Survival of pleural malignant mesothelioma in Italy: a population-based study

A median survival time of about 9 months is generally reported among malignant pleural mesothelioma cases. Recently, better results in terms of survival and performance status have been reported in clinical trials that included highly selected patients. We describe the survival of pleural mesothelioma patients and the factors predictive of survival in an unselected, population-based setting. Pleural mesothelioma cases (4,100) registered from 1990 to 2001 by 9 Italian regional mesothelioma registries contributing to the network of the National Mesothelioma Registry were followed until December 31, 2005. Univariate (Kaplan-Meier) and multivariate (Cox proportional hazards regression) analyses of survival were carried out according to selected individual characteristics, including limited information on treatment in a subset of 578 cases. The median survival time was 9.8 months (95% confidence interval: 9.4-10.1). In multivariate analysis, younger age at diagnosis and epithelioid histotype were associated with significantly reduced hazard ratios. Positive effects of gender (women) and being diagnosed in a hospital with a thoracic surgery unit were of border-line statistical significance. No association with calendar period of diagnosis or asbestos exposure was present. Treatment was not associated with a statistically significant improvement in survival. This is the largest population-based study on survival in patients with pleural mesothelioma to date. Age and morphology were the main prognostic factors. Results regarding the effect of treatment were disappointing but may be useful to assess the future impact, at the population level, of recently introduced therapies.     

Survival of peritoneal malignant mesothelioma in Italy: a population-based study

In some population-based studies, a shorter median survival was observed in peritoneal as compared with pleural, malignant mesothelioma, but in others, longer median survival times or higher proportions of long-term survivors were reported. Statistical instability could have caused these differences. We analyzed survival in peritoneal mesothelioma in a large and unselected population-based case series. Cases (338) registered from 1990 to 2001 by 9 Italian regional mesothelioma registries contributing to the network of the National Mesothelioma Registry were followed until December 31, 2005. Univariate (Kaplan-Meier) and multivariate (Cox proportional hazards regression) analyses of survival were performed according to selected individual characteristics, including limited treatment information in a subset of 194 cases. The results were compared with those obtained in a parallel study on pleural mesothelioma cases. Epithelioid histotype, younger age at diagnosis and, to a lesser degree, gender (women), and being diagnosed in a hospital with a thoracic surgery unit positively and significantly affected survival. The effect of treatment was positive but not statistically significant. No trend in the risk of death according to calendar period of diagnosis was present. Peritoneal mesothelioma cases had shorter median survival time than pleural cases, but a larger proportion of long-term survivors. Survival patterns after peritoneal and pleural mesothelioma differed markedly. Treatment was not associated with a statistically significant improvement in survival, but our study included cases first diagnosed before the introduction of the most recent therapeutic approaches. This provides a large historical comparison for future studies on survival trends at the population level.     

Factors associated with survival in a large series of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma in New South Wales

Background:

Although the prognosis of most patients presenting with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is poor, a small proportion survives long term. We investigated factors associated with survival in a large patient series.

Methods:

All patients registered with the NSW Dust Diseases Board (2002–2009) were included in an analysis of prognostic factors using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis. On the basis of these analyses, we developed a risk score (Prognostic Index (PI)).

Results:

We identified 910 patients: 90% male; histology (epithelioid 60% biphasic 13% sarcomatoid 17%); stage (Tx-I-II 48% III-IV 52%); and calretinin expression (91%). Treatment: chemotherapy(CT) 44%, and extrapleural-pneumonectomy (EPP) 6%. Median overall survival (OS) was 10.0 months. Longer OS was associated with: age <70 (13.5 vs 8.5 months; P<0.001); female gender (12.0 vs 9.9 months; P<0.001); epithelioid subtype (13.3 vs 6.2 months; P<0.001); ECOG status 0 (27.4 vs 9.7 months; P=0.015), calretinin expression (10.9 vs 5.5 months; P<0.001); neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) <5 (11.9 vs 7.5 months; P<0.001); platelet count <400 (11.5 vs 7.2 months; P<0.001); and normal haemoglobin (16.4 vs 8.8 months; P<0.001). On time-dependent analysis, patients receiving pemetrexed-based chemotherapy (HR=0.83; P=0.048) or EPP (HR=0.41; P<0.001) had improved survival. Age, gender, histology, calretinin and haematological factors remained significant on multivariate analysis. In all, 24% of patients survived >20 months: 16% of these receiving EPP, and 66% CT. The PI offered improved prognostic discrimination over one of the existing prognostic models (EORTC).

Conclusions:

We identified calretinin expression, age, gender, histological subtype, platelet count and haemoglobin level as independent prognostic factors. Patients undergoing EPP or pemetrexed-based chemotherapy demonstrated better survival, but 84% and 34% of long survivors, respectively, did not receive radical surgery or chemotherapy.     

Population-based study of breast cancer survival in Cote d'Or (France): prognostic factors and relative survival.

BACKGROUND: Few population-based studies have reported jointly analyses of relative survival according to the following prognostic factors: tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, age, number of examined and positive nodes, hormonal status, histological Scarff, Bloom and Richardson (SBR) grade, tumour extension, hormone receptor status and tumour multifocal status. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data on female invasive breast cancer were provided by the Cote d'Or breast cancer registry. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to estimate and compare the survival probability at 1, 5, 10 and 15 years. The effect of prognostic factors on survival was assessed with crude and relative multivariate survival analyses. RESULTS: Crude survival seemed to be worse in patients aged >60 years compared with those aged 45-60 (P > 0.0001), whereas relative survival did not differ. TNM stage, histological SBR grade, progesterone receptor status, tumour multifocal status, locoregional extension and the period of diagnosis were independent prognostic factors of crude and relative survival. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer is influenced by many factors. Despite the absence of any association between the number of examined nodes and overall survival in this study, the number of nodes removed, in conjunction with other prognostic factors, may be useful in selecting node-negative patients for systemic therapy.     

Existing models,but not neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio,are prognostic in malignant mesothelioma

Background:

Recent studies proposed neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a prognostic biomarker in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We examined baseline prognostic variables including NLR and the EORTC and CALGB models as predictors of overall survival (OS) in MPM.

Methods:

In this retrospective study, 274 consecutive eligible, newly presenting patients with MPM were included. Of these, 159 received chemotherapy, 10 had tri-modality therapy, 2 underwent surgery only and 103 received supportive care alone. Univariate analyses and multivariate Cox models were calculated for OS.

Results:

In univariate analysis, poor prognostic factors were: age ⩾65 years, nonepithelioid histology, stage III–IV, poor performance status (PS), weight loss, chest pain, low haemoglobin and high platelet count. A baseline NLR⩾5 did not predict worse OS (hazard ratio (HR) 1.25; P=0.122). On multivariate analysis, age, histology, PS, weight loss, chest pain and platelet count remained significant. The EORTC and CALGB prognostic groups were validated as predictive for OS (HR 1.62; P<0.001 and HR 1.65; P<0.001, respectively).

Conclusion:

Our findings validate standard prognostic variables and the existing EORTC and CALGB models, but not NLR, at initial diagnosis of MPM. In guiding patient management at diagnosis, it is important to consider multiple baseline variables that jointly predict survival.     

Survival trends for small intestinal cancer in England and Wales, 1971-1990: national population-based study

This population-based study examines prognostic factors and survival trends among adults (15-99 years) diagnosed with small intestinal cancer in England and Wales during 1971-1990 and followed up to 1995. During this period, the 1- and 5-year age-standardised relative survival rates for small intestinal cancers combined were 42% and 23%, respectively. Duodenal tumours, adenocarcinomas, men, patients with advanced age and the most deprived patients had the poorest prognosis. For all small bowel tumours combined, the excess risk of death fell significantly by 6-9% every 4 years over the 20-year period (adjusted excess hazard ratio (EHR) 0.91 at 1 year after diagnosis, 0.94 at 5 years). For duodenal tumours, the EHR fell by about 14% (95% CI 5-22%) every 4 years between 1979 and 1990, and a similar trend for jejunal tumours was of borderline significance. Further population-based investigations linking survival data to individual data on diagnostic methods and types of treatment are needed.     

Clinicopathological and prognostic factors for long-term survival in Chinese patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with sorafenib: a single-center retrospective study

Data on long-term survival and prognostic significance of demographic factors and adverse events (AEs) associated with sorafenib, an orally administered multikinase inhibitor in Chinese population with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are limited. Outcome data from adult patients (n = 256) with advanced RCC who received sorafenib (400 mg twice daily) either as first-line or second-line therapy between April 2006 and May 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. The primary endpoint was median overall survival (OS), determined to be 22.2 (95% CI: 17.1–27.4) months, and the secondary endpoint was overall median progression-free survival (PFS), determined to be 13.6 (95% CI: 10.7–16.4) months at a median follow-up time of 61.8 (95% CI: 16.2–97.4) months. Analysis of the incidence of AEs revealed the most common side effect as hand-foot skin reactions (60.5%) followed by diarrhea (38.7%), fatigue (35.5%), alopecia (34.0%), rash (24.6%), hypertension (21.5%) and gingival hemorrhage (21.1%). Multivariate regression analysis revealed older age (≥ 58 years), lower Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center score, time from nephrectomy to sorafenib treatment, number of metastatic tumors and best response as significant and independent demographic predictors for improved PFS and/or OS (p ≤ 0.05). Alopecia was identified as a significant and independent predictor of increased OS, whereas vomiting and weight loss were identified as significant predictors of decreased OS (p ≤ 0.05). Sorafenib significantly improved OS and PFS in Chinese patients with advanced RCC. Considering the identified significant prognostic demographic factors along with the advocated prognostic manageable AEs while identifying treatment strategy may help clinicians select the best treatment modality and better predict survival in these patients.     

Clinical outcome and prognostic factors for patients treated within the context of a phase I study: the Royal Marsden Hospital experience

The main aim of phase I trials is to evaluate the tolerability and pharmacology of a new compound. However, investigating the potential for clinical benefit is also a key objective. Our phase I trial portfolio incorporates a range of new drugs, including molecular targeted agents, sometimes given together with cytotoxic agents. We performed this analysis of response rate, progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) to assess the extent of clinical benefit rate (CBR: partial response (PR)+stable disease (SD)) derived from current trials. We analysed 212 consecutive patients who were treated in 29 phase I studies, from January 2005 to June 2006. All patients had progression of disease prior to study entry. The median age was 58 years (range: 18-86) with a male/female ratio of 2 : 1. A total of 148 patients (70%) were treated in 'first in human trials' involving biological agents (132 patients) or new cytotoxic compounds (16 patients) alone, and 64 patients (30%) received chemotherapy-based regimens with or without biological agents. After a median follow-up time of 34 weeks, the median PFS and OS were 11 and 43 weeks, respectively. The CBR was 53% (9% PR and 44% SD) after the first tumour evaluation after two cycles (between weeks 6 and 8) and has been maintained at 36 and 26% at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Treatment related deaths occurred in 0.47% of our patients and treatment had to be withdrawn in 11.8% of patients due to toxicity. A multivariate analysis (MVA) of 13 factors indicated that low albumin (<35 g l(-1)), lactate dehydrogenase>upper normal limit and >2 sites of metastasis were independent negative prognostic factors for OS. A risk score based on the MVA revealed that patients with a score of 2-3 had a significantly shorter OS compared to patients with a score of 0-1 (24.9 weeks, 95% CI 19.5-30.2 vs 74.1 weeks, 95% CI 53.2-96.2). This analysis shows that a significant number of patients who develop disease progression while receiving standard therapy derived benefit from participation in phase I trials. Risk scoring based on objective clinical parameters indicated that patients with a high score had a significantly shorter OS, and this may help in the process of patient selection for phase I trial entry.     

246例非小细胞肺癌的预后影响因素分析

目的:分析246例非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)患者的预后影响因素.方法:回顾性分析2010年1月至2014年12月246例非小细胞肺癌患者临床资料,采用Kaplan-Meier法进行生存分析,Log-rank检验和Cox模型预后影响因素行单因素和多因素分析.结果:全组患者中位生存时间为37.44个月.1年、3年、5年总生存率分别为72％、46％、26％.单因素分析显示,男性、年龄＞75岁、晚期、有吸烟史、有肝转移、无手术史非小细胞肺癌患者的中位生存期明显缩短(P＜0.05或P＜0.01).多因素分析显示,性别、疾病分期、是否吸烟和是否手术是影响非小细胞肺癌预后的独立因素(P ＜0.05或P＜0.01).结论:性别、疾病分期、是否吸烟和是否手术是非小细胞肺癌的独立预后因素.     

Survival data and prognostic factors seen in Pakistani patients with esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal cancer is common in Pakistan. An attempt has been made for the first time to look at the survival data and prognostic factors associated with esophageal cancer in this region. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We did a retrospective review of 263 cases seen at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi. Data analysis was done using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: Squamous cell carcinoma was noted in 81% of the cases, whereas adenocarcinoma was the second most common. At the time of diagnosis, early-stage disease was found in 25%, locally advanced in 41% and metastatic in 34% of all cases. Mean age at diagnosis was 56 years, with 59% males and 41% females. Survival data were available in 89 cases. Median survival was 7 months. On univariate analysis, the following factors were of prognostic significance: obstruction, histology, albumin level at diagnosis, age and platelet count. On multivariate analysis, three factors were found prognostic: presence or absence of obstruction, squamous cell carcinoma versus adenocarcinoma and platelet count. CONCLUSIONS: We found that patients with squamous cell carcinoma and absence of thrombocytopenia and obstruction had a better overall survival. However, this is a limited retrospective analysis; we therefore recommend that these prognostic factors be evaluated in larger studies.     

Long-term survival and prognostic factors in patients with metastatic gastric cancers treated with chemotherapy in the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) study

BACKGROUND: The long-term survival of patients after chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer remains unclear. The aim of this analysis was to investigate prognostic factors for patients with metastatic gastric cancer treated by chemotherapy, and to identify the characteristics of long-term survivors. METHODS: Six hundred and forty three patients were enrolled in four phase II studies and one phase III study by the Japan Clinical Oncology Group between January 1985 and April 1997. By adjusting patients' eligibility between the five studies, 497 patients (77%) were selected for the analysis. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using log-rank tests and Cox's proportional hazard model, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 497 patients analyzed, 39 (8%) and 11 (2%) patients have survived longer than 2 and 5 years, respectively. By multivariate analysis, better performance status, a small number of metastatic sites and macroscopically non-scirrhous type tumors were significantly associated with better prognosis. Characteristics of the 11 5-year survivors revealed eight with para-aortic node metastases alone. Eight of these patients received gastrectomy; four underwent it before chemotherapy, and the other four patients received it after achieving downstaging with successful chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that better performance status, a small number of metastatic sites and macroscopically non-scirrhous type tumors are independent favorable factors for survival. There were a few 5-year survivors with unresectable gastric cancers, most of whom had only abdominal lymph node metastases and received gastrectomy before or after chemotherapy.     

Occupational risk factors for brain tumors: results from a population-based case-control study in Germany

In a population-based case-control study in the Rhein—Neckar—Odenwald area (containing 1.3 million inhabitants) of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), risk factors were assessed for brain tumor development in 226 cases with primary brain tumors (ICD-9 191, 192.1, 192.0) and 418 population controls, interviewed by a standardized questionnaire. The analysis of occupational risk factors and smoking is presented. No elevated risk was found for smoking. Similarly, no significant effects were found for most occupations. Five specific occupational groups were examined because of a priori determination that they were of interest. Some categories showed slightly elevated risks but in none was the elevation statistically significant. A significant increase in risk for brain tumor development was found associated with working in electrical occupations for women (relative risk [RR]=5.2; 95 percent confidence interval [CI] 1.4–20.1) but not for men (RR=0.9, 95 percent CI 0.3–2.3).Drs Schlebofer, Blettner, Niehoff, and Wahrendorf are at the Institute of Epidemiology and Biometry, German Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany; Dr Kunze is at the Neurosurgical Clinic of the University of Heidelberg; and Dr Sachsenheimer is at the Neurosurgical Clinic of the Klinikum Mannheim/University of Heidelberg. Address correspondence to Dr Schlebofer at the German Cancer Research Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, D-6900 Heidelberg, Germany. This study is part of an International Case-Control Study on Adult Brain Tumors coordinated by the SEARCH-Program of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Lyon, France.     

Factors associated with gastric adenocarcinoma and dysplasia in patients with chronic gastritis: a population-based study

Objective:Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of death in China and other Asian countries.Recently,gastric endoscopy has become the main approach for GC screening,but the identification of high-risk individuals remains a challenge in GC screening programs.Methods:There were 7,302 patents with chronic gastritis involved in this study.Endoscopic examinations were performed,and their demographic characteristics and lifestyle data were collected.Each possible associated factor of GC/premalignant and precursor lesions was evaluated by univariate and multivariate logistic regressions.Nomograms were used for visualization of those models,and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to present the predictive accuracy.Results:We detected 8 (0.11％) gastric adenocarcinomas,17 (0.23％) dysplasia cases,14 (0.19％) hyperplasia cases,52 (0.71％) intestinal metaplasia cases,217 (2.97％) inflammatory lesions,141 (1.93％) gastric ulcers,10(0.14％) atrophic gastritis cases,1,365 (18.69％) erosive gastritis cases,and 5,957 (81.58％) superficial gastritis casesin 7,302 patients.The age (P＜0.001),gender (P=0.086),labor intensity (P=0.018) and leek food intake (P=0.143) were identified as independent predictive factors of GC/premalignant lesions possibility.The corresponding nomogram exhibited an area under the curve (AUC) [95％ confidence interval (95％ CI)] of 0.82 (0.74-0.89) for the modeling group and 0.80 (0.75-0.85) for the validation group.The age (P=0.002),gender (P=0.024),smoking (P=0.002) and leek food intake (P=0.039) were independent predictive factors of precursor lesions possibility.The corresponding nomogram exhibited an AUC (95％ CI) of 0.62 (0.60-0.65) for the modeling group and 0.61(0.59-0.63) for the validation group.Conclusions:We identified several potential associated factors and provided a preclinical nomogram with the potential to predict the possibility of GC/premalignant and precursor lesions.     

Endometrial stromal sarcoma: a population-based analysis

To determine independent prognostic factors for the survival of patients with endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS), data were abstracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of the National Cancer Institute from 1988 to 2003. Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models were used for analyses. Of 831 women diagnosed with ESS, the median age was 52 years (range: 17-96 years). In total, 59.9% had stage I, 5.1% stage II, 14.9% stage III, and 20.1% had stage IV disease. Overall, 13.0, 36.1, and 34.7% presented with grades 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Patients with stage I-II vs III-IV disease had 5 years DSS of 89.3% vs 50.3% (P<0.001) and those with grades 1, 2, and 3 cancers had survivals of 91.4, 95.4, and 42.1% (P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, older patients, black race, advanced stage, higher grade, lack of primary surgery, and nodal metastasis were independent prognostic factors for poorer survival. In younger women (<50 years) with stage I-II disease, ovarian-sparing procedures did not adversely impact survival (91.9 vs 96.2%; P=0.1). Age, race, primary surgery, stage, and grade are important prognostic factors for ESS. Excellent survival in patients with grade 1 and 2 disease of all stages supports the concept that these tumors are significantly different from grade 3 tumors. Ovarian-sparing surgeries may be considered in younger patients with early-stage disease.     

Long term survival and the prognostic factors of advanced breast cancer patients treated with adreno-oophorectomy

Summary Longer survival data are necessary to elucidate the prognostic factors for survival in advanced breast cancer patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed in 159 patients treated with adreno-oophorectomy alone as the first-line treatment for advanced or recurrent breast cancer, between 1972 and 1983. Nine clinical factors included age, menopausal status, estrogen (ER)- and progesterone receptors (PgR) in recurrent tumors, disease-free interval (DFI), number of metastatic organs, performance status, and adjuvant therapy performed. Response was evaluated according to the UICC criteria. A 31% (50/159) response with 16 CR, 34 PR, 48 NC, and 61 PD was obtained. The logistic regression model of the factors showed that ER was the single affecting factor for the response. According to the Cox proportional hazard model, ER and the dominant site of metastasis were indicated to be significant for survival. According to the landmark method, the response significantly correlated to survival. Using the backward elimination procedure of the Cox proportional hazard model in the patient group defined by the landmark time of 3 months after therapy, the survival of the patients with advanced breast cancer was shown to be primarily influenced by the tumor response which was solely affected by ER status, and the dominant site, particularly the presence of liver metastasis, independently modified the survival length. These results may be useful in future studies of total estrogen blockade trials for breast cancer.     

Squamous cell carcinoma of the penis: Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors and natural history in a monocentric study with a conservative policy

Background: Penile carcinoma is uncommon in Western countries. Here we report on a large series of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis, describing prognostic factors, survival and therapeutic results.Patients and methods: From 1973 to 1993, 102 patients with invasive SCC of the penis were treated at the Institut Gustave-Roussy. Precancerous lesions and conditions associated with penis cancer were analyzed retrospectively. Survival curves were estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method, and groups were compared for outcome by the log rank test for univariate comparisons and by Cox's proportional hazards model for multivariate analysis.Results: The median age at onset was 58 years. Sixty-nine patients presented with Jackson's stage I disease, 17 with stage II and 15 with stage III. The interval between the manifestation of symptoms and the diagnosis was more than a year in 13.7% of cases. Precancerous lesions were found in 17 (16.6%) patients, and a history of phimosis was noted in 25 (24.5%). In situ and invasive carcinoma were observed together in 17 (16.6%) cases and dysplasia was associated with invasive carcinoma in eight (7.8%) further cases.Conservative treatment was administered whenever feasible. Interstitial brachytherapy was performed alone or associated with limited surgery (local excision or circumcision) in 72 (70.6%) patients. Of the 28 patients with a local relapse, nine have died of their neoplasms (32%) compared to 21 of 28 patients with lymph node relapse (75%).The median follow-up was 111 months. Disease-free survival, disease-specific survival and overall survival were, respectively, 56%, 72% and 63% at five years and 42%, 66% and 50% at 10 years. Age (P = 0.01), the N status (P < 0.00001) or palpable nodes (P < 0.0038), corpus involvement (P = 0.006) and a verrucous histology (P = 0.038) had significant prognostic relevance for survival in the univariate analysis whereas the performance status, T status and Broders' grade did not. In the multivariate analysis only two parameters, involvement of the corpus (P < 0.0001) and palpable nodes (P = 0.009), were singled out as being independent variables influencing survival. A subgroup of nine patients with verrucous histologies were distinguished by their freedom from node involvement. These patients had an excellent prognosis: all are alive and disease-free. Penile integrity was preserved during follow-up in 54 patients (52.9%), 31 of whom are still alive. Of 72 patients treated by a conservative approach including brachytherapy, long-term penile integrity was maintained in 49 (68%).Conclusion: Corpus involvement and clinically palpable nodes are highly statistically significant independent factors influencing overall survival. Node relapses remain a major cause of death. Thus, better management of lymph nodes is essential for improving survival even when conservative therapy is used to treat the primary.     

Impact of familial risk factors on management and survival of early-onset breast cancer: a population-based study

This population-based study evaluates the impact of a strong family history of breast cancer on management and survival of women with early-onset disease. We identified all breast cancer patients 相似文献   

Time trends in treatment patterns and survival of older patients with synchronous metastatic colorectal cancer in the Netherlands: A population-based study

New treatment strategies have improved survival of metastatic colorectal cancer in trials. However, it is not clear whether older patients benefit from these novel therapies, as they are often not included in pivotal trials. Therefore, we investigated treatment patterns and overall survival over time in older patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in a population-based study. We identified 22.192 Dutch patients aged ≥70 years diagnosed with synchronous metastatic colorectal cancer between 2005 and 2020 from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Changes in treatment over time were assessed with logistic regression models. Survival was assessed by Cox proportional hazard ratios (HR). Results showed that chemotherapy use increased between 2005 and 2015, but declined from 2015 onwards, while more patients received best supportive care. Over time, fewer patients underwent primary tumor resection alone. Although survival of both metastatic colon and rectal cancer improved until 2014, survival of colon cancer decreased from 2014 onwards (HR 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05), which was seen in all age groups. Survival of metastatic rectal cancer patients remained unchanged from 2014 onwards (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.98-1.03) in all age groups. In conclusion, treatment patterns of Dutch older patients with synchronous metastatic colorectal cancer rapidly changed from 2005 to 2020, with increasing percentages of patients receiving best supportive care. Survival of metastatic colon cancer decreased from 2014 onwards. The implementation of a colorectal cancer screening program and patient selection might explain why only a subset of older patients seem to benefit from the availability of novel treatment options.     

Pretreatment prognostic factors for survival in small-cell lung cancer: A new prognostic index and validation of three known prognostic indices on 341 patients

Aims: a) To identify which pretreatment clinical or blood parameters werepredictive of patient survival in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) in aretrospective analysis. b) To validate three known prognostic indices: RoyalMarsden Model (index 1), London Group (index 2) and Manchester Score (index3).Patients and methods: From 1981 to 1993, 341 SCLC patients were treatedwith chemotherapy with or without surgery or radiotherapy. Univariate andmultiple regression analyses of survival were performed and the feasibilityof these models was explored, index 1: Karnofsky index, albumin, sodium andalkaline phosphatase; index 2: ECOG performance status (PS), albumin andalanine transaminase; and index 3: lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), diseaseextent, sodium, Karnofsky index, alkaline phosphatase and bicarbonate.Results: Significant prognostic factors for survival after univariate andmultiple regression analysis were: disease extent, PS, creatine kinase,neutrophilia, LDH, hypoalbuminemia, hyperglycemia and bicarbonate. A newprognostic index was performed that included LDH, hypoalbuminemia,neutrophilia, disease extent and PS. It defined three prognostic groups (PG).Median survival and two-year survival for these PG were 12.3, 8 and 3.4 monthsand 16.5%, 2.3% and 0%, respectively. The following PGwere identified after application of the three models proposed: Index 1identified two PG with 0% and 16.6% two-year survival (P <0.001); index 2 detected three PG with 0%, 5% and 15.7%two-year survival (P < 0.001) and index 3 detected three PG with 0%,2.5% and 16.2% two-year survivals, respectively (P < 0.001).Conclusion: A new prognostic index is proposed allowing identification ofthree different PG. The feasibility of three known prognostic models wasvalidated and demonstrated. Variables other than disease extent or PS (albuminor LDH) should be taken into account in designing future clinical trials.