Patterns of local recurrence in rectal cancer after a multidisciplinary approach

Improvements in surgery and the application of combined approaches to fight rectal cancer have succeeded in reducing the local recurrence (LR) rate and when there is LR it tends to appear later and less often in isolation. Moreover, a subtle change in the distribution of LRs with respect to the pelvis has been observed. In general terms, prior to total mesorectal excision the most common LRs were central types (perianastomotic and anterior) while lateral and posterior forms (presa-cral) have become more common since the growth in the use of combined treatments. No differences have been reported in the current pattern of LRs as a function of the type of approach used, that is, neo-adjuvant therapies (short-term or long-course radiotherapy, orchemoradiotherapy versus extended lymphadenectomy, though there is a trend towards posterior or presacral LR in patients in the Western world and lateral LR in Asia. Nevertheless, both may arise from the same mechanism. Moreover, as well as the mode of treatment, the type of LR is related to the height of the initial tumor. Nowadays most LRs are related to the advanced nature of the disease. Involvement of the circumferential radial margin and spillage of residual tumor cells from lymphatic leakage in the pelvic side wall are two plausible mechanisms for the genesis of LR. The patterns of pelvic recurrence itself (pelvic subsites) also have important implications for prognosis and are related to the potential success of salvage curative approach. The re-operability for cure and prognosis are generally better for anastomotic and anterior types than for presacral and lateral recurrences. Overall survival after LR diagnosis is lower with radio or chemoradiotherapy plus optimal surgery approaches, compared to optimal surgery alone.

Reappraise role of lymph node status in patterns of recurrence following curative resection of gastric adenocarcinoma

Objective: To examine the association between lymph node status and recurrence patterns in completely resected gastric adenocarcinoma.Methods: We retrospectively assessed 1,694 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy from January 2010 to August 2014. Patients stratified according to lymph node status and recurrence patterns among different subgroups were compared.Results: Of all, 517(30.5%) patients developed recurrent disease, and complete data of recurrence could be obtained in 493(95.4%) patients. For p^(N0) patients, the patterns of recurrence were different according to p T stage: locoregional recurrence was most common in patients with p T1-2 disease(57.1%), distant recurrence was most common in patients with p T3 disease(57.1%), and peritoneal recurrence was most common in patients with p T4 a disease(66.7%). For p^(N+) patients, distant metastasis was most common pattern irrespective of p T stage. The site-specific trend of recurrence showed that locoregional recurrence increased within 5 years in patients with p^(N0)-2 disease but plateaued 3 years after surgery in patients with p N3 disease. Time to recurrence was significantly longer for the p^(N0) patients compared with the p^(N+) patients(median: 25 vs. 16 months, P=0.001).Moreover, post-recurrence survival was significantly better for the p^(N0) patients than for the p^(N+) patients(median:12 vs. 6 months, P<0.001), especially in patients with non-peritoneal recurrence, late recurrence, single recurrence,and receipt of potential curative treatment.Conclusions: Among clinicopathologic factors, lymph node status is the most important factor associated with recurrence patterns after curative gastrectomy. Lymph node status may be used as an adjunct in clinical decisionmaking about postoperative therapeutic and follow-up strategies.

Evaluation of prognostic factors and clinicopathological patterns of recurrence after curative surgery for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is a common tumor with a quite high-related mortality.Despite the used curative treatments,patients will develop cancer recurrence in up to 50%of the cases and/or other primary neoplasms.Although most of the recurrences are discovered within 3 years from the first treatment,a small percentage is found after 5 years.The early detection of recurrence is crucial to allow further therapies improving patients’survival.Several follow-up programs have been developed but the optimal one is far from being established.AIM To evaluation of potential prognostic factors for timing and patterns of recurrence in order to plan tailored follow-up programs.METHODS Perioperative and long-term data of all consecutive patients surgically treated with curative intent,from January 2006 to June 2009,for colorectal adenocarcinoma,were retrospectively reviewed to find potential prognostic factors associated with:(1)Recurrence incidence;(2)Incidence of an early(within 3 years from surgery)or late recurrence;and(3)Different sites of recurrence.In addition,the incidence of other primary neoplasms has been evaluated in a cohort of patients with a minimum potential follow-up of 10 years.RESULTS Our study included 234 patients.The median follow-up period has been 119±46.2 mo.The recurrence rate has been 25.6%.Patients with a higher chance to develop recurrence had also the following characteristics:Higher levels of preoperative glycemia and carcinoembryonic antigen,highest anaesthesiologists Score score,occlusion,received a complex operation performed with an open technique,after a longer hospital stay,and showed advanced tumors.The independent prognostic factors for recurrence were the hospital stay,N stage 2,and M stage 1(multivariate analysis).Younger ages were significantly associated with an early recurrence onset.Patients that received intermediate colectomies or segmental resections,having an N stage 2 or American Joint Committee on Cancer stage 3 tumors were also associated with a higher risk of liver recurrence,while metastatic diseases at diagnosis were linked with local recurrence.Neoadjuvant treatments showed lung recurrence.Finally,bigger tumors and higher lymph node ratio were associated with peritoneal recurrence(marginally significant).Thirty patients developed a second malignancy during the follow-up time.CONCLUSION Several prognostic factors should be considered for tailored follow-up programs,eventually,beyond 5 years from the first treatment.

Postoperative outcomes and recurrence patterns of intermediatestage hepatocellular carcinoma dictated by the sum of tumor size and number

BACKGROUND The selection criteria for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC)intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients who would truly benefit from liver resection(LR)remain undefined.AIM To identify BCLC-B HCC patients more suitable for LR.METHODS We included patients undergoing curative LR for BCLC stage A or B multinodular HCC(MNHCC)and stratified BCLC-B patients by the sum of tumor size and number(N+S).Overall survival(OS),recurrence-free survival(RFS),recurrence-to-death survival(RTDS),recurrence patterns,and treatments after recurrence in BCLC-B patients in each subgroup were compared with those in BCLC-A patients.RESULTS In total,143 patients who underwent curative LR for MNHCC with BCLC-A(n=25)or BCLC-B(n=118)were retrospectively analyzed.According to the N+S,patients with BCLC-B HCC were divided into two subgroups:BCLC-B1(N+S≤10,n=83)and BCLC-B2(N+S>10,n=35).Compared with BCLC-B2 patients,those with BCLC-B1 had a better OS(5-year OS rate:67.4%vs 33.6%;P<0.001),which was comparable to that in BCLC-A patients(5-year OS rate:67.4%vs 74.1%;P=0.250),and a better RFS(median RFS:19 mo vs 7 mo;P<0.001),which was worse than that in BCLC-A patients(median RFS:19 mo vs 48 mo;P=0.022).Further analysis of patients who developed recurrence showed that both BCLC-B1 and BCLC-A patients had better RTDS(median RTDS:Not reached vs 49 mo;P=0.599),while the RTDS in BCLC-B2 patients was worse(median RTDS:16 mo vs not reached,P<0.001;16 mo vs 49 mo,P=0.042).The recurrence patterns were similar between BCLC-B1 and BCLC-A patients,but BCLC-B2 patients had a shorter recurrence time and a higher proportion of patients had recurrence with macrovascular invasion and/or extrahepatic metastasis,both of which were independent risk factors for RTDS.CONCLUSION BCLC-B HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy with N+S≤10 had mild recurrence patterns and excellent OS similar to those in BCLC-A MNHCC patients,and LR should be considered in these patients.