Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy on Locally Advanced Gastric Adenocarcinoma in Terms of Downstaging and Resectability in a Tertiary Cancer Hospital

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in carcinoma stomach was introduced in an effort to eliminate micro-metastasis and to improve resectablity before surgery which improves R0 resection rates. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on downstaging and resectability rate in locally advanced gastric cancer. Material & Methods: This was a single-center quasi-experimental study conducted in the Department of Surgical Oncology in collaboration with the Departments of Medical Oncology, Radiation oncology, and Pathology at the National Institute of Cancer Research and hospital, Dhaka, which is a tertiary care cancer hospital in Bangladesh, between January 2021 and June 2022.Patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma stomach staged by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) were randomly included in this study by purposive sampling. Patients in Group I underwent upfront surgery Patients in Group II were started on neoadjuvant chemotherapy, either XELOX or FLOT regimen. Surgery was done following the response assessment CECT. We assessed R0 resection rate, age, sex, comorbidities, tumour size, TNM stage and complications were compared between the two groups. Response to NACT was assessed in Group II. Results: The mean age of patients in groups 1 & 2 was 56 ± 11.06 and 55.70 ± 10.46 years of age respectively (p > 0.05). Majority of the respondents (55/74) were male and 19 patients (26%) were female. Male to female ratio was (24/37 &31/37) in group 1 and (31/37 & 6/37) groups respectively (p > 0.05). Out of 37 patients who received NACT, in 9 patients (24.32%) complete response was noted. Partial response was found in 20 cases (54.05%), p-value (<.0001) while a stable disease was reported in three (8.1%) cases. 5 patients (13.51%) had progressive disease. In the upfront surgery group, R0 resection was feasible in 16 (43.2%) cases, and in the NACT plus surgery group, R0 resection was done in 29 (78.4%) cases. In group 1, R1 resection was done in considerable numbers (19/37) compared to group 2 (5/37), P=0.001. Three patients (8.1%) in group 2 and one (2.7) in group 1 had irresectable lesions. Conclusion: In this study it can be concluded that neoadjuvant chemotherapy could downstage tumour and increase tumor resectability rate in patients with locally-advanced gastric adenocarcinoma. However, further studies are necessary to confirm the effect of this modality on patients’ overall survival. We await survival analysis to further validate the role of NACT.

Advances in Treatment of Locally Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma / 肿瘤防治研究

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the third most common malignant tumor of the genitourinary system. During disease progression, RCC can undergo local and/or distant metastasis, which seriously affects the prognosis of the patient. With the advancements in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for advanced RCC, treatment for locally advanced RCC has changed. Studies have focused on applying targeted therapy or immunotherapy in the perioperative period. This article aims to review progress on treatment of locally advanced RCC to offer references for novel treatment strategies.

Immunotherapy in the neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Long-course concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) or short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) prior to surgery and postoperative chemotherapy is one of the main standard therapies for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). On this basis, total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) has been shown to improve disease-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival and complete response rates, whereas the 3-year distant recurrence rate is still above 20% and pathological complete response (pCR) is less than 30%. Long-term survival and adverse reactions remain to be improved. Currently, significant achivement has been obtained in immunotherapy. Application of immunotherapy in the treatment of rectal cancer remains to be urgently validated. In recent years, immunotherapy combined with preoperative chemoradiotherapy has been adopted for LARC in clinical trials. Besides, immunotherapy alone, especially programmed death-1 (PD-1) / programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) inhibitor, has also been utilized to treat colon rectal cancer. Relevant research progress was reviewed in this article.

Research progress on neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

For locally advanced (T 3-4/N +M 0) rectal cancer (LARC), neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) is the standard treatment, which have been demonstrated to decrease the local recurrence rate and increase the tumor response grade. However, the distant metastasis remains an unresolved issue. Radiotherapy and immunotherapy can supplement each other and the combination of the two treatments has a good theoretical basis. Recently, multiple clinical trials are ongoing in terms of the combination of nCRT and immunotherapy in LARC. These trials have achieved promising short-term efficacy in both microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) and microsatellite stable (MSS) rectal cancers, which could further improve the rate of tumor response and rate of pathological complete response, increase the possibility of organ preservation and "watch and wait" approach. Large-scale clinical trials need to be performed in the future to demonstrate these findings and to improve long-term prognosis.

Exploration of feasible total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy combined with surgery is the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, which has been widely applied in clinical practice. Clinical efficacy has also been recognized by clinicians. However, even after the completion of neoadjuvant radiotherapy and subsequent surgical treatment, some patients still have local regional recurrence or distant metastasis in a short period of time. Among them, distant metastasis has become the main failure mode of patients undergoing surgery after neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, indicating that this treatment remains to be further improved. Based on the experience of patients with rectal cancer benefiting from total neoadjuvant therapy, the feasibility and implementation of total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer were discussed in this article.

The efficacy analysis of moderately hypofractionated IMRT combined with androgen deprivation therapy for locally advanced prostate cancer / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and adverse reactions of moderately hypofractionated intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) combined with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for locally advanced prostate cancer (LAPC).Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 40 LAPC patients who were admitted in The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University during 2014-2020. The planning gross target volume (PGTV) dose for prostate gland and seminal vesicle gland was 64.8-70.0 Gy/25-28 f, 2.4-2.8 Gy/f and the dose of PGTVnd in 20 cases with positive pelvic lymph nodes was 60.0-64.4 Gy/25-28 f, 2.3-2.4 Gy/f. The dose of planning target volume (PTV) for the drainage area of pelvic lymph nodes was 45.0-50.4 Gy/25-28 f. The enrolled patients were treated with long-term ADT, including neoadjuvant, simultaneous, and adjuvant therapies. The efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated. The prognostic factors affecting the biochemical failure-free survival (BFFS) were analyzed.Results:The median follow-up time was 31 months. The 2- and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 100% and 96.9%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year BFFS rates were 90%, 76.8% and 72%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates were 92.2%, 82.8% and 75.1%, respectively. Gleason (GS) score ( χ2=10.00, P < 0.05) and adjacent tissue invasion ( χ2=8.85, P<0.05) were prognostic factors related to BFFS for LAPC. Adjacent tissue invasion and GS 9-10 were independent poor prognostic factors. The incidence of acute urinary adverse reaction and rectal injury (grade≥2) was 7.5% and 20%, respectively. The incidence of late urinary adverse reaction and rectal injury (grade≥2) was 12.5% and 17.5%, respectively. Adverse reactions at grade 3-4 did not occur. Conclusions:The moderately hypofractionated IMRT combined with ADT is feasible for LAPC treatment, achieving satisfactory survival effects. 70 Gy/25-28 f, 2.5-2.8 Gy/f is a safe and effective moderate hypofraction scheme. Adjacent tissue invasion and GS score are prognostic factors related to BFFS for LAPC.

A study on treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck with radiation along with cisplatin or gefitinib

Background: Cisplatin based Concurrent chemo-radiation (CTRT) is the corner stone for treatment of locally advanced head and neck carcinoma. Epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) expression by squamous cell carcinoma which is associated with cancer development and progression,leads to emergence of anti-EGFR agents as a therapeutic option. In this study we compare cisplatin based CTRT against gefitinib based CTRT in terms of disease control and acute toxicity profile. Material and Methods: Stage III and IV squamous cell carcinoma of Head and neck region (excluding nasopharynx) were randomised into two groups. Control group received conventionally fractionated radiotherapy of 66Gy in 33fractions, over six and half weeks with concurrent weekly cisplatin. Study group received same dose of radiation with concurrent daily oral Gefitinib. All patients were followed up weekly during the treatment and then 6-8 weeks after completion of treatment and thereafter 3 monthly. Results: Overall response rate (complete response + partial response) was comparable for both arms (75% vs 76.2%, p value-0.881). Radiation with cisplatin was associated with significantly higher skin (28.6% vs 15%,p value-0.037) and mucosal (23.8% vs 5%,p-value-0.047) toxicities. Gefitinib containing arm showed significantly higher grade 3 diarrhoea (10% vs 0%, p-value-0.01) and skin rash (6% vs 0%, p -value-<0.001).With a median follow-up of 12.5 months Disease free survival (DFS) was not significantly different between the arms(12 vs 13 months). Conclusion: Gefitinib based CTRT is non-inferior to cisplatin based CTRT for the treatment of locally advanced head and neck carcinoma with acceptable toxicity profile.

Terapia neoadyuvante total (TNT) en el manejo del cáncer de recto localmente avanzado

El manejo multimodal del cáncer de recto, localmente avanzado (LARC), se ha convertido en las últimas décadas en el estándar terapéutico de este tipo de tumores, logrando cifras de recidiva local global alrededor del 10%. Sin embargo, las tasas de sobrevida global (OS) y de sobrevida libre de enfermedad (DFS) no superan el 75% en la mayoría de las series, debido a las fallas a distancia. La investigación de nuevas terapias que logren un control efectivo de la enfermedad sistémica se ha focalizado en agregar a la radioterapia pélvica distintos esquemas de quimioterapia en la etapa preoperatoria, es decir, neoadyuvante. En esta revisión se discuten los distintos esquemas denominados genéricamente TNT (total neoadjuvant therapy), las ventajas y las limitaciones de este nuevo enfrentamiento del LARC, basado principalmente en los estudios prospectivos y aleatorizados disponibles a la fecha, con foco en los resultados en OS y DFS.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery with or without adjuvant chemotherapy has remained the mainstay of treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) for the past two decades. Although this regimen has reduced rates of local recurrence to 10% or less, rates of systemic failure are 20 to 30%, leading to a 5-year survival of 70-75%, at best. This situation has led to investigations into the use of total neoadjuvant therapy in the form of induction or consolidation chemotherapy. This review put the focus on final outcomes like overall survival and disease-free survival based on the available prospective and randomized studies about different schemes of TNT.

Predictors of toxicity after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced gall bladder cancer

Background: The present study evaluated the correlation of hepatobiliary toxicity and radiation dose received in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) for locally advanced unresectable gall bladder cancers (LAGBC). Methods: Twenty-six patients with LAGBC, treated with NACRT (55–57 Gy/25 fractions/5 weeks and weekly gemcitabine 300 mg/m2) within a phase II study, were included. Whenever feasible, surgery was performed after NACRT. Acute and late hepatobiliary toxicity was recorded. Treatment scans were retrieved to delineate central porto-hepatobiliary system (CPHBS), resected liver surface, segment IV B and V, and duodenum. The doses received by these structures were recorded and correlated with toxicity. Results: Of 26 patients, 20 (77%) had partial or complete response and 12 (46%) had R0 resection. At the median follow-up of 38 months, overall survival was 38%. Eight (30%) patients had post-treatment toxicity, of which most common was biliary toxicity (30%). A correlation was observed between the biliary leak and V45Gy CPHBS >50 cm3 (P = 0.070). Higher toxicity was observed in those with metallic stents (P = 0.072). Conclusion: The incidence of the biliary leak was 46%. CPHBS dose was found to correlate with biliary leaks. Restricting V45Gy CPHBS <50 cm3 and using plastic stent may facilitate a reduction in hepatobiliary toxicity in patients undergoing NACRT and surgery.

Consolidation chemoradiation (cCTRT) improves survival in responders to first?line chemotherapy (CT) in locally advanced gallbladder cancer (LA?GBC): A new standard of Care?

Introduction: Chemotherapy (CT) is the standard of care in advanced gallbladder cancer (GBC). Should locally advanced GBC (LA-GBC) with response to CT and good performance status (PS) be offered as consolidation chemoradiation (cCTRT) to delay progression and improve survival? There is a scarcity of literature on this approach in the English literature. We present our experience with this approach in LA-GBC. Materials and Methods: After obtaining ethics approval, we reviewed the records of consecutive GBC patients from 2014 to 2016. Out of 550 patients, 145 were LA-GBC who were initiated on chemotherapy. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) abdomen was done to evaluate the response to treatment, according to the RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors) criteria. All responders to CT (PR and SD) with good PS but unresectable were treated with cCTRT. Radiotherapy was given to GB bed, periportal, common hepatic, coeliac, superior mesenteric, and para-aortic lymph nodes up to a dose of 45 to 54 Gy in 25 to 28 fractions along with concurrent capecitabine at the rate of 1,250 mg/m2. Treatment toxicity, overall survival (OS), and factors affecting OS were computed based on Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis. Results: The median age of patients was 50 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 43–56 years), and men to women ratio was 1:3. A total of 65% and 35% patients received CT and CT followed by cCTRT, respectively. The incidence of Grade 3 gastritis and diarrhea was 10% and 5%, respectively. Responses were partial response (PR; 65%), stable disease (SD; 12%), progressive disease (PD; 10%), and nonevaluable (NE; 13%) because they did not complete six cycles of CT or were lost to follow-up. Among PR, 10 patients underwent radical surgery (six after CT and four after cCTRT). At a median follow-up of 8 months, the median OS was 7 months with CT and 14 months with cCTRT (P = 0.04). The median OS was 57 months, 12 months, 7 months, and 5 months for complete response (CR) (resected), PR/SD, PD, and NE (P = 0.008), respectively. OS was 10 months and 5 months for Karnofsky performance status (KPS) >80 and <80 (P = 0.008), respectively. PS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.5), stage (HR = 0.41), and response to treatment (HR = 0.05) were retained as independent prognostic factors.

Efficacy and safety of total neoadjuvant therapy versus neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer: a meta-analysis / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) in the comprehensive treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer. Methods: Literatures were screened from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CBM, Wanfang Data, VIP and CNKI from the inception date to May 2021 to collect the randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) of TNT followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (nCRT) followed by TME in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer. The data of overall survival, disease-free survival, R0 radical resection rate, pathological complete response (pCR) rate, T downstaging rate, the incidence of adverse events ≥ grade III, including neutropenia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, radiation dermatitis and nervous system toxicity, and the morbidity of complications within postoperative 30 days of the two groups were extracted from the included literatures. Review Manager 5.3 software was utilized for statistical meta-analysis. Results: Nine RCTs were finally enrolled including 2430 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with nCRT group, patients in TNT group had longer overall survival (HR=0.80, 95%CI: 0.65-0.97, P=0.03) and higher pCR rate (RR=1.73, 95%CI: 1.44-2.08, P<0.01) with significant differences. Besides, there were no significant differences between two groups in disease-free survival (HR=0.86, 95%CI:0.71-1.05, P=0.14), R0 radical resection rate (RR=1.02, 95%CI: 0.99-1.06, P=0.17) and T downstaging rate (RR=1.04, 95%CI: 0.89-1.22, P=0.58) between two groups. In terms of treatment safety, the incidence of adverse events ≥ grade III (RR=1.09, 95%CI: 0.70-1.70, P=0.70) and morbidity of complications within postoperative 30 days (RR=1.07, 95%CI: 0.97-1.18, P=0.19) did not significantly differ between two groups. Conclusions: In the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer, TNT may bring more survival benefits than nCRT and does not increase the incidence of adverse events and postoperative complications. Therefore, TNT could be used as a recommended treatment for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Research progress on radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced esophageal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

The current standard treatment modality for unresectable locally advanced esophageal cancer is radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy. In this article, research progress on radiotherapy techniques, differences in radiotherapy dose and target volume, exploration in concurrent chemotherapy and immunotherapy was reviewed, aiming to provide reference and evidence for clinical treatment.

Relationship between lung immune prognostic and the prognosis of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with radiochemotherapy / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between lung immune prognostic index (LIPI) and the prognosis of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) treated with radiochemotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted for the clinical data of LA-NSCLC patients who received radiochemotherapy in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2013 to 2019. According to the hematologic test result of the derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR) and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the patients were divided into three groups according to their LIPI scores, namely the good-LIPI group with dNLR ≤ 3 and LDH ≤ upper limit of normal (ULN), moderate-LIPI group with dNLR >3 or LDH > ULN, and poor-LIPI group with dNLR >3 and LDH > ULN. Moreover, the overall survival (OS) and the progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method, the Log-rank test, and the Cox regression model.Results:A total of 238 patients were enrolled, and their median follow-up time was 37.1 months, median PFS 16.1 months, and median OS 30.6 months. The OS and PFS of the poor-LIPI group were significantly worse than those of the good- and moderate-LIPI groups ( χ2= 9.04, 2.88, P<0.05). The univariate analysis showed that the factors influencing OS included gender, pathological type, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, and LIPI ( χ2=6.10, 13.66, 10.58, 9.04, P<0.05), and the PFS was only affected by the LIPI ( χ2=2.88, P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis suggested that EGFR mutations and LIPI were independent prognostic markers for OS ( HR = 1.31, 1.36; 95% CI: 1.03-1.67, 1.05-1.76; P<0.05). Conclusions:The LIPI is a potential prognostic indicator of radiochemotherapy in LA-NSCLC, and this result should be further confirmed by prospective studies.

Short-term efficacy of laparoscopic surgery after short-course radiotherapy followed by sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer: a prospective study / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the short-term efficacy of laparoscopic surgery after short-course radiotherapy followed by sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibody therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.Methods:The prospective study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 30 locally advanced rectal cancer patients who were admitted to the Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from November 2019 to September 2020 were selected. Patients underwent laparos-copic surgery after short-course radiotherapy followed by sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy. Observation indicators: (1) situations of the enrolled patients; (2) situations of short-course radiotherapy followed by sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy and adverse events; (3) preoperative evaluation and surgical situations; (4) postoperative situations and pathological examinations; (5) postoperative adjuvant chemo-therapy and follow-up. Follow-up was conducted using outpatient examination and telephone interview up to March 2022. Patients were followed up once every 3 weeks during the period of short-course radiotherapy followed by sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy to detect the adverse events and patients were followed up once every 3 months during the first postoperative 2 years and once every 6 months thereafter to detect tumor recurrence and survival of patients. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates and draw survival curves. Results:(1) Situations of the enrolled patients. A total of 30 patients were selected for eligibility. There were 17 males and 13 females, aged (57±16)years. Cases with preoperative primary tumor in stage cT3 and cT4 were 22 and 8, respectively. Cases with preoperative clinical lymph node metastasis in stage cN0, cN1, cN2 were 4, 16, 10, respectively. Cases in preoperative clinical stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ were 4 and 26, respectively. Of the 30 patients, there were 21 cases with positive circumferential margin and 12 cases with vascular invasion in extramural of rectum in the preoperative imaging evaluation. Distance from the distal margin of tumor to anal margin and tumor diameter of the 30 patients were 4.7(range, 1.9?9.0)cm and 5.4(range, 2.1?10.0)cm, respectively. There were 28 cases with mismatch repair proficient and 1 case with mismatch repair deficiency in tumor tissues. There was 1 case missing the data of mismatch repair in tumor tissues as failed in biopsy of pathological examination before the treatment. (2) Situations of short-course radiotherapy followed by sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy and adverse events. All the 30 patients completed preoperative short-course radiotherapy successfully. Of the 30 patients, there were 3 cases not undergoing the sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy and there were 24 cases undergoing 2 courses of the sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy and 3 cases undergoing 1 course of the sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy. The time interval between ending of radiotherapy and starting of chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy of the 27 patients was 12(range, 4?18) days. Cases with leukopenia, cases with endothelial hyperplasia of skin capillaries, cases with radiation proctitis, cases with anemia, cases with peripheral neurotoxicity, cases with neutropenia, cases with thrombocytopenia, cases with fatigue, cases with anorexia, cases with abnormal liver function, cases with hypothyroidism were 24, 22, 21,20, 18, 16, 16, 13, 10, 9, 2 in the 30 patients during the preoperative short-course radiotherapy followed by sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy. Cases with the above adverse events were improved after symptomatic treatment. (3) Preoperative evaluation and surgical situations. Seven of the 30 patients were in clinical complete remission after preoperative multidisciplinary evaluation and the other 23 patients were not in clinical complete remission. Twenty-seven of the 30 patients underwent laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer and 3 patients not undergoing the sequential chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy did not undergo surgery. The time interval between ending of chemotherapy combined with anti-PD-1 antibody therapy and the surgery of the 27 patients were 14(range, 5?141)days. Of the 27 cases, there were 13 cases and 14 cases with 0 and 1 of the preoperative Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, respectively, and there were 24 cases undergoing low anterior proctectomy and 3 cases undergoing abdominoperineal excision. The operation time and volume of intra-operative blood loss of the 27 cases were (182±36)minutes and 30(range, 10?150)mL, respectively. Of the 27 cases, there were 16 cases with protective ileostomy and 24 cases with anal preservation. (4) Postoperative situations and pathological examinations. The time to postoperative first flatus, time to postoperative initial liquid food intake and duration of postoperative hospital stay of the 27 patients undergoing surgery were 2(range, 1?4)days, 3(range, 2?5)days and 8(range, 7?16)days, respectively. Five of the 27 patients had postoperative grade Ⅰ?Ⅱ complications, including 2 cases with incision infection, 1 case with abdominal infection, 1 case with incision hemorrhage and 1 case with venous thrombosis in left lower limb intermuscular. Cases with postoperative complica-tions were improved after symptomatic treatment. Results of postoperative pathological examina-tion showed that the rate of pathologic complete response in 27 patients was 48.1%(13/27). Of the 27 cases, cases in grade 0, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3 of the tumor regression grading were 13, 5, 7, 2, respectively, cases in stage T0, stage Tis, stage T2, stage T3 of the tumor T staging were 13, 1, 5, 8, respectively, cases in stage N0, stage N1, stage N2 of the tumor N staging were 19, 6, 2, respectively, cases in stage 0, stage Ⅰ, stage Ⅱ, stage Ⅲ of the tumor TNM staging were 14, 0, 5, 8, respectively. The number of lymph node dissected of the 27 patients was 15(range, 3?29). Of the 27 patients, there was 1 case with positive circumferential margin and 26 cases achieving R 0 resection. None of the 27 patients underwent secondary operation or perioperative death. (5) Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and follow-up. Of the 27 patients undergoing surgery, 21 cases underwent post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy, with the cycles of 4(range, 1?6). All the 27 patients were followed up for 20(range, 20?29)months. During the follow-up, 3 cases not achieving pathological complete response had tumor recurrence and no patient died. The disease free survival rate of the 27 patients was 88.9%. Conclusion:Laparoscopic surgery after short-course radiotherapy followed by sequential chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer is safe and feasible, with satisfied short-term efficacy.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Combined with Chemotherapy in Prevention and Treatment of Recurrence and Metastasis of Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer After Radical Resection: A Meta-analysis / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) combined with chemotherapy in the prevention and treatment of postoperative recurrence and metastasis of locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) by meta-analysis. Moreover, we evaluated the efficacy of TCM on the quality of life, immune indexes, and toxic and side effects during adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods The CNKI, Wanfang, PubMed, and other databases were searched by computer. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched. After literature screening and data extraction, Review Manager 5.3 software provided by Cochrane was used for meta-analysis. Results A total of 18 RCTs were included. Compared with chemotherapy alone, TCM combined with chemotherapy could improve the KPS score and CD3+ and CD4+/CD8+ index levels. The incidence rates of postoperative leucopenia, hemoglobin reduction, thrombocytopenia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and neurotoxicity were reduced. In terms of postoperative QLQ-C30 score, abnormal liver function, and abnormal renal function, the incidence of TCM combined chemotherapy was similar to that of chemotherapy alone, with no statistical difference. Compared with chemotherapy alone, TCM combined chemotherapy could reduce the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year cumulative recurrence and metastasis rates and prolong the disease-free survival time. Conclusion Compared with chemotherapy alone in adjuvant chemotherapy, TCM combined chemotherapy could improve the immune level and KPS score of LACC patients after surgery, reduce the incidence of adverse reactions, as well as reduce the recurrence and metastasis rate of LAGC after surgery and DFS could be improved.

Research Improvements and Related Hot Issues of Surgical Treatment on Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

Surgical resection is one of the main steps in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer. With the popularization of total mesorectal resection and laparoscopic minimally invasive techniques, related current research on surgical treatment has now entered a relatively high-level stage. In this article, we review the research frontiers of surgical treatment on rectal cancer, including reduction of trocars, specimen retrieval through natural orifices, robotic surgery, high definition/3D/indocyanine fluorescence green surgery, surgical approach and key surgery technology. Based on the current environment of evidence-based medicine, colorectal surgeons should adapt to the changes of the times, actively absorb cutting-edge scientific concepts and technologies and integrate them with surgical equipment and instruments, and carry out rigorous and innovative large-scale prospective clinical trials.

Advances in Neoadjuvant Therapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer / 肿瘤防治研究

The treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is extremely challenging, and it is difficult to achieve satisfactory results with surgical resection alone. In recent years, the diagnosis and treatment of LARC tends to be multi-disciplinary (MDT) mode. The emerging neoadjuvant treatment strategy is a milestone. At present, the preferred treatment for LARC is neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with total mesorectal excision. This article summarizes the main treatments of LARC neoadjuvant therapy, hoping to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Clinical significance and prognostic value of fibrinogen in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma treated with induction chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical significance and prognostic value of fibrinogen (FIB) in the treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with induction chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted for the clinical data of 114 patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma receiving non-surgical treatment in the Department of Head and Neck Oncology, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from May 2011 to May 2021. The FIB critical value was determined based on the median FIB level before induction chemotherapy, by which patients were divided into high-FIB and low-FIB groups. The ROC curves were used to determine the optimal cut-off value for other hematologic-related parameters such as neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets. Statistical methods were used to analyze the results. The enumeration data were analyzed by Chi-square test or Fisher exact probability method. Survival curves for OS and PFS were plotted by Kalplan-Meier method and tested by Log-rank method. Prognostic factors were evaluated by Cox proportional hazard regression model.Results:There were 59 cases in the high-FIB group (FIB > 3.6 g/L) and 55 cases in the low-FIB group (FIB ≤ 3.6 g/L). The high FIB group had higher neutrophils, platelets, NLR, and PLR ( χ2= 7.84, 12.80, 15.04, 9.14; P<0.05) than the low FIB group. The 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were significantly longer in the low FIB group than those in the high-FIB group (62.9% vs. 39.6%; 46.9% vs. 25.8%), and progression-free survival (PFS) rates of the low FIB group significantly longer than those of the high-FIB group (63.3% vs. 40.3%; 48.1% vs. 26.2%). The univariate analysis showed that the OS and PFS in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were related to FIB, the application of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and the efficacy of radiotherapy for lymph nodes. The multivariate analysis showed that FIB, the application of concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and the efficacy of radiotherapy for lymph nodes were independent prognostic factors of the OS [ HR (95% CI): 1.89 (1.08-3.31), 3.76 (1.12-12.65), 2.14 (1.09-4.21), P < 0.05]and PFS HR (95% CI): 1.92 (1.90-3.36), 3.93 (1.01-11.34), 2.15 (1.09-4.22), P < 0.05]of patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusions:Patients with low FIB receive high OS and PFS rates after induction chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy. Therefore, FIB can be used as a prognostic factor in the evaluation of non-surgical treatment of patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Extent of lymphadenectomy for local advanced gastric cancer in the era of perioperative treatment and minimally invasive surgery / 中华胃肠外科杂志

The standard lymphadenectomy (D2) is the most important quality control index for the surgical treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). It is debatable whether there is a survival benefit of extended lymphadenectomy beyond D2 dissection. Para-aortic lymph nodes are not included in the range of D2 lymph node dissection. However, the patients with para-aortic node metastasis can get better survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and D2+ surgery. Lymph nodes along the superior mesenteric vein (No.14v) are considered as regional nodes, and the prognosis of patients with No.14v metastasis treated with D2+ lymph node dissection is significantly better than that of stage Ⅳ patients undergoing only D2 dissection. No.14v was not included in the D2 lymph node dissection paradigm. In case with nodal metastases in No.6 group, D2+ dissection is recommended. Lymph nodes at the splenic hilum (No.10) are not included in the range of D2 dissection, when the tumor infiltrates the greater curvature of the stomach, D2+ splenectomy or No.10 nodal dissection should be performed. Lymph nodes on the posterior surface of pancreatic head (No.13) do not belong to the D2 range, but the rate of metastasis is significantly higher when distal gastric cancer invades the duodenum, D2+ lymphadenectomy is recommended. Lymph node dissection in the posterior group of the common hepatic artery (No.8p) can improve the patient's long-term survival, but there is no support from of evidence-based medicine. In the era of perioperative treatment and minimally invasive surgery in China, open or laparoscopic D2 lymphadenectomy is recommended for cT3-4N1M0 patients and SOX neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus D2 surgery plus SOX adjuvant chemotherapy should be carried out for patients with cT3-4N2-4M0. Depending on the patient's condition and the experience of the surgical team, open or laparoscopic surgery can be performed.

A prediction model of pathological complete response in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer after PD-1 antibody combined with total neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy based on MRI radiomics / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To construct a prediction model of pathologic complete response (pCR) in locally advanced rectal cancer patients who received programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) antibody and total neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy by using radiomics based on MR imaging data and to investigate its predictive value. Methods: A clinical diagnostic test study was carried out. Clinicopathalogical and radiological data of 38 patients with middle-low rectal cancer who received PD-1 antibody combined with total neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and underwent TME surgery from January 2019 to September 2021 in our hospital were retrospectively collected. Among 38 patients, 23 were males and 15 were females with a median age of 68 (47-79) years and 13 (34.2%) a chieved pCR. These 38 patients were stratified and randomly divided into the training group (n=26) and test group (n=12) for modeling. All the patients underwent rectal MRI before treatment. The clinical, imaging and radiomics features of all the patients were collected, and the clinical feature model and radiomics model were constructed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of each model were drawn, and the constructed model was evaluated through the area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. Results: There were no significant differences in age, gender, primary location of tumor and postoperative pathology between the two groups (all P>0.05). Forty-one features were extracted from region of interest in each modality, including 9 first-order features, 24 gray level co-occurrence matrix features and 8 shape features. From 38 patients, 41 features were extracted from each imaging modality of baseline and preoperative DWI and T2WI images, totally 164 features. Only 4 features were preserved after correlation analysis between each pair of features and t-test between pCR and non-pCR subjects. After LASSO cross validation, only the first-order skewness of the baseline DWI image before treatment and the volume in the baseline T2WI image before treatment were retained. The area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the prediction model established by applying these two features in the training group and the test group were 0.856 and 0.844, 77.8% and 100.0%, 88.2% and 75.0%, 77.8% and 66.7%, 88.2% and 100.0%, respectively. The decision curve analysis of the radiomics model showed that the strategy of this model in predicting pCR was better than that in treating all the patients as pCR and that in treating all the patients as non-pCR. Conclusion: The pCR prediction model for rectal cancer patients receiving PD-1 antibody combined with total neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy based on MRI radiomics has the potential to be used in clinical screening or rectal cancer patients who can be spared from radical surgery.