Patterns of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Use and Association With Survival in Adults 80 Years and Older With Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Adjuvant Therapy After Upfront Resection of Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: Patterns of Omission and Use-A Prospective Real-Life Study

BACKGROUND

Little is known about adjuvant therapy (AT) omission and use outside of randomized trials. We aimed to assess the patterns of AT omission and use in a cohort of upfront resected pancreatic cancer patients in a real-life scenario.

METHODS

From January 2019 to July 2022, 317 patients with resected pancreatic cancer and operated upfront were prospectively enrolled in this prospective observational trial according to the previously calculated sample size. The association between perioperative variables and the risk of AT omission and AT delay was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS

Eighty patients (25.2%) did not receive AT. The main reasons for AT omission were postoperative complications (38.8%), oncologist's choice (21.2%), baseline comorbidities (20%), patient's choice (10%), and early recurrence (10%). At the multivariable analysis, the odds of not receiving AT increased significantly for older patients (odds ratio [OR] 1.1, p < 0.001), those having an American Society of Anesthesiologists score ≥II (OR 2.03, p = 0.015), or developing postoperative pancreatic fistula (OR 2.5, p = 0.019). The likelihood of not receiving FOLFIRINOX as AT increased for older patients (OR 1.1, p < 0.001), in the presence of early-stage disease (stage I-IIa vs. IIb-III, OR 2.82, p =0.031; N0 vs. N+, OR 3, p = 0.03), and for patients who experienced postoperative major complications (OR 4.7, p = 0.009). A twofold increased likelihood of delay in AT was found in patients experiencing postoperative complications (OR 3.86, p = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

AT is not delivered in about one-quarter of upfront resected pancreatic cancer patients. Age, comorbidities, and postoperative complications are the main drivers of AT omission and mFOLFIRINOX non-use.

CLINICALTRIALS REGISTRATION

NCT03788382.

Effect of adjuvant chemotherapy after pancreatectomy in patients with node-negative pancreatic cancer: target trial emulation

BACKGROUND

The effect of adjuvant therapy in node-negative pancreatic cancer is uncertain. The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival after surgery for pancreatic cancer in patients with node-negative (pN0) and node-positive (pN+) disease using target trial emulation.

METHODS

This was an observational cohort study emulating a hypothetical RCT by the clone-censor-weight approach using population-based Danish healthcare registries. The study included Danish patients undergoing curative-intent surgery for pancreatic cancer during 2008-2021, who were discharged alive no more than 4 weeks after surgery. At the time of discharge after surgery, the data for each patient were duplicated; one copy was assigned to the adjuvant chemotherapy strategy and the other to the no adjuvant chemotherapy strategy of the hypothetical trial. Copies were censored when the assigned treatment was no longer compatible with the observed treatment. To account for informative censoring, uncensored patients were weighted according to measured confounders. The primary outcomes were absolute difference in 2-year survival and median overall survival, comparing adjuvant with no adjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Some 424 patients with pN0 and 953 with pN+ disease were included. Of these, 62.0 and 74.6% respectively initiated adjuvant chemotherapy within the 8-week grace period. Among patients with pN0 tumours, the difference in 2-year survival between those with and without adjuvant therapy was -2.2 (95% c.i. -11.8 to 7.4)%. In those with pN+ disease, the difference in 2-year survival was 9.9 (1.6 to 18.1)%. Median overall survival was 24.9 (i.q.r. 12.8-49.4) and 15.0 (8.0-34.0) months for patients having adjuvant and no adjuvant therapy respectively.

CONCLUSION

In a target trial emulation using observational data, adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve survival after surgery for node-negative pancreatic cancer.

Management of Localized Small- and Large-Cell Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Carcinoma in the National Cancer Database

BACKGROUND

The role of curative-intent resection and perioperative chemotherapy for nonmetastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (PanNEC) remains unclear due to their biological aggressiveness and rarity. This study aimed to evaluate the association of resection and perioperative chemotherapy with overall survival for nonmetastatic PanNEC.

STUDY DESIGN

Patients with localized (cT1-3, M0), small- and large-cell PanNEC were identified in the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2017. The changing trends in terms of the annual proportions of resection and adjuvant chemotherapy were assessed. The survival of patients who received resection and those who received adjuvant chemotherapy were investigated using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression models.

RESULTS

In total, 199 patients with localized small- and large-cell PanNEC were identified; 50.3% of those were resected, and 45.0% of the resected patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Rate of resection and adjuvant treatment has trended upward since 2011. The resected group was younger, was more often treated at academic institutions, had more distal tumors, and had a lower number of small-cell PanNEC. The median overall survival was longer in the resected group compared to the unresected group (29.4 months vs 8.6 months, p < 0.001). Resection was associated with improved survival in a multivariable Cox regression model adjusting for preoperative factors (adjusted hazard ratio 0.58, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.92), while adjuvant therapy was not.

CONCLUSIONS

This nationwide retrospective study suggests that resection is associated with improved survival in patients with localized PanNEC. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy needs more investigation.

Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 Response to Initial Adjuvant Chemotherapy Predicts Survival and Failure Pattern of Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma but Not Which Patients Are Suited for Additional Adjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy: From a Prospective Randomized Study

PURPOSE

The predictive value of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) for adjuvant chemo(radiation) therapy of resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is undefined.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We analyzed CA19-9 levels in patients with resected PDAC in a prospective randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy with or without additional chemoradiation therapy (CRT). Patients with postoperative CA19-9 ≤92.5 U/mL and serum bilirubin ≤2 mg/dL were randomized to 2 arms: patients in 1 arm received 6 cycles of gemcitabine, whereas those in the other received 3 cycles of gemcitabine followed by CRT and another 3 cycles of gemcitabine. Serum CA19-9 was measured every 12 weeks. Those who had CA19-9 levels always <3 U/mL were excluded from the exploratory analysis.

RESULTS

One hundred forty-seven patients were enrolled in this randomized trial. Twenty-two patients with CA19-9 levels always ≤3 U/mL were excluded from the analysis. For the 125 participants, median overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival were 23.1 and 12.1 months, respectively, with no significant differences between the study arms. Postresection CA19-9 levels and, to a lesser extent, CA19-9 change predicted OS (P = .040 and .077, respectively). For the 89 patients who completed the initial 3 cycles of adjuvant gemcitabine, the CA19-9 response was significantly correlated with initial failure over the distant site (P = .023) and OS (P = .0022). Despite a trend of less initial failure over the locoregional area (P = .031), neither postoperative CA19-9 level nor CA19-9 response helped to select patients who might have a survival benefit from additional adjuvant CRT.

CONCLUSIONS

CA19-9 response to initial adjuvant gemcitabine predicts survival and distant failure of PDAC after resection; however, it cannot select patients suited for additional adjuvant CRT. Monitoring CA19-9 levels during adjuvant therapy for postoperative patients with PDAC may guide therapeutic decisions to prevent distant failure.

The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy for older adults with stage II/III gastric cancer: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended as the standard treatment for patients with stage II/III resected gastric cancer. However, it is unclear whether older patients also benefit from an adjuvant chemotherapy strategy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical impact of adjuvant chemotherapy in older patients with stage II/III gastric cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective, real-world study analyzed 404 patients with stage II/III gastric cancer visited at our institute between January 2009 and December 2019. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients aged 70 years or older who received adjuvant chemotherapy were compared with those who did not receive this type of treatment. Propensity score analysis was performed to mitigate selection bias.

RESULTS

Of the 404 patients analyzed, 179 were aged 70 years or older. Fewer older patients received adjuvant chemotherapy than did younger patients (60.9% vs. 94.7%, respectively; P < 0.001). Among patients aged 70 years or older, those who received adjuvant chemotherapy had improved disease-free survival (DFS) (5-year DFS rate, 53.1% vs. 30.4%; P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (5-year OS rate, 68.7% vs. 52.1%; P = 0.002) compared to those who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. A similar survival benefit was observed in the propensity-matched cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that more advanced stage was associated with poorer OS. Receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy was independently associated with a decreased hazard of death (hazard ratio (HR), 0.37; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.20-0.68; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant chemotherapy may benefit older stage II/III gastric cancer patients aged ≥ 70 years. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Survival benefits and disparities in radiation therapy for elderly patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Older patients represent a unique subgroup of the cancer patient population, for which the role of cancer therapy requires special consideration. However, the outcomes of radiation therapy (RT) in elderly patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not well-defined in the literature.

AIM

To explore the use and effectiveness of RT in the treatment of elderly patients with PDAC in clinical practice.

METHODS

Data from patients with PDAC aged ≥ 65 years between 2004 and 2018 were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with RT administration. Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier method with the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analyses with the Cox proportional hazards model were used to identify prognostic factors for OS. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance the baseline characteristics between the RT and non-RT groups. Subgroup analyses were performed based on clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 12245 patients met the inclusion criteria, of whom 2551 (20.8%) were treated with RT and 9694 (79.2%) were not. The odds of receiving RT increased with younger age, diagnosis in an earlier period, primary site in the head, localized disease, greater tumor size, and receiving chemotherapy (all P < 0.05). Before PSM, the RT group had better outcomes than did the non-RT group [median OS, 14.0 vs 6.0 mo; hazard ratio (HR) for OS: 0.862, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.819–0.908, P < 0.001; and HR for CSS: 0.867, 95%CI: 0.823–0.914, P < 0.001]. After PSM, the survival benefit associated with RT remained comparable (median OS: 14.0 vs 11.0 mo; HR for OS: 0.818, 95%CI: 0.768–0.872, P < 0.001; and HR for CSS: 0.816, 95%CI: 0.765–0.871, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that the survival benefits (OS and CSS) of RT were more significant in patients aged 65 to 80 years, in regional and distant stages, with no surgery, and receiving chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

RT improved the outcome of elderly patients with PDAC, particularly those aged 65 to 80 years, in regional and distant stages, with no surgery, and who received chemotherapy. Further prospective studies are warranted to validate our results.

Survival outcomes of surgical and non-surgical treatment in elderly patients with stage I pancreatic cancer: A population-based analysis

Background

Due to underrepresentation in randomized controlled trials among old people (≥65 years old), the effectiveness of clinical trial-based recommendations about the treatment for stage I pancreatic cancer remains controversial. In this research, we intended to investigate the different strategies of this population in surgery group and non-surgery group.

Materials and methods

Elderly patients aged 65 years or older with histologically diagnosed stage I pancreatic cancer from 2006 to 2017 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The included patients were divided into surgery group (receiving surgery with chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) and non-surgery group (receiving radiotherapy, chemotherapy, both, or neither). Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were compared between groups by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Cox proportional hazards regression (Cox) proportional hazards regression was used to determine factors associated with survival.

Results

A total of 2,448 eligible patients were recruited. Among them, 18.4% were treated surgically and 81.6% were treated non-surgically. The median OS (mOS) was 26 months (95% CI: 24–30 months) in the surgery group and 7 months (95% CI: 7–8 months) in the non-surgery group. In multivariate analyses, surgery was an important factor in improving OS compared with non-surgical treatment (HR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.29–0.39, p &lt; 0.001). In subgroup analysis, surgery plus chemotherapy was an independent factor for OS in the surgery group, while chemoradiotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were independent prognostic factors for patients in the non-surgery group.

Conclusion

Surgical resection and post-operative chemotherapy are recommended for elderly patients with stage I pancreatic cancer who can tolerate treatment, but post-operative chemoradiotherapy does not bring survival benefits compared with post-operative chemotherapy. Moreover, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy are significantly related to the prognosis of elderly patients with untreated pancreatic cancer, but chemoradiotherapy has the most obvious benefit.

Long-term outcomes of elderly patients with peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy

INTRODUCTION

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) were reportedly safe for the elderly. However, long-term survival data in this subgroup of patients are scarce. Our aim was to evaluate the peri-operative and long-term outcomes of CRS + HIPEC in colorectal peritoneal metastases (CRC-PM) in patients ≥70 years of age.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed our combined institutional databases for patients who underwent CRS + HIPEC for CRC-PM. Clinical and pathological characteristics, as well as overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between the groups. Tumor extent was measured by the peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) and completeness of cytoreduction by the CCR score. Major morbidity was defined according to Clavien-Dindo classification.

RESULTS

The dataset of 159 patients included 33 elderly and 126 non-elderly patients. Clinical characteristics between the groups differed only in medical comorbidities (Charlson comorbidity index 10 vs. 7, P < 0.001) and delivery of post-HIPEC adjuvant treatment (12.5% vs. 43.8%, P = 0.004). Overall PCI and CCR0 rates were similar between the groups, as were length of stay and major morbidity and mortality rates. Long-term outcomes in the elderly group were lower than those of the non-elderly (median OS: 21.8 vs. 40.5 months, P < 0.001; median PFS: 6 vs. 8 months, P = 0.02, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

CRS + HIPEC in selected elderly patients can be safe in terms of postoperative morbidity and mortality. However, despite the same surgical extents and radicality, their long-term outcomes are inferior, possibly due to under-usage of systemic chemotherapy.