Patterns of initial disease recurrence after resection of gallbladder carcinoma and hilar cholangiocarcinoma: implications for adjuvant therapeutic strategies

BACKGROUND: Current approaches to adjuvant treatment after resection of gallbladder carcinoma (GBCA) and hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) are based on an incomplete understanding of the recurrence patterns of these diseases. Through an in-depth analysis of the sites of initial recurrence after resection of GBCA and HCCA, the current study aimed to highlight differences in the biology of these tumors and to provide further insight for adjuvant therapeutic strategies. METHODS: Patients with either GBCA or HCCA who underwent a potentially curative resection were identified prospectively from a maintained database. Specific sites of initial disease recurrence were identified retrospectively and categorized as locoregional (resection margin, porta hepatis, or retroperitoneal lymph nodes) or distant (peritoneal, extraabdominal, or discontiguous liver metastases). Differences in disease recurrence patterns, time to disease recurrence, and overall and site-specific survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Between May 1990 and August 2001, 177 patients underwent potentially curative resection, 97 for GBCA and 80 for HCCA. Disease recurrence and follow-up data were available for 156 patients (80 with GBCA and 76 with HCCA). The median time to disease recurrence was shorter for patients with GBCA compared with patients with HCCA (11.5 vs. 20.3 months; P = 0.007). Overall, 52 (68%) patients with HCCA and 53 (66%) patients with GBCA had disease recurrene at a median follow-up of 24 months. Of those who developed disease recurrence, isolated locoregional disease as the first site of failure occurred in 15% of patients with GBCA compared with 59% of patients with HCCA (P < 0.001). By contrast, an initial GBCA recurrence involving a distant site, with or without concomitant locoregional recurrence, occurred in 85% of patients compared with 41% of patients with HCCA (P < 0.001). This pattern of disease recurrence was diagnosis specific and did not change significantly when patients were stratified by several clinicopathologic factors, including disease stage and its component variables. Using multivariate analysis, diagnosis was an independent predictor of the site of disease recurrence. Among patients who experienced disease recurrence, survival was greater among the patients with HCCA compared with patients with GBCA (29 months vs. 20.6 months, respectively; P = 0.037). For both tumors, the site of initial disease recurrence had no apparent impact on survival time. CONCLUSIONS: After resection, recurrent GBCA is much more likely than recurrent HCCA to involve a distant site. GBCA is also associated with a much shorter time to recurrence and a shorter survival period after recurrence. The results demonstrated significant differences in the clinical behavior of these tumors and suggested that an adjuvant therapeutic strategy targeting locoregional disease, such as radiotherapy, is unlikely to have a significant impact in the overall management of GBCA. Conversely, there is at least some rationale for such an approach in patients with HCCA based on the pattern of initial recurrence.     

Patterns of metastatic spread following resection of extremity soft-tissue sarcomas and strategies for treatment

This study examines recurrence patterns in 255 patients with soft-tissue sarcoma treated with preoperative chemotherapy and radiation, followed by limb-sparing surgery. Eighty-five patients developed metastatic disease: 13 had isolated local recurrence, 43 had isolated pulmonary metastases, 11 had metastases to lung and elsewhere, and 18 had metastases to multiple sites. Of the patients with isolated pulmonary metastases, 19/43 had resection of the metastases, and 9 are disease free. All 13 patients with local recurrences had resection of the recurrence, and 9 remain disease-free. Patients with multiple sites of recurrence had a 2-year survival of less than 10%. Resection of metastases is beneficial to a small number of patients who develop metastatic disease.     

Patterns of failure in patients with early onset (synchronous) resectable liver metastases from rectal cancer

BACKGROUND:

The optimal combination of available therapies for patients with resectable synchronous liver metastases from rectal cancer (SLMRC) is unknown, and the pattern of recurrence after resection has been poorly investigated. In this study, the authors examined recurrence patterns and survival after resection of SLMRC.

METHODS:

Consecutive patients with SLMRC (disease‐free interval, ≤12 months) who underwent complete resection of the rectal primary and liver metastases between 1990 and 2008 were identified from a prospective database. Demographics, tumor‐related variables, and treatment‐related variables were correlated with recurrence patterns. Competing risk analysis was used to determine the risk of pelvic and extrapelvic recurrence.

RESULTS:

In total, 185 patients underwent complete resection of rectal primary and liver metastases. One hundred eighty patients (97%) received chemotherapy during their treatment course, and 91 patients (49%) received pelvic radiation therapy either before (N = 65; 71.4%), or after (N = 26; 28.6%) rectal resection. The 5‐year disease‐specific survival rate was 51% for the entire cohort with a median follow‐up of 44 months for survivors. One hundred thirty patients (70%) developed a recurrence: Eighteen patients (10%) had recurrences in the pelvis in combination with other sites, and 7 of these (4%) had an isolated pelvic recurrence. Recurrence pattern did not correlate with survival. Competing risk analysis demonstrated that the likelihood of a pelvic recurrence was significantly lower than that of an extrapelvic recurrence (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Of the patients with SLMRC who developed recurrent disease, systemic sites were overwhelmingly more common than pelvic recurrences. The current results indicated that the selective exclusion of radiotherapy may be considered in patients who are diagnosed with simultaneous disease. Cancer 2012. © 2012 American Cancer Society.     

胃癌术后复发转移部位分析及其对术后治疗的意义

 目的　总结胃癌术后复发转移类型和部位,探讨胃癌术后预防性治疗的方法。方法　回顾性分析2001年1月至2009年8月162例胃癌根治术后出现复发转移的患者,复发转移均经超声、CT或MRI检查进行诊断,34例腹腔积液中有15例经病理学诊断,所有浅表淋巴结及腹壁转移均经穿刺细胞病理学证实,31例残胃和吻合口复发均由病理组织学证实。结果　162例中63例为多部位复发转移,其中腹腔淋巴结转移76例（46.9 %）,腹膜转移34例（21.0 %）,残胃和（或）吻合口复发31例（19.1 %）,肝脏转移31例（19.1 %）,其他部位发生率均＜10 %。在76例腹腔淋巴结转移患者中,胃周淋巴结转移37例（48.7 %）,胰周淋巴结转移24例（31.6 %）,腹主动脉旁淋巴结转移15例（19.7 %）;其中97例原发于胃底贲门癌患者腹腔淋巴结转移56例（57.7 %）,48例原发于胃体部的胃癌患者腹腔淋巴结转移29例（60.4 %）,胃窦部的胃癌患者腹腔淋巴结转移11例（64.7 %）。结论　胃癌根治术后局部复发主要发生在残胃和（或）吻合口、腹腔淋巴结及腹腔、盆腔的种植转移, 腹腔淋巴结以胃周、胰周和腹主动脉旁淋巴结转移多见;远处转移的部位主要为肝、肺、脑、椎骨、颈部及纵隔淋巴结等。胃癌术后的治疗应以预防局部复发和远处转移为主,进行全身化疗、腹腔灌注化疗及联合局部区域的放疗。预防性放疗的范围应包括残胃、吻合口及胃周、胰周和腹主动脉旁淋巴结区域。     

Resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas with recurrence limited in lung have a significantly better prognosis than those with other recurrence patterns

The majority of patients with curative resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma recur within 5 years of resection. However, the prognosis associated with different patterns of recurrence has not been well studied. A retrospective review of patients who underwent curative surgical resection of pancreatic cancer was performed. Of the 209 patients, 174 patients developed recurrent disease. Of these 174, 28(16.1%) had recurrent disease limited to lung metastases, 20(11.5%) had recurrence in the lung plus one or more other sites excluding the liver, 73(42.0%) had liver metastasis alone or liver metastasis with any other site except lung, 28(16.1%) local recurrence only, and 25(14.3%) peritoneal recurrence alone or together with local recurrence. Patients with recurrence limited to lung had a 8.5 months(Mo) median survival from recurrence to death, which was significantly better than the survival associated with recurrence in the liver(5.1Mo), in the peritoneum(2.3Mo) or locally(5.1Mo) in multivariable analyses. Among all groups, the time from surgery to the diagnosis of recurrence in patients who recurred in only in the lung was also the longest. However, 75% of patients were found to have indeterminate lung nodules on their surveillance CT scans prior to the diagnosis of recurrence in lung. This delayed diagnosis of lung recurrence may have a negative impact on survival after recurrence. In conclusion, pancreatic cancer with lung recurrence has a significantly better prognosis than recurrence in other sites. Further studies are needed to investigate how different diagnostic and treatment modalities affect the survival of this unique subpopulation of pancreatic cancer patients.     

Prognostic factors for disease-specific survival after first relapse of soft-tissue sarcoma: analysis of 402 patients with disease relapse after initial conservative surgery and radiotherapy

PURPOSE: To document the prognostic factors for survival of patients with soft-tissue sarcoma sustaining a first relapse after definitive treatment. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The clinicopathologic features, relapse patterns, and disease-specific survival rates for 402 consecutive patients sustaining a first relapse of sarcoma after combined surgery and radiotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. Factors affecting disease-specific survival after relapse were evaluated with univariate and multivariate techniques. RESULTS: The median follow-up after relapse was 6.8 years. The overall disease-specific survival rate was 25%, 19%, and 16% at 5, 10, and 15 years, respectively, after the first relapse. The median survival duration was 21 months. Patients with an isolated local recurrence had a 5- and 10-year disease-specific survival rate of 48% and 46%, respectively, and those with an initial metastatic relapse had a disease-specific survival rate of 16% and 10%, respectively (p < 0.001). For isolated local recurrences, the independent determinants of survival were (favorable feature first) the primary tumor site (extremity and superficial trunk vs. head and neck and deep trunk); tumor grade (low and intermediate vs. high); time to recurrence (>12 vs. 5 cm). Although the development of subsequent metastasis was the major cause of death, a significant fraction of patients died of uncontrolled primary tumor. For patients presenting with metastasis as the first relapse, the time to metastasis was the major determinant of survival (>12 vs. < or =12 months). Long-term salvage was largely confined to patients who could and did undergo resection of relapsed disease, either local or metastatic. CONCLUSION: On the whole, patients whose sarcoma relapses fare poorly. However, select subgroups are potentially salvageable. Patients with an isolated local recurrence at sites other than the head and neck and deep trunk have a reasonable prospect for satisfactory outcome. Surgical resection of recurrences and metastases appears to play a major role in potential salvage.     

胃癌术后复发和转移部位及规律对预防性放疗靶区设计的临床探讨

目的 总结胃癌术后复发和转移部位及规律,为术后预防性放疗靶区设计寻找依据.方法 回顾分析近8年来130例胃癌根治术后复发和转移患者,所有患者均经B超、CT或MRI影像学临床诊断.其腹水28例中10例有细胞病理学诊断,所有浅表淋巴结及腹壁转移均经穿刺组织病理学证实,27例残胃和吻合口复发均由活检手术组织病理学证实.结果 130例中多部位复发和转移53例,残胃和(或)吻合口复发27例,腹膜转移28例,肝脏转移22例,胰腺转移9例,腹腔淋巴结转移60例,腹壁切口和引流口转移8例,盆腔种植5例,肺转移6例,脑转移5例,骨(主要为椎体)转移5例,颈部淋巴结转移8例,纵隔淋巴结转移9例,其他少见转移8例.60例腹腔淋巴结转移患者中胃周淋巴结转移35例,胰周淋巴结转移16例,腹主动脉旁淋巴结转移9例.77例原发胃底或贲门胃癌患者腹腔淋巴结转移33例,40例原发胃体部胃癌患者腹腔淋巴结转移20例,13例原发胃窦部胃癌患者腹腔淋巴结转移7例.结论 胃癌患者根治术后局部复发和转移的部位主要发生在残胃或吻合口、腹膜、肝脏及腹腔淋巴结,淋巴结以胃周、胰周和腹主动脉旁淋巴结转移多见.因此胃癌术后预防性放疗应包括贲门胃底、胃体和胃窦部,放射野应包括残胃、吻合口及胃周、胰周和腹主动脉旁淋巴结区域,并且须辅以化疗.     

Analysis of failure patterns in stage III endometrial carcinoma and therapeutic implications

The poor outcome of certain patients with Stage III endometrial carcinoma has led some investigators to direct adjuvant therapy to the abdominal cavity. To better define failure patterns, a review of 126 patients with Stage III endometrial carcinoma treated at four institutions was performed. Seventy-four patients were diagnosed at surgery with pathologic Stage III disease, whereas 52 patients presented with clinical Stage III disease. Most patients received external beam irradiation to the pelvis with a variety of boost techniques. Site of disease, grade, depth of invasion, and pathology were examined for prognostic significance. Actuarial techniques were used to analyze survival and recurrences. For the 52 clinical Stage III patients, 5-year survival was 36%. The median survival of 20 patients who were treated with radiation therapy (RT) following biopsy was 9 months. Pelvic control was poor in these patients, with 16/18 evaluable patients failing locally. Thirty-two patients who underwent resection with adjunctive RT had a 5-year survival of 48%. Local failure occurred in 40% of patients, whereas 38% of patients had abdominal failure. Isolated abdominal failure was infrequent with 6% failing as isolated recurrence, and 16% failing as the only site of distant disease. For 74 pathologic Stage III patients, 5-year survival was 54%. Local failure resulted in 20% of patients, and isolated abdominal failure occurred in 7% of patients. The subset of patients with ovarian or tubal involvement included 42 patients, with a 5-year survival of 60%. Further analysis of this subset by grade and depth of myometrial penetration was found to be prognostically significant. Twenty-four patients who were Stage III because of parametrial or pelvic peritoneal involvement had a 5-year survival of 44%. Local control and survival is improved in Stage III patients treated with surgical resection. The high rate of distant metastases in both abdominal and extra-abdominal sites has significant therapeutic implications.     

Recurrence and salvage treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and predictive factors for recurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and outcome according to salvage treatment modality. A retrospective analysis of 127 oral cavity cancer patients who underwent surgery with or without postoperative radiotherapy as initial treatment was performed. Thirty-six patients (28%) were observed with recurrences and/or metastases mostly at the primary site and neck. Seventy-eight percent of recurrences occurred within one year, and 92% within two years after the initial treatment. The rate of recurrence and/or metastases was significantly higher in patients with an advanced pathologic stage, pathologic lymph node and positive resection margin compared to those with an early pathologic stage, negative lymph node and negative resection margin (p<0.05). Especially, regarding the relationship between the rate of locoregional recurrence and local or regional factors, resection margin status was a particularly important, and potentially preventable, independent predictor for locoregional control. Patients who underwent salvage surgery with or without postoperative radiotherapy had significantly improved salvage and total survival times compared with patients who received chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for their recurrence.     

Resected pancreatic cancer treated with adjuvant radiotherapy with or without 5-fluorouracil: treatment results and patterns of failure.

There are relatively little data regarding patterns of recurrence after curative resection and postoperative radiotherapy with or without 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for patients with adenocarcinonima of the pancreas. Between 1978 and 1997, 41 patients underwent postoperative radiotherapy (RT) at Loyola-Hines Department of Radiotherapy. Of the 38 evaluable patients, 30 had RT + 5-FU and 8 had RT alone. Twenty-nine patients (76.3%) had a Whipple's resection, seven (18.4%) had distal pancreatectomy, and two (5.2%) had total pancreatectomy. Thirty-three (86.8%) of the 38 patients received > or =4,500 cGy to the tumor bed. Median survival for all patients was 21 months. The median survivals for patients who received RT + 5-FU and RT alone were 26 months and 5.5 months (p = 0.004). The most common site of failure was the liver, as seen in 79.2% of all recurrences. The peritoneum, other distant sites (lungs, bone, distant lymph nodes), and locoregional tumor bed were components of failure in 33.3%, 29.2%, and 25.0%, respectively. Locoregional failure alone was found in only one patient. Our median survival with postoperative RT + 5-FU is consistent with results reported by the Gastrointestinal Tumor Study Group and Mayo Clinic. Although patients who had RT + 5-FU had a better median survival than those who received RT alone, our RT-alone group had an inferior survival outcome compared to other published reports and may represent patient selection bias. Efforts in controlling this disease should be directed to prevention of intraabdominal relapse.     

Intensive follow-up after liver resection for colorectal liver metastases: results of combined serial tumour marker estimations and computed tomography of the chest and abdomen - a prospective study

The aim of the study was to prospectively evaluate an intensive follow-up programme using serial tumour marker estimations and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the chest and abdomen in patients undergoing potentially curative resection of colorectal liver metastases. Seventy-six consecutive patients having undergone potentially curative resections of colorectal liver metastases in a single unit were followed up with a protocol of 3 monthly carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 estimations and contrast-enhanced spiral CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis for the first 2 years following surgery and 6 monthly thereafter. The median period of follow-up was 24 months (range 18-60). Recurrent tumour was classed as early if within 6 months of liver resection. Thirty-seven of the 76 patients (49%) developed recurrence on follow-up. Nineteen recurrences were in the liver alone (51%), 16 liver and extrahepatic (43%) and two extrahepatic alone (6%). Of the 19 patients with isolated liver recurrence, eight developed within 6 months of liver resection none of which were resectable. Of the 11 recurrences after 6 months, five (45%) were resectable. Of the 37 recurrences, CT indicated recurrence despite normal tumour markers in 19 patients. Tumour markers suggested recurrence before imaging in 12 and concurrently with imaging in 6. In the 12 patients who presented with elevated tumour markers before imaging, there was a median lag period of 3 months (range 1-21) in recurrence being detected on further serial imaging. Seventeen patients who developed recurrence had normal tumour markers before initial resection of their liver metastases. Of these 17, 10 (58%) had an elevation of tumour markers associated with recurrence. Over a median follow-up of 2 years following liver resection, the use of CT or tumour markers alone would have failed to demonstrate early recurrence in 12 and 18 patients respectively. A combination of tumour markers and CT detected significantly more (P < 0.05) recurrence than either modality alone. Tumour markers and CT should be used in combination in the follow-up of patients with resected colorectal liver metatases, including patients whose markers are normal at the time of initial liver resection.     

Patterns of failure following curative resection of colorectal liver metastases.

AIMS: Several studies have focused on factors determining recurrence and survival rate after curative resection of colorectal liver metastases (LM). Data are lacking with regard to patterns of failure indicating where and when recurrences arise. METHODS: One-hundred-and-five consecutive patients [F/M: 31/74; mean age 61 years (range 36-80 y)] with primary colorectal liver metastases underwent surgical R0 curative resection between 1990-1999. Patient follow-up was closed in January 2002. The common closing date method was used for survival analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed with the Cox proportional hazard technique. RESULTS: The overall (OS) vs disease free survival (DFS) rates at 1, 2, and 5 years were 88.5 vs 63.3, 73.4 vs 40.2, and 36.8 vs 18.1%, respectively. Elevated serum CEA level was the only factor independently related to recurrent disease. Elevated serum CEA level, maximum diameter of liver metastases (LM), and satellitosis were factors significantly related to poor OS. Recurrent liver metastases developed in 43% and extra-hepatic metastases in 60% of the patients. In about half of the patients cancer recurrence was observed within 18 months, almost equally distributed between hepatic and extra-hepatic sites. CONCLUSION: Despite optimal patient selection and curative resection of colorectal liver metastases, more than a half of the patients developed cancer recurrence within 2 years.     

Patterns of recurrence in patients with high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas

From July 1975 to December 1982, 563 patients were referred to the Surgery Branch of the National Cancer Institute with the diagnosis of soft-tissue sarcoma. Three hundred and seven of these patients had fully resectable, localized high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas and were treated at the National Cancer Institute using standard protocols with surgery alone, or in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. An aggressive surgical approach was undertaken in the management of patients who subsequently developed recurrent disease. These 307 cases have been reviewed, with a median duration of follow-up of 30 months, to determine the frequency of recurrent disease, the patterns of recurrence, and the impact of surgery on the survival of patients who developed recurrent disease. Disease recurred in one hundred seven patients (107/307, 35%), with a median disease-free interval of 18 months (range, 0.5 to 72.0 months). The frequency of recurrence by site of primary sarcoma was extremity, 31% (65/211); head and neck, 33% (4/12); trunk, 40% (17/42); retroperitoneum, 47% (17/36); and breast, 67% (4/6). Isolated pulmonary metastatic disease was the most common pattern of initial recurrence (56/107, 52%) followed by isolated local recurrence (21/107, 20%). Single other sites of recurrence and multiple concurrent sites of recurrence each accounted for 14% (15/107) of all initial recurrences. The relative frequency of each of these four patterns of recurrence varied with the site of the primary sarcoma. The outcome for patients with recurrent disease depended on the site of recurrence, rather than on the site of the primary sarcoma. Sixty-six patients (66/107, 62%) with recurrent disease were rendered surgically disease-free with the first recurrence, including 40 (40/56, 72%) patients with isolated pulmonary metastases, 20 patients (20/21, 96%) with isolated local recurrences, five patients (5/15, 33%), with isolated other sites of recurrence and one patient (1/15, 7%) with multiple sites of initial recurrence. Following surgical resection, the actuarial three-year survival for the 66 patients rendered disease-free was 51%. The median survival for the 41 patients not rendered surgically disease-free with the first recurrence was only 7.4 months. Thirty of the sixty-six patients (30/66, 45%) rendered disease-free with the first recurrence remained disease-free at follow-up, with a median follow-up of 28 months from the time of resection of the first recurrence. The remaining 36 patients (36/66, 55%) subsequently recurred, with a median disease-free interval of 7.3 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Tumor recurrence and options for further treatment after resection of liver metastases in patients with colorectal cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pattern of recurrence and its impact on therapy in patients undergoing liver resection for colorectal metastases. Within 7 years 105 patients were operated on; 75 patients were followed up for at least 2 years postoperatively with a median follow-up of 30 months (range 24-93 months). The median time interval when patients were free of tumor recurrence was only 9 months. The initial recurrence site was the liver in 47% and the other sites were extrahepatic in 39%. Seventy-one percent of the patients developed disseminated metastases as the disease progressed. The median survival time after diagnosis of tumor recurrence was 14 months and was significantly affected by the type of treatment used for the recurrence. Surgical resection was followed by a 23-month median survival, while systemic and intra-arterial chemotherapy led to a 14- and 15-month median survival time, respectively. Untreated patients had a median survival of only 4 months. It is concluded that liver resection for colorectal secondaries leads to a very limited number of disease-free survivors after 5 years. As a few patients may profit from a surgical treatment even in cases of recurrence, surgery should not be regarded as useless.     

Surgical treatment for colorectal liver metastases--results of multi-institute study for effects of radical hepatectomy

Four hundred and ten patients with colorectal liver metastases underwent radical liver resection from 1992 to 1996 at 15 institutes were reviewed retrospectively. Survival rates were calculated for more than 5 years after hepatic resection and timing of surgery and recurrences, maximum diameter and number of liver metastases, and intrahepatic recurrence were examined. There was no significant difference in survival rates for the type of liver resection (partial or anatomical) or preoperative serum CEA levels. As for the number of metastases, the 5-year survival rate was lower for patients with over 4 metastases than those with 1, 2, and 3 metastases (p < 0.034). A significant difference in survival rates was recognized for size of liver metastases (p = 0.0309) as follows: 54.6% 5-year survival rate for smaller than 4 cm and 43.8% for over 4 cm. Overall 5-year survival rate for the 410 patients was 50.1% after radical hepatectomy. Of the 410 patients, the 153 (37.3%) patients with intrahepatic recurrence had a 5-year survival rate of 27.3%. The 5-year survival rates for patients with a metastasis smaller than 4 cm, considered to reduce the influence in the difference between surgical procedure or indication for surgery, were verified to be from 88.2% to 11.9% in each institute. This suggests that there could be a difference in diagnostic accuracy, surgical indication or timing of surgery for synchronous liver metastases in each institute.     

The role of abdominal-pelvic radiotherapy in the management of uterine papillary serous carcinoma

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of abdominal-pelvic radiotherapy (APR) as adjuvant treatment for uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC). METHODS AND MATERIAL: The medical records database at the Toronto-Sunnybrook Regional Cancer Centre identified 121 patients with the diagnosis of UPSC between 1980 and 2001. Fifty-nine patients received APR as adjuvant treatment. A retrospective chart review was done to evaluate recurrence rates, sites of failure, and treatment toxicity. RESULTS: Of 59 patients who received APR, 30 had advanced-stage disease (Stage III or IV). Eleven had complete surgical staging. Median follow-up was 71 months. Twenty-five of 59 (42%) recurred, with a median time to relapse of 50 months. Five-year disease-free survival was 43%, and 5-year overall survival was 45%. Of the 25 who recurred, only 3 experienced a sole failure outside the irradiated volume. Thirteen women had their treatment interrupted or discontinued because of toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: This single-institution study reveals that there is a high recurrence rate despite APR, especially among patients with advanced stage disease, and the majority of recurrences continue to be within the irradiated volume. The role of APR remains undefined in early disease but its effectiveness is questionable in advanced disease. Innovative strategies are needed to improve outcome in these patients.     

Salvage surgery for patients with recurrent gastrointestinal sarcoma: prognostic factors to guide patient selection

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal sarcomas are rare stromal tumors and most are classifiable as malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumors. They have a high propensity for intraabdominal recurrence. It is unclear whether there is a survival advantage from reoperation for recurrent disease or if surgery should be confined to symptom relief. The authors have attempted to identify features that may allow the selection of patients most likely to benefit from reoperation. METHODS: Retrospective univariate and multivariate analyses of 60 patients with recurrent gastrointestinal sarcoma, accrued from a prospective data base between July 1982 and September 1995, were performed. RESULTS: Initial recurrence was evident by a median of 20 months from primary resection. Most patients (85%) had an initial symptomatic recurrence. Local recurrence was seen in 76% of patients, but in half of these synchronous hepatic metastases were present. None had disease outside of the abdomen. Complete resection of recurrent disease was possible in only one-third of cases. Median survival after surgery for recurrence was 15 months, but was longest for patients whose recurrence took the form of liver metastases in the absence of disease elsewhere. In multivariate analysis of post-recurrence survival, the only significant determinant of survival was the length of the disease free interval between the initial operation and recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Survival following recurrence of a gastrointestinal sarcoma is largely determined by the tumor biology, one manifestation of which is the disease free interval. Except for patients with a long disease free interval, surgery should be reserved largely for symptom control.     

Acinic cell carcinomas arising in salivary glands: a clinicopathologic study.

Fifty-one cases of acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) arising in major and minor salivary glands are reported (primary sites: parotid 37, submandibular, six, and oral cavity, eight.) These lesions usually produced painless slowly growing masses. Of 49 patients with follow-up information, 17 (35%) developed local recurrences following original surgical resection, and two (4%) had locally persistent disease. At last follow-up, 27 patients (55%) never had a recurrence, seven (14%) had experienced local recurrences but the tumors were apparently controlled by further surgical excisions, five (10%) were living with persistent disease, and 10 (20%) had died (one due to local tumor and nine due to metastases, usually to bones and lungs). The determinate 5-, 10- and 15-year survival rates were 78%, 63%, and 44%, respectively. Prognostic factors included: demonstrable tumor on lines of surgical excision, involvement of deep lobe of parotid, size of primary lesion, degree of mitotic activity and nuclear atypia, infiltrative rather than circumscribed borders, and lymph node involvement. Local recurrence was associated with an increased incidence of locally uncontrollable and metastatic disease. Type of initial therapy correlated with prognosis. Locally recurrent or persistent tumor was found in 14 of 15 patients treated with limited local excisions (including one biopsy only). Recurrences were seen in only three of 28 patients treated by wide local excisions and in two of six following radical en bloc resections. Seven of 17 patients with local recurrence were apparently cured by further more extensive resection. Radiotherapy did not appear effective in controlling these neoplasms.     

Relapse of breast cancer after adjuvant treatment in premenopausal and perimenopausal women: patterns and prognoses

Eight hundred eighteen premenopausal or perimenopausal breast cancer patients with axillary node metastases were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy (CMF) with or without endocrine treatment (prednisone, oophorectomy) in two concurrent prospective trials. Three hundred fifty-two (43%) had recurrent disease at a median follow-up time of 6 years. The 2-year survival percentages from time of first relapse were 16% for patients with initial metastases in visceral or multiple sites (including bone and soft tissue), 41% for those with regional metastases or skeletal relapse alone and 70% for patients with isolated local recurrence or contralateral breast cancer. The features that most influenced prognosis within the categories defined by site of first relapse were disease-free interval (less than 24 months v greater than or equal to 24 months), and estrogen receptor content in the primary tumor. These features had clinical importance (identifying patients with at least a 50% 2-year survival percentage) only in those patients with local, contralateral breast, regional, or bony disease alone. The treatment of individual patients after relapse must be directed toward optimized palliation. The results of this study are important for defining groups of patients who relapse after CMF for whom the subsequent therapeutic approach might be differentiated (eg, experimental treatments for dire prognosis, accent on minimal side effect treatment for intermediate prognosis, and investigation of adjuvant systemic therapy for isolated local recurrence).