One-year Disease-free Survival Research Articles

Immunohistochemical factors of prognosis of immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma: А prospective and retrospective study

Introduction. Anti-PD-1 immunotherapy (IT) is becoming the standard treatment for patients with metastatic melanoma. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors are only effective in a fraction of patients, and studies examining biological markers and their correlation with clinical efficacy are insufficient to draw unambiguous conclusions. Aim. To improve the outcomes of the first-line therapy for disseminated melanoma based on identifying clinical and immunohistochemical predictors of IT efficacy. Materials and methods. Data from 130 patients who were treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab or prolgolimab) in the first-line therapy for disseminated melanoma between 2017 and 2024 were analyzed. Results. Improvement was observed in 24 patients (18.4%): complete response in 18 patients (13.8%), partial response in 6 (4.6%), and stabilization in 71 (54.6%) patients. Progression was reported in 31 (24%) patients. Death occurred in 4 (3%) cases during IT with prolgolimab due to disease progression. The two-year disease-free survival (DFS) during IT was 53% (95% confidence interval [CI] 42–67), p=0.63; the median 2-year overall survival was not reached. In the immunohistochemical study, 47 (63.5%) patients had a predominance of tumor infiltration with CD8 lymphocytes over CD4, regardless of the IT type: 2-year DFS 82% (95% CI 70–96) vs 13% (95% CI 2.7–64) in the absence of CD8 predominance over CD4, p=0.0001; the median DFS was not reached in patients with the predominance of CD8 lymphocytes tumor infiltration over CD4 compared to the other group – 7.6 months in the absence of this feature (95% CI 5.8–0), p=0.001. The peritumoral location of the immune lymphoid infiltrate was observed in all 74 (100%) patients, and the intratumoral location was less common (52 patients, 70%). In the presence of both periand intratumoral location of the immune infiltrate, the 2-year DFS was 83% (95% CI 70–98) compared to the group of patients in whom no intratumoral location was detected – 5.5% (95% CI 0.8–36), p0.0001. The expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) level 10% was observed in 47 (63.5%) patients. With this level of PD-L1 expression, the one-year DFS was 91% (95% CI 83–100) compared to 29% (95% CI 15–57) with a lower level of PD-L1 expression, p0.0001; the median DFS is reached, and in the group 2, DFS was only 6.6 months. In the case of PD-L110%, the 2-year DFS was high at 78% (95% CI 63–100), p0.0001. Conclusion. Based on the study's results, it can be assumed that immunohistochemical characteristics such as a PD-L1 expression level 10%, the simultaneous presence of periand intratumoral lymphoid tumor infiltration, and the predominance of CD8 over CD4 can be considered predictors of IT efficacy with nivolumab and prolgolimab.

Phase Ⅱ clinical trial of PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy for locally advanced resectable oral squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: To explore the effectiveness and safety of programmed death 1(PD-1) inhibitory combined with chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced resectable oral squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled phase Ⅱ trial. Patients recruited from Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from July 2021 to February 2023 were randomly divided into two groups in a 1∶1 ratio: the experimental group (Toripalimab combined with albumin paclitaxel and cisplatin) and the control group (albumin paclitaxel and cisplatin); patients in both groups underwent three cycles of neoadjuvant therapy. After completion of neoadjuvant therapy, patients were evaluated and subsequent surgical treatment was performed. According to the completion of treatment, the analysis was conducted on both the full analysis set and the protocol set. The effectiveness and safety of treatments were evaluated. SPSS 20.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 41 cases with oral cancer were enrolled, including 26 males and 15 females, aged between 34 and 74 years old. There were 23 cases in the experimental group and 18 cases in the control group. A total of 23 cases completed neoadjuvant therapy and surgery according to the protocol. Experimental group and control group showed respectively the complete response rates of 1/19 and 0/17, the partial response rates of 13/19 and 8/17, the stage-down rates of 4/19 and 3/17, the pathologic complete response rate of 8/14 and 2/9, with no statistically significant differences in individual rates between two groups (P>0.05). The major pathological response rate of 13/14 in experimental group was higher than that of 2/9 in control group (P<0.05). The incidence of grade 3-4 adverse reactions related to treatment was low in both groups (4/23 vs. 3/18, χ2=0.13, P=0.72), and the most common serious adverse reactions in the experimental group were granulocyte deficiency and electrolyte disorder. There were no adverse reactions that affected subsequent surgical treatment or caused death, and the safety and tolerability were good. The median follow-up time was 15 months, and the one-year disease-free survival rate of the experimental group was higher than that of control group (92.86% vs. 77.78%, χ2=0.62, P=0.42), with a relative decrease of 87% in the risk of disease progression or death (P=0.029). For patients with programmed death-ligand 1(PD-L1) protein expression combined positive score≥20, the experimental group showed higher major pathological response rate than control group (5/5 vs. 0/4, P=0.03). Conclusion: The neoadjuvant therapy of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy can improve the pathological remission of oral squamous cell carcinoma and the long-term survival benefits and the prognosis of patients.

Effect of anatomical liver resection on early postoperative recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma assessed based on a nomogram: a single-center study in China.

We aimed to investigate risk factors for early postoperative recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and determine the effect of surgical methods on early recurrence to facilitate predicting the risk of early postoperative recurrence in such patients and the selection of appropriate treatment methods. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data concerning 428 patients with HCC who had undergone radical surgery at Mianyang Central Hospital between January 2015 and August 2022. Relevant routine preoperative auxiliary examinations and regular postoperative telephone or outpatient follow-ups were performed to identify early postoperative recurrence. Risk factors were screened, and predictive models were constructed, including patients' preoperative ancillary tests, intra- and postoperative complications, and pathology tests in relation to early recurrence. The risk of recurrence was estimated for each patient based on a prediction model, and patients were categorized into low- and high-risk recurrence groups. The effect of anatomical liver resection (AR) on early postoperative recurrence in patients with HCC in the two groups was assessed using survival analysis. In total, 353 study patients were included. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis findings suggested that tumor diameter (≥5/<5 cm, odds ratio [OR] 2.357, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.368-4.059; P = 0.002), alpha fetoprotein (≥400/<400 ng/L, OR 2.525, 95% CI 1.334-4.780; P = 0.004), tumor number (≥2/<2, OR 2.213, 95% CI 1.147-4.270; P = 0.018), microvascular invasion (positive/negative, OR 3.230, 95% CI 1.880-5.551; P < 0.001), vascular invasion (positive/negative, OR 4.472, 95% CI 1.395-14.332; P = 0.012), and alkaline phosphatase level (>125/≤125 U/L, OR 2.202, 95% CI 1.162-4.173; P = 0.016) were risk factors for early recurrence following radical HCC surgery. Model validation and evaluation showed that the area under the curve was 0.813. Hosmer-Lemeshow test results (X 2 = 1.225, P = 0.996 > 0.05), results from bootstrap self-replicated sampling of 1,000 samples, and decision curve analysis showed that the model also discriminated well, with potentially good clinical utility. Using this model, patients were stratified into low- and high-risk recurrence groups. One-year disease-free survival was compared between the two groups with different surgical approaches. Both groups benefited from AR in terms of prevention of early postoperative recurrence, with AR benefits being more pronounced and intraoperative bleeding less likely in the high-risk recurrence group. With appropriate surgical techniques and with tumors being realistically amenable to R0 resection, AR is a potentially useful surgical procedure for preventing early recurrence after radical surgery in patients with HCC.

Neo-adjuvant tislelizumab combined with lenvatinib treatment for resectable, recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.

517 Background: The persistent challenge of elevated re-recurrence rates following secondary hepatectomy complicates the prospects for improving survival in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) patients. Immunotherapy combined with targeted drugs have been the first-line therapy for advanced HCC and shown good response rate in neoadjuvant situation. However, the effectiveness and safety of the combination treatment has not been reported in rHCC patients. To address this, we conducted the present phase 2 clinical trial of neoadjuvant treatments using tislelizumab in combination with lenvatinib for rHCC patients. Methods: Patients with resectable rHCC patients who had previously undergone curative treatment were enrolled. Enrolled patients were treated with 2 neoadjuvant cycles of a combination of tislelizumab 200mg intravenously every 3 weeks and lenvatinib 8mg every day (12mg for patients over 60kg) for 4 weeks. Hepatectomy was conducted in six weeks after enrollment. One month after surgery, adjuvant combination of tislelizumab and lenvatinib was started for at least one year or until disease progression or intolerance of adverse reactions. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate one-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate, and secondary endpoints include objective response rate (ORR) as assessed by RECIST 1.1, major pathologic response (defined as over 90% tumor necrosis), and safety considerations. Results: Until Sep 30th, 2023, a total of 14 patients have been enrolled. All participants underwent the complete neoadjuvant therapy with a combination of tislelizumab and lenvatinib before proceeding to hepatectomy. Throughout the neoadjuvant phase, 14.3% (2/14) of patients occurred adverse events below grade 3, with no severe adverse events occurring. The most common adverse events were fatigue (in 2 patients), hypertension (in 1 patient) and reduced appetite (in 1 patient). In 14 patients, 12 patients underwent R0 resection and 2 were waiting for hepatectomy. The average time from the initiation of the neoadjuvant therapy to hepatectomy was approximately 40.42 days. On the radiological front, one patient (8.3%) exhibited a partial response, while 11/12 (91.7%) displayed stable disease with 8 patients had tumor shrinkage. In terms of pathological outcomes, 25% of patients (3/12) achieved a complete response, whereas the remaining patients showed varying degrees of pathologic response, ranging from 5% to 85%. Conclusions: In summary, the dual therapy of tislelizumab and lenvatinib demonstrates encouraging safety and effectiveness as a neoadjuvant intervention for patients with rHCC. The long-term results of this combined treatment approach are eagerly anticipated. Clinical trial information: NCT04615143 .

Five Fractions versus Seven Fractions SBRT for Intermediate- and High-Risk Prostate Cancer: A Propensity Score Matched Pair Analysis.

To compare two stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) regimens in patients with intermediate- or high-risk prostate cancer with regards toxicity and efficacy. We retrospectively collected data from 198 patients treated with SBRT for prostate cancer at two different institutions. Patients received either 35-36.25 Gy in five fractions (group A) using Cyberknife robotic platform or 42.7 Gy in seven fractions (group B) using a C-arm LINAC (image-guided). Propensity score matching was done (2:1 nearest neighbor matching without replacement), resulting in 120 patients (80 patients for group A, 40 patients for group B). Toxicity, PSA nadir, biochemical failure and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed. Median follow up of all patients was 13 months (range 1-91 months). Overall, 23.3% of patients had ≥G2 acute GU toxicity (21.1% group A versus 30% group B (p = 0.222)) and 6.6% of patients ≥G2 GI toxicity (2.5% versus 15% (p = 0.010)). There was one acute G3 GU toxicity in arm A and one acute G4 rectal bleeding in group B (anticoagulated patient). Regarding late toxicity, 14.1% of patients had ≥G2 late GU toxicity (17.4% versus 6.6% (p = 0.159)) and 5.0% of patients had ≥G2 late GI toxicity (1.4% versus 13.3% (p = 0.013)). There was one G3 late GU toxicity in arm B and two G3 late GI toxicities, one in each arm. Relative median PSA reduction was 92.4% (-53.9-99.9%) from baseline PSA (93.7% (-53.9-99.9%) in group A versus 87.7% (39.8-99.9%) in group B (p = 0.043). In total, 4.2% of patients had biochemical relapse, 5.0% in group A and 2.5% in group B (p = 0.518). One-year DFS in the overall cohort was 97.3%, 98.8% in group A and 94.3% in group B (p = 0.318). Both SBRT regimens have acceptable acute and late toxicity and good efficacy. There are significantly more GI toxicities in the seven-fraction regimen. Longer follow-up is warranted for better comparison of long-term efficacy.

Outcomes after Bone Marrow Versus Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Matched Unrelated Donor Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Background: Matched unrelated donors (MUD) have become an acceptable alternative donor for patients requiring potentially curative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and lacking a matched sibling donor. Patients may undergo a bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) graft, with previous studies showing similar survival outcomes. However, BM grafts have shown a lower incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) but a higher relapse rate and slower engraftment. We aimed to compare the outcomes of BM versus PBSC in patients undergoing MUD HSCT. Methods: For this retrospective single-center study, we included all (n=276) adult MUD HSCT recipients at the University of Kansas Medical Center who had at least one year of follow-up (August 2016 to July 2021). We conducted a bivariate analysis using chi-squared and ANOVA tests. The Kaplan-Meier and regression analyses were also performed. Data analyses were conducted using SPSS version 28. Statistical significance was considered at p&amp;lt;0.05. Results: Our study included 276 MUD patients including 110 PBSC (40%) and 166 BM (60%) grafts. The median age was 55 (range 21-77) years, and 158 patients (57%) were males. Eighteen patients (6%) were ethnic minorities, and 89 (32%) patients had a Karnofsky performance status of ≥90%. 118 (43%) patients had a hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index of 3 or higher. Hematologic diseases included acute myeloid leukemia (n=119, 43%), myeloid disorders (n=77, 28%), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (n=35, 13%), Lymphoma (n=15, 5%), and others (n=30, 11%). Sixty-two percent of patients were in complete remission at the time of transplantation, and patients not in remission included myelodysplastic syndrome, myelofibrosis, and lymphoma patients. Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC, n=162, 58%) and myeloablative conditioning (MAC) (n=114, 41%) were used. The median follow-up was 55 (21-73) months. Overall survival (OS) was not reached in either BM or PBSC MUD HSCT group, while a median disease-free survival of 45 and 49 months was noted in PBSC and BM groups respectively (p=0.915). We observed similar rates of relapse (25% vs 27%, p=0.413), one-year overall survival (75% vs 72%, p=0.679), one-year disease-free survival (63% vs 62%, p=1.00), and one-year non-relapsed morality (NRM, 23% vs 21%, p=0.779) after PBSC or BM graft. Bone marrow graft recipients had delayed engraftment of neutrophils (20 days vs 16 days, p&amp;lt;0.001) and platelets (&amp;gt;20 K/uL: 24 days vs 16 days, p&amp;lt;0.001; &amp;gt;50 K/uL: 28 days vs 18 days, p=0.006) compared to PBSC recipients. Bone marrow graft recipients had similar rates of grade II-IV acute GVHD (50% vs 52%, p=0.714) and grade III-IV GVHD (12% vs 11%, p=0.847), but lower rates of 1-year chronic GVHD (39 % vs 55%, p=0.014) compared to PBSC recipients. In the subgroup analysis stratified by conditioning intensity, faster engraftment of neutrophils (median 16 vs 21 days, p&amp;lt;0.001) and platelets (&amp;gt;20 K/uL: 18 days vs 27 days, p&amp;lt;0.001; &amp;gt;50 K/uL: 18 days vs 33 days, p&amp;lt;0.001) was observed with PBSC as compared to BM graft in myeloablative transplant recipients, while there was no statistically significant association with the rates of acute or chronic GVHD, NRM, Relapse, DFS, and OS after a PBSC or BM graft. Among the RIC transplant recipients, faster neutrophil engraftment (mean 17 vs 20 days, p&amp;lt;0.001) and higher 1-year extensive chronic GVHD (52% vs 32%, p=0.015) were observed with PBSC compared to BM graft whereas no statistically significant difference was noted in platelet engraftment, acute GVHD, NRM, Relapse, DFS, and OS after a BM or PBSC graft. Conclusions: Allogeneic matched unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients had similar rates of overall and disease-free survival, relapse, non-relapse mortality, and acute GVHD after a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell graft; however, delayed neutrophil and platelet engraftment with a lower incidence of chronic GVHD was noted after a bone marrow graft compared to peripheral blood stem cell graft.

Clinical study of induction chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of FLT3-ITD(+) acute myeloid leukemia with normal karyotype

Objective: To assess the efficacy of induction chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in the treatment of FLT3-ITD(+) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with normal karyotype. Methods: The clinical data of FLT3-ITD(+) AML patients with normal karyotype in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from Jan 2018 to March 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The study included 49 patients with FLT3-ITD(+)AML, 31 males, and 18 females, with a median age of 46 (16-59) years old. All patients received induction chemotherapy, and 24 patients received sequential allo-HSCT (transplantation group) . The median follow-up time was 465 days, the one-year overall survival (OS) from diagnosis was (70.0 ± 7.4) %, and one-year disease-free survival (DFS) was (70.3±7.4) %. The one-year OS was significantly different between the transplantation group and the non-transplantation group [ (85.2 ± 7.9) % vs (52.6 ± 12.3) %, P=0.049]. but one-year DFS [ (84.7 ± 8.1) % vs (55.2 ± 11.9) %, P=0.061] was not. No significance was found in one-year OS between patients with low-frequency and high-frequency FLT3-ITD(+) (P>0.05) . There were 12 patients with high-frequency FLT3-ITD(+) in the transplantation and the non-transplantation groups, respectively. The one-year OS [ (68.8 ± 15.7) % in the transplantation group vs (26.2 ± 15.3) % in the non-transplantation group, P=0.027] and one-year DFS [ (45.5 ± 21.3) % in the transplantation group vs (27.8±15.8) % in the non-transplantation group, P=0.032] were significantly different between the two groups. Conclusion: Induction chemotherapy followed by allo-HSCT can enhance the prognosis of FLT3-ITD(+) patients, particularly those with FLT3-ITD high-frequency mutation.

Efficacy and safety evaluation of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy for resectable non-small cell lung cancer in real world.

The combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy has shown great efficacy in stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is now widely used in clinical treatment strategy. This study retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy for resectable NSCLC in real world. We retrospectively analyzed patients with NSCLC who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy and underwent complete tumor resection in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between January 2019 and January 2021. Tumor staging was based on the eighth TNM classification system of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging criteria. The safety and toxicity (including operative and postoperative complications) and the efficacy [including objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), tumor major pathological remission (MPR), and pathological complete response (pCR)] were evaluated. In total, 368 patients with NSCLC were administered with neoadjuvant immunotherapy. Of them, 211 patients were included in this retrospective study. Most patients had stage II-III disease, with 75 (35.5%) and 88 (41.7%) patients diagnosed with clinical stages IIB and IIIA, respectively. A total of 206 patients (97.6%) received at least two doses of neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy. In addition, 121 patients (57.3%) have achieved MPR, and 80 patients (37.9%) have achieved pCR, with ORR at 69.2% and DCR at 97.7%. Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 46.4% of patients, and the incidence rate of grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events was 13.3% (13/98). Moreover, adverse events of any grade of surgical complication occurred in 15.6% of patients. One-year disease-free survival was 80.6% (170/211). Neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy has significant efficacy with a high pCR and tolerable adverse effects for patients with resectable stage II-III NSCLC in real world.

Impact of various prognostic factors on survival in glioblastoma: tertiary care institutional experience.

IntroductionGlioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumour in adults. Among all gliomas, it is the most aggressive type, with a high fatality rate, and according to the WHO classification, it is a grade IV tumour. As this tumour is well-known for its poor survival, an understanding of clinical and treatment-related prognostic factors can help in tailored treatment. The aim of this study was to know the impact of prognostic factors on survival in these cases.Materials and methodsAll glioblastoma patients treated in our hospital during 2010–2015 were included in the analysis. Cases were divided into different groups based on prognostic factors. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were calculated and compared among the different groups. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS software v20.ResultsOne-year OS was 36.9% and 2-year OS was 10.8%. One-year DFS was 13.04%. On univariate analysis, age at presentation ≤45 years and adjuvant chemotherapy with six cycles or more temozolomide improved OS and DFS. Multivariate analysis retained the statistically significant positive impact of usage of adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy of ≥six cycles on OS and DFS. The use of the anti-epileptic drug Levetiracetam had a statistically significant improvement of DFS.ConclusionAmong various clinical and treatment-related prognostic factors evaluated in our study, younger age at presentation and addition of temozolomide chemotherapy to radiation showed improvement in OS and DFS. The use of the anti-epileptic drug Levetiracetam had an impact on DFS in glioblastoma patients.

Targeted Marrow Irradiation Intensification of Reduced-Intensity Fludarabine/Busulfan Conditioning for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens frequently provide insufficient disease control in patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We evaluated intensification of fludarabine/busulfan (Flu/Bu) RIC with targeted marrow irradiation (TMI) in a dose escalation with expansion phase I clinical trial. TMI doses were delivered at 1.5 Gy in twice daily fractions on days -10 through -7 (dose levels: 3 Gy, 4.5 Gy, and 6 Gy), Flu (30 mg/m2 for 5 days) and Bu (area under the curve, 4800 µM*minute for 2 days). Eligible patients were age ≥18 years with high-risk hematologic malignancy and compromised organ function ineligible for myeloablative transplantation (n=26). The median patient age was 64 years (range, 25 to 76 years). Nineteen patients (73%) had active or measurable residual disease at transplantation. One-year disease-free survival and overall survival were 55% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34% to 76%) and 65% (95% CI, 46% to 85%), respectively. Day +100 and 1 year transplantation-related mortality were 4% (95% CI, 0.6% to 27%) and 8.5% (95% CI, 2% to 32%), respectively. The 1-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 43% (95% CI, 27% to 69%). Rates of grade II-IV and III-IV acute GVHD rates were 57% (95% CI, 39% to 84%) and 22% (95% CI, 9% to 53%), respectively. Whole blood immune profiling demonstrated enrichment of central/transitional memory-like T cells with higher TMI doses, which correlated with improved survival compared with control samples from patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT. Intensification of a Flu/Bu RIC regimen with TMI is feasible with a low incidence of transplantation-related mortality in medically frail patients with advanced malignancies. The recommended phase 2 TMI dose is 6 Gy.

A Systematic Review on Overall Survival and Disease-Free Survival Following Total Pelvic Exenteration.

Backgrounds:Total Pelvic Exenteration (TPE) is a radical operation for malignancies in which all of the organs inside the pelvic cavity, including the female reproductive organs, the lower urinary tract, and a part of the rectosigmoid are removed. In this study, we aimed to conduct a systematic review to assess the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) following TPE.Methods:This systematic review is composed of a comprehensive review of PubMed and Scopus databases with various related keywords to synthesis the overall survival and disease-free survival following TPE. The Synthesis Without Meta-analysis guideline was used to summarize the results. Results:We included the results of 39 primary studies and the results revealed that one-year OS of gynecological cancer in patients who have undergone TPE ranged from 50.0% to 72.0% and the 5-years OS ranged from 6.0% to 64.6%. The one-year survival rate of colorectal cancer patients was reported to be over 80% in almost all studies. The 3-year survival rate of patients varied from 25% to 75% and the lowest 5-year survival rate was 8% and the highest survival rate was 92%. To synthesis the disease-free survival rate in colorectal cancer, ten studies were included and one-year recurrence rate was 9.1% and the one-year DFS was reported as 61.0%. Three-year recurrence rate study was 20.4% and 3 and 5-year DFS ranged from 22.0% to 78.0%. Conclusions:The results suggested that DFS in primary advanced cancers is higher than locally recurrence tumors. This review showed that patient overall survival and disease-free survival rates have increased over time, especially at high volume centers that are more experienced and possibly better equipped. Therefore, it can be suggested that the attitude towards PE as a palliative surgery can be turned into curative surgery.

Prognostic potential of circulating miR-93-5p in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases.

This study aimed to examine the expression pattern of tumoral and circulating miR-93-5p in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis (CRLM) and to explore its predictive and prognostic potential. CRLM tissue, surrounding non-tumor liver tissue, and serum were obtained from 35 patients with CRLM. The expression pattern of tissue and circulating miR-93-5p in patients with CRLM was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, using miR-16-5p for normalization. Sample-based cut-off values for CRLM and serum miR-93-5p expression were calculated using Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis to stratify the patients into high and low miR-93-5p expression groups which were that compared with patients' clinicopathological data, therapy response, one-year disease-free survival, and disease recurrence. Relative miR-93-5p expression was higher in CRLM in comparison to the non-metastatic liver tissue (p<0.001). CRLM miR-93-5p expression showed moderate negative correlation with carcinoembryonic antigen levels (r=-0.406; p=0.016). There were no differences in high-/low-miR-93-5p expression and therapy responders vs. non-responders, which was confirmed in vitro using metastatic and normal colonic cells SW620 and HCEC-1CT, respectively. No difference was observed in one-year recurrence-free survival in patients with high vs. low miR-93-5p expression in CRLM or serum. However, high miR-93-5p serum levels were significantly associated with early disease recurrence (p=0.035). In conclusion, miR-93-5p serum levels could be potentially used as a prognostic factor for early disease recurrence in CRLM patients.

Excellent Outcomes of the Second Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Hematological Malignancies with Reduced Toxicity Conditioning and Donor Change

Introduction: High relapse rate and transplant-related mortality (TRM) are the major obstacles for the second allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Reduced-toxicity conditioning (RTC) can decrease TRM and healthier donor may provide stronger anti-leukemia and anti-infection effects.Objective:In current clinical study, the safety and efficacy of the second allo-HSCT with RTC and donor change were examined.Methods: Between April 2018 and June 2021, total 48 patients with hematological malignancies (B-ALL 26, T-ALL/LBL 4,AML16,MDS 2) who failed to the first allo-HSCT(relapsed 47, secondary rejection 1) and underwent the second allo-HSCT in our hospital were enrolled. The median age was 25(5-55) years old. Male to female was 25:23. Before the second allo-HSCT, 35 (72.9%) patients were in complete remission (CR) (minimal residual disease (MRD) negative in 28, MRD positive in 7), and 13 (27.1%) cases (B-ALL7,T-ALL/LBL2,AML3,MDS1) in non-remission(NR). The median interval between twoallo-HSCTs was 19.5 (8-77) months. For better donor selection, the functions of hematopoiesis and immune (subsets of lymphocyte, immune globulin,and granzyme and perforin of NK cell) as well as hematological and immunological hereditary predisposition gene variants for potential donors were tested. The types of the first allo-HSCT included haploidentical (n=33), unrelated (n=8), identical sibling (n=5), and unrelated cord blood (n=2). All donors were changed for the second allo-HSCT(haploidentical 35, unrelated 13)except one recipient no other donor available. RTC regimens were mainly total body irradiation(TBI)/fludarabine (FLU)-based(n=39) or busulfan (BU)/FLU-based (n=7).Two patients were with total marrow irradiation (TMI)/FLU-basedregimen. For TBI/FLU regimen, fractionated TBI (8Gy in 32, 10Gy in 7), cytarabine 1-2g/m 2 for 3 days,FLU 30mg/m 2 for 5 days, Me-CCNU 250mg/m 2 for 1 day, and ATG were used. For BU/FLU regimen, BU 0.8mg/kg q6h for 3 days, cytarabine 1-2g/m 2 for 3 days,FLU 30mg/m 2 for 5 days, Me-CCNU 250mg/m 2 for 1 day, and ATG were used. For TMI/FLU regimen, the same conditioning as TBI/FLU was used except fractionated TMI 10-12Gy instead of TBI. Decitabine (20mg/m 2, 3 days) or etoposide (200mg/m 2, 2 days) were administrated in some patients in NR or MRD positive. Cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil and short-term methotrexate were employed for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. Some patients received maintenance therapy post-transplant with targeted medicine based on their fusion genes or gene mutations.Results: ALL patients became full donor chimerism. The median time for neutrophil and platelet recovery was 15 (11-22) days and 16 (10-240) days. The incidences of grade II-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) and chronic GVHD(cGVHD) were 18.8%, 47.5% (limited 25%, extensive 22.5%), respectively. The incidences of CMV and EBV reactivation were 31.3% and 6.3%. No severe hemorrhagic cystitis occurred. The median follow-up was 13(1-38) months. One-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of all patients were 68.7% (95% CI:0.511;0.811) and 78.9% (95% CI:0.62;0.889) . Nine patients died(relapse 7,GVHD and infection 2).The relapse rate was 22.9%.TRM was only 4.2%. NR before transplant and TP53 mutation were high risk for disease recurrence post-HSCT. Relapse rates were 53.8% vs. 11.4% in NR and CR patients, and 50% vs. 17.5% in the patients with or without TP53 mutation. Disease status before transplant was key impact factor for survival after the second allo-HSCT. One-year OS in CR and NR settings were81.4 % and 70%, respectively, p=0.13. One-year DFS in CR and NR settingswere79.6%, and 41.9%, respectively, p=0.005. No significant difference of DFS was seen in haploidentical and unrelated transplants(68.1% vs.71.8%, p=0.627).Conclusions: With our strategy of RTC regimens and donor change, excellent outcomes of the second allo-HSCT in hematological malignancies have been achieved. One-year DFS and OS are 68.7% and 78.9%. Both TRM and relapse rate are low (4.2%, 22.9%). The most important factor on prognosis of the second allo-HSCT is disease status before transplant but not donor type. TP53 mutation also has negative impact on DFS after the second allo-HSCT. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Efficacy of Aidi Injection and Brucea javanica Oil Emulsion Injection in Rectal Cancer during CapeOX Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

Background Adjuvant chemotherapy with CapeOX regimen is widely used in resected rectal cancer, which brings benefits to patients. But drug-related toxicities are severe during this process; thus, survival outcomes may potentially be affected. This study explored the efficacy of two Chinese herbal injections, Aidi injection (ADI) and Brucea javanica oil emulsion injection (BJOEI), as adjuvant drugs in CapeOX adjuvant chemotherapy on rectal cancer patients. Methods A total of 240 cases were enrolled in this retrospective study. 80 cases received CapeOX with ADI (the ADI group), 80 cases received CapeOX with BJOEI (the BJOEI group), and the rest 80 cases received CapeOX alone (the control group). After four cycles' chemotherapy, adverse reactions (ADRs) and quality of life (QOL) were analyzed. Then, patients received follow-up for at least one year, and the endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). Results All patients completed at least four cycles' adjuvant chemotherapy. The incidence of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia was significantly lower in the ADI group; the incidence of nausea was significantly lower in the BJOEI group; the incidence of hand-foot syndrome was significantly lower in both the ADI group and BJOEI group. Significant difference was found in the control group regarding the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scores prior and posttreatment. No difference was found among three groups regarding one-year DFS. Conclusion As adjuvant drugs for rectal cancer during CapeOX chemotherapy, ADI shows advantages in decreasing leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, while BJOEI results better in remitting nausea. Both two CHIs had positive impacts on decreasing hand-foot syndrome and the maintenance of patients' QOL. It is worthy of further study and promotion for CHIs.

Combined treatment for cancer of the ampulla of Vater

Aim : comparative study of the immediate and long-term results of combined treatment of patients with pancreatobiliary cancer of the ampulla of Vater. Materials and methods . From 2001 to 2019 21 patients with pancreatobiliary cancer of the ampulla of Vater underwent curative treatment. It included preoperative radiotherapy, extended Wipple procedure and adjuvant chemotherapy as indicated (main group). In 48 cases of pancreatobiliary cancer of the ampulla of Vater extended Wipple procedure and adjuvant chemotherapy according to indications was performed (comparison group). In 43 cases of intestinal cancer of the ampulla of Vater extended Wipple procedure and adjuvant chemotherapy according to indications was performed. Results. Postoperative complication and mortality in the study group and the comparison group were 14.3% and 35.4% ( p = 0.07), 4.8% and 6.3% ( p = 0.8). Overall 5-year survival rate, median survival were 50.7% and 9.8% ( p = 0.01), 51 (36.5–115) mo. and 10 (4–29) mo. ( p = 0.0008). Overall 5-year survival rate, median survival in the group of intestinal cancer of the ampulla of Vater accounted for 61.3 % and 44 (17–85.5) mo. One-year disease-free survival in patients with adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater who have undergone curative treatment was 77.8%, 3-year survival – 51.0%, 5-year survival – 35.2%, median is 22 (9–54) mo. Conclusion . Preoperative radiotherapy in curative treatment of pancreatobiliary cancer of the ampulla of Vater did not result to a change in the nature and an increase in the postoperative complications rate. Combination treatment for pancreatobiliary cancer of the ampulla of Vater significantly improved long-term survival.

Surgical morbidity in the first year after resection for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma

BackgroundSurgery for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. The impact of surgery for pCCA may affect patients after discharge. The aim of this study was to investigate all morbidity and mortality during the first year after surgery for pCCA. MethodsAll consecutive liver resections for suspected pCCA between 2000 and 2019 at two tertiary referral centers were included. All morbidity and mortality until one year after surgery was collected retrospectively, including readmissions and reinterventions. All recurrences within the first year were scored to calculate disease-free survival. ResultsIn 250 patients, the major morbidity rate was 61% (152/250), in-hospital mortality was 15% (37/250) and 90-day mortality was 16% (40/250). In the 213 discharged patients, 98 patients (46%) suffered 260 surgical complications. These complications required 185 readmissions in 92 patients (43%) and 400 reinterventions in 110 patients (52%), including 330 radiological (83%), 61 endoscopic (15%) and 9 surgical reinterventions (2%). One-year overall survival was 77% and one-year disease-free survival was 70%. Out of the 20 patients who died within the first year after discharge, 15 died of recurrent disease and 3 due to surgery related complications and 2 of unknown causes. ConclusionReadmissions, reinterventions and complications are frequent throughout the first year after surgery for pCCA in tertiary referral hospitals. These adverse events warrants treatment of these complex patients in high expertise centers offering intensive perioperative care and close follow-up of patients after discharge.

Simultaneous surgery for synchronous liver metastases of colorectal cancer: analysis of survival and negative prognosis factors

Aim. To improve the surgical treatment results among patients with synchronous liver metastasis of colorectal cancer. Materials and methods. From 2012 to 2019, the analysis of the results of treatment of 60 patients with colorectal cancer and synchronous metastatic liver disease was carried out. The study sample was divided into 2 groups of patients. The group 1 consisted of 30 patients who got simultaneous resection of liver metastases and primary colorectal cancer. The group 2 consisted of other 30 patients who got stage resections: surgery for the primary tumor at the first stage, and liver surgery for metastases at the second.Results. The median operative time was 340 ± 21.1 minutes in the group 1. In the group 2 it was 255 ± 21.1 minutes and only the liver resection stage was assessed. The median blood loss in patients of the group 1 was 520,0 [200,0;800,1] ml, in the group 2 it was 500,0 [175,0;1300,0] ml. In general, we identified 5 cases of complications. In the postoperative period, 4 patients died. The average follow-up period is 23 months. One-year survival in group 1 was 92.6%, in group 2 – 100%, three-year – 85.2% and 89.6%. One-year disease-free survival in group 1 is 70%, in group 2 – 83.3%, three-year disease-free survival – 43.3% and 36.7%.Overall and disease-free survival rates didn’t differ significantly between the two treatment strategies. We detected significant effect on the disease-free and overall survival of regional lymph nodes metastasis (both p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion. The long-term and immediate results of simultaneous surgery of synchronous liver metastasis of colorectal cancer are comparable to the results of the staged method of treatment. It indicates the safety and effectiveness of simultaneous procedure.

Prediction of Disease Free Survival in Laryngeal and Hypopharyngeal Cancers Using CT Perfusion and Radiomic Features: A Pilot Study.

(1) Purpose: The objective was to evaluate CT perfusion and radiomic features for prediction of one year disease free survival in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. (2) Method and Materials: This retrospective study included pre and post therapy CT neck studies in 36 patients with laryngeal/hypopharyngeal cancer. Tumor contouring was performed semi-autonomously by the computer and manually by two radiologists. Twenty-six radiomic features including morphological and gray-level features were extracted by an internally developed and validated computer-aided image analysis system. The five perfusion features analyzed included permeability surface area product (PS), blood flow (flow), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT), and time-to-maximum (Tmax). One year persistent/recurrent disease data were obtained following the final treatment of definitive chemoradiation or after total laryngectomy. We performed a two-loop leave-one-out feature selection and linear discriminant analysis classifier with generation of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and confidence intervals (CI). (3) Results: 10 patients (28%) had recurrence/persistent disease at 1 year. For prediction, the change in blood flow demonstrated a training AUC of 0.68 (CI 0.47–0.85) and testing AUC of 0.66 (CI 0.47–0.85). The best features selected were a combination of perfusion and radiomic features including blood flow and computer-estimated percent volume changes-training AUC of 0.68 (CI 0.5–0.85) and testing AUC of 0.69 (CI 0.5–0.85). The laryngoscopic percent change in volume was a poor predictor with a testing AUC of 0.4 (CI 0.16–0.57). (4) Conclusions: A combination of CT perfusion and radiomic features are potential predictors of one-year disease free survival in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer patients.

Phase II Trial of Postoperative Adjuvant Gemcitabine and Cisplatin Chemotherapy Followed by Chemoradiotherapy with Gemcitabine in Patients with Resected Pancreatic Cancer

PurposeDespite curative resection, the 5-year survival for patients with resectable pancreatic cancer is less than 20%. Recurrence occurs both locally and at distant sites and effective multimodality adjuvant treatment is needed.Materials and MethodsPatients with curatively resected stage IB-IIB pancreatic adenocarcinoma were eligible. Treatment consisted of chemotherapy with gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 and cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on day 1 every 3 weeks for two cycles, followed by chemoradiotherapy (50.4 Gy/28 fx) with weekly gemcitabine (300 mg/m2/wk), and then gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks for four cycles. The primary endpoint was 1-year disease-free survival rate. The secondary endpoints were disease-free survival, overall survival, and safety.ResultsSeventy-four patients were enrolled. One-year disease-free survival rate was 57.9%. Median disease-free and overall survival were 15.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.6 to 18.4) and 33.0 months (95% CI, 21.8 to 44.2), respectively. At the median follow-up of 32 months, 57 patients (77.0%) had recurrence including 11 patients whose recurrence was during the adjuvant treatment. Most of the recurrences were systemic (52 patients). Stage at the time of diagnosis (70.0% in IIA, 51.2% in IIB, p=0.006) were significantly related with 1-year disease-free survival rate. Toxicities were generally tolerable, with 53 events of grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicity and four patients with febrile neutropenia.ConclusionAdjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy with gemcitabine and maintenance gemcitabine showed efficacy and good tolerability in curatively resected pancreatic cancer.

Final Results of a Dual-Institution Phase I Clinical Trial of Targeted Marrow Irradiation (TMI) Intensification of Reduced-Intensity Fludarabine/Busulfan (Flu/Bu) Conditioning for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Medically Frail Patients with High-Risk Hematological Malignancies

Background Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens provide insufficient disease control in patients with high-risk hematological malignancies who are ineligible for myeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) due to advanced age or comorbidities. RIC fludarabine/busulfan (Flu/Bu) is generally well tolerated, but is associated with high relapse rates. We hypothesized that intensification of RIC Flu/Bu with targeted marrow irradiation (TMI) would be feasible and improve outcomes in such patients. Methods This dose escalation phase I clinical trial incorporated 3+3 design with expansion. The primary endpoint was to estimate safety and feasibility of TMI combined with Flu/Bu. Secondary endpoints included transplant-related mortality (TRM), disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Eligible patients were ≥ 18 years diagnosed with high-risk hematological malignancies who were not candidates for myeloablative HCT. The conditioning regimen consisted of TMI (dose levels: 3 Gy, 4.5 Gy and 6 Gy) delivered at 1.5 Gy/fraction in twice daily fractions on days -10 through -7, fludarabine (30 mg/m2) on days -6 through -2 and busulfan (AUC 4800 µM*minute) on days -5 and -4. Radiation was targeted to bone marrow and spleen using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique while minimizing injury to organs at risk. GVHD prophylaxis included tacrolimus and methotrexate for matched sibling and unrelated donors (UD), and tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and post-cyclophosphamide for haploidentical donors. Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) was added for recipients of UD transplants. Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as engraftment failure, grade ≥ 4 mucositis and grade ≥ 3 other non-hematological adverse events (AEs) from day -10 to day +32. Results A total of 26 patients (median age 64 years [range, 25-76]; 61% females) were enrolled in two transplant centers (Table 1). Diagnoses included AML (n=15), MDS (n=5), T-PLL (n=2), CLL (n=1), DLBCL (n=1), multiple myeloma (n=1) and myeloproliferative disorder (n=1). Sixteen (61%) patients had intermediate/high HCT-comorbidity index and high/very high disease risk index (DRI). At the time of HCT, 19 (73%) patients had active or residual disease. Donors were UD (n=18), matched sibling (n=5) and haploidentical (n=3). All patients engrafted neutrophils (median, 16 days [range, 10-29]). Most frequent AEs were mucositis (65%), gastrointestinal toxicity (62%), hepatotoxicity (hyperbilirubinemia and/or increased transaminase levels) (65%) and fatigue (69%). Twenty-four grade ≥ 3 AEs occurred in 13 patients; 2 patients experienced reversible DLT (mucositis and hepatotoxicity) at 6 Gy TMI dose level. Additional escalation was halted and 6 Gy cohort was expanded. Only 1 patient experienced reversible hepatotoxicity in the expansion cohort. Grade II-IV and III-IV acute GVHD rates at day +100 were 57% (95% CI, 39%-84%) and 22% (95% CI, 9%-53%), respectively. The 1-year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD was 42% (95% CI, 24%-74%). The 1-year cumulative incidence of TRM and relapse was 8% (95% CI, 2%-32%) and 26% (95% CI, 13%-52%), respectively (Figure 1A). The overall TRM for 3 Gy, 4.5 Gy and 6 Gy cohorts was 25%, 12.5% and 12%, respectively. With a median follow up of 12.7 months (range, 1.1-36.8), 1-year DFS was 55% (95% CI, 34%-76%) and OS was 65% (95% CI, 46%-85%) (Figure 1B). One-year DFS was equivalent for patients transplanted in CR or with active disease (54% [95% CI, 14%-93%] vs 55% [95% CI, 29%-80%]; p=0.83) (Figure 1C). While no difference in DFS was observed between the 4.5 Gy and 6 Gy cohorts, the 3 Gy cohort was associated with inferior DFS (p=0.004) (Figure 1D). One-year DFS and OS for 6 Gy cohort was 58% (95% CI, 30%-87%) and 82% (95% CI, 59%-100%), respectively. Conclusion Intensification of RIC Flu/Bu with TMI is feasible, with low incidence of TRM in medically frail patients. Reversible mucositis and hepatotoxicity prevented dose escalation beyond 6 Gy. DFS and OS at 6 Gy are promising and deserve further investigation. Disclosures Malek: Janssen: Other: Advisory board, Speakers Bureau; Medpacto: Research Funding; Sanofi: Other: Advisory board; Clegene: Other: Advisory board , Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Honoraria; Takeda: Other: Advisory board , Speakers Bureau; Bluespark: Research Funding; Cumberland: Research Funding. de Lima:Pfizer: Other: Personal fees, advisory board, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Kadmon: Other: Personal Fees, Advisory board; Incyte: Other: Personal Fees, advisory board; BMS: Other: Personal Fees, advisory board. Caimi:Amgen: Other: Advisory Board; Bayer: Other: Advisory Board; Verastem: Other: Advisory Board; Kite pharmaceuticals: Other: Advisory Board; ADC therapeutics: Other: Advisory Board, Research Funding; Celgene: Speakers Bureau.