Unveiling the anticancer effect of traditional Chinese herbal medicine

In this issue of World Journal of Gastroenterology,Huang et al reported that Calculus bovis(CB),a traditional Chinese herbal medicine,impedes the growth of liver cancers in vivo.Through further in vitro studies,they showed that CB suppressed the M2 polarization of tumor-associated macrophages by suppressing the Wnt signaling pathway,which consequently inhibited the growth of liver cancer.Although the effects of traditional Chinese herbal medicine are often not scientifically proven,Huang et al successfully identified the molecular mechanism involved in the anticancer effect of CB,and it is anticipated that the molecular mechanisms involved in the effects of other traditional Chinese herbal medicines will be scientifically elucidated,as demonstrated in this article.

Comprehensive Analysis of Cancer Incidence and Mortality Trends in Costa Rica: Implications for Public Health

This commentary delves into the evolving landscape of cancer incidence and mortality in Costa Rica, presenting a comprehensive analysis of the data. Key findings reveal a concerning upward trajectory in cancer incidence rates, placing Costa Rica at the forefront within Central America. While prostate cancer and breast cancer dominate, disparities emerge when scrutinizing gender-specific trends. Notably, stomach and cervical cancers show declines, potentially attributed to targeted interventions. However, colorectal and liver cancers witness mortality increases, necessitating strategic responses. Geographical disparities persist across provinces, highlighting the need for equitable healthcare access. In conclusion, this commentary underscores the urgency of addressing the burgeoning cancer burden in Costa Rica, calling for evidence-based interventions and collaborative efforts on a global scale.

PARP inhibitors: its role in treatment of cancer

PARP is an important protein in DNA repair pathways especially the base excision repair (BER). BER is involved in DNA repair of single strand breaks (SSBs). If BER is impaired, inhibiting poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), SSBs accumulate and become double stand breaks (DSBs). The cells with increasing number of DSBs become more dependent on other repair pathways, mainly the homologous recombination (HR) and the nonhomologous end joining. Patients with defective HR, like BRCA-deficient cell lines, are even more susceptible to impairment of the BER pathway. Inhibitors of PARP preferentially kill cancer cells in BRCA-mutation cancer cell lines over normal cells. Also, PARP inhibitors increase cytotoxicity by inhibiting repair in the presence of chemotherapies that induces SSBs. These two principles have been tested clinically. Over the last few years, excitement over this class of agents has escalated due to reported activity as single agent in BRCA1- or BRCA2-associated ovarian or breast cancers, and in combination with chemotherapy in triple negative breast cancer. This review covers the current results of clinical trials testing those two principles. It also evaluates future directions for the field of PARP inhibitor development.

Role of cyclooxygenase-2 in the carcinogenesis of gastrointestinal tract cancers: A review and report of personal experience

Selective cyclooxygenase （COX）-2 inhibitors （coxibs） were developed as one of the anti-inflammatory drugs to avoid the various side effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs （NSAIDs）. However, coxibs also have an ability to inhibit tumor development of various kinds the same way that NSAIDs do. Many experimental studies using cell lines and animal models demonstrated an ability to prevent tumor proliferation of COX-2 inhibitors. After performing a randomized study for polyp chemoprevention study in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis （FAP）, which showed that the treatment with celecoxib, one of the coxibs, significantly reduced the number of colorectal polyps in 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration （FDA） immediately approved the clinical use of celecoxib for FAP patients. However, some coxibs were recently reported to increase the risk of serious cardiovascular events including heart attack and stroke. In this article we review a role of COX-2 in carcinogenesis of gastrointestinal tract, such as the esophagus, stomach and colorectum, and also analyze the prospect of coxibs for chemoprevention of gastrointestinal tract tumors.

Association of Fusobacterium nucleatum with immunity andmolecular alterations in colorectal cancer

The human intestinal microbiome plays a major role in human health and diseases, including colorectal cancer. Colorectal carcinogenesis represents a heterogeneous process with a differing set of somatic molecular alterations, influenced by diet, environmental and microbial exposures, and host immunity. Fusobacterium species are part of the human oral and intestinal microbiota. Metagenomic analyses have shown an enrichment of Fusobacterium nucleatum(F. nucleatum) in colorectal carcinoma tissue. Using 511 colorectal carcinomas from Japanese patients, we assessed the presence of F. nucleatum. Our results showed that the frequency of F. nucleatum positivity in the Japanese colorectal cancer was 8.6%(44/511), which was lower than that in United States cohort studies(13%). Similar to the United States studies, F. nucleatum positivityin Japanese colorectal cancers was significantly associated with microsatellite instability(MSI)-high status. Regarding the immune response in colorectal cancer, high levels of infiltrating T-cell subsets(i.e., CD3+, CD8+, CD45RO+, and FOXP3+ cells) have been associated with better patient prognosis. There is also evidence to indicate that molecular features of colorectal cancer, especially MSI, influence T-cell-mediated adaptive immunity. Concerning the association between the gut microbiome and immunity, F. nucleatum has been shown to expand myeloid-derived immune cells, which inhibit T-cell proliferation and induce T-cell apoptosis in colorectal cancer. This finding indicates that F. nucleatum possesses immunosuppressive activities by inhibiting human T-cell responses. Certain micro RNAs are induced during the macrophage inflammatory response and have the ability to regulate host-cell responses to pathogens. Micro RNA-21 increases the levels of IL-10 and prostaglandin E2, which suppress antitumor T-cell-mediated adaptive immunity through the inhibition of the antigen-presenting capacities of dendritic cells and T-cell proliferation in colorectal cancer cells. Thus, emerging evidence may provide insights for strategies to target microbiota, immune cells and tumor molecular alterations for colorectal cancer prevention and treatment. Further investigation is needed to clarify the association of Fusobacterium with T-cells and micro RNA expressions in colorectal cancer.

Circulating tumor DNA as a liquid biopsy target for detection of pancreatic cancer

Most pancreatic cancer patients present with advanced metastatic disease, resulting in extremely poor 5-year survival, mainly because of the lack of a reliable modality for early detection and limited therapeutic options for advanced disease. Therefore, there is a need for minimally-invasive diagnostic tools for detecting pancreatic cancer at an early stage, when curative surgery and also novel therapeutic approaches including precision medicine may be feasible. The "liquid biopsy" addresses these unmet clinical needs based on the concept that simple peripheral blood sampling and detection of circulating tumor DNA(ct DNA) could provide diagnostic information. In this review, we provide an overview of the current status of bloodbased tests for diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and the potential utility of ct DNA for precision medicine. We also discuss challenges that remain to be addressed in developing practical ct DNA-based liquid biopsy approaches for early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Benefits and harms of endoscopic screening for gastric cancer

Gastric cancer has remained a serious burden worldwide, particularly in East Asian countries. However, nationwide prevention and screening programs for gastric cancer have not yet been established in most countries except in South Korea and Japan. Although evidence regarding the effectiveness of endoscopic screening for gastric cancer has been increasingly accumulated, such evidence remains weak because it is based on results from studies other than randomized controlled trials. Specifically, evidence was mostly based on the results of cohort and case-control studies mainly conducted in South Korea and Japan. However, the consistent positive results from these studies suggest promising evidence of mortality reduction from gastric cancer by endoscopic screening. The major harms of endoscopic screening include infection, adverse effects, false-positive results, and overdiagnosis. Despite the possible harms of endoscopic screening, information regarding these harms remains insufficient. To provide appropriate cancer screening, a balance of benefits and harms should always be considered when cancer screening is introduced as a public policy. Quality assurance is very important for the implementation of cancer screening to provide high-quality and safe screening and minimize harms. Endoscopic screening for gastric cancer has shown promising results, and thus deserves further evaluation to reliably establish its effectiveness and optimal use.

Comparative epidemiology of gastric cancer between Japan and China

AIM:To clarify the similarities and differences in gastric cancer epidemiology between Japan and China.METHODS:A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed database was performed.The relevant literature published in China was also been cited.Data on incidence and mortality rates in 2008 were obtained from the Cancer Mondial database,published by International Agency for Research on Cancer at http://www-dep.iarc.fr/.RESULTS:Gastric cancer remains a significant publichealth burden in both Japan and China.The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)colonization is high in the adult populations of both countries.Accumulating evidence from intervention studies in both countries has shown the effectiveness of H.pylori eradication in reduc-ing gastric cancer incidence.There are differences,however,in many aspects of gastric cancer,including patterns of incidence and mortality,trends in the prevalence of H.pylori infection,H.pylori strains,the magnitude of risk of gastric cancer related to H.pylori infection,and associations with dietary habits.Compared with China,Japan has seen a more rapid decline in H.pylori infection among adolescents.While Japanese cohort studies have dominated the literature concerning the associations between gastric cancer and dietary habits,numerous case-control studies in China suggest a positive association between a high intake of preserved fish and vegetables and gastric cancer risk.There is a need for a multidisciplinary research approach to understand the interactions between various strains of H.pylori,host factors,and other lifestyle and environmental factors in gastric carcinogenesis in both countries.CONCLUSION:The shared high incidence of gastric cancer and high prevalence of H.pylori,as well as differences in many aspects of gastric cancer,provide an excellent opportunity to establish Sino-Japanese collaborations.

Household air pollution and lung cancer in China:a review of studies in Xuanwei

Over half of the world's population is exposed to household air pollution from the burning of solid fuels at home. Household air pollution from solid fuel use is a leading risk factor for global disease and remains a major public health problem, especially in low- and mid-income countries. This is a particularly serious problem in China, where many people in rural areas still use coal for household heating and cooking. This review focuses on several decades of research carried out in Xuanwei County, Yunnan Province, where household coal use is a major source of household air pollution and where studies have linked household air pollution exposure to high rates of lung cancer. We conducted a series of case-control and cohort studies in Xuanwei to characterize the lung cancer risk in this population and the factors associated with it. We found lung cancer risk to vary substantially between different coal types, with a higher risk associated with smoky(i.e., bituminous) coal use compared to smokeless(i.e., anthracite) coal use. The installation of a chimney in homes resulted in a substantial reduction in lung cancer incidence and mortality. Overall, our research underscores the need among existing coal users to improve ventilation, use the least toxic fuel, and eventually move toward the use of cleaner fuels, such as gas and electricity.

Is endoscopic ultrasound examination necessary in the management of esophageal cancer?

Despite substantial efforts at early diagnosis, accurate staging and advanced treatments, esophageal cancer(EC) continues to be an ominous disease worldwide. Risk factors for esophageal carcinomas include obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hard-alcohol use and tobacco smoking. Five-year survival rates have improved from 5% to 20% since the 1970 s, the result of advances in diagnostic staging and treatment. As the most sensitive test for locoregional staging of EC, endoscopic ultrasound(EUS) influences the development of an optimal oncologic treatment plan for a significant minority of patients with early cancers, which appropriately balances the risks and benefits of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. EUS is costly, and may not be available at all centers. Thus, the yield of EUS needs to be thoughtfully considered for each patient. Localized intramucosal cancers occasionally require endoscopic resection(ER) for histologic staging or treatment; EUS evaluation may detect suspicious lymph nodes prior to exposing the patient to the risks of ER. Although positron emission tomography(PET) has been increasingly utilized in staging EC, it may be unnecessary for clinical staging of early, localized EC and carries the risk of false-positive metastasis(over staging). In EC patients with evidence of advanced disease, EUS or PET may be used to define the radiotherapy field. Multimodality staging with EUS, crosssectional imaging and histopathologic analysis of ER, remains the standard-of-care in the evaluation of early esophageal cancers. Herein, published data regarding use of EUS for intramucosal, local, regional and metastatic esophageal cancers are reviewed. An algorithm to illustrate the current use of EUS at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is presented.

An updated review of gastric cancer in the next-generation sequencing era:Insights from bench to bedside and vice versa

Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common malignancies and remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide.There is an increasing understanding of the roles that genetic and epigenetic alterations play in GCs.Recent studies using nextgeneration sequencing(NGS)have revealed a number of potential cancer-driving genes in GC.Whole-exome sequencing of GC has identified recurrent somatic mutations in the chromatin remodeling gene ARID1A and alterations in the cell adhesion gene FAT4,a member of the cadherin gene family.Mutations in chromatin remodeling genes(ARID1A,MLL3 and MLL)have been found in 47%of GCs.Whole-genome sequencing and whole-transcriptome sequencing analyses have also discovered novel alterations in GC.Recent studies of cancer epigenetics have revealed widespread alterations in genes involved in the epigenetic machinery,such as DNA methylation,histone modifications,nucleosome positioning,noncoding RNAs and microRNAs.Recent advances in molecular research on GC have resulted in the introduction of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies into clinical settings.The antihuman epidermal growth receptor 2(HER2)antibody trastuzumab has led to an era of personalized therapy in GC.In addition,ramucirumab,a monoclonal antibody targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor(VEGFR)-2,is the first biological treatment that showed survival benefits as a single-agent therapy in patients with advanced GC who progressed after firstline chemotherapy.Using NGS to systematically identify gene alterations in GC is a promising approach with remarkable potential for investigating the pathogenesis of GC and identifying novel therapeutic targets,as well as useful biomarkers.In this review,we will summarize the recent advances in the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of GC,focusing on the potential use of these genetic and epigenetic alterations as diagnostic biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets.

Population-level economic burden of lung cancer in China:Provisional prevalence-based estimations,2017-2030

Objective:Population-level economic burden is essential for prioritizing healthcare resources and healthcare budget making in the future.However,little is known about the economic burden of lung cancer in China.Methods:A prevalence-based approach was adopted to estimate the economic burden of lung cancer,including direct expenditure(medical and non-medical)and indirect cost(disability and premature death).Data on direct expenditure and work-loss days per patient in each year post-diagnosis were obtained from two primary surveys.Other parameters were obtained from literatures and official reports.Projections were conducted based on varying parameters.All expenditure data were reported in United States dollars(USD)using 2017 value(exchange rate:1 USD=6.760 CNY),with the discount rate of 3%.Results:The total economic burden of lung cancer was estimated to be 25,069 million USD in China in 2017(0.121%of gross domestic productivity,GDP).The estimated direct expenditure was 11,098 million USD,up to1.43%of total healthcare expenditure for China,covering 10,303 million USD and 795 million USD for medical and non-medical expenditure,respectively.The estimated indirect cost was 13,971 million,including 1,517 million USD due to disability and 12,454 million USD due to premature death.Under current assumptions,the projected total economic burden would increase to 30.1 billion USD,40.4 billion USD,and 53.4 billion USD in 2020,2025,and 2030,accounting for 0.121%,0.131%,and 0.146%of China's GDP,respectively.However,if China meets the United Nation sustainable development goal of reducing premature death from non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030,the total economic burden in 2030 would be 31.9 billion USD,0.087%of China's GDP.Conclusions:The economic burden of lung cancer in China in 2017 is substantial and more likely to increase significantly in the future.Policy makers need to take urgent actions in budget making for health systems.The economic burden could be alleviated by reducing the disease burden of lung cancer via effective control and prevention actions.

Overexpression of miR-196b and HOXA10 characterize a poor-prognosis gastric cancer subtype

AIM:To identify molecular biologic differences between two gastric adenocarcinoma subgroups presenting different prognoses through the analysis of microRNA and protein expression.METHODS:Array technologies were used to generate1146 microRNAs and 124 proteins expression profiles of samples from 60 patients with gastric cancer.For the integrative analysis,we used established mRNA expression data published in our previous study.Whole mRNA expression levels were acquired from microarray data for 60 identical gastric cancer patients.Two gastric adenocarcinoma subgroups with distinct mRNA expression profiles presented distinctly different prognoses.MicroRNA and protein expression patterns were compared between gastric cancer tissue and normal gastric tissue and between two different prognostic groups.Aberrantly expressed microRNA,associated mRNA,and protein in patients with poor-prognosis gastric cancer were validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunochemistry in independent patients.RESULTS:We obtained the expression data of 1146microRNAs and 124 cancer-related proteins.Four microRNAs were aberrantly expressed in the two prognostic groups and in cancer vs non-cancer tissues(P<0.05).In the poor-prognosis group,miR-196b,miR-135b,and miR-93 were up-regulated and miR-29c*was down-regulated.miR-196b expression positively correlated with Homeobox A10(HOXA10)expression(r=0.726,P<0.001),which was significantly increased in poor-prognosis patients(P<0.001).Comparing gastric cancer with non-cancer tissues,46/124 proteins showed differential expression(P<0.05);COX2(P<0.001)and cyclin B1(P=0.017)were clearly overexpressed in the poor-prognosis group.CONCLUSION:Co-activation of miR-196b and HOXA10characterized a poor-prognosis subgroup of patients with gastric cancer.Elucidation of the biologic function of miR-196b and HOXA10 is warranted.

Overdiagnosis of gastric cancer by endoscopic screening

Gastric cancer screening using endoscopy has recently spread in Eastern Asian countries showing increasing evidence of its effectiveness. However, despite the benefits of endoscopic screening for gastric cancer, its major harms include infection, complications, falsenegative results, false-positive results, and overdiagnosis. The most serious harm of endoscopic screening is overdiagnosis and this can occur in any cancer screening programs. Overdiagnosis is defined as the detection of cancers that would never have been found if there is no cancer screening. Overdiagnosis has been estimated from randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and modeling. It can be calculated on the basis of a comparison of the incidence of cancer between screened and unscreened individuals after the follow-up. Although the estimation method for overdiagnosis has not yet been standardized, estimation of overdiagnosis is needed in endoscopic screening for gastric cancer. To minimize overdiagnosis, the target age group and screening interval should be appropriately defined. Moreover, the balance of benefits and harms must be carefully considered to effectively introduce endoscopic screening in communities. Further research regarding overdiagnosis is warranted when evaluating the effectiveness of endoscopic screening.

Expression of Gli1 in the hedgehog signaling pathway and breast cancer recurrence

The hedgehog （Hh） signaling pathway plays an essential role in the embryonic development and homeostasis of diverse adult tissues, and its deregulation has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of various malignancies including breast cancer. Aberrant activation of the Hh pathway includes the following mechanisms： （I） Hh ligand-independent mechanism - Loss of function mutations in the Hh receptor Patched 1 （PTCH1） or gain of function mutations in the Smoothened （SMO） lead to constitutive activation of this pathway; （II） Autocrine signaling- Ith ligand produced by tumor cells stimulates the Hh signaling in tumor cells; （III） Paracrine signaling - tumor cell produced-Hh ligand activates stromal and endothelial cells that produce growth factors in microenvironment for supporting tumor growth and survival; and （IV） Reverse paracrine signaling - Hh ligand produced by stromal cells support tumor growth and survival. Upon the pathway activation, the Gli transcription factors, effectors of the Hh signaling, activate or inhibit transcription by binding to their responsive genes and interacting with the transcriptional complex. The Gli transcription factor family includes Glil, Gli2, and Gli3 （1）. Glil is a transcriptional activator whose expression has been recognized as an activation state of the Hh signaling pathway, Gli2 is either an activator or repressor, and Gli3 is a strong repressor of transcriptional activities. To date, a ligand-dependent autocrine model of activating the Hh signaling has been described in breast cancer, and both an autocrine and paracrine mechanisms in colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer （2,3）. Notably, a ligand-independent mechanism （mutationsin PTCHI and SMO） of the signaling has been well demonstrated in basal cell carcinoma and medulloblastoma （4,5）.

Colorectal cancer mortality in Hong Kong of China,Japan,South Korea,and Singapore

To clarify the trend in colorectal cancer mortality in Asian countries.We analyzed the colorectal cancer mortality in four Asian countries using the World Health Organization mortality database and the Korea National Statistics Office database.The annual age-standardized rates and truncated rated for the three age groups(30-49,50-69 and ≥ 70 years) for Hong Kong of China(1969-2009),Japan(1955-2009),South Korea(1985-2006),and Singapore(1966-2009) were estimated.A joinpoint regression model was used to detect significant trends in mortality rates.Colorectal cancer mortality in men started to decrease in 1992 in Japan followed by Singapore and Hong Kong of China in 1995.The mortality rates in women stared to decrease in 1980 in Singapore,followed by Hong Kong of China and Japan in 1996.In all countries and both genders,except for women in Singapore,the decrease in mortality began in the younger age groups.The colorectal cancer mortality in the four studied Asian countries has started to decrease,and the decrease occurred first in the younger age groups.

Dietary flavonoid intake and risk of stomach and colorectal cancer

Stomach and colorectal cancers are common cancers and leading causes of cancer deaths.Because the alimentary tract can interact directly with dietary components,stomach and colorectal cancer may be closely related to dietary intake.We systematically searched published literature written in English via PubMed by searching for terms related to stomach and colorectal cancer risk and dietary flavonoids up to June 30,2012.Twenty-three studies out of 209 identified articles were finally selected for the analysis.Log point effect estimates and the corresponding standard errors were calculated using covariate-adjusted point effect estimates and 95%CIs from the selected studies.Total dietary flavonoid intake was not associated with a reduced risk of colorectal or stomach cancer [odds ratio(OR)(95%CI) = 1.00(0.90-1.11) and 1.07(0.70-1.61),respectively].Among flavonoid subclasses,the intake of flavonols,flavan-3-ols,anthocyanidins,and proanthocyanidins showed a significant inverse association with colorectal cancer risk [OR(95%CI) = 0.71(0.63-0.81),0.88(0.79-0.97),0.68(0.56-0.82),and 0.72(0.61-0.85),respectively].A significant association was found only between flavonols and stomach cancer risk based on a limited number of selected studies [OR(95%CI) = 0.68(0.46-0.99)].In the summary estimates from casecontrol studies,all flavonoid subclasses except flavones and flavanones were inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk,whereas neither total flavonoids nor any subclasses of flavonoids were associated with colorectal cancer risk in the summary estimates based on the cohort studies.The significant association between flavonoid subclasses and cancer risk might be closely related to bias derived from the case-control design.There was no clear evidence that dietary flavonoids are associated with reduced risk of stomach and colorectal cancer.

Risk of second primary cancers after testicular cancer in East and West Germany： a focus on contralateral testicular cancers

Testicular cancer survival rates improved dramatically after cisplatin-based therapy was introduced in the 1970s. However, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are potentially carcinogenic. The purpose of this study was to estimate the risk of developing second primary cancers including the risk associated with primary histologic type （seminoma and non-seminoma） among testicular cancer survivors in Germany. We identified 16 990 and 1401 cases of testicular cancer in population-based cancer registries of East Germany （1961-1989 and 1996-2008） and Saarland （a federal state in West Germany; 1970-2008）, respectively. We estimated the risk of a second primary cancer using standardized incidence ratios （SIRs） with 95% confidence intervals （95% Cls）. To determine trends, we plotted model-based estimated annual SIRs. In East Germany, a total of 301 second primary cancers of any location were observed between 1961 and 1989 （SIR： 1.9; 95% Ch 1.7-2.1）, and 159 cancers （any location） were observed between 1996 and 2008 （SIR： 1.7; 95% Ch 1.4-2.0）. The SIRs for contralateral testicular cancer were increased in the registries with a range from 6.0 in Saarland to 13.9 in East Germany. The SIR for seminoma, in particular, was higher in East Germany compared to the other registries. We observed constant trends in the model-based SIRs for contralateral testicular cancers. The majority of reported SIRs of other cancer sites including histology-specific risks showed low precisions of estimated effects, likely due to small sample sizes. Testicular cancer patients are at increased risk especially for cancers of the contralateral testis and should receive intensive follow-ups.

Gynecologic oncologists involvement on ovarian cancer standard of care receipt and survival

AIM： To examine the infuence of gynecologic oncolo-gists （GO） in the United States on surgical/chemothe-rapeutic standard of care （SOC）, and how this translates into improved survival among women with ovarian cancer （OC）.METHODS： Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result （SEER）-Medicare data were used to identify 11688 OC patients （1992-2006）. Only Medicare recipients with an initial surgical procedure code （n = 6714） were included. Physician specialty was identified by linking SEER-Medicare to the American Medical Association Masterfile. SOC was defined by a panel of GOs. Mul-tivariate logistic regression was used to determine predictors of receiving surgical/chemotherapeutic SOC and proportional hazards modeling to estimate the effect of SOC treatment and physician specialty on survival. RESULTS： About 34% received surgery from a GO and 25% received the overall SOC. One-third of women had a GO involved sometime during their care. Women receiving surgery from a GO vs non-GO had 2.35 times the odds of receiving the surgical SOC and 1.25 times the odds of receiving chemotherapeutic SOC （P 〈 0.01）. Risk of mortality was greater among women not receiving surgical SOC compared to those who did [hazard ratio = 1.22 （95%CI： 1.12-1.33）, P 〈 0.01], and also was higher among women seen by non-GOs vs GOs （for surgical treatment） after adjusting for covariates. Median survival time was 14 mo longer for women receiving combined SOC. CONCLUSION： A survival advantage associated with receiving surgical SOC and overall treatment by a GO is supported. Persistent survival differences, particularly among those not receiving the SOC, require further investigation.

Multi-institutional retrospective analysis of FOLFIRI in patients with advanced biliary tract cancers

BACKGROUND Gemcitabine plus platinum is the standard of care first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancers(BTC).There is no established second-line therapy,and retrospective reviews report median progression-free survival(PFS)less than 3 mo on second-line therapy.5-Fluorouracil plus irinotecan(FOLFIRI)is a commonly used regimen in patients with BTC who have progressed on gemcitabine plus platinum,though there is a paucity of data regarding its efficacy in this population.AIM To assess the efficacy of FOLFIRI in patients with biliary tract cancers.METHODS We retrospectively identified patients with advanced BTC who were treated with FOLFIRI at MD Anderson,University of Michigan and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.Data were collected on patient demographics,BTC subtype,response per RECIST v1.1,progression and survival.RESULTS Ninety-eight patients were included of which 74(75%)had metastatic and 24(25%)had locally advanced disease at the time of treatment with FOLFIRI.The median age was 60(range,22-86)years.The number of patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,gall bladder cancer and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were 10,17 and 71,respectively.FOLFIRI was used as 1st,2nd,3rd or 4th–Nth lines in 8,50,36 and 4 patients,respectively.Median duration on FOLFIRI in the entire cohort was 2.2(range,0.5-8.4)mo.The median PFS and overall survival were 2.4(95%confidence interval(CI):1.7-3.1)and 6.6(95%CI:4.7-8.4)mo,respectively.Median PFS for patients treated with FOLFIRI in 1st,2nd,3rd or 4th–Nth lines were 3.1,2.5,2.3 and 1.5 mo,respectively.Eighteen patients received concurrent bevacizumab(n=13)or EGFR-targeted therapy(n=5)with FOLFIRI,with a median PFS of 2.7 mo(95%CI:1.7-5.1).CONCLUSION In this largest multi-institution retrospective review of 98 patients with BTC treated with FOLFIRI,efficacy appears to be modest with outcomes similar to other cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens.