Lymphocyte nadir predicts tumor response and survival in locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: Immunologic relevance

Impact of radiation response on survival in pediatric medulloblastoma with residual or disseminated disease

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine the clinical impact of radiation response on survival in patients with medulloblastoma (MB) and to explore the predictive factor of radiation response.

METHODS

Data from 170 pediatric patients with MB and residual disease or metastasis before radiotherapy (RT) were analyzed.

RESULTS

The median follow-up period was 5.2 years. A total of 74 (43.5%) patients achieved CR, 85 (50.0%) patients achieved PR, 8 (4.7%) patients had SD, and 3 (1.8%) patients developed PD after RT. The five-year post-RT progression-free (prtPFS) and overall survival (prtOS) were superior in patients who achieved CR compared to those who did not (prtPFS: 67% ± 6% vs. 42% ± 6%, P < 0.001; prtOS: 82% ± 5% vs. 44% ± 6%, P < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that residual disease site was the predictive factor for radiation response, patients who had residual disease in both the brain and spinal cord before RT had higher non-CR rate (OR: 7.312, 95%CI 3.375-15.845, P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that radiation response and large cell/anaplastic subtype were independent prognostic factors for survival (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Radiation response was an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with MB. Patients who did not achieve CR after RT should receive intensified adjuvant chemotherapy to improve survival.

Nomograms Based on Blood-Based Biomarkers for Predicting Prognosis in Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of the platelet-to-platelet distribution width ratio (P/PDW), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and systemic immune inflammation index (SII) in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC). Methods: A total of 549 LA-NPC patients were included in this retrospective analysis. Clinicopathological characteristics and blood test data were obtained from patient records. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to determine the optimal cutoff values for P/PDW, SIRI, and SII. The χ 2 test was used to compare clinicopathological characteristics. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses via Cox regression. Additionally, we developed a nomogram to predict outcomes and assessed its acuracy using the concordance index (C-index) and a calibration curve. Results: The median follow-up time was 47.1 months. Elevated P/PDW levels were associated with advanced N stages and higher risks of disease progression (all p  < 0.05). Patients with high SIRI or SII levels were more likely to have advanced T stages, clinical stages, and to develop metastasis (all p  < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that P/PDW, SIRI, SII, and T stage were significantly correlated with both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS; all p  < 0.05). Clinical stage was significantly related only to PFS (p=0.009). Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified P/PDW (hazard ratio (HR): 0.544, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.390-0.759, p  < 0.001; HR: 0.406, 95% CI: 0.268-0.615, p  < 0.001) and T stage (HR: 0.539, 95% CI: 0.378-0.768, p=0.001; HR: 0.545, 95% CI: 0.364-0.815, p=0.003) as independent prognostic factors for both OS and PFS, while SIRI (HR: 0.525, 95% CI: 0.333-0.827, p=0.006) was an independent predictor of OS. Nomogram C-indexes for the nomogram of OS were 0.717 and PFS were 0.711, respectively. Survival predictions and actual survival were consistent according to the calibration curve. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that P/PDW is a convenient and effective marker for predicting outcomes in LA-NPC patients.

Impact of circulating lymphocyte kinetics following radiotherapy on patient survival: A model-based meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Radiation-induced lymphopenia (RIL) has been shown to adversely affect the prognosis of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT). This model-based meta-analysis investigated the prognostic significance of lymphocyte counts both early and late after RT and examined the dose‒response relationship between post-RT lymphocyte levels and patient survival.

METHODS

A literature search of published articles on the effect of RIL on cancer prognosis was conducted using the PubMed and Cochrane databases. A survival model was developed, incorporating absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) thresholds during (1 month after RT initiation, nadir) and 6 months after RT (recovery) as covariates to estimate progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). This survival model, with the lymphocyte count cutoff as a covariate, was then used to simulate the benefit of increased PFS and OS in populations without lymphopenia or severe lymphopenia compared to the total population.

RESULTS

A total of 35 studies met the inclusion criteria for survival analysis. Our survival model revealed an increase in survival in the subgroup without lymphopenia compared to the total population. The subgroup without lymphopenia 1 month after RT initiation showed a 10.28 % and 3.92 % increase in 24-month PFS and OS, respectively. The subgroup without lymphopenia at 6 months showed a 5.82 % and 2.78 % increase in 24-month PFS and OS, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the critical role of lymphocyte nadir and recovery following RT in patient prognosis and strengthens the evidence for a causal relationship between RIL and patient outcomes. Expanding the dataset and including randomized controlled trials would provide a more comprehensive understanding of monitoring or knowledge of ALC profiles following RT.

Lymphopenia is an adverse prognostic factor in rectal adenocarcinoma patients receiving long-course chemoradiotherapy

PURPOSE

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma. The recent emerging data on preoperative immunotherapy as an effective therapeutic modality for mismatch repair deficient rectal carcinomas suggests that the immune system plays a significant role in tumor eradication. Although RT has been shown to stimulate anti-tumor immunity, it also leads to substantial lymphopenia, hindering the effect of immune response.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 33 rectal adenocarcinoma patients who underwent CRT in our department, aiming to identify the effects of CRT on the peripheral blood lymphocyte counts (LC) and the potential impact of CRT-induced lymphopenia on tumor response and prognosis of patients.

RESULTS

A statistically significant decrease in the LC of patients was observed after CRT (median values of 2,184/μL and 517/μL before and after treatment, respectively; p < 0.001). While no correlation between ypT-stage, ypN status, and LC was found, poor tumor regression grade was significantly associated with lower LC (p = 0.036). Moreover, lymphopenia was associated with poorer distant metastasis-free survival (p = 0.003). Distant metastases were documented in 0% of patients with post-CRT LC above 518/μL vs. 44.5% of patients with lower LC values.

CONCLUSION

Although further investigation is demanded, given the limited number of patients analyzed in the study, lymphopenia emerges as a significant adverse event that rectal adenocarcinoma patients face during treatment with neoadjuvant CRT, with subsequent implications on tumor response and prognosis. Protection of the immune system during CRT emerges as an important target for clinical research.

Clinical and Dosimetric Results of Proton or Photon Radiation Therapy for Large (>5 cm) Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis

PURPOSE

Our purpose was to report the clinical and dosimetric attributes of patients with large unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing proton or photon radiation therapy.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes and dosimetric indices of 159 patients with >5 cm nonmetastatic HCC who underwent definitive radiation therapy using either protons (N = 105) or photons (N = 54) between 2014 and 2018. Additional photon plans were performed in the 105 proton-treated patients using the same dose prescription criteria for intragroup dosimetric comparison.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 47 months, patients with biologically effective dose (BED10) ≥ 75 Gy exhibited significantly better local control (LC; 2-year: 85.6% vs 20.5%; P < .001), progression-free survival (PFS; median, 7.4 vs 3.2 months; P < .001), and overall survival (OS; median, 18.1 vs 7.3 months; P < .001) compared with those with BED10 < 75 Gy. Notably, proton-treated patients had a significantly higher BED10 (96 vs 67 Gy; P < .001) and improved LC (2-year: 88.5% vs 33.8%; P < .001), PFS (median, 7.4 vs 3.3 months; P = .001), and OS (median, 18.9 vs 8.3 months; P < .001) than those undergoing photon radiation therapy. Furthermore, patients treated with protons had significantly lower V1 of the liver (P < .001), mean upper gastrointestinal tract dose (P < .001), and mean splenic dose (P < .001), with significantly decreased incidences of radiation-induced liver disease (P = .007), grade ≥3 upper gastrointestinal bleeding (P = .001), and grade ≥3 lymphopenia (P = .003). On multivariate analysis, proton radiation therapy consistently correlated with superior LC (P < .001), PFS (P < .001), and OS (P < .001). In intragroup dosimetric comparison, photon plans demonstrated significantly higher mean liver dose (P < .001) compared with actually delivered proton treatments, and 72 (69%) of them had mean liver dose exceeding 28 Gy, which necessitated target dose de-escalation.

CONCLUSIONS

In the context of large HCC radiation therapy, a higher target BED10 was associated with improved outcomes. Notably, proton therapy has demonstrated the capability to deliver ablative doses while also being accompanied by fewer instances of severe toxicity.

The Correlation Between Low-Dose Radiotherapy Area of the Mediastinum and CD8+T Cells and the Efficacy of Radiotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Radiation therapy (RT) can cause changes in peripheral blood immune cells. The relationship between the efficacy of radiation therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and immune cell changes and the study of how mediastinal radiation dose parameters affect immune cell changes is still unclear. This study aims to analyze the relationship between immune cell changes induced by radiotherapy and the efficacy of NSCLC radiotherapy, as well as the relationship between radiotherapy dose parameters and immune cell changes.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the data of NSCLC patients receiving mediastinal radiation therapy from 2020 to 2022. Collect lymphocytes and circulating immune cells within one week before and after radiotherapy and collect the dose-volume parameters of the whole mediastinum in the patient's RT planning system. Analyze the changes in lymphocytes and radiotherapy effects after radiotherapy, and explore the relationship between radiotherapy dose parameters and immune cell changes.

Results

A total of 72 patients were enrolled. Compared with before radiotherapy, the proportion of CD3+T cells, CD8+T cells, and CD8/Treg in peripheral blood significantly increased after radiotherapy (P<0.05). The increase in CD8+T cells and CD8/Treg after radiotherapy was correlated with Objective response rate (ORR) (P<0.05). Based on binary logistic univariate and multivariate regression analysis, an increase in CD8+T cells after radiotherapy is an independent predictor of objective tumor response after radiotherapy (OR=12.71, 95% CI=3.64-44.64, P=0.01), and Volume of 200 cGy irradiation (V2) is an independent positive predictor of an increase in CD8+T lymphocyte ratio after radiotherapy (high group, OR=3.40, 95% CI=1.13-10.36, P=0.03).

Conclusion

The increase in CD8+T cells after radiotherapy can positively predict the short-term efficacy of radiotherapy. Mediastinal low-dose radiation therapy can increase CD8+T cells, thereby improving the short-term efficacy of radiotherapy. These potentially related mechanisms are worth further verification and exploration.

Preoperative albumin-to-globulin ratio and prognostic nutritional index predict the prognosis of colorectal cancer: a retrospective study

The immunonutritional status has important effects on outcomes for cancer patients. Albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) and the prognostic nutrition index (PNI) are often used to assess the immunonutritional status of cancer patients. However, the clinical significance of these factors in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of the AGR and PNI in CRC. We reviewed the clinical data of 511 patients with CRC in two hospitals. Data from one institution was used as the training cohort. The optimal cutoff values for AGR and PNI in the training cohort were 1.4 and 48.65, respectively. Patients in both the low AGR and low PNI groups had poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), while those in the low AGR-low PNI group had the lowest OS and PFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative AGR, preoperative PNI, gross type, and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors influencing OS in patients with CRC. Preoperative AGR, preoperative PNI, and TNM stage were independently associated with PFS in patients with CRC. According to the results of multivariate analysis in the training cohort, we developed the nomograms for OS and PFS and performed internal and external validation, which showed good prediction ability of the nomograms. In conclusion, preoperative AGR and PNI can be used as effective indicators to predict survival for patients with CRC. AGR and PNI may help develop effective adjuvant-therapy schedules.

Construction and Evaluation of Nomogram for Hematological Indicators to Predict Pathological Response after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer

OBJECTIVE

A retrospective study was conducted by developing prediction models to evaluate the association between hematological indexes, their changes during neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT), and tumor pathological response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

METHODS

The clinical data of 202 patients who received NCRT and radical surgery in Sichuan Cancer Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and logistic multivariate regression analyses were used to identify hematological indexes with predictive significance. The independent risk factors were imported into the R software, and a nomogram prediction model was developed. The bootstrap method and ROC curve were used to evaluate the discriminative degree of the model.

RESULTS

Univariate analysis demonstrated age, tumor diameter, preoperative T, distance from tumor to the anal verge, CEA before NCRT, preoperative CEA, lymphocyte changes, platelet changes, and pathology of rectal cancer after NCRT were associated. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age, tumor distance from the anus, preoperative CEA, lymphocyte changes, and platelet changes were independent risk factors. The independent risk factors were imported into the R software to construct a nomogram model. The area under the ROC was 0.76, and the slope of the calibration curve of the nomogram was close to 1.

CONCLUSION

A low preoperative CEA level, a young age, a high tumor from the anal verge, the maintenance of circulating lymphocyte level, and a decreased platelet level after NCRT are important factors for favorable outcomes after NCRT. Developing a nomogram prediction model with good discrimination and consistency can provide some guidance for predicting pathological responses after NCRT.

Immune Response and Immune Checkpoint Molecules in Patients with Rectal Cancer Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy: A Review

It is well-established that tumor antigens and molecules expressed and secreted by cancer cells trigger innate and adaptive immune responses. These two types of anti-tumor immunity lead to the infiltration of the tumor's microenvironment by immune cells with either regulatory or cytotoxic properties. Whether this response is associated with tumor eradication after radiotherapy and chemotherapy or regrowth has been a matter of extensive research through the years, mainly focusing on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and monocytes and their subtypes, and the expression of immune checkpoint and other immune-related molecules by both immune and cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment. A literature search has been conducted on studies dealing with the immune response in patients with rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, assessing its impact on locoregional control and survival and underlying the potential role of immunotherapy in the treatment of this cancer subtype. Here, we provide an overview of the interactions between local/systemic anti-tumor immunity, cancer-related immune checkpoint, and other immunological pathways and radiotherapy, and how these affect the prognosis of rectal cancer patients. Chemoradiotherapy induces critical immunological changes in the tumor microenvironment and cancer cells that can be exploited for therapeutic interventions in rectal cancer.

Low baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios predict increased overall survival in locally recurrent rectal cancer despite R1 margins

BACKGROUND

Prognostic features in locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC), beyond R0 surgery, are unknown.

AIMS

Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of peripheral immune estimators, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), on survival outcomes in LRRC patients.

METHODS

184 LRRC patients treated at the National Cancer Institute of Milan (Italy) were included. Optimal cut-off values for NLR and PLR were determined. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox analyses were used to assess the 5-yr overall survival (OS) according to NLR and PLR, also considering margins status.

RESULTS

NLR >3.9 (hazard ratio [HR] 3.96, P = 0.049), PLR >275 (HR 5.39, P = 0.002) and size on imaging (HR 1.36, P = 0.044) were associated to worse OS. R+ patients with NLR >3.9 showed a significantly lower 5-yr OS compared to NLR ≤3.9 (13.5% vs. 36.7%, P < 0.0001). Also PLR >275 was related with a lower 5-yr OS compared to PLR ≤275 in R+ patients (6.4% vs. 36.8%, P = 0.0003). Conversely, NLR and PLR were irrelevant in case of R0 surgery.

CONCLUSION

NLR and PLR predict 5-yr OS in LRRC, also identifying a subset of R+ patients with a similar expected survival compared to R0 cases.

Fibroblast-derived LPP as a biomarker for treatment response and therapeutic target in gastric cancer

Association of tumor microenvironment and immune checkpoint (e.g., PD-L1) is important for immune escape, impacting chemotherapy and immunotherapy efficacy. We aimed to investigate biomarkers and therapeutic targets against treatment resistance in gastric cancer. Abundances of tumor-infiltrating immune cells were estimated in multiple datasets. Three patient subgroups (A, B, and C) were identified based on seven types of PD-L1- and IFN-γ-associated immune cells. Patients yielded increased prognosis from subgroup A to C (p = 0.027). Subgroup A was characterized by high activated CD4⁺ memory T cell infiltration, while more resting CD4⁺ memory T cells were in subgroup C. Further, a risk score was developed for prognostication. Lipoma preferred partner (LPP), as the hub gene in subgroup-related regulatory network, was upregulated (p < 0.01) and was associated with high risk score (p < 0.001) and poor survival (p < 0.05). Bioinformatics analyses and experiments found that LPP expressed restrictively in fibroblasts and associated with activated CD4⁺ memory T cell infiltration and tumor growth. High-LPP patients yielded fewer benefits from chemotherapy or immunotherapy, compared with the low-LPP group. We finally identified 28 compounds as sensitive drugs for high-LPP patients. Our findings suggested LPP might be a biomarker for treatment response and therapeutic target in gastric cancer.

Prognostic Role of High-Sensitivity Modified Glasgow Prognostic Score for Patients With Operated Oral Cavity Cancer: A Retrospective Study

AIM

We probed the prognostic value of the preoperative high-sensitivity modified Glasgow prognostic score (HS-mGPS), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to identify patients with the highest risk of having poor survival outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We executed a retrospective assessment of the records of 303 patients with OSCC who had been subjected to curative surgery between January 2008 and December 2017. The HS-mGPS was categorized using C-reactive protein and albumin thresholds of 3 mg/L and 35 g/L, respectively. Moreover, receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were executed to find out the optimal PLR and NLR cutoffs. We plotted survival curves and compared them through the use of the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, respectively. Through a Cox proportional hazard model, we identified prognostic variables. We also plotted a nomogram comprising the HS-mGPS and clinicopathological factors and assessed its performance with the concordance index.

RESULTS

The PLR and NLR cutoffs were 119.34 and 4.51, respectively. We noted an HS-mGPS of 1-2 to be associated with a shorter median overall survival (OS) and disease-fee survival (DFS) compared with an HS-mGPS of 0. Multivariate analysis revealed that an HS-mGPS of 1-2 and an NLR of ≥4.51 were independent risk factors related to poor OS and DFS. The HS-mGPS appeared to have better prognostic effect than did the PLR and NLR, and the combination of the HS-mGPS and NLR appeared to exhibit optimal discriminative ability for OS prognostication. The nomogram based on the HS-mGPS and NLR yielded accurate OS prediction (concordance index = 0.803).

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that preoperative HS-mGPS is a promising prognostic biomarker of OSCC, and the nomogram comprising the HS-mGPS and NLR provided accurate individualized OSCC survival predictions.

Prognostic Significance of Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Meta-regression

BACKGROUND

The low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and high platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio have been reported to be poor prognostic indicators in various solid tumors, but the prognostic significance in rectal cancer remains controversial.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to determine the prognostic value of the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio following curative-intent surgery for rectal cancer.

DATA SOURCES

Following PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO, ID: CRD42020190880), PubMed and Embase databases were searched through January 2021 including 3 other registered medical databases.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies evaluating the impact of pretreatment lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio on overall or disease-free survival in patients undergoing curative rectal cancer resection were selected.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

The main outcome measures were overall and disease-free survival.

RESULTS

A total of 23 studies (6683 patients) were included; lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were evaluated in 14 and 16 studies. A low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio was associated with poorer overall survival (HR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.29-1.90; p < 0.001) and disease-free survival (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.13-1.46; p < 0.001). However, when the analysis was limited to patients treated with surgery alone or to those with stage I to III tumors, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio was not a predictor of overall survival and disease-free survival. The platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio did not predict for overall or disease-free survival, regardless of the treatment modality, studied population, tumor stage, or cutoff value. Finally, a low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, but not a high platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, was inversely correlated with complete pathologic response rate.

LIMITATIONS

The retrospective nature of most included studies was a limitation.

CONCLUSIONS

Pretreatment lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, but not platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, correlates with tumor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and poorer prognosis after curative-intent surgery for rectal cancer, and it potentially represents a simple and reliable biomarker that could help optimize individualized clinical decision-making in high-risk patients.

REGISTRATION

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/; ID: CRD42020190880.

Chronological Analysis of Acute Hematological Outcomes after Proton and Photon Beam Craniospinal Irradiation in Pediatric Brain Tumors

Purpose

This study aimed to compare the early hematological dynamics and acute toxicities between proton beam craniospinal irradiation (PrCSI) and photon beam craniospinal irradiation (PhCSI) for pediatric brain tumors.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients with pediatric brain tumors who received craniospinal irradiation (CSI). The average change in hemoglobin levels (ΔHb_avg), absolute lymphocyte counts (ΔALC_avg), and platelet counts (ΔPLT_avg) from baseline values was evaluated and compared between the PrCSI and PhCSI groups at 1 and 2 weeks after the initiation of CSI, 1 week before and at the end of radiotherapy, and 3–4 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy using t-test and mixed-model analysis.

Results

The PrCSI and PhCSI groups consisted of 36 and 30 patients, respectively. There were no significant differences in ΔHb_avg between the two groups at any timepoint. However, ΔALC_avg and ΔPLT_avg were significantly lower in the PhCSI group than in PrCSI group at every timepoint, demonstrating that PrCSI resulted in a significantly lower rate of decline and better recovery of absolute lymphocyte and platelet counts. The rate of grade 3 acute anemia was significantly lower in the PrCSI group than in in the PhCSI group.

Conclusion

PrCSI showed a lower rate of decline and better recovery of absolute lymphocyte and platelet counts than PhCSI in the CSI for pediatric brain tumors. Grade 3 acute anemia was significantly less frequent in the PrCSI group than in the PhCSI group. Further large-scale studies are warranted to confirm these results.

Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Associated with Tumor Recurrence and Survival in Patients Achieving a Pathological Complete Response Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer

The clinical influence of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting outcomes in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who achieve a pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) has seldom been investigated. We retrospectively recruited 102 patients with LARC who achieved a pCR to NACRT and the association of NLR status with survival and tumor recurrence in the patients was analyzed. Thirteen patients (12.7%) developed tumor recurrence. A high NLR (≥3.2) was significantly associated with tumor recurrence (p = 0.039). The 5-year OS rates in patients with a low NLR and patients with a high NLR were 95.1% and 77.7%, respectively (p = 0.014); the 5-year DFS rates in patients with low NLR and patients with a high NLR were 90.6% and 71.3%, respectively (p = 0.031). The Cox proportional hazards model indicated that an NLR of ≥3.2 was an independent poor prognostic factor for DFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06-9.46, p = 0.048) and OS (HR = 6.96, 95% CI = 1.53-35.51, p = 0.013). A pretreatment high NLR (≥3.2) was a promising predictor of reduced OS and DFS in patients with LARC who achieved a pCR to NACRT.

Changes in T Lymphocyte Subsets in Different Tumors Before and After Radiotherapy: A Meta-analysis

Purpose

Radiation therapy (RT) induces an immune response, but the relationship of this response with tumor type is not fully understood. This meta-analysis further elucidated this relationship by analyzing the changes in T lymphocyte subsets in different tumors before and after radiotherapy.

Methods

We searched English-language electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to collect studies on the changes in peripheral blood CD3+ T lymphocytes, CD4+ T lymphocytes, and CD8+ T lymphocytes before and after radiotherapy in tumor patients from January 2015 to April 2021. The quality of the included literature was evaluated using the NOS scale provided by the Cochrane Collaboration, and statistical software RevMan 5.4 was used to analyze the included literature. P<0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.

Results

A total of 19 studies in 16 articles involving 877 tumor patients were included. All data were collected within 1 month before or after radiotherapy. Meta-analysis showed that numbers of CD3+ T lymphocytes (SMD: -0.40; 95% CI [-0.75, -0.04]; p = 0.03) and CD4+ T lymphocytes (SMD: -0.43; 95% CI: [-0.85, -0.02]; p = 0.04) were significantly reduced after radiotherapy compared with before treatment, but there was no statistically significant difference for CD8+ T lymphocytes (SMD: 0.33; 95% CI: [-0.88, 0.74]; p = 0.12). Subgroup analysis showed that peripheral blood T lymphocytes decreased in head and neck cancer. However, in prostate cancer and breast cancer, there was no significant change in peripheral blood. 1 month after radiotherapy, it has a potential proliferation and activation effect on lymphocytes in esophageal cancer and lung cancer. The results showed that CD8+T lymphocytes increased in peripheral blood after SBRT. Radiotherapy alone reduced CD3+ T lymphocyte numbers.

Conclusions

Within 1 month of radiotherapy, patients have obvious immunological changes, which can cause apoptosis and reduction of T lymphocytes, and affect the balance of peripheral blood immune cells. The degree of immune response induced by radiotherapy differed between tumor types.

ATR inhibitor AZD6738 enhances the antitumor activity of radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors by potentiating the tumor immune microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Radioimmunotherapy has a promising antitumor effect in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), depending on the regulatory effect of radiotherapy on tumor immune microenvironment. Ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA damage repair (DDR) pathway activation leads to the inhibition of immune microenvironment, thus impairing the antitumor effect of radioimmunotherapy. However, it is unclear whether inhibition of the DDR pathway can enhance the effect of radioimmunotherapy. In this study, we aim to explore the role of DDR inhibitor AZD6738 on the combination of radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in HCC.

Methods

C57BL/6 mouse subcutaneous tumor model was used to evaluate the ability of different treatment regimens in tumor growth control and tumor recurrence inhibition. Effects of each treatment regimen on the alterations of immunophenotypes including the quantification, activation, proliferating ability, exhaustion marker expression, and memory status were assessed by flow cytometry.

Results

AZD6738 further increased radiotherapy-stimulated CD8⁺ T cell infiltration and activation and reverted the immunosuppressive effect of radiation on the number of Tregs in mice xenografts. Moreover, compared with radioimmunotherapy (radiotherapy plus anti-PD-L1 (Programmed death ligand 1)), the addition of AZD6738 boosted the infiltration, increased cell proliferation, enhanced interferon (IFN)-γ production ability of TIL (tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte) CD8⁺ T cells, and caused a decreasing trend in the number of TIL Tregs and exhausted T cells in mice xenografts. Thus, the tumor immune microenvironment was significantly improved. Meanwhile, triple therapy (AZD6738 plus radiotherapy plus anti-PD-L1) also induced a better immunophenotype than radioimmunotherapy in mice spleens. As a consequence, triple therapy displayed greater benefit in antitumor efficacy and mice survival than radioimmunotherapy. Mechanism study revealed that the synergistic antitumor effect of AZD6738 with radioimmunotherapy relied on the activation of cyclic GMP–AMP synthase /stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS/STING) signaling pathway. Furthermore, triple therapy led to stronger immunologic memory and lasting antitumor immunity than radioimmunotherapy, thus preventing tumor recurrence in mouse models.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that AZD6738 might be a potential synergistic treatment for radioimmunotherapy to control the proliferation of HCC cells, prolong survival, and prevent tumor recurrence in patients with HCC by improving the immune microenvironment.

Clinical Implications of Combined Lymphocyte and Neutrophil Count in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer After Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND

There are controversies about the ability of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio to predict the recurrence and survival in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation. The objective of this study is to investigate the prognostic potential of combined lymphocyte count (LC) and neutrophil count (NC) in LARC patients treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by curative surgery.

METHODS

Patients with LARC who underwent surgical resection between January 2010 and December 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. We divided the patients into three groups: high LC and low NC, low LC and high NC, and the remaining patients. The cut-off values of LC and NC were determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and log-rank test statistics. We compared the disease-free survival (DFS) rate between the groups.

RESULTS

A total of 176 consecutive patients were included in this study. The 5 year DFS rate was significantly different among the three groups in pathologic node (pN)+ patients (73.2% vs. 61.9% vs. 14.2%; P = 0.025). Cox multivariate analysis for pN+ patients demonstrated that combination of low LC and high NC (hazard ratio, 3.630; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.306-10.093; P = 0.013) was significantly correlated with decreased DFS.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that the combination of LC and NC is a powerful predictive factor for disease recurrence in pN+ LARC patients who underwent CRT.

Prognostic and predictive value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio after curative rectal cancer resection: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been shown to be associated with poor prognosis in numerous solid malignancies. Here, we quantify the prognostic value of NLR in rectal cancer patients undergoing curative-intent surgery, and compare it with platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR).

METHODS

A comprehensive search of several electronic databases was performed through January 2021, to identify studies evaluating the prognostic impact of pretreatment NLR in patients undergoing curative rectal cancer resection. The endpoints were overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and clinicopathologic parameters. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.

RESULTS

Thirty-one studies comprising 7553 patients were assessed. All studies evaluated NLR; thirteen and six evaluated PLR and LMR, respectively. High NLR was associated with worse OS (HR 1.92, 95% CI 1.60-2.30, P < 0.001) and DFS (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.51-2.22, P < 0.001), and the results were consistent in all subgroup analyses by treatment modality, tumor stage, study location, and NLR cut-off value, except for the subgroups limited to cohorts with cut-off value ≥ 4. The size of effect of NLR on OS and DFS was greater than that of PLR, and similar to that of LMR. Finally, high NLR was associated with lower rate of pathologic complete response.

CONCLUSIONS

In the setting of curative rectal cancer resection, pretreatment NLR correlates with tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy, and along with LMR, is a robust predictor of poorer prognosis. These biomarkers may thus help risk-stratify patients for individualized treatments and enhanced surveillance.

Radiation-Associated Lymphopenia and Outcomes of Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Radiotherapy

Background

The immune system plays a crucial role in cancer surveillance. Previous studies have shown that lymphopenia associated with radiotherapy (RT) portends a poor prognosis. We sought to differentiate the effects of proton and photon RT on changes in absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Patients and Methods

Patients with HCC treated with definitive RT from 2006 to 2016 were studied. Serial ALCs were graded according to CTCAE v4.0. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariable and multivariable Cox-proportional hazards analyses were used to identify predictors of OS. A cohort analysis matched for treatment volume was performed to investigate differences in ALC dynamics between photon and proton therapy.

Results

Of 143 patients identified, the median age was 66 (range, 19-90) years. The treatment modality was photon in 103 (72%) and proton in 40 (28%). Median follow-up was 17 months (95% confidence interval, 13-25 months). The median time to ALC nadir after initiation of RT was 17 days with a median relative decrease of 67%. Those who received proton RT had a higher median ALC nadir (0.41 vs 0.32 k/µL, p=0.002) and longer median OS (33 vs 13 months, p=0.002) than those who received photon RT. Matched cohort analyses revealed a larger low-dose liver volume in the photon group, which correlated with lower ALC. On multivariable Cox analysis, Grade 3 or higher lymphopenia prior to or after RT, portal venous tumor thrombus, larger planning target volumes, Child-Pugh (CP) Class B, and increased CP score after RT were associated with a higher risk of death, whereas the use of proton therapy was associated with lower risk.

Conclusion

Grade 3 or higher lymphopenia may be associated with poorer outcomes in patients receiving RT for HCC. Protons may mitigate lymphopenia compared with photons, potentially due to reduced dose exposure of sites of lymphopoiesis.

Role of Interleukin-7 in the Development of and Recovery from Radiation-Induced Lymphopenia: A Post-hoc Analysis of a Prospective Cohort

Purpose

Radiation-induced lymphopenia is associated with worse outcomes in solid tumors. We assessed the impact of interleukin-7 (IL-7), a key cytokine in lymphocyte homeostasis, on radiation-induced lymphopenia.

Materials and Methods

A post-hoc analysis was performed in a prospective cohort of 98 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated with radiotherapy in 2016–2018. Blood IL-7 levels were assayed before and at the end of radiotherapy. Acute severe lymphopenia (ASL) was defined as a total lymphocyte count of < 200/μL during radiotherapy. Cox and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of survival and ASL development, respectively.

Results

Patients with ASL (n=41) had significantly poorer overall survival than those without (12.0 months vs. 25.3 months, p=0.001). Patients with lymphocyte recovery showed significantly longer overall survival than those without (21.8 months vs. 10.3 months, p=0.042). ASL was an independent predictor of poor survival (hazard ratio, 2.07; p=0.015). Patients with ASL had significantly lower pre-radiotherapy IL-7 levels (2.07 pg/mL vs. 3.01 pg/mL, p=0.010). A high pre-radiotherapy IL-7 level was an independent predictor of a reduced risk of ASL development (hazard ratio, 0.40; p=0.004). IL-7 levels reflected a feedback response to ASL, with a higher ΔIL-7 in patients with ASL and a lower ΔIL-7 in those without ASL (0.48 pg/mL vs. −0.66 pg/mL, p < 0.001). Post-radiotherapy IL-7 levels were significantly positively correlated with the total lymphocyte counts at 2 months.

Conclusion

IL-7 is associated with the development of and recovery from ASL, which may impact survival. To overcome radiation-induced lymphopenia, a novel strategy using IL-7 may be considered.

The prognostic role of the preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index and high-sensitivity modified Glasgow prognostic score in patients after radical operation for soft tissue sarcoma

INTRODUCTION

The prognostic values of nutritional and immune-inflammatory indicators in non-metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients are not clear. We investigated the utility of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and the high-sensitivity modified Glasgow prognostic score (Hs-mGPS) in the prediction of STS patient's prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients admitted between January 2000 and December 2016, who underwent R0 resection for STS at SYSUCC were carefully retrospectively reviewed, and 454 patients were enrolled. The laboratory data and clinical data were collected from the patient's record. ROC analysis is used to determine the optimal cutoff value. Survival curves were analysed by Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard model was used to find out prognostic variables.

RESULTS

Increased SII and Hs-mGPS values were significantly related to larger tumour size, deep tumour location, higher tumour grade and more advanced American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage. Patients with an elevated SII had a shorter median survival time and a lower 5-year OS rate than those with a low SII. And patients with low Hs-mGPS had longer median OS and DFS. Multivariate analysis revealed that both the SII and the Hs-mGPS were independent predictive indicators for OS. And a joint model containing both the Hsm-GPS and the SII appeared to have the strongest predictive ability.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicated that malnutrition and systemic inflammation are risk factors for the survival of STS patients after operation, and early recognition and intervention of malnutrition and systemic inflammation may help to improve the survival of the patients.

Clinical parameters predictive for sphincter-preserving surgery and prognostic outcome in patients with locally advanced low rectal cancer

Background

Although controversial, there are data suggesting that clinical parameters can predict the probability of sphincter preserving procedures in rectal cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between clinical parameters and the sphincter-preserving surgery rate in patients who had undergone neoadjuvant combination therapy for advanced low rectal cancer.

Methods

In this single center study, the charts of 540 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who had been treated with induction chemotherapy-and/or neoadjuvant concomitant radiochemotherapy (nRCT) over an 11-year period were reviewed in order to identify patients with rectal cancer ≤6 cm from the anal verge, who had received the prescribed nRCT only. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify pretreatment patient- and tumor associated parameters correlating with sphincter preservation. Survival rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analyses.

Results

Two hundred eighty of the 540 patients met the selection criteria. Of the 280 patients included in the study, 158 (56.4%) underwent sphincter-preserving surgery. One hundred sixty-four of 280 patients (58.6%) had a downsizing of the primary tumor (ypT < cT) and 39 (23.8%) of these showed a complete histopathological response (ypT0 ypN0). In univariate analysis, age prior to treatment, Karnofsky performance status, clinical T-size, relative lymphocyte value, CRP value, and interval between nRCT and surgery, were significantly associated with sphincter-preserving surgery. In multivariate analysis, age (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.05, CI95%: 1.02–1.09, p = 0.003), relative lymphocyte value (HR = 0.94, CI95%: 0.89–0.99, p = 0.029), and interval between nRCT and surgery (HR = 2.39, CI95%: 1.17–4.88, p = 0.016) remained as independent predictive parameters.

Conclusions

These clinical parameters can be considered in the prognostication of sphincter-preserving surgery in case of low rectal adenocarcinoma. More future research is required in this area.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Rectal Cancer-Novel Biomarker of Tumor Immunogenicity During Radiotherapy or Confounding Variable?

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of blood-derived makers of local and systemic inflammatory responses on early and long-term oncological outcomes. A retrospective analysis of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative long-course 5-fluorouracil-based radiochemotherapy was performed. Differential blood counts before neoadjuvant treatment were extracted from the patients' electronic charts. Optimal cut-off values for neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) were determined. Potential clinical and hematological prognostic factors for disease-free survival (DFS) were studied using uni- and multivariate analysis. A total of 220 patients were included in the analysis. Median follow-up was 67 months. Five-year DFS and overall survival (OS) were 70% and 85%, respectively. NLR with a cut-off value of 4.06 was identified as optimal to predict DFS events. In multivariate analysis, only tumor volume (HR 0.33, 95% CI (0.14-0.83), p = 0.017) and NLR (HR 0.3, 95% CI (0.11-0.81), p = 0.017) remained significant predictors of DFS. Patients with a good histological response (Dworak 3 and 4) to radiotherapy also had a lower NLR than patients with less pronounced tumor regression (3.0 vs. 4.2, p = 0.015). A strong correlation between primary tumor volume and NLR was seen (Pearson's r = 0.64, p < 0.001). Moreover, patients with T4 tumors had a significantly higher NLR than patients with T1-T3 tumors (6.6 vs. 3.3, p < 0.001). An elevated pretherapeutic NLR was associated with higher T stage, inferior DFS, and poor pathological response to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy. A strong correlation between NLR and primary tumor volume was seen. This association is important for the interpretation of study results and for the design of translational studies which are warranted.