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BACKGROUND: FOLFIRINOX (FFX) and gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GN) are established first line therapies for metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC). There are, however, no randomized controlled trials comparing FFX and GN in the first line setting and real-world data on their comparative effectiveness is limited. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of patients with MPC who were treated with first line FFX and GN and to further characterize dose modifications, discontinuation rates due to treatment toxicity, and rates of hospitalizations while on treatment. METHODS: We manually abstracted data from the electronic medical records (EMR) system at Yale Smilow Hospital and Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Centers for patients with MPC treated with at least one cycle of first line FFX or GN from January 2011 to April 2019. Patients who received prior neoadjuvant or adjuvant FFX or GN and adjuvant gemcitabine less than 6 months prior to metastatic recurrence were excluded. The median time to treatment discontinuation (TTD) and overall survival (OS) were determined using Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: We identified 363 patients for analysis; 269 (74%) patients were treated with FFX and 94 (26%) with GN. Median TTD was 4.8 (IQR, 2.3–8.0) months in the FFX group compared to 3.4 (IQR, 1.3–5.7) months in the GN group (P=0.0037). Median OS was 11.3 (95% CI: 10.7–12.9) months in the FFX group and 7.0 (95% CI: 6.0–8.7) months in the GN group (P

Patient: Male, 67 Final Diagnosis: Aspergillus terreus brain abscess complicated by tension pneumocephalus Symptoms: Blurred vision • hemiparesis Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Infectious Diseases Objective: Rare co-existance of disease or pathology Background: Aspergillus terreus is an evolving opportunistic pathogen, and patients with A. terreus often have poor outcomes due to its intrinsic resistance to several systemic antifungal agents. Here we present a unique case of intracranial abscesses of A. terreus in a patient with recurrent angiosarcoma, complicated by development of tension pneumocephalus. Case Report: A 67-year old gentleman with history of scalp angiosarcoma with wide excision two years prior presented to the hospital for left arm clumsiness, altered mental status, and low-grade fever. Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis bacteremia was detected, and Computed Tomography (CT) of the head showed right frontal lobe abscesses. He was started on steroids, intravenous vancomycin and cefepime, and was eventually discharged. He presented to the hospital again due to persistent and worsening symptoms. MRI showed progression of the brain lesions, and surgical biopsy and culture of lesions revealed A. terreus and gram-positive cocci. He was started on trimethroprim/sulfamethoxazole and voriconazole and symptoms improved. On post-op day four, he acutely decompensated with total loss of left arm strength; MRI demonstrated tension pneumocephalus. Conservative management was undertaken with continuous supplemental oxygen. Serial x-ray imaging over the next week demonstrated resolution of the pneumocephalus, and the patient was able to regain all proximal lower and upper extremity strength. Conclusions: Never before has a case of A. terreus been associated with angiosarcoma or tension pneumocephalus in the literature. Proper identification and prompt diagnosis of species is crucial in the immunocompromised patient. Tension pneumocephalus should be included in the differential diagnosis of nontraumatic hemiparesis for emergent evaluation and management.

Background The obesity epidemic has prompted the need to better understand the impact of adipose tissue on human pathophysiology. However, accurate, efficient, and replicable models of quantifying adiposity have yet to be developed and clinically implemented. We propose a novel semiautomated radiologic method of measuring the visceral fat area (VFA) using computed tomography scan analysis. Materials and methods We obtained a cohort of 100 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma, with a median age of 60.9 y (age range: 35-87 y) and an average body mass index of 28.8 kg/m2 ± 6.56 kg/m2. The semiautomated quantification method of adiposity was developed using a commercial imaging suite. The method was compared to two manual delineations performed using two different picture archiving communication systems. We quantified VFA, subcutaneous fat area (SFA), total fat area (TFA), and visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio (V/S ratio) on computed tomography axial slices that were at the L4-L5 intervertebral level. Results The semiautomated method was comparable to manual measurements for TFA, VFA, and SFA with intraclass correlation (ICC) of 0.99, 0.97, and 0.96, respectively. However, the ICC for the V/S ratio was only 0.44, which led to the identification of technical outliers that were identified using robust regression. After removal of these outliers, the ICC improved to 0.99 for TFA, VFA, and SFA and 0.97 for the V/S ratio. Measurements from the manual methodology highly correlated between the two picture archiving communication system platforms, with ICC of 0.98 for TFA, 0.98 for VFA, 0.96 for SFA, and 0.95 for the V/S ratio. Conclusions This semiautomated method is able to generate precise and reproducible results. In the future, this method may be applied on a larger scale to facilitate risk stratification of patients using measures of abdominal adiposity.

Portal hypertension has seemingly vanished from surgery; this study was undertaken to determine where it has gone.Data from the Agency for Health Care Administration for 33,166,201 hospital inpatients in Florida for the periods 1988 to 1992, 1998 to 2002, and 2008 to 2012 were analyzed.Admissions with a diagnosis of portal hypertension dramatically increased: 5,473 patients from 1988 to 1992, 7,366 patients from 1998 to 2002, and 36,554 patients from 2008 to 2012. Endoscopic treatment of esophageal varices also dramatically increased. The number of decompressive shunts placed nominally increased, but application of endoscopic therapy increased significantly faster than the application of decompressive shunts (p0.0001). The percentage of patients who underwent shunting dramatically and significantly decreased (p0.0001), and surgeons undertook proportionally fewer shunts (42% in 1992 to 4% in 2012; p0.0001). For patients with a diagnosis of portal hypertension, in-hospital mortality progressively decreased, from 9% in 1988 to 1992 to 3% in 2008 to 2012 (p0.0001).In the state of Florida, over 25 years, there has been a 7-fold increase in the number of patients admitted with a diagnosis of portal hypertension, with a 65% reduction of in-hospital mortality. Application of endoscopic treatment of varices has increased dramatically. Decompressive shunts are applied to an ever-decreasing percentage of patients, and when applied, are now routinely undertaken by nonsurgeons. Therefore, portal hypertension has disappeared from the purview of surgery and has migrated toward the world of medical and endoscopic therapy, probably never to return.

Background The incidence and outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) varies by age. Younger patients tend to have sporadic cancers that are not detected by screening and worse survival. To understand whether genetic differences exist between age cohorts, the authors sought to characterize unique genetic alterations in patients with CRC. Methods In total, 283 patients who were diagnosed with sporadic CRC between 1998 and 2010 were identified and divided by age into 2 cohorts-ages ≤45 years (the younger cohort) and ≥65 years (the older cohort)-and targeted exome sequencing was performed. The Fisher exact test was used to detect differences in mutation frequencies between the 2 groups. Whole exome sequencing was performed on 21 additional younger patient samples for validation. Findings were confirmed in The Cancer Genome Atlas CRC data set. Results In total, 246 samples were included for final analysis (195 from the older cohort and 51 from the younger cohort). Mutations in the FBXW7 gene were more common in the younger cohort (27.5% vs 9.7%; P = .0022) as were mutations in the proofreading domain of polymerase e catalytic subunit (POLE) (9.8% vs 1%; P = .0048). There were similar mutation rates between cohorts with regard to TP53 (64.7% vs 61.5%), KRAS (43.1% vs 46.2%), and APC (60.8% vs 73.8%). BRAF mutations were numerically more common in the older cohort, although the difference did not reach statistical significance (2% vs 9.7%; P = .082). Conclusions In this retrospective study, a unique genetic profile was identified for younger patients who have CRC compared with patients who are diagnosed at an older age. These findings should be validated in a larger study and could have an impact on future screening and treatment modalities for younger patients with CRC. Cancer 2016. © 2016 American Cancer Society. Cancer 2016;122:2828-2835. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

770 Background: Patients (pts) receiving treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC) experience significant symptoms, treatment related side effects and psychosocial burdens. The ASCO guidelines recommend early palliative care consultation (PCC) to improve quality of life and survival. However, limited real-world data is available regarding the timing of PCC, hospice enrollment and location of death (LOD) in pts with MPC. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational analysis of pts treated with chemotherapy for MPC at the Yale Smilow Cancer Hospital and affiliated community care centers (CCC) from January 2011 to April 2019. Patient demographics, treatment dates, initial PCC, enrollment of hospice at the time of death and LOD were manually abstracted from the electronic medical record. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict for PCC and death outside the hospital. Results: Of 363 pts identified with MPC who received chemotherapy, 38% (138) had a PCC. 67% (93) of patients’ initial PCC was in the hospital versus 33% (45) in the outpatient setting. The median time from the start of first-line chemotherapy to the first PCC was 5.2 months (interquartile range [IQR] 1.2 – 12.9). The median time from the first PCC to death was 1.5 months (IQR 0.5 – 4.42). At the time of our analysis, 300 pts had died and of those 76% (229) were enrolled on hospice at the time of death while 24% (71) were not. With respect to LOD, 47% (139) of pts died at home with hospice, 31% (94) at an inpatient hospice facility and 22% (67) died in the hospital. Female gender was associated with an increased likelihood of a PCC (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.07-2.94, P = 0.026). Pts treated at a CCC were less likely to have a PCC (HR 0.21, 95% CI 0.12-0.36, P < 0.001). A PCC was not associated with a higher likelihood of death outside the hospital (HR 1.31, 95% CI 0.75-2.29, P = 0.346). Conclusions: Although most pts with MPC enroll in hospice, PCC is generally underutilized. In fact, many pts receive PCC near the end of life and in the hospital. Further studies are warranted to determine how best to incorporate early PCC to maximize supportive care for pts with MPC.

769 Background: FOLFIRINOX (FFX) and Gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GN) are established first line (1L) therapies for metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC) but real-world data on their comparative effectiveness is limited. Methods: All cases of MPC treated with 1L FFX or GN at Yale Smilow Cancer Hospital and the affiliated community care centers (CCC) from January 2011 – April 2019 were reviewed. Patient (pt) demographics, prior therapy, initial and subsequent dose reductions (DR), time to treatment discontinuation (TTD), overall survival (OS), and second line (2L) treatment data were manually abstracted from the electronic medical record. Categorical and continuous variables were compared between 1L FFX and GN cohorts via the Chi-squared and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Median OS was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: We identified 363 MPC pts treated with 1L FFX or GN; 269 (74%) pts were treated with FFX and 94 (26%) with GN as 1L therapy. 204 (56%) pts were treated at the main campus and 159 (44%) at a CCC. Demographics and baseline characteristics (FFX/GN) were as follows: gender (male) 55% / 41%; race (white) 82% / 77%; age < 76 90% / 71% ( P < 0.001). 332 (91%) of pts received no prior therapy; 21 (6%) had prior surgery plus adjuvant gemcitabine and 10 (3%) had surgery alone. 98% of FFX-treated pts were treated with upfront DR, compared to 78% of GN-treated pts ( P= 0.003). 78% and 53% of FFX-treated and GN-treated pts, respectively, had subsequent DR ( P< 0.001). Median TTD was 4.8 months with FFX and 3.4 months with GN ( P= 0.0029) and the median OS was 11.3 months with FFX versus 7.2 months with GN ( P < 0.0001). After 1L, 33% and 61% of FFX- and GN-treated pts, respectively, received no further chemotherapy ( P< 0.001). Conclusions: In the largest manually abstracted retrospective analysis to date, MPC pts treated with 1L FFX were younger, more likely to receive 2L therapy, and had increased survival compared to pts treated with GN. The OS of pts treated with FFX was similar to the OS reported by Conroy et al despite upfront dose attenuations in 98% of pts. A randomized trial is needed to confirm optimal sequencing of chemotherapy in MPC.

This chapter describes the potential use of flavopiridol, a CDK inhibitor with anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities, in the treatment of various chronic diseases. Flavopiridol arrests cell cycle progression in the G1 or G2 phase by inhibiting the kinase activities of CDK1, CDK2, CDK4/6, and CDK7. Additionally, it binds tightly to CDK9, a component of the P-TEFb complex (CDK9/cyclin T), and interferes with RNA polymerase II activation and associated transcription. This in turn inhibits expression of several pro-survival and anti-apoptotic genes, and enhances cytotoxicity in transformed cells or differentiation in growth-arrested cells. Recent studies indicate that flavopiridol elicits anti-inflammatory activity via CDK9 and NFκB-dependent signaling. Overall, these effects of flavopiridol potentiate its ability to overcome aberrant cell cycle activation and/or inflammatory stimuli, which are mediators of various chronic diseases.

Quantitative computed tomography (CT) assessment of visceral adiposity may be superior to body mass index (BMI) as a predictor of surgical morbidity. We sought to examine the association of CT measures of obesity and BMI with short-term postoperative outcomes in colon cancer patients. In this retrospective study, 110 patients treated with colectomy for stage I–III colon cancer were classified as obese or non-obese by preoperative CT-based measures of adiposity or BMI [obese: BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, visceral fat area (VFA) to subcutaneous fat area ratio (V/S) ≥0.4, and VFA > 100 cm2]. Postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were compared. Obese patients, by V/S and VFA but not BMI, were more likely to be male and have preexisting hypertension and diabetes. The overall complication rate was 25.5%, and there were no mortalities. Obese patients by VFA (with a trend for V/S but not BMI) were more likely to develop postoperative complications as compared to patients classified as non-obese: VFA (30.5 vs.10.7%, p = 0.03), V/S (29.2 vs. 9.5%, p = 0.05), and BMI (32.4 vs. 21.9%, p = 0.23). Elevated visceral obesity quantified by CT is associated with the presence of key metabolic comorbidities and increased postoperative morbidity and may be superior to BMI for risk stratification.

This chapter describes the potential use of flavopiridol, a CDK inhibitor with anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activities, in the treatment of various chronic diseases. Flavopiridol arrests cell cycle progression in the G1 or G2 phase by inhibiting the kinase activities of CDK1, CDK2, CDK4/6, and CDK7. Additionally, it binds tightly to CDK9, a component of the P-TEFb complex (CDK9/cyclin T), and interferes with RNA polymerase II activation and associated transcription. This in turn inhibits expression of several pro-survival and anti-apoptotic genes, and enhances cytotoxicity in transformed cells or differentiation in growth-arrested cells. Recent studies indicate that flavopiridol elicits anti-inflammatory activity via CDK9 and NFκB-dependent signaling. Overall, these effects of flavopiridol potentiate its ability to overcome aberrant cell cycle activation and/or inflammatory stimuli, which are mediators of various chronic diseases.

632 Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in adults

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes that deacetylate lysine residues on histone and non-histone proteins. They regulate various cellular functions including transcriptional regulation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cellular metabolism. Broad spectrum HDAC inhibitors, including Vorinostat and Romidepsin, have been approved for cancer therapy, but their use is limited due to toxicity and side effects. A deeper understanding of the function of individual histone deacetylases could lead to the development of more specific and potentially more effective anti-cancer agents. In this context, Histone Deacetylase 11 (HDAC11) could be a potential target for anticancer therapeutics. HDAC11 is the most recently discovered Histone Deacetylase and, therefore, the least characterized among the 18 HDACs. Its expression is altered in various cancers and recent studies have suggested that HDAC11 might inhibit the activity and function of the DNA replication licensing factor Cdt1. To examine whether HDAC11 controls Cdt1-mediated cell cycle regulation, HDAC11 was overexpressed in human U87 glioblastoma cells. We found that overexpression of HDAC11 represses Cdt1 expression levels. Most importantly, we observed that HDAC11 overexpression promotes earlier cell entry into the G2/M phase of the cell cycle than non-HDAC11-overexpressed cells. Finally, we discovered that HDAC11 levels change throughout the cell cycle in a manner that is contrary to the Cdt1 expression levels. These results indicate that HDAC11 negatively regulates Cdt1, and uncover an important and previously unknown role of this enzyme in cell cycle regulation. Together, our findings suggest that development of drugs that target HDAC11 might be a viable strategy for overcoming cancers where this protein is overexpressed. Citation Format: Thejal Srikumar, Elphine Telles, Edward Seto. Potential roles of histone deacetylase 11 in cell cycle regulation and cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1742. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1742