Survival after pulmonary metastasectomy in colorectal cancer patients: does a history of resected liver metastases worsen the prognosis? A literature review

A prognostic index based on an eleven gene signature to predict systemic recurrences in colorectal cancer

Approximately half of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients experience disease recurrence and metastasis, and these individuals frequently fail to respond to treatment due to their clinical and biological diversity. Here, we aimed to identify a prognostic signature consisting of a small gene group for precisely predicting CRC heterogeneity. We performed transcriptomic profiling using RNA-seq data generated from the primary tissue samples of 130 CRC patients. A prognostic index (PI) based on recurrence-associated genes was developed and validated in two larger independent CRC patient cohorts (n = 795). The association between the PI and prognosis of CRC patients was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier plots, log-rank tests, a Cox regression analysis and a RT-PCR analysis. Transcriptomic profiling in 130 CRC patients identified two distinct subtypes associated with systemic recurrence. Pathway enrichment and RT-PCR analyses revealed an eleven gene signature incorporated into the PI system, which was a significant prognostic indicator of CRC. Multivariate and subset analyses showed that PI was an independent risk factor (HR = 1.812, 95% CI = 1.342–2.448, P < 0.001) with predictive value to identify low-risk stage II patients who responded the worst to adjuvant chemotherapy. Finally, a comparative analysis with previously reported Consensus Molecular Subgroup (CMS), high-risk patients classified by the PI revealed a distinct molecular property similar to CMS4, associated with a poor prognosis. This novel PI predictor based on an eleven gene signature likely represents a surrogate diagnostic tool for identifying high-risk CRC patients and for predicting the worst responding patients for adjuvant chemotherapy.

A prognostic tool that searches for eleven genes associated with colorectal cancer recurrence shows promise in initial trials. The complexity of colorectal cancer (CRC) makes it challenging to treat. A significant number of patients relapse or experience metastasis even after surgical intervention, and fail to respond to post-surgical chemotherapy. Yong Sung Kim at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon, and Jin Cheon Kim from the University of Ulsan, Seoul, South Korea, and co-workers, conducted RNA-sequencing analysis on samples from 130 patients with CRC, 58 of whom had suffered relapse. They pinpointed eleven genes strongly associated with recurrence-free survival. They used these to develop a prognostic tool to identify high-risk patients and those more likely to respond poorly to chemotherapy. The tool was validated on a further 795 patients with CRC.

Pulmonary metastasis in newly diagnosed colon-rectal cancer: a population-based nomogram study

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a high worldwide incidence with a tendency to metastasize to the lungs. We aimed to identify clinical factors related to lung metastasis (LM) and analyze the prognosis of patients after LM.

METHODS

Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for LM from CRC. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were performed to identify potentially important prognostic factors for patients with LM.

RESULTS

Age (p = 0.010), tumor size (p < 0.001), T stage (p < 0.001), N stage (p < 0.001), race (p < 0.001), tumor site (p < 0.001), liver metastasis (p < 0.001), brain metastasis (p < 0.001), bone metastasis (p < 0.001), serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (p < 0.001), and circumferential resection margin (CRM) (p < 0.001) were associated with a risk of LM from CRC. All factors (all, p < 0.001) except tumor size (p = 0.095) and race (p = 0.650) were related to the overall survival of patients. Two nomograms were formulated to visually predict lung metastasis risk and 1-, 3-, and 5- year overall survivals for patients with LM. The concordance indices were 0.754 and 0.749, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Age, tumor size, histological grade, serum levels of CEA, tumor site, surgery modalities of CRC, CRM, number of positive lymph nodes, and chemotherapy were independent risk factors for LM from CRC. The nomograms we developed can be effectively used to forecast the risk of LM and predict the survival for LM from CRC.

Pulmonary metastasectomy of colorectal cancer origin: Evaluating process and outcomes

BACKGROUND

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of change in policy of computed tomography (CT) scan of the thorax in staging and follow-up of colorectal cancer (CRC). Another objective was to review the outcomes following pulmonary metastasectomies (Pmets) and to determine the prognostic factors affecting outcomes.

METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis from a prospective cohort database of patients, who underwent Pmet for CRC origin from August 2004 to February 2016. The outcome measures were number of Pmets per year, overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and prognostic factors affecting survival.

RESULTS

Of 71 patients, 38% (n = 27) underwent Pmet before 2013 and 62% ( n = 44) had surgery after 2013. The 2-year DFS after Pmet was 49.3% and estimated 5-year OS was 51.4% at a median follow-up of 28 months. There was a significant increase in number of Pmets/year ( P = 0.0015), increased detection of synchronous pulmonary metastasis (PM) ( P = 0.005), increased diagnosis of extra-pulmonary metastases (EPM) ( P = 0.005), and improved OS ( P = 0.026) after introduction of CT scan as staging tool. Site of primary tumor (colon) ( P = 0.045), primary nodal stage ( P = 0.009), and the presence of EPM ( P = 0.01) were independent important prognostic factors affecting survival.

CONCLUSION

The CT scan of thorax as a baseline tool for staging and follow-up in CRC increases referral for pulmonary metastasectomy. Surgery achieves excellent prognosis and long-term survival outcomes in CRC with isolated PM and carefully selected patients with solitary liver metastasis.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for lung metastases from colorectal cancer: a single institution experience

Aim: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has been used as an alternative to surgical intervention to treat primary malignanices of the lung as well as lesions from other primaries. In this study, we evaluate the safety and efficacy of SBRT in treating lung metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials & methods: We reviewed 22 patients that underwent lung SBRT for metastases from CRC. Almost all patients received chemotherapy before and after undergoing SBRT. Outcomes that were analyzed included overall survival, distant failure and progression-free survival, as well as the effects of biologically effective dose (BED) and KRAS status on local control. Results: Seven females and 15 males underwent SBRT to lung metastases from CRC. The median Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status was one (0–2). The median dose was 48 Gy (40–54 Gy) in 5 fx (4–8 fx) and the median number of nodules treated with SBRT was one (1–3). Median follow-up was 28.5 months from SBRT and 79 months (9–145) from primary diagnosis. Local control at 1 and 3 years was 75 and 58%, respectively. There was a trend toward improved local control with increasing biologically effective dose (BED10 > 100; p = 0.07). Cancers that were positive for the KRAS mutation had increased local control at 12 months, 100 versus 75% (p = 0.0199). Median OS from the primary diagnosis of CRC and from SBRT was 79 and 31 months, respectively. There were no predictors for OS. There were no episodes of acute or late grade 3 or higher toxicity. Conclusion: The results of this study add to the growing body of literature to support SBRT for lung metastases, specifically those patients with limited lung metastases from CRC. The choice of radiation dose remains important, even in metastatic disease, as highlighted by the trend toward improved local control with increasing BED10.