Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer with peritumoral abscesses and fistulas.

PURPOSE: Rectal cancer patients who present with peritumoral abscesses and fistulas at the time of diagnosis may be denied chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as the safety is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of preoperative CRT in this patient group. METHODS: We performed a retrospective nested case-control study to compare outcomes between patients with locally advanced rectal cancer with peritumoral abscesses and fistulas (study group) and patients with T4 locally advanced rectal cancer with no evidence of abscesses and fistulas (control group). These groups were matched by treatment center and radiotherapy delivery method. All patients received 50-54 Gy of conventionally fractionated RT with concurrent chemotherapy. Primary endpoint was grade 3-5 toxicity (by National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI CTCAE). Secondary endpoints included postoperative morbidity, pathologic complete response (pCR), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) at 2 years. RESULTS: A total of 33 patients were included in each group. Grade 3 toxicity was observed in 2 (6.1%) patients in the study group and 4 (12.1%) patients in the control group (p = 0.672). No patients developed grade 4-5 toxicity. Grade 3-4 Clavien-Dindo complications were observed in 5 (15.2%) patients in the study group and in 6 (18.2%) patients in the control group (p = 1.0). Pathologic CR was achieved in 3 (9.1%) and 5 (15.2%) patients, respectively (p = 0.708). Two-year OS was 78.3% vs. 81.8% (p = 0.944), 2­year DFS was 62.8% vs. 69.7% (p = 0.693), respectively. CONCLUSION: The presence of peritumoral abscesses and fistulas in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer is not associated with increased toxicity or inferior clinical outcomes after preoperative CRT.

Gender differences in clinical factors associated with coronary artery atherosclerosis severity in patients with aortic valve and/or mitral annulus calcification.

OBJECTIVE: Introduction: The previous studies of coronary atherosclerosis association with aortic valve calcification (AVC) and/or mitral annulus calcification (MAC) had contradictory results. The aim: To assess gender differences in clinical factors associated with coronary artery atherosclerosis severity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: 362 patients (mean age 63.9 (8.8) years, 244 (67.4%) males) who underwent coronary angiography were included in the retrospective study. AVC and/or MAC presence was determined using transthoracic echocardioscopy. Coronary angiography results were assessed using coronary atherosclerosis severity index (CASI). RESULTS: Results: There were lower CASI in aortic stenosis (AS) subgroups (0 (0; 3.5) and (0; 9.5) in subgroups with severe and moderate AS respectively versus 12.0 (6.0; 20.5) in subgroup without AS, <0.005). Man with AVC and/or MAC (without AS and diabetes mellitus (DM)) had higher CASI compared to man without heart valve calcification and without DM (15.0 (7.0; 21.5) versus 7.0 (2.0; 12.0), p=0.0002), whereas in the similar woman subgroups CASI did not differ. In the male group without DM (without AS) CASI was associated with age (r=0.319, <0.0001), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (r=(-0.164), p=0.049), cholesterol level (r=0.242, p=0.003) and the combined presence of AVC and MAC (r=0.229, p=0.006), whereas in the similar female group there were only CASI association with GFR (r=(-0.252), p=0.050) and with combined presence of AVC and MAC (r=0.219, p=0.080). CONCLUSION: Conclusions: CASI depended on AS severity. In subgroups without AS and DM CASI was associated with combined presence of AVC and MAC, GFR, and besides with age and cholesterol level in man.