Marital Status and Overall Survival in Patients with Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: Results of an Ancillary Analysis of NRG Oncology/RTOG 9704

BACKGROUND

Several registry-based analyses suggested a survival advantage for married versus single patients with pancreatic cancer. The mechanisms underlying the association of marital status and survival are likely multiple and complex and, therefore, may be obscured in analyses generated from large population-based databases. The goal of this research was to characterize this potential association of marital status with outcomes in patients with resected pancreatic cancer who underwent combined modality adjuvant therapy on a prospective clinical trial.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is an ancillary analysis of 367 patients with known marital status treated on NRG Oncology/RTOG 97-04. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.

RESULTS

Of 367 patients, 271 (74%) were married or partnered and 96 (26%) were single. Married or partnered patients were more likely to be male. There was no association between marital status and overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) on univariate (hazard ratio [HR], 1.09 and 1.01, respectively) or multivariate analyses (HR, 1.05 and 0.98, respectively). Married or partnered male patients did not have improved survival compared with female or single patients.

CONCLUSION

Ancillary analysis of data from NRG Oncology/RTOG 97-04 demonstrated no association between marital and/or partner status and OS or DFS in patients with resected pancreatic cancer who received adjuvant postoperative chemotherapy followed by concurrent external beam radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Clinical trial identification number. NCT00003216.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Several population-based studies have shown an epidemiological link between marital status and survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. A better understanding of this association could offer an opportunity to improve outcomes through psychosocial interventions designed to mitigate the negative effects of not being married. Based on the results of this analysis, patients who have undergone a resection and are receiving adjuvant therapy on a clinical trial are unlikely to benefit from such interventions. Further efforts to study the association between marital status and survival should be focused on less selected subgroups of patients with pancreatic cancer.

Postresection CA19-9 and margin status as predictors of recurrence after adjuvant treatment for pancreatic carcinoma: Analysis of NRG oncology RTOG trial 9704

Purpose

NRG Oncology RTOG 9704 was the first adjuvant trial to validate the prognostic value of postresection CA19-9 levels for survival in patients with pancreatic carcinoma. The data resulting from this study also provide information about predictors of recurrence that may be used to tailor individualized management in this disease setting. This secondary analysis assessed the prognostic value of postresection CA19-9 and surgical margin status (SMS) in predicting patterns of disease recurrence.

Methods and materials

This multicenter cooperative trial included participants who were enrolled as patients at oncology treatment sites in the United States and Canada. The study included 451 patients analyzable for SMS, of whom 385 were eligible for postresection CA19-9 analysis. Postresection CA19-9 was analyzed at cut points of 90, 180, and continuously. Patterns of disease recurrence included local/regional recurrence (LRR) and distant failure (DF). Multivariable analyses included treatment, tumor size, and nodal status. To adjust for multiple comparisons, a P value of ≤ .01 was considered statistically significant and > .01 to ≤ .05 to be a trend.

Results

For CA19-9, 132 (34%) patients were Lewis antigen-negative (no CA19-9 expression), 200 (52%) had levels <90, and 220 (57%) had levels <180. A total of 188 patients (42%) had negative margins, 152 (34%) positive, and 111 (25%) unknown. On univariate analysis, CA19-9 cut at 90 was associated with increases in LRR (trend) and DF. Results were similar at the 180 cut point. SMS was not associated with an increase in LRR on univariate or multivariate analyses. On multivariable analysis, CA19-9 ≥ 90 was associated with increased LRR and DF. Results were similar at the 180 cut point.

Conclusions

In this prospective evaluation, postresection CA19-9 was a significant predictor of both LRR and DF, whereas SMS was not. These findings support consideration of adjuvant radiation therapy dose intensification in patients with elevated postresection CA19-9.

Oral surgery in patients undergoing chemoradiation therapy

Oral health care in patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy can be complex. Care delivered by a multidisciplinary approach is timely and streamlines the allocation of resources to provide prompt care and to attain favorable outcomes. A hospital dentist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, and a maxillofacial prosthodontist must be involved early to prevent avoidable oral complications. Prevention and thorough preparation are vital before the start of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Oral complications must be addressed immediately and, even with the best management, can cause delays and interruption in treatment, with serious consequences for the outcome and prognosis.

Evaluating the clinical utility of stereoscopic clinical photography

Stereoscopic imaging during clinical evaluation can provide utility to physicians and medical educators by extending clinical photography with the provision of depth. A digital SLR camera body fitted with a stereoscopic lens and an autostereoscopic display are evaluated. This paper describes the image acquisition workflow and post-processing methods required to incorporate stereoscopic images into an electronic medical record for physician review.

Adjuvant chemotherapy (CMF) for stage III breast cancer: a randomized trial

A randomized trial of the effect of adjuvant CMF chemotherapy in patients with Stage III breast cancer receiving primary local radiation or local radiation plus surgery, failed to reveal a survival benefit from early systemic treatment. The subset of premenopausal patients receiving chemotherapy did, however, show a significant prolongation of disease-free survival from 23 to 55 months. Overall survival of this subgroup was not increased. The study included the use of two dose levels of CMF to assess whether higher chemotherapy doses would be more effective. No dose effect was observed. Initial local control with radiation therapy or radiation plus surgery was achieved in the majority (90.9%). Distal recurrence and death from metastatic disease were the major causes of treatment failure. Treatment benefit among premenopausal patients was mainly delayed onset of distal metastatic disease. Among premenopausal patients, salvage therapy for metastatic disease appeared more effective in those not previously exposed to systemic treatment.