Regional Multidisciplinary Team Research Articles

Caring for patients with periprosthetic femoral fractures across England and Wales in 2021.

The aim of this study was to describe services available to patients with periprosthetic femoral fracture (PPFF) in England and Wales, with focus on variation between centres and areas for care improvement. This work used data freely available from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) facilities survey in 2021, which asked 21 questions about the care of patients with PPFFs, and nine relating to clinical decision-making around a hypothetical case. Of 174 centres contributing data to the NHFD, 161 provided full responses and 139 submitted data on PPFF. Lack of resources was cited as the main reason for not submitting data. Surgeon (44.6%) and theatre (29.7%) availability were reported as the primary reasons for surgical delay beyond 36 hours. Less than half had a formal process for a specialist surgeon to operate on PPFF at least every other day. The median number of specialist surgeons at each centre was four (interquartile range (IQR) 3 to 6) for PPFF around both hips and knees. Around one-third of centres reported having one dedicated theatre list per week. The routine discussion of patients with PPFF at local and regional multidisciplinary team meetings was lower than that for all-cause revision arthroplasties. Six centres reported transferring all patients with PPFF around a hip joint to another centre for surgery, and this was an occasional practice for a further 34. The management of the hypothetical clinical scenario was varied, with 75 centres proposing ORIF, 35 suggested revision surgery and 48 proposed a combination of both revision and fixation. There is considerable variation in both the organization of PPFF services England and Wales, and in the approach taken to an individual case. The rising incidence of PPFF and complexity of these patients highlight the need for pathway development. The adoption of networks may reduce variability and improve outcomes for patients with PPFF.

P049 The need for a funded, national HLH service: a scoping survey assessing the provision of specialist HLH services across the UK

Abstract Background/Aims Haemophagocytic lymphocytosis (HLH) is a multi-system hyperinflammatory syndrome with high mortality. Early treatment and multi-disciplinary team (MDT) management improves outcomes. In 2021, NHS England released guidelines for HLH treatment with anakinra; these mandate MDT discussion prior to treatment. HLH is rare and expertise varies throughout the UK, causing potential inequality in access to care. This scoping study aimed to assess HLH service provision across the UK. Methods An online survey was designed and disseminated via professional networks, including Hyperinflammation and HLH across specialty collaboration (HiHASC) members (www.hihasc.org) and contacts at individual hospitals. Quantitative data were analysed using SurveyMonkeyTM analysis. The survey was created to inform national service development, response was voluntary and data have been anonymized. Results 93 survey responses were obtained from 80 healthcare trusts, including three in Scotland and two in Wales. Responses covered 39/42 integrated care boards (ICBs) in England, representing all 7 clinical commissioning regions. Respondent’s specialties included Rheumatology, Haematology, Paediatrics, and Intensive Care. In 33% (13/39) of ICBs, Scotland and Wales no formal HLH provision existed; management relied on individual practice or informal discussions. 36% (14/39) of ICBs utilised ad hoc MDTs to manage HLH. Formal provision of HLH MDTs existed in 31% (12/39) of ICBs although these did not cover all trusts in the ICB. Only one MDT had a paid administrator.20% (n = 16) of trusts had an agreed HLH guideline; 7 were developed locally and 9 utilised external guidelines. Anakinra had been prescribed for HLH in 31% of trusts since 2021. Prescribing requirements were satisfied via ad hoc discussions in 33% of trusts, local Haematology or Rheumatology MDTs in 24% of trusts, and involvement of tertiary centres in 7% of trusts. A further 25% of trusts used a single HLH MDT for anakinra discussions. Only 10% (n = 8) of consultants had HLH included in job plans. A further 36% (n = 29) wanted this. 96% (n = 69) of respondents would value a national or regional HLH MDT. 20% (n = 14) of respondents offered to lead an MDT, with a further 53% (n = 37) willing to offer expertise. The most frequently proposed model for this MDT was a regular, online meeting with advance referrals. The largest barrier to MDT participation was lack of time. Other barriers included limited exposure to HLH and lack of funding or paid administrative support. Conclusion Specialist HLH services are inconsistently provided throughout the UK, suggesting inequitable access to care. Many ICBs rely on ad hoc HLH provision or have no formal HLH service. In areas providing HLH MDT services, these are often outside of job plans and lack administrative support. There is unsustainable reliance on a single centre. Strong support exists for national or regional HLH MDTs, which will require funding. Disclosure M.F. Cox: None. J.J. Manson: None. R.S. Tattersall: None.

Impact of regional multi-disciplinary team on the management of complex urogynaecology conditions

Introduction and hypothesisFollowing the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on the management of pelvic floor dysfunction, articles speculating on the benefits and costs of local and regional multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) have been in circulation. To date, there has been no formal assessment of the impact of a regional MDT on the management of women with complex urogynaecological conditions.MethodsThroughout the existence of the West of Scotland (WoS) Regional Urogynaecology MDT, from May 2010 to December 2015, 60 patients with complex Urogynaecology conditions were discussed. Data were collected on presenting condition, pre- and post-MDT management plans, and treatment outcomes.ResultsThe average age was 52.6 years (range 21–91 years). All meetings had at least 1 urogynaecologist, 1 gynaecologist, 1 reconstructive female urologists, 1 urodynamicist and, on average, 3 continence nurses, 4 physiotherapists, as well as 1 clinical librarian to conduct a literature search and 1 secretary for administrative support. The majority of the referrals dealt with urinary incontinence (n=34) and 8 patients presented with mesh complications alongside other pelvic floor disorders. The MDT made changes to the original referrer’s management plan in at least 25 (41.7%) patient presentations. Twenty-two out of all the patients discussed (36.7%) were reported as cured or improved in their condition following the MDT-recommended management.ConclusionThe WoS Regional Urogynaecology MDT had a positive impact on the management of women presenting with complex condition(s). Cross-sharing of resources between hospitals within the region provided a wider range of management plans, better tailored to each individual.

Regional multidisciplinary team approach to the management of placenta accreta spectrum disorder

Objective Patients with suspected placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder are often referred to specialized medical centers for antepartum management and definitive treatment via cesarean hysterectomy. In 2019, our institution formed the only multidisciplinary team for the management of PAS within two of the largest counties in California. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the multidisciplinary team on patient volume and surgical outcomes for patients with PAS. Methods This was a single center retrospective cohort study, based in the only tertiary referral center within two of the largest counties in California. Patients who underwent cesarean hysterectomy for suspected PAS from January 2014 to April 2021 were included and divided into two groups, based on management by the multidisciplinary team from January 2019 and onward or routine care prior to that time. The outcomes of interest were quantitative blood loss, total units of packed red blood cell transfusion, referral volume, and diagnostic accuracy as well as ICU admission, bladder injury, and postoperative length of stay. Furthermore, we wanted to determine if patient’s distance to the hospital impacted outcomes. Normally distributed variables were compared between groups using the t-test. Categorical variables were compared between the two groups using the chi square test. Results A total of 114 patients were included in the cohort, 59 patients were from January 2014 to December 2018 and 55 patients were from January 2019 to April 2021. Since the establishment of the multidisciplinary center, there was a 2.5-fold increase in the total patient volume (0.8 case/month to 2 cases/month) and a 2.8-fold increase in the referred patient volume. Patients undergoing cesarean hysterectomy since the establishment of the multidisciplinary team had less quantitative blood loss (1500 mL vs 2000 mL, p = .005) and required less units of packed red blood cell transfusion (2 vs 4 units, p < .001). In addition, blood loss of ≥2000 mL decreased from 57.6% to 38.2% (p = .04) and diagnostic accuracy improved from 35.6% to 83.6% (p < .001). Furthermore, we found that patient distance to the hospital did not significantly impact surgical outcomes. Conclusions Since the establishment of the multidisciplinary team, our center experienced an increase in PAS volume and was able to demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in patient outcomes.

The management of non-diagnostic soft tissue tumour biopsies using a multi-disciplinary team approach: A 10-year retrospective review at a specialist sarcoma unit

Non-Diagnostic (ND) biopsies are occasionally encountered during the investigation of soft tissue sarcoma. We performed a retrospective review of all ND soft tissue biopsies discussed at our regional Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meeting between 2004 & 2014 with the aim of establishing the incidence of ND biopsies, identifying predictive factors for repeat biopsies and evaluating the effectiveness of MDT decisions. We identified 80 ND out of 3233 biopsies. Diagnostic Yield (DY) was 97.5%, 76.0% and 77.8% for the first, second and third successive biopsy respectively. With an MDT approach utilising radiological and clinical information, the diagnostic success rate achieved was 98.5%, 82.0% and 77.8% for the first, second and third biopsies respectively. Malignant tumours (sarcoma & carcinoma) were 19 times more likely to undergo an increasing number of biopsies compared to benign lesions (p < 0.01), while repeat biopsies were less useful for suspected benign lesion. Although a repeat biopsy was only performed in 63% of cases, there were no patients originally diagnosed with a benign lesion that re-presented with the same lesion subsequently being malignant throughout the study period. Our study shows that a specialist MDT approach leads to high diagnostic rates and is a safe and effective method of preventing unnecessary, repeat biopsies where the initial biopsy is ND.

The role of liquid biopsy in management of the neck with indeterminate response on post-treatment imaging following non-surgical management of oropharyngeal cancer.

This study aimed to determine if post-treatment HPV cell-free DNA (cfDNA) can assist in the decision-making process for salvage neck dissection in patients following non-surgical treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) with a partial response in the neck on imaging at 12 weeks post-treatment. 86 patients who completed treatment were prospectively recruited through the regional multidisciplinary team (MDT). Treatment response was categorised as complete response (CR), partial response (PR) or progressive disease on 12-week post-treatment imaging. Pre- and post-treatment blood samples were assessed for HPV cfDNA through droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Eight patients had an isolated partial response in the neck. One (12.5%) had detectable HPV cfDNA (22.96 copies/ml) at ∼12 weeks post-treatment with positive disease on subsequent neck dissection (positive predictive value; PPV=100%). Of the seven patients with undetectable HPV cfDNA, two patients had evidence of regional disease recurrence at 23.9 and 27.4 months respectively (negative predictive value; NPV=71%). The detection of HPV cfDNA may help target salvage therapy in patients with a partial response in the neck. Follow-up studies in larger cohorts would be required to further validate the use of post-treatment HPV cfDNA in the management of OPSCC.

LBODP072 Squamous Cell Carcinoma Or Fungal Infection? An Unusual Presentation Of Anterior Hypopituitarism

Abstract Introduction Intracranial squamous cell carcinomas are rare tumours with a poor prognosis. Lack of specific imaging characteristics mandates a high index of clinical suspicion and ultimately histopathological confirmation. Chronic invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (CIFRS) is often difficult to distinguish from Sino nasal squamous cell carcinomas (SNSCC) in clinical practice. Our case draws attention to the fact that biopsy results are necessary in discriminating between the two entities, due to the diagnostic conundrum in context of Anterior Hypopituitarism. Case detailsWe report a case of 78-year-old lady who presented with a 3-month history of increasing headache, lethargy and confusion. There was no change in urinary habit. On examination she had right sided ptosis and restricted eye movements with a reported 4-week duration. Primary care physicians referred her for ophthalmic assessment. Past medical history was significant for absent vision in the affected eye due to Ischaemic optic neuropathy since 2018. A CT Angiogram was organised which revealed a large soft tissue mass that could not be differentiated from the optic chiasma. Differentials included chondrosarcoma, chordoma, invasive pituitary macroadenoma and skull base Plasmacytoma. Subsequent MRI imaging suggested appearances could be consistent with aggressive fungal sinusitis. Endocrine investigations showed partial anterior hypopituitarism. ManagementEmpiric treatment was started with Intravenous anti-fungals and steroids, alongside appropriate pituitary hormone replacement. Her case was discussed in the Skull Base Multi-disciplinary Team (MDT) meeting. She was then transferred to the regional tertiary centre for surgical intervention, where she underwent debridement of the Ethmoid sinus, Sphenoid Sinus and Anterior base of skull for presumed chronic invasive fungal sinusitis. Post-operative imaging displayed satisfactory debulking of the central skull base tumour. Histopathology from sphenoid sinus reported invasive squamous cell carcinoma. The post-operative imaging and histopathology results were discussed in the regional MDT and considering the advanced stage a decision was made for best supportive care. Within 2 months neurological symptoms progressed and further imaging demonstrated radiological tumour progression. Discussion Sinonasal Squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC) is a rare tumour and thus pose difficulty in detection. Presentation usually occurs at an advanced stage since initial symptoms are nonspecific and the tumour remains indolent for many months to years. There is limited evidence in relation to detection and follow up of these cases. Clinical presentation and radiological appearance can be varied. This case highlights the need for histological confirmation of the diagnosis to guide appropriate treatment pathways and ensure compassionate, appropriate care. Presentation: No date and time listed

P-012 ESTABLISHING THE NORTH-WEST LONDON MDT FOR COMPLEX ABDOMINAL RECONSTRUCTION: OUR EXPERIENCE

Abstract Aim Complex patients have been shown to have favourable outcomes when managed under the care of the multi-disciplinary teams (MDT) 1,2. In 2019 we published our experience of a single centre complex AWH MDT and advocated its use 3 in line with EHS and a collaborative group from AWRE 2020 4,5. Expansion Further development has led to the set-up of a regional, tertiary, complex, abdominal wall reconstruction MDT service. This has facilitated identification of patients who will ultimately benefit from management of the regional AWH MDT surgical teams undertaking the most complex of abdominal wall procedures together. Since 2021 our regional MDT discussed 87 cases including tertiary referrals from within and out with the immediate geographical area. 71 abdominal wall hernias including 15 recurrent, 6 with concurrent parastomal hernias, 9 parastomal hernias and one perineal hernia. Progression The development of virtual conferencing services has allowed the MDT improved access for healthcare professionals. With resources for benign cases becoming increasing restricted, having an MDT approved management plan for patients streamlines services and allows costs to be rationalised. Scheduling joint operations between different hospitals facilitates pooling of expertise for difficult cases. We are developing an online registry for involved abdominal wall units to allow data sharing, service evaluation and improve accountability. Conclusion Appreciation of complex abdominal wall surgery as a stand-alone sub-specialty is increasing and there is a consensus among hernia surgeons that these patients should be managed by the MDT in specialist centres by specialist surgeons enhancing learning, proficiency, and accountability.

Significance of thickening of the upper gastrointestinal tract on cross sectional imaging: Endoscopic correlation

AimTo report the endoscopic findings for a cohort of patients referred for discussion at a specialist oesophago-gastric multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meeting, on the basis of CT mural thickening. Patients and methodsThe records of patients discussed at a regional oesophago-gastric MDT during the time 1st April 2014 to 5th February 2016 were reviewed in order to identify patients who were endoscopy naïve at the time of CT and scans re-reviewed to measure maximum wall thickness. Results456 patients were referred for discussion, 126 met the inclusion criteria. Endoscopy confirmed malignancy in 50/126 patients (40%); by site, oesophagus (21/67, 31%), stomach (25/50, 50%), duodenum (4/9, 44%). Malignancy was confirmed for 10/48 (21%) patients with isolated wall thickening, for 11/33 (33%) when regional lymphadenopathy was identified, and for 28/44 (64%) when possible metastatic disease was identified. The commonest source of diagnostic uncertainty was thickening around the gastro-oesophageal junction in the presence of a hiatal hernia. Wall thickening >20 mm was strongly associated with malignancy compared to thickening =<20 mm (p < 0.0001). Using this threshold would have resulted in a sensitivity of 32/50 (64%), a specificity of 55/76 (72%), a positive predictive value of 32/53 (60%) and a negative predictive value of 55/73 (75%) in this cohort. ConclusionsThe cancer pick-up rate of 40% and the medicolegal consequences of a missed cancer suggest that endoscopy should be performed in all patients with CT identified mural thickening. In the presence of isolated mural thickening and a normal endoscopy, no formal MDT discussion is required.

P293 Tocilizumab for refractory or relapsing giant cell arteritis: audit data from the Bristol and Bath regional multidisciplinary meetings 2018-2021

Abstract Background/Aims Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a systemic vasculitis involving large and medium-sized blood vessels. Patients can present with cranial, ocular or large vessel (LVV-GCA) involvement. Treatment is with high dose glucocorticoids. Steroid-sparing agents and tocilizumab (TCZ) are used for refractory or relapsing cases. NHS England requires all GCA patients to be discussed in a regional multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) prior to commencing TCZ. We reviewed the case mixture of patients referred to the Bristol and Bath regional MDT. Methods The Bristol and Bath regional MDT started in November 2018 and runs monthly. A referral proforma was designed, adapted from the NHS England Blueteq approval form for TCZ in GCA (definitions of refractory and relapsing disease), with tick boxes for clinical features, investigations, treatment, glucocorticoid adverse events and a free text clinical vignette. All referral proformas were reviewed. Results Audit data from all cases referred, between November 2018 and September 2021, were analysed. 38 cases of GCA were discussed with 31 cases approved for TCZ usage. Of the approved, 100% fulfilled the criteria for either refractory (n = 11) or relapsing (n = 20) disease. Mean age of approved cases was 74 years with three quarters being female (74.2%). Average disease duration was 161.5 days for the refractory group and 827.3 days for the relapsing group. Over three quarters of cases (77.4%) had cranial GCA, 48.4% had LVV-GCA, 45.2% had visual symptoms (reduction in visual acuity, blurring or diplopia) and 25.8% had ischaemic visual loss. The positive investigations were PET-CT (48.4%), temporal artery ultrasound (41.9%) and temporal artery biopsy (32.3%). Almost two-thirds (64.5%) had previously had a steroid-sparing agent (61.3 % methotrexate, 9.7% azathioprine, 6.5% leflunomide), one third (35.5%) had received intravenous methylprednisolone and more than half (58%) were receiving greater than 40mg prednisolone at the time of referral. Common glucocorticoid adverse effects (each seen in 19.4% of cases) included osteoporosis, weight gain, cataracts or hypertension, whilst diabetes, neuropsychiatric symptoms or sleep disturbance were each reported in 16.1% of cases. The majority of patients with ocular involvement had cranial symptoms (71%). Patients with ocular involvement tended to be referred earlier than those with no ocular involvement (478.2 days vs 648.1 days), were on a higher dose of glucocorticoids at time of referral (71.4% vs 47.1% on more than 40mg) and had fewer steroid-sparing agents prior to referral. Conclusion All patients approved for TCZ in the GCA MDT fulfilled NHS England criteria for either relapsing or refractory disease. The majority of cases had cranial disease, but almost half had either ocular or large vessel vasculitis involvement, reflecting a severe spectrum of disease. Cases showed a high burden of glucocorticoid toxicity. Patients with ocular involvement were referred slightly earlier with less use of other steroid sparing treatments prior to TCZ in our cohort. Disclosure C. Jayatilleke: None. S. Janagan: None. R. Marshall: Other; Has received sponsorship from UCB Pharma to attend educational conferences in the last 2 years. S. Skeoch: None. C.M. Guly: None. F. En Sin: None. L. AL Sweedan: None. A. Anilkumar: None. K. Austin: None. A. Bourn: None. L. Clarke: None. H. Gunawardena: None. A. Johnson: None. S. Knights: None. J.D. Pauling: None. E. Reilly: None. T.D. Reynolds: None. S. Villar: None. J.C. Robson: None.

A Multidisciplinary Team Approach Is Highly Effective in the Management of Nondiagnostic Bone Tumour Biopsies: A 10-Year Retrospective Review at a Specialist Sarcoma Unit.

Nondiagnostic (ND) biopsies are frequently encountered during the investigation of bone tumours and can lead to treatment delay. We performed a retrospective review of all ND bone tumour biopsies discussed at our regional MDT meeting between 2004 and 2014 with the aim of establishing the incidence of ND biopsies, identifying any factors that could predict the requirement for repeat biopsies, and evaluating the effectiveness of multidisciplinary team (MDT) decisions. We identified 98 ND out of 4949 biopsies. Diagnostic yield (DY) was 98%, 76%, and 40% for the first, second, and third successive biopsy, respectively. With an MDT approach utilising radiological and clinical information, the diagnostic success rate achieved was 99%, 85%, and 80% for the first, second, and third biopsies, respectively. Although a repeat biopsy was only performed in 34% of cases, there were no patients originally diagnosed with a benign lesion that re-presented with the same lesion subsequently being malignant throughout the study period. Malignant primary bone tumours (p < 0.01) and malignant secondary tumours (p=0.02) were more likely to undergo repeat biopsy compared to benign and infective lesions. Upper limb (p=0.04) and lower limb (p=0.03) were more likely than pelvic and spinal tumours to undergo a repeat biopsy. Tumours of haematological origin frequently required multiple biopsies. Our study demonstrated that a specialist MDT approach leads to high diagnostic rates and is a safe and effective method of preventing unnecessary, repeat biopsies where the initial biopsy is ND.

Acute Presentation of an unblocked Phaeochromocytoma with Small Bowel Ischaemia managed by Emergency Laparotomy and Adrenalectomy

Abstract Introduction A 50-year-old male presented as an emergency with acute abdominal pain, reduced consciousness and blood pressure of 230/136mmHg, having felt unwell for a year. CT scans showed a 9cm right adrenal mass, a 27mm left ventricular thrombus and emboli to the distal superior mesenteric artery. Echocardiography demonstrated a reduced ejection fraction of 25%. Methods Our regional multidisciplinary team (Endocrinologists, Anaesthetists, Intensivists, Biochemists and Surgeons) utilised their experience to manage this challenging emergency, with supra-regional expert consultation. Results In ICU, intravenous phentolamine and unfractionated heparin infusions were given, attempting to avoid surgery until alpha blockade was established. The following day sepsis and peritonitis developed: surgery could no longer be deferred and had to be undertaken without blockade. After anaesthetic induction a 12 minute asystolic arrest ensued, but circulation was restored with CPR and bolus noradrenaline. Intraoperative photographs demonstrate 150cm of infarcted small bowel being resected, and sequential adrenalectomy being undertaken to avoid further catecholamine crisis and anaesthetic, as discussed with supra-regional colleagues. Post-arrest targeted temperature management was instigated alongside empirical steroid replacement. Serum metadrenaline fell from 58,495pmol/L (&amp;lt;510pmol/L) to 174pmol/L and normetadrenaline from 78,731pmol/L (&amp;lt;1180pmol/L) to 330pmol/L post-resection. Histological assessment confirmed phaeochromocytoma with malignant features (PASS=6 and GAPP=5). The patient made a full recovery and ejection fraction improved to 55%. Conclusion This case adds to the controversial equipoise regarding pre-operative blockade. An experienced multidisciplinary adrenal team was crucial in managing this life threatening combination. Noradrenaline was effective during cardiac arrest whilst the circulation was unresponsive to adrenaline.

P-OGC34 Pandemic paradigms: Early outcomes of radical chemoradiotherapy for patients with operable oesophageal and oesophago-gastric junctional adenocarcinoma

Abstract Background The peak waves of the COVID pandemic necessitated a paradigm shift in surgical management of patients with oesophageal adenocarcinoma due to both pressure on services and high mortality rates for those with COVID undergoing surgery. The Association of Upper GI Surgeons (AUGIS) guidance on treating Upper gastrointestinal cancers in the COVID era made suggestions to treat operable adenocarcinomas using definitive/consolidation chemoradiation (DCRT) over standard neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and our unit altered practice accordingly for a cohort of patients. For affected patients we monitored and audited clinical outcomes and the initial results from this are presented here. Methods Patients with oesophageal or oesophago-gastric junctional (O/OGJ) adenocarcinoma with potentially curative disease where initial management was altered from a treatment path which would have included surgery (with or without neoadjuvant therapy) to DCRT discussed at our regional multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting between 1st February-1st June 2020 were included. Patient demographics, investigations, treatment given and clinical outcomes were prospectively recorded. Results 31 Patients with operable adenocarcinoma of O/OGJ had treatment altered to DCRT (mean age 65.4, [range 43 – 79]), 28 (90%) Male. 1 patient deteriorated prior to starting, leaving 30 who completed DCRT. Of these 4 patients had already had NAC prior to DCRT. Follow up was for a median of 8 (range 4-8) months following start of treatment. Post- vs pre-treatment FDG-PET imaging demonstrated a significant reduction in the mean maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) (p = 0.003, Sign test), in all but 3 patients. 11 patients had DCRT alone, (all alive at the time of data collection), of whom 3 patients had no sign of tumour. 19 (56%) patients proceeded to salvage oesophagectomy at a median of 15(range 10-25) weeks after completion of DCRT. 42% of these patients had a complete pathological response to treatment. There was a 5% perioperative mortality rate for this group and 1 patient was found to be unresectable on the day of surgery. At the time the data was reviewed overall survival of the entire cohort was 91%, 56% of whom had no sign of residual or recurrent disease. Conclusions A disease free survival of 56% compares poorly with the literature at the 3-month interval. The long-term follow-up of these patients will only be apparent in the coming months and years. This data does not support the use of this modality in the future and alternate treatment plans should be devised for future pandemics.

O-OGC02 Stage Migration in Newly Diagnosed Oesophago-gastric Cancer during the first wave of COVID-19 Pandemic

BackgroundCovid-19 has significantly disrupted elective and emergency health care provision including cancer care within the UK. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the staging of oesophago-gastric cancers at presentation, determine the time delay in performing gastroscopy and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) treatment outcomes.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of all newly diagnosed oesophago-gastric cancers (adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) in a single regional MDT was performed between 1st October 2019 and 30th September 2020. Electronic records were interrogated and patients dichotomised into two groups with those presenting before the introduction of the UK national lockdown of 23rd March 2020 compared to those presenting post-lockdown.Results349 new oesophago-gastric cancer patients were discussed in the MDT (192 pre-lockdown versus 157 post-lockdown). Demographics were evenly matched between the two groups. More patients presented as an emergency admission post-lockdown (28.0% vs 12.5%, p < 0.001). Median waiting time for gastroscopy was longer post-lockdown (23 vs 14 days, p = 0.035). Metastatic disease at presentation was more frequent post-lockdown (47.8% vs 33.3%, p = 0.008). Overall, more patients had a palliative rather than curative treatment intent post-lockdown (71.3% vs 57.8%, p = 0.005).ConclusionsThe Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant negative effect on the stage of oesophago-gastric cancers at presentation. This has translated into more patients receiving palliative treatment and ultimately having a poorer prognosis. This study highlights the importance of maintaining cancer services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

BJS.05Stage Migration in Newly Diagnosed Oesophago-gastric Cancer during the first wave of COVID-19 Pandemic

AimsCovid-19 has significantly disrupted elective and emergency health care provision including cancer care within the UK. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the staging of oesophago-gastric cancers at presentation, determine the time delay in performing gastroscopy and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) treatment outcomes.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of all newly diagnosed oesophago-gastric cancers (adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) in a single regional MDT was performed between 1st October 2019 and 30th September 2020. Electronic records were interrogated and patients dichotomised into two groups with those presenting before the introduction of the UK national lockdown of 23rd March 2020 compared to those presenting post-lockdown.Results349 new oesophago-gastric cancer patients were discussed in the MDT (192 pre-lockdown versus 157 post-lockdown). Demographics were evenly matched between the two groups. More patients presented as an emergency admission post-lockdown (28.0% vs 12.5%, p < 0.001). Median waiting time for gastroscopy was longer post-lockdown (23 vs 14 days, p = 0.035). Metastatic disease at presentation was more frequent post-lockdown (47.8% vs 33.3%, p = 0.008). Overall, more patients had a palliative rather than curative treatment intent post-lockdown (71.3% vs 57.8%, p = 0.005).ConclusionsThe Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant negative effect on the stage of oesophago-gastric cancers at presentation. This has translated into more patients receiving palliative treatment and ultimately having a poorer prognosis. This study highlights the importance of maintaining cancer services during Covid-19 pandemic.

O28 A rare sight-threatening complication of a rare disease

Case report - IntroductionRelapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare autoimmune disorder characterised by inflammation of cartilaginous structures throughout the body. It usually presents in the fourth and sixth decade, and commonly affected areas include the nasal and respiratory tracts, external ears and joints. Ocular involvement is reported in around 65% of RP patients during their lifetime but is rarely sight-threatening. However, we present an unusual case of recurrent ocular inflammation due to RP that resulted in unilateral posterior scleritis with sub-retinal exudation, and posed a high risk of retinal detachment. Prompt escalation of immunosuppressive treatment was required to prevent this.Case report - Case descriptionA 48-year-old man of south-east Asian descent presented to rheumatology in December 2020 with a typical history of new inflammatory arthritis of 4 weeks duration. He was known to have bilateral episcleritis and ocular hypertension for 3 years and took Brinzolamide and Latanoprost eye drops, as well as metformin for type 2 diabetes mellitus. The only other relevant history was treatment with antibiotics as an inpatient for bilateral pinna cellulitis 2 months prior, which was suspected to be related to his diabetes. Examination revealed mildly reduced hand grips but no definite synovitis. The most remarkable finding was bilateral painless red eyes. Both pinnae appeared inflamed on close inspection without obvious auricular lobe involvement. Blood tests showed raised C-Reactive Protein (38 mg/L), and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (62 mm/hr), with normochromic normocytic anaemia but other blood counts were normal. Renal and liver function was normal. Detailed immunology was negative.Relapsing Polychondritis was suspected and confirmed following multidisciplinary team (MDT) discussions with the Ear Nose and Throat and ophthalmology teams. At the next visit, his disease progressed to florid polyarthritis in a rheumatoid distribution. This responded well to low-dose prednisolone and methotrexate. However, the patient attended eye casualty on multiple occasions over the next 6 weeks with alternating acute eye pain and redness, mildly reduced visual acuity and raised intraocular pressures. He developed sub-retinal fluid pockets suggestive of posterior scleritis in the right eye and retinal tomography demonstrated extensive pigment clumping especially in the macula with outer retinal disruption. Urgent pulses of intravenous methylprednisolone were given, followed by high-dose prednisolone tapering. The case was discussed with the regional uveitis MDT, and treatment was escalated to adalimumab. He is currently 1 month into treatment and has preserved visual acuity and stable intraocular pressures, with no other systemic involvement of his RP.Case report - DiscussionThe diagnosis of RP requires a high index of clinical suspicion given the lack of diagnostic markers. The clinical features are multisystem and might not occur simultaneously as in this case, where the eye disease preceded the ear and joint manifestations by a couple of years. Perichondritis might be more difficult to appreciate in patients with darker skin and can further delay diagnosis. The average time to diagnosis from the initial symptoms has been reported as 14 months from a case series of 158 patients with RP in China.Ocular complications are usually bilateral and the commonest are episcleritis and scleritis (over 50% of cases have one of these), followed by uveitis and retinopathy. Eyelid oedema, proptosis and optic neuritis can also occur but are rarer, and exudative retinal detachment has only been noted in a small number of case reports. Unfortunately, no current treatment guidelines exist for RP due to a lack of randomised controlled trials but treatment is usually guided by the severity of manifestations in conjunction with trends from case series and expert opinion. The aim is to halt or slow disease progression and glucocorticoids are often used first-line for moderate to severe disease, with or without the addition of steroid-sparing agents such as methotrexate, ciclosporin and azathioprine. A meta-analysis of biologics in RP conducted by Kemta et al. in 2012 has suggested anti-TNF (particularly Infliximab) might be beneficial as second-line treatment for severe or refractory cases of organ involvement due to RP such as central nervous system, nasal or pulmonary involvement. However, due to the extreme rarity of both RP and associated severe retinal disease, the optimum therapeutic choice in this setting is currently not known.Case report - Key learning pointsRP remains a challenging clinical diagnosis with a common delay in diagnosis of more than 1 year from the onset of symptoms. High index of suspicion and MDT input can aid earlier diagnosis and treatment to mitigate further complications.Eye disease occurs in up to two-thirds of patients with RP but exudative retinal or subretinal involvement is very rare. It can occur even when other manifestations of RP are well-controlled with immunosuppression as in this case.Anti-TNF treatment could be used to minimise visual loss in these severe cases of inflammatory eye disease due to RP, given reported benefit for other organ-threatening complications of RP. However, future case series are needed to guide evidence-based treatment choices.

964 Stage Migration in Newly Diagnosed Oesophago-Gastric Cancer During the First Wave Of COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Aim Covid-19 has significantly disrupted elective and emergency health care provision including cancer care within the UK. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of the pandemic on the staging of oesophago-gastric cancers at presentation, determine the time delay in performing gastroscopy and the multidisciplinary team (MDT) treatment outcomes. Method A retrospective cohort study of all newly diagnosed oesophago-gastric cancers (adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) in a single regional MDT was performed between 1st October 2019 and 30th September 2020. Electronic records were interrogated and patients dichotomised into two groups with those presenting before the introduction of the UK national lockdown of 23rd March 2020 compared to those presenting post-lockdown. Results 349 new oesophago-gastric cancer patients were discussed in the MDT (192 pre-lockdown versus 157 post-lockdown). Demographics were evenly matched between the two groups. More patients presented as an emergency admission post-lockdown (28.0% vs 12.5%, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Median waiting time for gastroscopy was longer post-lockdown (23 vs 14 days, p = 0.035). Metastatic disease at presentation was more frequent post-lockdown (47.8% vs 33.3%, p = 0.008). Overall, more patients had a palliative rather than curative treatment intent post-lockdown (71.3% vs 57.8%, p = 0.005). Conclusions The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant negative effect on the stage of oesophago-gastric cancers at presentation. This has translated into more patients receiving palliative treatment and ultimately having a poorer prognosis. This study highlights the importance of maintaining cancer services during Covid-19 pandemic.

Geographic remoteness from a multidisciplinary team is associated with an increased clinical staging of head and neck cancer: a Newcastle (Australia) study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between a patient’s residential distance from a tertiary referral regional multidisciplinary team (MDT) and the clinical staging of their head and neck cancer (HNC) at presentation. A retrospective cohort study was performed of all attendees with HNC who had undergone an MDT assessment. The period of study was January 2016 to January 2017. The primary predictor variable was the patient’s residential distance from the MDT. Demographic and clinicopathological factors were recorded. The primary outcome variable was the clinical staging conferred by the MDT. Descriptive and ordinal logistical regression analyses were conducted to examine the data. There were 286 observations; 230 patients were male and 56 were female. The mean age of the cohort was 66.52 years. The average residential distance from the MDT was 68.16 km. Regression analysis, while not statistically significant, indicated that those living more than 100 km (range 102–592 km) from the MDT had a 1.49 times increased risk of being diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer when compared to those living less than 100 km away. This study provides insights into the potential adverse effect geographic remoteness has on initial staging of HNC and the need for further strategies to serve this at-risk population.

CT scan structured report for the study of abdominal wall defects: a fast, easy and practical tool at the service of both surgeons and radiologist.

The advantages offered by structured reporting have already been highlighted in the literature. However, there is still no evidence on the validity of this reporting method for the study of abdominal wall defects. This study aims to show the experience of the Trentino Hernia Team (THT) multidisciplinary group in the development and use of a structured CT scan report for the study of abdominal wall defects. A regional multidisciplinary team (THT group) used a Delphi method to identify and select the most important CT scan parameters needed to describe and stage abdominal wall defects for correct preoperative planning. Based on the selected parameters, a CT scan structured report was worked out and collectively accepted. The first 20 structured reports obtained were individually tested for compilation speed and homogeneity of the data reported by five distinct radiologists. The reports were then evaluated by five different surgeons to test the simplicity of interpretation. We produced a model of a structured report for the study of the abdominal wall defects and tested it in our hospital network on the first 20 reports. The average completion time was 18min (range 12-25). There was no heterogeneity among the reported data. The reports were analysed by five distinct surgeons to evaluate completeness and simplicity of interpretation. Each surgeon used a Likert scale from 0 to 5 to evaluate each report, producing average scores of 4.8 and 4.1 for completeness and comprehensibility respectively, with a mean combined total score of 8.9 out of 10. Our structured report represents a fundamental tool capable of providing the surgeon with all the measurements of the parameters necessary for correct preoperative planning. At the same time, it is of crucial help for the radiologists representing an easy and fast way to report all the needed parameters using the same standards.

Treatment of advanced mucosal melanoma in the immunotherapy era: A joint institutional case series.

e21503 Background: Treatment pathways for malignant melanoma have changed dramatically in recent years, with the advent of immunotherapy. Mucosal melanoma is a rare subtype, representing 1-2% of melanomas in Caucasians, with higher incidence reported in other populations. They commonly present at an advanced stage due to their occult, UV naïve location. Rarity limits adequate trial exposure and the literature offers contradictory data on the benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in this group. Methods: Patient databases at two specialised treatment centres were searched to identify all patients with mucosal melanoma treated with ICI therapy between 01.10.15 and 30.09.19. All patients were reviewed at the regional multi-disciplinary team meeting. Patient demographics, pathology reports, mutation status, stage at start of treatment and prior treatment modalities were noted. Results: Ten patients were identified with a median age 73 years (range 32-80) and M:F ratio of 4:6. The site of the primary cancer was head and neck in 5 cases, gastrointestinal in 3 cases and genitourinary in 2 cases. All patients were BRAF wild type. C-Kit was wild type in 3 patients tested. The median number of cycles of first line ICI was 5.5 (range 1 – 45). At first radiological assessment 7 patients had progressive disease (PD), 2 patients had stable disease and one patient had a complete response (CR). Two patients progressed to second line therapy with a second ICI. One of these demonstrated a partial response after a further 9 months of treatment and had a progression-free survival (PFS) of 30.1 months on second line treatment. One patient received 3 cycles of dual ICI therapy (ipilimumab/nivolumab) but demonstrated PD after 1.5 months. The longest surviving patient currently has a PFS of 43 months. He achieved a CR after just 3 months of pembrolizumab and completed a total of 18 cycles before switching to surveillance. Conclusions: The joint institutional case series demonstrates a poor response to ICI therapy in the majority of patients, yet as commonly reported, response when it occurs can be remarkable. Recent studies have shown increased overall response rate when anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies are added to cytotoxics or ICI. Further investigation of this rare subtype is required to identify predictive biomarkers of response to ICI therapy and other targeted and combination treatments.