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PURPOSE: Physical activity is associated with decreased hospitalization during cancer treatment. We hypothesize that activity data can help identify and triage high-risk patients with GI cancer undergoing concurrent chemoradiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study randomly assigned patients to activity monitoring versus observation. In the intervention arm, a 20% decrease in daily steps or 20% increase in heart rate triggered triage visits to provide supportive care, medication changes, and escalation of care. In the observation group, activity data were recorded but not monitored. The primary objective was to show a 20% increase in triage visits in the intervention group. Secondary objectives were estimating the rates of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Crude and adjusted odds ratios were computed using logistic regression modeling. RESULTS: There were 22 patients in the intervention and 18 in the observation group. Baseline patient and treatment characteristics were similar. The primary objective was met, with 3.4 more triage visits in the intervention group than in the observation group (95% CI, 2.10 to 5.50; P < .0001). Twenty-six (65.0%) patients required at least one triage visit, with a higher rate in the intervention arm compared with that in the observation arm (86.4% v 38.9%; odds ratio, 9.95; 95% CI, 2.13 to 46.56; P = .004). There was no statistically significant difference in ED visit (9.1% v 22.2%; P = .38) or hospitalization (4.5% v 16.7%; P = .31). CONCLUSION: It is feasible to use activity data to trigger triage visits for symptom management. Further studies are investigating whether automated activity monitoring can assist with early outpatient management to decrease ED visits and hospitalizations.
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Neoplasias Gastrointestinais , Hospitalização , Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência , Neoplasias Gastrointestinais/terapia , Humanos , Estudos Prospectivos , TriagemRESUMO
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Current guidelines do not recommend routine surveillance imaging as part of follow-up care for patients treated for locoregional endometrial carcinoma. This study seeks to determine the potential benefit of routine surveillance imaging by evaluating outcomes of patients whose recurrences were detected on routine surveillance compared to those whose recurrences were identified after presenting with symptoms. MATERIALS/METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients who developed recurrence after surgical treatment, with or without adjuvant therapy, for locoregional endometrial carcinoma. A total of 149 patients were identified with adequate clinical information regarding the recurrence. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to estimate overall survival and progression-free survival. RESULTS: The median age of patients at diagnosis was 69.2 years (range, 38.0-99.5 years). Initial stages included stage I, 49.7%; stage II, 10.1%; stage III, 38.3%; and stage IV, 1.3%. Histologic diagnoses included endometrioid adenocarcinoma, 48.3%; and other diagnoses (including papillary serous carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, and carcinosarcoma), 51.7%. Patients were initially treated with a variety of therapies: surgery alone in 20.8%, surgery and radiation in 25.5%, surgery and chemotherapy in 12.1%, and trimodality therapy in 41.6%. Sites of recurrence included 20.8% vaginal, 14.8% pelvic and 64.4% distant sites. Recurrences were detected asymptomatically in 86 patients (57.7%) and symptomatically in 63 patients (42.3%). Of those detected asymptomatically, 80.2% were detected by imaging. Overall, when comparing symptomatic versus asymptomatic recurrences, there was no difference in overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-1.83; P = 0.29) or progression-free survival (hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-1.70; P = 0.52). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who develop asymptomatic recurrences of their endometrial carcinoma do not seem to have a better prognosis than those who present with symptomatic recurrences. Thus, these results do not support routine imaging surveillance for patients treated for locoregional endometrial carcinoma. Further prospective evaluation is needed.
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Neoplasias do Endométrio/diagnóstico por imagem , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Neoplasias do Endométrio/cirurgia , Feminino , Humanos , Histerectomia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia/diagnóstico por imagem , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Prognóstico , Estudos Retrospectivos , Salpingo-OoforectomiaRESUMO
Immune escape of malignant cells is an important hallmark of cancer, necessary for tumor formation and progression. Accordingly, in recent years, therapies that enhance the immune system have had remarkable success in treating a myriad of malignancies. Particularly successful has been immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), which is a therapy that targets T-cell inhibitory receptors, or immune checkpoints. Despite these encouraging clinical results, most patients do not respond to such agents. Therefore, determining methods to better target and enhance the therapeutic efficacy of ICB is of paramount importance. One appealing approach is to use standard anticancer therapies, such as radiation, chemotherapy, and targeted biologics, to favorably modulate the immune system and enhance the anticancer immune response. For example, although radiation therapy has classically been thought of as a local therapy, there is significant potential for combining radiation therapy with ICB to both optimize local control and to treat metastatic disease. This concept is supported by numerous preclinical studies and clinical case reports and has since led to many early and ongoing clinical trials. However, it is still unclear how to optimally combine radiation and ICB to maximize the therapeutic effect. In this review, we highlight relevant preclinical and clinical studies in the field of radiation and ICB and discuss optimal strategies for combination therapies moving forward.