Search

Introduction Population-based data on metachronous peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) after curative resection of colorectal origin are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of and risk factors for developing metachronous PC from colorectal cancer as well as survival since diagnosis of PC. Methods Data on metachronous metastases were collected between 2010 and 2011 for all patients diagnosed with M0 colorectal cancer between 2003 and 2008 in the Dutch Eindhoven Cancer Registry. Median follow-up was 5.0 years. Survival was defined as time from metastases diagnosis to death. Results Of the 5671 colorectal cancer patients, 1042 (18%) were diagnosed with metachronous metastases of whom 197 (19%) developed metachronous PC. The peritoneal surface was the only site of metastasis in 81 (41%) patients while 116 (59%) patients were diagnosed with both PC and metastases elsewhere. Median survival after diagnosis of PC was 6 months compared to 15 months for patients with distant metastases in other organs. Patients with an advanced primary tumour stage, positive lymph nodes at initial diagnosis, primary mucinous adenocarcinoma, positive resection margin and a primary tumour located in the colon were at increased risk of developing metachronous PC. Conclusion Of the colorectal cancer patients who developed metachronous metastases, approximately one fifth is diagnosed with PC. Prognosis of these patients is poor with a median survival of 6 months after diagnosis. Identifying patients at high risk for developing metachronous PC is important as it may contribute to more accurate patient information, tailor-made follow-up schemes, and more adequate treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose was to assess factors associated with the administration of chemotherapy and their relation to survival at a population-based level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background We determined to what extent patients with colon cancer stage III ≥ 75 years received adjuvant chemotherapy and the impact on overall and disease-specific survival. Patients and methods Data from The Netherlands Cancer Registry on all 8051 patients with colon cancer stage III ≥ 75 years diagnosed in 1997–2009 were included. Trends in adjuvant chemotherapy administration were analysed and multivariable overall and disease-specific survival analyses were performed. Results The proportion of stage III colon cancer patients ≥ 75 years who received adjuvant chemotherapy increased from 12%in 1997–2000 to 23% in 2007–2009 (P < 0.0001), with a marked age gradient and large geographic variation. Five-year overall survival increased over time from 28% in 1997–2000 to 35% in 2004–2006 (P < 0.0001). Sixty percent of patients died of colorectal cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy was the strongest positive predictor of survival in this retrospective study (hazard ratio = 0.5; 95% confidence interval: 0.4–0.5). Conclusion There has been an increase in administration of adjuvant chemotherapy to elderly patients with stage III colon cancer in The Netherlands since 1997. Survival of elderly patients with stage III colon cancer increased over time, at least partly due to stage migration. The large effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival in this study is likely to be associated with the selection of fitter patients for adjuvant treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preferred treatment for resectable oesophageal cancer is surgery with or without neoadjuvant treatment. However, oesophageal surgery has high morbidity and in vulnerable patients with co-morbidity other treatment modalities can be proposed. We examined determinants in decision making for surgery and factors affecting survival in patients with resectable oesophageal cancer in southern Netherlands.Methods: All patients with resectable (T1-3, N0-1, M0-1A) oesophageal cancer (n=849) diagnosed between 2003 and 2010 were selected from the population-based data of the Eindhoven Cancer Registry. Logistic regression analysis and multivariable Cox survival analysis were conducted to examine determinants of surgery and survival.Results: Forty-five percent of the patients underwent surgery. In multivariable survival analysis only surgery, chemoradiation alone and tumour stage influenced overall survival (OS). Patients aged ≥ 70 yrs, a low socioeconomic status (SES), one or more co-morbidities, cT1-tumours, cN1-tumours, a squamous-cell carcinoma, and those with a proximal tumour were significantly less often offered surgical resection. Older patients and patients with cT1 tumours were less likely to receive chemoradiation alone. Patients with clinically positive lymph nodes or a proximal tumour were more likely to receive chemoradiation alone.Conclusion: Treatment modalities including surgery and chemoradiation alone as well as stage of disease were independent predictors of a better OS in patients with potentially resectable oesophageal cancer. Therefore, the decision to perform potentially curative treatment is of crucial importance to improve OS for patients with potentially resectable oesophageal cancer. Although age and SES had no significant influence on overall survival, a higher age and low SES negatively influenced the probability to propose potentially curative treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The discussion on the role of adjuvant chemotherapy for rectal cancer patients treated according to current guidelines is still ongoing. A multicentre, randomized phase III trial, PROCTOR-SCRIPT, was conducted to compare adjuvant chemotherapy with observation for rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative (chemo)radiotherapy and total mesorectal excision (TME). Patients and methods: The PROCTOR-SCRIPT trial recruited patients from 52 hospitals. Patients with histologically proven stage II or III rectal adenocarcinoma were randomly assigned (1:1) to observation or adjuvant chemotherapy after preoperative (chemo)radiotherapy and TME. Radiotherapy consisted of 5 x 5 Gy. Chemoradiotherapy consisted of 25 x 1.8-2 Gy combined with 5-FU-based chemotherapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of 5-FU/LV (PROCTOR) or eight courses capecitabine (SCRIPT). Randomization was based on permuted blocks of six, stratified according to centre, residual tumour, time between last irradiation and surgery, and preoperative treatment. The primary end point was overall survival. Results: Of 470 enrolled patients, 437 were eligible. The trial closed prematurely because of slow patient accrual. Patients were randomly assigned to observation (n = 221) or adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 216). After a median follow-up of 5.0 years, 5-year overall survival was 79.2% in the observation group and 80.4% in the chemotherapy group [hazard ratio (HR) 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.62-1.39; P = 0.73]. The HR for disease-free survival was 0.80 (95% CI 0.60-1.07; P = 0.13). Five-year cumulative incidence for locoregional recurrences was 7.8% in both groups. Five-year cumulative incidence for distant recurrences was 38.5% and 34.7%, respectively (P = 0.39). Conclusion: The PROCTOR-SCRIPT trial could not demonstrate a significant benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy with fluoropyrimidine monotherapy after preoperative (chemo)radiotherapy and TME on overall survival, disease-free survival, and recurrence rate. However, this trial did not complete planned accrual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Palliative chemotherapy improves survival in patients with metastasised colorectal cancer. However, there is a lack of data regarding the effectiveness of modern chemotherapy in patients with isolated peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC).Patients and methods: All patients with synchronous PC of colorectal origin diagnosed in the Eindhoven Cancer Registry registration area between 1995 and 2008 were included (N = 904). We assessed the use of chemotherapy and overall survival in three time periods related to the availability of different chemotherapy regimens.Results: Chemotherapy use gradually increased over time. Median survival (MS) for patients with PC without other metastases diagnosed in 1995–2000 was 35 weeks [95% confidence interval (CI) 24–43] and 34 weeks (25–54) in 2005–2008. MS in patients diagnosed with PC plus other metastases was 21 weeks (15–27) in 1995–2000 and 26 weeks (18–33) in 2005–2008. In multivariable regression analysis, use of chemotherapy had a beneficial influence on survival only in 2005–2008. In the first two periods, chemotherapy treatment did not decrease the risk for death.Conclusion: Despite increasing usage of palliative chemotherapy and availability of new agents, population-based survival of patients with PC did not improve until very recently. Response to palliative chemotherapy in PC should be evaluated separately from haematogenous metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Molecular markers in colon cancer are needed for a more accurate classification and personalized treatment. We determined the effects on clinical outcome of the BRAF mutation, microsatellite instability (MSI) and KRAS mutations in stage II and stage III colon carcinoma.Patients and methods: Stage II colon carcinoma patients (n = 106) treated with surgery only and 258 stage III patients all adjuvantly treated with 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy were included. KRAS mutations in codons 12 and 13, V600E BRAF mutation and MSI status were determined.Results: Older patients (P < 0.001), right-sided (P = 0.018), better differentiated (P = 0.003) and MSI tumors (P < 0.001) were significantly more frequent in stage II than stage III. In both groups, there was a positive association between mutated BRAF and MSI (P = 0.001) and BRAF mutation and right-sided tumors (P = 0.001). Mutations in BRAF and KRAS were mutually exclusive. In a multivariate survival analysis with pooled stage II and stage III data, BRAF mutation was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival [hazards ratio (HR) = 0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.25–0.8 for OS and HR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.22–0.99]. KRAS mutation conferred a poorer disease-free survival (HR = 0.6, 95% CI 0.38–0.97).Conclusions: The V600E BRAF mutation confers a worse prognosis to stage II and stage III colon cancer patients independently of disease stage and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We described changes in treatment of colon cancer over time and the impact on survival in The Netherlands in the period 1989–2006.Patients and methods: All 103 744 patients with invasive colon cancer during 1989–2006 in The Netherlands were included. Data were extracted from The Netherlands Cancer Registry. Trends in treatment over time were analysed and multivariable relative survival analysis was carried out.Results: The administration of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage III patients <75 years increased from 19% in 1989–1993 to 79% in 2004–2006 and from 1% to 19% in stage III patients ≥75 years. Among stage IV patients, resection rates of the primary tumour decreased from 72% to 63%, while chemotherapy administration increased from 23% to 64% in those <75 years. Survival increased from 52% to 58% in males and from 55% to 58% among females. Stage III patients with adjuvant chemotherapy exhibited a relative excess risk of 0.4 (95% confidence interval 0.4–0.4) compared with those without. Among stage IV patients, resection of primary tumour, palliative chemotherapy, and metastasectomy were important prognostic factors.Conclusions: There were substantial improvements in management and survival of colon cancer from 1989 to 2006. Stage III disease patients with colon cancer experienced the largest improvement in survival, most likely related to the increased administration of adjuvant chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze the pooled results of multimodality treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) in four major treatment centers with particular expertise in intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]