BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the fastest rising causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States, with disparities observed in cancer incidence and survival between ethnic groups. This report provides updated analyses on race-specific disparities in US HCC trends. METHODS: This large, population-based cohort study was conducted using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registry data from 2003 to 2011 to investigate race-specific disparities in HCC incidence and survival. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards models. RESULTS: From 2003 to 2011, Asians had the highest HCC incidence, followed by blacks, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites. During the same period, Hispanics had the greatest increase in HCC incidence (135.8%), whereas Asians experienced a 5.5% decrease. Although patients aged 65 years had the highest HCC incidence among all racial/ethnic groups, the higher HCC incidence in Asians was observed only for patients ages <50 and 65 years, whereas HCC incidence among patients ages 50 to 64 years was similar among Asians, blacks, and Hispanics. The overall 5-year HCC survival rate was highest among Asians (26.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.5%-27.6%) and lowest among blacks (21.3%; 95% CI, 19.5%-23.1%). On multivariate regression, Asians (hazard ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.79-0.87; P < .001) and blacks (hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.99; P 5 .01) had significantly higher survival compared with non-Hispanic whites. CONCLUSIONS: Asians were the only group to demonstrate a declining HCC incidence in the form of a shift from advanced HCC to more localized HCC. These findings most likely reflect improved screening and surveillance efforts for this group. Cancer 2016;122:2512-23. V C 2016 American Cancer Society.KEYWORDS: incidence, liver cancer, racial differences, screening, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER). INTRODUCTIONHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. [1][2][3] In the United States, the incidence of HCC has more than quadrupled, becoming the fastest rising cause of cancer-related deaths. 4,5 Although Asians have the highest overall HCC incidence, when stratified by race/ethnicity, the largest proportional increase in HCC incidence has been observed among Hispanics and blacks. 6,7 These observed differences in HCC trends may reflect race/ethnicity-specific differences in the underlying etiology of HCC, including chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, and alcoholic liver disease. 8 For example, the predominant etiology of HCC among Asians is HBV, and improved treatment of HBV over time may contribute to decreased incidence of HCC. In addition, race/ethnicity-specific differences in disease progression and HCC risk may occur even when the underlying liver disease etiology is the same. Disparities in disease progression and HCC risk may warrant more aggressive disease managem...

Among US adults with HCC, blacks consistently had more advanced stage at diagnosis and lower rates of receiving treatment. After correcting for cancer stage and evaluating the subset of patients eligible for curative therapies, blacks and Hispanics had significantly lower rates of curative HCC treatment.

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Background Patients with cancer have a high use of health care utilization at the end of life, which can frequently involve admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU). We sought to evaluate the predictors for outcome in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer admitted to the ICU for nonsurgical conditions. Patients and Methods The primary objective was to determine the predictors of hospital mortality. Secondary objectives included investigating the predictors of ICU mortality and hospital overall survival (OS). All patients with GI cancer admitted to the ICU at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center between November 2012 and February 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Cancer characteristics, treatment characteristics, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores were analyzed for their effects on survival. Results The characteristics of the 200 patients were as follows: 64.5% male, mean age of 60 years, median SOFA score of 6.7, and tumor types of intestinal (37.5%), hepatobiliary/pancreatic (36%), and gastroesophageal (24%). The hospital mortality was 41%, and overall 6‐month mortality was 75%. In multivariate analysis, high admission SOFA score > 5, poor tumor differentiation, and duration of metastatic disease ≤7 months were associated with increased hospital mortality. For OS, high admission SOFA score > 5, poor tumor differentiation, and patients who were not on active chemotherapy because of poor performance had worse outcome. In multivariate analysis, SOFA score remained significant for OS even after excluding patients who died in the ICU. Conclusion For patients with metastatic GI cancer admitted to the ICU, SOFA score was predictive for both acute and long‐term survival. A patient's chemotherapy treatment status was not predictive for hospital mortality but was for OS. The SOFA score should be utilized in all patients with GI cancer upon ICU admission for prognostication. Implications for Practice Patients with cancer have a high use of health care utilization at the end of life, which can frequently involve admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU). Although there have been substantial increases in duration of survival for patients with advanced metastatic cancer, their mortality after an ICU admission remains high. GI malignancy is considered one of the top three lethal cancers estimated in 2017. Survival of critically ill patients with advanced GI cancer should be evaluated to help guide treatment planning.

8535 Background: Consolidation PD-1 inhibition after chemoradiation (chemoRT) for unresectable stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC improves overall survival. The efficacy and safety of combining a CTLA-4 inhibitor with a PD-1 inhibitor in this setting are unknown but may further improve efficacy in this patient population. Methods: In this randomized, multi-center, phase II study, 105 pts with unresectable stage IIIA/IIIB NSCLC will receive chemoRT, then randomize 1:1 to either nivolumab 480mg IV q4 wks (nivo) or nivolumab 3mg/kg IV q2 wks + ipilimumab 1mg/kg IV q6 wks (nivo/ipi), for up to 24 wks. In this interim analysis, we assess the safety of the first 20 patients treated. Results: From 9/2017 to 11/2018, 20 patients were accrued. Characteristics of those treated on the nivo arm (n = 10) were: median age 62 years, stage IIIA/B 7/3; non-squamous/squamous 7/3; and the nivo/ipi arm (n = 10): median age 61 years; stage IIIA/B 6/4; non-squamous/squamous 7/3. Most toxicities were grade 1 or 2 and the most frequently noted grade 2 AEs included fatigue (25%), pneumonia (25%), extremity pain (20%). Adverse events reported in the Nivo only arm included 81 total events with only four grade 3 events and a single grade 4 thromboembolic event. The Nivo/Ipi arm reported 101 total AEs, with only 3 grade 3 events and a single grade 4 toxicity (amylase elevation). With respect to immune-related adverse events (irAEs), in the nivo arm there were two cases of grade 2 pneumonitis and no grade 3/ 4 events. In the nivo/ipi arm, there was one grade 2 pneumonitis, three grade 3 irAEs (pneumonitis, colitis, pancreatitis), and one asympomatic grade 4 amylase elevation. No treatment-related deaths were observed in either arm. Conclusions: There were no unexpected safety signals in the first 20 patients treated on BIG10CRC LUN 16-081. The incidence of grade 3 or higher irAEs was higher in the nivo/ipi arm, as expected, but this was manageable with the use of established guidelines. The study currently remains open to accrual (32 of 105 have been randomized as of 2/8/19). Clinical trial information: NCT03285321.

The distinction between primary and reactive thrombocytosis by bone marrow histology is very important. Reactive thrombocytosis, the most common cause of thrombocytosis, can be expected in postsplenectomy states; however, close hematological evaluation of prolonged thrombocytosis is essential to identify patients who may have an underlying myeloproliferative neoplasm. We report a 37-year-old woman who was found to have portal, mesenteric, and splenic vein thrombosis with thrombocytosis, two months after she had a splenectomy for spontaneous splenic rupture. Other reactive conditions and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) were excluded, and subsequently, the diagnosis of triple-negative essential thrombocythemia (ET) was established by bone marrow histology. This case of primary thrombocythemia following splenectomy in a young patient illustrates some of the diagnostic difficulties associated with postsplenectomy thrombocytosis. Continuing reports of anecdotal experiences in managing similar complex scenarios is essential and remains the only reference for clinicians facing these rare conditions.