Blood transfusions and steatohepatitis are independent risk factors for complications following liver resection for colorectal cancer liver metastases

Perioperative Chemotherapy Including Bevacizumab in Potentially Curable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Long-Term Follow-Up of the ASSO-LM1 Trial

In 2007, the ASSO-LM1 trial, a multicenter prospective study, was initiated to investigate the resectability (R0) rate following preoperative combination therapy with XELOX and bevacizumab in patients with potentially resectable colorectal liver metastases. Six cycles of systemic therapy were administered preoperatively, although the sixth cycle did not include bevacizumab, resulting in 5 weeks between the last bevacizumab dose and surgery. Treatment with bevacizumab plus XELOX was restarted for another six cycles postoperatively. In total, 43 patients were enrolled in the ASSO-LM1 trial. Eight patients were ineligible for resection due to protocol violation and progression in two patients. The resectability of operated patients was 97% with 34 R0 resections and one R1 resection. Postoperative morbidity occurred in 22% of patients, of which three operative revisions were related to the primary tumor resection. Efficacy results for response in 38 eligible patients confirmed an ORR of 66%, 31% SD and 3% PD according to RECIST. Preoperative grade 3/4 adverse events were 17% diarrhea, 5% HFS and 5% thromboembolic events. Overall survival significantly differed depending upon the fulfillment of adjuvant treatment in curative resected patients (59.1 mo vs. 30.8 mo). In conclusion, the ASSO-LM1 trial is a hypothesis-generating study confirming the prognostic benefits of perioperative therapy with XELOX and bevacizumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer confined to the liver.

Body mass index-based predictions and personalized clinical strategies for colorectal cancer in the context of PPPM

Currently colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer worldwide. Body mass index (BMI) is frequently used in CRC screening and risk assessment to quantitatively evaluate weight. However, the impact of BMI on clinical strategies for CRC has received little attention. Within the framework of the predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (3PM/PPPM), we hypothesized that BMI stratification would affect the primary, secondary, and tertiary care options for CRC and we conducted a critical evidence-based review. BMI dynamically influences CRC outcomes, which helps avoiding adverse treatment effects. The outcome of surgical and radiation treatment is adversely affected by overweight (BMI ≥ 30) or underweight (BMI < 20). A number of interventions, such as enhanced recovery after surgery and robotic surgery, can be applied to CRC at all levels of BMI. BMI-controlling modalities such as exercise, diet control, nutritional therapy, and medications may be potentially beneficial for patients with CRC. Patients with overweight are advised to lose weight through diet, medication, and physical activity while patients suffering of underweight require more focus on nutrition. BMI assists patients with CRC in better managing their weight, which decreases the incidence of adverse prognostic events during treatment. BMI is accessible, noninvasive, and highly predictive of clinical outcomes in CRC. The cost-benefit of the PPPM paradigm in developing countries can be advanced, and the clinical benefit for patients can be improved with the promotion of BMI-based clinical strategy models for CRC.

Hepatic steatosis in patients undergoing resection of colorectal liver metastases: A target for prehabilitation? A narrative review

The prevalence of elevated intra-hepatic fat (IHF) is increasing in the Western world, either alone as hepatic steatosis (HS) or in conjunction with inflammation (steatohepatitis). These changes to the hepatic parenchyma are an independent risk factor for post-operative morbidity following liver resection for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). As elevated IHF and colorectal malignancy share similar risk factors for development it is unsurprisingly frequent in this cohort. In patients undergoing resection IHF may be elevated due to excess adiposity or its elevation may be induced by neoadjuvant chemotherapy, termed chemotherapy associated steatosis (CAS). Additionally, chemotherapy is implicated in the development of inflammation termed chemotherapy associated steatohepatitis (CASH). Following cessation of chemotherapy, patients awaiting resection have a 4-6 week washout period prior to resection that is a window for prehabilitation prior to surgery. In patients with NAFLD dietary and pharmacological interventions can reduce IHF within this timeframe but this approach to modifying IHF is untested in this population. In this review, the aetiology of CAS and CASH is reviewed with recommendations to identify those at risk. We also focus on the post-chemotherapy washout period, reviewing dietary interventions applied to the metabolic population and suggest this window may be used as an opportunity to optimise IHF with such a regime as part of a pre-operative prehabilitation programme to produce improved patient outcomes.

Initial systemic chemotherapeutic and targeted therapy strategies for the treatment of colorectal cancer patients with liver metastases

Introduction: The liver is the most common metastatic site in colorectal cancer with more than half the patients developing a liver metastasis either at the time of their diagnosis (synchronous) or later (metachronous). Surgical resection remains the principal curative approach that offers significant survival improvements. However, upfront surgery is only possible in about 10-20% of patients at the time of diagnosis, making the consideration of other treatment modalities essential. Areas covered: In this review, the authors provide an overview of the standard approaches for the initial management of patients with colorectal cancer with liver metastases. They then provide an up-to-date discussion of first-line systemic chemotherapy/targeted therapy options in the contexts of initially resectable and unresectable disease and review toxicities and complications following these options. Expert opinion: Advances in chemotherapeutic agents and biological targeted therapies have improved the prognosis of colorectal cancer with liver metastases. However, there is still no 'single best approach', making further trials necessary to provide more evidence.

The impact of resection margin on overall survival for patients with colon cancer liver metastasis varied according to the primary cancer location

INTRODUCTION

Investigation into right and left-sided primary colon liver metastasis (CLM) has revealed differences in the tumor biology and prognosis. This indicates that preoperative and operative factors may affect outcomes of right-sided primary CLM differently than left. This retrospective analysis investigated the effects of resection margin stratified by left and right-sided primary CLM on overall survival (OS) for patients undergoing hepatectomy.

METHODS

A total of 732 patients undergoing hepatic resection for CLM at the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins were identified between 2002 and 2016. Clinically significant variables were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression. The cohort was then divided into patients with right and left-sided CLM and analyzed separately using Kaplan Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression.

RESULTS

Cox proportional hazard regression showed that left-sided CLM with an R0 margin was a statistically significant predictor of OS even after controlling for other important factors (HR = 0.629, P = 0.024) but right-sided CLM with R0 margin was not (HR = 0.788, P = 0.245). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with a left-sided CLM and R0 margin had the best prognosis (P = 0.037).

CONCLUSION

Surgical margin is an important prognostic factor for left-sided primary CLM but tumor biology may override surgical technique for right-sided CLM.