Controversies in the treatment of RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To provide guidance for the management of RAS wild-type (wt) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in daily practice. METHODS: Nominal group and Delphi techniques were used. A steering committee of seven experts analyzed the current management of RAS wt mCRC, through which they identified controversies, critically analyzed the available evidence, and formulated several guiding statements for clinicians. Subsequently, a group of 30 experts (the expert panel) was selected to test agreement with the statements, through two Delphi rounds. The following response categories were established in both rounds: 1 = totally agree, 2 = basically agree, 3 = basically disagree, 4 = totally disagree. Agreement was defined if ≥ 75% of answers were in categories 1 and 2 (consensus with the agreement) or 3 and 4 (consensus with the disagreement). RESULTS: Overall, 71 statements were proposed, which incorporated the following areas: (1) overarching principles; (2) tumor location; (3) triplets; (4) maintenance; (5) second-line and beyond treatments; (6) Rechallenge and liquid biopsy. After the two Delphi rounds, only six statements maintained a lack of clear consensus. CONCLUSIONS: This document aims to describe the expert's attitude when dealing with several common clinical questions regarding patients with RAS wt mCRC.

Tumour sidedness and clinicopathological features of resected colon cancer in rural population of Northern Pakistan: single institutional analysis / Lateralidade tumoral e características clínico-patológicas do câncer de cólon ressecado na população rural do norte do Paquistão: análise em uma única instituição

ABSTRACT Objectives: Different clinicopathological and molecular features have been demonstrated between right and left sided colon cancers. We aimed to characterize colon cancer and sidedness among a North-Pakistani rural population diagnosed with colon cancer in our institution. Methods: Seventy patients were included in the study that received adjuvant chemotherapy at Bannu Institute of Nuclear Medicine Oncology and Radiotherapy) Bannu, Pakistan from January 2014 to December 2017. Chi-square test was used for significance of categorical variables. p-Values less than 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Mean age at diagnosis for right side colon cancer patients was 43.94 years and for left side colon cancer, it was 49.83 with no significant difference. Male patients were presented more with right (77% vs. 54%, p = 0.044) and females with predominantly left sided tumours i.e. (46% vs. 23%, p = 0.044). Right sided cancer tended to be more poorly differentiated (20% vs. 0%, p = 0.020). Mucinous adenocarcinoma was seen mostly in right sided colon cancer (37% vs. 3%, p ≤ 0.001). There were more locally advanced presentation of right side colon cancer with more node positive (83% vs. 60%, p = 0.025) and lymphovascular invasion (51% vs. 37%, p = 0.016). Sigmoid colon was the most common tumour subsite involved. Conclusion: Our study is the first report of colon cancer in a rural population in North-Pakistan. An earlier onset of tumours (44-50 years) was observed in comparison with global data.

RESUMO Objetivo: Características clínico-patológicas e moleculares distintas foram observadas em tumores de cólon no lado direito ou esquerdo. O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar o câncer de cólon e sua lateralidade em uma população rural norte-paquistanesa diagnosticada com câncer de cólon nesta instituição. Métodos: O estudo incluiu 70 pacientes que foram submetidos a quimioterapia adjuvante no Instituto Bannu de Medicina Nuclear Radioterapia Oncológica (BINOR), Bannu, Paquistão, entre janeiro de 2014 e dezembro de 2017. O teste qui-quadrado foi utilizado para mensurar a significância das variáveis categóricas. Valores de p menores que 0,05 foram considerados significativos. Resultados: A média de idade ao diagnóstico entre pacientes com câncer de cólon no lado direito foi de 43,94 anos e entre aqueles com câncer de cólon no lado esquerdo, 49,83, sem diferença significativa. Os pacientes do sexo masculino apresentaram mais tumores no lado direito (77% vs. 54%, p = 0,044) e as pacientes do sexo feminino apresentaram mais tumores no lado esquerdo (46% vs. 23%, p = 0,044). Tumores mal diferenciados foram mais comumente observados no lado direito (20% vs. 0%, p = 0,020). Adenocarcinoma mucinoso foi observado principalmente em casos de tumores no lado direito (37% vs. 3%, p ≤ 0,001). A apresentação local estava mais avançada em tumores de cólon no lado direito, com mais linfonodos positivos (83% vs. 60%, p = 0,025) e invasão linfovascular (51% vs. 37%, p = 0,016). O cólon sigmoide foi o sublocal mais comum. Conclusão: O presente estudo é o primeiro relato de câncer de cólon em uma população rural no norte do Paquistão. Em comparação com dados globais, observou-se um surgimento mais precoce dos tumores (44-50 anos).

Is primary sidedness a prognostic factor in patients with resected colon cancer liver metastases (CLM)?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have suggested that sidedness of origin from colorectal adenocarcinomas is a predictor of survival, however the impact of this factor in patients with resected colon cancer liver metastases (CLM) is not clear. So, in this study, we compared clinic and pathologic characteristics and long-term survival of patients with resected CLM according to the primary tumor location. METHODS: This is a retrospective analyzes of a prospective database. Patients with resected CLM from 1998 to 2012 were included. Right colon included tumors from cecum to middle transverse colon, and left colon included tumors from splenic flexure to sigmoid. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one patients were included, 27 right colon and 124 left colon. In the latter group, there were more patients with synchronous disease (67.7 × 6.2%, P = 0.026) and a higher CEA (22.0 × 11.7 ng/mL, P = 0.001). However, K-Ras mutation was more frequent in right sided tumors (75.0 × 24.1%, P = 0.001). There was no difference in long term survival in both groups in this series even when adjusted for the confounding variables. CONCLUSION: Sidedness do not seem to be a predictor of long term survival in patients with resected colon cancer liver metastases.