To evaluate the impact of two different intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy regimens on progression-free survival (PFS) among women with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian carcinoma.
Eligible patients ...were randomly assigned to six cycles of IV paclitaxel 80 mg/m
once per week with intravenous (IV) carboplatin area under the curve 6 (IV carboplatin) versus IV paclitaxel 80 mg/m
once per week with IP carboplatin area under the curve 6 (IP carboplatin) versus once every 3 weeks IV paclitaxel 135 mg/m
over 3 hours day 1, IP cisplatin 75 mg/m
day 2, and IP paclitaxel 60 mg/m
day 8 (IP cisplatin). All participants received bevacizumab 15 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks in cycles 2 to 22.
A total of 1,560 participants were enrolled and had 84.8 months of follow-up. The median PFS duration was 24.9 months in the IV carboplatin arm, 27.4 months in the IP carboplatin arm, and 26.2 months in the IP cisplatin arm. For the subgroup of 1,380 patients with stage II/III and residual disease of 1 cm or less, median PFS was 26.9 (IV-carboplatin), 28.7 (IP-carboplatin), and 27.8 months (IP cisplatin), respectively. Median PFS for patients with stage II/III and no residual disease was 35.9, 38.8, and 35.5 months, respectively. Median overall survival for all enrolled was 75.5, 78.9, and 72.9 months, respectively, and median overall survival for stage II/III with no gross residual disease was 98.8 months, 104.8 months, and not reached. Mean patient-reported Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy neurotoxicity scores (Gynecologic Oncology Group) were similar for all arms, but the mean Trial Outcome Index of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Ovary scores during chemotherapy were statistically worse in the IP cisplatin arm.
Compared with the IV carboplatin reference arm, the duration of PFS was not significantly increased with either IP regimen when combined with bevacizumab and was better tolerated than IP cisplatin.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of cancer upon a patient's net worth and debt in the US.
This longitudinal study used the Health and Retirement Study from 1998–2014. Persons ...≥50years with newly-diagnosed malignancies were included, excluding minor skin cancers. Multivariable generalized linear models assessed changes in net worth and debt (consumer, mortgage, home equity) at 2 and 4 years after diagnosis (year+2, year+4), controlling for demographic and clinically-related variables, cancer-specific attributes, economic factors, and mortality. A 2-year period before cancer diagnosis served as a historical control.
Across 9.5 million estimated new diagnoses of cancer from 2000–2012, individuals averaged 68.6±9.4 years with slight majorities being married (54.7%), not retired (51.1%), and Medicare beneficiaries (56.6%). At year+2, 42.4% depleted their entire life's assets, with higher adjusted odds associated with worsening cancer, requirement of continued treatment, demographic and socioeconomic factors (ie, female, Medicaid, uninsured, retired, increasing age, income, and household size), and clinical characteristics (ie, current smoker, worse self-reported health, hypertension, diabetes, lung disease) (P<.05); average losses were $92,098. At year+4, financial insolvency extended to 38.2%, with several consistent socioeconomic, cancer-related, and clinical characteristics remaining significant predictors of complete asset depletion.
This nationally-representative investigation of an initially-estimated 9.5 million newly-diagnosed persons with cancer who were ≥50 years of age found a substantial proportion incurring financial toxicity. As large financial burdens have been found to adversely affect access to care and outcomes among cancer patients, the active development of approaches to mitigate these effects among already vulnerable groups remains of key importance.
The future workforce will be made up of both humans and intelligent things. We'll need to understand and leverage the strengths and weaknesses of human cognition and machine intelligence to command ...and control this new organizational form.
To determine if incorporation of an additional cytotoxic agent improves overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for women with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) and ...primary peritoneal carcinoma who receive carboplatin and paclitaxel.
Women with stages III to IV disease were stratified by coordinating center, maximal diameter of residual tumor, and intent for interval cytoreduction and were then randomly assigned among five arms that incorporated gemcitabine, methoxypolyethylene glycosylated liposomal doxorubicin, or topotecan compared with carboplatin and paclitaxel. The primary end point was OS and was determined by pairwise comparison to the reference arm, with a 90% chance of detecting a true hazard ratio of 1.33 that limited type I error to 5% (two-tail) for the four comparisons.
Accrual exceeded 1,200 patients per year. An event-triggered interim analysis occurred after 272 events on the reference arm, and the study closed with 4,312 women enrolled. Arms were well balanced for demographic and prognostic factors, and 79% of patients completed eight cycles of therapy. There were no improvements in either PFS or OS associated with any experimental regimen. Survival analyses of groups defined by size of residual disease also failed to show experimental benefit in any subgroup.
Compared with standard paclitaxel and carboplatin, addition of a third cytotoxic agent provided no benefit in PFS or OS after optimal or suboptimal cytoreduction. Dual-stage, multiarm, phase III trials can efficiently evaluate multiple experimental regimens against a single reference arm. The development of new interventions beyond surgery and conventional platinum-based chemotherapy is required to additionally improve outcomes for women with advanced EOC.
Background & Aims Limited data exist regarding the actual risk of developing advanced adenomas and cancer after polypectomy or the factors that determine risk. Methods We pooled individual data from ...8 prospective studies comprising 9167 men and women aged 22 to 80 with previously resected colorectal adenomas to quantify their risk of developing subsequent advanced adenoma or cancer as well as identify factors associated with the development of advanced colorectal neoplasms during surveillance. Results During a median follow-up period of 47.2 months, advanced colorectal neoplasia was diagnosed in 1082 (11.8%) of the patients, 58 of whom (0.6%) had invasive cancer. Risk of a metachronous advanced adenoma was higher among patients with 5 or more baseline adenomas (24.1%; standard error, 2.2) and those with an adenoma 20 mm in size or greater (19.3%; standard error, 1.5). Risk factor patterns were similar for advanced adenomas and invasive cancer. In multivariate analyses, older age ( P < .0001 for trend) and male sex (odds ratio OR, 1.40; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.19–1.65) were associated significantly with an increased risk for metachronous advanced neoplasia, as were the number and size of prior adenomas ( P < .0001 for trend), the presence of villous features (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.07–1.52), and proximal location (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.43–1.98). High-grade dysplasia was not associated independently with metachronous advanced neoplasia after adjustment for other adenoma characteristics. Conclusions Occurrence of advanced colorectal neoplasia is common after polypectomy. Factors that are associated most strongly with risk of advanced neoplasia are patient age and the number and size of prior adenomas.
To assess quality of life (QOL) in patients who developed lower-extremity lymphedema (LLE) after radical gynecologic cancer surgery on prospective clinical trial GOG 244.
The prospective, national, ...cooperative group trial GOG-0244 determined the incidence of LLE and risk factors for LLE development, as well as associated impacts on QOL, in newly diagnosed patients undergoing surgery for endometrial, cervical, or vulvar cancer from 6/4/2012–11/17/2014. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures of QOL (by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy FACT), body image, sexual and vaginal function, limb function, and cancer distress were recorded at baseline (within 14 days before surgery), and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after surgery. Assessments of LLE symptoms and disability were completed at the time of lower limb volume measurement. A linear mixed model was applied to examine the association of PROs/QOL with a Gynecologic Cancer Lymphedema Questionnaire (GCLQ) total score incremental change ≥4 (indicative of increased LLE symptoms) from baseline, a formal diagnosis of LLE (per the GCLQ), and limb volume change (LVC) ≥10%.
In 768 evaluable patients, those with a GCLQ score change ≥4 from baseline had significantly worse QOL (p < 0.001), body image (p < 0.001), sexual and vaginal function (p < 0.001), limb function (p < 0.001), and cancer distress (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in sexual activity rates between those with and without LLE symptoms.
LLE is significantly detrimental to QOL, daily function, and body image. Clinical intervention trials to prevent and manage this chronic condition after gynecologic cancer surgery are needed.
•This prospective cooperative group study demonstrated LLE symptoms were associated with poorer outcomes on PRO/QOL measures•Women with LLE symptoms reported lower health-related QOL, higher cancer distress (IES), and negative impact on daily life•Prospective trial to collect and follow sexual partner/activity status in newly diagnosed gynecologic cancer patients
Resveratrol has been shown to exhibit cancer-preventive activities in preclinical studies. We conducted a clinical study to determine the effect of pharmacologic doses of resveratrol on drug- and ...carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes. Forty-two healthy volunteers underwent baseline assessment of cytochrome P450 (CYP) and phase II detoxification enzymes. CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, and CYP3A4 enzyme activities were measured by the metabolism of caffeine, dextromethorphan, losartan, and buspirone, respectively. Blood lymphocyte glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity and GST-pi level and serum total and direct bilirubin, a surrogate for UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) 1A1 activity, were measured to assess phase II enzymes. After the baseline evaluation, study participants took 1 g of resveratrol once daily for 4 weeks. Enzyme assessment was repeated upon intervention completion. Resveratrol intervention was found to inhibit the phenotypic indices of CYP3A4, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9 and to induce the phenotypic index of 1A2. Overall, GST and UGT1A1 activities were minimally affected by the intervention, although an induction of GST-pi level and UGT1A1 activity was observed in individuals with low baseline enzyme level/activity. We conclude that resveratrol can modulate enzyme systems involved in carcinogen activation and detoxification, which may be one mechanism by which resveratrol inhibits carcinogenesis. However, pharmacologic doses of resveratrol could potentially lead to increased adverse drug reactions or altered drug efficacy due to inhibition or induction of certain CYPs. Further clinical development of resveratrol for cancer prevention should consider evaluation of lower doses of resveratrol to minimize adverse metabolic drug interactions.
Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) lowers mortality from ovarian/tubal and breast cancers among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. Uncertainties persist regarding potential benefits of RRSO among ...high-risk noncarriers, optimal surgical age, and anatomic origin of clinically occult cancers detected at surgery. To address these topics, we analyzed surgical treatment arm results from Gynecologic Oncology Group Protocol-0199 (GOG-0199), the National Ovarian Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Study.
This analysis included asymptomatic high-risk women age ≥ 30 years who elected RRSO at enrollment. Women provided risk factor data and underwent preoperative cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) serum testing and transvaginal ultrasound (TVU). RRSO specimens were processed according to a standardized tissue processing protocol and underwent central pathology panel review. Research-based BRCA1/2 mutation testing was performed when a participant's mutation status was unknown at enrollment. Relationships between participant characteristics and diagnostic findings were assessed using univariable statistics and multivariable logistic regression.
Invasive or intraepithelial ovarian/tubal/peritoneal neoplasms were detected in 25 (2.6%) of 966 RRSOs (BRCA1 mutation carriers, 4.6%; BRCA2 carriers, 3.5%; and noncarriers, 0.5%; P < .001). In multivariable models, positive BRCA1/2 mutation status (P = .0056), postmenopausal status (P = .0023), and abnormal CA-125 levels and/or TVU examinations (P < .001) were associated with detection of clinically occult neoplasms at RRSO. For 387 women with negative BRCA1/2 mutation testing and normal CA-125 levels, findings at RRSO were benign.
Clinically occult cancer was detected among 2.6% of high-risk women undergoing RRSO. BRCA1/2 mutation, postmenopausal status, and abnormal preoperative CA-125 and/or TVU were associated with cancer detection at RRSO. These data can inform management decisions among women at high risk of ovarian/tubal cancer.
A recent workshop envisions the impacts that information and communications technology advances will have on warfare by 2050 and the challenges these pose for command and control.
To evaluate the incidence and risk factors for lymphedema associated with surgery for gynecologic malignancies on GOG study 244.
Women undergoing a lymph node dissection for endometrial, cervical, or ...vulvar cancer were eligible for enrollment. Leg volume was calculated from measurements at 10-cm intervals starting 10 cm above the bottom of the heel to the inguinal crease. Measurements were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively at 4–6 weeks, and at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 18-, and 24- months. Lymphedema was defined as a limb volume change (LVC) ≥10% from baseline and categorized as mild: 10–19% LVC; moderate: 20–40% LVC; or severe: >40% LVC. Risk factors associated with lymphedema were also analyzed.
Of 1054 women enrolled on study, 140 were inevaluable due to inadequate measurements or eligibility criteria. This left 734 endometrial, 138 cervical, and 42 vulvar patients evaluable for LVC assessment. Median age was 61 years (range, 28–91) in the endometrial, 44 years (range, 25–83) in the cervical, and 58 years (range, 35–88) in the vulvar group. The incidence of LVC ≥10% was 34% (n = 247), 35% (n = 48), and 43% (n = 18), respectively. The peak incidence of lymphedema was at the 4–6 week assessment. Logistic regression analysis showed a decreased risk with advanced age (p = 0.0467). An exploratory analysis in the endometrial cohort showed an increased risk with a node count >8 (p = 0.033).
For a gynecologic cancer, LVC decreased with age greater than 65, but increased with a lymph node count greater than 8 in the endometrial cohort. There was no association with radiation or other risk factors.
•Lymphedema as defined by volume change ≥10% was found in 34% of endometrial, 35% of cervical, and 43% of vulvar patients.•Regression analysis showed risk decreased with advanced age (p = 0.0467) and increased with a node count >8 (p = 0.033).•Increase risk of lymphedema was not associated with radiation, advanced stage or other commonly reported risk factors.•Final conclusions were weakened by 50% lost to follow-up and discrepancies in measurements identified in 32% of patients.