Independent Factor For Survival Research Articles

Developing a novel model for predicting overall survival in late-onset colon adenocarcinoma patients based on LODDS: a study based on the SEER database and external validation.

To construct a predictive model based on the LODDS stage established for patients with late-onset colon adenocarcinoma to enhance survival stratification. Late-onset colon adenocarcinoma data were obtained from the public database. After determining the optimal LODDS truncation value for the training set via X-tile software, we created a new staging system by integrating the T stage and M stage. Nomograms of the prognostic model were created after Cox analyses identified independent risk factors for overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) and were validated internally and externally. The efficacy of the nomograms was assessed by calibration, time-dependent area under the curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis (DCA). Finally, the prognoses of the patients were compared by plotting survival curves on the basis of risk scores. A total of 103,291 and 100 patients with late-onset colon adenocarcinoma (50-80years old) were screened from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, respectively. Cox regression analysis revealed independent risk factors for OS and CSS, including age, gender, race, size, LODDS stage, PLN stage, LNR stage, and TNM stage. A comparison of the four models constructed on the basis of different stages revealed that the model constructed with the LODDS stage had the minimum AIC (Akaike information criterion), maximum C-index (concordance index) and time-dependent AUC. Nomograms based on the LODDS stage were constructed and successfully validated for accuracy and clinical utility. For patients with late-onset colon adenocarcinoma, LODDS may achieve optimal predictive performance. Furthermore, compared to the 8th edition of the AJCC classification system, the nomogram based on LODDS stage may demonstrate superior survival prediction capabilities.

Impact of severe dysphagia on overall survival after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

In this study, we investigated the effect of severe dysphagia on the overall survival of patients who underwent PEG. A cohort of patients who underwent PEG between April 2016 and April 2021 was retrospectively analyzed. The Hyodo–Komagane score was used to evaluate swallowing via endoscopy. Patients with a Hyodo–Komagane score ≤ 8 were defined as having moderate dysphagia, whereas those with a score ≥ 9 were defined as having severe dysphagia. The primary outcome was overall survival. The prognostic factors were identified using multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model. Values of p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Among the 107 patients, 60 (56.1%) were classified into the moderate dysphagia group and 47 (43.9%) into the severe dysphagia group. The median follow-up period was 16.7 months. The overall survival was significantly worse in the severe group than in the moderate group (p < 0.0001). A multivariate analysis revealed that severe dysphagia was an independent poor prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 2.956; 95% confidence interval, 1.592–5.489; p < 0.001). Aspiration-related pneumonia was most common causes of death after PEG. Severe dysphagia was identified as an independent poor prognostic factor for survival in patients who underwent PEG.

Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Patients Who Underwent the Arterial Switch Operation at Siriraj Hospital-Thailand's Largest National Tertiary Referral Center.

The aim of this study was to assess the short- and long-term outcomes of patients who underwent the arterial switch operation (ASO) at Siriraj Hospital in Thailand, and to identify postoperative complications and factors that significantly affect patient survival. We retrospectively studied all patients with dextro-transposition of the great arteries and anatomic variants who underwent the ASO from January 1995 to December 2020. Twenty-year overall survival and 15-year freedom from reoperation/reintervention were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify factors independently associated with 30-day mortality. Of the 171 patients included, there were 116 males (67.84%). The median (minimum, maximum) age at operation was 33.5 (3-4,499) days, and the median (minimum, maximum) bodyweight was 3.4 (2.2-44.9) kg. Most patients (115/171, 67.25%) had an intact ventricular septum, whereas 48/171 (28.07%), had ventricular septal defects. The typical coronary anatomic pattern (1LCx-2R) was found in 120 patients (70.1%). Early mortality was 8.7% ± 4.4%, and there was no late death up to 20 years postoperatively with a median follow-up of five years. Fifteen-year freedom from reoperation or reintervention was 85.7%. Atypical coronary pattern was an independent factor for survival with an adjusted hazard ratio of 5.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.22-21.4; P = .026). The results of this study revealed excellent short- and long-term outcomes of the ASO at our center. Atypical coronary anatomy was found to be the only factor that independently predicted 30-day mortality.

HER2 regulates autophagy and promotes migration in gastric cancer cells through the cGAS-STING pathway.

In gastric cancer, the relationship between human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of the interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway, and autophagy remains unclear. This study examines whether HER2 regulates autophagy in gastric cancer cells via the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, influencing key processes such as cell proliferation and migration. Understanding this relationship could uncover new molecular targets for diagnosis and treatment. Through lentiviral transfection, cell counting kit-8 assays, colony formation, transwell migration, scratch assays, and siRNA, we found that HER2 overexpression suppresses the cGAS-STING pathway, inhibits autophagy, and enhances the migratory ability of gastric cancer cells. In contrast, HER2 knockdown activates the cGAS-STING pathway, promotes autophagy, and reduces cell migration. We further observed that the inhibition of autophagy using chloroquine (CQ) increases the migration ability of HER2-overexpressing cells. Moreover, interfering with STING expression reversed the migration defects caused by HER2 knockdown, underscoring the critical role of the cGAS-STING pathway in HER2-regulated cell migration. We also revealed that high STING expression in gastric cancer is significantly associated with poor prognosis. STING expression was identified as an independent prognostic factor for survival (hazard ratio, 1.942; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-3.54; P = 0.031). These results highlight the importance of HER2-driven regulation of autophagy through the cGAS-STING pathway in gastric cancer progression and its potential as a therapeutic target.

Nomogram based on a novel nutritional immune-inflammatory status score to predict postoperative outcomes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The relationship between patient nutritional, immune, and inflammatory status is linked to tumor progression and prognosis. However, there are limited studies on the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after surgery based on the comprehensive indicators of these factors. To develop and validate a novel nomogram based on a nutritional immune-inflammatory status (NIIS) score for predicting postoperative outcomes in ESCC. This retrospective study examined 829 patients with ESCC who underwent radical surgery between June 2016 and June 2020, with 568 patients in the training cohort and 261 patients in the validation cohort. We incorporated comprehensive indicators related to nutrition, immunity, and inflammation to develop the NIIS score, using LASSO regression. Subsequently, a nomogram combining the NIIS score and other clinicopathological parameters was developed and validated using calibration curves, time-dependent area under curves, and decision curve analysis. We identified eight indicators that constitute the NIIS score. High-risk scores emerged as an independent risk factor for overall survival [training set HR 2.497 (1.802, 3.458), P < 0.001]. A NIIS nomogram for personalized prognostic prediction was developed by integrating the NIIS score with clinicopathological variables, yielding enhanced predictive value relative to individual indicators and the UICC/TNM staging system. The NIIS score provides strong predictive value for postoperative outcomes in ESCC, thus offering a valuable tool for clinical decision-making.

Preoperative low prealbumin independently predicts non-gastric cancer death after gastrectomy in elderly and young patients: a retrospective cohort study.

To investigate the effect of preoperative prealbumin levels on long-term survival outcomes after gastrectomy in patients with gastric cancer (GC) dichotomized based on age. This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients who underwent radical gastrectomy for primary stage I-III GC between May 2006 and March 2017. Patients were allocated to groups based on age (≥ 70 or < 70years) and subgroups based on prealbumin levels (high, ≥ 22mg/dL; moderate, 15-22mg/dL; or low, < 15mg/dL), and multivariate Cox regression was used for survival analyses. Of 4732 patients, 3172 (67.0%) were aged < 70years and 1560 (33.0%) were ≥ 70years of age. The median follow-up period was 66months. A low prealbumin level was an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival in older patients only [hazard ratio, 2.057; 95% confidence interval, 1.528-2.770; P < 0.001]. A low prealbumin level was an independent prognostic factor for poor other-cause survival in the older (hazard ratio: 2.719, 95% confidence interval: 1.887-3.918, P < 0.001) and younger (HR: 4.611, 95% CI 2.424-8.772, P < 0.001) groups. Low preoperative prealbumin levels were associated with poor overall survival in older patients with GC after gastrectomy and with earlier non-GC death in older and younger patients.

Preoperative Anemia as a Prognostic Risk Factor for Inferior Oncological Survival Following Resection for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

A significant proportion of patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are anemic at the time of resection. In these patients, blood transfusions are omitted due to their potential negative impact on oncological outcomes. The aim of the present study was to determine the prognostic value of preoperative anemia in resected PDAC patients, irrespective of blood transfusion status. In this retrospective two-center cohort study patients who underwent resection for histologically confirmed PDAC between 2013 and 2022 were included. The prognostic role of preoperative anemia was investigated using Cox proportional-hazard regression analysis. A subgroup analysis was performed in which PDAC patients who received a perioperative blood transfusion were excluded. Among the 280 PDAC patients who were included, 110 (39%) were found to have anemia prior to surgery. Preoperative anemia was associated with increased use of blood transfusions, with a total of 44 patients (16%) requiring transfusion perioperatively. In the whole cohort, preoperative anemia was found to be an independent predictor of lower disease-free survival (DFS) (HR=1.518; 95% CI 1.103-2.090; P=0.011), but not overall survival (OS). However, when patients who received a perioperative blood transfusion were excluded from the analysis, preoperative anemia was independently associated with both lower DFS (HR=1.636; 95% CI 1.113-2.404; P=0.012) and OS (HR=1.484; 95% CI 1.036-2.127; P=0.031). Preoperative anemia was shown to be an independent risk factor for inferior oncological survival after resection for PDAC. These results support the need for increased awareness regarding the potential adverse effects of preoperative anemia on oncological outcomes in PDAC.

Chromoanagenesis Is Frequently Associated With Highly Complex Karyotypes, Extensive Clonal Heterogeneity, and Treatment Refractoriness in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Chromoanagenesis (CAG) encompasses a spectrum of catastrophic genomic events, including chromothripsis, chromoanasynthesis, and chromoplexy. We studied CAG in 410 patients with a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 292 newly diagnosed (ND), and 118 refractory/relapsed, using optical genome mapping. CAG was identified by the presence of clusters (with 10 or more breakpoints) of structural abnormalities and/or segmental copy number alterations within one or more chromosomal regions. CAG was detected in 65 (16%) patients. Compared with patients without CAG, those with CAG showed significantly (p < 0.0001) higher frequencies of highly complex karyotype (92% vs. 11%), monosomal karyotype (88% vs. 12%), extensive clonal heterogeneity (75% vs. 7%), gene amplification (49% vs. 1%), and TP53 deletion/mutation (92% vs. 9%). Overall, CAG was detected in about two-thirds of AML patients who exhibited the abovementioned high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities/karyotype. Among the 42 patients with ND AML and CAG, 36 received treatments and follow-ups, and 28 (78%) had no or only partial response to therapy. Among patients with ND AML, those with CAG had a shorter overall survival than those without CAG (median survival: 5 vs. 14 months, p < 0.0001). However, in multivariate analysis, CAG did not appear to be an independent risk factor for survival. These results indicate that CAG is frequently associated with high-risk chromosomal alterations and genomic instability in AML and may contribute to treatment refractoriness and inferior survival in this subset of AML patients.

Preoperative serum total bilirubin-albumin ratio as a prognostic indicator in patients with hepatitis-related cirrhosis after splenectomy.

Splenectomy is an effective yet invasive intervention for alleviating portal pressure in patients with hepatitis cirrhosis. However, the current prognostic indicators for predicting long-term overall survival of these patients have several limitations. To assess the potential of preoperative total bilirubin-albumin (B/A) ratio as a prognostic indicator for patients with hepatitis cirrhosis undergoing splenectomy. A total of 257 patients diagnosed with hepatitis cirrhosis were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Normality test, t-test, Wilcoxon test, χ 2 test, or Fisher's exact test was employed to analyze the intraoperative and postoperative conditions of the patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to depict the 10-year overall survival rate. During the follow-up period, 85.99% of the patients survived, with a median survival time of 64.6 months. Multivariate analysis revealed that total serum B/A ratio was an independent risk factor for overall survival (P = 0.037). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that a B/A ratio of 0.87 was the optimal cut-off value. Consequently, the patients were categorized into two groups: High B/A group (n = 64) and low B/A group (n = 193). The median follow-up time for the high B/A group and low B/A group was 56.8 months and 67.2 months, respectively (P = 0.045). Notably, the high B/A group exhibited a significantly lower 10-year overall survival compared to the low B/A group (P < 0.001). Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had lower overall survival rates. Patients with a high B/A ratio exhibited a lower overall survival than those with a low B/A rate in the overall cohort and the subgroups of patients with HCC or not, early Child-Pugh grade, low albumin-bilirubin grade, and model for end-stage liver disease score ≥ 10 (log-rank test, P < 0.001 for all). The B/A ratio can serve as an effective prognostic indicator for overall survival in patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis following splenectomy, and a higher B/A ratio may suggest a poorer prognosis.

Association of Circulating Basophil Count with Gastric Cancer Prognosis.

Basophils play a crucial role in immunoglobulin E-mediated allergic reactions and parasitic infections. Recently, a low basophil count was reported to be a poor prognostic indicator in patients with malignant tumors. This study aimed to investigate the cut-off value to evaluate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of the basophil count in patients with gastric cancer. This study enrolled 1192 gastric cancer patient who underwent surgery without preoperative chemotherapy between 2001 and 2020. The cutoff value was 26/μl based on the receiver of characteristics curves for overall survival, and 606 patients were classified as the low basophil group. The clinicopathological and prognostic significance of the low basophil count was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Elderly age (p < 0.001), high C-reactive protein level (p < 0.001), low lymphocyte count (p = 0.044), and low neutrophil count (p < 0.001) are independently associated with low basophil count. The low basophil group demonstrated a significantly worse overall survival than the high basophil group (p = 0.005). Although there was no significant difference in stage I, the low basophil group demonstrated poor overall survival in stage II/III/IV. In stage II, low basophil count was independently associated with poor OS. In stage III/IV, low basophil group tended to have poor overall survival rate. Including all stages, low basophil count was an independent risk factor for poor overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.03-1.61, p = 0.027). Low basophil count was significantly associated with elderly age, high C-reactive protein level, and low neutrophil count (<26/μl). In addition, low basophil count was an independent poor prognostic factor in patients with gastric cancer. Thus, preoperative circulating basophil count assessment may be useful for predicting the postoperative survival of patients with gastric cancer.

Management and outcomes of thoracic sarcomas - a collaboration between Orthopaedic Oncology and cardiothoracic surgery: seven-year clinical data from a tertiary referral centre

IntroductionSarcomas are rare cancers originating from mesenchymal tissues, manifesting in diverse anatomical locations, but notably in connective tissue, muscles and the skeleton. Thoracic sarcomas present a unique diagnostic and surgical challenge attributable to their rarity and pathoanatomy. Standard practice currently comprises wide surgical excision, often accompanied by adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. This approach necessitates a multidisciplinary team, ideally in specialised cancer centres. The Oxford Bone and Soft Tissue Tumour Service is one such centre, and routinely treats such cancers through collaboration between orthopaedic oncology and cardiothoracic surgeons, as well as members of the wider MDT. This study reports the current management and outcomes of primary thoracic sarcoma patients at the Oxford Sarcoma Service over a seven-year period.ObjectivesGiven the rarity of thoracic sarcomas, and their associated diagnostic and management complexities, our aim is to report on the treatment strategies and outcomes of primary thoracic sarcoma patients treated at the Oxford Sarcoma Service from 2017 to 2023.MethodsData pertaining to all thoracic sarcoma cases discussed in multidisciplinary meetings at the Oxford tertiary centre from 2017 to 2023 were retrieved from the local electronic database. These were analysed using appropriate statistical tests to determine significance of the various observations made.ResultsOf 113 identified cases, chondrosarcoma emerged as the most prevalent histological subtype among 22 distinct varieties. 58% of cases exhibited high-grade features. 32 sarcoma-related deaths occurred, with a mean time from diagnosis to death of 23.16 months. A notable association was observed between high-grade sarcomas and mortality (p = 0.0280). Surgical resection was performed in 77 cases, with 49% of these undergoing surgical resection alone i.e. the patient received no radio- or chemotherapy. Both surgical intervention (p < 0.0001) and clear margins (p = 0.0051) were significantly linked to improved survival. Local recurrence was noted in 28.6% of the 77 surgical cases, and predominantly in the high-grade sarcomas (81.8%). However, no statistical association was found between recurrence and margin status in our data.ConclusionOur results indicate that primary resection remains the cornerstone of thoracic sarcoma treatment, representing the single strongest independent factor for survival in treatable cases. Variability in outcomes and overall survival likely stems from factors such as histological diversity, predominance of high-grade sarcomas, and wide age range at diagnosis. Ongoing prospective database update and collaborative efforts across centres would further clarify prognoses and recommendations for specific tumours, based on observational data.

Abstract A001: A prospective study of anemia in cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation using serial hemoglobin measurement in North Central region, Nigeria

Abstract Background: Multiple Studies have suggested that aside from its important role in quality of life (QOL) issues, anemia constitutes an independent prognostic factor of survival, response to treatment, loco-regional control and recurrence in patients with cancer concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy (i.e. Chemoradiation). This treatment modality is for selected cancer types and patients but may be complicated, especially in low and middle income countries where nutritional anemia is already prevalent. Aim: A prospective study of anemia in cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation using serial hemoglobin measurement. Materials and Method: The study consists of 38 patients with solid cancers who meet inclusion criteria. The baseline hemoglobin (Hb) level was taken and recorded on first day of consultation. Their Hb level was measured every 2 weeks during concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The blood film pictures at pre-treatment and ongoing treatment were examined and analyzed by a team of Ha Hematologists. The whole process was terminated after 3 consecutive Hb measurement or after week 6. Anemia was classified for this study as follows: Less than10g/dl– Severe Anemia 10–10.9g/dl–Moderate Anemia 11–11.9g/dl–Mild Anemia 12–12.9g/dl–No Anemia. Results: 38 out of 72 cancer patients recruited for this study met inclusion criteria. Age range was 25–75 years with median age of 50years. 27/38 (71/1%) of patients were female while 11/38 (28.9%) were male with ratio of 2:1. 61.2% had Pelvic and 38.8% had head and neck regions as cancer sites that received chemoradiation. More than 75% of patients presented with stage III diseases which was evident of advanced stage and a strong indication for chemoradiation. At week 6, 39.6% cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation had mean haemoglobin value of 10-10.9g/dl. At p value &amp;gt;0.05 there was no statistical significance in distribution of mean Hb, standard deviation based on sex for cancer patients on chemoradiation. Conclusion: The prevalence of anaemia in 38 cancer patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiation was 73.6%. With adequate Hb monitoring during therapy, chemoradiation has no significant effect on Hb level. At 95% confidence interval, the impact of chemoradiation on Hb level during therapy i.e. week 6 was 10.98-11.3g/dl. Despite this result, anemia remains a big challenge to overall quality of life and survival in cancer patients especially in resource constrained environment like Nigeria where nutritional anemia is common and blood transfusion services may be in adequate in certain areas with attendant out of pocket health care cost of blood transfusion. Recommendation: This paves way for more questions and need for further research on our patient population on the relationship between anemia, hypoxia, use of hyperbaric oxygen, radiosensitizers, antihelminthics etc. as anemia remains independent prognostic factor in patients with cancer in our environment. Citation Format: Simeom Chinedu Aruah. A prospective study of anemia in cancer patients undergoing chemoradiation using serial hemoglobin measurement in North Central region, Nigeria. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Translating Targeted Therapies in Combination with Radiotherapy; 2025 Jan 26-29; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2025;31(2_Suppl):Abstract nr A001.

Development and external validation of a model for lung transplantation-free survival prediction of primary Sjögren's syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundThe primary Sjögren's Syndrome-associated Interstitial Lung Disease (pSS-ILD) patients have a worse prognosis than pSS patients without pulmonary involvement. This study aims to establish a prediction nomogram for early prediction of lung transplantation (LTx)-free survival in pSS-ILD patients.MethodsThe training cohort comprised 260 patients from China-Japan Friendship Hospital between January 1, 2016, and June 30, 2022, while the external validation cohort consisted of 135 patients from Beijing Chaoyang Hospital between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2012. Univariable Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were employed for variable selection, and a nomogram model was developed to predict the 1 -, 3 -, 5-year LTx-free survival. Both discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were assessed using concordance index (C-index), area under the curve (AUC), calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsMultivariable Cox regression demonstrated that elevated age, oxygenation index, CA125 and fibrosis score were independent risk factors for LTx-free survival in pSS-ILD patients. The C-index displayed of the training and validation cohorts were 0.812 and 0.809. The 1-, 3-, 5-year AUC values in training and validation cohorts were 0.781, 0.874, 0.909 and 0.793, 0.826, 0.863 respectively. Bias-corrected curve is close to the ideal curve and revealed a strong consistency between actual observation and prediction.

Intraoperative tumor capsule injury in patients with renal cell carcinoma receiving partial nephrectomy.

We investigated the impact of intraoperative tumor capsule injury (TCI) during robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN) or laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) on oncological outcomes, as well as underlying factors of intraoperative TCI for improving surgical outcomes. A total of 253 patients who underwent RAPN or LPN between 2010 and 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and were divided into two groups: non-TCI and TCI groups. The background was compared between two groups. We investigated the surgical records or video to evaluate TCI and seek the possible causes for TCI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors for cancer recurrence. Of the 253 patients, 227 have renal cell carcinoma (RCC), with 29 patients having TCI. The TCI group had larger tumors, a lower rate of trifecta achievement, higher bleeding, higher T stage, and a lower rate of clear cell RCC (ccRCC) histological types as compared to non-TCI group. Disease recurrence rate was 13.8% with TCI and 1.0% with non-TCI (odds ratio 15.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.73-90.1; p = 0.003). Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed TCI as an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival. Compared with ccRCC, non-clear cell RCC (non-ccRCC) was found to have a higher probability of TCI and a significantly thinner capsule thickness on pathological evaluation. TCI had a negative impact on oncological outcomes. Surgeons should consider thickness of tumor capsules, especially in cases with non-ccRCC, to minimize the risk of TCI during partial nephrectomy.

Temporal variation in nutritional status and preoperative anemia among patients with retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma: a retrospective longitudinal cohort study

PurposeOptimal management of retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma (RPS) often requires extensive tumor resections, frequently involving gastrointestinal organs. The impact of these procedures on the nutritional status and hemoglobin (Hb) levels of RPS patients remain unexplored. In this study, we aimed to evaluate preoperative nutritional status as well as the prevalence of anemia in RPS patients, and to investigate longitudinal changes throughout the disease course in order to identify potential strategies for prehabilitation.Materials and methodsPatients undergoing resection of primary and recurrent RPS at Heidelberg University Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Changes in nutritional parameters and Hb levels throughout the disease course were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression models. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of overall survival. Subgroup analyses were conducted for primary tumors, first, second and third recurrences.ResultsAmongst 370 patients analyzed, comprising 219 with primary disease, we observed neither a significant prevalence of preoperative malnutrition nor notable changes in BMI or serum albumin levels throughout the disease course. Preoperative anemia affected up to 40% of RPS patients, and Hb levels significantly decreased over the course of the disease (p = 0.022), particularly in correlation with the number of tumor resections performed (p = 0.010). Low preoperative Hb levels were associated with increased 30-day mortality and they were identified as an independent prognostic factor for shorter overall survival in primary RPS as well as in second and third recurrences.ConclusionAnemia screening should be performed preoperatively and during regular follow-ups to enable early-on therapy, thus potentially improving patient outcomes in RPS.

Prognostic value of CT-based skeletal muscle and adipose tissue mass and quality parameters in patients with liver metastases and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma undergoing Yttrium-90 radioembolization.

To investigate baseline patient characteristics associated with the risk of computed tomography (CT)-based sarcopenia and assess whether sarcopenia and other morphometric parameters influence survival outcomes in patients with liver metastases and cholangiocarcinoma after Yttrium-90 radioembolization. We retrospectively analyzed 120 cancer patients (mean age, 62 ± 13.3 years, 61 men) who underwent preprocedural CT. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) was measured at the L3 vertebral level to identify sarcopenia. The Cox proportional hazard model was performed to assess the prognostic value of the variables, and Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank text was used for overall survival (OS) assessment. Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 70 patients (58.3%). The multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that malesex, body mass index (BMI), visceral fat radiation attenuation (VFRA), skeletal muscle radiation attenuation (SMRA), and subcutaneous fat radiation attenuation (SFRA) were associated with the incidence of sarcopenia with the odds ratio of 8.81 (95% CI, 2.09-37.1, p = 0.003), 0.64 (95% CI, 0.48-0.85, p = 0.002), 1.23 (95% CI, 1.06-1.42, p = 0.006), 0.79 (95% CI, 0.69-0.91, p = 0.001) and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.76-0.93, p = 0.001), respectively. Age, skeletal muscle index, and tumor subtypes were independent prognostic factors for OS with the hazard ratio of 1.03 (95% CI, 1.01-1.05, p = 0.01), 0.92 (95% CI, 0.86-0.99, p = 0.021) and 2.09 (95% CI, 1.31-3.33 p = 0.002), respectively. In patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, median OS was significantly longer in thenon-sarcopenic group than in the sarcopenic patient (25.9 versus 6.5 months, p = 0.029). Malesex, BMI, VFRA, SMRA, and SFRA were associated with the incidence of sarcopenia. SMI value could be used as a biomarker for OS in patients treated with Yttrium-90 radioembolization. Question The prognostic significance of CT-based sarcopenia and other morphometric parameters in patients with liver metastases and cholangiocarcinoma undergoing Yttrium-90 radioembolization remains unclear. Findings A high skeletal muscle index has been identified as an independent protective factor for overall survival in cancer patients treated with Yttrium-90 radioembolization. Clinical relevance The negative impact of CT-based sarcopenia has been confirmed in the context of Yttrium-90 radioembolization. Clinicians should strive to prevent the progression of sarcopenia or maintain skeletal muscle index in perioperative management.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4/6 Inhibitors in Early- and Very Early-Onset Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Multicenter Study.

Background and Objectives: Early-onset breast cancer (EOBC), particularly in patients under 40, presents with distinct biological characteristics and worse survival outcomes compared to late-onset cases. Despite intensive treatments, EOBC patients, especially those with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative (HR+/HER2-) subtypes, show poorer prognosis. CDK4/6 inhibitors, combined with endocrine therapy (ET) have become the standard for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer, yet younger patients are underrepresented in clinical trials. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of ribociclib and palbociclib with ET in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer, addressing the critical gap in understanding treatment outcomes in younger patient populations. Materials and Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK 4/6) inhibitors, ribociclib, and palbociclib, in combination with endocrine therapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer. Results: A total of 198 patients treated between 2019 and 2023 were analyzed for progression-free survival, overall survival, and prognostic factors. Very early-onset breast cancer, which is diagnosed before the age of 35, was identified as an independent prognostic factor for poor progression-free survival. Additional factors associated with poorer outcomes included liver metastasis, progesterone receptor negativity, high tumor grade, and the concurrent use of fulvestrant with CDK4/6 inhibitors. Both ribociclib and palbociclib demonstrated similar efficacy, and dose reductions due to treatment-related adverse events did not compromise therapeutic outcomes. Conclusions: This study is the first to focus specifically on the treatment of early-onset breast cancer with CDK4/6 inhibitors, providing critical insights into the unique challenges faced by this patient population. The findings underscore the urgent need for personalized treatment strategies, routine genetic testing, and dedicated clinical trials designed to address the specific needs of these high-risk subgroups. By advancing our understanding of the clinical and molecular landscape of early-onset breast cancer and very early-onset breast cancer, this study lays the groundwork for improving outcomes in these underserved patients through tailored therapeutic approaches.

The Effect of Systemic Inflammation and Clinicopathologic Features on Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: A Multicenter Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Identifying reliable prognostic factors is crucial for risk stratification and optimizing treatment strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of clinicopathologic factors and systemic inflammatory markers on survival outcomes in patients with MPM. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, multicenter study included 217 patients diagnosed with MPM between January 2009 and March 2024. Data on age, gender, histology, disease stage, treatment modalities, and inflammatory markers such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) were collected. Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods, and prognostic factors were evaluated using Cox regression analysis. Results: CAR was identified as an independent prognostic factor for both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Patients with CAR < 0.98 had significantly longer OS (87.0 months vs. 14.0 months, p < 0.001) and PFS (17.61 months vs. 8.96 months, p = 0.010). While NLR was significant in univariate analysis (OS: 25.0 months for NLR < 2.58 vs. 21.0 months for NLR ≥ 2.58, p = 0.040), it did not retain significance in the multivariate model (p = 0.180). Epithelioid histology and early-stage disease were strongly associated with improved survival outcomes (OS: 32.0 vs. 11.0 months for epithelioid vs. non-epithelioid histology, p < 0.001; 32.0 vs. 12.0 months for early-stage vs. metastatic disease, p < 0.001). Conclusions: CAR is a strong independent prognostic factor in MPM, reflecting systemic inflammation and nutritional status. Epithelioid histology and early-stage disease are associated with significantly longer survival, underscoring the critical role of early detection in improving patient outcomes.

Can CT Image Reconstruction Parameters Impact the Predictive Value of Radiomics Features in Grading Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms?

The WHO grading of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNENs) is essential in patient management and an independent prognostic factor for patient survival. Radiomics features from CE-CT images hold promise for the outcome and tumor grade prediction. However, variations in reconstruction parameters can impact the predictive value of radiomics. 127 patients with histopathologically confirmed PanNENs underwent CT scans with filtered back projection (B20f) and iterative (I26f) reconstruction kernels. 3190 radiomic features were extracted from tumors and pancreatic volumes. Wilcoxon paired tests assessed the impact of reconstruction kernels and ComBat harmonization efficiency. SVM models were employed to predict tumor grade using the entire set of radiomics features or only those identified as harmonizable. The models' performance was assessed on an independent dataset of 36 patients. Significant differences, after correction for multiple testing, were observed in 69% of features in the pancreatic volume and 51% in the tumor volume with B20f and I26f kernels. SVM models demonstrated accuracy ranging from 0.67 (95%CI: 0.50-0.81) to 0.83 (95%CI: 0.69-0.94) in distinguishing grade 1 cases from higher grades. Reconstruction kernels alter radiomics features and iterative kernel models trended towards higher performance. ComBat harmonization mitigates kernel impacts but addressing this effect is crucial in studies involving data from different kernels.

Clinical significance of the preoperative prognostic nutritional index in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter study.

To validate the clinical impacts of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI), an immune-nutritional blood marker, in patients with resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using multicenter cohort data. The subjects of this retrospective multicenter study, involving 11 hospitals, were patients who underwent curative lung resection for pathological stage IA-IIIA NSCLC. We analyzed the relationship between the preoperative PNI and postoperative outcomes. Patients were divided into a high PNI group and a low PNI group (cutoff: 45). We also performed exact matching and three propensity score-based methods to validate the results. Among the total 2,770 patients, 2,272 (82.0%) had a high PNI (>45) and 498 (18.0%) had a low PNI (≤45). A low preoperative PNI was a predictor of increased overall postoperative complications (relative risk 1.49; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31-1.69) and an independent adverse prognostic factor for overall survival (hazard ratio 1.77; 95% CI 1.45-2.17) and recurrence-free survival (1.34; 95% CI 1.14-1.59). All the methods we used (whole cohort, exact matching, and three propensity score methods) showed consistent results. The findings of this multicenter study suggest that immune-nutritional assessment using the PNI will provide useful prognostic information for patients with resectable NSCLC.