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Immune checkpoint inhibitors and immune-related biomarkers are increasingly investigated in rectal cancer (RC). We retrospectively analysed PD-L1 expression in diagnostic biopsy and resection samples from RC patients treated at our centre between 2000 and 2020. PD-L1 immunostaining (22C3 clone) was evaluated according to tumour proportion (TPS), immune cell (ICS), and the combined positive score (CPS). Eighty-three patients were included. At diagnosis, PD-L1 expression ≥1%/≥5% was observed in 15.4%/0%, 80.7%/37.4%, and 69.2%/25.6% of patients based on TPS, ICS, and CPS, respectively. At surgery, the respective figures were 4.6%/1.5%, 60.2%/32.5%, and 50.7%/26.2%. Using the 1% cut-off and regardless of the scoring system, PD-L1 was less expressed in surgery than biopsy samples (p ≤ 0.04). In paired specimens, PD-L1-ICS reduction was especially observed following neoadjuvant long-course (chemo)radiotherapy (p = 0.03). PD-L1-ICS of ≥5% in surgical samples (HR: 0.17; p = 0.02), and a biopsy-to-surgery increase in PD-L1-ICS (HR: 0.19; p = 0.04) was predictive for longer disease-free survival, while the PD-L1-ICS of either ≥1% (HR 0.28; p = 0.04) or ≥5% (HR 0.19; p = 0.03) in surgical samples and the biopsy-to-surgery increase in PD-L1-ICS (HR: 0.20; p = 0.04) were associated with better overall survival. Our study suggests that PD-L1 expression in RC is largely reflective of immune cell infiltration, and its presence/increase in surgical samples predicts better outcomes.

Purpose. This multicenter retrospective study aims to identify reliable clinical and radiomic features to build machine learning models that predict progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. Methods. Between 2010 and 2020 pre-treatment contrast-enhanced CT scans of 287 pathology-confirmed PDAC patients from two sites of the Hopital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB) and from 47 hospitals within the HUB network were retrospectively analysed. Demographic, clinical, and survival data were also collected. Gross tumour volume (GTV) and non-tumoral pancreas (RPV) were semi-manually segmented and radiomics features were extracted. Patients from two HUB sites comprised the training dataset, while those from the remaining 47 hospitals of the HUB network constituted the testing dataset. A three-step method was used for feature selection. Based on the GradientBoostingSurvivalAnalysis classifier, different machine learning models were trained and tested to predict OS and PFS. Model performances were assessed using the C-index and Kaplan–Meier curves. SHAP analysis was applied to allow for post hoc interpretability. Results. A total of 107 radiomics features were extracted from each of the GTV and RPV. Fourteen subgroups of features were selected: clinical, GTV, RPV, clinical & GTV, clinical & GTV & RPV, GTV-volume and RPV-volume both for OS and PFS. Subsequently, 14 Gradient Boosting Survival Analysis models were trained and tested. In the testing dataset, the clinical & GTV model demonstrated the highest performance for OS (C-index: 0.72) among all other models, while for PFS, the clinical model exhibited a superior performance (C-index: 0.70). Conclusions. An integrated approach, combining clinical and radiomics features, excels in predicting OS, whereas clinical features demonstrate strong performance in PFS prediction.

Surgical resection can lead to prolonged survival in patients with isolated liver metastases (LM) from various primary cancers. However, there are currently no validated predictive markers to discriminate between these oligo/argometastatic patients, who will benefit from surgery, and those with diffuse metastatic behavior in whom surgery will be futile. To evaluate whether the tumor microenvironment, or histopathological growth pattern (HGP), of LM reflects the type of metastatic progression independently of the origin of the primary cancer, we analyzed a combined series of patients who underwent surgery for colorectal LM (N=263) or non-colorectal LM (N=66). HGPs of LM were scored in each patient to distinguish between desmoplastic HGP (all LM showing a complete encapsulated pattern) and non-desmoplastic HGP (at least one LM with some infiltrating-replacement component). In the entire series, 5-year overall and progression-free survival were, 44.5% and 15.5%, respectively, with no significant differences between colorectal and non-colorectal LM. In patients with desmoplastic HGP, 5-year overall and progression-free survival were 57% and 32%, respectively, as compared to 41% and 12%, respectively, in patients with non-desmoplastic-HGP (p=0.03 and 0.005). Irrespective of cancer origin and compared to traditional risk factors, desmoplastic HGP was the most significant predictor for better post-operative overall survival (adjusted HR: 0.62; 95% CI: [0.49-0.97]; p=0.035) and progression-free survival (adjusted HR: 0.61; 95% CI: [0.42-0.87], p=0.006). This suggests that the HGP of LM may represent an accurate marker that reflects the mode of metastatic behavior, independently of primary cancer type.

Circulating cytokines could be optimal biomarkers for prognostication and management decisions in colorectal cancer (CRC). Chemorefractory CRC patients with available plasma samples were included in this study. In the discovery cohort (n = 85), 182 circulating cytokines were tested with a semi-quantitative multiplex assay, and prognostic cytokines were analyzed in the validation cohort (n = 111) by ELISA. Overall survival (OS) was the primary outcome measure, with the false discovery rate (FDR) method (significance level of

Abstract Background While docetaxel/cisplatin/5‐fluorouracil (DCF) outperforms CF in first‐line gastric adenocarcinoma, toxicity remains an issue. Methods This multicenter phase II trial randomized chemonaïve metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma patients to fractionated weekly DCF (D 40 mg/m2, C 35 mg/m², F 1800 mg/m² over 24 h, on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks, arm (1) or fortnightly DCF (D 50 mg/m2, C 50 mg/m², F 2000 mg/m² over 48 h every 2 weeks, arm (2). Prophylactic granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) was not allowed. The primary endpoint was the rate of febrile neutropenia within the first six treatment weeks (early FN). Results A total of 106 eligible patients were recruited. The early and overall FN rates were 9.5% and 17% in arm 1, respectively, and 5.9% and 8% in arm 2, respectively. Grade ≥3 toxicities occurred in 81% of patients in arm 1 and 90% of patients in arm 2, the most common being neutropenia (33% vs. 61%), fatigue (27% vs. 25%), vomiting (21% vs. 12%), anorexia (19% vs. 18%), and diarrhea (17% vs. 10%). Median progression‐free survival and overall survival were 5.1 (95% CI, 3.2–6.5) and 8.2 months (95% CI, 6.0–14.5), respectively, in arm 1 and 5.2 (95% CI, 3.0–6.9) and 11.9 months (95% CI, 7.4–15.9), respectively, in arm 2. Conclusions Fractionated weekly and fortnightly DCF regimens are associated with a low risk of early FN, and a better hematological toxicity profile as compared to historical DCF without compromising efficacy. Both regimens offer greater convenience removing the need for systematic use of prophylactic G‐CSF.

Simple Summary: There is an increased interest for the investigation of immunotherapy and immune-related biomarkers in rectal cancer. We retrospectively analysed the expression of the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in diagnostic biopsies and resection samples from a cohort of 83 rectal cancer patients. Using three different methods for the analysis of PD-L1, we found that the expression of this biomarker was lower in resection samples than in diagnostic biopsies. Also, we observed that higher levels of PD-L1 in resection specimens were associated with better survival outcomes. The results of our study contribute to the knowledge of PD-L1 expression in rectal cancer, having the potential to inform the design of future immunotherapy trials in this setting. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and immune-related biomarkers are increasingly investigated in rectal cancer (RC). We retrospectively analysed PD-L1 expression in diagnostic biopsy and resection samples from RC patients treated at our centre between 2000 and 2020. PD-L1 immunostaining (22C3 clone) was evaluated according to tumour proportion (TPS), immune cell (ICS), and the combined positive score (CPS). Eighty-three patients were included. At diagnosis, PD-L1 expression ≥1%/≥5% was observed in 15.4%/0%, 80.7%/37.4%, and 69.2%/25.6% of patients based on TPS, ICS, and CPS, respectively. At surgery, the respective figures were 4.6%/1.5%, 60.2%/32.5%, and 50.7%/26.2%. Using the 1% cut-off and regardless of the scoring system, PD-L1 was less expressed in surgery than biopsy samples (p ≤ 0.04). In paired specimens, PD-L1-ICS reduction was especially observed following neoadjuvant long-course (chemo)radiotherapy (p = 0.03). PD-L1-ICS of ≥5% in surgical samples (HR: 0.17; p = 0.02), and a biopsy-to-surgery increase in PD-L1-ICS (HR: 0.19; p = 0.04) was predictive for longer disease-free survival, while the PD-L1-ICS of either ≥1% (HR 0.28; p = 0.04) or ≥5% (HR 0.19; p = 0.03) in surgical samples and the biopsy-to-surgery increase in PD-L1-ICS (HR: 0.20; p = 0.04) were associated with better overall survival. Our study suggests that PD-L1 expression in RC is largely reflective of immune cell infiltration, and its presence/increase in surgical samples predicts better outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Currently, there are no markers to identify patients with liver-only or liver-dominant metastases that would benefit from hepatic surgery. Here we characterized histopathological growth patterns (HGPs) of liver metastases in a consecutive series of 36 breast cancer patients who underwent hepatic surgery. Survival analyses showed that the presence of a desmoplastic HGP in the liver metastases (a rim of fibrous tissue separating cancer cells from the liver parenchyma, present in 20 (56%) patients) is independently associated with favorable progression-free and overall survival when compared with the replacement HGP (cancer cells growing into the liver parenchyma, present in 16 (44%) patients).

Abstract Background Relatively high morbidity rates are reported after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). However, early predictors of complications after CRS plus HIPEC have not been identified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive role of early postoperative serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level (Day 2–4) for the detection of post-operative complications. Patients and methods We performed a retrospective study including 94 patients treated with complete CRS (R1) and HIPEC for PC from various primary origins (2011–2016). Post-operative complications were recorded. The values for postoperative inflammatory markers (white blood cells [WBC] and platelet counts, CRP) were compared between the different groups. Results CRP on post-operative days 2–4 was significantly higher in patients with than without complications (124 mg/L vs 46 mg/L; p

Abstract Background The benefit of surgery in patients with non-colorectal non-neuroendocrine liver metastases (NCRNNELM) remains controversial. At the population level, several statistical prognostic factors and scores have been proposed but inconsistently verified. At the patient level, no selection criteria have been demonstrated to guide individual therapeutic decision making. We aimed to evaluate potential individual selection criteria to predict the benefit of surgery in patients undergoing treatment for NCRNNELM. Methods Data for 114 patients undergoing surgery for NCRNNELM were reviewed. In this population, we identified an early relapse group (ER), defined as patients with unresectable recurrence < 1 year postoperatively who did not benefit from surgery (N = 28), and a long-term survival group (LTS), defined as patients who were recurrence-free ≥ 5 years postoperatively and benefited from surgery (N = 20). Clinicopathologic parameters, the Association Française de Chirurgie (AFC) score, and a modified 4-point Clinical Risk Score (mCRS) (excluding CEA level) were analyzed and compared between LTS and ER groups. Results The majority of patients were female and a majority had an ASA score ≤ 2 at the time of liver surgery. The median age was 55 years. Almost half of the patients (46%) presented with a single-liver metastasis. Intermediate- and low-risk AFC scores represented 40% and 60% of the population, respectively. Five- and 10-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 56% and 27%, and 30% and 12%, respectively. Negative prognostic factors were the size of liver metastases > 50 mm and delay between primary and NCRNNELM

Follicular thyroid cancer (FTC) is a less common form of differentiated thyroid cancer. Liver metastasis of differentiated thyroid cancer frequently occurs in the late onset of the metastatic disease, are often unrescetable and noniodine avid, leading to a poor prognosis. A 69-year-old man with a 14-year history of multi-metastatic follicular thyroid cancer was treated iteratively with 131-Iodine allowing to maintain a stable disease. Upon a recent exponential increase of the thyroglobulin, a peritoneal mass and a voluminous hepatic metastasis were discovered, comorbidities and an insufficient future remnant liver function excluded liver surgical resection. The tumour board proposed a resection of the peritoneal mass followed by selective internal radiation therapy of the liver mass. Due to the already impaired liver function, personalized dosimetry allowed a safe treatment delivering low activity to the nontumoral liver followed by a clinical and imaging response of the liver mass at 3 months. At our knowledge, this is the first case of thyroid liver metastasis treated by selective internal radiation therapy. Keywords: Liver metastasis, Personalized dosimetry, Radioembolization, Thyroid Cancer

Abstract Background Immunotherapy represents a promising option for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients but its efficacy is currently inconsistent and unpredictable. Locoregional therapies inducing immunogenic cell death, such as transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), have the potential to act synergistically with immunotherapy. For the development of new approaches combining locoregional treatments with immunotherapy, a better understanding of the respective effects of TACE and SIRT on recruitment and activation of immune cells in HCC is needed. To address this question, we compared intra-tumor immune infiltrates in resected HCC after preoperative treatment with TACE or SIRT. Methods Data fromr patients undergoing partial hepatectomy for HCC, without preoperative treatment (SURG, n = 32), after preoperative TACE (TACE, n = 16), or preoperative SIRT (n = 12) were analyzed. Clinicopathological factors, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and granzyme B (GZB) expression in resected HCC, and postoperative overall and progression-free survival were compared between the three groups. Results Clinicopathological and surgical characteristics were similar in the three groups. A significant increase in TILs, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and GZB expression was observed in resected HCC in SIRT as compared to TACE and SURG groups. No difference in immune infiltrates was observed between TACE and SURG patients. Within the SIRT group, the dose of irradiation affected the type of immune infiltrate. A significantly higher ratio of CD3+ cells was observed in the peri-tumoral area in patients receiving 100 Gy. Postoperative outcomes were similar in all groups. Irrespective of the preoperative treatment, the type and extent of immune infiltrates did not influence postoperative survival. Conclusions SIRT significantly promotes recruitment/activation of intra-tumor effector-type immune cells compared to TACE or no preoperative treatment. These results suggest that SIRT is a better candidate than TACE to be combined with immunotherapy for treatment of HCC. Evaluation of the optimal doses for SIRT for producing an immunogenic effect and the type of immunotherapy to be used require further evaluation in prospective studies.

Potential intrinsic resistance mechanisms to regorafenib were explored after short exposure (3 days) on five CRC cell lines (HCT-116, SW1116, LS-1034, SW480, Caco-2). The observation of senescence-like features led to the investigation of a drug-initiated phenotype switch. Following long-term exposure (12 months) of HCT-116 and SW480 cell lines to regorafenib, we developed resistant models to explore acquired resistance. SW480 cells demonstrated senescent-like properties, including a cell arrest in the late G2/prophase cell cycle stage and a statistically significant decrease in the expression of G1 Cyclin-Dependent Kinase inhibitors and key cell cycle regulators. A specific senescence-associated secretome was also observed. In contrast, HCT-116 treated cells presented early senescent features and developed acquired resistance triggering EMT and a more aggressive phenotype over time. The gained migration and invasion ability by long-exposed cells was associated with the increased expression level of key cellular and extracellular EMT-related factors. The PI3K/AKT pathway was a significant player in the acquired resistance of HCT-116 cells, possibly related to a PI3KCA mutation in this cell line. Our findings provide new insights into the phenotypic plasticity of CRC cells able, under treatment pressure, to acquire a stable TIS or to use an early senescence state to undergo EMT.

Background: Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of isotoxic high-dose (iHD) stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in a total neoadjuvant sequence for the treatment of localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Materials and methods: Biopsy-proven borderline resectable/locally advanced pancreatic cancer (BR/LAPC) patients were included in this observational prospective analysis from August 2017 to April 2020 without excluding tumours showing a radiological direct gastrointestinal (GI) invasion. An induction chemotherapy by modified fluorouracil, irinotecan and oxaliplatin was performed for a median of six cycles. In case of non-progression, an isotoxic high-dose stereotactic body radiotherapy (iHD-SBRT) was delivered in 5 fractions followed by a surgical exploration. The primary endpoint was acute/late gastrointestinal grade ⩾3 toxicity. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and local control (LC). Results: A total of 39 consecutive patients (21 BR and 18 LAPC) were included: 34 patients (87.2%, 18 BR and 16 LAPC) completed the planned neoadjuvant sequence. After iHD-SBRT, 19 patients [55.9% overall, 13/18 BR (72.2%) and 6/16 LAPC (37.5%)] underwent an oncological resection among the 25 patients surgically explored (73.5%). The median follow up was 18.2 months. The rates of acute and late GI grade 3 toxicity were, respectively, 2.9% and 4.2%. The median OS and PFS from diagnosis were, respectively, 24.5 and 15.6 months. The resected patients had improved median OS and PFS in comparison with the non-resected patients (OS: 32.3 versus 18.2 months, p = 0.02; PFS: 24.1 versus 7.1 months, p

Abstract Background Adjuvant therapy improves the prognosis of stage II & III colon cancer patients. Unfortunately, most patients do not benefit from this treatment. PePITA (NCT00994864) is a prospective, multicenter, non-randomized study whose primary objective is to predict the outcome of adjuvant therapy in colon cancer. Methods The primary objective was to determine the prognostic and predictive value of circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection before therapy and after one course of preoperative FOLFOX. Results Out of the 58 first patients accrued in PePiTA trial, 36 patients participated in the CTC companion study, of whom 32 had at least one evaluable sample. Only 5 patients (14, 95% CI = 5–30%) had ≥1 CTC/22.5 ml blood in at least one of the two timepoints with 2 patients having ≥1 CTC/22.5 ml at baseline (6, 95% CI: 1–19%). The detection rate of patients with CTCs at baseline being lower than expected, the inclusion of patients in the PePiTA CTC substudy was stopped. The limited sample size did not allow us to investigate the prognostic and predictive value of CTCs in locally advanced colon cancer. Conclusions Our data illustrate the need for further standardized studies in order to find the most reliable prognostic/predictive biomarker in early-stage colon cancer. Trial registration This trial was prospectively registered at Jules Bordet institute (NCT00994864) on the October 14, 2009.

Abstract Background The prognostic value of body composition in cancer patients has been widely studied during the last decade. The main finding of these studies is that sarcopenia, or skeletal muscle depletion, assessed by CT imaging correlates with a reduced overall survival (OS). By contrast, the prognostic value of fat mass remains ill-defined. This study aims to analyze the influence of body composition including both muscle mass and adipose tissue on OS in a homogeneous population of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Methods Among 235 patients with chemorefractory advanced CRC included in the SoMore and RegARd-C trials, body composition was assessed in 217 patients on baseline CT images. The relationship between body composition (sarcopenia, muscle density, subcutaneous and visceral fat index and density), body mass index (BMI) and OS were evaluated. Results Patients with a higher BMI had a better OS (≥30 versus

Objective Oesophageal cancer (OEC) is an aggressive disease with a poor survival rate. Prognostic markers are thus urgently needed. Due to the demonstrated prognostic value of histopathological growth pattern (HGP) in other cancers, we performed a retrospective assessment of HGP in patients suffering from invasive OEC.Design A first cohort composed of 89 treatment-naïve operated patients with OEC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) public database was constituted, from which H&E images and RNA-sequencing data were retrieved. Next, a second cohort composed of 99 patients with OEC treated and operated in a Belgian hospital was established. H&E-stained sections and extracted tumorous RNA were obtained from the samples. HGP were assessed on H&E slides as infiltrative (IGP) or expansive (EGP). TCGA RNA-sequencing data were analysed through the gene set enrichment analysis and Cytoscape softwares. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) experiments were performed to assess gene expression in the Belgian cohort.Results IGP patients displayed a grim prognosis compared with EGP patients, while IGP was found as associated with numerous lymphovascular emboli and perinervous infiltrations. Analyses of the TCGA expression data showed that angiogenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inflammation were significantly upregulated in IGP compared with EGP samples. qPCR experiments of three genes appearing as highly upregulated in each pathway showed no difference in expression according to the HGP.Conclusion The current study demonstrates the poor prognostic value carried by IGP in OC and suggests angiogenesis, EMT and inflammation as key carcinogenetic pathways upregulated in this pattern.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most aggressive solid tumours with an estimated 5-year overall survival rate of 7% for all stages combined. In this highly resistant disease that is located in the vicinity of many radiosensitive organs, the role of radiotherapy (RT) and indications for its use in this setting have been debated for a long time and are still under investigation. Although a survival benefit has yet to be clearly demonstrated for RT, it is the only technique, other than surgery, that has been demonstrated to lead to local control improvement. The adjuvant approach is now strongly challenged by neoadjuvant treatments that could spare patients with rapidly progressive systemic disease from unnecessary surgery and may increase free margin (R0) resection rates for those eligible for surgery. Recently developed dose-escalated RT treatments, designed either to maintain full-dose chemotherapy or to deliver a high biologically effective dose, particularly to areas of contact between the tumour and blood vessels, such as hypofractionated ablative RT (HFA-RT) or stereotactic body RT (SBRT), are progressively changing the treatment landscape. These modern strategies are currently being tested in prospective clinical trials with encouraging preliminary results, paving the way for more effective treatment combinations using novel targeted therapies. This review summarizes the current literature regarding the use of RT for the treatment of primary PDAC, describes the limitations of conventional RT, and discusses the emerging role of dose-escalated RT and heavy-particle RT.

Abstract Background The aim of this work was to confirm that post-selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) 90Y-PET/CT-based dosimetry correlates with lesion metabolic response and to determine its correlation with overall survival (OS) in liver-only metastases from colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients treated with SIRT. Twenty-four mCRC patients underwent pre/post-SIRT FDG-PET/CT and post-SIRT 90Y-PET/CT. Lesions delineated on pre/post-SIRT FDG-PET/CT were classified as non-metabolic responders (total lesion glycolysis (TLG)-decrease < 15%) and high-metabolic responders (TLG-decrease ≥ 50%). Lesion delineations were projected on the anatomically registered 90Y-PET/CT. Voxel-based 3D dosimetrywas performed on the 90Y-PET/CT and lesions’ mean absorbed dose (Dmean) was measured. The coefficient of correlation between Dmean and TLG-decrease was calculated. The ability of lesion Dmean to predict non-metabolic response and high-metabolic response was tested and two cutoff values (Dmean-under-treated and Dmean-well-treated) were determined using ROC analysis. Patients were dichotomised in the “treated” group (all the lesions received a Dmean > Dmean-under-treated) and in the “under-treated” group (at least one lesion received a Dmean < Dmean-under-treated). Kaplan-Meier product limit method was used to describe OS curves. Results Fifty-seven evaluable mCRC lesions were included. The coefficient of correlation between Dmean and TLG-decrease was 0.82. Two lesion Dmean cutoffs of 39 Gy (sensitivity 80%, specificity 95%, predictive-positive-value 86% and negative-predictive-value 92%) and 60 Gy (sensitivity 70%, specificity 95%, predictive positive-value 96% and negative-predictive-value 63%) were defined to predict non-metabolic response and high-metabolic response respectively. Patients with all lesions Dmean> 39 Gy had a significantly longer OS (13 months) than patients with at least one lesion Dmean < 39 Gy (OS = 5 months) (p = 0.012;hazard-ratio, 2.6 (95% CI 0.98–7.00)). Conclusions In chemorefractory mCRC patients treated with SIRT, lesion Dmean determined on post-SIRT 90Y-PET/CT correlates with metabolic response and higher lesion Dmean is associated with prolonged OS.