Recent advances in conversion therapy schemes for stage Ⅳ gastric cancer

“Conversion therapy”is a treatment modality that involves the use of radiotherapy,chemotherapy,targeted therapy,immunotherapy,and other therapeutic methods to transform initially late-stage tumors that cannot be cured into treatments that can achieve an R0 curative effect.However,selecting an appropriate conversion therapy scheme remains a challenge,and there are currently few relevant studies on this topic.This article reviews successful cases of conversion therapy and clinical studies on treatment schemes,at domestic and international levels,over the past few years to offer a broad range of treatment options for patients.

Operative link on gastritis assessment stage is an appropriate predictor of early gastric cancer

AIM: To assess the predictive value of Operative Link on Gastritis Assessment (OLGA) and Operative Link on Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia Assessment (OLGIM) stages in gastric cancer.METHODS: A prospective study was conducted with 71 patients with early gastric cancer (EGC) and 156 patients with non-EGC. All patients underwent endoscopic examination and systematic biopsy. Outcome measures were assessed and compared, including the Japanese endoscopic gastric atrophy (EGA) classification method and the modified OLGA method as well as the modified OLGIM method. Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) status was determined for all study participants. Stepwise logistic regression modeling was performed to analyze correlations between EGC and the EGA, OLGA and OLGIM methods.RESULTS: For patients with EGC and patients with non-EGC, the proportions of moderate-to-severe EGA cases were 64.8% and 44.9%, respectively (P = 0.005), the proportions of OLGA stages III-IV cases were 52.1% and 22.4%, respectively (P < 0.001), and the proportions of OLGIM stages III-IV cases were 42.3% and 19.9%, respectively (P < 0.001). OLGA stage and OLGIM stage were significantly related to EGA classification; specifically, logistic regression modeling showed significant correlations between EGC and moderate-to-severe EGA (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.06-3.58, P = 0.031) and OLGA stages III-IV (OR = 3.14, 95%CI: 1.71-5.81, P < 0.001), but no significant correlation between EGC and OLGIM stages III-IV (P = 0.781). H. pylori infection rate was significantly higher in patients with moderate-to-severe EGA (75.0% vs 54.1%, P = 0.001) or OLGA/OLGIM stages III-IV (OLGA: 83.6% vs 55.8%, P < 0.001; OLGIM: 83.6% vs 57.8%, P < 0.001).CONCLUSION: OLGA classification is optimal for EGC screening. A surveillance program including OLGA stage and H. pylori infection status may facilitate early detection of gastric cancer.

Jejunostomy in the palliative treatment of gastric cancer:A clinical prognostic score

BACKGROUND Clinical stage IV gastric cancer(GC)may need palliative procedures in the presence of symptoms such as obstruction.When palliative resection is not possible,jejunostomy is one of the options.However,the limited survival of these patients raises doubts about who benefits from this procedure.AIM To create a prognostic score based on clinical variables for 90-d mortality for GC patients after palliative jejunostomy.METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of Stage IV GC who underwent jejunostomy.Eleven preoperative clinical variables were selected to define the score categories,with 90-d mortality as the main outcome.After randomization,patients were divided equally into two groups:Development(J1)and validation(J2).The following variables were used:Age,sex,body mass index(BMI),American Society of Anesthesiologists classification(ASA),Charlson Comorbidity index(CCI),hemoglobin levels,albumin levels,neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),tumor size,presence of ascites by computed tomography(CT),and the number of disease sites.The score performance metric was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC)to define low and high-risk groups.RESULTS Of the 363 patients with clinical stage IVCG,80(22%)patients underwent jejunostomy.Patients were predominantly male(62.5%)with a mean age of 62.4 years old.After randomization,the binary logistic regression analysis was performed and points were assigned to the clinical variables to build the score.The high NLR had the highest value.The ROC curve derived from these pooled parameters had an AUC of 0.712(95%CI:0.537–0.887,P=0.022)to define risk groups.In the validation cohort,the diagnostic accuracy for 90-d mortality based on the score had an AUC of 0.756,(95%CI:0.598–0.915,P=0.006).According to the cutoff,in the validation cohort BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2(P<0.001),CCI≥1(P=0.001),ASA III/IV(P=0.002),high NLR(P=0.012),and the presence of ascites on CT exam(P=0.004)were significantly associated with the high-risk group.The risk groups showed a significant association with first-line(P=0.012),second-line chemotherapy(P=0.009),30-d(P=0.013),and 90-d mortality(P<0.001).CONCLUSION The scoring system developed with 11 variables related to patient’s performance status and medical condition was able to distinguish patients undergoing jejunostomy with high risk of 90 d mortality.