Background
Twenty‐five percent of rectal adenocarcinoma patients achieve pathologic complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemoradiation and could avoid proctectomy. However, pretreatment clinical or imaging markers are lacking in predicting response to chemoradiation. Radiomic texture features from MRI have recently been associated with therapeutic response in other cancers.
Purpose
To construct a radiomics texture model based on pretreatment MRI for identifying patients who will achieve pCR to neoadjuvant chemoradiation in rectal cancer, including validation across multiple scanners and sites.
Study Type
Retrospective.
Subjects
In all, 104 rectal cancer patients staged with MRI prior to long‐course chemoradiation followed by proctectomy; curated from three institutions.
Field Strength/Sequence
1.5T–3.0T, axial higher resolution T2‐weighted turbo spin echo sequence.
Assessment
Pathologic response was graded on postsurgical specimens. In total, 764 radiomic features were extracted from single‐slice sections of rectal tumors on processed pretreatment T2‐weighted MRI.
Statistical Tests
Three feature selection schemes were compared for identifying radiomic texture descriptors associated with pCR via a discovery cohort (one site, N = 60, cross‐validation). The top‐selected radiomic texture features were used to train and validate a random forest classifier model for pretreatment identification of pCR (two external sites, N = 44). Model performance was evaluated via area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.
Results
Laws kernel responses and gradient organization features were most associated with pCR (P ≤ 0.01); as well as being commonly identified across all feature selection schemes. The radiomics model yielded a discovery AUC of 0.699 ± 0.076 and a hold‐out validation AUC of 0.712 with 70.5% accuracy (70.0% sensitivity, 70.6% specificity) in identifying pCR. Radiomic texture features were resilient to variations in magnetic field strength as well as being consistent between two different expert annotations. Univariate analysis revealed no significant associations of baseline clinicopathologic or MRI findings with pCR (P = 0.07–0.96).
Data Conclusion
Radiomic texture features from pretreatment MRIs may enable early identification of potential pCR to neoadjuvant chemoradiation, as well as generalize across sites.
Level of Evidence
3
Technical Efficacy Stage
2
Background and Objectives: Sarcopenia is associated with poor long-term outcomes in many gastrointestinal cancers, but its role in anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC)is not defined. We hypothesized that patients with sarcopenic ASCC experience worse long-term outcomes.Methods: A retrospective review of patients with ASCC treated at an academic medical center from 2006 to 2017 was performed. Of 104 patients with ASCC, 64 underwent PET/computed tomography before chemoradiation and were included in the analysis.The skeletal muscle index was calculated as total L3 skeletal muscle divided by height squared. Sarcopenia thresholds were 52.4 cm 2 /m 2 for men and 38.5 cm 2 /m 2 for women.Cox regression analysis was performed to assess overall and progression-free survival.Results: Twenty-five percent of the patients were sarcopenic (n = 16). Demographics were similar between groups. There was no difference in the clinical stage or comorbidities between groups. On multivariate analysis, factors associated with worse overall survival were male gender (hazard ratio [HR] 3.7, P = .022) and sarcopenia (HR 3.6, P = .019). Male gender was associated with worse progression-free survival (HR 2.6, P = .016).Conclusions: Sarcopenia is associated with worse overall survival in patients with anal cancer. Further studies are indicated to determine if survival can be improved with increased attention to nutritional status in sarcopenic patients.
K E Y W O R D Sanal cancer, chemoradiation, sarcopenia
Objective:
The incidence and risk factors for IPV are not well-studied among surgeons. We sought to fill this gap in knowledge by surveying surgeons to estimate the incidence and identify risk factors associated with IPV.
Summary of Background Data:
An estimated 36.4% of women and 33.6% of men in the United States have experienced IPV. Risk factors include low SES, non-White ethnicity, psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and history of childhood abuse. Families with higher SES are not exempt from IPV, yet there is very little data examining incidence and risk factors among these populations.
Methods:
An anonymous online survey targeting US-based surgeons was distributed through 4 major surgical societies. Demographics, history of abuse, and related factors were assessed. Chi-square analysis and multivariable logistic regression were utilized to evaluate for potential risk factors of IPV.
Results:
Eight hundred eighty-two practicing surgeons and trainees completed the survey, of whom 536 (61%) reported experiencing some form of behavior consistent with IPV. The majority of respondents were women (74.1%, P = 0.004). Emotional abuse was most common (57.3%), followed by controlling behavior (35.6%), physical abuse (13.1%), and sexual abuse (9.6%).
History of mental illness, [odds ratio (OR) 2.32, P < 0.001], alcohol use (frequent/daily OR 1.76, P = 0.035 and occasional OR 1.78, P = 0.015), childhood physical abuse (OR 1.96, P = 0.020), childhood emotional abuse (OR 1.76, P = 0.008), and female sex (OR 1.46, P = 0.022) were associated with IPV.
Conclusions:
As the first national study of IPV among surgeons, this analysis demonstrates surgeons experience IPV and share similar risk factors to the general population.
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