experimental arm, but analyses stratified by control arm or by radiotherapy failed to show significant differences across strata (test for interaction P = 0.44).

CONCLUSION

Even though a benefit of irinotecan in subgroups of patients cannot be excluded, due to early termination and lack of power, the study does not support the addition of irinotecan to 5-FU/LV in routine in patients with resected stage II-III rectal cancer.

Treatment Rationale and Study Design for Clinical Trial on the Efficacy of UFT/LV for Stage II Colorectal Cancer With Risk Factors for Recurrence (JFMC46-1201)

BACKGROUND

The usefulness of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer has not been established. Meanwhile, the presence of stage II colon cancer with high-risk factors for recurrence has been reported. To our knowledge, no prospective study of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer with high-risk factors has been implemented to date.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study is a prospective nonrandomized controlled study based on patients' selection of treatment option, including randomized therapeutic decision-making, to evaluate the usefulness of adjuvant chemotherapy with tegafur-uracil (UFT) with leucovorin (LV) for stage II colon cancer with high-risk factors for recurrence, compared with surgery alone. Five courses of UFT/LV therapy will be given as follows: UFT (300 mg/m(2)/d) with LV (75 mg/d) will be orally administered in 3 doses per day. Treatment will be received daily for 28 days, followed by a 7-day rest or will be received daily for 5 days, followed by a 2-day rest. For both regimens, 1 course will last 5 weeks, and 5 courses will be given. The primary end point is disease-free survival. A propensity score matching will be conducted based on 7 variables that represent risk factors to minimize selection bias in a comparison between the nonrandomized arms. For this nonrandomized comparison, a target sample size is set at 1200 (400 and 800 patients for the surgery alone and UFT/LV groups, respectively) and 1720 patients will be enrolled. In this study we aim to evaluate the therapeutic usefulness of adjuvant chemotherapy with UFT/LV for stage II colorectal cancer with risk factors for recurrence.

The aetiology of delay to commencement of adjuvant chemotherapy following colorectal resection

PURPOSE

Timely administration of adjuvant chemotherapy following colorectal resection is associated with improved outcome. We aim to assess the factors which are associated with delay to adjuvant chemotherapy in patients who underwent colorectal resection as part of an enhanced recovery protocol.

METHOD

A univariate and multivariate analysis of patient data collected as part of a prospectively maintained database of colorectal cancer patients between 2007 and 2012.

RESULTS

166 patients underwent colorectal resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Median postoperative hospital stay was 6 days, and time to commencement of adjuvant chemotherapy was 50 days. Longer inpatient stay correlated with increased time to adjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.05). Factors found to be independently associated with duration of hospital stay and time to commencement of adjuvant chemotherapy included stoma formation (P = 0.032), anastaomotic leak (P = 0.027), and preoperative albumin (P = 0.027). The use of laparoscopic surgery was associated with shorter time to adjuvant chemotherapy but did not reach significance (P = 0.143).

CONCLUSION

A number of independent variables associated with delay to adjuvant therapy previously not described have been identified. Further work may be required to elucidate the effect that these variables have on long-term outcome.

Relative effectiveness and safety of chemotherapy in elderly and nonelderly patients with stage III colon cancer: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy effectiveness in clinical practice may differ from the efficacy demonstrated in clinical trials, particularly among populations underrepresented in clinical trials, such as elderly patients with cancer. This review aims to examine the relative effectiveness of chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer in elderly versus nonelderly patients.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was conducted using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality approach. Literature searches were performed in Medline and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews databases. Chemotherapy regimens approved for stage III colon cancer were reviewed. Four effectiveness and 15 safety outcomes were extracted.

RESULTS

From 708 identified articles, 25 articles provided data on the relative effectiveness and safety of chemotherapy among elderly versus nonelderly patients. Four of 14 studies showed lower overall survival treatment effects, whereas one of five and one of four studies indicated more favorable treatment effects for time to progression and overall response rate. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events were higher among elderly patients for cardiac disorder (2/5 studies), leukopenia (1/5), neutropenia (4/16), thrombocytopenia (2/13), febrile neutropenia (1/4), infection (2/10), dehydration (2/6), diarrhea (6/20), and fatigue (6/13). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events were lower for neutropenia (2/16 studies), nausea/vomiting (1/16), and neuropathy (1/9).

CONCLUSION

The majority of the evidence suggests that chemotherapy has similar relative effectiveness and safety for patients >65 years of age versus younger patients with stage III colon cancer. When differences are reported, treatment effects are more often worse among the elderly. This review suggests that without other reasons for withholding treatment, elderly patients should receive chemotherapy as often as nonelderly patients.

Factors predicting the response to oral fluoropyrimidine drugs: a phase II trial on the individualization of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy using oral fluorinated pyrimidines in stage III colorectal cancer treated by curative resection (ACT-01 Study)

We evaluated the predictive relevance of several biomarkers on the survival of patients with stage III colorectal cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy of oral fluoropyrimidines. This was a multicenter phase II trial on adult patients with histologically confirmed resected stage III (Dukes' C) colorectal cancer. Patients received oral doxifluridine (800 mg/m2/day) in 3 divided doses, or oral uracil/tegafur (UFT) (400 mg/m2/day) in 2 divided doses for 5 days, every 7 days for 12 months with a 5-year follow-up. Outcome measures were disease-free survival and tissue markers [thymidine phosphorylase (TP), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) protein levels and TP, DPD, thymidylate synthase (TS) and orotate phosphoribosyltransferase (OPRT) mRNA levels in tumor samples and TS tandem-repeat type in blood samples]. There was a significant association between the intratumoral TP/DPD enzyme ratio and disease-free survival when the model included the drug, the parameter and the interactions between them [hazard ratio (HR)=2.76; P=0.00469]. The 5-year disease-free survival rate was statistically significantly higher in patients with high TP/DPD ratios [median ≥2.63: 71.9%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 61.4-80.0] compared to patients with low TP/DPD ratios (<2.63: 57.0%; 95% CI 46.3-66.3) (log-rank P=0.0277) following adjuvant therapy with oral fluoropyrimidines. No significant association was observed between the intratumoral TP/DPD enzyme ratio (cut-off value 2.0) and the disease-free survival rate in the doxifluridine group; primary endpoint (log-rank P=0.6850). The magnitude of the intratumoral TP/DPD enzyme ratio may be a potential indicator for the individualization of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with oral fluoropyrimidines for stage III colorectal cancer.

Evaluation of the seventh edition of the tumour, node, metastasis (TNM) classification for colon cancer in two nationwide registries of the United States and Japan

AIM

The new TNM classification is currently being implemented. We evaluated the TNM-7 staging system based on the two nationwide colon cancer registries in the United States and Japan to clarify whether this system better stratifies patients' prognoses than the TNM-6 did and to determine whether stratification can be effectively simplified.

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results population-based data from 1988 to 2001 for 50139 colon cancer patients and the multi-institutional registry data from the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum from 1984 to 1994 for 10754 patients were analysed. We devised a modified version of the TNM-7 staging system to allow simpler classification of the TN categories and compared the TNM-6, TNM-7, modified TNM-7, and the Dukes staging system based on survival curves and objective statistical tests such as likelihood ratio χ(2) tests, Akaike's information criterion, and Harrell's c-index.

RESULTS

The TNM-7 was superior to the TNM-6 in all objective statistical tests in the United States (c-index; 0.700 vs 0.696, P<0.001) as well as in the Japan data sets (0.732 vs 0.729, P=0.035). The modified TNM-7 is much simpler, but it nevertheless showed similar values to those of the original TNM-7 (c-index; the United States 0.702, Japan 0.733).

CONCLUSIONS

  The new TNM-7 is complicated but better at stratifying patients than the TNM-6 in the United States and Japan, and could be effectively simplified.

Patients with rectal cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy have an increased survival: a population-based longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage III rectal cancer varies between regions and over time, and if this has had an effect on survival rates.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients from the Uppsala/Örebro region below 75 years-of-age, operated 1995-2002 and registered in the Swedish Rectal Cancer Register, were monitored between 1995 and September 2008. A multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for analysis. Overall survival was described using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

Four hundred and thirty-six patients with stage III rectal cancer were included. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given to 42% of the patients (proportions varying from 13% to 77% among counties), and there were substantial increases over time. The 5-year overall survival was 65.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 50-84] for patients having adjuvant chemotherapy compared with 45.6% (95% CI 39-52) for patients not treated with chemotherapy. The multivariate hazard ratio for death was 0.65 (95% CI 0.5-0.8) for patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of adjuvant chemotherapy for rectal cancer has increased, but varies considerably between hospitals/counties. In this cohort, those having adjuvant chemotherapy had a longer overall survival.

Study protocol of the SACURA trial: a randomized phase III trial of efficacy and safety of UFT as adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer is internationally accepted as standard treatment with established efficacy, but the usefulness of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer remains controversial. The major Western guidelines recommend adjuvant chemotherapy for "high-risk stage II" cancer, but this is not clearly defined and the efficacy has not been confirmed.

METHODS/DESIGN

SACURA trial is a multicenter randomized phase III study which aims to evaluate the superiority of 1-year adjuvant treatment with UFT to observation without any adjuvant treatment after surgery for stage II colon cancer in a large population, and to identify "high-risk factors of recurrence/death" in stage II colon cancer and predictors of efficacy and adverse events of the chemotherapy. Patients aged between 20 and 80 years with curatively resected stage II colon cancer are randomly assigned to a observation group or UFT adjuvant therapy group (UFT at 500-600 mg/day as tegafur in 2 divided doses after meals for 5 days, followed by 2-day rest. This 1-week treatment cycle is repeated for 1 year). The patients are followed up for 5 years until recurrence or death. Treatment delivery and adverse events are entered into a web-based case report form system every 3 months. The target sample size is 2,000 patients. The primary endpoint is disease-free survival, and the secondary endpoints are overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and incidence and severity of adverse events. In an additional translational study, the mRNA expression of 5-FU-related enzymes, microsatellite instability and chromosomal instability, and histopathological factors including tumor budding are assessed to evaluate correlation with recurrences, survivals and adverse events.

DISCUSSION

A total of 2,024 patients were enrolled from October 2006 to July 2010. The results of this study will provide important information that help to improve the therapeutic strategy for stage II colon cancer.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00392899.

Feasibility study of S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the safety, efficacy, and compliance of 1-year treatment with S-1 in patients with stage II/III resectable colorectal cancer.

METHODS

S-1 was administered orally in two divided doses daily. The dose was assigned according to body surface area (BSA) as follows: BSA <1.25 m(2), 80 mg/day; BSA ≥1.25 to <1.5 m(2), 100 mg/day; and BSA ≥1.5 m(2), 120 mg/day. S-1 was given for 28 consecutive days, followed by a 14-day rest. The study objects were the rate of completion of treatment as planned at 1 year, the ratio of the actually administered dose to the planned dose at 1 year, and the total number of days of treatment.

RESULTS

At 1 year, the rate of completion of treatment as planned was 77.7 % (42/54 patients), and the ratio of the actually administered dose to the planned dose was 82.9 %. The mean and median total numbers of days of treatment were 209 and 252, respectively. Grade 3 or higher toxicity (watery eyes) occurred in only 1 patient.

CONCLUSION

S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy had acceptable compliance, safety, and efficacy in patients with colorectal cancer. S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy is considered a possible standard treatment regimen for colorectal cancer.

Feasibility of 5-days-on/2-days-off UFT/leucovorin in post-operative long-term adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer

Previous clinical studies have shown that the oral uracil/tegafur (UFT)/leucovorin (LV) regimen, in which the drugs are taken for 28 consecutive days every 35 days, is equivalent to an infusional 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)/LV regimen for the treatment of colorectal cancer. A 5-days-on/2-days-off schedule for UFT/LV has been proposed as the same schedule for UFT has been reported to be safe and have good compliance. However, few studies have been performed with regards to the feasibility of the UFT/LV regimen. The results of the 5-days-on/2-days-off schedule were compared with those of the consecutive schedule in adjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty-eight patients were treated with the 5-days-on/ 2-days-off schedule of UFT (300 mg/m(2)/day)/LV (75 mg/body/day), and another 12 patients were treated with the consecutive schedule. In the 5-days-on/2-days-off schedule, 24 of 28 patients (86%) received all the scheduled doses. In the consecutive schedule, 10 of 12 patients (83%) received all the scheduled doses. The mean relative dose intensities for the 5-days-on/2-days-off and consecutive schedules were 0.92 and 0.87, respectively. The toxicities were milder in the 5-days-on/2-days-off schedule compared with the consecutive schedule. The disease-free survival in patients with the 5-days-on/2-days-off schedule tended (P=0.13) to be longer compared with the consecutive schedule. The results of the present study indicate that the 5-days-on/2-days-off schedule of UFT/LV may be feasible and cause no severe toxicities in long-term adjuvant chemotherapy.

The evolution of adjuvant therapy in the treatment of early-stage colon cancer

Adjuvant treatment of colon cancer, one of the most common malignancies, is an important issue in oncology. This article describes the development of adjuvant therapy and how the 2 major evolution steps, the successes of fluoropyrimidines, and then of oxaliplatin, have been achieved, Problems and failures, such as those of targeted therapies, also are addressed to help us to overcome their limitations. Special situations, such as stage II disease and an elderly population in which adjuvant chemotherapy is still controversial, are reviewed from the clinician perspective. The synthesis of these data allows us to conceive a future development focused on translational research.

Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in rectal cancer operated for cure

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the Western world. Apart from surgery - which remains the mainstay of treatment for resectable primary tumours - postoperative (i.e., adjuvant) chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based regimens is now the standard treatment in Dukes' C (TNM stage III) colon tumours i.e. tumours with metastases in the regional lymph nodes but no distant metastases. In contrast, the evidence for recommendations of adjuvant therapy in rectal cancer is sparse. In Europe it is generally acknowledged that locally advanced rectal tumours receive preoperative (i.e., neoadjuvant) downstaging by radiotherapy (or chemoradiotion), whereas in the US postoperative chemoradiotion is considered the treatment of choice in all Dukes' C rectal cancers. Overall, no universal consensus exists on the adjuvant treatment of surgically resectable rectal carcinoma; moreover, no formal systematic review and meta-analysis has been so far performed on this subject.

OBJECTIVES

We undertook a systematic review of the scientific literature from 1975 until March 2011 in order to quantitatively summarize the available evidence regarding the impact of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on the survival of patients with surgically resectable rectal cancer. The outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

SEARCH METHODS

CCCG standard search strategy in defined databases with the following supplementary search. 1. Rect* or colorect* - 2. Cancer or carcinom* or adenocarc* or neoplasm* or tumour - 3. Adjuv* - 4. Chemother* - 5. Postoper*

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing patients undergoing surgery for rectal cancer who received no adjuvant chemotherapy with those receiving any postoperative chemotherapy regimen.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors extracted data and a third author performed an independent search for verification. The main outcome measure was the hazard ratio (HR) between the risk of event between the treatment arm (adjuvant chemotherapy) and the control arm (no adjuvant chemotherapy). The survival data were either entered directly in RevMan or extrapolated from Kaplan-Meier plots and then entered in RevMan. Due to expected clinical heterogeneity a random effects model was used for creating the pooled estimates of treatment efficacy.

MAIN RESULTS

A total of 21 eligible RCTs were identified and used for meta-analysis purposes. Overall, 16,215 patients with colorectal cancer were enrolled, 9,785 being affected with rectal carcinoma. Considering patients with rectal cancer only, 4,854 cases were randomized to receive potentially curative surgery of the primary tumour plus adjuvant chemotherapy and 4,367 to receive surgery plus observation. The mean number of patients enrolled was 466 (range: 54-1,243 cases). 11 RCTs had been performed in Western countries and 10 in Japan. All trials used fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy (no modern drugs - such as oxaliplatin, irinotecan or biological agents - were tested).Overall survival (OS) data were available in 21 RCTs and the data available for meta-analysis regarded 9,221 patients: of these, 4854 patients were randomized to adjuvant chemotherapy (treatment arm) and 4,367 patients did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (control arm). The meta-analysis of these RCTs showed a significant reduction in the risk of death (17%) among patients undergoing postoperative chemotherapy as compared to those undergoing observation (HR=0.83, CI: 0.76-0.91). Between-study heterogeneity was moderate (I-squared=30%) but significant (P=0.09) at the 10% alpha level.Disease-free survival (DFS) data were reported in 20 RCTs, and the data suitable for meta-analysis included 8,530 patients. Of these, 4,515 patients were randomized to postoperative chemotherapy (treatment arm) and 4,015 patients received no postoperative chemotherapy (control arm). The meta-analysis of these RCTs showed a reduction in the risk of disease recurrence (25%) among patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy as compared to those undergoing observation (HR=0.75, CI: 0.68-0.83). Between-study heterogeneity was moderate (I-squared=41%) but significant (P=0.03).While analyzing both OS and DFS data, sensitivity analyses did not find any difference in treatment effect based on trial sample size or geographical region (Western vs Japanese). Available data were insufficient to investigate on the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy separately in different TNM stages in terms of both OS and DFS. No plausible source of heterogeneity was formally identified, although variability in treatment regimens and TNM stages of enrolled patients might have played a significant role in the difference of reported results.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The results of this meta-analysis support the use of 5-FU based postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for patients undergoing apparently radical surgery for non-metastatic rectal carcinoma. Available data do not allow us to define whether the efficacy of this treatment is highest in one specific TNM stage. The implementation of modern anti-cancer agents in the adjuvant setting is warranted to improve the results shown by this meta-analysis. Randomized trials of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients receiving preoperative neoadjuvant therapy are also needed in order to define the role of postoperative chemotherapy in the multimodal treatment of resectable rectal cancer.

Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in rectal cancer operated for cure

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the Western world. Apart from surgery - which remains the mainstay of treatment for resectable primary tumours - postoperative (i.e., adjuvant) chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based regimens is now the standard treatment in Dukes' C (TNM stage III) colon tumours i.e. tumours with metastases in the regional lymph nodes but no distant metastases. In contrast, the evidence for recommendations of adjuvant therapy in rectal cancer is sparse. In Europe it is generally acknowledged that locally advanced rectal tumours receive preoperative (i.e., neoadjuvant) downstaging by radiotherapy (or chemoradiotion), whereas in the US postoperative chemoradiotion is considered the treatment of choice in all Dukes' C rectal cancers. Overall, no universal consensus exists on the adjuvant treatment of surgically resectable rectal carcinoma; moreover, no formal systematic review and meta-analysis has been so far performed on this subject.

OBJECTIVES

We undertook a systematic review of the scientific literature from 1975 until March 2011 in order to quantitatively summarize the available evidence regarding the impact of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on the survival of patients with surgically resectable rectal cancer. The outcomes of interest were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

SEARCH METHODS

CCCG standard search strategy in defined databases with the following supplementary search. 1. Rect* or colorect* - 2. Cancer or carcinom* or adenocarc* or neoplasm* or tumour - 3. Adjuv* - 4. Chemother* - 5. Postoper*

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing patients undergoing surgery for rectal cancer who received no adjuvant chemotherapy with those receiving any postoperative chemotherapy regimen.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors extracted data and a third author performed an independent search for verification. The main outcome measure was the hazard ratio (HR) between the risk of event between the treatment arm (adjuvant chemotherapy) and the control arm (no adjuvant chemotherapy). The survival data were either entered directly in RevMan or extrapolated from Kaplan-Meier plots and then entered in RevMan. Due to expected clinical heterogeneity a random effects model was used for creating the pooled estimates of treatment efficacy.

MAIN RESULTS

A total of 21 eligible RCTs were identified and used for meta-analysis purposes. Overall, 16,215 patients with colorectal cancer were enrolled, 9,785 being affected with rectal carcinoma. Considering patients with rectal cancer only, 4,854 cases were randomized to receive potentially curative surgery of the primary tumour plus adjuvant chemotherapy and 4,367 to receive surgery plus observation. The mean number of patients enrolled was 466 (range: 54-1,243 cases). 11 RCTs had been performed in Western countries and 10 in Japan. All trials used fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy (no modern drugs - such as oxaliplatin, irinotecan or biological agents - were tested).Overall survival (OS) data were available in 21 RCTs and the data available for meta-analysis regarded 9,221 patients: of these, 4854 patients were randomized to adjuvant chemotherapy (treatment arm) and 4,367 patients did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy (control arm). The meta-analysis of these RCTs showed a significant reduction in the risk of death (17%) among patients undergoing postoperative chemotherapy as compared to those undergoing observation (HR=0.83, CI: 0.76-0.91). Between-study heterogeneity was moderate (I-squared=30%) but significant (P=0.09) at the 10% alpha level.Disease-free survival (DFS) data were reported in 20 RCTs, and the data suitable for meta-analysis included 8,530 patients. Of these, 4,515 patients were randomized to postoperative chemotherapy (treatment arm) and 4,015 patients received no postoperative chemotherapy (control arm). The meta-analysis of these RCTs showed a reduction in the risk of disease recurrence (25%) among patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy as compared to those undergoing observation (HR=0.75, CI: 0.68-0.83). Between-study heterogeneity was moderate (I-squared=41%) but significant (P=0.03).While analyzing both OS and DFS data, sensitivity analyses did not find any difference in treatment effect based on trial sample size or geographical region (Western vs Japanese). Available data were insufficient to investigate on the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy separately in different TNM stages in terms of both OS and DFS. No plausible source of heterogeneity was formally identified, although variability in treatment regimens and TNM stages of enrolled patients might have played a significant role in the difference of reported results.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The results of this meta-analysis support the use of 5-FU based postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy for patients undergoing apparently radical surgery for non-metastatic rectal carcinoma. Available data do not allow us to define whether the efficacy of this treatment is highest in one specific TNM stage. The implementation of modern anti-cancer agents in the adjuvant setting is warranted to improve the results shown by this meta-analysis. Randomized trials of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients receiving preoperative neoadjuvant therapy are also needed in order to define the role of postoperative chemotherapy in the multimodal treatment of resectable rectal cancer.

From chemotherapy to targeted therapy in adjuvant treatment for stage III colon cancer

Colorectal cancer represents a major public health problem due to its frequency and mortality rate. Adjuvant chemotherapy has improved the prognosis of colon cancer. Six months of oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidine in combination is the standard adjuvant treatment in stage III patients. Ongoing trials are evaluating the optimal duration of chemotherapy. A critical issue, which needs to be specifically addressed, is the role of adjuvant therapy in elderly patients. Preliminary results of trials evaluating targeted therapies in combination with chemotherapy have shown disappointing results. The monoclonal antibodies bevacizumab, targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cetuximab, targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/HER1, which improved survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, could even induce chemotherapy resistance in a significant number of patients in the adjuvant setting. A major challenge is emerging to understand the mechanism leading to this effect and to multi-target the tumor cell proliferation and survival network. Clarity regarding the clinical signal needed before launching a phase III study and optimized designs adapted to multiple agents are urgently needed for new trials.

Oral uracil-tegafur plus leucovorin vs fluorouracil bolus plus leucovorin for advanced colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate systematically the efficacy and safety of oral uracil-tegafur (UFT) plus leucovorin (LV) compared with infusional fluorouracil (5-FU) plus LV for advanced colorectal cancer.

METHOD

Eligible studies were identified from Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library. The end-points included overall survival and overall tumour response rate, and toxicity including leucopenia, febrile neutropenia, stomatitis/mucositis and diarrhoea.

RESULTS

Five randomized controlled trials were identified. Pooled data demonstrated no difference in overall survival between the oral UFT plus LV regimen and the 5-FU bolus plus LV regimen [hazard ratio 1.013; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.911-1.127].The fixed-effect pooled estimate for overall tumour response rate showed no significant difference between the two regimens (relative risk 0.893; 0.672-1.187). Grade 3-4 leucopenia [odds ratio (OR) 0.126; 955 CI 0.048-0.326], grade 1-4 leucopenia (OR 0.089; 95% CI 0.067-0.119) and grade1-4 febrile neutropenia (OR 0.020; 95% CI 0.004-0.102) were significantly less prominent in the oral UFT regimens. For nonhaematological toxicities, grade 3-4 stomatitis/mucositis (OR 0.075; 95% CI 0.039-0.146), grade 3-4 infection (OR 0.484; 95% CI 0.310-0.758), grade 1-4 infection (OR 0.672; 95% CI 0.547-0.826, P < 0.001), grade 1-4 diarrhoea (OR 0.743; 95% CI 0.626-0.881) were also less likely to happen in patients in the oral UFT plus LV regimen, while there was no significant difference between the two treatment regimens with respect to grade 1-4 stomatitis/mucositis (OR 0.278; 95% CI 0.053-1.456) and grade 3-4 (OR 1.174; 95% CI 0.983-1.403) diarrhoea.

CONCLUSION

Oral UFT or 5-FU bolus combined with LV results in similar overall survival and tumour response rates for advanced colorectal cancer. The former treatment regimen is greatly superior in terms of toxicity, especially haematological toxicity.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage II Colon Cancer: The Role of Molecular Markers in Choosing Therapy

The optimal adjuvant treatment for stage II colon cancer remains controversial. While chemotherapy is often recommended for high-risk stage II disease, many low-grade tumors with similar histopathologic features will recur and ultimately cause cancer-associated mortality. The development of molecular markers that predict clinical outcome or response to therapy in stage II colon cancer is an important tool that could give clinicians added information in discussions regarding the role of adjuvant chemotherapy. While many potential molecular biomarkers have been investigated, to date none have been validated in prospective clinical trials. Among the most promising molecular markers to be studied are microsatellite instability and 18q and 17p loss of heterozygosity, both of which are currently being evaluated as prognostic indicators in a large prospective clinical trial (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 5202). This review focuses on potential molecular biomarkers being evaluated for their prognostic value in stage II colon cancer and their potential role in clinical decision-making regarding the use of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Personalized colon cancer care in 2010

Colon cancer (CC) therapies have improved patient outcomes significantly over the last decades in both the adjuvant and metastatic settings. With the introduction of a number of novel agents, both traditional chemotherapies and biologically targeted agents, the need to identify subgroups that are likely and not likely to respond to a particular treatment regimen is paramount. This will allow patients who are likely to benefit to receive optimal care, while sparing those unlikely to benefit from unnecessary toxicity and cost. With the identification of several novel biomarkers and a variety of technologies to interrogate the genome, we already are able to rapidly study patient tumor or blood samples and normal tissues to generate a large dataset of aberrations within the cancer. How to digest this complex information to obtain accurate, reliable, and meaningful results that will allow us to provide truly personalized care for CC patients is just starting to be addressed. In this article, we briefly review the history of CC treatment, with an emphasis on current clinical standards that incorporate a "personalized medicine" approach. We then review strategies that will potentially improve our ability to individualize therapy in the future.

Does 1 year adjuvant chemotherapy with oral 5-FUs in colon cancer reduce the peak of recurrence in 1 year and provide long-term OS benefit?

The objective of our study was to clarify the characteristics of survival and hazard function in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery for colon cancer. The data of 2848 patients with curatively resected colon cancer were analyzed; we used the patient data provided by the Japanese Foundation for Multidisciplinary Treatment for Cancer in three trials, namely, JFMC7-1 (n = 869), JFMC7-2 (n = 978) and JFMC15 (n = 1001). The total number of events were 605 (overall survival) and 724 (disease-free survival). The disease-free survival events consisted of 117 cases of death and 607 cases of disease recurrences. Logrank test showed a borderline significant difference in both overall survival (P = 0.0452) and disease-free survival (P = 0.0462). The 5 year overall survival proportion was 0.769 (control) and 0.802 (treated), and the absolute drug effect was 3.3%. The difference between the 5 year disease-free survival proportion (0.728 [control] and 0.760 [drug]) was 3.2%, which is almost similar to the result of overall survival. The disease-free survival curve of the treated group differed from that of the control group after 1 year, whereas the overall survival curve of the treated group became distinct from that of the control group after 2 years. The hazard rate plots indicated the possibility that 1 year adjuvant chemotherapy with oral 5-fluorouracils may translate the short-term reduction in the risk of recurrence in patients with resected colon cancer into a delayed advantage in overall survival.

Stage II and stage III colon cancer: treatment advances and future directions

Because of its frequency and mortality rate, colorectal cancer represents a major public health problem. Adjuvant chemotherapy has improved the prognosis. Six months of oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidine in combination is the standard adjuvant treatment in stage III patients. Two monoclonal antibodies, bevacizumab targeting vascular endothelial growth factor and cetuximab targeting epidermal growth factor receptor 1, are being assessed in addition to chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting. Preliminary results of 2 trials have shown disappointing results. Duration of therapy is another other critical issue for the future. Adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage II colon cancer is still a subject of controversy. The potential biomarkers that can accurately select patients with stage II or III cancer who are at risk for recurrence to individualize therapy from microsatellite instability to gene signature are reviewed. Adjuvant therapy in elderly patients is another matter of debate due to the lack of survival advantage in the recent trials.

Does adjuvant fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy provide a benefit for patients with resected rectal cancer who have already received neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy? A systematic review of randomised trials

BACKGROUND

The results of the recently published large European randomised study in rectal cancer (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer 22921 trial) do not support current guidelines recommending postoperative chemotherapy for patients who have previously undergone preoperative radiochemotherapy or radiotherapy [radio(chemo)therapy]. To evaluate this discrepancy further, a systematic review of relevant randomised trials was undertaken.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic literature search was carried out in order to identify randomised studies exploring adjuvant chemotherapy against observation in patients with rectal cancer previously treated with preoperative radio(chemo)therapy.

RESULTS

A statistically significant benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy was not found in any of the four relevant randomised trials. Non-protocolised subgroup analysis of one study indicated a beneficial effect of adjuvant chemotherapy for high rectal tumours and for patients downstaged to ypT0-2N0 but no effect for low-lying rectal tumours. However, the body of evidence indicates that patients downstaged after radio(chemo)therapy to ypT0-2N0 disease are not candidates for testing adjuvant chemotherapy in future trials due to the considerable over-treatment anticipated by this manoeuvre.

CONCLUSIONS

To resolve the issue in question, a meta-analysis of relevant studies is required, and new trials should be launched to explore new drug combinations against observation. Currently, delivery of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients undergoing preoperative radio(chemo)therapy is not evidence based.

Effect of preoperative hyperfibrinogenemia on recurrence of colorectal cancer without a systemic inflammatory response

BACKGROUND

Disorders in the blood coagulation system are often associated with malignancy. Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) have been shown to have abnormal data for various coagulation tests.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the relation between the preoperative plasma fibrinogen level and tumor recurrence in 569 patients with CRC who underwent curative surgical resection and were followed up without adjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS

The plasma fibrinogen level showed a positive association with tumor recurrence, age, sex, T stage, and TNM classification. When divided with the median value, hyperfibrinogenemia is positively correlated with tumor recurrence, although it lost independence in the multivariate analysis. In the C-reactive protein (CRP)-negative population, hyperfibrinogenemia is independently correlated with tumor recurrence and recurrence-free survival. In contrast, hyperfibrinogenemia has no effect on recurrence in CRP-positive patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperfibrinogenemia is clinically relevant in tumor recurrence before a systemic inflammatory response and thus can be a useful predictor of recurrence in the preinflammatory stage of CRC.

Contributions of meta-analyses based on individual patient data to therapeutic progress in colorectal cancer

Meta-analysis is the statistical process of combining information from several studies addressing the same question. Meta-analyses based on individual patient data are far more reliable and informative than those based on summary statistics obtained from the trialists or extracted from the published literature. Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials may contribute to therapeutic progress through (1) establishing efficacy benefits beyond a reasonable doubt, (2) identifying sources of heterogeneity between trials, (3) studying subsets reliably, (4) confirming differences in toxicity profiles, (5) evaluating the cost-effectiveness of experimental therapies, (6) assessing surrogate endpoints, and (7) addressing ancillary questions. All of these potential contributions are illustrated with examples in early and advanced colorectal cancer.