The role of systemic chemotherapy and multidisciplinary management in improving the overall survival of patients with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal

Hepatic Metastasectomy in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal Canal: A Case Series of a Curative Approach

BACKGROUND

Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (SCCA) is rare. Most cases are diagnosed in a localized setting. Metastatic SCCA is rare, and investigation has been limited in the past for these patients. We believe that hepatic-only metastatic disease could have a unique treatment landscape compared to diseases with diffuse metastatic involvement. Here, we describe cases at our institution.

METHODS

We reviewed eight SCCA cases with hepatic-only metastatic disease (diagnosed February 2018-January 2022). The objectives were to determine the overall survival and disease-free survival with this approach.

RESULTS

The median age was 62 years old (yo). Patients had an ECOG of 0-1. All patients received definitive chemoradiation to their primary anal tumor. A median of three months of neoadjuvant systemic therapy was provided. All patients had a response on their first scan after systemic therapy. Sixty-two percent received carboplatin + paclitaxel. A complete pathologic response was seen in 62% of patients. At their last follow-up, all patients were alive. Three patients had recurrent disease. The estimated 1-year disease-free survival probability was 56.2%.

CONCLUSION

Our report shows the feasibility of a curative-intent approach for patients with hepatic-only metastatic SCCA following the neoadjuvant application of carboplatin + paclitaxel. This approach appears promising in these select patients and warrants further investigation.

Anal Cancer: The Past, Present and Future

Anal cancer is a rare cancer that accounts for about 2% of all gastrointestinal tract malignancies. Among anal cancer, squamous cell cancer is the most common malignancy. The incidence of all stages of anal squamous cell cancer has been increasing. Human papillomavirus infection and immunosuppression are major risk factors for anal cancer. The management of anal cancer has evolved over the past several decades and continues to do so. Chemoradiation therapy remains the mainstay for treatment for most patients with early-stage disease, whereas systemic therapy is the primary treatment for patients with metastatic disease. Patients with persistent disease or recurrence following chemoradiation therapy are treated with salvage surgery. Access to novel cytotoxic combinations and immunotherapy has improved the outcomes of patients with advanced disease. This review provides an overview of advances in the management of anal cancer over the past two decades. This paper reviews the epidemiology, risk factors, pathology, diagnosis, and management of localized and advanced anal squamous cell cancer, highlights current knowledge gaps in the management of anal cancer, and discusses future directions.

Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinomas of the Pelvic and Perineal Region: A Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Study

BACKGROUND

Advanced pelvic squamous cell carcinoma (pSCC) is a broad category of cancers affecting different pelvic organs and usually featuring unfavorable clinical outcomes. Thus, we aimed to assess genomic differences among pSCC cases and learn whether pSCC could potentially benefit from targeted therapies and/or immunotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 1917 advanced pSCCs, including penile (penSCC), male urethral (murthSCC), male anal (manSCC), female urethral (furthSCC), vulvar (vulSCC), cervical (crvSCC), female anal (fanSCC), and vaginal (vagSCC), underwent comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP). We used hybrid capture-based CGP to evaluate recurrent genomic alterations (GAs). Tumor mutational burden (TMB) was determined on up to 1.1 Mb of sequenced DNA and microsatellite instability (MSI) was determined on up to 95 loci. Programmed cell-death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC; Dako 22C3).

RESULTS

PIK3CA was the most frequently identified potentially "actionable" GA (22%-43%), followed by mTOR pathway [PTEN (0%-18%), FBXW7 (7%-29%)], and cell-cycle GAs. DNA-damage response (DDR) GAs and receptor-tyrosine kinase (RTK) targeted options were uncommon. NOTCH1 GAs were present in >15% of penSCC and vulvSCC. TMB ≥10 mut/Mb was >15% in manSCC, fanSCC, crvSCC, and vagSCC. PD-L1 high expression was >18% in all pSCC except urthSCC, manSCC, and vagSCC. HPV-16/18 detection was highest in manSCC, fanSCC, and crvSCC.

CONCLUSION

Despite similar histology, pSCCs can differ in GAs and HPV status. Overall, PIK3CA is the most frequent potentially "targetable" GA followed by mTOR and cell cycle pathway. RTK and DDR GAs are rare in pSCC. Immunotherapy could be considered for pSCC management based on TMB and PD-L1 expression.

Stage IV anal canal squamous cell carcinoma with long-term survival: a case report

Background

Currently, no established standard treatment exists for metastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma. We report a case of complete response in a patient with stage IV anal squamous cell carcinoma after undergoing multidisciplinary treatment.

Case presentation

A 62-year-old woman visited a nearby doctor with a chief concern of severe pain associated with a firm mass in the anus. The patient was diagnosed with anal canal squamous cell carcinoma and liver metastases and referred to First Department of Surgery Faculty of Medicine University of Fukui for treatment. The patient received a TNM classification of T4N0M1 and stage IV. Rectal amputation was performed; however, postoperative complications hindered immediate anticancer therapy and the liver metastases exacerbated. Radiofrequency hyperthermia and systemic chemotherapy were performed 3 months postoperatively. A prominent reduction in the liver metastasis was observed. Lung metastases appeared during the course of systemic chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was performed to treat the lung lesion and resolved. Radiotherapy was also performed for liver metastasis. The lesion in the liver showed resolution after 54 months postoperatively, and treatment with the anticancer drug was discontinued. Ten-year follow-up findings suggested complete resolution of the lesion in response to the treatment protocol followed in this case. This long-term survival was achieved through a multidisciplinary treatment.

Conclusions

The present case suggests that multidisciplinary treatment approach is effective for resolving stage IV anal squamous cell carcinoma, and addition of new anticancer drug therapy may improve the overall prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma.

Prognostic role of HPV integration status and molecular profile in advanced anal carcinoma: An ancillary study to the epitopes-HPV02 trial

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anal canal (SCCA) is a rare disease associated with a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection in most cases, predominantly the HPV16 genotype. About 15% of SCCA are diagnosed in metastatic stage and some will relapse after initial chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Treatment of patients by Docetaxel, Cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) has been recently shown to improve their complete remission and progression-free survival. The aim of this retrospective study was to explore the impact of HPV infection, HPV DNA integration, TERT promoter mutational status and somatic mutations of oncogenes on both progression-free (PFS) and overall survivals (OS) of patients treated by DCF. Samples obtained from 49 patients included in the Epitopes-HPV02 clinical trial, diagnosed with metastatic or non-resectable local recurrent SCCA treated by DCF, were used for analyses. Median PFS and OS were not associated with HPV status. Patients with episomal HPV had an improved PFS compared with SCCA patients with integrated HPV genome (p=0.07). TERT promoter mutations were rarely observed and did not specifically distribute in a subset of SCCA and did not impact DCF efficacy. Among the 42 genes investigated, few gene alterations were observed, and were in majority amplifications (68.4%), but none were significantly correlated to PFS. As no biomarker is significantly associated with patients’ survival, it prompts us to include every patient failing CRT or with metastatic disease in DCF strategy.

Role of local therapy in the management of patients with metastatic anal squamous cell carcinoma: a National Cancer Database study

BACKGROUND

About 10-20% of patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa) present with metastatic disease and are usually treated with systemic chemotherapy. However, primary tumor control is crucial as local failure is associated with significant morbidity. Using the largest cohort to date, we report the impact of local therapy on survival among patients with metastatic anal SCCa.

METHODS

Data were collected from US hospitals that contributed to the National Cancer Database (NCDB) between 2004 and 2015. Patients who did not receive palliative systemic chemotherapy were excluded from analysis. Univariate (UVA) and multivariable analyses (MVA) were performed to identify factors associated with patient outcome. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association between tumor/patient characteristics and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

A total of 1,160 patients were identified over the 12 years of study. Median age was 57 years. Majority were female (64.9%), non-Hispanic Whites (79.1%) and had Charlson-Deyo Score of 0 (83.6%). Most common metastatic sites were liver (25.9%), lung (11.6%) and bone (8.5%). More than 79% of the patients had received radiation to the primary site, and 10.4% underwent surgical resection for local control. Use of local therapy correlated closely with OS on MVA (HR 0.66; 0.55-0.79; P<0.001), with a 12-month and 5-year OS rates of 72.8% and 25.7% respectively, compared with 61.1% and 14.6% for patients treated with chemotherapy only. Poor prognostic factors included male gender (HR 1.44; 1.24-1.67; P<0.001), age >70 years (HR 1.28; 1.02-1.62; P=0.034), lack of health insurance (HR 1.32; 1.02-1.71; P=0.034), and cloacogenic zone location (HR 4.02; 1.43-11.30; P=0.008). There was no benefit from abdominoperineal resection (mOS =19.7 months; HR 1.05; 0.48-2.29; P=0.909), but both local resection of the primary (mOS =24.8 months, HR 0.48; 0.29-0.80; P=0.005) and palliative radiation (mOS =22.6 months; HR 0.66; 0.55-0.79; P<0.001) were associated with improved OS.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to systemic therapy, resection of the primary tumor or palliative radiation improved OS in patients with anal SCCa. Patients unlikely to benefit from local control were those >70 years of age, male, lack of health insurance and cloacogenic carcinoma.

Long-Term Disease Control After locoregional Pelvic Chemoradiation in Patients with Advanced Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Introduction

The incidence of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) is increasing. Even if systemic docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-Fluorouracil (DCF) provide a high rate of long-term remission, the role of pelvic chemoradiation (CRT) is unknown in this setting. We reported the safety and efficacy of local CRT in patients with synchronous metastatic SCCA who achieved objective response after upfront DCF.

Methods

Patients included in Epitopes HPV01 or Epitopes HPV02 or SCARCE trials and treated with DCF followed by pelvic CRT were included. Concurrent chemotherapy was based on mitomycin (MMC) (10 mg/m² for two cycles) and fluoropyrimidine (capecitabine 825 mg/m² twice a day at each RT treatment day or two cycles of intra-venous 5FU 1000 mg/m² from day 1 to day 4). Primary endpoints were safety, local complete response rate, and local progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints were PFS, overall survival (OS), and metastasis-free survival (MFS).

Results

From 2013 to 2018, 16 patients received DCF followed by a complementary pelvic CRT for advanced SCCA. Median follow-up was 42 months [range, 11-71]. All patients received the complete radiation dose. Compliance to concurrent CT was poor. Overall, 13/15 of the patients (87%) had at least one grade 1-2 acute toxicity and 11/15 of the patients (73%) had at least one grade 3-4 toxicity. There was no treatment-related death. The most frequent grade 3-4 adverse effects were neutropenia (36%), dermatitis (40%), and anitis (47%). Eleven patients (73%) had at least one chronic grade 1 or 2 toxicity. One patient had a grade 4 chronic rectitis (7%). Complete local response rate was 81% at first evaluation and 62.5% at the end of the follow-up. Median local PFS was not reached and the 3-year local PFS was 77% (95%CI 76.8-77).

Conclusions

In patients with metastatic SCCA who had a significant objective response after upfront DCF, local CRT was feasible with high complete local response rate. The good local control rate, despite interruptions due to toxicities and low CT compliance, underline the role of pelvic RT. The high rate of toxicity prompts the need to adapt CRT regimen in the metastatic setting.

Metastatic or Locally Recurrent Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCAC): Current Clinical Trial Landscape and Novel Approaches

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCAC) is a human papillomavirus (HPV) driven malignancy. Given inadequate HPV-vaccination rates, SCAC will continue to be a public health concern. SCAC is commonly diagnosed in the local or locoregional setting in which definitive chemoradiation provides the opportunity for cure and has high control rates. A minority of patients will develop recurrence or present with metastatic SCAC. Given the rarity of this disease, research has lagged compared to many other solid tumors. Historically, treatment has been based on extrapolating management approaches from more common squamous cell carcinoma malignancies and/or small case series or case reports. Fortunately, dedicated prospective clinical trial investigation in the advanced setting has emerged in recent years. Here, we review the current strategies for treatment along with remaining challenges and viable next steps for the management of metastatic SCAC.

Anal Cancer: Emerging Standards in a Rare Rare Disease

The social stigma surrounding an anal cancer diagnosis has traditionally prevented open discussions about this disease. However, as recent treatment options and an increasing rate of diagnoses are made worldwide, awareness is growing. In the United States alone, 9,090 individuals were expected to be diagnosed with anal cancer in 2021. The US annual incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus continues to increase by 2.7% yearly, whereas the mortality rate increases by 3.1%. The main risk factor for anal cancer is a human papillomavirus infection; those with chronic immunosuppression are also at risk. Patients with HIV are 19 times more likely to develop anal cancer compared with the general population. In this review, we have provided an overview of the carcinoma of the anal canal, the role of screening, advancements in radiation therapy, and current trials investigating acute and chronic treatment-related toxicities. This article is a comprehensive approach to presenting the existing data in an effort to encourage continuous international interest in anal cancer.

Anal cancer in Sweden 2015-2019. Implementation of guidelines, structural changes, national registry and early results

BACKGROUND

Squamous cell cancer of the anus is an uncommon malignancy, usually caused by human papilloma virus (HPV). Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the recommended treatment in localized disease with cure rates of 60-80%. Local failures should be considered for salvage surgery. With the purpose of improving and equalizing the anal cancer care in Sweden, a number of actions were taken between 2015 and 2017. The aim of this study was to describe the implementation of guidelines and organizational changes and to present early results from the first 5 years of the Swedish anal cancer registry (SACR).

METHODS

The following were implemented: (1) the first national care program with treatment guidelines, (2) standardized care process, (3) centralization of CRT to four centers and salvage surgery to two centers, (4) weekly national multidisciplinary team meetings where all new cases are discussed, (5) the Swedish anal cancer registry (SACR) was started in 2015.

RESULTS

The SACR included 912 patients with a diagnosis of anal cancer from 2015 to 2019, reaching a national coverage of 95%. We could show that guidelines issued in 2017 regarding staging procedures and radiotherapy dose modifications were rapidly implemented. At baseline 52% of patients had lymph node metastases and 9% had distant metastases. Out of all patients in the SACR 89% were treated with curative intent, most of them with CRT, after which 92% achieved a local complete remission and the estimated overall 3-year survival was 85%.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report from the SACR, demonstrating rapid nation-wide implementation of guidelines and apparently good treatment outcome in patients with anal cancer in Sweden. The SACR will hopefully be a valuable source for future research.

Current treatment and future directions in the management of anal cancer

Although rare, the rate of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA) is rising globally. Most patients present with nonmetastatic disease and are curable with appropriate treatment, which has evolved significantly over the last several decades. Before the 1970s, SCCA was managed with radical surgery, resulting in a permanent colostomy. Researchers found that preoperative treatment with chemotherapy and concurrent radiation could achieve a pathologic complete response. After this observation, definitive therapy shifted from radical surgery to sphincter-preserving chemoradiation. Investigations into the necessity of chemotherapy and the optimal regimen found that chemotherapy with mitomycin-C and 5-fluorouracil is required for cure. Further studies evaluating the addition of induction or maintenance chemotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy, or higher radiation doses have demonstrated no significant benefit to disease control. Advanced radiation delivery with intensity-modulated radiotherapy techniques is now considered the standard of care because of its prospectively determined, favorable acute toxicity profile compared with 3-dimensional conformal radiation. It is important to note that chemoradiation treatment response may be slow (up to 26 weeks) and should be assessed through serial clinical examinations. Today, surgical management of SCCA is reserved only for the lowest risk, early stage tumors or for recurrent/persistent disease. Current studies are evaluating radiation dose de-escalation in early stage disease and radiation dose escalation and the addition of immune checkpoint inhibitors in locally advanced cancers. In reviewing how and why modern-day treatment of SCCA was established, the objective of this report is to reenforce adherence to current treatment paradigms to assure the best possible outcomes for patients.

Hepatic metastasis of anal squamous cell carcinoma

A 50-year-old woman was diagnosed with anal squamous cell carcinoma following a colonoscopy performed for positive test from the National Bowel Screening Programme. During the staging imaging, it was discovered to have a liver lesion that was atypical for metastasis. She underwent a segmental liver resection, and histopathology showed the liver lesion as a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. We aim to discuss the incidence, presentation and management strategies for this rare hepatic metastasis of anal squamous cell carcinoma.

Assessment of Apparent Diffusion Coefficients and SUVs as Predicators of Histological Differentiation in Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

AIM

The study aims to assess minimal apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCmin) and SUVmax as predictors of histological differentiation in patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) and to determine cutoff values for each histopathological tumor grade.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective study of 41 ASCC patients (14 males, 27 females; mean age, 65 ± 13 years) staged with FDG PET/CT and MRI (mean scan time interval, 21 ± 11 days). SUVmax and ADCmin values were measured and compared with histopathological tumor grading obtained from biopsy.

RESULTS

The mean size and tumor volume were 3 ± 2 cm and 16.5 ± 27.3 cm3, respectively. The mean ADCmin values for well-, moderately, and poorly differentiated ASCC were 935 ± 179, 896 ± 123, and 637 ± 114, respectively. The mean SUVmax for well-, moderately, and poorly differentiated ASCC were 6.9 ± 1.8, 11.5 ± 4.1, and 13.4 ± 2.6, respectively. The difference in mean ADCmin values between poorly and moderately/well-differentiated tumors was statistically significant, whereas this was not significant between moderately and well-differentiated tumors. Differences in SUVmax values were statistically significant between poorly/moderately and well-differentiated tumors, whereas there was no statistical significance between poorly and moderately differentiated tumors. By combining the 2 modalities using cutoff values of 675 × 10-6 mm2·s-1 for ADCmin and 8.5 for SUVmax, it was possible to differentiate the tumor categories with a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, respectively, of 84.6%, 96.4%, 91.7%, and 93.1% for well-differentiated ASCC, 76.5%, 87.5%, 81.3%, and 84% for moderately, and 90.9%, 89.3%, 76.9%, and 96.2% for poorly differentiated ASCC, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

ADCmin and SUVmax values correlated with the degree of differentiation in ASCC and can be used as predictors of tumor grading and aggressiveness. Combined ADCmin and SUVmax cutoff values can therefore be used for early patient risk stratification and treatment decision making.

Bintrafusp alfa, a bifunctional fusion protein targeting TGF-β and PD-L1, in patients with human papillomavirus-associated malignancies

BACKGROUND

Bintrafusp alfa is a first-in-class bifunctional fusion protein composed of the extracellular domain of transforming growth factor (TGF)-βRII (a TGF-β 'trap') fused to a human IgG1 mAb blocking programmed cell death ligand 1. This is the largest analysis of patients with advanced, pretreated human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated malignancies treated with bintrafusp alfa.

METHODS

In these phase 1 (NCT02517398) and phase 2 trials (NCT03427411), 59 patients with advanced, pretreated, checkpoint inhibitor-naive HPV-associated cancers received bintrafusp alfa intravenously every 2 weeks until progressive disease, unacceptable toxicity, or withdrawal. Primary endpoint was best overall response per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) V.1.1; other endpoints included safety.

RESULTS

As of April 17, 2019 (phase 1), and October 4, 2019 (phase 2), the confirmed objective response rate per RECIST V.1.1 in the checkpoint inhibitor-naive, full-analysis population was 30.5% (95% CI, 19.2% to 43.9%; five complete responses); eight patients had stable disease (disease control rate, 44.1% (95% CI, 31.2% to 57.6%)). In addition, three patients experienced a delayed partial response after initial disease progression, for a total clinical response rate of 35.6% (95% CI, 23.6% to 49.1%). An additional patient with vulvar cancer had an unconfirmed response. Forty-nine patients (83.1%) experienced treatment-related adverse events, which were grade 3/4 in 16 patients (27.1%). No treatment-related deaths occurred.

CONCLUSION

Bintrafusp alfa showed clinical activity and manageable safety and is a promising treatment in HPV-associated cancers. These findings support further investigation of bintrafusp alfa in patients with advanced, pretreated HPV-associated cancers.

Treatment of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anus, Unresolved Areas and Future Perspectives for Research: Perspectives of Research Needs in Anal Cancer

Anal cancer is a relatively rare, mostly HPV-related cancer. The curative treatment consists of concurrent chemoradiation delivered with modern radiotherapy techniques. The prognosis for most patients with early localized disease is very favourable; however patients with locally advanced disease and/or HPV negative tumours are at higher risk of locoregional and distant treatment failure. Tailored approaches are presently being investigated to determine the most suitable regimen in terms of radiotherapy dose prescription, target volume selection, normal tissue avoidance, and combination therapy. Metastatic anal cancer is treated with chemotherapy aiming at prolonged survival. The role of immune therapy in the clinical setting is being investigated. There is little knowledge on the biology of anal cancer, and an urgent need for more clinical and translational research dedicated to this disease. In this article, the evidence-base for the current treatment is briefly reviewed, and perspectives on future research needs are high-lighted.

Liver resection and ablation for squamous cell carcinoma liver metastases

Background

Limited evidence exists to guide the management of patients with liver metastases from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The aim of this retrospective multicentre cohort study was to describe patterns of disease recurrence after liver resection/ablation for SCC liver metastases and factors associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

Method

Members of the European–African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association were invited to include all consecutive patients undergoing liver resection/ablation for SCC liver metastases between 2002 and 2019. Patient, tumour and perioperative characteristics were analysed with regard to RFS and OS.

Results

Among the 102 patients included from 24 European centres, 56 patients had anal cancer, and 46 patients had SCC from other origin. RFS in patients with anal cancer and non-anal cancer was 16 and 9 months, respectively (P = 0.134). A positive resection margin significantly influenced RFS for both anal cancer and non-anal cancer liver metastases (hazard ratio 6.82, 95 per cent c.i. 2.40 to 19.35, for the entire cohort). Median survival duration and 5-year OS rate among patients with anal cancer and non-anal cancer were 50 months and 45 per cent and 21 months and 25 per cent, respectively. For the entire cohort, only non-radical resection was associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio 3.21, 95 per cent c.i. 1.24 to 8.30).

Conclusion

Liver resection/ablation of liver metastases from SCC can result in long-term survival. Survival was superior in treated patients with liver metastases from anal versus non-anal cancer. A negative resection margin is paramount for acceptable outcome.

Intensified Induction Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anus-A Population-Based Experience from the Danish Anal Cancer Group

Simple Summary

The primary treatment modality for anal cancer is chemoradiotherapy, but patients with locally advanced disease (i.e., large tumors and/or involvement of regional lymph nodes) have a high risk of treatment failure. The use of chemotherapy prior to radiotherapy (induction chemotherapy) can potentially shrink the tumor and/or eradicate small cancer cells with metastatic potential, with a chance of a better outcome. With this paper, the authors present 20 years of nationwide experience with intensified induction chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced anal cancer, which indicates a role for further investigation in the most advanced cases.

Abstract

Locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (LASCCA) has a poor prognosis with a high risk of treatment failure calling for intensified therapy. We present the long-term follow-up of a nationwide cohort of LASCCA treated with intensified induction chemotherapy (ICT). The study included patients with LASCCA (T3-4N0 or T1-4N+) treated with at least one cycle of ICT (cisplatin, ifosfamide, leucoverin, and 5-flourouracil) between 1998–2018. Data were retrospectively collected from medical records, and statistics were performed in STATA 16.1. In total, 166 patients with LASCCA were identified. Following ICT, 157 patients (95%) received primary curative treatment with either radiotherapy (70%), chemoradiotherapy (27%), or abdominal perineal resection (3%). The overall local tumor response rate after ICT was 76% with 20 (13%) achieving complete local tumor response. After the primary treatment, 123 patients (79%) obtained complete response, and 27 underwent salvage surgery due to persistent disease. The median follow-up time was 6 years, local and distant failure rates 22% and 13%, respectively. The 3- and 5-year disease-free survival rates were 70% and 67%, and the 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 76% and 70%, respectively. Intensified ICT regimen could be a supplementary treatment option in the most advanced cases of LASCCA. Prospective randomized trials are needed to investigate this approach further.

Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Lower Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Limited therapy options exist for patients with treatment-refractory metastatic colorectal or anal cancers, prompting investigation into alternative therapies. Immunotherapy in the form of immune checkpoint blockade is one such emerging treatment that has demonstrated promising results in other tumour streams.x This review aims to assess the current use of immune checkpoint blockade in patients with lower gastrointestinal tumours.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Embase, Medline and Cochrane databases were searched for included studies. Clinical trials published in English and utilising immune checkpoint blockade for primary tumours situated in the lower gastrointestinal tract were included. Databases were searched for studies reporting on at least one of overall survival, progression-free survival or response to therapy.

RESULTS

In total, 972 abstracts were screened, with 10 studies included in the final review. Eight trials (833 patients) assessed immune checkpoint blockade in the setting of colorectal cancers. These included pembrolizumab, nivolumab, durvalumab, atezolizumab, tremelimumab and ipilimumab. A total of 20 patients across all studies achieved a complete response, and 111 patients achieved a partial response to treatment. Two trials (62 patients) assessed immune checkpoint blockade in anal cancer, utilising nivolumab and pembrolizumab. Two patients across both studies achieved a complete response, and 11 patients achieved a partial response.

CONCLUSIONS

A number of patients with advanced lower gastrointestinal tumours achieved a complete response to treatment for what would otherwise be considered palliative disease. Presented data have highlighted that particular patients may benefit from first-line or combination immunotherapy, and thus, further investigation is warranted to individualise treatment.

Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2019

The annual Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2019 was held in Morell, Prince Edward Island, 19-21 September 2019. Experts in medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology who are involved in the management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies participated in presentations and discussion sessions for the purpose of developing the recommendations presented here. This consensus statement addresses multiple topics in the management of anal, colorectal, biliary tract, and gastric cancers, including: radiotherapy and systemic therapy for localized and advanced anal cancer; watch and wait strategy for the management of rectal cancer; role of testing for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency prior to commencement of fluoropyrimidine therapy; radiotherapy and systemic therapy in the adjuvant and unresectable settings for biliary tract cancer; and radiotherapy and systemic therapy in the perioperative setting for early-stage gastric cancer.

Nonplatinum-based therapy with Paclitaxel and Capecitabine for advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the anal canal: A population-based Danish anal cancer group study

Background

First‐line platinum‐based therapy for advanced squamous cell carcinomas of the anal canal (SCCA) implies a risk of substantial side effects, and data on second‐line treatment options are limited. Paclitaxel and Capecitabine are a well‐known regimen with a moderate toxicity profile, but its efficacy has not been evaluated.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study using Danish Hospital Registers of patients treated with Paclitaxel and Capecitabine for inoperable, recurrent, or advanced metastatic SCCA in Denmark, between January 2000 and July 2018.

Results

A total of 52 patients met the eligibility criteria. Median age was 60.7 years (range 42–83). Efficacy was observed, with an overall response rate in patients receiving first‐line (N = 28) and second‐line (N = 23) Paclitaxel and Capecitabine of 39.3% (2 with complete responses) and 17.4%, respectively. Median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 4.5 months (95% CI 3.3–5.9) and 3.8 months (95% CI 2.4–5.5) with OS of 6.7 months (95% CI 5.9–8.5) and 5.9 months (95% CI 3.9–14), respectively. Performance status ≥2 and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio ≥4 were significantly associated with a short PFS.

Conclusion

This study recognizes Paclitaxel and Capecitabine as a potential regimen for advanced SCCA, when recommended first‐line therapy is not feasible or as a potential second‐line treatment after failure of platinum‐based chemotherapy.

Safety considerations with new treatment regimens for anal cancer

Introduction: Anal cancer is a rare malignancy, but incidence rates are rising. Primary chemoradiation is the standard of care for early disease with surgery reserved for salvage. Despite success in terms of survival, patients suffer significant morbidity. Research is underway to advance the field and improve outcomes for these patients.Areas covered: This review aims to discuss the safety and efficacy of new approaches to treat anal cancer. A literature search was performed from January 1950 through November 2020 via PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov databases to obtain data from ongoing or published studies examining new regimens for the treatment of anal cancers. Pertinent topics covered include miniature drug conjugates, epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, checkpoint inhibitor combinations, and novel immunomodulators.Expert opinion: Based on emerging clinical data, the treatment paradigm for anal cancer is likely to shift in the upcoming years. One of the largest areas of investigation is the field of immunotherapy, which may emerge as an integral component of anal cancer for all treatment settings.

Clinical Practice Guideline: Anal Cancer—Diagnosis, Treatment and Follow-up

BACKGROUND

The number of anal cancer diagnoses has been rising steadily, so that the incidence has doubled in the past 20 years. Almost all anal cancers are induced by persistent infection with human papillomaviruses. Hitherto the care of patients with anal cancer has been heterogeneous and little experience exists with the primary management of anal cancer.

METHODS

The guideline was developed in accordance with the requirements of the German Guideline Program in Oncology. In line with the GRADE approach, the certainty of the evidence was assessed on the outcome level following a systematic literature search. Interdisciplinary working groups were set up to compile suggestions for recommendations, which were discussed and agreed upon in a formal consensus conference.

RESULTS

Ninety-three recommendations and statements were developed. No high-quality evidence was available to support recommendations for or against the treatment of stage I anal cancer with local excision alone as an alternative to chemoradiotherapy. Chemoradiotherapy is the gold standard in the treatment of stages II–III. Among other aspects regarding the timing and extent of response evaluation after chemoradiotherapy, the guideline panel recommended against obtaining a biopsy in the event of complete clinical response. Owing to lack of confidence in the available evidence, only open recommendations were given for treatment of stage IV.

CONCLUSION

This evidence-based clinical practice guideline provides a sound basis for optimizing the interdisciplinary, cross-sector care of anal cancer patients. Among other areas, gaps in research were identified with respect to the care of patients with early-stage or metastatic anal cancer. Approaches such as chemoradiotherapy combined with regional deep hyperthermia require further investigation. The role for immunotherapy in the management of metastasized anal cancer has also been insufficiently explored to date.

Evolution of the Role of Radiotherapy for Anal Cancer

Prior to the 1980s, the primary management of localized anal cancer was surgical resection. Dr. Norman Nigro and colleagues introduced neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy prior to abdominoperineal resection. Chemoradiotherapy 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin C afforded patients complete pathologic response and obviated the need for upfront surgery. More recent studies have attempted to alter or exclude chemotherapy used in the Nigro regimen to mitigate toxicity, often with worse outcomes. Reductions in acute adverse effects have been associated with marked advancements in radiotherapy delivery using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guidance radiation delivery, resulting in increased tolerance to greater radiation doses. Ongoing trials are attempting to improve IMRT-based treatment of locally advanced disease with efforts to increase personalized treatment. Studies are also examining the role of newer treatment modalities such as proton therapy in treating anal cancer. Here we review the evolution of radiotherapy for anal cancer and describe recent advances. We also elaborate on radiotherapy's role in locally persistent or recurrent anal cancer.

Anal canal squamous carcinoma

Background Anal canal carcinoma is a rare neoplasm, representing 2% of the digestive tumors, and the most common is squamous cell carcinoma, with an increasing incidence.

Objective The study aims to elucidate the pathogenesis of an increasingly prevalent disease, as well as to update treatment and prognosis.

Methods A literature search in Pubmed database, including articles from 2005 to 2015 and cross-research articles with the initial research.

Results Several studies prove the role of HPV as a major risk factor in the development of squamous cell carcinoma of anal canal, as well as a greater prevalence of this neoplasia in HIV-positive people and in those who practice receptive anal intercourse. In the last two decades chemoradiotherapy remains the treatment of choice, and abdominoperineal resection is reserved for those cases of treatment failure or recurrence. Evidence advances in order to adapt the treatment to each patient, taking into account individual prognostic factors and biological tumor characteristics.

Conclusions Squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal is a neoplasm associated with HPV; therefore, screening and vaccination programs of male individuals, by way of prevention, should be started. Many studies are needed in order to achieve development in the treatment as well as in the evaluation of the biological characteristics of the tumor.

Pooled analysis of 115 patients from updated data of Epitopes-HPV01 and Epitopes-HPV02 studies in first-line advanced anal squamous cell carcinoma

AIMS

The addition of docetaxel to cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) has shown promising efficacy in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the anus (SCCA). Preliminary results of Epitopes-HPV01 study showed a high rate of long-lasting complete response to DCF. The prospective, multicenter, Epitopes-HPV02 trial then confirmed the high efficacy of the modified DCF (mDCF) regimen in terms of complete response rate and long-term survival in metastatic or non-resectable locally advanced recurrent SCCA. Here, we present updated results of the Epitopes-HPV01 and Epitopes-HPV02 studies.

PATIENTS & METHODS

Epitopes-HPV01 is a prospective study performed by the regional cancer network of Franche-Comté, France. Epitopes-HPV02 is a phase II study supported by two French collaborative oncological groups, performed in 25 centers. Both studies included patients with metastatic, or with unresectable local recurrent SCCA, treated with DCF regimen.

RESULTS

In Epitopes-HPV01, 51 patients were enrolled between September 2012 and January 2019, and 49 patients were included for analysis; while 69 patients were included between September 2014 and December 2016 in Epitopes-HPV02, and 66 patients for analysis. Pooled analysis of 115 patients showed a median progression-free survival of 12.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 10.6-16.1] [11.0 months (9.3-16.0) in -HPV02, and 15.6 months (11.2-34.5) in -HPV01, (p = 0.06)]. The median overall survival was 39.2 months (26.0-109.1) [36.3 in -HPV02 (25.2-NR), and 61.1 months (21.4-120.0) in -HPV01 (p = 0.62)]. Objective response rate was 87.7% (90.9% in -HPV02 and 83.3% in -HPV01) with 40.3% of complete response (45.5% in -HPV02 and 33.3% in -HPV01). No differences were observed between standard DCF (n = 54) and mDCF (n = 58) in terms of OS (p = 0.57) and PFS (p = 0.99). 5-years PFS and OS rates were 24.5% and 44.4%, respectively, in the whole population. No treatment-related death was observed.

CONCLUSION

Updated results of Epitopes-HPV01 and 02 studies, as well as the pooled analysis, confirm mDCF as a standard treatment in patients with advanced SCCA.

Role of metastasectomy for liver metastasis in stage IV anal cancer

INTRODUCTION

There is a paucity of data on the role of metastasectomy for metastatic anal cancer on survival outcomes. We aim to define the role of metastasectomy in stage IV anal cancer.

METHODS

National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2004 to 2014 was accessed to include patients with metastatic anal cancer, excluding adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine, and 'other' histologies. We compared patients undergoing metastasectomy (n = 165) to those who did not have metastasectomy (n = 2093) by age, sex, cancer grade, and site of metastasis, including metastasis to bone, liver, and lung, using chi-square analysis. The primary outcome was overall survival.

RESULTS

Patients had equal distribution of metastatic sites between those who underwent metastasectomy versus no metastasectomy: bone (7.64% vs 4.85%, p = 0.22), brain (0.24% vs 0%, p = 1.0), liver (23.22% vs 29.70%, p = 0.07), and lung (11.85% vs 9.09%, p = 0.38). Survival following metastasectomy was increased at one year (71% vs. 61%, p = 0.016), two years (50% vs. 38%, p = 0.014), and five years (30% vs. 19%, p = 0.025). Median overall survival was increased (23 months vs. 16 months; p = 0.015) for patients with metastasectomy. Survival increases were demonstrated only in the group with liver metastasis undergoing metastasectomy. When stratifying for liver metastases only, median overall survival time was further increased (34 months vs. 16 months; p < 0.0001) following metastasectomy.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate a survival benefit for hepatic metastasectomy in stage IV anal cancer. Our findings demonstrate a potential survival benefit in highly select patients with metastatic anal cancer to the liver. These findings support further investigation in a randomized clinical trial to delineate these findings.

International Rare Cancers Initiative Multicenter Randomized Phase II Trial of Cisplatin and Fluorouracil Versus Carboplatin and Paclitaxel in Advanced Anal Cancer: InterAAct

PURPOSE

To compare cisplatin plus fluorouracil (FU) versus carboplatin plus paclitaxel in chemotherapy-naïve advanced anal cancer to establish the optimal regimen.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients who had not received systemic therapy for advanced anal cancer were randomly assigned 1:1 to intravenous cisplatin 60 mg/m2 (day 1) plus FU 1,000 mg/m2 (days 1-4) every 21 days or carboplatin (area under the curve, 5; day 1) plus paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 (days 1, 8, and 15) every 28 days for 24 weeks, until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or withdrawal of consent. Primary end point was objective response rate (ORR). Primary and secondary end points were assessed in a hierarchic model to compare the regimens and pick the winner.

RESULTS

We conducted an international multicenter randomized phase II study in 60 centers between December 2013 and November 2017. Median follow-up was 28.6 months. A total of 91 patients were randomly assigned: 46 to cisplatin plus FU and 45 to carboplatin plus paclitaxel. ORR was 57% (95% CI, 39.4% to 73.7%) for cisplatin plus FU versus 59% (95% CI, 42.1% to 74.4%) for carboplatin plus paclitaxel. More serious adverse events were noted in the cisplatin plus FU arm (62%) compared with the carboplatin plus paclitaxel arm (36%; P = .016). Median progression-free survival was 5.7 months (95% CI, 3.3 to 9.0 months) for cisplatin plus FU compared with 8.1 months (95% CI, 6.6 to 8.8 months) for carboplatin plus paclitaxel. Median overall survival was 12.3 months for cisplatin plus FU (95% CI, 9.2 to 17.7 months) compared with 20 months (95% CI, 12.7 months to not reached) for carboplatin plus paclitaxel (hazard ratio, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.15 to 3.47; P = .014).

CONCLUSION

This is the first international randomized trial to our knowledge conducted in chemotherapy-naïve advanced anal cancer. Although there was no difference in ORR, the association with clinically relevant reduced toxicity and a trend toward longer survival suggest that carboplatin plus paclitaxel should be considered as a new standard of care.

A rare case of recurrent epidermoid anal cancer treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy-case report

Background

Anal cancer is a rare cancer with chemoradiation being the mainstay of treatment for locoregional presentation. In North America, the most common subtype is anal squamous cell carcinoma (epidermoid). A surgical approach is considered for persistent or recurrent anal disease and systemic chemotherapy for metastatic disease. We are presenting a unique case of recurrent anal cancer with isolated peritoneal malignancy, an oligometastatic state which is rare in itself. It was treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. There are currently no clear guidelines for the aforementioned presentation. The discussion drew on the feasibility and safety of this approach.

Case presentation

A 68-year-old woman diagnosed with an epidermoid anal cancer (stage 3B) was initially treated with chemoradiation therapy (Standard Nigro Protocol) in 2014. At the 5-year mark post-treatment, she was diagnosed with a recurrent anal epidermoid cancer in the form of isolated peritoneal carcinomatosis proven by biopsy. After declining systemic chemotherapy, she underwent cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy with Mitomycin-C©. Peritoneal carcinomatosis index was evaluated at 10, and intraoperative frozen sections were positive for carcinoma of epidermoid origin compatible with anal cancer. A completeness of cytoreduction score of 0 was achieved during the cytoreductive surgery, and her hospital course was unremarkable. She remains disease-free 12 months later.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first case reporting the disease presentation of anal cancer with oligometastatic dissemination to the peritoneum. Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy were performed. Thus far, this approach seems to be a safe and feasible option for short-term control of the disease.

Squamous cell anal cancer: Management and therapeutic options

The incidence of anal cancer has increased during the second half of the 20th century, with an incidence rate over 2.9% greater than in the decade of 1992-2001. Yet, it still constitutes a small percentage, about 4%, of all anorectal tumours. Its risk factors are human papillomavirus infection, a history of sexually transmitted diseases, a history of vulvar or cervical carcinoma, immunosuppression related to human immunodeficiency virus infection or after organ transplantation, haematological or immunological disorders, and smoking. The most frequent symptom is rectal bleeding (45%), followed by anal pain, and sensation of a rectal mass. The diagnosis requires clinical examination, palpation of the inguinal lymph nodes, high resolution anoscopy followed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy or core biopsy. Subsequent histologic diagnosis is necessary, as well as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of the pelvic lymph nodes. Since 1980, patients with a diagnosis of anal cancer have shown a significant improvement in survival. In Europe during the years 1983-1994, 1-year survival increased from 78% to 81%, and the improvement over 5 years was between 48% and 54%. Prior to 1974, patients with invasive cancer were routinely scheduled for abdominoperineal amputation, after which it was demonstrated that treatment with 5-fluorouracil and radiotherapy associated with mitomycin or capecitabine could be adequate to treat the tumour without surgery. Today, numerous studies have confirmed that combined multimodal treatment is effective and sufficient.

[Metastatic squamous cell carcinomas of the anal canal: Current management and prospects]

Anal canal cancer is a rare disease that accounts for 2.5% of digestive cancers. Squamous cell carcinomas are the most common histological form. Their incidence is in progression, probably due to the increase in Human Papilloma Virus infections. Metastatic forms account for 20% of anal canal cancers considering synchronous forms or metastatic recurrence of an initially localised disease. Their prognosis remains poor with an estimated 5-year survival rate of 30%. The first-line therapeutic standard based on the combination of cisplatin with 5-Fluorouracil has recently been challenged by carboplatin - paclitaxel and docetaxel, cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil regimens which are becoming new treatment options. In second-line setting, there is no international consensus. Anti-EGFRs and immunotherapy in combination or not with other molecules are promising but these results need to be confirmed. In this review, we report current and future data in the management of squamous cell carcinomas of the anal canal in unresectable locoregional recurrence or at metastatic stage.

Head-to-Head Comparison of p63 and p40 in Non-Neuroendocrine Carcinomas of the Tubal Gut

OBJECTIVES.

With targeted agents, characterizing carcinomas of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract has become more important. We aim to determine the usefulness of p40 in classifying GI tract carcinomas.

METHODS.

Seventy-five GI carcinomas including 28 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), 2 adenosquamous carcinomas (ASCA), 21 poorly differentiated carcinomas (PDCA), and 24 adenocarcinomas (AdCA; control group) were stained for p40, p63, and CK5/6. Tumors were scored from 0 to 5 based on extent of staining and marked as positive (score >2) or negative.

RESULTS.

p63 was positive in 100% of SCC/ASCA and 12.5% of AdCA. p40 was positive in 92.5% of SCC/ASCA and 4.1% of AdCA. In the PDCA subset, a panel including p63, p40, and MOC31 was the best way to accurately classify most cases.

CONCLUSIONS.

p63 and CK5/6 are more sensitive but less specific than p40 for SCC/ASCA in GI carcinomas. In PDCA, a panel approach including p63, CK5/6, and p40 may be best in classifying these cases.

Dramatic response to modified docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil chemotherapy after immunotherapy in a patient with refractory metastatic anal cancer

Doublet chemotherapies are the mainstay in the management of metastatic anal cancer. Immunotherapy has been incorporated into guidelines in a refractory setting. Treatment options remain limited with tumor progression beyond immunotherapy. Modified docetaxel, cisplatin, and fluorouracil (mDCF) chemotherapy, after progression postimmunotherapy, has shown a near-complete response in our patient with metastatic anal cancer. This likely is secondary to the sequence of immunotherapy followed by chemotherapy that is yielding greater than historical responses.

Role of pelvic chemoradiation therapy in patients with initially metastatic anal canal cancer: A National Cancer Database review

BACKGROUND

Although the management of localized anal canal squamous cell carcinomas is well established, the role of pelvic chemoradiation (CRT) in the treatment of patients presenting with synchronous metastatic (stage IV) disease is poorly defined. This study used a national cancer database to compare the overall survival (OS) rates of patients with synchronous metastatic disease receiving CRT to the pelvis and patients treated with chemotherapy (CT) alone.

METHODS

This study included adult patients with anal canal squamous cell carcinomas presenting with synchronous metastases diagnosed from 2004 to 2012. Multiple imputation and 2:1 propensity score matching were used to create a matched data set for testing. The proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for the effect of the treatment group on OS. With only patients in the matched data set, the OS of the treatment groups was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method by treatment group.

RESULTS

This study started with an unmatched data set of 978 patients, and 582 patients were selected for the matched data set: 388 in the CRT group and 194 in the CT-alone group. The HR for the group effect was 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-0.92; P = .006). The median OS was 21.1 months in the CRT group (95% CI, 17.4-24.0 months) and 14.6 months in the CT group (95% CI, 12.2-18.4 months). The corresponding 5-year OS rates were 23% (95% CI, 18%-28%) and 14% (95% CI, 7%-21%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large series analyzing OS in patients with stage IV anal cancer, CRT was associated with improved OS in comparison with CT alone. Because of the lack of prospective data in this setting, this evidence will help to guide treatment approaches in this group of patients.

Pharmacotherapy of Anal Cancer

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA), among other malignancies, is associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its incidence continues to rise. Anal SCCA will likely remain an existing healthcare concern given compliance issues with the HPV vaccination seen in the US. Localized disease is predominantly treated with standard of care (SOC) definitive chemoradiation that has remained unchanged for decades. Clinical and molecular prognostic factors have emerged to characterize patients unresponsive to SOC, revealing the need for an alternate approach. Metastatic disease is an extremely small subset and understudied population due to its rarity. Recent prospective trials and mutational analysis have opened treatment options for this subset in need. Our review details the pharmacotherapeutic treatment in localized and metastatic anal SCCA chronologically, while also describing future outlooks.

The Management and Prevention of Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Our aim is to discuss the current established management of care and associated prevention strategies of anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCA). In general, the development of SCCA is commonly linked to a prior history of HPV. Unfortunately, HPV vaccination continues to be underutilized in the United States versus other countries. Increased acknowledgment of the importance of HPV vaccination as an anticancer vaccine should be encouraged. The present standard of care is primary chemoradiotherapy (CRT), which results in a high level of disease control for small, early-stage SCCA. More advanced cancers still fare poorly with this treatment, and the disease relapses locoregionally in the majority of cases (30%-50% of patients), resulting in an abdominoperineal resection. Current treatment recommendations are associated with substantial morbidity; alternative radiation doses and/or novel combinations of agents with CRT are needed to improve quality of life and oncologic outcomes. Cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the standard of care for treatment-naïve patients with metastatic disease, with a possible new treatment paradigm of carboplatin/weekly paclitaxel. In addition, immune checkpoint inhibition appears to have a promising role in the setting of patients with refractory disease. Several clinical trials with immunotherapeutic and vaccine approaches for locally advanced and metastatic anal cancer are ongoing, as are HPV-agnostic umbrella trials. Whenever possible, clinical trial enrollment is always encouraged for further therapeutic development in the setting of a rare cancer, given the potentially substantial global impact for other HPV-associated malignancies.

Prognostic Significance of Fluorine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography in Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Prognostic significance of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸F-FDG-PET) in anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has been evaluated in several studies; however, the results seem to be controversial and no consensus exists about its predictive capability. The current meta-analysis was carried out to comprehensively investigate the prognostic significance of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET parameters in patients with anal SCC.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases was performed to retrieve pertinent articles published until August 5th 2018, concerning the prognostic significance of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET in patients with anal SCC. No language restriction was used. Several prognostic factors were reported for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) including pretreatment maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), inguinal nodal uptake, and metabolic response to therapy.

Results

Eleven studies (741 patients) were included. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) for the probability of PFS was 5.36 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 3.12–9.21, p < 0.001) for metabolic response to therapy and 1.98 (95% CI: 1.26–3.12, p=0.003) for SUVmax. The pooled HR for the probability of OS was 5.87 (3.02–11.39, p < 0.0001) for metabolic response to therapy. On the other hand, the study revealed that the pooled HRs of MTV and inguinal nodal uptake for PFS were 1.56 (95% CI: 0.96–2.53, p=0.072) and 1.79 (95% CI: 1–3.21, p=0.051), respectively.

Conclusions

Our findings propose that some ¹⁸F-FDG-PET parameters could serve as prognostic indicators in anal SCC, but further larger studies are needed in this setting.