Survival for rectal cancer patients and international comparisons

Overall treatment outcome - analysis of long-term results of rectal cancer treatment on the basis of a new parameter

INTRODUCTION

Outcomes of rectal cancer treatment depend on preoperative staging and the effectiveness of treatments. According to disease staging, different variants of combined therapy (surgery, chemo- and radiotherapy) are used. Available parameters such as overall survival rates and disease- free survival rates as well as the presence of recurrence are inaccurate and should be jointly considered.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Data from 138 patients with rectal cancer (I-III WHO), who were radically operated on in the period 2001-2004 in Bydgoszcz Oncology Centre were analysed. Among this group 84 patients were radically operated on one week after preoperative radiotherapy 5 × 5 Gy (sRT). We established a new parameter, the overall treatment outcome (OTO), based on the finding that there was no recurrence (local recurrence, distant metastases) of the disease within 5 years, which is generally considered a good result for the treatment of rectal cancer.

RESULTS

Among all patients (n = 138) and patients following sRT (n = 84) 7.4%...5.9% local recurrence and 24%...29% distant metastases were observed in 5-year follow-up. Recurrence was found in 30% and 31% of patients, respectively. Analysis of results on the basis of the OTO parameter demonstrated that among all groups of patients a worse treatment outcome is related to the number of lymph nodes involved, pN, pT, cancer stage (WHO) and to pN and patient age in the sRT group (p < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

In using a combined therapy, it is possible to optimise rectal cancer treatment outcomes. The OTO parameter is a useful tool for defining these results of cancer combination treatment.

Incidence of Metachronous Distant Metastasis and ypN Classification Influence Patient Survival in Endosonographically Confirmed uT3 Rectal Cancer after Neoadjuvant Therapy and R0 Resection: A Historical Cohort Analysis

BACKGROUND

Tumor response after neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (NRC) prior to surgery and other parameters are likely to have an influence on the survival rate of patients suffering from T3 rectal cancer.

METHODS

51 patients (17 female, 34 male; 59.0 years; Apache < 9 points: 95.1%; ASA I-II 88.3% and ASA III 11.8%) were treated with NRC (50.4 Gy; 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid) 4-6 weeks prior to surgery because of uT3 rectal cancer (G2: 96%; adenocarcinoma 86.3%; cUICC II 62.7%). NRC led to a tumor response (TR) (ypT0-ypT2) in 45.1% (ypT0N0M0 7.8%).

RESULTS

Neither the age of patients nor Apache/ASA score, histology, UICC staging, ypTNM, Dukes staging, infiltration of vessels, surgical procedure, local recurrence nor TR had a significant influence on the patients' survival time. Patients with metachronous distant metastasis (MDM) during the follow-up period (mean: 8.2 years; 1 month to 14.5 years) and patients with ypN1-ypN2 had a significantly shorter survival time.

CONCLUSIONS

NRC prior to surgery leads to a remarkable TR rate but has no significant impact of TR on the patients' survival time. Occurrence of MDM during the follow-up period and ypN1/N2 status do have a greater influence. It is necessary to investigate larger cohorts of patients in the future to obtain more conclusive results and to define factors with influence on survival.

Postoperative irinotecan in resected stage II-III rectal cancer: final analysis of the French R98 Intergroup trial†

BACKGROUD

The R98 trial explores the addition of irinotecan to a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus leucovorin (5-FU/LV) adjuvant regimen in optimally resected stages II-III rectal cancers. We report the updated long-term results. Disease-free survival (DFS) was the primary end point.

PATIENST AND METHODS

Between March 1999 and December 2005, 357 patients were randomized: 178 in 5-FU/LV and 179 in LV5-FU2 + irinotecan arm. The trial was stratified by control arm: Mayo Clinic regimen or LV5-FU2 regimen.

RESULTS

Three hundred and fifty-seven randomized patients were evaluable for efficacy. With a follow-up of 156 months, the DFS was in favour of experimental arm but did not reach statistical significance [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.80, P = 0.154]. The same was observed for overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.87, P = 0.433). The 5-year DFS was 58% in the control arm and 63% in the experimental arm. The 5-year OS was 74% in the control arm and 75% in the experimental arm. Patients allocated to the experimental arm had more grade 3-4 neutropenia when compared with the LV5-FU2 arm (33% versus 6%, P = 0.03), but not when compared with the Mayo Clinic arm (33% versus 36%, P = 0.84). Grade 3-4 diarrhoea tended to be higher in the experimental arm, but analyses stratified by control arm or by radiotherapy failed to show significant differences across strata (test for interaction P = 0.44).

CONCLUSION

Even though a benefit of irinotecan in subgroups of patients cannot be excluded, due to early termination and lack of power, the study does not support the addition of irinotecan to 5-FU/LV in routine in patients with resected stage II-III rectal cancer.

Predictors of Colorectal Cancer Survival in Golestan, Iran: A Population-based Study

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to investigate factors associated with colorectal cancer survival in Golestan, Iran.

METHODS

We used a population based cancer registry to recruit study subjects. All patients registered since 2004 were contacted and data were collected using structured questionnaires and trained interviewers. All the existing evidences to determine the stage of the cancer were also collected. The time from first diagnosis to death was compared in patients according to their stage of cancer using the Kaplan-Meir method. A Cox proportional hazard model was built to examine their survival experience by taking into account other covariates.

RESULTS

Out of a total of 345 subjects, 227 were traced. Median age of the subjects was 54 and more than 42% were under 50 years old. We found 132 deaths among these patients, 5 of which were non-colorectal related deaths. The median survival time for the entire cohort was 3.56 years. A borderline significant difference in survival experience was detected for ethnicity (log rank test, p=0.053). Using Cox proportional hazard modeling, only cancer stage remained significantly associated with time of death in the final model.

CONCLUSIONS

Colorectal cancer occurs at a younger age among people living in Golestan province. A very young age at presentation and what appears to be a high proportion of patients presenting with late stage in this area suggest this population might benefit substantially from early diagnoses by introducing age adapted screening programs.

Cancer survival analysis in Hamburg 1995-2003: assessing the data quality within a population-based registry

INTRODUCTION

Population-based cancer survival analysis constitutes valuable reference material for the clinical field of oncology. The objectives of this study were to assess the quality of the Hamburg Cancer Registry's (HCR) database in this respect, to perform survival analyses by means of selected sites, and to evaluate the results in relation to prevalent opinions and external estimates.

METHODS

Data quality was assessed by the proportion of cases documented as diagnosed at death, external estimates of completeness, reliability of follow-up, histological verification and information on stage. Included were first primary malignancies of the colon (ICD10 C18, n=4,544), female breast (C50, n=9,259), prostate (C61, n=5,707) and urinary bladder (C67, D09.0, n=3,148), diagnosed in Hamburg residents 1995-2003. Observed and relative survival (OS, RS) were estimated by site, sex, time, age and stage.

RESULTS

Regarding female breast cancer in Hamburg, high levels of data quality and completeness exist while the explanatory power concerning malignancies of the colon, prostate and urinary bladder is limited. Age-standardised 5-year relative cancer survival estimates amounted for female breast to 81%, for colon to 49% (male) and 52% (female), for prostate to 81% and for urinary bladder to 71% (male) and 62% (female).

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates the capacities and limitations of an epidemiological cancer registry to produce convincing survival estimates for clinical use, under the terms of a voluntary case reporting system.

Role of sphincter preserving surgery with neoadjuant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced low rectal cancer

AIM: To evaluate the role of the sphincter preserving surgery with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced low rectal cancer.

METHODS: Forty-two patients with T3 and T4 low rectal cancer were treated by pre-operative radiotherapy to pelvis, 2 Gy daily up to 40-46 Gy in 4 weeks concomitantly with oral administration of capecitabine (CAP) at 1250 mg/m2 bid for 10 weeks (group A). Twenty-one patients were treated by the same chemoradiotherapy after operation (group B).

RESULTS: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCR) was successfully completed in group A. Among the 42 patients, tumor lesions disappeared in 5 cases, so they didn't receive operation. Curative resection was carried out in the remaining 37 patients, of which 33 received the sphincter-saving resection (SSR) and 4 received abdomino-perineal resection (APR). The rate of sphincter preservation was 89.2% in group A. Of the 21 patients in group B, 11 received SSR and 10 received APR. The rate of sphincter preservation was 52.4% in group B.

CONCLUSION: NCR shows high efficacy in tumor down-staging and shrinkage of tumor mass, and improves the resection rate and sphincter preservation.