不可切除胃癌转化治疗的研究进展

胃癌在全国范围内是发病率最高的恶性肿瘤之一，在癌症相关死亡原因中排名第三。目前外科手术仍然是胃癌获得根治性治疗的主要手段，但是其中有30%~40%的进展期胃癌患者在初诊时就失去了根治手术的机会，因此不可切除胃癌转化为可切除胃癌是患者获得"治愈"的最佳选择。随着近些年来新型药物的出现、治疗手段的多样化及多学科诊治模式的发展，"转化治疗"的理念应运而生，从而延长患者生存时间并提高其生活质量。本文就不可切除胃癌的治疗现状与进展、"转化治疗"的应用等进行综述。     

肝癌转化治疗中国专家共识（2021版）

正国内许多研究中心已积累了肝癌转化治疗经验。初步研究结果显示,转化治疗是改善中晚期肝癌病人生存的重要途径。但转化治疗及其相关领域仍存在许多亟待解决的临床和科学问题。为了总结既往经验、梳理问题,由中国抗癌协会肝癌专业委员会转化治疗协作组发起,基于国内外该领域研究获得的初步经验和研究结果,结合符合我国国情的临床实践,制订《肝癌转化治疗中国专家共识(2021版)》。     

Simultaneous radio‐ and chemotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in daily clinical practice: 5 years experience in a University Hospital

Several randomized studies and meta‐analyses have shown that simultaneous radio‐ and chemotherapy prolongs survival in patients with unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck as compared with conventional radiotherapy. We assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of simultaneous radiotherapy (35 × 2 Gy) and chemotherapy [cisplatinum 100 mg/m² or carboplatin (AUC 6) on days 1, 22 and 43] in daily clinical practice in a cohort of 87 patients treated at our institute between 1998 and 2002. Eighty patients completed radiotherapy according to schedule. Eighty patients received two courses of chemotherapy and 50 patients three courses. Nephrotoxity, bone marrow suppression and ototoxicity were the most frequent side‐effects. Median weight loss was 8.5%. Median survival was 15 months and 44% of the patients were alive at 2 years. Patients receiving three courses of chemotherapy had a better survival than patients receiving two or less courses. Treatment with simultaneous radio‐ and chemotherapy for advanced head and neck cancer is a demanding, but feasible treatment in daily clinical practice. Survival seems to be comparable with the results achieved in patients selected for clinical trials.     

Operative procedures for unresectable pancreatic cancer: does operative bypass decrease requirements for postoperative procedures and in-hospital days?

Background

The optimal surgical management of patients found to have unresectable pancreatic cancer at open exploration remains unknown.

Methods

Records of patients who underwent non-therapeutic laparotomy for pancreatic cancer during 2000–2009 and were followed until death at Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center, New York, were reviewed.

Results

Over the 10-year study period, 157 patients underwent non-therapeutic laparotomy. Laparotomy alone was performed in 21% of patients; duodenal bypass, biliary bypass and double bypass were performed in 11%, 30% and 38% of patients, respectively. Complications occurred in 44 (28%) patients. Three (2%) patients died perioperatively. Postoperative interventions were required in 72 (46%) patients following exploration. The median number of inpatient days prior to death was 16 (interquartile range: 8–32 days). Proportions of patients requiring interventions were similar regardless of the procedure performed at the initial operation, as were the total number of inpatient days prior to death. Patients undergoing gastrojejunostomy required fewer postoperative duodenal stents and those undergoing operative biliary drainage required fewer postoperative biliary stents.

Conclusions

In this study, duodenal, biliary and double bypasses in unresectable patients were not associated with fewer invasive procedures following non-therapeutic laparotomy and did not appear to reduce the total number of inpatient hospital days prior to death. Continued effort to identify unresectability prior to operation is justified.     

A contemporary systematic review on liver transplantation for unresectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer

The 5-year overall survival rate of a patient with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer is poor at approximately 14%. Similarly, historical data on liver transplantation (LT) in those with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) showed poor outcomes, with 5-year survival rates between 12% and 21%. More recently, limited data have shown improved outcomes in select patients with 5-year overall survival rates of approximately 60%. Despite these reported survival improvements, there is no significant improvement in disease-free survival. Given the uncertain benefit with this therapeutic approach and a renewed investigational interest, we aimed to conduct a contemporary systematic review on LT for CRLM. A systematic review of the literature was performed according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis statement. English articles reporting on data regarding LT for CRLM were identified through the MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases (last search date: December 16th, 2021) by 2 researchers independently. A total of 58 studies (45 published and 13 ongoing) were included. Although early retrospective studies suggest the possibility that some carefully selected patients may benefit from LT, there is minimal prospective data on the topic and LT remains exploratory in the setting of CRLM. Additionally, several other challenges, such as the limited availability of deceased donor organs and defining appropriate selection criteria, remain when considering the implementation of LT for these patients. Further evidence from ongoing prospective trials is needed to determine if and to what extent there is a role for LT in patients with surgically unresectable CRLM.     

Localized unresectable neuroblastoma: results of treatment based on clinical prognostic factors.

BACKGROUND: We previously reported that stage 3 neuroblastoma comprises (i) a low-risk group including all infants (age 0-11 months) as well as older children with non-abdominal primaries, and (ii) a high-risk group made up of children >1 year of age with abdominal primaries. Aggressive chemotherapy was effective only in the latter group. PATIENTS AND TREATMENT: On this basis, in 1990 we designed a new protocol by which all low-risk patients received standard-dose chemotherapy, while the high-risk ones received very aggressive chemotherapy. RESULTS: Between November 1990 and December 1997 a total of 95 eligible and evaluable children were enrolled: 47 were low-risk (35 infants and 12>1 year of age at diagnosis and having non-abdominal primaries), and 48 were high-risk (being >1 year of age and having abdominal primaries). Of the 47 low-risk patients, five relapsed and four subsequently died. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 91%. Of the 48 patients in the high-risk group, 22 relapsed or progressed, 18 of whom died from their disease and two from toxicity, and one was lost to follow-up. The 5-year OS was 60%. Univariate analysis showed that age, site of primary, risk-group, urine vanillylmandelic excretion, plasma levels of lactate dehydrogenase, ferritin and neurone-specific enolase, and MYCN status correlated with outcome. However, multivariate analysis showed that only MYCN status retained prognostic value. CONCLUSIONS: In low-risk stage 3 neuroblastoma, standard-dose chemotherapy is associated with an excellent chance of being cured. Aggressive chemotherapy is effective for high-risk patients, but results are still unsatisfactory. MYCN gene amplification is a prognostic indicator for most, but not all, treatment failures.