Resectable Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma Research Articles

Combination of CA19.9 with albumin and total bilirubin predicts lymph node positivity in patients with upfront r resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: the ALBICA-N model

Combination of CA19.9 with albumin and total bilirubin predicts lymph node positivity in patients with upfront r resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: the ALBICA-N model

Analysis of Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance in NRG Oncology RTOG 0848

NRG/Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0848 is a 2-step randomized trial to evaluate the benefit of the addition of concurrent fluoropyrimidine and radiation therapy (RT) after adjuvant chemotherapy (second step) for patients with resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. Real-time quality assurance (QA) was performed on each patient who underwent RT. This analysis aims to evaluate adherence to protocol-specified contouring and treatment planning and to report the types and frequencies of deviations requiring revisions. In addition to a web-based contouring atlas, the protocol outlined step-by-step instructions for generating the clinical treatment volume through the creation of specific regions of interest. The planning target volume was a uniform 0.5 cm clinical treatment volume expansion. One of 2 radiation oncology study chairs independently reviewed each plan. Plans with unacceptable deviations were returned for revision and resubmitted until approved. Treatment started after final approval of the RT plan. From 2014 to 2018, 354 patients were enrolled in the second randomization. Of these, 160 patients received RT and were included in the QA analysis. Resubmissions were more common for patients planned with 3-dimensional conformal RT (43%) than with intensity modulated RT (31%). In total, at least 1 resubmission of the treatment plan was required for 33% of patients. Among patients requiring resubmission, most only needed 1 resubmission (87%). The most common reasons for resubmission were unacceptable deviations with respect to the preoperative gross target volume (60.7%) and the pancreaticojejunostomy (47.5%). One-third of patients required resubmission to meet protocol compliance criteria, demonstrating the continued need for expending resources on real-time, pretreatment QA in trials evaluating the use of RT, particularly for pancreas cancer. Rigorous QA is critically important for clinical trials involving RT to ensure that the true effect of RT is assessed. Moreover, RT QA serves as an educational process through providing feedback from specialists to practicing radiation oncologists on best practices.

Preoperative CA19.9 Level Predicts Lymph-Nodal Involvement in Resectable Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma: A Further Plea for Neoadjuvant Treatment

Preoperative CA19.9 Level Predicts Lymph-Nodal Involvement in Resectable Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma: A Further Plea for Neoadjuvant Treatment

Analysis of Radiation Therapy Quality Assurance in NRG Oncology RTOG 0848

<h3>Purpose/Objective(s)</h3> NRG/RTOG 0848 is a two-step randomized trial to evaluate the benefit of the addition of concurrent fluoropyrimidine and radiotherapy (RT) following adjuvant gemcitabine-based chemotherapy (2^nd step) for patients with resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. Real-time quality assurance (QA) was performed for each patient who underwent RT. QA findings were reviewed, frequencies & reasons for resubmissions are reported. <h3>Materials/Methods</h3> Patients were treated using either a 3D-conformal RT (3DCRT) or intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) technique. In addition to a web-based contouring atlas, the protocol outlined step-by-step instructions for generating the clinical treatment volume (CTV) through the creation of specific regions of interest. The planning target volume (PTV) was established by expanding the CTV by 0.5 cm in all directions. Treatment planning data, including pre-operative imaging, surgical and pathology reports, simulation images with isodose lines, structure set, and dose volume histograms were submitted for review. One of two radiation oncology study chairs independently reviewed each plan. Plans with unacceptable deviations were returned for revision and then resubmitted for review until approved. Treatment started after final approval of the RT plan. <h3>Results</h3> Of the 354 patients who underwent second randomization, 180 were randomized to the RT arm. Of these, 160 received RT and were included in the QA analysis. Most patients (86%) were treated using IMRT. Resubmissions were more common for patients planned with 3D-CRT (43%) than with IMRT (31%). In total, at least one resubmission of the treatment plan was required for 33% of patients (see Table 1). Among patients requiring resubmission, the majority only needed to be resubmitted once (87%). The most common reasons for resubmission were unacceptable deviations with respect to the pre-operative gross target volume (GTV, 61%) and the pancreatojejunostomy (48%), leading to unacceptable deviations of the contours of the CTV and PTV (70% for each). Most patients requiring a resubmission had 5-9 unacceptable deviations (46%). Unacceptable deviations were similar for the few treatment plans that needed to be resubmitted more than once. <h3>Conclusion</h3> One third of patients required resubmission to meet protocol compliance criteria, demonstrating the continued need for expending resources on pretreatment QA for adjuvant pancreas cancer trials. Rigorous QA is of critical importance for clinical trials involving RT to ensure that the true impact of RT can be assessed. Moreover, RT QA serves as an educational process by training radiation oncologists on best practices.

Optimal extent of lymphadenectomy for radical surgery of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: 2-year survival rate results of single-center, prospective, randomized controlled study.

Background:Radical pancreaticoduodenectomy is the only possible cure for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, and although several RCT studies have suggested the extent of lymph node dissection, this issue remains controversial. This article wanted to evaluate the survival benefit of different lymph node dissection extent for radical surgical treatment of pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.Methods:A total of 240 patients were assessed for eligibility in the study, 212 of whom were randomly divided into standard lymphadenectomy group (SG) or extended lymphadenectomy group (EG), there were 97 patients in SG and 95 patients in EG receiving the radical pancreaticoduodenectomy.Result:The demography, histopathology and clinical characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. The 2-year overall survival rate in the SG was higher than the EG (39.5% vs 25.3%; P = .034). The 2-year overall survival rate in the SG who received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy was higher than the EG (60.7% vs 37.1%; P = .021). There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of complications between the 2 groups (P = .502). The overall recurrence rate in the SG and EG (70.7% vs 77.5%; P = .349), and the patterns of recurrence between 2 groups were no significant differences.Conclusion:In multimodality therapy system, the efficacy of chemotherapy should be based on the appropriate lymphadenectomy extent, and the standard extent of lymphadenectomy is optimal for resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. The postoperative slowing of peripheral blood lymphocyte recovery might be 1 of the reasons why extended lymphadenectomy did not result in survival benefits.Clinical trial registration:This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02928081) in October 7, 2016. https://clinicaltrials.gov/

Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma Undergoing Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis is recently reported as a promising prognostic biomarker in various types of cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the role of cfDNA in pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. Data for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy were studied for cfDNA. Prognostic factors were determined, and their correlation with cfDNA level was evaluated. The median of cfDNA for 97 cases was 7724 copies/mL, with a mean of 10,467, and ranging from 1856 to 44,203. Cell-free DNA was significantly higher in positive lymph node involvement and advanced stage III. Poor prognostic factors included high cfDNA level (>7724 copies/mL), abnormal carbohydrate antigen 19-9, abnormal carcinoembryonic antigen, and advanced stage. The 1- and 5-year survivals for those with high cfDNA were poorer, 70.2% and 21.2%, respectively, as compared with 93.4% and 23.7% for those with low cfDNA level. Only cfDNA level and stage were independent prognostic factors after multivariate analysis. The level of cfDNA was correlated with tumor burden. Therefore, it could be an emerging survival predictor for resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, and its detection might be a promising liquid biopsy to monitor both tumor progression and treatment response.

Prognosticating Outcome in Pancreatic Head Cancer With the use of a Machine Learning Algorithm.

Background: The purpose of this project is to identify prognostic features in resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma and use these features to develop a machine learning algorithm that prognosticates survival for patients pursuing pancreaticoduodenectomy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 93 patients who underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed. The patients were analyzed in 2 groups: Group 1 (n = 38) comprised of patients who survived < 2 years, and Group 2 (n = 55) comprised of patients who survived > 2 years. After comparing the two groups, 9 categorical features and 2 continuous features (11 total) were selected to be statistically significant (p < .05) in predicting outcome after surgery. These 11 features were used to train a machine learning algorithm that prognosticates survival. Results: The algorithm obtained 75% accuracy, 41.9% sensitivity, and 97.5% specificity in predicting whether survival is less than 2 years after surgery. Conclusion: A supervised machine learning algorithm that prognosticates survival can be a useful tool to personalize treatment plans for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Extrapancreatic Neuropathy Correlates with Early Liver Metastasis in Pancreatic Head Adenocarcinoma.

BackgroundPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a devastatingly poor prognosis, and most prognostic factors reflected the tumor stage more than the tumors’ biology. The peripheral nerve plexus is densely distributed in the tumor micro-environment, and there are interactions between tumor cells and these nerves. Perineural invasion is an important risk factor for tumor recurrence and metastasis in pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, but the concrete types of extrapancreatic neuropathy and its role in predicting prognosis are still not clear.ObjectiveTo clarify the role of extrapancreatic neuropathy in the early postoperative liver metastasis and tumor-related mortality in pancreatic head adenocarcinoma and to study the mechanism of tumor recurrence and liver metastasis in pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.MethodsWe reported a retrospective study of 60 patients with resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, all of whom accepted radical pancreaticoduodenectomy. Plexus pancreaticus capitalis II (PLX-II) was the representation of extrapancreatic plexus in our study, and all of these plexus had immunohistochemical staining. We defined the postoperative tumor recurrence and tumor-related mortality within 6 months as the early prognostic indicators and analyzed the pathological alterations in PLX-II among different prognosis groups.ResultsThere were 18 patients suffering early postoperative liver metastasis; these two groups differed significantly in the average number of nerve trunks (P<0.001), the proportion of neuritis (P=0.003), the content of sympathetic nerve fibers (P=0.004) and parasympathetic nerve fibers (P<0.001) per unit area of PLX-II. There were 15 patients suffering early postoperative mortality, and there were significant differences between these two groups in the average number of nerve trunks (P<0.001), the proportion of neuritis (P=0.009), the content of sympathetic nerve fibers (P=0.023) and parasympathetic nerve fibers (P<0.001) per unit area of PLX-II.ConclusionThe patterns of extrapancreatic neuropathy could reflect the biological behavior of resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, and the pathological features of PLX-II were closely related to early liver metastasis and mortality.

The diversity between curatively resected pancreatic head and body-tail cancers based on the 8th edition of AJCC staging system: a multicenter cohort study

BackgroundTo our knowledge, there are no studies to systematically compare the detailed clinical significance between curatively resected pancreatic head (ph) and body-tail (pbt) ductal adenocarcinoma based on the new 8th edition of AJCC staging system (8th AJCC stage) that was just applied in clinical practice in 2018.MethodsThree hundred fifty-one patients with curatively resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PC) from three center hospitals were entered into this multicenter cohort study.ResultsIncreasing tumor size (P < 0.001), T stage (T1 + T2 vs T3 + T4, P = 0.003), frequent postoperative liver metastasis (PLM) (P = 0.002) and 8th AJCC stage (IA to VI, P < 0.001; I + II vs III + IV, P = 0.002) were closely associated with the progression of pbt cancers compared with that in ph cancer patients. Moreover, tumor size≥3 cm (P = 0.012), 8th AJCC stage (III + IV) (P = 0.025) and PLM (P = 0.010) were identified as independent risk factors in pbt cancers in logistic analysis. Patients with pbt cancers had a significantly worse overall survival compared with ph cancer patients (P = 0.003). Moreover, pbt was an independent unfavorable factor in multivariate analysis (P = 0.011). In addition to lymph nodes metastasis, 8th AJCC stage, vascular invasion and PLM, increasing tumor size and advanced T stage were also closely associated with the poor prognosis in 131 cases of pbt cancer patients compared with Ph cancer patients.ConclusionPbt, as an independent unfavorable factor for the prognosis of PC patients, are much more aggressive than that in ph cancers according to 8th AJCC staging system. 8th AJCC staging system are more comprehensive and sensitive to reflect the malignant biology of pbt cancers.

Pathological analysis of the superior mesenteric artery boundary in preoperative computed tomography of resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the biological and prognostic implications of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) boundary on preoperative abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) for resectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head. A total of 121 patients treated over a 6-year period at Peking University Third Hospital (Beijing, China) were included in the present study. The pattern of the SMA boundary was investigated on preoperative CE-CT and detailed pathological analysis of the extrapancreatic plexus [the pancreatic head plexus II (PLX-II) located on the right edge of the SMA] was performed. The results revealed that the radiological SMA boundary was associated with the grade of parasympathetic neurogenesis (P=0.014) in PLX-II, and was predictive of postoperative disease-free survival (P=0.014) and liver metastasis (P=0.013). Therefore, it was proposed that extrapancreatic parasympathetic neurogenesis may account for the different patterns of the SMA boundary on preoperative abdominal CE-CT, and affect the prognosis, particularly for liver metastasis in resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

PET-based Treatment Response Assessment for Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: An Exploratory Study

PURPOSE: Performance of anatomical metrics of Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST1.1) versus Positron Emission Tomography Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (PERCIST1.0) for neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCR) of pancreatic adenocarcinoma was evaluated based on the pathological treatment response (PTR) data. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The pre- and post-nCR CT and PET data for 14 patients with resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma treated with nCR followed by surgery were retrospectively analyzed. These data were compared with the PTR which were graded according to tumor cell destruction (cellularity), with Grade 0, 1, 2 or 3 (G0, G1, G2 or G3) for complete, moderate, minimal and poor responses, respectively. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was defined using body-weight (SUVbw). PERCIST1.0 was defined using lean-body mass normalized SUV (SUVlb or SUL). RECIST1.1 was defined by contouring the whole pancreas head on the CT image. Pre- and post-SUL-peak and SUVmax, RECIST1.1 and PETRECIST1.0 were correlated with PTR using Pearson’s correlation coefficient test. RESULTS: The average mean and SD in SUL-peak for all patients analyzed were lower in post-nCR (3.63±1.06) compared to those at pre-nCR (4.29±0.89). Using PERCIST1.0, 62% of patients showed stable metabolic disease (SMD), 23% partial metabolic response (PMR), and 15% progressive metabolic disease (PMD). Using RECIST1.1, 85% of patients showed stable disease (SD), 8% partial response (PR), and 7% progressive diseases (PD). A poor insignificant correlation was established between PRT and PERECIST1.0 (r=0.121), whereas no correlation was seen with RECIST1.1. CONCLUSIONS: PERCIST1.0 appears to increase the chance of detecting patients with progressive disease compared to the conventional anatomical-based assessment of RECIST1.1. The integration of these additional radiographic metrics in assessing treatment response to nCR for pancreatic adenocarcinoma may provide a promising strategy to better select patients that are most suitable for therapeutic intensification.

Overall survival and cancer-specific survival in patients with surgically resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: A competing risk nomogram analysis.

Background: The objective of this study was to estimate probabilities of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with pancreatic head adenocarcinoma after surgery. In addition, we attempted to build nomograms to predict prognosis of these patients.Methods: Patients diagnosed with surgically resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma between 2004 and 2014 were selected for the study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Nomograms were established for estimating 1-, 2- and 3-year OS and CSS based on Cox regression model and Fine and Grey's model. The performance of the nomogram was measured by concordance index (C-index) and the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC).Results: A total of 2374 patients were retrospectively collected from the SEER database. The discrimination of nomogram for OS prediction was superior to that of the Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) 7th or 8th edition stage systems (C-index = 0.640, 95% CI, 0.618 - 0.662 vs 0.573, 95% CI, 0.554 - 0.593, P < 0.001; 0.640, 95% CI, 0.618 - 0.662 vs 0.596, 95% CI, 0.586 - 0.607, P < 0.001, respectively). The comparisons of values of AUC showed that the established nomograms displayed better discrimination power than TNM 7th or 8th stage systems for predicting both OS and CSS.Conclusions: The nomograms which could predict 1-, 2- and 3-year OS and CSS were established in this study. Our nomograms showed a relatively good performance and could be served as an effective tool for prognostic evaluation of patients with pancreatic head adenocarcinoma after surgery.

Clinical benefits of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for borderline resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: An observational study using inverse probability of treatment weighting

We present a multiproxy record from magnetic susceptibility, loss on ignition and chemical analysis of a sediment core collected from “Ciénega Las Taunas”, a peatland in the northwest of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. The oldest sediments were dated to 12,850 cal yr BP. The relatively cool and wet Younger Dryas (YD) shows higher concentrations of TiO2 and Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), suggesting higher runoff into the cienega. The transition from the YD to the early Holocene is marked by a decrease in susceptibility, pointing to weakened erosional processes during a period of closed forest vegetation, suggesting a predominantly winter rainfall regime. A change in seasonality likely occurred after ca. 9200 cal yr BP, as shown by: 1) an increase in most major elements, suggesting increased dust fallout from distant sources, and 2) more pollen assemblages from temperate vegetation (pine-oak forest). We related these changes to increased summer rains and monsoons in NW Mexico. A possible hiatus or a very slow sedimentation period occurred during the middle Holocene at this site. Finally, high-frequency changes in sediment properties were especially observed in the Late Holocene, suggesting contrasting sediment inputs controlled by an unstable water table and/or related to ENSO.

Resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: Is R0 resection an illusion? Genetic evaluation of venous resection margin affirmed unrecognized disease

To assess the K-ras gene mutation in the histologically negative venous margin of a pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) specimen and its impact on survival. From 2007 to 2010, 22 patients underwent R0 PD for resecable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. All specimens were stained and the portal vein (PV) bed was identified by blue ink; a 2mm3 sample (including the blue ink) was cut from a microscopic free-tumor block. DNA was extracted and assessed by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction to detect the K-ras gene mutation. Twelve specimens (55%) (kras+ group) were identified with a K-ras mutation in the venous margin resection, and 10 specimens (kras- group) did not have K-ras mutation detected in the venous margin resection. The two groups were comparable. Overall 3years survival of patients of kras+ group versus patients of kras- group was 0 and 17% (P=0.03), respectively. Median survival time of patients of kras+ group versus patients of kras- group was 16months vs 25months (P=0.04; 95% confidence interval [1,11-1,88]), respectively. Genetic evaluation of venous resection margin affirmed unrecognized disease with strong impact on survival in more than 50% of patients with histologically R0 resection.

Results of the randomized phase II portion of NRG Oncology/RTOG 0848 evaluating the addition of erlotinib to adjuvant gemcitabine for patients with resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

4007 Background: NRG/RTOG 0848 is a 2-step study designed to determine whether erlotinib (E) added to gemcitabine (G) (randomized Ph II) &amp;/or adjuvant radiation with concurrent 5-FU or capecitabine following 6 months of systemic chemotherapy (Ph III), improve survival in patients (pts) with resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. The erlotinib results are reported here. Methods: Eligible pts include those with resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma, pathologic stage T1-T3, N0-1, M0; PS 0-1, &amp; CA19-9 ≤ 180 IU/L. Pts in Arms 1 &amp; 2 received G 1 gm/m2 weekly for 3 weeks in a 28-day cycle for 6 cycles. Pts in Arm 2 also received E 100 mg/day. The primary hypothesis for the E portion was that G+E would increase overall survival (OS) compared to G alone. With a 1-sided alpha of 0.15, 200 OS events provide 80%/90% power to detect a signal for an increase in median OS from 22 to 28.8/30.6 months (mos). OS was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method &amp; arms compared using the log rank test. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze treatment effect. Results: 336 pts were randomized from 11/17/2009 to 2/28/2014, with 163 pts evaluable for G and 159 for G+E. Median age was 63 years (39-86). Most pts had pathologic T3 disease (78%) &amp; CA19-9 ≤ 90 (93%). There are 32 pts (20%) with grade 4 adverse events (AEs) &amp; 2 pts (1%) with grade 5 AEs on G and 27 (17%) &amp; 3 (2%) on G+E arm, respectively. There are fewer grade ≥ 3 GI AEs on the G arm (22%) as compared to the G+E arm (28%), and 110 (69.2%) &amp; 93 (59.6%) pts received at least 85% of planned G dose for the G &amp; G+E arms, respectively. 58% of E pts received at least 85% of planned E dose. The median follow-up for alive pts is 42.5 mos (min-max: &lt; 1-75). With 203 deaths, median &amp; 3-yr OS (95% CI) are 29.9 mos (21.7-33.4) &amp; 39% (30, 45) for G and 28.1 mos (20.7-30.9) &amp; 39% (31, 47) for G+E; log-rank p = 0.62. The hazard ratio (95% CI) comparing OS of G+E to G is 1.04 (0.79- 1.38). Conclusions: The addition of adjuvant E to G did not provide a signal for increased OS in pts with resected pancreatic head cancer compared to G alone. Accrual to the trial is continuing to answer the Ph III radiation question. Clinical trial information: NCT01013649.

Trends in utilization of chemotherapy and radiation for resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: an NCDB analysis

Trends in utilization of chemotherapy and radiation for resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma: an NCDB analysis

Preoperative radiographic vascular involvement score predicts the prognosis of resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

Operative indications for pancreatic head adenocarcinoma (PHC) with vascular invasion remain unclear. We aimed to develop a new prognostic model focusing on preoperative portal/superior mesenteric vein (PV/SMV) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) invasiveness. From 2005 to 2012, 103 patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for PHC. The CT findings for both PV/SMV and SMA invasion were evaluated separately [PV/SMV, none (score 0), unilateral narrowing (score 1), bilateral narrowing/stenosis (score 2); SMA, none or <90° (score 0), ≥90° (score 3)]. The total score defined the preoperative vascular involvement score (VI score); VI scores 0 (n=39), 1 (n=32), 2 (n=17) and ≥3 (n=15) were compared. PV/SMV resection was performed in 1 (3%), 29 (91%), 16 (94%) and 13 (87%) cases of VI scores 0, 1, 2 and ≥3, respectively (P<0.001). No patients with VI scores ≥3 had margin-negative resection; pathologically curative resection was achieved in 37 of 39 (95%), 27 of 32 (84%) and 13 of 17 (76%) patients with VI scores of 0, 1 and 2, respectively (P<0.001). The survival rate and median survival time (MST) were reduced with an increasing VI score (MST, 40.9, 16.5, 8.9 and 6.3months, respectively). The comparison of each survival curve revealed significant differences (P<0.005), except when comparing VI scores 1 and 2 (P=0.134). Higher VI score predicts shorter survival. Proposed scoring system may be useful for determining the choice between undergoing neoadjuvant treatment, or upfront resection with adjuvant treatment.

Neoadjuvant Therapy Followed by Resection Versus Upfront Resection for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis.

Purpose To compare overall survival between patients who received neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) followed by resection and those who received upfront resection (UR)-as well as a subgroup of UR patients who also received adjuvant therapy-for early-stage resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Patients and Methods Adult patients with resected, clinical stage I or II adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas were identified in the National Cancer Database from 2006 to 2012. Patients who underwent NAT followed by curative-intent resection were matched by propensity score with patients whose tumors were resected upfront. Overall survival was compared by using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Early postoperative and oncologic outcomes were evaluated. Results We identified 15,237 patients with clinical stage I or II resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. From the NAT group, 2,005 patients (95%) were matched with 6,015 patients who underwent UR. The NAT group was associated with improved survival compared with UR (median survival, 26 months v 21 months, respectively; stratified log-rank P < .01; hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.78). Patients in the UR group had higher pathologic T stage (pT3 and T4: 86% v 73%; P < .01), higher positive lymph nodes (73% v 48%; P < .01), and higher positive resection margin (24% v 17%; P < .01). Compared with a subset of UR patients who received adjuvant therapy, NAT patients had a better survival (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.89). Conclusion NAT followed by resection has a significant survival benefit compared with UR in early-stage, resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. These findings support the use of NAT, particularly as a patient selection tool, in the management of resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus chemoradiation among patients with resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma.

398 Background: Increasing use of neoadjuvant therapy in pancreatic cancer has been reported. We compared patterns of practice and outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCHT) versus chemoradiation (nCRT) among pancreatic cancer pts receiving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Methods: National Cancer Data Base pancreatic head adenocarcinoma patients (pts) diagnosed between 2003 and 2011 treated by nCHT or nCRT followed by pancreaticoduodenectomy. Backward elimination logistic and Cox regression models were used. Primary outcome measures were 30-day and 90-day postsurgical mortality and overall survival; adjusted odds (aOR) &amp; hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported. Results: In all 1,432 pts received neoadjuvant treatment with nCHT (n = 523) or nCRT (n = 909). Odds of 30-day mortality were influenced by age (aOR 1.03, CI 0.99-1.06,p = 0.077), average annual resection volume of facility (aOR 0.98, CI 0.97-1.00, p = 0.135), and household income quartile (aOR 1.94, CI 0.97-3.90, p = 0.060), but not by delivery of RT, comorbidities, gender, insurance status or facility type. Odds of 90-day mortality were influenced by age (aOR 1.03, 1.01-1.05,p = 0.004), household income quartile (aOR 1.37, CI 0.87-2.16, p = 0.171), and delivery of nCRT (aOR 1.69, CI 1.04-2.74, p = 0.032), but not by average annual resection volume of facility, comorbidity, gender, insurance status or facility type. Survival odds were influenced by age (aHR 1.01, CI 1.00-1.02, p = 0.001), margin status (aOR 1.50, CI 1.27-1.77, p &lt; 0.001), ypN status (aHR 1.45, CI 1.26-1.68), p &lt; 0.001), adjuvant CHT (aHR 0.81, CI 0.69-0.94, p = 0.006), and nCRT (aHR 1.21, CI 1.04-1.40, p = 0.012). On average pts with nCHT as compared to nCRT lived longer (median OS 26.4 vs. 24.2 months, p = 0.001; actuarial 3 yr 58% vs 49%, and 5 year survival 30% vs 14%). Conclusions: There is no detectable difference in early outcome (30-day postsurgical mortality) among pancreaticoduodenectomy pts treated with nCHT or nCRT. Trend toward a more favorable long-term outcome (30-day postsurgical mortality and overall survival) among those with nCHT without radiation is noted. Further studies with more detailed data sources are needed.

SU‐E‐J‐271: Correlation of CT Number Change with Radiation Treatment Response for Pancreatic Cancer

Purpose:It has been reported recently that radiation can induce CT number (CTN) change during radiation therapy (RT) delivery. In the effort to explore whether CTN can be used to assess RT response, we analyze the relationship between the pathological treatment response (PTR) and the changes of CTN, MRI, and PET before and after the neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCR) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.Methods:The preand post‐nCR CT, MRI, and PET data for a total of 8 patients with resectable, or borderline resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma treated with nCR were retrospectively analyzed. Radiographic characteristics were correlated to PTR data. The histograms, means and standard derivations (SD) of the CTNs in pancreatic head (CTNPH), the GTV defined by ADC (CTNGTV), and the rest of pancreatic head (CTNPH‐CTNGTV) were compared. Changes before and after nCR were correlated with the corresponding changes of ADC, lean body mass normalized SUV (SUVlb), and PTR using Pearson’ s correlation coefficient test.Results:The average mean and SD in CTPH for all the patients analyzed were higher in post‐nCR (53.17 ± 31.05 HU) compared to those at pre‐nCR (28.09 ± 4.253 HU). The CTNGTV were generally higher than CTNPH and CTNPH‐CTNGTV, though the differences were not significant. The post‐nCR changes of mean CTN, ADC, and SUVlb values in pancreatic head were correlated with PTR (R=0.3273/P=0.5357, R=−0.5455/P&lt;0.0001, and R=0.7638/P=0.0357, respectively). The mean difference in the maximum tumor dimension measured from CTN, ADC, and SUVlb as compared with pathological measurements was −2.1, −0.5, and 0.22 cm, respectively.Conclusion:The radiation‐induced change of CTN in pancreas head after chemoradiation therapy of pancreatic cancer was observed, which may be related to treatment responses as assessed by biological imaging and pathology. More data are needed to determine whether the CTN can be used as a quantitative biomarker for response to neoadjuvant therapy.