Pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer: analysis of prognostic factors affecting survival

Recurrence-free survival curve for pulmonary metastasectomy in colorectal cancer plateaus at 3 years

Pulmonary metastasectomy in colorectal cancer (CRC) has encouraging results; however, specific criteria for lung resection and the timing of resection remain undetermined. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the long-term prognosis and 10-year survival rates and analyze poor prognostic factors in patients who underwent resection of pulmonary metastases from CRC. This retrospective, single-institution study included 156 patients with controlled primary CRC and metastases confined to the lungs or liver who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy between 2005 and 2022. Statistical analyses were conducted using the X2 and two-tailed Student's t test to compare variables. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the appropriate cut-off point for tumor size as a predictive factor of survival. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and non-parametric group comparisons were performed using log-rank tests. The 5- and 10-year OS rates were 67% and 59%, respectively. Further, there was no recurrence 38 months post-surgery, and the RFS curve plateaued. Moreover, by 88 months post-surgery, no deaths occurred, and the OS curve plateaued. Multivariate analysis revealed that a pulmonary metastatic tumor >14 mm and disease-free interval <2 years indicated poor prognosis. The RFS curve for pulmonary metastasectomy may plateau approximately 3 years after surgery. Pulmonary metastasectomy can achieve long-term survival in selected patients with CRC. Furthermore, surgical resection of recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy may lead to better results. Thus, tumor size and disease-free interval may be independent prognostic factors.

Survival Outcome of Surgical Resection vs. Radiotherapy in Brain Metastasis From Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background

The incidence of brain metastasis from colorectal cancer (CRC) increases along with the greater survival rate for CRC because of the advances in therapeutic modalities. Local treatment strategies for brain metastasis include surgical resection and radiotherapy. Nevertheless, given the incongruent literature, the optimal therapeutic approach remains to be investigated. This study aims to systematically compare the real-world survival outcome of surgical resection and radiotherapy in patients with brain metastasis from CRC.

Methods

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines (PROSPERO, ID: CRD42021240200), the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Medline were searched from the inception of the database to August 2021. Meta-analyses were conducted with results pooled using hazard ratios with corresponding 95% CIs to evaluate the overall survival (OS) following local treatment for brain metastasis from CRC. Summary effects were evaluated using a series of random-effect models.

Results

In this review, 17 retrospective studies comprising 1,438 participants were included. In comparison with radiotherapy, the OS of patients who received brain metastasectomy was generally longer (HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.47–0.60). Extracerebral metastases (HR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.34–1.86) and multiple brain metastases (HR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.10–1.72) were associated with worse survival outcomes.

Conclusions

For patients with brain metastasis from CRC, the current real-world evidence demonstrated the survival benefit of aggressive neurosurgical management in suitable patients. Additionally, patients with extracerebral metastases and multiple brain metastases had worse survival outcomes.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=240200.

Correlation between preoperative CT scan and lung metastases according to surgical approach in patients with colorectal cancer

INTRODUCTION

The number of lung metastases (M1) of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in relation to the findings of computed tomography (CT) is the object of study.

METHODS

Prospective and multicenter study of the Spanish Group for Surgery of CRC lung metastases (GECMP-CCR). The role of CT in the detection of pulmonary M1 is evaluated in 522 patients who underwent a pulmonary metastasectomy for CRC. We define M1/CT as the ratio between metastatic nodules and those found on preoperative CT. Disease-specific survival (DSS), disease-free survival (DFS), and surgical approach were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

93 patients were performed by video-assisted surgery (VATS) and 429 by thoracotomy. In 90%, the M1/CT ratio was ≤1, with no differences between VATS and thoracotomy (94.1% vs 89.7%, p=0.874). In the remaining 10% there were more M1s than those predicted by CT (M1/CT>1), with no differences between approaches (8.6% vs 10%, p=0.874). 51 patients with M1/CT>1, showed a lower median DSS (35.4 months vs 55.8; p=0.002) and DFS (14.2 months vs 29.3; p=0.025) compared to 470 with M1/CT≤1. No differences were observed in DSS and DFS according to VATS or thoracotomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows equivalent oncological results in the resection of M1 of CRC using VATS or thoracotomy approach. The group of patients with an M1/CT ratio >1 have a worse DSS and DFS, which may mean a more advanced disease than predicted preoperatively.

A real-world, population-based study for the outcomes of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to the liver with distant lymph node metastases treated with metastasectomy

Aim: To assess the impact of metastasectomy on survival outcomes of patients with concurrent liver and distant nodal metastases. Materials & methods: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was accessed and patients with colorectal liver metastases (with or without distant lymph node involvement) were reviewed. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were then used to assess the impact of the presence of distant lymph node metastases as well as the impact of metastasectomy on overall and cancer-specific survival. A propensity score matching was then conducted between patients with distant lymph node metastases who had surgery versus those who did not have surgery. Results: A total of 15,325 patients were included in the current analysis including 1603 patients who have liver and distant nodal metastases (10.5%) and 13,722 patients who have liver metastases only (89.5%). The following factors were associated with better overall survival (OS): younger age (hazard ratio [HR] with increasing age: 1.024; 95% CI: 1.022-1.025), white race (HR for African-American race vs white race: 1.233; 95% CI: 1.175-1.295), distal site of the primary (HR: 0.808; 95% CI: 0.778-0.840), absence of distant lymph nodes (HR: 0.697; 95% CI: 0.659-0.737), metastasectomy (HR for no metastasectomy vs metastasectomy: 1.954; 95% CI: 1.858-2.056). Within the postpropensity cohort, metastasectomy was associated with improved OS among patients with concurrent distant lymph node and liver metastases (median OS of 20 vs 11 months; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Metastasectomy seems to be associated with improved survival among patients with concurrent lymph node and liver metastases. It is unclear if improved survival is related to the surgical intervention or to the fact that surgically treated patients have a better baseline general condition and hence improved outcomes.

National variation in pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer

AIM

Evidence on patterns of use of pulmonary metastasectomy in colorectal cancer patients is limited. This population-based study aims to investigate the use of pulmonary metastasectomy in the colorectal cancer population across the English National Health Service (NHS) and quantify the extent of any variations in practice and outcome.

METHODS

All adults who underwent a major resection for colorectal cancer in an NHS hospital between 2005 and 2013 were identified in the COloRECTal cancer data Repository (CORECT-R). All inpatient episodes corresponding to pulmonary metastasectomy, occurring within 3 years of the initial colorectal resection, were identified. Multi-level logistic regression was used to determine patient and organizational factors associated with the use of pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer, and Kaplan-Meier and Cox models were used to assess survival following pulmonary metastasectomy.

RESULTS

In all, 173 354 individuals had a major colorectal resection over the study period, with 3434 (2.0%) undergoing pulmonary resection within 3 years. The frequency of pulmonary metastasectomy increased from 1.2% of patients undergoing major colorectal resection in 2005 to 2.3% in 2013. Significant variation was observed across hospital providers in the risk-adjusted rates of pulmonary metastasectomy (0.0%-6.8% of patients). Overall 5-year survival following pulmonary resection was 50.8%, with 30-day and 90-day mortality of 0.6% and 1.2% respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows significant variation in the rates of pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer across the English NHS.

Pulmonary metastasectomy in colorectal carcinoma

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. It is estimated that 50% of all patients with CRC develop metastases, most commonly in the liver and the lung. Lung metastases are seen in approximately 10–15% of all patients with CRC. A large number of these patients with metastatic CRC can only receive palliative treatment due to invasion of other organs and disseminated disease. However, a subset of these patients present with potentially resectable metastases. Pulmonary metastasectomy is considered to be a potentially curative treatment for selected patients with resectable metastatic CRC. Current data suggest that patients that undergo pulmonary metastasectomy have 5-year survival rates of approximately 40%. However, the majority of data published regarding lung metastasectomy is based on small, retrospective case series. Due to this lack of prospective data, it is still unclear which subset of patients will benefit most from curative-intent surgery. Furthermore, there is also controversy regarding which prognostic and genetic factors are related to survival outcomes and whether there is a difference between open and thoracoscopic approaches in terms of overall and disease-free survival. In this review, we aim to summarize the latest data on prognostic factors and survival outcomes after pulmonary metastasectomy in patients with metastatic CRC.

Prognostic value of KRAS mutation in patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy for colorectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether KRAS mutation could be an independent prognostic biomarker in patients undergoing pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) for colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

A systemic review was performed by searching online databases to identify studies reporting overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) of CRC patients undergoing PM. Pooled HRs were calculated for OS and RFS.

RESULTS

A total of 15233 patients from 60 studies were included. Pooled analysis showed that KRAS mutation was associated with worse OS (HR: 1.86, 95 % Cl: 1.35-2.57) and RFS (HR: 1.68, 95 % Cl: 1.38-2.04). A significant effect on OS and/or RFS was also shown by other 18 factors.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis found that KRAS mutation is an important prognostic predictor for OS and RFS in CRC patients undergoing PM, supporting a comprehensive model including clinicopathological and biological factors for optimal patients selection and prognosis for surgical treatment.

Correlation between preoperative CT scan and lung metastases according to surgical approach in patients with colorectal cancer

INTRODUCTION

The number of lung metastases (M1) of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) in relation to the findings of computed tomography (CT) is the object of study.

METHODS

Prospective and multicenter study of the Spanish Group for Surgery of CRC lung metastases (GECMP-CCR). The role of CT in the detection of pulmonary M1 is evaluated in 522 patients who underwent a pulmonary metastasectomy for CRC. We define M1/CT as the ratio between metastatic nodules and those found on preoperative CT. Disease-specific survival (DSS), disease-free survival (DFS), and surgical approach were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

93 patients were performed by video-assisted surgery (VATS) and 429 by thoracotomy. In 90%, the M1/CT ratio was ≤1, with no differences between VATS and thoracotomy (94.1% vs 89.7%, p=0.874). In the remaining 10% there were more M1s than those predicted by CT (M1/CT>1), with no differences between approaches (8.6% vs 10%, p=0.874). 51 patients with M1/CT>1, showed a lower median DSS (35.4 months vs 55.8; p=0.002) and DFS (14.2 months vs 29.3; p=0.025) compared to 470 with M1/CT≤1. No differences were observed in DSS and DFS according to VATS or thoracotomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows equivalent oncological results in the resection of M1 of CRC using VATS or thoracotomy approach. The group of patients with an M1/CT ratio >1 have a worse DSS and DFS, which may mean a more advanced disease than predicted preoperatively.

A Real-World, Population-Based Analysis of the Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer Patients with Isolated Synchronous Liver or Lung Metastases Treated with Metastasectomy

OBJECTIVE

To assess the survival outcomes among a contemporary cohort of colorectal cancer patients with isolated synchronous liver or lung metastases treated with or without surgical resection of the metastases.

METHODS

Surveillance, epidemiology and end results database has been accessed and cases with isolated liver or lung metastases diagnosed 2010-2015 have been accessed. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were used to compare overall survival among patients who had or had not undergone metastasectomy. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was then used to assess the impact of metastasectomy on colorectal cancer-specific survival.

RESULTS

A total of 16,372 patients with colorectal cancer with isolated liver or lung metastases (M1a disease) were included in the current analysis (including 14,832 patients with isolated liver metastases and 1540 patients with isolated lung metastases). Patients who had undergone surgical resection of liver metastases have better overall survival compared to patients who had not undergone surgical resection of liver metastases (median overall survival: 38.0 months vs. 13.0 months; P < 0.001). Likewise, patients who had undergone surgical resection of lung metastases have better overall survival compared to patients who had not undergone surgical resection of lung metastases (median overall survival: 45.0 months vs. 19.0 months; P < 0.001). In a multivariable Cox regression analysis and among patients with isolated liver metastases, surgery to the metastases was associated with a reduced hazard of death (hazard ratio (HR) 0.567; 95% CI 0.529-0.609; P < 0.001). Likewise, and among patients with isolated lung metastases, surgery to the metastases was associated with a reduced hazard of death (HR 0.482; 95% CI 0.349-0.665; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In a contemporary cohort, metastasectomy seems to be associated with improvement in overall and cancer-specific survival among patients with isolated synchronous liver or lung metastases from colorectal cancer. Whether this survival difference is totally ascribed to the effect of metastasectomy or it is the fact that patients who were eligible for surgical resection have limited disease extent and better medical profile (thus, leading to better survival) is unclear from such a population-based study.

Prognostic factors in pulmonary metastasectomy and efficacy of repeat pulmonary metastasectomy from colorectal cancer

Background

The rate of pulmonary metastasectomy from colorectal cancer (CRC) has increased with recent advances in chemotherapy, diagnostic techniques, and surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic factors for response to pulmonary metastasectomy and the efficacy of repeat pulmonary metastasectomy.

Methods

This study was a retrospective, single-institution study of 126 CRC patients who underwent pulmonary metastasectomy between 2000 and 2019 at the Gifu University Hospital.

Results

The 3- and 5-year survival rates were 84.9% and 60.8%, respectively. Among the 126 patients, 26 (20.6%) underwent a second pulmonary metastasectomy for pulmonary recurrence after initial pulmonary metastasectomy. Univariate analysis of survival identified seven significant factors: (1) gender (p = 0.04), (2) past history of extra-thoracic metastasis (p = 0.04), (3) maximum tumor size (p = 0.002), (4) mediastinal lymph node metastasis (p = 0.02), (5) preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level (p = 0.01), (6) preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level (p = 0.03), and (7) repeat pulmonary metastasectomy for pulmonary recurrence (p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, only mediastinal lymph node metastasis (p = 0.02, risk ratio 8.206, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.566–34.962) and repeat pulmonary metastasectomy for pulmonary recurrence (p < 0.001, risk ratio 0.054, 95% CI 0.010–0.202) were significant. Furthermore, in the evaluation of surgical outcomes, the safety of second pulmonary metastasectomy was almost the same as that of initial pulmonary metastasectomy.

Conclusions

Repeat pulmonary metastasectomy is likely to be safe and effective for recurrent cases that meet the surgical criteria. However, mediastinal lymph node metastasis was a significant independent prognostic factor for worse overall survival.

An overview on clinical, pathological and molecular features of lung metastases from colorectal cancer

Introduction: Lung metastases occur in 10-20% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Most of them are treated with palliative intent and have a poor prognosis. Pulmonary metastasectomy may be a curative option for carefully selected patients with 5-year survival rates ranging from 25% to 60%. However, up to 70% of patients develop recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy. Therefore, the identification of prognostic factors is essential in CRC patients with resectable lung metastases. Areas covered: This review aims at summarizing the actual body of knowledge available on lung metastases from CRC focusing on their clinical, pathological and molecular profile. Moreover, we provide an update on experts' attitudes towards lung metastasectomy, adjuvant or perioperative chemotherapy. Expert opinion: Traditional clinical prognosticators such as the total number of pulmonary metastases, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) serum levels before surgery, and presence of lymph node metastases cannot provide reliable criteria to predict survival after lung metastasectomy. Indeed, research efforts have been directed in recent years toward studying the biological characteristics of lung lesions to better define prognosis and response to treatment, and ultimately shed new light on their proper local and systemic management.

Mutational profile of colorectal cancer lung metastases and paired primary tumors by targeted next generation sequencing: implications on clinical outcome after surgery

Background

Pulmonary metastasectomy is one of the cornerstones in the treatment of oligometastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the selection of patients who benefit from a surgical resection is difficult. Mutational profiling has become an essential part of diagnosis and treatment of malignant disease. Despite this, comprehensive data on the mutational profile of CRC and its clinical impact in the context of pulmonary metastasectomy is sparse. We therefore aimed to provide a complete mutational status of CRC pulmonary metastases (PM) and corresponding primary tumors by targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS), and correlate sequencing data with clinical outcome variables.

Methods

Case-matched, formalin-fixed paraffin embedded surgical specimens of lung metastases (n=47) and matched primary CRC (n=24) were sequenced using the TruSeq Amplicon Cancer Panel (Illumina platform). Penalized Cox regression models were applied to identify mutations with prognostic impact.

Results

Mutations were found most frequently in APC, TP53 and KRAS, in both PM and matched primary tumors. Concordance between primary tumors and PM was 83.5%. Adaptive elastic-net regularized Cox regression models identified mutations being prognostic for time to pulmonary recurrence (EGFR, GNAQ, KIT, MET, and PTPN11) and for overall survival (OS) (PDGFRA, SMARCB1, and TP53).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that CRC PM harbor a variety of conserved and de novo mutations. We could identify a mutational profile predicting clinical outcome after pulmonary metastasectomy. Moreover, our data provide a rationale for future targeted therapies of patients with CRC lung metastases.