Understanding the treatment experiences of adults diagnosed with early-onset colorectal cancer: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: Early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence in adults aged under 50 is increasing. There is a critical lack of knowledge regarding the challenges faced by early-onset CRC patients and their experiences of treatment. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of individuals receiving treatment for early-onset CRC, and the resulting impact on their lives. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews of patients with early-onset CRC in the UK (n = 21) were conducted from August 2021 to March 2022. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Results identified four key themes: (1) early-onset CRC treatment results in sudden physical, psychological and social impacts in all aspects of life; (2) early-onset CRC patients have unique supportive care needs which are not recognised in current practice; (3) there is a need for tailored information; (4) a lack of support was identified in the areas of mental health, sexual health and fertility. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights numerous unique issues experienced by the early-onset CRC patient group during treatment. There is a need for change in clinical practice, along with the development of international guidelines and tailored resources for both patients and healthcare professionals, in order to improve care.

Impact of COVID-19 on acute appendicitis presentation, management and pathology findings in adult and paediatric populations.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trends of presentation, management and pathology findings in patients who underwent an appendicectomy for suspected acute appendicitis. METHOD: The retrospective study reviewed patients (n = 939 adults and n = 329 children) who had an appendicectomy performed for suspected acute appendicitis and histopathology assessment in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Northern Ireland. Pre-COVID-19 (March 2019 to February 2020) and COVID-19 Year 1 (March 2020 to February 2021) data were compared. Chi-squared tests were applied to compare timeframes. RESULTS: 513 adult appendicectomies were performed in the immediate year pre-COVID-19, compared to 426 in COVID-19 Year 1, representing a 17% reduction. No such reduction was seen within the paediatric population, likely related to a change in regional paediatric referral criteria during the pandemic. When comparing COVID-19 Year 1 with pre-pandemic, fewer patients presented with <24 hours of symptoms (45% v 53%, p = 0.005), and there was greater use of pre-operative computed tomography imaging in adults (63.2% v 48.7%, p<0.001). Fewer adult and paediatric cases of simple acute appendicitis and non-diagnostic specimens, with relative increased proportions of perforated acute appendicitis, were observed in COVID-19 Year 1 compared with pre-pandemic. No absolute increase in perforated acute appendicitis cases was observed in adults. CONCLUSION: Year 1 of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with delayed presentation of acute appendicitis in adults and children. In adults, an overall reduction in appendicectomy operations, increased use of pre-operative diagnostic imaging, and fewer specimens showing simple acute appendicitis or non-diagnostic features, collectively support appropriate restriction of surgery for those patients with a more certain acute appendicitis diagnosis.

Factors associated with interobserver variation amongst pathologists in the diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Reproducible diagnoses of endometrial hyperplasia (EH) remains challenging and has potential implications for patient management. This systematic review aimed to identify pathologist-specific factors associated with interobserver variation in the diagnosis and reporting of EH. METHODS: Three electronic databases, namely MEDLINE, Embase and Web of Science, were searched from 1st January 2000 to 25th March 2023, using relevant key words and subject headings. Eligible studies reported on pathologist-specific factors or working practices influencing interobserver variation in the diagnosis of EH, using either the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2014 or 2020 classification or the endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN) classification system. Quality assessment was undertaken using the QUADAS-2 tool, and findings were narratively synthesised. RESULTS: Eight studies were identified. Interobserver variation was shown to be significant even amongst specialist gynaecological pathologists in most studies. Few studies investigated pathologist-specific characteristics, but pathologists were shown to have different diagnostic styles, with some more likely to under-diagnose and others likely to over-diagnose EH. Some novel working practices were identified, such as grading the "degree" of nuclear atypia and the incorporation of objective methods of diagnosis such as semi-automated quantitative image analysis/deep learning models. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlighted the impact of pathologist-specific factors and working practices in the accurate diagnosis of EH, although few studies have been conducted. Further research is warranted in the development of more objective criteria that could improve reproducibility in EH diagnostic reporting, as well as determining the applicability of novel methods such as grading the degree of nuclear atypia in clinical settings.

Dietary Inflammatory Potential and the Risk of Serrated and Adenomatous Colorectal Polyps.

Studies of dietary inflammation potential and risks of colorectal cancer precursors are limited, particularly for sessile serrated lesions (SSLs). This study examines the association using the energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DIITM), a measure of anti- and/or pro-inflammatory diet, in a large US colonoscopy-based case-control study of 3246 controls, 1530 adenoma cases, 472 hyperplastic polyp cases, and 180 SSL cases. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were derived from logistic regression models. Analyses were stratified by participant characteristics, and urinary prostaglandin E2 metabolite (PGE-M) and high-sensitivity plasma C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, inflammation biomarkers. Highest E-DII™ intake was associated with significantly increased risks of colorectal adenomas (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.11, 1.67), and hyperplastic polyps (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.06, 1.98), compared with participants consuming the lowest E-DII™ quartile. A similar, but non-significant, increased risk was also observed for SSLs (OR 1.41, 95% CI 0.82, 2.41). The positive association was stronger in females (pinteraction <0.001), normal weight individuals (ptrend 0.01), and in individuals with lower inflammatory biomarkers (ptrend 0.02 and 0.01 for PGE-M and hs-CRP, respectively). A high E-DII™ is associated with colorectal polyp risk, therefore promoting an anti-inflammatory diet may aid in preventing colorectal polyps.

Trends in pathology diagnoses during 10 years of a colorectal cancer screening programme.

AIMS: We report pathology findings from the first 10 years of the faecal-occult blood-based Northern Ireland Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, presenting summary data and trends in pathology diagnoses and clinicopathological features of screen-detected cancers. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were analysed from a comprehensive polyp-level pathology database representing all endoscopy specimens from programme inception in 2010 until 2021. A total of 9800 individuals underwent 13 472 endoscopy procedures, yielding 25 967 pathology specimens and 32 119 diagnoses. Index specimen diagnoses (4.1%) and index colonoscopies (10.4%) yielded a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, representing 1045 cancers from 1020 individuals (25 with synchronous cancers). A further 13 index cancers were identified via computed tomography colonography; 65.3% of cancer diagnoses were in males; 41.7% were stage I, 23.1% stage II, 25.8% stage III and 1.8% stage IV (7.6% unstaged). Of 233 pT1 cancers diagnosed within local excision specimens, 79 (33.9%) had completion surgery. Ten-year trends showed a steady decline in the proportion of index colonoscopies that yielded a diagnosis of cancer (14.7% in year 1; 4.8% in year 11) or advanced colorectal polyp. There was a strong upward trend in diagnoses of sessile serrated lesions, which overtook hyperplastic polyps in proportions of total index diagnoses by the end of the study time-frame (8.7% compared to 8.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Over the first 10 years of a population colorectal cancer screening programme, 'real world' pathology data demonstrate success in the form of reduced diagnoses of cancer and advanced colorectal polyp with passage of successive screening rounds. Interesting trends with respect to serrated polyp diagnoses are also evident, probably related to pathologist and endoscopist behaviour.

Referral challenges for early-onset colorectal cancer: a qualitative study in UK primary care.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) in adults aged <50 years has increased in several Western nations. National surveys have highlighted significant barriers to accessing timely care for patients with EOCRC, which may be contributing to a late stage of presentation in this population group. AIM: To explore awareness of the increasing incidence of EOCRC, and to understand the potential barriers or facilitators faced by GPs when referring younger adults to secondary care with features indicative of EOCRC. DESIGN & SETTING: Qualitative methodology, via virtual semi-structured interviews with 17 GPs in Northern Ireland. METHOD: Reflective thematic analysis was conducted with reference to Braun and Clarke's framework. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified among participating GPs: awareness, diagnostic, and referral challenges. Awareness challenges focused on perceptions of EOCRC being solely associated with hereditary cancer syndromes, and colorectal cancer being a condition of older adults. Key diagnostic challenges centred around the commonality of lower gastrointestinal complaints and overlap in EOCRC symptoms with benign conditions. Restrictions in age-based referral guidance and a GP 'guilt complex' surrounding over-referral to secondary care summarised the referral challenges. Young females were perceived as being particularly disadvantaged with regard to delays in diagnosis. CONCLUSION: This novel research outlines potential reasons for the diagnostic delays seen in patients with EOCRC from a GP perspective, and highlights many of the complicating factors that contribute to the diagnostic process.

Field Synopsis of Environmental and Genetic Risk Factors of Sporadic Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer and Advanced Adenoma.

BACKGROUND: To systematically appraise and synthesize available epidemiologic evidence on the associations of environmental and genetic factors with the risk of sporadic early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) and early-onset advanced colorectal adenoma (EOCRA). METHODS: Multiple databases were comprehensively searched to identify eligible observational studies. Genotype data from UK Biobank were incorporated to examine their associations with EOCRC in a nested case-control design. Meta-analyses of environmental risk factors were performed, and the strength of evidence was graded based on predefined criteria. Meta-analyses of genetic associations were conducted using the allelic, recessive, and dominant models, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 61 studies were included, reporting 120 environmental factors and 62 genetic variants. We found 12 risk factors (current overweight, overweight in adolescence, high waist circumference, smoking, alcohol, sugary beverages intake, sedentary behavior, red meat intake, family history of colorectal cancer, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and metabolic syndrome) and three protective factors (vitamin D, folate, and calcium intake) for EOCRC or EOCRA. No significant associations between the examined genetic variants and EOCRC risk were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Recent data indicate that the changing patterns of traditional colorectal cancer risk factors may explain the rising incidence of EOCRC. However, research on novel risk factors for EOCRC is limited; therefore, we cannot rule out the possibility of EOCRC having different risk factors than late-onset colorectal cancer (LOCRC). IMPACT: The potential for the identified risk factors to enhance the identification of at-risk groups for personalized EOCRC screening and prevention and for the prediction of EOCRC risk should be comprehensively addressed by future studies.

Clinical Prediction Models for Pancreatic Cancer in General and At-Risk Populations: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Identifying high-risk individuals using a risk prediction model could be a crucial first stage of screening pathways to improve the early detection of pancreatic cancer. A systematic review was conducted to critically evaluate the published primary literature on the development or validation of clinical risk prediction models for pancreatic cancer risk. METHODS: MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles from the inception of each database up to November 2021. Study selection and data extraction were conducted by 2 independent reviewers. The Prediction model Risk Of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) was applied to assess risk of bias. RESULTS: In total, 33 studies were included, describing 38 risk prediction models. Excluding studies with an overlapping population, this study consist of 15,848,100 participants, of which 58,313 were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Eight studies externally validated their model, and 13 performed internal validation. The studies described risk prediction models for pancreatic cancer in the general population (n = 14), patients with diabetes (n = 8), and individuals with gastrointestinal (and other) symptoms (symptoms included abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, jaundice, and change in bowel habits and indigestion; n = 11). The commonly used clinical risk factors in the model were cigarette smoking (n = 27), age (n = 25), diabetes history (n = 22), chronic pancreatitis (n = 18), and body mass index (n = 14). In the 25 studies that assessed model performance, C-statistics ranged from 0.61 to 0.98. Of the 33 studies included, 6 were rated as being at a low risk of bias based on PROBAST. DISCUSSION: Many clinical risk prediction models for pancreatic cancer had been developed for different target populations. Although low risk-of-bias studies were identified, these require external validation and implementation studies to ensure that these will benefit clinical decision making.

Epithelial TGFß engages growth-factor signalling to circumvent apoptosis and drive intestinal tumourigenesis with aggressive features.

The pro-tumourigenic role of epithelial TGFß signalling in colorectal cancer (CRC) is controversial. Here, we identify a cohort of born to be bad early-stage (T1) colorectal tumours, with aggressive features and a propensity to disseminate early, that are characterised by high epithelial cell-intrinsic TGFß signalling. In the presence of concurrent Apc and Kras mutations, activation of epithelial TGFß signalling rampantly accelerates tumourigenesis and share transcriptional signatures with those of the born to be bad T1 human tumours and predicts recurrence in stage II CRC. Mechanistically, epithelial TGFß signalling induces a growth-promoting EGFR-signalling module that synergises with mutant APC and KRAS to drive MAPK signalling that re-sensitise tumour cells to MEK and/or EGFR inhibitors. Together, we identify epithelial TGFß signalling both as a determinant of early dissemination and a potential therapeutic vulnerability of CRC's with born to be bad traits.

Early-Onset Cancers in Adults: A Review of Epidemiology, Supportive Care Needs and Future Research Priorities.

Rising incidence of specific types of early-age onset cancers in adults aged 18-49 years has been reported in high-income countries. In this review, we summarise the epidemiology of early-onset cancers using exemplar data from a high-income UK region, discuss supportive care needs for young patients and outline future research directions. The incidence rate of early-onset cancers increased by 20.5% from 1993 to 2019 in Northern Ireland. Differences in types of cancer were observed between sexes and across age groups of 18-29, 30-39 and 40-49 years. One and five-year net survival was mostly better in 18-29-year-olds for all cancers combined compared to older age groups for both sexes, but there were variations in specific cancer types. Poorer survival was observed for patients with brain/central nervous system, connective and soft tissue or lung cancers. Patients with early-onset cancers face unique supportive care needs and require holistic care. The impact of cancer treatment on fertility and fertility preservation treatments is an important consideration. Social media can be used for patient support, information, fundraising, advocacy work and recruitment to research studies. We also outline suggested future research priorities for early-onset cancers, spanning prevention, diagnosis, treatment and supportive care needs.

Microscopic colitis in Northern Ireland: an updated clinicopathological audit and assessment of compliance with European guidelines.

AIM: We previously reported the first population-based study of the epidemiology of microscopic colitis in Northern Ireland. The aim of the current study is to provide updated data on incidence, diagnostic methods and clinicopathological associations, following dissemination of the previous report. A further aim was to compare the findings against relevant recommendations from the 2020 European guidelines. METHOD: Study cases were identified via the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust pathology laboratory system for new cases of collagenous colitis or lymphocytic colitis diagnosed from 2017 to 2020 inclusive. Demographic and clinical information was collated from electronic healthcare records. RESULTS: Two hundred and seventeen new diagnoses of microscopic colitis were made between 2017 and 2020, comprising 89 (41%) collagenous colitis and 128 (59%) lymphocytic colitis. The overall incidence of microscopic colitis, expressed per 100,000 adult population, ranged from 7.6 to 11.5 (5.9 to 9.0 per 100,000 total population). The 2019 peak of 11.5 cases per 100,000 adult population represents a 71.6% increase in incidence compared with the mean incidence of 6.7 per 100,000 adult population from previous data for 2008-2016. There has also been a significant increase in number of cases diagnosed on separate sampling from the right and left colon (85% in 2019-2020 compared with 30% in 2008-2016; p < 0.001). Overall compliance with coeliac serology testing has improved, with 89% tested in 2017-2018 compared with 75% in 2008-2016. CONCLUSION: Clinicopathological communication has contributed to an increased incidence of microscopic colitis in Northern Ireland through better endoscopic diagnostic sampling and pathology coding practices. Coeliac serology testing has also improved, although continued clinical awareness is required of the need for coeliac serology testing in all patients diagnosed with microscopic colitis.

The Global Landscape of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Incidence and Mortality in 2020 and Projections to 2040: New Estimates From GLOBOCAN 2020.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the burden of esophageal cancer in 185 countries in 2020 and projections for the year 2040. METHODS: Estimates of esophageal cancer cases and deaths were extracted from the GLOBOCAN database for 2020. Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates were calculated overall, by sex, histologic subtype (adenocarcinoma [AC] and squamous cell carcinoma [SCC]), country, and level of human development for 185 countries. The predicted burden of incidence and mortality in 2040 was calculated based on global demographic projections. RESULTS: Globally, there were an estimated 604,100 new cases of, and 544,100 deaths from, esophageal cancer in 2020, corresponding to age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of 6.3 and 5.6 per 100,000, respectively. Most cases were SCCs (85% [512,500 cases]) and 14% (85,700 cases) were ACs. Incidence and mortality rates were 2- to 3-fold higher in male (9.3 and 8.2, respectively) compared with female (3.6 and 3.2, respectively) individuals. Global variations in incidence and mortality were observed across countries and world regions; the highest rates occurred in Eastern Asia and Southern and Eastern Africa and the lowest occurred in Western Africa and Central America regions. If rates remain stable, 957,000 new cases (141,300 AC cases and 806,000 SCC cases) and 880,000 deaths from esophageal cancer are expected in 2040. CONCLUSIONS: These updated estimates of the global burden of esophageal cancer represent an important baseline for setting priorities in policy making and developing and accelerating cancer control initiatives to reduce the current and projected burden. Although primary prevention remains key, screening and early detection represent important components of esophageal cancer control in high-risk populations.

Activation of innate-adaptive immune machinery by poly(I:C) exposes a therapeutic vulnerability to prevent relapse in stroma-rich colon cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Stroma-rich tumours represent a poor prognostic subtype in stage II/III colon cancer (CC), with high relapse rates and limited response to standard adjuvant chemotherapy. DESIGN: To address the lack of efficacious therapeutic options for patients with stroma-rich CC, we stratified our human tumour cohorts according to stromal content, enabling identification of the biology underpinning relapse and potential therapeutic vulnerabilities specifically within stroma-rich tumours that could be exploited clinically. Following human tumour-based discovery and independent clinical validation, we use a series of in vitro and stroma-rich in vivo models to test and validate the therapeutic potential of elevating the biology associated with reduced relapse in human tumours. RESULTS: By performing our analyses specifically within the stroma-rich/high-fibroblast (HiFi) subtype of CC, we identify and validate the clinical value of a HiFi-specific prognostic signature (HPS), which stratifies tumours based on STAT1-related signalling (High-HPS v Low-HPS=HR 0.093, CI 0.019 to 0.466). Using in silico, in vitro and in vivo models, we demonstrate that the HPS is associated with antigen processing and presentation within discrete immune lineages in stroma-rich CC, downstream of double-stranded RNA and viral response signalling. Treatment with the TLR3 agonist poly(I:C) elevated the HPS signalling and antigen processing phenotype across in vitro and in vivo models. In an in vivo model of stroma-rich CC, poly(I:C) treatment significantly increased systemic cytotoxic T cell activity (p<0.05) and reduced liver metastases (p<0.0002). CONCLUSION: This study reveals new biological insight that offers a novel therapeutic option to reduce relapse rates in patients with the worst prognosis CC.

Strategies and techniques for quality control and semantic enrichment with multimodal data: a case study in colorectal cancer with eHDPrep.

BACKGROUND: Integration of data from multiple domains can greatly enhance the quality and applicability of knowledge generated in analysis workflows. However, working with health data is challenging, requiring careful preparation in order to support meaningful interpretation and robust results. Ontologies encapsulate relationships between variables that can enrich the semantic content of health datasets to enhance interpretability and inform downstream analyses. FINDINGS: We developed an R package for electronic health data preparation, "eHDPrep," demonstrated upon a multimodal colorectal cancer dataset (661 patients, 155 variables; Colo-661); a further demonstrator is taken from The Cancer Genome Atlas (459 patients, 94 variables; TCGA-COAD). eHDPrep offers user-friendly methods for quality control, including internal consistency checking and redundancy removal with information-theoretic variable merging. Semantic enrichment functionality is provided, enabling generation of new informative "meta-variables" according to ontological common ancestry between variables, demonstrated with SNOMED CT and the Gene Ontology in the current study. eHDPrep also facilitates numerical encoding, variable extraction from free text, completeness analysis, and user review of modifications to the dataset. CONCLUSIONS: eHDPrep provides effective tools to assess and enhance data quality, laying the foundation for robust performance and interpretability in downstream analyses. Application to multimodal colorectal cancer datasets resulted in improved data quality, structuring, and robust encoding, as well as enhanced semantic information. We make eHDPrep available as an R package from CRAN (https://cran.r-project.org/package = eHDPrep) and GitHub (https://github.com/overton-group/eHDPrep).

Development of a semi-automated method for tumour budding assessment in colorectal cancer and comparison with manual methods.

AIMS: Tumour budding (TB) is an established prognostic feature in multiple cancers but is not routinely assessed in pathology practice. Efforts to standardise and automate assessment have shifted from haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained images towards cytokeratin immunohistochemistry. The aim of this study was to compare manual H&E and cytokeratin assessment methods with a semi-automated approach built within QuPath open-source software. METHODS AND RESULTS: TB was assessed in cores from the advancing tumour edge in a cohort of stage II/III colon cancers (n = 186). The total numbers of buds detected with each method were as follows: manual H&E, n = 503; manual cytokeratin, n = 2290; and semi-automated, n = 5138. More than four times the number of buds were identified manually with cytokeratin assessment than with H&E assessment. One thousand seven hundred and thirty-four individual buds were identified with both manual and semi-automated assessments applied to cytokeratin images, representing 75.7% of the buds identified manually (n = 2290) and 33.7% of the buds detected with the semi-automated method (n = 5138). Higher semi-automated TB scores were due to any discrete area of cytokeratin immunopositivity within an accepted area range being identified as a bud, regardless of shape or crispness of definition, and to the inclusion of tumour cell clusters within glandular lumina ('luminal pseudobuds'). Although absolute numbers differed, semi-automated and manual bud counts were strongly correlated across cores (ρ = 0.81, P < 0.0001). All methods of TB assessment demonstrated poorer survival associated with higher TB scores. CONCLUSIONS: We present a new QuPath-based approach to TB assessment, which compares favourably with established methods and offers a freely available, rapid and transparent tool that is also applicable to whole slide images.

Orthogonal MET analysis in a population-representative stage II-III colon cancer cohort: prognostic and potential therapeutic implications.

Clinical trials for MET inhibitors have demonstrated limited success for their use in colon cancer (CC). However, clinical efficacy may be obscured by a lack of standardisation in MET assessment for patient stratification. In this study, we aimed to determine the molecular context in which MET is deregulated in CC using a series of genomic and proteomic tests to define MET expression and identify patient subgroups that should be considered in future studies with MET-targeted agents. To this aim, orthogonal expression analysis of MET was conducted in a population-representative cohort of stage II/III CC patients (n = 240) diagnosed in Northern Ireland from 2004 to 2008. Targeted sequencing was used to determine the relative incidence of MET R970C and MET T992I mutations within the cohort. MET amplification was assessed using dual-colour dual-hapten brightfield in situ hybridisation (DDISH). Expression of transcribed MET and c-MET protein within the cohort was assessed using digital image analysis on MET RNA in situ hybridisation (ISH) and c-MET immunohistochemistry (IHC) stained slides. We found that less than 2% of the stage II/III CC patient population assessed demonstrated a genetic MET aberration. Determination of a high MET RNA-ISH/low c-MET IHC protein subgroup was found to be associated with poor 5-year cancer-specific outcomes compared to patients with concordant MET RNA-ISH and c-MET IHC protein expression (HR 2.12 [95%CI: 1.27-3.68]). The MET RNA-ISH/c-MET IHC protein biomarker paradigm identified in this study demonstrates that subtyping of MET expression may be required to identify MET-addicted malignancies in CC patients who will truly benefit from MET inhibition.

Inequalities in the decline and recovery of pathological cancer diagnoses during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The restructuring of healthcare systems to cope with the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a reduction in clinical services such as cancer screening and diagnostics. METHODS: Data from the four Northern Ireland pathology laboratories were used to assess trends in pathological cancer diagnoses from 1st March to 12th September 2020 overall and by cancer site, sex and age. These trends were compared to the same timeframe from 2017 to 2019. RESULTS: Between 1st March and 12th September 2020, there was a 23% reduction in cancer diagnoses compared to the same time period in the preceding 3 years. Although some recovery occurred in August and September 2020, this revealed inequalities across certain patient groups. Pathological diagnoses of lung, prostate and gynaecological malignancies remained well below pre-pandemic levels. Males and younger/middle-aged adults, particularly the 50-59-year-old patient group, also lagged behind other population demographic groups in terms of returning to expected numbers of pathological cancer diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: There is a critical need to protect cancer diagnostic services in the ongoing pandemic to facilitate timely investigation of potential cancer cases. Targeted public health campaigns may be needed to reduce emerging inequalities in cancer diagnoses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Immune cell infiltrates as prognostic biomarkers in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Immune cell infiltration has been identified as a prognostic biomarker in several cancers. However, no immune based biomarker has yet been validated for use in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of immune cell infiltration, measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC), as a prognostic biomarker in PDAC. All other IHC prognostic biomarkers in PDAC were also summarised. MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched between 1998 and 2018. Studies investigating IHC biomarkers and prognosis in PDAC were included. REMARK score and Newcastle-Ottawa scale were used for qualitative analysis. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to pool results, where possible. Twenty-six articles studied immune cell infiltration IHC biomarkers and PDAC prognosis. Meta-analysis found high infiltration with CD4 (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.51-0.83.) and CD8 (HR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.55-0.84.) T-lymphocytes associated with better disease-free survival. Reduced overall survival was associated with high CD163 (HR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.03-2.56). Infiltration of CD3, CD20, FoxP3 and CD68 cells, and PD-L1 expression was not prognostic. In total, 708 prognostic biomarkers were identified in 1101 studies. In summary, high CD4 and CD8 infiltration are associated with better disease-free survival in PDAC. Increased CD163 is adversely prognostic. Despite the publication of 708 IHC prognostic biomarkers in PDAC, none has been validated for clinical use. Further research should focus on reproducibility of prognostic biomarkers in PDAC in order to achieve this.