Irene Hernandez

Quality of life assessment by applying EORTC questionnaires to rectal cancer patients after surgery and neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment

BACKGROUND Quality of Life (QoL) is a key element in rectal cancer (RC) patients. AIMS this study assesses QoL in a sample of RC patients in their treatment follow-up period, and compares surgery modalities. PATIENTS AND METHODS eighty four locally advanced RC patients who had received surgery and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy were included in the study. Of these, 70 had adjuvant chemotherapy. All patients completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-CR29 once at least one year after completion of their treatment. Low anterior resection (LAR) patients also completed a Functional Evaluation questionnaire. RESULTS QoL scores in the EORTC questionnaires for the sample as a whole were high in most dimensions, in line with the general population´s QoL values, although moderate limitations (> 30 points)were observed in urinary frequency, flatulence, impotence and sexual function. The scores for the Functional Evaluation were adequate (mean combined bowel function score of 18.2). LAR patients had a higher stool frequency than those with abdominoperineal resection (APR; p < 0.001). No differences in body image were found amongst LAR and APR patients. LAR patients with a lower anastomosis had higher faecal incontinence (p = 0.02), whereas those with a reservoir had better emotional functioning (p = 0.04) and higher faecal incontinence (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS QoL scores and functional evaluation indicated patients had adapted to their disease and treatment. The few differences in QoL found between surgery modalities are in line with other recent studies and in contrast with earlier ones that suggested a lower QoL in APR patients.

Effects of adjuvant oxaliplatin on anal function in locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy and low anterior resection.

718 Background: The main purpose of the present study was to determine if the addition of adjuvant oxaliplatin (OXA) could have some influence on sphincter function in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) treated with preoperative capecitabine/radiotherapy followed by lower anterior resection (LAR). Methods: Those patients with LARC treated at our center with LAR and without two-years loco-regional relapse were retrospectively analyzed independent of the type of adjuvant treatment received. Anal sphincter function was assessed by Wexner´s incontinence score (0 to 20 points, being punctuation inversely proportional to sphincter function). All questionnaires were completed between January 2010 and December 2012. Comparisons of sphincter function measured with the Wexner test between patients with and without OX were conducted with the Mann-Whitney test. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 20. Results: From 2006, 92 consecutive patients were included in our s...

Retrospective analysis of pathologic response in colorectal cancer liver-only metastases following treatment with bevacizumab.

674 Background: Recent reports have shown that pathological response predicts for better outcome (overall survival) following preoperative chemotherapy and surgical resection of colorectal cancer (CRC) liver-only metastases. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the effect of adding bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy on pathological response in patients with CRC liver only metastases. METHODS Patients with stage IV CRC with liver metastases who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (oxaliplatin-or irinotecan-based) at two Spanish centres were analysed retrospectively. Pathological response was evaluated as follows: complete pathological response (cPR), PR1 (25% of residual tumour), PR2 (25-50% of residual tumour), PR3 (>50% of residual tumour). cPR or PR1 was considered to be a good response, and PR2 or PR3 a poor response. RESULTS A total of 81 patients were evaluated. Of these, 43 received chemotherapy alone and 38 received chemotherapy plus bevacizumab. Baseline characteristics were as follows: median age 61.0 years (range 43.0-80.0 years); male/female (67%/33%); tumour location - colon (69%) / rectum (31%); hepatic metastases - synchronous (74%) / metachronous (26%); In terms of pathological response, 58% of patients receiving bevacizumab had a good response (cPR + PR1) compared with 28% of those receiving chemotherapy alone. At the end of the analysis, 68% of patients were still alive. CONCLUSIONS Adding bevacizumab to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting improves the pathological response of liver metastases in patients with stage IV CRC. These findings indicate that pathological response might be a good indicator of outcome for patients receiving bevacizumab in the neoadjuvant setting.

Role of presurgery circulating cancer cells (CTCs) as a potential pronostic factor in patients (pts) with liver surgery (LS) of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastases (M).

518 Background: Kinetic behavior of perioperative CTCs in pts with liver CRC M has been little explored. The aim of this study was to quantified CTCs performance before, just performed and 3 months after radical LS in pts with CRC M and analyzed the surrogate role of CTCs determinations in DFS and OS. METHODS 7.5 ml of blood were drawn in CellSave tubes. CTCs were enumerated before, just performed and 3 months after radical LS. CTCs were immunomagnetically separated and fluorescently labeled using the CellSearch System (Veridex/Immunicon Corp.) Results: From February 2009 to August 2011, 30 pts with LS of CRC M were included. Median age was 59 (45-75); 63.3 % men. Kras status: 63.2% wild-type and 36.8% mutated; 46.7% with synchronous disease. Fong-Criteria (FC) distribution: 30% pts with 1 FC, 36.7% pts with 2 FC and 33.3% pts with 3 FC, of whom 56.7% received neoadjuvant (76.4% fluoropirimidines-based; 29% cetuximab-based; 47% bevacizumab-based) and 73.3% adjuvant treatment. PR and SD were observed in 68.8% and 31.3% of pts, respectively (100% DCR). In 83% of cases, limited LS were done (79.3% R0, median M resected: 2), 20% of pts with synchronous surgery of primary tumour. Of the 15 pts analysed, pCR were observed in 2 (13.3%) with 6 other pts (40%) with major pathological response. With a median of follow-up of 21 months, progression disease occurred in 9 pts (55.6% with liver progression), and 4 pts died. Median CTCs was 0 before (0-2: 85%; ≥3: 14.8%), just performed (0-2: 78%; ≥3: 21%) and 3 months after surgery (0-2: 94.1%; ≥3: 5.9%). DFS for pts with pre-surgery CTCs ≥3 was 10 months, and not reached for 0-2 CTCs group. OS has not been achieved in any CTCs group. In the multivariate analysis, with FC and pre-surgery CTCs, pre-surgery CTCs ≥3 tends to be an independent predictor of outcome (HR: 2.83; CI:0.53-15). CONCLUSIONS Independently of neoadjuvant treatment, pre-surgery CTCs levels ≥3 could be a surrogate of short DFS in pts with LS of CRC M. Our study shown a slight increase in CTCs quantification after LS, instead a significant CTCs decrease was observed after adjuvant therapy. Role of radical LS in kinetic of CTCs should continue to be analysed in future studies.