Initiation Of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Research Articles

Textbook oncologic outcome is an easy-to-use composite quality measure that is strongly associated with survival in advanced-stage ovarian cancer

ObjectiveTextbook oncologic outcome (TOO) has been validated in surgical oncology as a composite quality measure correlated with oncologic outcomes. We aimed to assess the association between TOO and overall survival (OS) in patients undergoing primary treatment for advanced epithelial tubo-ovarian cancer (AEOC). MethodsPatients undergoing surgery for AEOC between 2008 and 2019 were identified in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Primary debulking surgery (PDS) and interval debulking surgery (IDS) cohorts were analyzed separately. TOO was defined as achieving complete debulking, length of hospital stay <10 days, no 30-day readmission, no death within 90 days, and initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy within 42 days. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate 5-year OS by TOO status and Cox regression to evaluate the relationship between TOO and death within 5 years. ResultsA total of 21,657 patients were included: 51.4% in the PDS cohort and 48.6% in the IDS cohort. TOO was achieved (TOO+) in 20.5% of the PDS cohort and 39.2% of the IDS cohort. For the PDS cohort, achieving TOO was associated with improved 5-year OS: 59.0% TOO+ vs. 39.5% TOO- (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.49–0.57). For the IDS cohort, a similar benefit was seen for 5-year OS: 43.9% TOO+ vs. 31.2% TOO- (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.63–0.70). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that patients achieving TOO were at lower risk of death within 5 years in both the PDS cohort (HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.54–0.62) and the IDS cohort (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.65–0.73). ConclusionsThe TOO composite measure is associated with improved long-term survival and could be a useful quality assessment tool for patients undergoing primary treatment for AEOC, irrespective of surgical timing. This tool reflects the ability to deliver risk-based individualized decision-making using a multidisciplinary approach.

Delay in Time to Adjuvant Chemotherapy and its Impact on Oncological Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Optimal Cytoreductive Surgery for Advanced Ovarian Cancer: Analysis of 1480 Cases From the Indian HIPEC Registry.

The impact of delay in initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy following optimal CRS in different settings of treatment for advanced ovarian cancer needs to be studied with special reference to CRS HIPEC. The 1480 advanced EOC patients underwent optimal CRS, followed by adjuvant chemotheraphy, with or without intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy in Normothermic or Hyperthermic form. Interval between the day of surgery and start of adjuvant chemotherapy and its impact on outcome was analyzed. CRS, CRS with IP or HIPEC was done in 400, 480, and 600 patients respectively. Median interval of starting adjuvant chemotherapy was 32 days CRS group, 34 days CRS + IP group and 41 days CRS + HIPEC group. Delay in chemotherapy impacted on recurrence free survival (RFS) in CRS + IV group (36 vs. 17 months: p = 0.02) and some impact in CRS + IP group (38 vs. 28 months; P 0.78) and no impact on CRS + HIPEC group (35 vs. 32 months; p = 0.17). Delay in starting adjuvant chemotherapy adversely affects RFS in patients undergoing optimal CRS alone. However, the delay didn't have an impact in the CRS + HIPEC group. Well-designed clinical studies are required to evaluate the impact of single dose of HIPEC.

Effect of surgical approach on early return to intended oncologic therapy after resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Although robotic pancreatectomy may facilitate an earlier functional recovery, the impact of a robotic pancreatectomy program during its early experience on the timing of return to intended oncologic therapy (RIOT) after surgery is unknown. In this retrospective cohort study, we used propensity score matching with a 1:2 ratio to compare patients who underwent robotic or open surgery (distal pancreatectomy or pancreatoduodenectomy) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) during the first 3years of our robotic pancreatectomy experience (January 2018-December 2021). Generalized estimating equations modeling was used to evaluate the effect of surgical approach on early RIOT, defined as adjuvant chemotherapy initiation within 8weeks after surgery, and late RIOT, defined as initiation within 12weeks after surgery. The matched cohort included 26 patients who underwent robotic pancreatectomy and 52 patients who underwent open pancreatectomy. Rates of receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy were 96.2% and 78.9%, respectively. Rate of early RIOT in the robotic group (73.1% was higher than that in the open group (44.2%; P = 0.018). In multivariable analysis, a robotic approach was associated with early RIOT (odds ratio, 3.54; 95% confidence interval 1.08-11.62; P = 0.038). Surgical approach did not impact late RIOT (odds ratio, 3.21; 95% confidence interval 0.71-14.38; P = 0.128). Compared with open pancreatectomy, robotic pancreatectomy did not delay RIOT. In fact, odds of early RIOT were increased, which supports the oncological safety of our robotic pancreatectomy program during its implementation.

Is immediate breast reconstruction surgery safe for elderly women? Assessment of postoperative complications in women aged 70 years and older

IntroductionThe rate of immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) in elderly women (EW) is lower than in younger patients because of concerns related to postoperative complications (POC) and their consequences. ObjectiveWe assessed POC 30 days after IBR, readmissions rate within 30 days, and the time to start adjuvant therapy in EW aged ≥ 70 years. Materials and MethodsWe conducted an observational, retrospective, single-center study between January 2014 and May 2022 at the University Cancer Institute of Toulouse-Oncopole (IUCT-O), including patients over 70 years old treated with mastectomy and IBR. Patients’ characteristics, medical treatments with the time between therapies and POC were recorded. ResultsA total of 125 women aged 70 to 84 years old were included in our study. The rate of IBR was 13.7 %. The rate of major POC was 17.6 % (n = 22), including 9.8 % (n = 11) implant removal. There was significantly more skin necrosis in patients with a history of homolateral radiotherapy (p = 0.016) but less hematoma (p = 0.004). Overweight or obese EW tending to have more than one surgical POC (p = 0.019). EW with nipple-areola complex (NAC) conservation had significantly more skin necrosis (p = 0.01). The median time for initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) and hormonal therapy was 5.7 [1.6–11.9] and 4.3 [1.6–78.9] weeks respectively. The median time to initiate adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) when preceded by ACT or not, was 9.2 [5.1–22] and 21.1 [16.9–21.4] weeks respectively. ConclusionOur study confirms that IBR in women aged ≥ 70 years is safe and does not delay adjuvant therapies.

Splenectomy as a part of cytoreductive surgery in ovarian cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveThe role of splenectomy on cytoreductive surgery in patients with ovarian cancer remains controversial. We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the safety and impact of survival outcome of splenectomy in...

Predictors of seroma formation and the associated impact on adjuvant chemotherapy initiation for women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer at a national referral hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A prospective, observational study

Predictors of seroma formation and the associated impact on adjuvant chemotherapy initiation for women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer at a national referral hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A prospective, observational study

Predictors of Timely Initiation and Completion of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Stage II/III Colorectal Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) for colorectal cancer (CRC) has led to substantial improvement in survival. Several clinical trials advocate the initiation of AC within 6-8 weeks of surgical resection based on evidence of improved survival with early initiation of AC. We aim to evaluate factors that predict initiation and completion of AC, subsequently improving survival. Methods: We identified 451 patients who underwent resection for CRC between 2014 and 2022. One hundred ten patients had stage II/III colorectal cancer who underwent resection followed by AC. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors significantly predicting delay in AC >8 weeks. Secondary outcomes included chemotherapy completion rate, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival. Results: The final analysis included 110 patients. The median time to initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy (TIAC) was 6.9 weeks (IQR: 5.8-9.5). In total, 36.4% of patients had a delay >8 weeks to initiation of AC, and only 40% completed treatment. The surgical approach (open vs laparoscopic vs robotic) had no effect on the TIAC. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, preoperative albumin ≥3.5 (OR = .31; 95% CI: .12-.80) was an independent predictor of timely initiation of AC. Completion of AC was associated with a higher overall survival. Discussion: Preoperative nutritional status predicted delay in initiation of AC. Patients with a delay in AC beyond eight weeks had a lower rate of AC completions and worse survival. It is imperative to optimize this aspect of treatment as it correlates with survival.

Robotic gastrectomy was reliable option for overweight patients with gastric cancer: a propensity score matching study.

The role of minimally invasive surgery using robotics versus laparoscopy in resectable gastric cancer patients with a high body mass index (BMI) remains controversial. A total of 482 gastric adenocarcinoma patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 who underwent minimally invasive radical gastrectomy between August 2016 and December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including 109 cases in the robotic gastrectomy (RG) group and 321 cases in the laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) group. Propensity score matching (PSM) with a 1:1 ratio was performed, and the perioperative outcomes, lymph node dissection, and 3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were compared. After PSM, 109 patients were included in each of the RG and LG groups, with balanced baseline characteristics. Compared with the LG group, the RG group had similar intraoperative estimated blood loss [median (IQR) 30 (20-50) vs. 35 (30-59) mL, median difference (95%CI) - 5 (- 10 to 0)], postoperative complications [13.8% vs. 18.3%, OR (95%CI) 0.71 (0.342 to 1.473)], postoperative recovery, total harvested lymph nodes [(34.25 ± 13.43 vs. 35.44 ± 14.12, mean difference (95%CI) - 1.19 (-4.871 to 2.485)] and textbook outcomes [(81.7% vs. 76.1%, OR (95%CI) 1.39 (0.724 to 2.684)]. Among pathological stage II-III patients receiving chemotherapy, the initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy in the RG group was similar to that in the LG group [median (IQR): 28 (25.5-32.5) vs. 32 (27-38.5) days, median difference (95%CI) - 3 (- 6 to 0)]. The 3-year OS (RG vs. LG: 80.7% vs. 81.7%, HR = 1.048, 95%CI 0.591 to 1.857) and DFS (78% vs. 76.1%, HR = 0.996, 95%CI 0.584 to 1.698) were comparable between the two groups. RG conferred comparable lymph node dissection, postoperative recovery, and oncologic outcomes in a selected cohort of patients with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2.

Time to initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival in patients with stage II and III rectal cancer not receiving total neoadjuvant therapy

Abstract Objectives While the delay in adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) is known to impact colon cancer outcomes, its effect on rectal cancer is less clear. This study aims to evaluate the influence of AC timing on survival in stage II and III rectal cancer. Methods This retrospective multicenter study enrolled 1,144 patients receiving chemotherapy following resection of stage II–III rectal cancers. The effect of delayed AC on survival was assessed using multivariable Cox models with restricted cubic splines and logistic regression. Results Compared to patients initiating AC within four weeks postsurgery, those initiating within 5–8 weeks had a similar survival (HR=0.85, 95 % CI=0.66–1.11), whereas those initiating within 8–12 weeks (HR=1.62, 95 % CI=1.05–2.51) or beyond 12 weeks (HR=2.07, 95 % CI=1.21–3.56) had a significantly inferior survival. A delayed time to chemotherapy (&gt;8 weeks) was associated with worse survival in patients aged ≥60 years but not in younger patients (&lt;60 years: HR=1.36; 95 % CI=0.75–2.46, p=0.312; ≥60 years: HR=2.37; 95 % CI=1.56–3.60, p&lt;0.001). Additionally, our exploratory analysis suggested that FOLFOX and FOLFIRI were more effective when starting within 5–8 weeks post-surgery, while CAPEOX and a single agent showed a slight advantage when starting within four weeks. Conclusions Our findings advocate for initiating AC within eight weeks post-surgery in stage II–III rectal cancer, especially in older patients. Delayed treatment is linked to significantly worse survival outcomes.

Is Immediate Breast Reconstruction With a Latissimus Dorsi Myocutaneous Flap Safe for Starting Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer?

IntroductionImmediate breast reconstruction following mastectomy reduces perceptions of mutilation and femininity issues in oncological patients, but surgical complications should not delay chemotherapy. This study evaluated postsurgical complications in patients who underwent radical breast surgery followed by immediate reconstruction with latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps and silicone implants, along with resulting impacts in delaying chemotherapy. Materials and MethodsThis retrospective study utilized a prospectively maintained database. Clinical, surgical, and oncological data from 196 women were collected according to the operated side. Patients were grouped according to the time elapsed between surgery and the first cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy: ≤ 60 days (group 1), 61 to 90 days (group 2), or > 90 days (group 3). ResultsA total of 198 immediate reconstructions were performed on 196 patients between August 1, 2010 and March 31, 2020; after surgery, 47.4% had minor complications and 7.1% had major complications. Ninety-six patients (48.5%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. The mean time elapsed between surgery and the first chemotherapy cycle was 65.4 days (median: 59), with 52.7% of the patients assigned to group 1, 37.4% to group 2, and 9.9% to group 3. The occurrence of major postoperative complications significantly affected the start of chemotherapy (64.0 vs. 94.5 days; P = .044). Additionally, patients with 2 or more comorbidities were more likely to experience major complications (OR: 3.35; 95% CI: 1.03-10.95; P = .045) than those with 1 or 0. ConclusionMajor postoperative complications significantly delayed initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy in oncological patients who underwent radical breast surgery followed by immediate reconstruction with a latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap and silicone implants.

Association of Historical Housing Discrimination and Colon Cancer Treatment and Outcomes in the United States.

In the 1930s, the federally sponsored Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) used racial composition in its assessment of areas worthy of receiving loans. Neighborhoods with large proportions of Black residents were mapped in red (ie, redlining) and flagged as hazardous for mortgage financing. Redlining created a platform for systemic disinvestment in these neighborhoods, leading to barriers in access to resources that persist today. We investigated the association between residing in areas with different HOLC ratings and receipt of quality cancer care and outcomes among individuals diagnosed with colon cancer-a leading cause of cancer deaths amenable to early detection and treatment. Individuals who resided in zip code tabulation areas in 196 cities with HOLC rating and were diagnosed with colon cancer from 2007 to 2017 were identified from the National Cancer Database and assigned a HOLC grade (A, best; B, still desirable; C, definitely declining; and D, hazardous and mapped in red). Multivariable logistic regression models investigated association of area-level HOLC grade and late stage at diagnosis and receipt of guideline-concordant care. The product-limit method evaluated differences in time to adjuvant chemotherapy. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models investigated differences in overall survival (OS). There were 149,917 patients newly diagnosed with colon cancer with a median age of 68 years. Compared with people living in HOLC A areas, people living in HOLC D areas were more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage disease (adjusted odds ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.00 to 1.12]). In addition, people living in HOLC B, C, and D areas had 8%, 16%, and 24% higher odds of not receiving guideline-concordant care, including lower receipt of surgery, evaluation of ≥12 lymph nodes, and chemotherapy. People residing in HOLC B, C, or D areas also experienced delays in initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. People residing in HOLC C (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.09 [95% CI, 1.05 to 1.13]) and D (aHR, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.09 to 1.18]) areas had worse OS, including 13% and 20% excess risk of death for individuals diagnosed with early- and 6% and 8% for late-stage disease for HOLC C and D, respectively. Historical housing discrimination is associated with worse contemporary access to colon cancer care and outcomes.

Clinical impact of delaying initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with early triple negative breast cancer

PurposeThe optimal time to initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy (TTAC) for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients is unclear. This study evaluates the association between TTAC and survival in TNBC patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study using data from a cohort of TNBC patients diagnosed between January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2018, registered in the Tumor Centre Regensburg was conducted. Data included demographics, pathology, treatment, recurrence and survival. TTAC was defined as days from primary surgery to first dose of adjuvant chemotherapy. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to evaluate impact of TTAC on overall survival (OS) and 5-year OS.ResultsA total of 245 TNBC patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and valid TTAC data were included. Median TTAC was 29 days. The group receiving systemic therapy within 22 to 28 days after surgery had the most favorable outcome, with median OS of 10.2 years. Groups receiving systemic therapy between 29–35 days, 36–42 days, and more than 6 weeks after surgery had significantly decreased median survival, with median OS of 8.3 years, 7.8 years, and 6.9 years, respectively. Patients receiving therapy between 22–28 days had significantly better survival compared to those receiving therapy between 29–35 days (p = 0.043), and patients receiving therapy after 22–28 days also demonstrated significantly better survival compared to those receiving therapy after more than 43 days (p = 0.033).ConclusionTiming of adjuvant systemic therapy can influence OS in TNBC patients. Efforts should be made to avoid unnecessary delays in administering chemotherapy to ensure timely initiation of systemic therapy and optimize patient outcomes.

Primary intradural extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma of the L3 nerve root: illustrative case.

Ewing's sarcoma is an uncommon, aggressive malignancy that typically presents as an osseous lesion, most commonly in children and adolescents. Very rarely Ewing's sarcoma can present as an intradural extramedullary mass mimicking more common tumors. A 32-year-old female had a left L3 nerve root-associated lesion identified in the setting of recent-onset radiculopathy. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine was favored to demonstrate a schwannoma or neurofibroma. Hemilaminectomy, facetectomy, and resection of the mass led to improved radiculopathy and a tissue diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma. Immediate referral to medical oncology facilitated expeditious initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation. The differential diagnosis for newly identified nerve root-associated tumors should remain broad, including common benign pathologies and rare malignant entities. Tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, as preoperative imaging suggested a nerve sheath tumor. Malignant pathologies such as Ewing's sarcoma must be considered, especially in the setting of rapidly progressive symptoms or interval growth on serial imaging. Early diagnosis allows for the timely initiation of comprehensive oncological care. Long-term multidisciplinary follow-up is necessary for the surveillance of disease progression.

Barriers to initiation and completion of adjuvant chemotherapy after resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Barriers to initiation and completion of adjuvant chemotherapy after resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Barriers to initiation and completion of adjuvant chemotherapy after resection for pancreatic cancer

Barriers to initiation and completion of adjuvant chemotherapy after resection for pancreatic cancer

Time to Cancer Treatment and Chemotherapy Relative Dose Intensity for Patients With Breast Cancer Living With HIV

Patients with breast cancer and comorbid HIV experience higher mortality than other patients with breast cancer. To compare time to cancer treatment initiation and relative dose intensity (RDI) of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy among patients with breast cancer with vs without HIV. A retrospective, matched cohort study enrolled women who received a diagnosis of breast cancer from January 1, 2000, through December 31, 2018. The electronic medical records of 3 urban, academic cancer centers were searched for women with confirmed HIV infection prior to or simultaneous with diagnosis of stage I to III breast cancer. Tumor registry data were used to identify 2 control patients with breast cancer without HIV for each participant with HIV, matching for study site, stage, and year of cancer diagnosis. Statistical analysis was performed from December 2022 to October 2023. HIV infection detected before or within 90 days of participants' breast cancer diagnosis. The primary outcome was time to breast cancer treatment initiation, defined as the number of days between cancer diagnosis and first treatment. The secondary outcome was overall RDI for patients who received chemotherapy. These outcomes were compared by HIV status using Cox proportional hazards regression and linear regression modeling, respectively, adjusting for confounding demographic and clinical factors. Exploratory outcomes included instances of anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and liver function test result abnormalities during chemotherapy, which were compared using Fisher exact tests. The study enrolled 66 women with comorbid breast cancer and HIV (median age, 51.1 years [IQR, 45.7-58.2 years]) and 132 with breast cancer alone (median age, 53.9 years [IQR, 47.0-62.5 years]). The median time to first cancer treatment was not significantly higher among patients with HIV than those without (48.5 days [IQR, 32.0-67.0 days] vs 42.5 days [IQR, 25.0-59.0 days]; adjusted hazard ratio, 0.78, 95% CI, 0.55-1.12). Among the 36 women with HIV and 62 women without HIV who received chemotherapy, the median overall RDI was lower for those with HIV vs without HIV (0.87 [IQR, 0.74-0.97] vs 0.96 [IQR, 0.88-1.00]; adjusted P = .01). Grade 3 or higher neutropenia during chemotherapy occurred among more women with HIV than those without HIV (13 of 36 [36.1%] vs 5 of 58 [8.6%]). This matched cohort study suggests that patients with breast cancer and HIV may have experienced reduced adjuvant chemotherapy RDI, reflecting greater dose reductions, delays, or discontinuation. Strategies for supporting this vulnerable population during chemotherapy treatment are necessary.

The Evolving Surgical Landscape: A Comprehensive Review of Robotic Versus Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for the Treatment of Gastric Cancer.

Robotic gastrectomy has been gaining ground in the past 20 years. This study aims to (a) provide an updated and all-encompassing comprehensive review including post-operative outcomes, rate of complications, surgical efficiency and costs, pathology, overall survival, mortality and recurrence, and disease-free survival of robotic versus laparoscopic gastrectomy, (b) report research gaps, and (c) identify ongoing or forthcoming clinical trials that could potentially shed light on underreported findings within the existing literature. Regarding the methodology, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published between January 2012 and October 2023. ClinicalTrials.gov was searched for related clinical trials currently underway or recruiting. Robotic gastrectomy, when compared to laparoscopic gastrectomy, for the treatment of gastric cancer, performs equally well or shows superiority in terms of the length of hospitalization, overall complications rates, rate of conversion to open surgery, surgical complications, anastomotic leakage, pancreatic complications, blood loss, mortality rates, time to first flatus, time to oral intake, distal and proximal resection margins, recurrence rate, reoperation rates, and overall survival. However, it is associated with higher costs and longer operative time. Parameters such as duodenal stump leakage, anastomosis stenosis, intestinal obstruction, ileus, delayed gastric emptying, wound complications, acute pancreatitis, pancreatic fistula, direct costs, time to initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy, postoperative morbidity, recurrence, and disease-free survival are currently underreported in the literature and necessitate for further research. Lastly, four clinical trials are currently underway or recruiting that could possibly bridge the research gap.

Contralateral prophylactic mastectomy: Weighing the risks of delayed chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy

Many patients with unilateral breast cancer opt for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) at the time of therapeutic mastectomy (immediate CPM) or following completion of adjuvant therapy. Studies show that immediate CPM increases the risk of surgical complications related to unilateral mastectomy (UM) alone, which may lead to delays in adjuvant therapy initiation. However, it is unclear if these complications cause clinically significant delays in initiating adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy. A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients with breast cancer who underwent immediate CPM versus UM alone at Columbia University Medical Center from January 2000 to December 2020. Patient demographic and oncologic characteristics; complications; and timing of adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or hormonal therapy relative to therapeutic mastectomy were collected. In this study, 239 UM alone patients were propensity score matched to 239 immediate CPM patients. No significant difference in complication rates was found between the index and contralateral breasts in CPM patients. A similar percentage of CPM and UM patients experienced postoperative complications (19% vs. 17%, p = 0.64). No significant difference in time to adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy was found between CPM patients with complications and all CPM patients or all UM patients. There is a lack of clear guidance for clinical decision-making regarding timing of CPM relative to adjuvant therapy. Our study suggests that immediate CPM does not significantly increase the risks of postoperative complications or complication-related delays in the initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy. This information may help patients and providers to plan, select, and schedule breast cancer treatment options.

Subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot analysis: a prognostic model for distant recurrence-free survival to estimate delayed adjuvant chemotherapy initiation effect in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease associated with a poor prognosis. Delaying in time to start adjuvant chemotherapy (TTC) has been related to an increased risk of distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS). We aimed to develop a prognostic model to estimate the effects of delayed TTC among TNBC risk subgroups. We analyzed 687 TNBC patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas (Lima, Peru). Database was randomly divided to create a discovery set (n=344) and a validation set (n=343). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were performed to identify prognostic factors for DRFS. Risk stratification was implemented through two models developed based on proportional hazard ratios from significant clinicopathological characteristics. Subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot (STEPP) analysis was performed to determine the best prognostic cut-off points for stratifying TNBC subgroups according to risk scores and estimate Kaplan-Meier differences in 10-year DRFS comparing TTC (≤30 vs.>30 days). In univariate analysis, patients aged ≥70 years (HR=4.65; 95% CI: 2.32-9.34; p=<0.001), those at stages pT3-T4 (HR=3.28; 95% CI: 1.57-6.83; p=0.002), and pN2-N3 (HR=3.00; 95% CI: 1.90-4.76; p=<0.001) were notably associated with higher risk. STEPP analysis defined three risk subgroups for each model. Model N°01 categorized patients into low (score: 0-31), intermediate (score:32-64), and high-risk (score: 65-100) cohorts; meanwhile, Model N°02: low (score: 0-26), intermediate (score: 27-55), and high (score: 56-100). Kaplan-Meier plots showed that in the discovery set, patients with TTC>30 days experienced a 17.5% decrease in 10-year DRFS rate (95%CI=6.7-28.3), and the impact was more remarkable in patients who belong to the high-risk subgroup (53.3% decrease in 10 years-DRFS rate). Similar results were found in the validation set. We developed two prognostic models based on age, pT, and pN to select the best one to classify TNBC. For Model N°02, delayed adjuvant chemotherapy conferred a higher risk of relapse in patients ≥70 years and who were characterized by pT3/T4 and pN2/N3. Thus, more efforts should be considered to avoid delayed TTC in TNBC patients, especially those in high-risk subgroups.

Impact on Survival of Early Versus Late Initiation of Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Surgery: A Target Trial Emulation.

We examined the impact of early (0-4weeks after discharge) versus late (> 4-8weeks after discharge) initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy on pancreatic adenocarcinoma survival. We used Danish population-based healthcare registries to emulate a hypothetical target trial using the clone-censor-weight approach. All eligible patients were cloned with one clone assigned to 'early initiation' and one clone assigned to 'late initiation'. Clones were censored when the assigned treatment was no longer compatible with the actual treatment. Informative censoring was addressed using inverse probability of censoring weighting. We included 1491 patients in a hypothetical target trial, of whom 32.3% initiated chemotherapy within 0-4weeks and 38.3% between > 4 and 8weeks after discharge for pancreatic adenocarcinoma surgery; 206 (13.8%) initiated chemotherapy after > 8weeks, and 232 (15.6%) did not initiate chemotherapy. Median overall survival was 30.4 and 29.9months in late and early initiators, respectively. The absolute differences in OS, comparing late with early initiators, were 3.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] - 1.5%, 7.9%), - 0.7% (95% CI - 7.2%, 5.8%), and 3.2% (95% CI - 2.8%, 9.3%) at 1, 3, and 5years, respectively. Late initiators had a higher increase in albumin levels as well as higher pretreatment albumin values. Postponement of adjuvant chemotherapy up to 8weeks after discharge from pancreatic adenocarcinoma surgery is safe and may allow more patients to receive adjuvant therapy due to better recovery.