Advanced gastric cancer: the value of systemic and intraperitoneal chemotherapy

Artificial intelligence annotated clinical-pathologic risk model to predict outcomes of advanced gastric cancer

Background

Gastric cancer with synchronous distant metastases indicates a dismal prognosis. The success in survival improvement mainly relies on our ability to predict the potential benefit of a therapy. Our objective is to develop an artificial intelligence annotated clinical-pathologic risk model to predict its outcomes.

Methods

In participants (n=47553) with gastric cancer of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program, we selected patients with distant metastases at first diagnosis, complete clinical-pathologic data and follow-up information. Patients were randomly divided into the training and test cohort at 7:3 ratio. 93 patients with advanced gastric cancer from six other cancer centers were collected as the external validation cohort. Multivariable analysis was used to identify the prognosis-related clinical-pathologic features. Then a survival prediction model was established and validated. Importantly, we provided explanations to the prediction with artificial intelligence SHAP (Shapley additive explanations) method. We also provide novel insights into treatment options.

Results

Data from a total 2549 patients were included in model development and internal test (median age, 61 years [range, 53-69 years]; 1725 [67.7%] male). Data from an additional 93 patients were collected as the external validation cohort (median age, 59 years [range, 48-66 years]; 51 [54.8%] male). The clinical-pathologic model achieved a consistently high accuracy for predicting prognosis in the training (C-index: 0.705 [range, 0.690-0.720]), test (C-index: 0.737 [range, 0.717-0.757]), and external validation (C-index: 0.694 [range, 0.562-0.826]) cohorts. Shapley values indicated that undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, young, absence of lung metastases and well differentiated were the top 5 contributors to the high likelihood of survival. A combination of surgery and chemotherapy had the greatest benefit. However, aggressive treatment did not equate to a survival benefit. SHAP dependence plots demonstrated insightful nonlinear interactive associations among predictors in survival benefit prediction. For example, patients who were elderly, or poor differentiated, or presence of lung or bone metastases had a worse prognosis if they undergo surgery or chemotherapy, while patients with metastases to liver alone seemed to gain benefit from surgery and chemotherapy.

Conclusion

In this large multicenter cohort study, we developed an artificial intelligence annotated clinical-pathologic risk model to predict outcomes of advanced gastric cancer. It could be used to discuss treatment options.

Comparative Analysis of Postoperative Complications after Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC in Gastric Cancer

INTRODUCTION

Patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) frequently show peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). PC reduces life expectancy and quality of life. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been shown to improve overall survival. Nevertheless, it has been reported that CRS and HIPEC are accompanied by an increase in postoperative complications. The purpose of this study was to investigate the complications associated with CRS and HIPEC and overall and disease-free survival.

METHODS

Patients with AGC and PC, who received complete CRS and HIPEC, were included in the HIPEC group (n = 15). Patients with AGC but without PC, who received resection of the primary tumor alone, constituted the control group (n = 43).

RESULTS

Patients enrolled in the HIPEC group presented with a median PCI of 7. In comparison with the control group, no differences were found in patient characteristics, risk factors, pathological findings, and operative procedures. Twenty-five percentage of the patients in both groups suffered from serious postoperative complications (CDC ≥3a). Surgical and medical complications, rate of reoperation, and mortality did not differ. Also, the recurrence pattern, median survival, and 1- and 2-year survival rates showed no differences.

CONCLUSION

CRS and HIPEC do not lead to an increased postoperative morbidity and mortality in AGC with PC. Albeit the poorer prognosis of patients with PC, survival of both groups was comparable.

Pyrrolo[2,1-f][1,2,4]triazine: a promising fused heterocycle to target kinases in cancer therapy

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide responsible for about 10 million deaths per year. To date several approaches have been developed to treat this deadly disease including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, and synthetic lethality. The targeted therapy refers to targeting only specific proteins or enzymes that are dysregulated in cancer rather than killing all rapidly dividing cells, has gained much attention in the recent past. Kinase inhibition is one of the most successful approaches in targeted therapy. As of 30 March 2021, FDA has approved 65 small molecule protein kinase inhibitors and most of them are for cancer therapy. Interestingly, several kinase inhibitors contain one or more fused heterocycles as part of their structures. Pyrrolo[2,1-f][1,2,4]triazine is one the most interesting fused heterocycle that is an integral part of several kinase inhibitors and nucleoside drugs viz. avapritinib and remdesivir. This review articles focus on the recent advances made in the development of kinase inhibitors containing pyrrolo[2,1-f][1,2,4]triazine scaffold.

Lobaplatin in Prophylactic Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Advanced Gastric Cancer: Safety and Efficacy Profiles

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of lobaplatin in prophylactic hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for advanced gastric cancer.

Methods

Advanced gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastric resection and/or prophylactic HIPEC were systematically reviewed in our department from January 2016 to June 2017. All enrolled patients were grouped in either HIPEC or non-HIPEC groups. Clinical data were collected and analyzed.

Results

A total of 129 patients were enrolled with 61 cases in the HIPEC group and 68 in the non-HIPEC group. The two groups were well balanced in terms of clinical characteristics. In patients of the HIPEC group, three suffered leakage from the duodenal stump or anastomosis, one suffered abnormal bleeding and two were found to have abnormal routine blood tests; no significant difference in adverse events between groups, however, was noted (p > 0.05) and most patients recovered uneventfully. During follow-up, peritoneal recurrence was significantly less among HIPEC patients (p = 0.029), with only three suffering peritoneal recurrence, as compared to 12 non-HIPEC patients. In addition, the estimated illness-specific 3-year disease-free survival rate was significantly higher in the HIPEC group as compared to the non-HIPEC group (89.4% vs.73.9%; p = 0.031).

Conclusion

Lobaplatin in prophylactic HIPEC is safe for advanced gastric cancer patients after treatment by radical resection and can effectively improve illness-specific 3-year disease-free survival.