Challenges in the multidisciplinary management of stage IV colon and rectal cancer

Radiologic staging of peritoneal and retroperitoneal disease

Peritoneal and retroperitoneal tumors consist of a heterogenous group of benign and malignant lesions of different origin. Due to often complex multidisciplinary treatment concepts in patients with peritoneal surface malignancies radiological imaging plays a pivotal role regarding the therapeutic options. Moreover, tumor entity, abdominal tumor distribution and common as well as rare differential diagnoses have to be taken into account. Using different radiological modalities non-invasive pretherapeutic diagnostics might be significantly improved. KEY POINTS::   · Diagnostic CT is a valuable part of the initial diagnostic approach to peritoneal surface malignancies.. · Sensitivity might be increased by the additional use of dwMRI and PET/CT considering tumor entity and individual diagnostic issues.. · The Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI) should be determined independent of radiologic modality.. CITATION FORMAT: · Glockzin G, Helmberger T. Radiologic staging of peritoneal and retroperitoneal disease. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2023; DOI: 10.1055/a-1999-7057.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by resection/ablation in stage IV rectal cancer patients with potentially resectable metastases

Background

The optimal treatment of stage IV rectal cancer remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to assess the treatment outcomes and toxicity of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by local treatment of all tumor sites and subsequent adjuvant chemotherapy in stage IV rectal cancer patients with potentially resectable metastases.

Methods

Adult patients diagnosed with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma with potentially resectable metastases, who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy from July 2013 and September 2019 at Sun Yat-sen University cancer center, were included. Completion of the whole treatment schedule, pathological response, treatment-related toxicity and survival were evaluated.

Results

A total of 228 patients were analyzed with a median follow-up of 33 (range 3.3 to 93.4) months. Eventually, 112 (49.1%) patients finished the whole treatment schedule, of which complete response of all tumor sites and pathological downstaging of the rectal tumor were observed in three (2.7%) and 90 (80.4%) patients. The three-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of all patients were 56.6% (50.2 to 63.9%) and 38.6% (95% CI 32.5 to 45.8%), respectively. For patients who finished the treatment schedule, 3-year OS (74.4% vs 39.2%, P < 0.001) and 3-year PFS (45.5% vs 30.5%, P = 0.004) were significantly improved compared those who did not finish the treatment. Grade 3–4 chem-radiotherapy treatment toxicities were observed in 51 (22.4%) of all patients and surgical complications occurred in 22 (9.6%) of 142 patients who underwent surgery, respectively.

Conclusions

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by resection/ablation and subsequent adjuvant chemotherapy offered chances of long-term survival with tolerable toxicities for selected patients with potentially resectable stage IV rectal cancer, and could be considered as an option in clinical practice.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-09089-5.

Comparison of four lymph node staging systems for predicting prognosis for stage IV rectum cancer

Background

With recommendation of surgical management in primary site, both the positive and negative lymph nodes (LNs) retrieved have been emphasized to predict prognosis in stage IV rectum cancer. Therefore, we attempt to compare the prognostic performance of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) N-stage relative to lymph node ratio (LNR), log odds of metastatic lymph nodes (LODDS), and N-score in stage IV rectal cancer.

Methods

Total 5,090 patients taken surgical resection of primary site in rectum cancer with distant metastasis were extracted from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database. Harrell's C statistic (C-index) and Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) were used to evaluate the discriminative ability of the different LN staging systems.

Results

Of the 3,243 patients without radiotherapy, 82.46% (n=2,675) had been found with lymph nodes metastasis with median number of 16 lymph nodes collected (IQR: 11-22). Modeled as categorical cutoff variables for further clinical usage, when number of LNs was between 12 and 25 (C-index: 0.5997, AIC: 1,698.015), 8^th AJCC N-stage outperformed other three schemas with increasing C-index and less AIC value. Assessed as continuous values, the LODDS shown as the best schemas with greatest discriminatory power (C-index: 0.5971, AIC: 3,680.017), generally. On the other hand, in the cohorts of other 1274 patients taken radiation, the median number of lymph nodes retrieved was 13 (IQR: 9-18). LODDS still remained remarkable performance as continuous (C-index: 0.5912; AIC: 1,058.765) and categorical variables (C-index: 0.5700; AIC: 1,061.703), while N-staging outperformed with less than 25 lymph nodes retrieved (LNs <12 C-index: 0.5678, AIC: 481.94; 12< LNs <25 C-index: 0.5933, AIC: 390.395).

Conclusions

When assessed as categorical variables, N-stage performed superiorly with adequate lymph nodes examined, whether the patients have got radiotherapy prior to surgery or not. LODDS showed, when assessed as a continuous variable, good discriminative ability and goodness of fit in predicting survival for stage IV rectum cancer patients regardless of radiation therapy status.

Postoperative chemotherapy is associated with prognosis of stage IV colorectal cancer treated with preoperative chemotherapy/chemoradiotherapy and curative resection

PURPOSE

Advances in systemic chemotherapy have increased the resectability in colorectal cancer (CRC) associated with metastases even if it was initially unresectable. However, what determines the prognosis of stage IV CRC patients treated by preoperative therapy and surgery remains unclear. We attempted to identify prognostic factors in such CRC patients.

METHODS

We reviewed stage IV CRC patients who underwent curative resection between December 2007 and May 2019. The patients who underwent conversion chemotherapy for initially unresectable disease and those who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for resectable synchronous metastases or neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) for advanced lower rectal cancer with resectable metastases were included. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were examined by multivariate analyses using Cox proportional hazard models. The RFS and OS curves were analyzed according to postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (AC).

RESULTS

Among 70 patients who underwent curative surgery (34 men, mean age: 60 years old), 33 had initially unresectable disease, 23 received NAC, and 14 NACRT. By multivariate analyses, AC was an independent predictor for improved RFS and OS (hazard ratio = 0.29, p = 0.0002, and hazard ratio = 0.37, p = 0.025). Patients treated with AC showed improved RFS and OS than those without AC (2-year RFS rate = 30% vs 19%, p = 0.031, and 3-year OS rate = 87% vs 67%, p = 0.045).

CONCLUSION

Because of its association with improved prognosis, AC should be considered for stage IV CRC patients after curative resection regardless of initial resectability status and preoperative therapy.

Benefit of cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with isolated peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Ever since Sugarbaker has established the cytoreductive surgery (CRS) in combination with intraoperative hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), there is a chance of cure for selected patients with peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer. Objective of this study was to investigate the benefit of CRS and HIPEC compared to other therapy options in patients with isolated synchronous and metachronous peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin in terms of long-term overall survival.

METHODS

A retrospective population-based cohort study, including 370 patients diagnosed with isolated synchronous and metachronous peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin, was carried out. Therefore, data were acquired from the cancer registry at the Regensburg Tumor Center in Bavaria, Germany. Patients' overall survival (OAS) according to their therapy received was analyzed by means of Kaplan-Meier method and multivariable Cox regression.

RESULTS

Overall median survival was 41.6 months for patients treated with CRS and HIPEC, compared with surgery and chemotherapy (24.0 months, log-rank p = 0.015), chemotherapy only (14.1 months, p < 0.001), surgery only (11.4 months, p < 0.001), and best supportive care (7.9 months, p < 0.001). This benefit persisted after adjustment for further risk factors in multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSION

The effect of CRS and HIPEC stands out significantly in comparison to all other therapies. The multimodality approach should be a regular option for patients with isolated peritoneal metastases.

“En bloc” caudate lobe and inferior vena cava resection following cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal and liver metastasis of colorectal cancer

There are diverse protocols to manage patients with recurrent disease after primary cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for peritoneal carcinomatosis. We describe a case of metachronous liver metastasis after CRS and HIPEC for colorectal cancer, successfully treated with a selective metastectomy and partial graft of the inferior vena cava. A 35-year-old female presented with a large tumour in the cecum and consequent colonic stenosis. After an emergency right colectomy, the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. One year later she was diagnosed with peritoneal carcinomatosis, and it was decided to carry out a CRS/HIPEC. After 2 years of total remission, an isolated metachronous liver metastasis was detected by magnetic resonance imaging surveillance. The patient underwent a third procedure including a caudate lobe and partial inferior vena cava resection with a prosthetic graft interposition, achieving an R0 situation. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 17 after the liver resection. At 18-mo follow-up after the liver resection the patient remained free of recurrence. In selected patients, the option of re-operation due to recurrent disease should be discussed. Even liver resection of a metachronous metastasis and an extended vascular resection are acceptable after CRS/HIPEC and can be considered as a potential treatment option to remove all macroscopic lesions.

An overview of imaging techniques for liver metastases management

Evaluation of liver metastases is one of the most common indications for liver imaging. Imaging plays a key role in the of assessment liver metastases. A variety of imaging techniques, including ultrasonography, computed tomography, MRI and PET combined with CT scan are available for diagnosis, planning treatment, and follow-up treatment response. In this paper, the authors present the role of imaging for the assessment of liver metastases and the contribution of each of the different imaging techniques for their evaluation and management. Following recent developments in the field of oncology, the authors also present the importance of imaging for the assessment of liver metastases response to therapy. Finally, future perspectives on imaging of liver metastases are presented.