scholarly journals Survival outcome differences based on treatments used and knowledge of the primary tumour site for patients with cancer of unknown and known primary in Ontario

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Kim ◽  
M. B. Hannouf ◽  
S. Sarma ◽  
G. B. Rodrigues ◽  
P. K. Rogan ◽  
...  

IntroductionPatients with cancer of unknown primary (cup) have pathologically confirmed metastatic tumours with unidentifiable primary tumours. Currently, very little is known about the relationship between the treatment of patients with cup and their survival outcomes. Thus, we compared oncologic treatment and survival outcomes for patients in Ontario with cup against those for a cohort of patients with metastatic cancer of known primary site.Methods Using the Ontario Cancer Registry and the Same-Day Surgery and Discharge Abstract databases maintained by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, we identified all Ontario patients diagnosed with metastatic cancer between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2005. Ontario Health Insurance Plan treatment records were linked to identify codes for surgery, chemotherapy, or therapeutic radiation related to oncology. Multivariable Cox regression models were constructed, adjusting for histology, age, sex, and comorbidities.Results In 45,347 patients (96.3%), the primary tumour site was identifiable, and in 1743 patients (3.7%), cup was diagnosed. Among the main tumour sites, cup ranked as the 6th largest. The mean Charlson score was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) in patients with cup (1.88) than in those with a known primary (1.42). Overall median survival was 1.9 months for patients with cup compared with 11.9 months for all patients with a known-primary cancer. Receipt of treatment was more likely for patients with a known primary site (n = 35,012, 77.2%) than for those with cup (n = 891, 51.1%). Among patients with a known primary site, median survival was significantly higher for treated than for untreated patients (19.0 months vs. 2.2 months, p < 0.0001). Among patients with cup, median survival was also higher for treated than for untreated patients (3.6 months vs. 1.1 months, p < 0.0001).Conclusions In Ontario, patients with cup experience significantly lower survival than do patients with metastatic cancer of a known primary site. Treatment is associated with significantly increased survival both for patients with cup and for those with metastatic cancer of a known primary site.

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-28
Author(s):  
Joyutpal Das ◽  
Shahid Gilani

Abstract With the development of site-specific cancer therapy, identifying the primary origin allows the oncologist to personalise therapy for patients with the cancer of unknown primaries (CUPs). At present, immunohistochemistry (IHC) screening is the standard method used to postulate the primary site in CUP. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the prognostic benefit of identifying the primary site in CUP. All 84 patients who presented with suspected CUP to the Royal Stoke University Hospital between 2011 and 2012 were included in our study. Forty-eight percent (40/84) of these patients were unable to undergo necessary investigations to identify primary sites because of poor performance status. IHC screening was able to postulate the primary site in 59% (26/44) of the remaining patients with confirmed CUP. Therefore, the primary site was not identified in a significant proportion of patients with CUP. The median survival of confirmed CUP with probable primary site was 2.0 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2 to 2.9 months), whereas the median survival of confirmed CUP with no probable primary site was 4.1 months (95% CI: 1.5 to 9.7 months). This difference in survival time was statistically significant. In addition, using the Cox regression model, we found that patients with confirmed CUP with primary sites had prognostically unfavourable diseases with a shorter median survival, regardless of the age of disease onset, gender, sites of metastases or number of metastases. One approach to improve the survival would be to start systemic therapy at the earliest possible opportunity rather than waiting for all investigation results, such as IHC.


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 3528-3528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Yasmin Brule ◽  
Derek J. Jonker ◽  
Christos Stelios Karapetis ◽  
Christopher J. O'Callaghan ◽  
Malcolm J. Moore ◽  
...  

3528 Background: RC and LC differ with respect to biology, pathology, and epidemiology. Further, recent SEER data suggests a mortality difference between RC and LC that varies by stage: stage II and III RC having lower and higher mortality, respectively. We examined if the primary tumour site can also predict for outcome in pre-treated, chemotherapy refractory, metastatic colon cancer (MCC). We compared RC vs. LC as a predictor for efficacy of EGFR inhibition with CET. Methods: Using CO.17 (CET vs. BSC), we coded the primary tumour site for 399 pts as RC (cecum to transverse colon) or LC (splenic flexure to rectosigmoid). Fisher’s exact test assessed the association between site of cancer and baseline characteristics. Univariate and multivariate analyses of overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) by site of cancer were performed using Cox regression models. Results: Pts with RC (150/399) had more poorly differentiated tumours, mutant KRAS status, and peritoneal rather than liver and lung metastases, and they more often entered the study less than two years after initial diagnosis. Among pts receiving BSC, tumour location (RC vs. LC) was not prognostic for PFS (HR 1.07 [0.79, 1.44], p=0.67) or OS (HR 0.96 [0.70, 1.31], p=0.78). Among pts with KRAS wild type tumour status, site of cancer was a predictor of benefit from CET, with much greater PFS observed for LC (interaction p=0.002). Conclusions: In refractory MCC, tumour location within the colon (RC vs. LC) is not a prognostic factor, but is a strong predictor of PFS benefit from CET therapy. Additional research is needed to understand the molecular differences between RC and LC and their interaction with EGFR inhibition. [Table: see text]


2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1605-1605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chong Sung Kim ◽  
Malek Bassam Hannouf ◽  
Muriel Brackstone ◽  
Eric Winquist ◽  
Gregory S Zaric

1605 Background: The poor prognosis of cancer of unknown primary (CUP) patients is likely to improve with knowledge of the primary site. CUP patients form a diverse clinicopathological group; however, there remains doubt as CUP may indeed represent a unique clinical classification. Methods: We used the Ontario Cancer Registry to identify all patients diagnosed with cancer from January 2000 to December 2005. We linked these patients with the Canadian Institute of Health Information Same Day Surgery and Discharge Abstract Database to identify those who were initially diagnosed with a metastatic tumour. Information on clinical and pathological characteristics including age, gender, primary tumour site, histology, and second primary were available from the Ontario Cancer Registry. We stratified results according to primary tumour site and histology. Five-year survival data were available for all patients and were obtained from the Ontario Cancer Registry. Results: Of 52,619 patients diagnosed with metastatic tumour at the time of their initial cancer diagnosis, 4,866 (9.2%) patients were diagnosed with CUP and 47,753 (90.8%) patients were diagnosed with metastasis of known primary. The 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimate of CUP overall survival (OS) differed significantly with patients diagnosed with metastasis of known primary (median OS= 1.0 versus 10.4 months, respectively, log–rank test p<0.0001). In subgroup analyses, the 5-year OS of CUP patients with adenocarcinoma (n=1,389, median OS=1.83) was significantly worse when compared to metastatic adenocarcinoma of known primary (log-rank test p<0.0001). An identical result was obtained with CUP patients of undifferentiated histology (n=3,230). The 5-year OS of CUP patients with squamous cell carcinoma (n=247, median OS=18.5) did not differ significantly with those of other squamous cell carcinoma groups of known primary (log-rank test p>0.56). Conclusions: Although CUP patients as a whole have a poor prognosis compared to other metastatic patients of known primary, distinct subsets of CUP patients have similar prognosis. These data suggest that an intensive diagnostic approach for identification of the primary is not justified for all CUP patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 663-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Meccariello ◽  
Giovanni Cammaroto ◽  
Enyinnaya Ofo ◽  
Sebastiano Calpona ◽  
Elisabetta Parisi ◽  
...  

2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajith J. Thomas ◽  
Jack P. Rock ◽  
Christine C. Johnson ◽  
Linda Weiss ◽  
Gordon Jacobsen ◽  
...  

Object It has been suggested that synchronous brain metastases (that is, those occurring within 2 months of primary cancer diagnosis) are associated with a shorter survival time compared with metachronous lesions (those occurring greater than 2 months after primary cancer diagnosis). In this study the authors used data obtained from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program to determine the incidence of synchronous brain metastases and length of survival of patients in a defined population of southeastern Michigan residents. Methods Data obtained in 2682 patients with synchronous brain metastases treated from 1973 to 1995 were reviewed. Study criteria included patients in whom at least one brain metastasis was diagnosed within 2 months of the diagnosis of primary cancer and those with an unknown primary source. The incidence per 100,000 increased fivefold, from 0.69 in 1973 to 3.83 in 1995. The most frequent site for the primary cancer was the lung (75.4%). The second largest group (10.7%) consisted of patients in whom the primary site was unknown. The median survival length was 3.3 months. There was no significant difference in the median survival in patients with primary lung/bronchus and those with an unknown primary site (3.2 months and 3.4 months, respectively). Conclusions Patients who present with synchronous lesions have a poor prognosis, and the predominant cause of death, in greater than 90% of cases, is related to systemic disease; however, despite poor median survival lengths, certain patients will experience prolonged survival.


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2021-003321
Author(s):  
Livia Costa De Oliveira ◽  
Emanuelly Varea Maria Wiegert ◽  
Lara Azevedo dos Santos ◽  
Larissa Calixto-Lima

ObjectivesWe aimed (1) to assess the nutritional status (NS) using different methods, according to the primary tumour site and (2) to evaluate the performance of these methods in patients with incurable cancer from a reference centre in Brazil.MethodsCross-sectional analysis of data from patients admitted to the palliative care unit of a reference cancer centre in Brazil, between July 2016 and March 2020. The primary tumour site was the independent variable and the NS using different methods were the dependent variables. Logistic regressions were performed.ResultsA total of 2,144 patients were included in the study. The most common primary tumour site was the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract (18.0%), followed by gynaecological (17.6%) and head and neck (HN) (13.5%). Our results showed that patients with tumours of the upper GI tract followed by HN presented significantly higher risk of worse NS. In contrast, breast tumours, bone and connective tissues and melanoma presented inverse association. The gynaecological cancer was variably associated with nutritional impairment, according to the assessment method.ConclusionsPatients with incurable cancer present high prevalence of NS impairment, depending on the tumour site, shown to be elevated in patients with tumour in the upper GI tract.


2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (12) ◽  
pp. 1138-1142 ◽  
Author(s):  
C R Davies-Husband

AbstractBackgroundCervical metastasis from an unknown primary site invariably results in pan-mucosal irradiation if a primary tumour is not identified. Transoral robotic and laser-assisted mucosectomy are valid techniques to increase diagnostic rates, but these remain restricted to certain centres. This paper describes, in detail, a technique in which mucosectomy is performed via endoscopic electrocautery.MethodsPatients were prospectively recruited between May 2017 and June 2018. Inclusion criteria stipulated biopsy-proven metastatic cervical squamous cell carcinoma, with negative findings on magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography/computed tomography, in addition to examination under anaesthetic, tonsillectomy and ‘blind’ tongue base biopsies without tumour identification, prior to mucosectomy.ResultsOf nine patients, a mucosal primary was identified in four (44.4 per cent), for which ipsilateral intensity-modulated radiotherapy was advocated in three and completion tongue base resection in the fourth. Dysplasia was demonstrated in two further patients, which provided information relevant to radiotherapy fields and post-treatment surveillance. No surgical complications were identified.ConclusionTongue base mucosectomy using electrocautery and conventional tonsillectomy equipment is a safe, effective technique in the identification of cervical metastasis from an unknown primary site. It expands the potential breadth of use, quickens prolonged diagnostic pathways and obviates the necessity for pan-mucosal irradiation.


2013 ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Gao ◽  
Yong-xi Song ◽  
Ying-ying Xu ◽  
Zhe Sun ◽  
Jing-xu Sun ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 136-136
Author(s):  
Ruba Hamed ◽  
Ronan Andrew McLaughlin ◽  
Hatim Ibrahim ◽  
Greg Korpanty ◽  
Nemer Osman

136 Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the 3rd most common malignancy in Ireland with over 2700 cases annually. Approximately 20% are diagnosed with stage IV disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the response to chemotherapy at primary and metastatic sites and review the frequency of intervention required to palliate the intact primary tumour in patients with stage 4 inoperable CRC in an Irish tertiary referral centre. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records was completed, identifying stage 4 CRC patients with primary tumour in situ diagnosed between January 2014 and December 2019, treated with chemotherapy (oxaliplatin or irinotecan based +/- bevacizumab or EGFR monoclonal antibody). Data and survival analysis were obtained using Kaplan-Meier methods. Results: 50 eligible patients were identified; 60% male, 40% female with a median age of 62 years. 2% had a transverse colonic primary, 32% right and 44% left sided and 22% had a rectal primary. 36% presented with liver metastasis only, 4% lung metastasis alone and 20% both. 48% were KRAS, 4% NRAS and 4% BRAF mutation positive while 1 patient was identified as having microsatellite instability. All patient received first-line chemotherapy either oxaliplatin or irinotecan based, 18% with the addition of Bevacizumab and 24% with EGFR monoclonal antibody. Overall response to first-line chemotherapy at the primary site and metastatic sites was assessed radiologically; 42% displaying a partial response, 36% had stable disease while 18% had progression at primary site. At the metastatic sites 50% responded, 10% stable disease and 40% progressed. Complication at primary tumour site included: obstruction 12%, with perforation in 6%, bleeding 10%, pain at tumour site in 6%, and one patient developed an abscess. Overall, after chemotherapy 76% of all patients did not require further intervention to manage primary site. 6% underwent curative surgery with resection of primary and metastatic lesions. Of those who had palliative intervention; 10% underwent palliative colostomy/ileostomy, 12% palliative radiotherapy, and 2% both. Overall survival was 14 months. At time of analysis 14% were alive, 10% receiving treatment and 4% on radiological surveillance. Conclusions: This retrospective study confirms that palliative chemotherapy +/- targeted therapy is effective in controlling the primary tumour in stage 4 inoperable CRC. In addition, it reveals a nearly 80% partial response or stable disease radiologically at the primary site after first-line chemotherapy. Furthermore, progression was significantly lower at primary site compared to distant metastasis (18% vs 40%). Almost 75% did not require palliative intervention for their primary tumour. Overall survival in our centre is higher compared to internationally observed data.


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