Postoperative nomogram for 12-year sarcoma-specific death

Primary anatomical site as a prognostic factor for pleomorphic liposarcoma

BACKGROUND

Pleomorphic liposarcomas (PLS) is an aggressive, high-grade subtype of soft tissue sarcoma representing < 15% of liposarcomas. It most commonly arises in the retroperitoneum and proximal upper extremities. Current prognostic factors are centered around staging, which accounts for the grade, size, and location of the tumor in relation to the superficial fascia.

METHODS

750 patients diagnosed with pleomorphic liposarcoma from the National Cancer Database were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival tables, log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards analysis were utilized to compare survival between groups within variables.

RESULTS

The most common primary anatomical site was the lower limb/hip. The head/neck primary anatomical site demonstrated the highest 10-year overall survival probability, while the retroperitoneum/abdomen had the lowest (50% and 18.4%). Compared to the thorax/lung site, the following sites demonstrated a decreased risk of death: lower limb/hip (HR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.35-0.82, p = 0.004), pelvis (HR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.28-0.84, p = 0.010), and the retroperitoneum/abdomen (HR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.33-0.89, p = 0.015). Both adjuvant radiation (HR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.48-0.85, p = 0.002) and neoadjuvant radiation (HR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.49-1.00, p = 0.049) provided a survival benefit to patients. There was an increased risk of death for every 10-year increment in age (HR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.12-1.45, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Statistically significant prognostic factors for PLS include primary anatomical site, age, Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Index Scores and the use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant radiation.

Designing a Rational Follow-Up Schedule for Patients with Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma

PURPOSE

The risk of tumor recurrence after resection of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) necessitates surveillance in follow-up. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency/timing of metastasis and local recurrence following treatment for soft tissue sarcoma, and to use these data to justify an evidence-based follow-up schedule.

METHODS

Utilizing a prospective database, a retrospective single center review was performed of all patients with minimum 2-year follow-up after resection of a localized extremity STS. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to calculate the incidence of local recurrence and metastases on an annual basis for 10 years.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 230 low-grade, 626 intermediate-grade and 940 high-grade extremity STS and a total of 721 events, 150 local recurrences and 571 metastases. Based on tumor size and grade, follow-up cohorts were developed that had similar metastatic risk. Using pre-determined thresholds for metastatic event, a follow-up schedule was established for each cohort.

CONCLUSION

Based on our results we recommend that patients with small low-grade tumors undergo annual follow-up for 5 years following definitive local treatment. Patients with large low-grade tumors, small intermediate-grade and small high-grade tumors should have follow-up every 6 months for the first 2 years, then yearly to 10 years. Only patients with large intermediate- or high-grade tumors require follow-up every 3 months for the first 2 years, then every 6 months for years 3-5, followed by annually until 10 years.

Prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and other inflammatory markers in patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcomas

BACKGROUND

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) have a high risk of relapse in spite of the use of (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. In this context, looking for new prognostic biomarkers is an interesting field of research. Our aim is to analyze the prognostic impact of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and other serum markers in patients with STS who received chemotherapy with curative intent.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective observational study. We included all patients with STS (primary tumor, local recurrence or resected metastatic disease) treated with high-dose ifosfamide and epirubicin with curative intent from January 2007 to December 2018. The pretreatment NLR and other serum markers were calculated, selecting the median as the cut-off value for the survival and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine patients were included. Median NLR, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) were 2.83, 174.05 and 3.25, respectively. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in patients with low NLR [not reached (NR) vs 21, 92 months, P < 0.01]. No significant differences were found for PFS regarding PLR or LMR. For overall survival (OS), a significant survival advantage was also found for patients with low NLR (NR vs 65.45 months, P = 0.01), without differences for PLR or LMR. In multivariate analysis, NLR remains an independent prognostic factor for PFS.

CONCLUSION

In our cohort, low NLR was significantly associated with a longer PFS and OS, and is consolidated as an independent prognostic factor.

The Novel Glutamine Antagonist Prodrug JHU395 Has Antitumor Activity in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor

The carbon and nitrogen components of glutamine are used for multiple biosynthetic processes by tumors. Glutamine metabolism and the therapeutic potential of glutamine antagonists (GA), however, are incompletely understood in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST), an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma observed in patients with neurofibromatosis type I. We investigated glutamine dependence of MPNST using JHU395, a novel orally bioavailable GA prodrug designed to circulate inert in plasma, but permeate and release active GA within target tissues. Human MPNST cells, compared with Schwann cells derived from healthy peripheral nerve, were selectively susceptible to both glutamine deprivation and GA dose-dependent growth inhibition. In vivo, orally administered JHU395 delivered active GA to tumors with over 2-fold higher tumor-to-plasma exposure, and significantly inhibited tumor growth in a murine flank MPNST model without observed toxicity. Global metabolomics studies and stable isotope-labeled flux analyses in tumors identified multiple glutamine-dependent metabolites affected, including prominent effects on purine synthesis. These data demonstrate that glutamine antagonism is a potential antitumor strategy for MPNST.

Meta-Analysis of Hematological Biomarkers as Reliable Indicators of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Prognosis

Background: Several recent studies have reported the reliable prognostic effect of hematological biomarkers in various tumors. Yet, the prognostic value of these hematological markers in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) remains inconclusive. Thus, the aim of this meta-analysis was to check the effect of hematological markers on the prognosis of STS. Methods: We systematically searched for relevant papers published before October 2019 in the PubMed and EMBASE databases. Overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were the primary outcome, whereas disease-free survival was the secondary outcome. A thorough study of hazard ratios (HR) and 95% of confidence intervals (CIs) was done for determining the prognostic significance. Results: We performed 23 studies that comprised of 4,480 patients with STS. The results revealed that higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were associated with poor OS/DFS (HR = 2.08/1.72, for NLR; HR = 1.92/1.75, for CRP, and HR = 1.86/1.61, for PLR). In contrast, a low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) was relate to worse OS/DFS (HR = 2.01/1.90, for LMR). Moreover, pooled analysis illustrated that elevated NLR and CRP represents poor DSS, with HRs of 1.46 and 2.06, respectively. In addition, combined analysis revealed that higher Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) was linked to an adverse OS/DSS (HR = 2.35/2.77). Conclusion: Our meta-analysis suggested that hematological markers (NLR, CRP, PLR, LMR, and GPS) are one of the important prognostic indicators for patients affected by high-grade STS and patients with the STS being located in the extremity.

Brazilian consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of extremities soft tissue sarcomas

INTRODUCTION

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are rare tumors and constitute only 1% of all tumors in adults. Indeed, due to their rarity, most cases in Brazil are not treated according to primary international guidelines.

METHODS

This consensus addresses the treatment of STSs in the extremities. It was made by workgroups from Brazilian Societies of Surgical Oncology, Orthopaedics, Clinical Oncology, Pathology, Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, and Radiation Oncology. The workgroups based their arguments on the best level of evidence in the literature and recommendations were made according to diagnosis, staging, and treatment of STSs. A meeting was held with all the invited experts and the topics were presented individually with the definition of the degree of recommendation, based on the levels of evidence in the literature.

RESULTS

Risk factors and epidemiology were described as well as the pathological aspects and imaging. All recommendations are described with the degree of recommendation and levels of evidence.

CONCLUSION

Recommendations based on the best literature regional aspects were made to guide professionals who treat STS. Separate consensus on specific treatments for retroperitoneal, visceral, trunk, head and neck sarcomas, and gastrointestinal stromal tumor, are not contemplated into this consensus.

Applicability of the Sarculator and MSKCC nomograms to retroperitoneal sarcoma prognostication in an Asian tertiary center

AIM

To study the applicability of 2 common nomograms in retroperitoneal sarcoma patients treated in an Asian tertiary hospital, and to study relapse patterns.

METHODS

Patients from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2017 were retrospectively analysed. R2 resection from an external institution were ineligible. Harrel's C concordance index and calibration plots were used to assess nomograms' accuracy.

RESULTS

109 patients were eligible, with a median age of 56, median tumour size of 16 cm and median follow up of 44.1 months. Most common subtypes were DDLPS (46.8%), LMS (19.3%) and WDLPS (13.8%). Overall, 81.1% had passed away from sarcoma. Recurrence patterns differed with subtypes; 6.7% of WDLPS and 66.7% of LMS had distant relapses. WDLPS patients had a median sarcoma specific survival of 139 months (122-NA), while the rest had a median SSS of 72.3 months (59.7-NA). The 5-years and 7-year OS were 63.0% (95% CI: 53.6%-74.0%) and 51.6% (41.1%-64.8%) respectively. The 5-years and 7-year DFS were 22.4% (15.5%-32.3%) and 17.5% (11%-27.8%) respectively. The 4-years, 8-years and 12-year SSS were 71.3% (62.7%-81.0%), 51.8% (40.8%-65.8%) and 32.2% (19.7%-52.6%) respectively. The concordance indices for 7-year DFS and OS (Sarculator) were 0.63 and 0.73. The concordance indices for 4-, 8- and 12-year SSS (MSKCC) were 0.64, 0.72 and 0.72.

CONCLUSION

Both nomograms were effective in our cohort. Both nomograms can be further improved by specifying the type of relapse and including a longer-term endpoint for the Sarculator.

Individualizing Follow-Up Strategies in High-Grade Soft Tissue Sarcoma with Flexible Parametric Competing Risk Regression Models

Currently, patients with extremity soft tissue sarcoma (eSTS) who have undergone curative resection are followed up by a heuristic approach, not covering individual patient risks. The aim of this study was to develop two flexible parametric competing risk regression models (FPCRRMs) for local recurrence (LR) and distant metastasis (DM), aiming at providing guidance on how to individually follow-up patients. Three thousand sixteen patients (1931 test, 1085 validation cohort) with high-grade eSTS were included in this retrospective, multicenter study. Histology (9 categories), grading (time-varying covariate), gender, age, tumor size, margins, (neo)adjuvant radiotherapy (RTX), and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CTX) were used in the FPCRRMs and performance tested with Harrell-C-index. Median follow-up was 50 months (interquartile range: 23.3–95 months). Two hundred forty-two (12.5%) and 603 (31.2%) of test cohort patients developed LR and DM. Factors significantly associated with LR were gender, size, histology, neo- and adjuvant RTX, and margins. Parameters associated with DM were margins, grading, gender, size, histology, and neoadjuvant RTX. C-statistics was computed for internal (C-index for LR: 0.705, for DM: 0.723) and external cohort (C-index for LR: 0.683, for DM: 0.772). Depending on clinical, pathological, and patient-related parameters, LR- and DM-risks vary. With the present model, implemented in the updated Personalised Sarcoma Care (PERSARC)-app, more individualized prediction of LR/DM-risks is made possible.

Status and prognostic nomogram of patients with Burkitt lymphoma

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the newest status of patients diagnosed Burkitt lymphoma (BL), an aggressive lymphoma subset with a high cure rate. Furthermore, the study aimed to create prognostic nomograms to consider various prognostic factors and estimate patient survival, paving the way for clinical decision-making. A total of 4,600 patients diagnosed with BL between 1983 and 2015 were investigated, via data collected from the SEER database. The overall status of the patients was analyzed through several aspects, including incidence and survival analysis of the previous three decades using the log-rank test and the Kaplan-Meier method. In order to construct and validate the nomograms, the patient diagnosed during 2005-2015 were randomly assigned to the training cohort and validation cohort. Univariate and multivariate analyses were applied to identify independent factors that were further included in the nomograms, predicting 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). The data of the training cohort were used for internal validation and validation cohort used to external validation. C-index and calibration plots were used to validate the nomograms, comparing predicted values with actual outcomes. The incidence of BL was gradually increased from 1984 and reached its peak in 2009, at a rate of 0.491 per 100,000 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.412-0.581]. From 2009, the incidence slowly declined year by year and dropped to 0.280 per 100,000 (95% CI, 0.224-0.346). The OS and CSS rates of patients diagnosed between 2005 and 2015 were increased, in contrast with those of patients diagnosed from 1983-1993 and 1994-2004. A total of five variables, including age, race, chemotherapy, primary site and stage, proved to be the prognostic factors of BL and were used to construct the nomograms predicting 3- and 5-year OS and CSS. The internal and external calibration plots for the probability of 3- and 5-year OS and CSS were consistent between nomogram prediction and observed outcomes. The slow decline in incidence and the significantly improved cure rate make BL a disease that is no longer an urgent problem. Effective nomograms were developed to predict the OS and CSS of patients with BL.

Primary cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma successfully treated with eribulin: a case report

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma that typically occurs in children and adolescents and is rare in adults. Furthermore, as cardiac tumor is rare, adult cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma is a very rare entity. Here, we report the case of a 68-year-old woman with cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma who was successfully treated with eribulin. She presented with sudden loss of consciousness, which was attributed to the cardiac tumor. The tumor was resected by emergency surgery and was diagnosed as embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Although surgical treatment alleviated her symptoms, the residual tumor increased in size after surgery and required multimodal treatment. First-line chemotherapy with the vincristine, actinomycin D, and cyclophosphamide regimen had to be discontinued owing to adverse events, and thus eribulin was used as a second-line treatment. Eribulin was better tolerated and helped maintain a stable disease status for >18 months. This reported case of cardiac rhabdomyosarcoma is the first case to be successfully treated with eribulin over a relatively long period. Eribulin therapy may thus be a viable treatment alternative for rhabdomyosarcoma.

The Outcome of Patients With Localized Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma of the Lower Extremity Treated at Stanford University

BACKGROUND

As a diagnosis of exclusion, Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma (UPS) has unclear clinical characteristics. The objective of this retrospective cohort study is to investigate which clinical and prognostic factors of primary lower-extremity UPS will determine failure.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 55 primary lower-extremity UPS cases treated at Stanford between 1998 and 2015. Overall Survival (OS) and Disease-Free Survival (DFS) curves were calculated. Univariate Fisher's Exact Tests were used to examine relationships between disease recurrence, treatment, patient factors, tumor characteristics, and surgical margins.

RESULTS

5-year DFS and OS rates were 60% (95% CI, 45%-72%) and 68% (95% CI, 53%-79%), respectively. The 5-year DFS rate for patients with positive margins was 33.3% (95% CI, 5%-68%) compared with 63% (95% CI, 47%-76%) for patients with negative margins. (Log-rank, P=0.03). The OS rate for those with disease recurrence was 42% % (95% CI, 16%-67%) compared with 76% (95% CI, 59%-87%) for patients who did not have disease recurrence (log-rank, P=0.021). Local failure occurred more frequently with omission of radiation therapy (Fisher's exact test, P=0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Positive surgical margins are an important prognostic factor for predicting relapse in UPS. Relapse of any kind led to worse OS. Radiation therapy improved local control of disease but had no statistically significant effect on DFS, highlighting the need for improved diagnostics to identify those at highest risk for hematogenous metastasis and for selection of patients for adjuvant systemic treatment.

Nomogram predicting overall survival of rectal squamous cell carcinomas patients based on the SEER database: A population-based STROBE cohort study

We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of clinical and pathologic factors in rectal squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and to construct a nomogram for their outcome prediction.The study cohort was selected from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program between January 2004 and December 2013. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards regression model to evaluate the prognostic value of involved variables. All prognostic factors were combined to construct a nomogram to predict the overall survival (OS), followed by discrimination as well as calibration plots and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for assessing the predictive accuracy of the nomogram.We identified 806 patients with a median follow-up time of 35 months. Multivariate analyses revealed that marital status (P < .001), age (P < .001), T stage (P = .008), M stage (P < .001), surgery (P = .004), chemotherapy (P = .003) and radiotherapy (P = .016) were independent prognostic factors of OS. Finally, the 7 variables were combined to construct a 3-year and 5-year OS nomogram. The concordance indexes (C-indexes) of OS were 0.756 (95% CI, 0.726-0.786) for the internal validation and 0.729 (95% CI, 0.678-0.780) for the external validation. Additionally, there was superior discrimination power of the nomogram over the SEER stage or the 8th edition AJCC TNM staging classification (P < .001). Calibration plots further showed good consistency between the nomogram prediction and actual observation. The area under the curve (AUC) of ROC curves for 3-year OS was 0.811 (95% CI: 0.769-0.853) in the training cohort and 0.748 (95% CI: 0.681-0.815) in the validation cohort. The AUC for 5-year OS was 0.770 (95% CI: 0.721-0.819) in the training cohort and 0.797 (95% CI: 0.731-0.863) in the validation cohort. Finally, Kaplan-Meier analysis further validates the predictive potential of the nomogram.Marital status, age, T stage, M stage, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy were significantly associated with OS of patients with rectal SCC. This predictive model has the potential to provide an individualized risk estimate of survival in patients with rectal SCC.

Role of radiation therapy for retroperitoneal sarcomas: An eight-institution study from the US Sarcoma Collaborative

BACKGROUND

The use of radiation therapy in the treatment of retroperitoneal sarcomas has increased in recent years. Its impact on survival and recurrence is unclear.

METHODS

A retrospective propensity score matched (PSM) analysis of patients with primary retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcomas, who underwent resection from 2000 to 2016 at eight institutions of the US Sarcoma Collaborative, was performed. Patients with metastatic disease, desmoid tumors, and palliative resections were excluded.

RESULTS

Total 425 patients were included, 56 in the neoadjuvant radiation group (neo-RT), 75 in the adjuvant radiation group (adj-RT), and 294 in the no radiotherapy group (no-RT). Median age was 59.5 years, 186 (43.8%) were male with a median follow up of 31.4 months. R0 and R1 resection was achieved in 253 (61.1%) and 143 (34.5%), respectively. Overall 1:1 match of 46 adj-RT and 59 neo-RT patients was performed using histology, sex, age, race, functional status, tumor size, grade, resection status, and chemotherapy. Unadjusted recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 35.9 months (no-RT) vs 33.5 months (neo-RT) and 27.2 months (adj-RT), P = .43 and P = .84, respectively. In the PSM, RFS was 17.6 months (no-RT) vs 33.9 months (neo-RT), P = .28 and 19 months (no-RT) vs 27.2 months (adj-RT), P = .1.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of radiotherapy, both in adjuvent or neoadjuvent setting, was not associated with improved survival or reduced recurrence rate.

Development of nomograms for prognostication of patients with primary soft tissue sarcomas of the trunk and extremity: report from the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Registry in Japan

Background

The use of nomograms for prognostication of individual cancer patients has been recommended in order to facilitate precision medicine. However, models for patients with soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are limited because of the rarity and heterogeneity of such cancers. In addition, no model has been developed on the basis of an Asian cohort. Here, we attempted to develop and internally validate nomograms for patients with localized STSs of the trunk and extremity.

Methods

This study retrospectively extracted 2827 patients with primary trunk and extremity STSs after definitive surgery using the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Registry, which is a nationwide sarcoma database in Japan. We developed three nomograms predicting the probability of local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) at 2 years after surgery, using the Cox multivariate model. The nomograms were internally validated for discrimination and calibration using bootstrap resampling and assessed for their clinical applicability by decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

Local recurrence, distant metastasis and disease-specific death occurred in 241 patients (8.5%), 554 patients (19.6%) and 230 patients (8.1%), respectively. Histological diagnosis, grade and tumor size strongly influenced all three endpoints. The nomograms predicted accurately the probability of LRFS, DMFS and DSS (concordance index: 0.73, 0.70 and 0.75, respectively). DCA demonstrated that our nomograms had clinical applicability.

Conclusion

We have developed the first nomograms for STSs based on an Asian cohort. These nomograms allowed accurate prediction of LRFS, DMFS and DSS at 2 years after definitive surgery, and can be used as a guide by clinicians for appropriate follow-up and counseling of patients.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-5875-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The pretreatment erythrocyte sedimentation rate predicts survival outcomes after surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy for extremity soft tissue sarcoma

Background

Systemic inflammation plays a critical role in cancer progression and oncologic outcomes in cancer patients. We investigated whether preoperative inflammatory biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), could be surrogate biomarkers for predicting overall survival (OS) in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients treated with surgery and postoperative radiotherapy.

Methods

A series of 99 patients who presented with localized extremity STS were retrospectively reviewed. The preoperative CRP levels, ESR, and NLR were evaluated for associations with OS, disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Cutoff values for CRP, ESR, and NLR were derived from receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis.

Results

Elevated CRP (> 0.14 mg/dL), ESR (> 15 mm/h), and NLR (> 1.95) levels were seen in 33, 44, and 45 patients, respectively. Of these three inflammatory biomarkers, elevated CRP and ESR were associated with a poorer OS (CRP: P = 0.050; ESR: P = 0.001), DFS (CRP: P = 0.023; ESR: P = 0.003), and DMFS (CRP: P = 0.015; ESR: P = 0.001). By multivariate analysis, an elevated ESR was found to be an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR 3.580, P = 0.025) and DMFS (HR 3.850, P = 0.036) after adjustment for other established prognostic factors.

Conclusions

The preoperative ESR level is a simple and useful surrogate biomarker for predicting survival outcomes in STS patients and might improve the identification of high-risk patients of tumor relapse in clinical practice.

Trends in practice patterns and outcomes: A decade of sarcoma care in the United States

BACKGROUND

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a rare and heterogeneous group of tumors. We sought to characterize national trends in referral patterns, treatment strategies, and overall survival (OS) over the course of a decade.

METHODS

Adult patients with extra-abdominal STS were identified using the National Cancer Database and categorized by diagnosis year (2005-2009 and 2010-2014). High-volume hospitals (HVH) were defined as those >90^th percentile in volume of STS patients treated, and others were defined as low-volume hospitals (LVH). Standard statistical methods were used to compare treatment strategies and OS by diagnosis period.

RESULTS

Of 55,212 patients, 25,469 (46.1%) were diagnosed in 2005-2009 and 29,743 (53.9%) in 2010-2014. Despite increased utilization of neoadjuvant radiation therapy (26.6% vs. 34.8%, P < 0.001), the rate of R0 resections did not change (75.0% vs. 74.8%, P = 0.067). Furthermore, at a national level, OS did not improve over time (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.96-1.01). When outcomes were stratified by volume, treatment at HVH compared to LVH was associated with improved rates of R0 resection (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.20-1.35) and OS (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.89-0.95). Moreover, there was a modest improvement in OS at HVH (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-1.00), but not at LVH (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.97-1.04). However, referral to HVH did not change over time (40.7% vs. 40.7%, P = 0.91).

CONCLUSION

OS for STS did not change at a national level over the course of a decade, although it improved at HVH. Further outcome improvements will likely require more effective systemic therapies.

Radiotherapy for parapharyngeal space tumors

A wide variety of tumors, both benign and malignant, occur in the parapharyngeal space. Depending on histology and extent, treatment may include surgery and/or radiotherapy (RT). Herein we discuss the role of RT in the management of some of the more commonly encountered neoplasms, including salivary gland tumors, paragangliomas, schwannomas, and soft-tissue sarcomas.

Comparison of outcome and toxicity of postoperative intensity-modulated radiation therapy with two-dimensional radiotherapy in patients with soft tissue sarcoma of extremities and trunk

BACKGROUND

To compare the survival outcomes and late toxicities of postoperative intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with two-dimensional radiotherapy (2D-RT) for patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of extremities and trunk.

METHODS

274 consecutive patients with nonmetastatic STS of extremities and trunk treated with postoperative IMRT (n = 187) and 2D-RT (n = 87) were analyzed. Survival was calculated by using Kaplan-Meier method. Independent prognostic factors were identified using Cox stepwise regression analysis for variables with a P-value <0.1 in univariate analysis.

RESULTS

With a median follow-up time of 58.1 months, 30 local recurrences, 66 distant metastases, and 40 deaths occurred. Compared to 2D-RT group, the IMRT group had higher 5-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) (91.1% vs 80.8%; P = 0.029), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) (80.0% vs 69.7%; P = 0.048), disease-free survival (DFS) (75.2% vs 59.2%; P = 0.021), and overall survival (OS) (90.2% vs 81.0%; P = 0.029). Multivariate analysis showed IMRT was an independent favorable factor for LRFS, DMFS, DFS, and OS. For late toxicities, the patients in IMRT group enjoyed lower incidences of ≥Grade 2 joint stiffness (3.9% vs 12.3%; P = 0.041) and ≥Grade 3 fractures (0.0% vs 3.4%; P = 0.25) than those in 2D-RT group. ≥Grade 2 Edema was similar between these two groups (4.8% vs 9.2%; P = 0.183).

CONCLUSIONS

When compared with conventional techniques, postoperative IMRT seems to provide better LRFS, DMFS, DFS, and OS and less late toxicities in patients with STS of extremities and trunk, which should be offered as a preferred treatment.

Neoadjuvant isolated limb perfusion in newly diagnosed untreated patients with locally advanced soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities: the Gustave Roussy experience

BACKGROUND

Limb-sparing surgery in locally advanced soft tissue sarcomas (LA STS) is challenging. The aim of this study is to evaluate upfront isolated limb perfusion (ILP) in untreated patients with LA STS.

METHODS

All consecutive patients with LA STS of the limbs deemed borderline or unresectable and treated with upfront ILP as induction treatment between 2003 and 2016 were included. Demographic, clinical and long-term characteristics were obtained and retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

41 patients (pts), with a median age of 51 years [range 21-76], were identified (lower limb 68%, upper limb 32%). Liposarcoma and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma were the most common subtypes (27% and 22%, respectively). Acute toxicities, using Wieberdink classification, were grade II (35 pts, 85%), grade III (2 pts, 5%) and no grade IV-V. Local control rate was 98%. 32 pts had limb-sparing surgery (78%). 1 pt had an early amputation due to progressive disease after ILP. 8 pts were not operated (four had RT alone, one had distant metastases, two had a complete response and one died 3 months after ILP of a pulmonary embolism). 36 pts (84%) received postoperative RT. After a median follow-up of 43 months, 18 pts (47%) relapsed. Median disease-free survival (DFS) was 6.7 years. The median overall survival (OS) was not reached. The 1-year, 5-year and 10-year DFS and OS rates were, respectively, 75%, 50% and 45%, and 90%, 63% and 55%.

CONCLUSION

Upfront ILP is an efficient and well-tolerated limb-sparing procedure in borderline or unresectable LA STS without hampering OS.

Efficacy of adjuvant radiotherapy in non-extremity soft tissue sarcoma with moderate chemosensitivity

Purpose

Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a rare and heterogeneous cancer with over 50 known subtypes. It is difficult to understand the role of adjuvant treatment in STS. We aimed to determine the benefits of adjuvant treatment for a rare STS subset: non-extremity STS with moderate chemosensitivity.

Materials and Methods

We reviewed medical records from Pusan National University Hospital and Kosin University Gospel Hospital, which had detailed pathological reports on patients diagnosed between 2006 and 2016. The most important inclusion criterion was resection with curative intent. We grouped STS by chemosensitivity based on reported data and analyzed non-extremity STS with moderate chemosensitivity.

Results

We investigated 142 patients with 20 pathological subtypes of STS. Eighty-six patients had extremity STS and 56 had non-extremity STS. Thirty-eight of 56 patients were categorized as having moderate chemosensitivity. Seventeen of 38 patients (44.7%) received adjuvant radiotherapy and 14 (36.8%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. A log-rank test showed longer disease-free survival (DFS) in the adjuvant radiotherapy group than in the group treated without adjuvant radiotherapy (not reached vs. 1.468 years, p = 0.037). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, with covariates including age, stage, resection margin, adjuvant chemotherapy, and adjuvant radiotherapy, revealed that adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with longer DFS (odds ratio = 0.369, p = 0.045). Overall survival was not correlated with adjuvant radiotherapy.

Conclusion

Adjuvant radiotherapy may be associated with longer DFS in patients with non-extremity STS with moderate chemosensitivity.

Integrating therapies for surgical adult soft tissue sarcoma patients

Sarcomas are an uncommon group of over 50 different individual histological malignancies arising from mesenchymal (non-epithelial or connective) tissues. Overall, they constitute 1% of human malignancies with an annual incidence rate of fewer than 5 patients per million. Sarcoma may arise from any mesenchymal cell lineages including fat, muscle, or other connective tissues. Due to the rarity of these groups of malignancies, many subtypes were, and still today, are managed as a single entity. This review focused on soft tissue sarcomas with an emphasis on how to integrate therapies for patients with this rare disorder. The role for surgical resection in cure and palliation as well as the relative benefits of adjuvant therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy are discussed.

Selection of Patients With Localized Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma for Treatment With Perioperative Chemotherapy

OPINION STATEMENT

Soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is a heterogeneous disease, in terms of histologic subtype, body site of presentation, and behavior. Localized soft tissue sarcoma may be cured with complete tumor excision, but overall, outcomes are sub-optimal. Metastatic disease is associated with shortened survival. Systemic therapy has been studied for several decades as adjunctive therapy, but the use of adjuvant and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy remains controversial. The heterogeneity of patients included in clinical trials, and of sarcoma in general, has made it difficult to draw conclusions about which patients with localized STS should be treated with chemotherapy. Over time, published outcomes for STS of the extremities have improved, and one of the factors that contributes to this improvement may be selection of patients most likely to benefit from the prescribed treatment. Recent studies of neo-adjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy have recruited patients with the highest recurrence risk-those with large, high-grade, deep tumors. It is reasonable, in practice, to apply similar criteria in deciding whether to recommend treatment. Looking ahead, it will be important to refine our ability to identify patients at highest risk of recurrence, and to develop tools to predict which patients and tumors will respond to chemotherapy.

Biological significance and prognostic relevance of peripheral blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in soft tissue sarcoma

Peripheral blood indices of systemic inflammation such as the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been shown to be prognostic in various cancers. We aim to investigate the clinical significance of these indices in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Seven hundred and twelve patients with available blood counts at diagnosis and/or metastatic relapse were retrospectively examined. An optimal cutoff for NLR-high (>2.5) in predicting overall survival (OS) was determined using receiver operating curve analyses. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox proportional models. Our results show that NLR was significantly higher in patients with distant metastasis at diagnosis (n = 183) compared to those without (n = 529) (median: 4.36 vs 2.85, p < 0.0001). Progression of localized disease at diagnosis to metastatic relapse within the same patients was associated with an interval increase in NLR (median: 3.21 vs 3.74, p = 0.0003). In multivariate analysis, NLR-high was the only consistent factor independently associated with both worse OS (HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.10–2.13, p = 0.0112) and relapse-free survival (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.08–1.85, p = 0.0125) in localized disease, as well as OS (HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.16–2.85, p = 0.0087) in metastatic/unresectable disease. In conclusion, high NLR is an independent marker of poor prognosis among patients with STS.

Development and External Validation of a Simplified Nomogram Predicting Individual Survival After R0 Resection for Gastric Cancer: An International, Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have developed three nomograms for the individual prediction of overall survival after gastric cancer surgery. In this study, the performance of these nomograms was evaluated and compared with that of a simplified nomogram in a multinational cohort of patients.

METHODS

Clinical data from patients who underwent resection (R0) with curative intent for GC at three specialized centers (two from China and one from Italy) and data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

The study analyzed 9810 patients, and the simplified nomogram was developed based on the following factors present in all models: age, sex, depth of invasion, and number of metastatic lymph nodes. In the decision curve analyses, the simplified nomogram demonstrated similar net benefit gains relative to previous models. The discriminative ability of the simplified nomogram was similar to those of the three existing nomograms, and calibration of the simplified nomogram resulted in a predicted survival similar to the actual survival. The predictive ability of the simplified nomogram was superior to that of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage using Eastern and Western validation data (p < 0.01). Additionally, the simplified nomogram predicted the probabilities within each AJCC stage to illustrate the heterogeneity of risk within each stage.

CONCLUSION

The novel simplified nomogram simplifies the assessment of individual survival after R0 resection for GC without sacrificing predictive ability. It also has potential for use with other databases and for clinical applications.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting survival in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumours

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to develop and validate nomograms for predicting long-term overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs).

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with GISTs between 2004 and 2015 were selected for the study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patients were randomly separated into the training set and the validation set. Multivariate analysis was used on the training set to obtain independent prognostic factors to build nomograms for predicting 3- and 5-year OS and CSS. The discrimination and calibration plots were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the nomograms.

RESULTS

Data for a total of 5622 patients with GISTs were collected from the SEER database. Nomograms were established based on variables that were significantly associated with OS and CSS identified by the Cox regression model. The nomograms for predicting OS and CSS displayed better discrimination power than did the SEER stage and Tumour-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging systems (7th edition) in the training set and validation set. Calibration plots of the nomograms indicated that OS and CSS closely corresponded to actual observation.

CONCLUSIONS

The nomograms were able to more accurately predict 3- and 5-year OS and CSS of patients with GISTs than were existing models.

Development and Validation of a Nomogram for Predicting Overall Survival in Pancreatic NeuroendocrineTumors

BACKGROUND: The objective of current study was to develop and validate a nomogram to predict overall survival in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs). METHODS: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was queried for patients with PNETs between 2004 and 2015. Patients were randomly separated into the training set and the validation set. Cox regression model was used in training set to obtain independent prognostic factors to develop a nomogram for predicting overall survival (OS). The discrimination and calibration plots were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the nomogram. RESULTS: A total of 3142 patients with PNETs were collected from the SEER database. Sex, age, marital status, primary site, TNM stage, tumor grade, and therapy were associated with OS in the multivariate models. A nomogram was constructed based on these variables. The nomogram for predicting OS displayed better discrimination power than the Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage systems 7th edition in the training set and validation set. The calibration curve indicated that the nomogram was able to accurately predict 3- and 5-year OS. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram which could predict 3- and 5-year OS were established in this study. Our nomogram showed a good performance, suggesting that it could be served as an effective tool for prognostic evaluation of patients with PNETs.

A nomogram to predict overall survival for biliary tract cancer

Background

The aim of the study was to develop and validate a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) in biliary tract cancer (BTC).

Patients and methods

Patients diagnosed with BTC between 2004 and 2014 were selected for the study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. All patients were randomly allocated to 2 sets, the training set (n = 8,869) and the validation set (n = 8,766), for the purposes of validation. The prognostic effects of each variable were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. Cox regression models and a nomogram were developed based on significant prognostic factors. The predictive and discriminatory capacity of the nomogram was evaluated by Harrell’s concordance index (C-index) and calibration plots.

Results

Data of 17,635 patients with BTC were collected from the SEER database. Age; race; tumor site; tumor grade; T, N, and M stage; marital status; and therapy were associated with survival in the multivariate models. All these factors were integrated to construct the nomogram. The nomogram for predicting OS displayed better discrimination power than the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage system 6th edition in the training set and validation set. The calibration curve indicated that the nomogram was able to accurately predict 3- and 5-year OS.

Conclusion

This predictive model has the potential to provide an individualized risk estimate of survival in patients with BTC.

Adjuvant chemotherapy-Radiotherapy-Chemotherapy sandwich protocol in resectable soft tissue sarcoma: An updated single-center analysis of 104 cases

Adjuvant therapy of local soft tissue sarcomas (STS) after wide surgical excision still is a topic under controversial scientific debate. In this single center report we have offered an adjuvant “sandwich” therapy protocol consisting of 4 cycles of doxorubicin (75 mg/m² i.v. over 1 h on day 1) followed by ifosfamide (5 g/m² i.v. over 24 h starting on day 1) and local radiotherapy scheduled between chemotherapy cycles 2 and 3 to 104 consecutive patients after wide surgical excision (R0) of histologically proven high-grade STS. After a mean follow-up of 39 months (range 5–194 months) relapse free survival (RFS) at 2 and 5 years was 68.1% (95% CI, 58.5–77.7%) and 61.2% (95% CI, 50.4–71.6%). When analyzing the 82 STS cases of the extremities only 2- and 5-year RFS was 74.0% (95% CI, 64.0–84.0%) and 65.3% (95% CI, 53.7–76.9%). By intent-to-treat analysis, the overall survival (OS) at 2 years was 87.3% (95% CI, 80.5–94.1%) and 75.6% (95% CI, 65.2–86.0%) at 5 years, while OS for STS of the extremities only cohort was 90.5% (95% CI, 83.7–97.3%) and 79.0% (95% CI, 68.4–89.6%), respectively. Tolerability of the treatment was good. This analysis demonstrates the feasibility of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and reflects the results of the long lasting intensive multidisciplinary team approach at our “high-volume” sarcoma center. The long-term survival in our patients is among the highest reported and the low local and distant recurrence rate in high-risk STS is at least comparable to the published data.

Allograft Reconstruction of the Extensor Mechanism after Resection of Soft Tissue Sarcoma

INTRODUCTION

Soft tissue tumors around the knee joint still pose problems for the excision and subsequent reconstruction.

METHODS

In the 6 included patients the soft tissue sarcoma has its base on the anterior surface of the extensor mechanism and expands towards the skin. The entire extensor apparatus (quadriceps tendon, patella, and patellar tendon) was resected and replaced by a fresh-frozen allograft.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up was 6.7 years (range: 2-12.4 years). In two patients a local recurrence occurred, resulting in a 5-year local recurrence-free rate of 66.7% (95% CI: 19.5%-90.4%). Distant metastases were found in 4 patients resulting in a 5-year metastasis-free rate of 33.3% (95% CI: 4.6%-67.5%). Two patients underwent at least one revision surgery, including one patient in whom the allograft had to be removed. According to the ISOLS function score 24.7 points (range: 19-28 points) were achieved at the last follow-up. The mean active flexion of the knee joint was 82.5° (range: 25-120°) and a mean extension lag of 10° (range: 0-30°) was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The replacement of the extensor mechanism by an allograft is a reasonable option, allowing wide margins and restoration of active extension in most patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The presented study is listed on the ISRCTN registry with trial number ISRCTN63060594.

Prognosis and nomogram for predicting postoperative survival of duodenal adenocarcinoma: A retrospective study in China and the SEER database

As primary duodenal adenocarcinoma is rare, the prognostic factors of this disease remain insufficiently explored, especially in China. We identified postoperative duodenal adenocarcinoma patients at a Chinese double-center (from 2006 to 2016) or who were registered with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (from 2004 to 2014). Clinicopathological features and significant prognostic factors for cancer-specific survival (CSS) were reviewed and analyzed by using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression. Then, a nomogram predicting CSS was constructed based on the SEER database and validated externally by using the separate Chinese cohort. Totally, 137 patients from the Chinese double-center and 698 patients from the SEER database were included for analysis. The multivariate analyses showed that age, tumor grade and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors. The nomogram constructed using these factors showed a clear prognostic superiority to the AJCC-TNM classification, 7^th ed. (C-index: SEER cohort, 0.693 vs 0.625, P < 0.001; Chinese cohort, 0.677 vs 0.659, P < 0.001, respectively). In summary, the valuable prognostic factors in patients with duodenal adenocarcinoma were age, tumor grade and TNM stage. This study developed a nomogram that can precisely predict the CSS for postoperative duodenal adenocarcinoma patients.

Tumor necrosis and clinical outcomes following neoadjuvant therapy in soft tissue sarcoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The prognostic role of tumor necrosis following neoadjuvant therapy is established in bone sarcomas but remains unclear in soft tissue sarcomas (STS).

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, MEDLINE in progress, EMBASE and Cochrane to identify studies that investigated neoadjuvant therapy in STS. Studies were required to report survival data based on extent of necrosis, or provided individual patient data allowing estimation thereof. Hazard ratios (HR) for relapse-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) and odds ratios (OR) for recurrence at 3 years and for death at 5 years were pooled in a random effect meta-analysis. Associations between patient characteristics and attainment of ≥90% necrosis were explored.

RESULTS

21 studies comprising 1663 patients were included. Extremity tumors were most common (n = 1554; 93%). Induction regimens included chemotherapy with radiotherapy (n = 924; 56%), chemotherapy alone (n = 412; 25%), radiotherapy alone (n = 78; 5%), isolated limb perfusion (ILP) (n = 231; 14%), and targeted therapy/radiotherapy (n = 18; 1%). Patients with <90% necrosis had higher hazard of recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] 1.47; 95% CI: 1.06-2.04; p = 0.02) and death (HR 1.86; 95% CI: 1.41-2.46; p < 0.001). Risk of recurrence at 3 years (OR = 3.35; 95% CI: 2.27-4.92; p < 0.001) and of death at 5 years (OR 2.60; 95% CI: 1.59-4.26; p < 0.001) were similarly increased. Compared to other modalities, ILP was associated with higher odds of achieving ≥90% necrosis (OR 12.1; 95% CI: 3.69-39.88; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Tumour necrosis <90% following neoadjuvant therapy is associated with increased recurrence risk and inferior OS in patients with STS.

Race is an independent predictor of survival in patients with soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities

BACKGROUND

In the United States, race and socioeconomic status are well known predictors of adverse outcomes in several different cancers. Existing evidence suggests that race and socioeconomic status may impact survival in soft tissue sarcoma (STS). We investigated the National Cancer Database (NCDB), which contains several socioeconomic and medical variables and contains the largest sarcoma patient registry to date. Our goal was to determine the impact of race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status on patient survival in patients with soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities (STS-E).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 14,067 STS-E patients in the NCDB from 1998 through 2012. Patients were stratified based on race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to correlate specific outcomes and survival measures with these factors. Then, long-term survival between groups was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method with comparisons based on the log-rank test. Multiple variables were analyzed between two groups.

RESULTS

Of the 14,067 patients analyzed, 84.9% were white, 11% were black and 4.1% were Asian. Black patients were significantly more likely (7.18% vs 5.65% vs 4.47%) than white or Asian patients to receive amputation (p = 0.027). Black patients were also less likely to have either an above-median education level or an above-median income level (p < 0.001). In addition, black patients were more likely to be uninsured (p < 0.001) and more likely to have a higher Charleson Comorbidity Score than white or Asian patients. Tumors were larger in size upon presentation in black patients than in white or Asian patients (p < 0.001). Black patients had significantly poorer overall survival than did white or Asian patients (p < 0.001) with a KM 5-year survival of 61.4% vs 66.9% and 69.9% respectively, and a 24% higher independent likelihood of dying in a multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

This large database review reveals concerning trends in black patients with STS-E. These include larger tumors, poorer resources, a greater likelihood of amputation, and poorer survival than white and Asian patients. Future studies are warranted to help ensure adequate access to effective treatment for all patients.

Soft Tissue Sarcoma Response to Two Cycles of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Multireader Analysis of MRI Findings and Agreement with RECIST Criteria and Change in SUVmax

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

When soft tissue sarcomas are treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the number of cycles of chemotherapy is usually dependent on the tumor's initial response. Popular methods to assess tumor response include Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria, which rely solely on tumor size, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) reduction in positron emission tomography (PET), which requires an expensive and high radiation test. We hypothesized that contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may offer a good alternative by providing additional information beyond tumor size.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Following IRB approval, a retrospective review identified patients with soft tissue sarcomas who underwent both PET and MRI before and after two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Five readers independently examined the MRI exams for: changes in size, T2 or T1 signal, necrosis and degree of enhancement. Readers then made a subjective binary assessment of tumor response to therapy. Each reader repeated the anonymized randomized reading at least 2 weeks apart. 18 F-FDG PET exams were interpreted by a nuclear medicine specialist. The maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) for pre and post-chemotherapy exams were compared. Intra- and inter-reader agreement was assessed using Cohen's kappa and Light's kappa, respectively. .

RESULTS

Twenty cases were selected for this multireader study, of which 9 (45%) were responders and 11 were nonresponders by SUVmax. Using all MRI criteria, 43% were classified as responders based on MRI and 1.5% were classified as responders by RECIST criteria. Using PET as the reference, the sensitivity and the specificity of the MRI diagnosis for response using all findings were 50% and 63%, respectively. There was fair to moderate intrareader (kappa = 0.37) and inter-reader (kappa = 0.48) agreement for the MRI diagnosis of response. None of the individual MRI signal characteristics were significantly different between the PET responders and nonresponders. Additionally, no MRI findings were significantly different between those with and without good clinical responses.

CONCLUSION

By our assessment, there is a poor correlation between tumor response by RECIST criteria and PET SUVmax. In addition, varying MR features did not help in diagnosing tumor response. Imaging of tumor response remains a challenging area that requires further research.

Treatment-related features improve machine learning prediction of prognosis in soft tissue sarcoma patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current prognostic models for soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients are solely based on staging information. Treatment-related data have not been included to date. Including such information, however, could help to improve these models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A single-center retrospective cohort of 136 STS patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) was analyzed for patients' characteristics, staging information, and treatment-related data. Therapeutic imaging studies and pathology reports of neoadjuvantly treated patients were analyzed for signs of response. Random forest machine learning-based models were used to predict patients' death and disease progression at 2 years. Pre-treatment and treatment models were compared.

RESULTS

The prognostic models achieved high performances. Using treatment features improved the overall performance for all three classification types: prediction of death, and of local and systemic progression (area under the receiver operatoring characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.87, 0.88, and 0.84, respectively). Overall, RT-related features, such as the planning target volume and total dose, had preeminent importance for prognostic performance. Therapy response features were selected for prediction of disease progression.

CONCLUSIONS

A machine learning-based prognostic model combining known prognostic factors with treatment- and response-related information showed high accuracy for individualized risk assessment. This model could be used for adjustments of follow-up procedures.

Comparative Performance of the 7th and 8th Editions of the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging Systems for Soft Tissue Sarcoma of the Trunk and Extremities

BACKGROUND

The 8th edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging for soft tissue sarcomas of the trunk/extremities divides T stage into four categories and upstages nodal disease to stage IV. We used the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to evaluate the prognostic power of the new system.

METHODS

A total of 26,144 patients were identified from the NCDB from 2004 to 2013. Overall survival (OS) was compared using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard models.

RESULTS

Including T3 (10 cm > × >15 cm) and T4 (> 15 cm) categories resulted in an increased number of patients classified as stage III (5120 as IIIA [19.6%] and 4280 as IIIB [16.4%], vs. 7882 [30.1%] previously), and there was a small increase in the number of patients classified as stage IV (2776 [10.6%], vs. 2565 [9.8%] previously). In the 7th edition, the hazard ratio (HR) for death increases with stage, with large incremental increases between stages II-III and III-IV. In the 8th edition, the HR for death demonstrates smaller incremental increases between each stage. Five-year OS for 7th edition T1 and T2 patients was 78.8 and 58.8% (p < 0.01), respectively, versus 62.6, 53.5, and 56.1% for T2, T3, and T4 patients, respectively, in the 8th edition (p < 0.01). Patients with isolated nodal disease (n = 211) had a better 5-year OS than those with distant metastases (33.1% vs. 12.4%, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The AJCC 8th edition uses T stage to more accurately stratify OS in patients with large, high-grade tumors (T3/4) compared with those patients with T2 tumors, which facilitates risk assessment. The distinction between T3 and T4 may not be clinically significant. Patients with metastatic nodal disease have a survival outcome intermediate to those with stages III and IV disease.

Patterns of care of superficial soft tissue sarcomas: it is not always just a lump

AIM

Superficial soft tissue sarcomas (S-STS) are generally considered low-risk tumors and have an excellent prognosis when treated with appropriate surgery and adjuvant therapy. However, they are often misdiagnosed then mistreated, leading to significant morbidity. This study aims to examine the patterns of care and outcomes of patients with S-STS, comparing those initially managed through sarcoma units versus elsewhere.

METHODS

Patients with S-STS from Prince of Wales Hospital in NSW (1995-2013) and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Victoria (2009-2013) were identified from a national sarcoma database. Baseline variables, treatment and disease outcomes were recorded. Statistical tests performed included univariate and multivariate analyses, chi-square tests, as well as the Kaplan-Meier method for 5-year local recurrence and survival rates.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine patients were identified, with 35% initially managed at a sarcoma unit and 65% elsewhere. Patients initially managed at sarcoma units had larger tumors (>5 cm 39% vs 17%; P  =  0.036) with a trend to higher grade (61% vs 48%; P = 0.39). Patients that were initially managed outside a sarcoma unit more often underwent open surgical biopsies (P < 0.0005), had multiple operations (P < 0.0005) and had higher rates of local recurrences (24% vs 6.5%, P  =  0.038). They also had lower 5-year local recurrence-free survival rates (P = 0.022), but had higher metastasis-free survival (P = 0.014). On multivariate analysis, only larger STS size and male gender predicted for poorer metastasis-free survival (P = 0.042 and 0.018, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Patients with S-STS initially managed outside specialized sarcoma units undergo more operations, with risk of greater morbidity, and have greater risk of local recurrence.

Nomogram for predicting survival in patients with pancreatic cancer

Background

The purpose of this study was to develop a nomogram to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in pancreatic cancer (PC).

Patients and methods

We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to analyze 53,028 patients diagnosed with PC from 2004 to 2014 and randomly divided them into the training (n=26,583) cohort and validation (n=26,445) cohort. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to select independent prognostic factors. We used significant prognostic factors for constructing a nomogram based on Cox regression analyses. Validation of the nomogram was assessed by discrimination and calibration.

Results

According to the multivariate models of training cohort, a nomogram that combined age, race, tumor location, marital status, tumor size, TNM stage, tumor grade, and surgery was constructed for predicting CSS. The internally validated and externally validated C-indexes were 0.741 and 0.734, respectively. The calibration curves showed that the nomogram was able to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year CSS accurately.

Conclusion

A nomogram effectively predicts survival in patients with PC. This prognostic model may be considered for use in clinical practice.

Surgery for Abdominal Well-Differentiated Liposarcoma

OPINION STATEMENT

Retroperitoneal sarcomas are rare tumors of which liposarcoma is the most common histology. Surgical resection remains the mainstay of therapy, particularly for the well-differentiated subtype. They can grow to massive size before causing symptoms or detection. Well-differentiated liposarcoma, while having a negligible metastatic rate, is fraught with a high local recurrence rate, despite a complete surgical resection. Reasons for this are not completely known but may be related to a field defect of the retroperitoneal fat creating a niche for recurrence. These tumors are classically chemo- and radio-resistant. Surgical therapy of recurrences can be challenging, but remains the treatment of choice for well-differentiated liposarcoma. In an attempt to improve on survival and recurrence rates for retroperitoneal liposarcoma, an extended resection approach has been promoted by a few groups. This involves the en bloc resection of contiguous organs that are not macroscopically involved. While this has improved local recurrence rates, benefit for overall survival has not been demonstrated. Interestingly, the improvement in local recurrence rate appeared to be driven by histology and was most improved in the well-differentiated subtype compared to historical data. However, for well-differentiated liposarcomas that are multifocal, this approach may be less useful. The application of this approach still requires further study in terms of balancing increased morbidity of extended resection against the potential for multiple surgeries for recurrence.

Serum creatinine and albumin predict sarcoma-specific survival in patients with myofibroblastic and fibroblastic sarcomas

Recent evidence suggests that common prognostic factors predicting disease progression and survival in soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are not applicable to all STS entities, indicating the need for histotype specific evaluation of new prognosticators. This study aimed at evaluating preoperative serum creatinine, albumin, and the albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) as markers for survival in patients with malignant fibroblastic and myofibroblastic sarcomas. One hundred and thirty-two patients who underwent sarcoma resection have been included. Statistical analysis comprised uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models, competing risk analysis and Kaplan-Meier estimates. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was estimated at 64.1% (95%CI: 53.7-72.8) and the 5-year sarcoma-specific mortality was 19.9% (95%CI: 12.8-28.1). Elevated serum creatinine levels were significantly associated with an impaired sarcoma-specific survival (SSS) adjusted for tumor stage (subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) per 1 mg/dl increase: 3.27; 95%CI: 1.87-5.73; p < 0.0001). Low serum albumin levels were associated with a shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) experience (HR per 10 g/L increase: 0.62; 95%CI: 0.41-0.94; p = 0.024). The ACR emerged as an AJCC-stage-independent prognosticator of SSS (SHR per 1 unit increase: 0.94; 95%CI: 0.90-0.98; p = 0.003). In conclusion, serum albumin and creatinine have been confirmed as predictive biomarkers for disease-specific outcomes in myofibroblastic and fibroblastic sarcomas. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:2815-2824, 2017.

SARC006: Phase II Trial of Chemotherapy in Sporadic and Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Associated Chemotherapy-Naive Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors

Background

Worse chemotherapy response for neurofibromatosis type 1- (NF1-) associated compared to sporadic malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) has been reported.

Methods

We evaluated the objective response (OR) rate of patients with AJCC Stage III/IV chemotherapy-naive NF1 MPNST versus sporadic MPNST after 4 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 2 cycles of ifosfamide/doxorubicin, and 2 cycles of ifosfamide/etoposide. A Simon optimal two-stage design was used (target response rate 40%).

Results

34 NF1 (median age 33 years) and 14 sporadic (median age 40 years) MPNST patients enrolled. Five of 28 (17.9%) evaluable NF1 MPNST patients had a partial response (PR), as did 4 of 9 (44.4%) patients with sporadic MPNST. Stable disease (SD) was achieved in 22 NF1 and 4 sporadic MPNST patients. In both strata, results in the initial stages met criteria for expansion of enrollment. Only 1 additional PR was observed in the expanded NF1 stratum. Enrollment was slower than expected and the trial closed before full accrual.

Conclusions

This trial was not powered to detect differences in response rates between NF1 and sporadic MPNST. While the OR rate was lower in NF1 compared to sporadic MPNST, qualitative responses were similar, and disease stabilization was achieved in most patients.

The diagnostic and prognostic value of interleukin-6 in patients with soft tissue sarcomas

The presence of systemic inflammation has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS). The cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) has pleiotropic effects on various cell types in the tumor microenvironment. The aim of the present study was to determine whether serum IL-6 levels could be useful to assume the differentiation of benign soft tissue tumors from STS and to investigate the possible value of IL-6 for survival and oncological events in patients with STS. The medical records of 99 patients who underwent surgical resection were retrospectively reviewed. Serum IL-6 levels (median: 9.04 pg/ml) in patients with STS were statistically higher than those (3.31 pg/ml) in patients with benign soft tissue tumors. Our analyses confirmed that tumor size and IL-6 level were significant predictors of STS diagnosis. Next, we examined the relationship between IL-6 levels and survival in the 59 patients with STS. C-reactive protein levels, hemoglobin levels, and tumor grade were strongly correlated with IL-6 levels. Tumor grade and IL-6 level remained significant factors for survival and event-free survival. We suggest that measurement of IL-6 levels may be a useful method for identifying patients who are at a high risk of STS and tumor-related death.

Neoadjuvant treatment: a novel standard?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim of this study was to summarize developments in the adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy of high-risk adult-type soft tissue sarcomas (STS).

RECENT FINDINGS

The role of adjuvant/neaodjuvant chemotherapy in these patients is controversial, with a meta-analysis suggesting a 10% survival benefit. Recently, a randomized controlled trial in high-risk STS of extremities and trunk wall showed a 20% improvement in progression-free and overall survival after three preoperative cycles of epirubicin along with ifosfamide compared with a histology-tailored chemotherapy. This study has major strengths, including the selected high-risk population and the full-dose chemotherapy regimen. However, this was an interim analysis with a short follow-up in a trial originally planned to test the superiority of a histology-driven chemotherapy. As to high-risk patient selection, the new AJCC TNM staging system adds primary tumour site as a stratifying factor, while available prognostic nomograms account for additional criteria.

SUMMARY

A recent trial strengthens perioperative chemotherapy as an option for high-risk STS patients within a shared decision-making process. If the final analysis of this trial confirms the currently observed progression-free and overall survival benefits, perioperative chemotherapy may become a standard. Also, new staging tools may refine our ability to select patients with a risk high enough as to deserve chemotherapy.