Low rates of specialized cancer consultation and cancer-directed therapy for noncurable pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a population-based analysis

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for triple-negative and Her2 +ve breast cancer: striving for the standard of care

PURPOSE

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for triple-negative (TN) and Her2-positive (HER2) breast cancers is supported by international guidelines as it can decrease extent of surgery, provide prognostic information, and allow response-driven adjuvant therapies. Our goal was to describe practice patterns for patients with TN and HER2-positive breast cancer and identify the factors associated with the receipt of NAC versus surgery as initial treatment.

METHODS

A retrospective population-based cohort study of adult women diagnosed with stage I-III TN or HER2-positive breast cancer (2012-2020) in Ontario was completed using linked administrative datasets. The primary outcome was NAC as first treatment. The association between NAC and patient, tumor, and practice-related factors was examined using multivariable logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Of 14,653 patients included, 23.9% (n = 3500) underwent NAC as first treatment. Patients who underwent NAC were more likely to be younger and have larger tumors, node-positive disease, and stage 3 disease. Of patients who underwent surgery first, 8.8% were seen by a medical oncologist prior to surgery. On multivariable analysis, increasing tumor size (T2 vs T1/T0: 2.75 (2.31-3.28)) and node-positive (N1 vs N0: OR 3.54 (2.92-4.30)) disease were both associated increased odds of receiving NAC.

CONCLUSION

A considerable proportion of patients with TN and HER2-positive breast cancer do not receive NAC as first treatment. Of those, most were not assessed by both a surgeon and medical oncologist prior to initiating therapy. This points toward potential gaps in multidisciplinary assessment and disparities in receipt of guideline-concordant care.

Treatment of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in relation to survival in the U.S. Military Health System

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer has a high case fatality and relatively short survival after diagnosis. Treatment is paramount to improving survival, but studies on the effects of standard treatment by surgery or chemotherapy on survival in U.S. healthcare settings is limited. Further, variability in access to care may impact treatment and outcomes for patients. We aimed to assess the relationship between standard treatment(s) and survival of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in a population with access to comprehensive healthcare.

METHODS

We used the Military Cancer Epidemiology (MilCanEpi) database, which includes data from the Department of Defense cancer registry and medical encounter data from the Military Health System (MHS), to study a cohort of 1408 men and women who were diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 1998 and 2014. Treatment with surgery or chemotherapy in relation to overall survival was examined in multivariable time-dependent Cox regression models.

RESULTS

Overall, 75 % of 441 patients with early-stage and 51 % of 967 patients with late-stage pancreatic adenocarcinoma received treatment. In early-stage disease, surgery alone or surgery with chemotherapy were both associated with statistically significant 52 % reduced risks of death, but chemotherapy alone was not. In late-stage disease, surgery alone, chemotherapy alone, or both surgery and chemotherapy significantly reduced the risk of death by 42 %, 25 %, and 52 %, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings from the MHS demonstrate improved survival after treatment with surgery or surgery with chemotherapy for early- or late-stage pancreatic cancer and after chemotherapy for late-stage pancreatic cancer. In the era of immunotherapy and personalized medicine, further research on treatment and survival of pancreatic cancer in observational settings is needed.

The impact of early palliative care on the quality of life of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: The IMPERATIVE case-crossover study

PURPOSE

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease. Many patients experience a heavy burden of cancer-associated symptoms and poor quality of life (QOL). Early palliative care alongside standard oncologic care results in improved QOL and survival in some cancer types. The benefit in advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) is not fully quantified.

METHODS

In this prospective case-crossover study, patients ≥ 18 years old with APC were recruited from ambulatory clinics at a tertiary cancer center. Patients underwent a palliative care consultation within 2 weeks of registration, with follow up visits every 2 weeks for the first month, then every 4 weeks until week 16, then as needed. The primary outcome was change in QOL between baseline (BL) and week 16, measured by Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - hepatobiliary (FACT-Hep). Secondary outcomes included symptom control (ESAS-r), depression, and anxiety (HADS, PHQ-9) at week 16.

RESULTS

Of 40 patients, 25 (63%) were male, 28 (70%) had metastatic disease, 31 (78%) had ECOG performance status 0-1, 31 (78%) received chemotherapy. Median age was 70. Mean FACT-hep score at BL was 118.8, compared to 125.7 at week 16 (mean change 6.89, [95%CI (-1.69-15.6); p = 0.11]). On multivariable analysis, metastatic disease (mean change 15.3 [95%CI (5.3-25.2); p = 0.004]) and age < 70 (mean change 12.9 [95%CI (0.5-25.4); p = 0.04]) were associated with improved QOL. Patients with metastatic disease had significant improvement in symptom burden (mean change -7.4 [95%CI (-13.4 to -1.4); p = 0.02]). There was no difference in depression or anxiety from BL to week 16.

CONCLUSION

Palliative care should be integrated early in the journey for patients with APC, as it can improve QOL and symptom burden.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03837132.

A population-based study of factors associated with systemic treatment in advanced prostate cancer decedents

INTRODUCTION

Life-prolonging therapies (LPTs) are rapidly evolving for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, although factors associated with real-world uptake are not well characterized.

METHODS

In this cohort of prostate-cancer decedents, we analyzed factors associated with LPT access. Population-level databases from Ontario, Canada identified patients 65 years or older with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy and who died of prostate cancer between 2013 and 2017. Univariate and multivariable analyses assessed the association between baseline characteristics and receipt of LPT in the 2 years prior to death.

RESULTS

Of 3575 patients who died of prostate cancer, 40.4% (n = 1443) received LPT, which comprised abiraterone (66.3%), docetaxel (50.3%), enzalutamide (17.2%), radium-223 (10.0%), and/or cabazitaxel (3.5%). Use of LPT increased by year of death (2013: 22.7%, 2014: 31.8%, 2015: 41.8%, 2016: 49.1%, and 2017: 57.9%, p < 0.0001), driven by uptake of all agents except docetaxel. Adjusted odds of use were higher for patients seen at Regional Cancer Centers (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.5-2.1) and who received prior prostate-directed therapy (OR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.5), but lower with advanced age (≥85: OR: 0.54, 95% CI:0.39-0.75), increased chronic conditions (≥6: OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.43-0.92), and long-term care residency (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.17-0.89). Income, stage at presentation, and distance to the cancer center were not associated with LPT uptake.

CONCLUSION

In this cohort of prostate cancer-decedents, real-world uptake of novel prostate cancer therapies occurred at substantially higher rates for patients receiving care at Regional Cancer Centers, reinforcing the potential benefits for treatment access for patients referred to specialist centers.

Low Rates of Medical Oncology Consultation for Older Women (≥ 70 Years) with Newly Diagnosed, Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND

Curative intent cancer treatment needs to be balanced with patient comorbidities and quality of life when treating older women with breast cancer. We examined consultation patterns and association of age at diagnosis with lack of specialist cancer consultations for older women with breast cancer.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of older women (≥ 70 years of age) with incident, non-metastatic breast cancer (2010-2018) by linking administrative databases in Ontario, Canada. The outcomes of interest were lack of specialist cancer consultation (surgeon, medical oncology, or radiation oncology) within 12 months of diagnosis. Association of age with lack of specialist cancer consultation was examined using Poisson regression modeling.

RESULTS

Of 21,849 older women, 2.4% (n = 517) did not have any specialist cancer consultation within 12 months of diagnosis; lack of any specialist cancer consultation increased with age (0.8% for age 70-74 years, 1.3% for age 75-79 years, 2.5% for age 80-84 years, and 7.0% for age ≥ 85 years; p < 0.001). The proportion of patients who did not have consultations with surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists was 8.6% (n = 1888), 34.4% (n = 7510), and 24.7% (n = 5404), respectively. Older age group was independently associated with an increased likelihood of lacking any specialist consultation, as well as not receiving surgical and medical oncology consultations.

CONCLUSION

More than one-third of women ≥ 70 years of age with non-metastatic breast cancer did not have a consultation with a medical oncologist, with women aged ≥ 85 years least likely to have a medical oncology consultation.

Initial treatment is associated with improved survival and end-of-life outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer: a cohort study

Background

We describe the association between initial treatment and end-of-life (EOL) outcomes among patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods

This population-based cohort study included patients with PDAC who died from April 2010–December 2017 in Ontario, Canada using administrative databases. We used multivariable models to explore the association between index cancer treatment (no cancer-directed therapy, radiation, chemotherapy, surgery alone, and surgery and chemotherapy), and primary (mortality, healthcare encounters and palliative care) and secondary outcomes (location of death, hospitalizations, and receipt of chemotherapy within the last 30 days of life).

Results

In our cohort (N = 9950), 56% received no cancer-directed therapy, 5% underwent radiation, 27% underwent chemotherapy, 7% underwent surgery alone, and 6% underwent surgery and chemotherapy. Compared to no cancer-directed therapy, radiation therapy (HR = 0.63), chemotherapy (HR = 0.43) surgery alone (HR = 0.32), and surgery and chemotherapy (HR = 0.23) were all associated with decreased mortality. Radiation (AMD = − 3.64), chemotherapy (AMD = -6.35), surgery alone (AMD = -6.91), and surgery and chemotherapy (AMD = -6.74) were all associated with fewer healthcare encounters per 30 days in the last 6 months of life. Chemotherapy (AMD = -1.57), surgery alone (AMD = -1.65), and surgery and chemotherapy (AMD = -1.67) were associated with fewer palliative care visits (all p-values for estimates above < 0.05). Treatment groups were associated with lower odds of institutional death and hospitalization at EOL, and higher odds of chemotherapy at EOL.

Conclusions

Receiving cancer-directed therapies was associated with higher survival, fewer healthcare visits, lower odds of dying in an institution and hospitalization at EOL, fewer palliative care visits, and higher odds of receiving chemotherapy at EOL.

Differential effects of the Affordable Care Act on the stage at presentation and receipt of treatment for pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

For pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) which lacks a recommended screening modality, the benefit of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may not be an earlier diagnosis, but rather improved rates of treatment. The objective of this study was to examine change in the stage of PDAC presentation and treatment disparities following the ACA.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of patients with primary PDAC identified in the 2004-2017 National Cancer Database was divided into pre- and post-ACA, for which the primary outcomes of a stage of presentation, receipt of surgical resection, and systemic therapy (termed multimodality) (Stage I-II), and receipt of systemic therapy (Stage III-IV) were compared by multivariable analysis.

RESULTS

228,015 patients were included. Odds of presenting with Stage I-II PDAC were significantly higher in 2011-2017 versus 2004-2010 (odds ratio 1.44, 95% confidence interval 1.40-1.47). Black patients with early-stage disease had a lower likelihood of multimodality therapy and those with advanced disease were less likely to receive systemic therapy, before and after the ACA. Uninsured patients were less likely to receive any therapy compared with insured patients; this disparity increased in the post-ACA period.

CONCLUSIONS

An earlier presentation of PDAC increased following the ACA. However, racial, insurance, and socioeconomic treatment disparities persist.

Are older patients less likely to be treated for pancreatic cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Pancreatic cancer is the seventh commonest cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although prognosis is poor, both surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy improve survival. However, it has been suggested that not all pancreatic cancer patients who may benefit from treatment receive it. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the existence of age-related inequalities in receipt of first-line pancreatic cancer treatment. Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and grey literature were searched for population-based studies investigating treatment receipt, reported by age, for patients with primary pancreatic cancer from inception until 4th June 2020, and updated 5th August 2021. Studies from countries with universal healthcare were included, to minimise influence of health system-related economic factors. A modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess risk of bias. Random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken comparing likelihood of treatment receipt in older versus younger patients. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted. Eighteen papers were included; 12 independent populations were eligible for meta-analysis. In most studies, < 10% of older patients were treated. Older age (generally ≥65) was significantly associated with reduced receipt of any treatment (OR=0.14, 95% CI 0.10-0.21, n = 12 studies), surgery (OR=0.15, 95% CI 0.09-0.24, n = 9 studies) and chemotherapy as a primary treatment (OR=0.13, 95% CI 0.07-0.24, n = 5 studies). The effect of age was independent of methodological quality, patient population or time-period of patient diagnosis and remained in studies with confounder adjustment. The mean quality score of included studies was 6/8. Inequalities in receipt of healthcare interventions across social groups is a recognised concern internationally. This review shows that older age is significantly, and consistently, associated with non-receipt of treatment in pancreatic cancer. However, there are risks and side-effects associated with pancreatic cancer treatment. Further research on what influences patient and professional treatment decision-making is required to better understand these apparent inequalities.

Disparities in Access to Oncologic Care in Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer care is complex, and multiple disparities in receipt of therapies have been documented. The authors aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature to critically assess and summarize disparities in access to oncologic therapies for pancreatic cancer.

METHODS

A search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were performed for studies reporting disparities in access to oncologic care for pancreatic cancer. Primary research articles published in the United States from 2000 to 2020 were included. Data were independently extracted, and risk of bias was assessed using the modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

RESULTS

The inclusion criteria were met by 47 studies. All the studies used retrospective data, with 70 % involving national database studies, 41 assessing the impact of race/ethnicity, 22 assessing the impact of socioeconomic status, 18 assessing the impact of insurance status, 23 assessing the impact of gender, 26 assessing the impact of age, and 3 assessing the impact of location on the delivery of cancer-directed therapies. Race, socioeconomic status, insurance status, gender, and age- based disparities in receipt of surgical resection, treatment at high-volume facilities and multimodal therapy for resectable pancreatic cancer, receipt of systemic chemotherapy for metastatic cancer, and receipt of expected standard-of-care treatment are reported.

CONCLUSION

Significant sociodemographic disparities in access to equitable oncologic care exist along the continuum of pancreatic cancer care. Multiple patient, provider, and systemic factors contribute to these disparities. The ongoing study of these disparities is important to elucidate processes that may be targeted to improve access to equitable oncologic care for patients with pancreatic cancer.

First Course of treatment and Prognosis of Exocrine Pancreatic Cancer in Korea from 2006 to 2017

PURPOSE

Hospital-based clinical studies have limitations in holistic assessment of cancer treatment and prognosis, as they omit out-of-hospital patients including elderly individuals. This study aimed to investigate trends in initial treatment and corresponding prognosis of patients with exocrine pancreatic cancer (EPC) in Korea.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Korea Central Cancer Registry data of patients with EPC from 2006 to 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. We defined the first course of treatment (FT) as the cancer-directed treatment administered within four months after cancer diagnosis according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program.

RESULTS

Among 62,209 patients with EPC, localized and regional (LR) SEER stage; patients over 70 years old; and ductal adenocarcinoma excluding cystic or mucinous (DAC) accounted for 40.6%, 50.1%, and 95.9%, respectively. "No active treatment" (NT, 46.5%) was the most frequent, followed by non-surgical FT (28.7%) and surgical FT (22.0%). Among 25,198 patients with LR EPC, surgical FT increased (35.9% to 46.3%) and NT decreased (45.0% to 29.5%) from 2006 to 2017. The rate of surgical FT was inversely related to age (55.1% [< 70 years], 37.3% [70-79 years], 10.9% [≥ 80 years]). Five-year relative survival rates of LR DAC were higher after surgical FT than after NT in localized (46.1% vs. 12.9%) and regional stage (23.6% vs. 4.9%) from 2012 to 2017.

CONCLUSION

Less than half of overall patients with LR EPC underwent surgical FT, and this proportion decreased significantly in elderly individuals. Clinicians should focus attention on elderly patients with EPC to provide appropriate medical advice.

The Association of Drug-Funding Reimbursement With Survival Outcomes and Use of New Systemic Therapies Among Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Importance

Gemcitabine-nab-paclitaxel (GEMNAB) and fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) both improve survival of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer when compared with single-agent gemcitabine in clinical trials.

Objective

To describe changes in the survival of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer associated with sequential drug-funding approvals and to determine if there exist distinct patient populations for whom GEMNAB and FOLFIRINOX are associated with survival benefit.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This population-based, retrospective cohort study examined all incident cases of advanced pancreatic cancer treated with first-line chemotherapy in Ontario, Canada (2008-2018) that were identified from the Cancer Care Ontario (Ontario Health) New Drug Funding Program database. Statistical analysis was performed from October 2020 to January 2021.

Exposures

First-line chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcomes were the proportion of patients treated with each chemotherapy regimen over time and overall survival for each regimen. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to compare overall survival between treatment regimens after adjustment for confounding variables, inverse probability of treatment weighting, and matching.

Results

From 2008 to 2018, 5465 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer were treated with first-line chemotherapy in Ontario, Canada. The median (range) age of patients was 66.9 (27.8-93.4) years; 2447 (45%) were female; 878 (16%) had prior pancreatic resection, and 328 (6%) had prior adjuvant gemcitabine. During the time period when only gemcitabine and FOLFIRINOX were funded (2011-2015), 49% (929 of 1887) received FOLFIRINOX. When GEMNAB was subsequently funded (2015-2018), 9% (206 of 2347) received gemcitabine, 44% (1034 of 2347) received FOLFIRINOX, and 47% (1107 of 2347) received GEMNAB. The median overall survival increased from 5.6 months (95% CI, 5.1-6.0 months) in 2008 to 2011 to 6.9 months (95% CI, 6.5-7.4 months) in 2011 to 2015 to 7.6 months (95% CI, 7.1-8.0 months) in 2015 to 2018. Patients receiving FOLFIRINOX were younger and healthier than patients receiving GEMNAB. After adjustment and weighting, FOLFIRINOX was associated with better overall survival than GEMNAB (hazard ratio [HR], 0.75 [95% CI, 0.69-0.81]). In analyses comparing patients treated with GEMNAB and gemcitabine, GEMNAB was associated with better overall survival (HR, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.78-0.94]).

Conclusions and Relevance

This cohort study of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer receiving first-line palliative chemotherapy within a universal health care system found that drug funding decisions were associated with increased uptake of new treatment options over time and improved survival. Both FOLFIRINOX and GEMNAB were associated with survival benefits in distinct patient populations.

Geographic impact on access to care and survival for non-curative esophagogastric cancer: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Among patients not undergoing curative-intent therapy for esophagogastric cancer, access to care may vary. We examined the geographic distribution of care delivery and survival and their relationship with distance to cancer centres for non-curative esophagogastric cancer, hypothesising that patients living further from cancer centres have worse outcomes.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based analysis of adults with non-curative esophagogastric cancer from 2005 to 2017 using linked administrative healthcare datasets in Ontario, Canada. Outcomes were medical oncology consultation, receipt of chemotherapy, and overall survival. Using geographic information system analysis, we mapped locations of cancer centres and outcomes across census divisions. Bivariate choropleth maps identified regional outcome discordances. Multivariable regression models assessed the relationship between distance from patient residence to the nearest cancer centre and outcomes, adjusting for demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic factors.

RESULTS

Of 10,228 patients surviving a median 5.1 months (IQR: 2.0-12.0), 68.5% had medical oncology consultation and 32.2% received chemotherapy. Certain distances (reference ≤ 10 km) were associated with lower consultation [relative risk 0.79 (95% CI 0.63-0.97) for ≥ 101 km], chemotherapy receipt [relative risk 0.67 (95% CI 0.53-0.85) for ≥ 101 km], and overall survival [hazard ratio 1.07 (95% CI 1.02-1.13) for 11-50 km, hazard ratio 1.13 (95% CI 1.04-1.23) for 51-100 km].

CONCLUSION

A third of patients did not see medical oncology and most did not receive chemotherapy. Outcomes exhibited high geographic variability. Location of residence influenced outcomes, with inferior outcomes at certain distances > 10 km from cancer centres. These findings are important for designing interventions to reduce access disparities for non-curative esophagogastric cancer care.

European Cancer Organisation Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care (ERQCC): Pancreatic Cancer

European Cancer Organisation Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care (ERQCC) are written by experts representing all disciplines involved in cancer care in Europe. They give patients, health professionals, managers and policymakers a guide to essential care throughout the patient journey. Pancreatic cancer is an increasing cause of cancer mortality and has wide variation in treatment and care in Europe. It is a major healthcare burden and has complex diagnosis and treatment challenges. Care must be carried out only in pancreatic cancer units or centres that have a core multidisciplinary team (MDT) and an extended team of health professionals detailed here. Such units are far from universal in European countries. To meet European aspirations for comprehensive cancer control, healthcare organisations must consider the requirements in this paper, paying particular attention to multidisciplinarity and patient-centred pathways from diagnosis, to treatment, to survivorship.

Impact of Geography on Care Delivery and Survival for Noncurable Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Population-Based Analysis

BACKGROUND

Little is known about how the geographic distribution of cancer services may influence disparities in outcomes for noncurable pancreatic adenocarcinoma. We therefore examined the geographic distribution of outcomes for this disease in relation to distance to cancer centers.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective population-based analysis of adults in Ontario, Canada, diagnosed with noncurable pancreatic adenocarcinoma from 2004 through 2017 using linked administrative healthcare datasets. The exposure was distance from place of residence to the nearest cancer center providing medical oncology assessment and systemic therapy. Outcomes were medical oncology consultation, receipt of cancer-directed therapy, and overall survival. We examined the relationship between distance and outcomes using adjusted multivariable regression models.

RESULTS

Of 15,970 patients surviving a median of 3.3 months, 65.6% consulted medical oncology and 38.5% received systemic therapy. Regions with comparable outcomes were clustered throughout Ontario. Mapping revealed regional discordances between outcomes. Increasing distance (reference, ≤10 km) was independently associated with lower likelihood of medical oncology consultation (relative risks [95% CI] for 11-50, 51-100, and ≥101 km were 0.90 [0.83-0.98], 0.78 [0.62-0.99], and 0.77 [0.55-1.08], respectively) and worse survival (hazard ratios [95% CI] for 11-50, 51-100, and ≥101 km were 1.08 [1.04-1.12], 1.17 [1.10-1.25], and 1.10 [1.02-1.18], respectively), but not with likelihood of receiving therapy. Receipt of therapy seems less sensitive to distance, suggesting that distance limits entry into the cancer care system via oncology consultation. Regional outcome discordances suggest inefficiencies within and protective factors outside of the cancer care system.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide a basis for clinicians to optimize their practices for patients with noncurable pancreatic adenocarcinoma, for future studies investigating geographic barriers to care, and for regional interventions to improve access.

Reducing nihilism in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Treatment, sequencing, and effects on survival outcomes

BACKGROUND

Real-world practice patterns, treatment sequencing, and outcomes in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer remain unclear. Previous research indicates that the likelihood of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving or continuing cancer-directed therapy is low-a phenomenon called nihilism. This retrospective, descriptive analysis examined clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (mPDAC).

METHODS

Treatment patterns were examined using electronic health records from the Flatiron Health database covering the period from January 1, 2014, to June 30, 2019. Real-world overall survival [rwOS]) was compared for a subgroup of patients receiving treatment and a matched subgroup not receiving treatment.

RESULTS

Of 7666 patients, 5687 (74.2%) received at least one line of systemic therapy. A greater proportion of patients receiving treatment than not receiving treatment had an initial diagnosis of stage IV disease (68.8% vs 61.2%, respectively). Among patients receiving an initial therapy, fewer than half (38.2%; 2174/5687) received second-line treatment, mostly because they died, and only 34.3% (745/2174) of those receiving second-line treatment advanced to third-line treatment. The rwOS for patients receiving at least one line of systemic therapy was 8.1 months versus 2.6 months for matched patients not receiving treatment (hazard ratio, 0.41; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.45; 1470 patients per group).

CONCLUSIONS

Systemic therapy provided significant clinical benefit for patients who were eligible and chose to receive it, particularly when treatment was consistent with guideline recommendations. The large proportion of patients initiating treatment suggests that nihilism with mPDAC is diminishing.

Routine Chest Computed Tomography for Staging of Pancreatic Head Carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

The diagnostic value of routine chest computed tomography (CT) in addition to abdominal CT in workup for pancreatic head carcinoma is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine if routine chest CT revealed significant lesions that altered the management of patients with suspected pancreatic head carcinoma.

METHODS

All Dutch pancreatic cancer centers were surveyed on the use of chest CT in preoperative staging. In addition, a single-center retrospective cohort study was performed including all patients referred with suspected pancreatic head malignancy without chest CT between 2005 and 2016. The primary end point was the proportion of patients in which chest CT revealed clinically significant lesions, leading to a change in management.

RESULTS

In 7 of 18 Dutch pancreatic cancer centers (39%), a preoperative chest CT is not routinely performed. In the study cohort, 170 of 848 patients (20%) were referred without chest CT and underwent one by local protocol. Chest CT revealed new suspicious lesions in 17 patients (10%), of whom 6 had metastatic disease (3.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Routine use of chest CT in diagnostic workup for pancreatic head carcinoma reveals clinically significant lesions in 10% of patients, being metastases in up to 4%.

Population-based study of the prevalence and management of self-reported high pain scores in patients with non-resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Pain is a common debilitating symptom in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This cohort study examined the use of, and factors associated with, pain-directed interventions for a high pain score in patients with non-curable pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

Administrative databases were linked and patients with non-resected pancreatic adenocarcinoma diagnosed between 2010 and 2016, who reported one or more Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) score, were identified. A high pain score was defined as an ESAS score of at least 4. Outcomes were pain-directed interventions: opiates (in patients aged 65 years or more with universal drug coverage), nerve block and radiation therapy for a high pain score. Reduction in pain score of at least 1 point after pain-directed intervention was also evaluated. Modified Poisson regression was used to examine factors associated with pain-directed intervention.

RESULTS

Among 2623 patients with a median age of 67 years, 1223 (46·6 per cent) were women, and 1621 (61·8 per cent) reported a high pain score at a median of 38 days after diagnosis. Of those with a high pain score, 75·6 per cent (688 of 910) received opiates, 13·5 per cent (219 of 1621) radiation and 1·2 per cent (19 of 1621) nerve block. The pain score decreased in 62·1 per cent of patients after administration of opiates, 73·4 per cent after radiation and all patients after nerve block. In multivariable analysis, no patient factor (age, sex, co-morbidity burden, rurality, income quintile) was associated with receipt of non-opiate pain-directed intervention for a high pain score. In patients aged at least 65 years, advanced age was associated with lower odds of opiate use.

CONCLUSION

Opiates are the most common pain-directed intervention for non-curable pancreatic adenocarcinoma, whereas radiation therapy and nerve blocks are seldom used. The lack of association between pain-directed interventions and patient factors points toward practice-driven patterns.