Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma is Associated with Lower Post-Pancreatectomy Readmission Rates:A Population-Based Cohort Study

Introduction: Despite neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) being increasingly utilized and possibly associated with improved oncological outcomes, the impact of NAC on textbook outcomes following pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains debated.Methods: A retrospective review of the National Cancer Database of patients undergoing resection of non-metastatic PDAC from 2004 to 2016 was performed. Propensity score matching was used to account for treatment selection bias in patients with and without NAC (noNAC). A multivariable binary logistic regression model was used to analyze the association of NAC with length of stay (LOS), 30-day readmission, and 30- and 90-day mortality.Results: Of 7975 (11%) NAC patients and 65,338 (89%) noNAC patients, 2911 NAC and 2911 noNAC patients remained in the cohort after matching. Clinicopathologic and demographic variables were well-balanced after matching. After matching, NAC was associated with significantly lower rates of 30-day readmission (5.5% vs. 7.4%; p = 0.006), which remained after multivariable adjustment (odds ratio [OR] 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60–0.92; p = 0.006). There were no significant differences in LOS and 30- and 90-day mortality in patients receiving NAC and noNAC. Stratified analyses by surgery type (i.e. pancreaticoduodenectomy [PD] and distal pancreatectomy [DP]) demonstrated consistent results.Conclusion: Receipt of NAC in PDAC patients undergoing DP or PD is associated with lower readmission rates and does not otherwise compromise short-term outcomes. These data reaffirm the safety of strategies incorporating NAC and is important to consider when devising policies aimed at quality improvement in achieving textbook outcomes.</p

Effect of Health Disparities on Refusal of Trimodality Therapy in Localized Esophageal Adenocarcinoma:A Propensity Score Matched Analysis of the National Cancer Database

Background: Factors associated with refusal of multimodality therapy in patients with localized esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) remain unknown. We hypothesized that sociodemographic disparities affect decision to pursue optimal trimodally therapy for patients with EA. Methods: NCDB for esophageal cancer (2004-2017) was utilized. Included were patients diagnosed with cT3-T4 cN0 or cTany N1-3 EA of the mid-lower esophagus. Annual institutional esophagectomy volumes were categorized as low (&lt;20/year) and high (≥20/year). Conditional logistic regression was used to identify predictors of refusal of offered treatment. Kaplan Meier method was used to compare survival. Results: 13 091 patients met selection criteria, mean age was 62.4 ± 9.6 years and 11 581 (88.5%) were males. 633 (4.8%) patients refused at least one component of recommended treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, and esophagectomy), most commonly refusal of surgery (N = 554, 4.2%). On multivariable analysis, factors predictive of treatment refusal included older age, female gender, black race, no insurance, low income (below poverty), mid-esophageal tumors, and treatment at low-volume centers. Patients who were recommended treatment but refused had significantly worse survival than those who adhered to treatment (median 23.1 ± 1.1 vs. 32.1 ± 1.2 months; P &lt;.001). Conclusions: In this study, sociodemographic disparities and center volume were among factors predictive of therapy refusal in patients with localized esophageal adenocarcinoma. While understanding potential reasons for treatment refusal is critical, this data suggests that socioeconomic variables may drive patient decisions.</p

A case report of Hepatoid Carcinoma of the Ovary with peritoneal metastases treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy without systemic adjuvant therapy

Background: Hepatoid Carcinoma of the Ovary (HCO) is a rare subtype of ovarian cancers where malignant cells undergo hepatoid metamorphic changes and cytologically resemble hepatocytes. There are many case reports of HCO in the literature, and patients with these tumors are almost uniformly treated with palliative debulking and conventional adjuvant chemotherapy. To our knowledge, there is only one case report of HCO complicated by peritoneal dissemination that was treated with cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS plus HIPEC), followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Case summary: A 47-year-old female presented with vague lower abdominal pain. Work-up included imaging studies and biopsies for histopathology which confirmed the diagnosis of hepatoid ovarian carcinoma with synchronous liver metastasis and peritoneal dissemination, without evidence of extraperitoneal disease. She underwent a cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS plus HIPEC) with curative intent. Complete cytoreduction was achieved (CC-0). Postoperatively, the patient elected to forgo adjuvant therapy. She continues to be closely followed through clinical and radiological surveillance. On her most recent follow-up visit, she achieved 22 months of disease-free survival. Conclusion: CRS plus HIPEC can be considered as a promising curative approach for HCO with peritoneal dissemination in absence of extraperitoneal disease. Further studies are warranted to determine the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in this relatively rare entity

Tissue Diagnosis Is Associated With Worse Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma:A National Cancer Database Analysis

Background: Biopsy to achieve tissue diagnosis (TD) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risks needle tract seeding. With chest wall and peritoneal recurrences reported, TD could worsen cancer outcomes. We investigated HCC outcomes after TD compared to clinical diagnosis (CD), hypothesizing that TD adversely affects overall survival (OS). Methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) Participant User File for liver cancer was reviewed, including patients with nonmetastatic HCC treated with major hepatectomy or transplantation. Clinical diagnosis patients were matched 1:1 to TD patients per propensity score. Survival was examined in the unmatched and matched cohorts. Results: Of 172 283 cases, 16 366 met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 60.8 years, 12 100 (73.9%) were male, and 48.4% of patients received hepatectomies. Clinical diagnosis occurred in 70.4% of cases, and 29.6% underwent TD. Cox regression confirmed the diagnostic method as an independent predictor of OS in addition to age, Charlson-Deyo score, grade, delay of surgery, lymphovascular invasion, nodal stage, and procedure type, favoring transplantation over hepatectomy. After propensity matching on these factors, 4251 patients were matched from each group. In the matched cohort, patients with TD had a significantly lower OS than patients with CD (median: 65.5 vs. 85.6 ± 2.7 months, P &lt;.001). The corresponding 5-year survival was lower in the TD group (47.6% vs. 60.9% P &lt;.001). Conclusion: Hepatocellular carcinoma patients with preoperative TD had decreased OS compared to CD, which persisted after propensity matching. This study supports avoiding biopsy for HCC whenever possible.</p

Adjuvant Chemotherapy Associated with Survival Benefit Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Pancreatectomy for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Data supporting the routine use of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) compared with no AC (noAC) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are lacking. This study aimed to determine whether AC improves long-term survival in patients receiving NAC and resection. METHODS Patients receiving resection for PDAC following NAC from 2004 to 2016 were identified from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Patients with a survival rate of < 6 months were excluded to account for immortal time bias. Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox regression analysis were performed to account for selection bias and analyze the impact of AC on overall survival. RESULTS Of 4449 (68%) noAC patients and 2111 (32%) AC patients, 2016 noAC patients and 2016 AC patients remained after PSM. After matching, AC was associated with improved survival (median 29.4 vs. 24.9 months; p < 0.001), which remained after multivariable adjustment (HR 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75-0.88; p < 0.001). On multivariable interaction analyses, this benefit persisted irrespective of nodal status: N0 (hazard ratio [HR] 0.80, 95% CI 0.72-0.90; p < 0.001), N1 (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.86; p < 0.001), R0 margin status (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.75-0.89; p < 0.001), R1 margin status (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.64-0.93; p = 0.007), no neoadjuvant radiotherapy (NART; HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.74-0.96; p = 0.009), and use of NART (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.73-0.88; p < 0.001). Stratified analysis by nodal, margin, and NART status demonstrated consistent results. CONCLUSION AC following NAC and resection is associated with improved survival, even in margin-negative and node-negative disease. These findings suggest completing planned systemic treatment should be considered in all resected PDACs previously treated with NAC

Adjuvant chemotherapy after neoadjuvant chemoradiation and proctectomy improves survival irrespective of pathologic response in rectal adenocarcinoma:a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND: This study sought to determine whether adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) compared to no AC (noAC) after neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) and resection for rectal adenocarcinoma prolongs survival. Current guidelines from expert groups are conflicting, and data to support administering AC to patients who received neoadjuvant CRT are lacking.METHODS: A total of 19,867 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Mean age was 58.6 ± 12.0 years, and 12,396 (62.4%) were males. Complete response (CR) was documented in 3801 (19.1%) patients and 8167 (41.1%) received AC. The cohort was stratified into pathological complete (pCR, N = 3801) and incomplete (pIR, N = 16,066) subgroups, and pIR further subcategorized into ypN0 (N = 10,191) and ypN + (N = 5875) subgroups. After propensity score matching, AC was associated with improved OS in the pCR subgroups (mean 139.1 ± 1.9 vs. 134.0 ± 2.2 months; p &lt; 0.001), in pIR ypN0 subgroup (141.6 ± 1.5 vs. 129.9 ± 1.2 months, p &lt; 0.001), and in pIR ypN + subgroup (155.9 ± 5.4 vs. 126.5 ± 7.6 months; p &lt; 0.001).RESULTS: AC was associated with improved OS in patients who received neoadjuvant CRT followed by proctectomy for clinical stages II and III rectal adenocarcinoma. This effect persisted irrespective of pathological response status.CONCLUSIONS: AC following neoadjuvant CRT and surgery is associated with improved OS in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma. These findings warrant adoption of AC after neoadjuvant CRT and surgery for clinical stage II and III rectal adenocarcinoma.</p

Surgical Approach does not Affect Return to Intended Oncologic Therapy Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma:A Propensity-Matched Study

Background: The effect of minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD), including laparoscopic and robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD and RPD, respectively), on compliance and time to return to intended oncologic therapy (RIOT) for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unknown. Patients and Methods: Patients with nonmetastatic PDAC were analyzed in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Three groups were matched per propensity score: open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) and MIPD, LPD and RPD, and converted and nonconverted patients. RIOT rates and time to RIOT were examined. Results: A total of 14,135 patients were included: 11,834 (83.7%) underwent OPD and 2301 (16.3%) underwent MIPD. After score matching, RIOT rates (67.2 vs. 65.3%; p = 0.112) and RIOT within 8 weeks (57.7 vs. 56.4%; p = 0.276) were similar among MIPD and OPD groups, and approach was not a significant predictor of RIOT on multivariable regression. Neither RIOT nor time to RIOT were different among LPD and RPD groups (63.9 vs. 67.0%, and 58.4 vs. 56.9%, respectively). Compared with LPD, RPD was associated with lower conversion rates (HR 0.519; p &lt; 0.001), and conversion was associated with longer median time to RIOT (10 vs. 8 weeks; p = 0.041). Conclusion: In this national cohort, approach did not impact RIOT rates or time to RIOT for patients with PDAC. While conversion was associated with longer median time to RIOT, readiness to commence adjuvant therapy was similar for LPD and RPD.</p

Assessment of Textbook Oncologic Outcomes Following Proctectomy for Rectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND Outcomes of rectal adenocarcinoma vary considerably. Composite "textbook oncologic outcome" (TOO) is a single metric that estimates optimal clinical performance for cancer surgery. METHODS Patients with stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent single-agent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and proctectomy within 5-12 weeks were identified in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). TOO was defined as achievement of negative distal and circumferential resection margin (CRM), retrieval of ≥ 12 nodes, no 90-day mortality, and length of stay (LOS) < 75th percentile of corresponding year's range. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of TOO. RESULTS Among 318,225 patients, 8869 met selection criteria. Median age was 62 years (IQR 54-71), and 5550 (62.6%) were males. Low anterior resection was the most common procedure (LAR, 6,037 (68.1%) and 3084 (34.8%) were treated at a high-volume center (≥ 20 rectal resections/year). TOO was achieved in 3967 patients (44.7%). Several components of TOO were achieved commonly, including negative CRM (87.4%), no 90-day mortality (98.0%), no readmission (93.0%), and no prolonged hospitalization (78.8%). Logistic regression identified increasing age, non-private insurance, low-volume centers, open approach, Black race, Charlson score ≥ 3, and abdominoperineal resection (APR) as predictors of failure to achieve TOO. Over time, TOOs were attained more commonly which correlated with increased minimally invasive surgery (MIS) adoption. TOO achievement was associated with improved survival. CONCLUSIONS Rectal adenocarcinoma patients achieve TOO uncommonly. Treatment at high-volume centers and MIS approach were among modifiable factors associated with TOO in this study

Assessment of Textbook Oncologic Outcomes Following Proctectomy for Rectal Cancer

Background: Outcomes of rectal adenocarcinoma vary considerably. Composite “textbook oncologic outcome” (TOO) is a single metric that estimates optimal clinical performance for cancer surgery. Methods: Patients with stage II/III rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent single-agent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and proctectomy within 5–12 weeks were identified in the National Cancer Database (NCDB). TOO was defined as achievement of negative distal and circumferential resection margin (CRM), retrieval of ≥ 12 nodes, no 90-day mortality, and length of stay (LOS) &lt; 75th percentile of corresponding year’s range. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify predictors of TOO. Results: Among 318,225 patients, 8869 met selection criteria. Median age was 62 years (IQR 54–71), and 5550 (62.6%) were males. Low anterior resection was the most common procedure (LAR, 6,037 (68.1%) and 3084 (34.8%) were treated at a high-volume center (≥ 20 rectal resections/year). TOO was achieved in 3967 patients (44.7%). Several components of TOO were achieved commonly, including negative CRM (87.4%), no 90-day mortality (98.0%), no readmission (93.0%), and no prolonged hospitalization (78.8%). Logistic regression identified increasing age, non-private insurance, low-volume centers, open approach, Black race, Charlson score ≥ 3, and abdominoperineal resection (APR) as predictors of failure to achieve TOO. Over time, TOOs were attained more commonly which correlated with increased minimally invasive surgery (MIS) adoption. TOO achievement was associated with improved survival. Conclusions: Rectal adenocarcinoma patients achieve TOO uncommonly. Treatment at high-volume centers and MIS approach were among modifiable factors associated with TOO in this study.</p