Sarah Cannon Research Institute UK, London, United Kingdom.
Gastrointestinal Tract Cancer Group, EORTC, Brussels, Belgium.
J Clin Oncol. 2021 Dec 20;39(36):4009-4019. doi: 10.1200/JCO.21.02008. Epub 2021 Nov 9.
Early-onset (EO) colorectal cancer (CRC, age < 50 years) incidence is increasing. Decisions on optimal adjuvant therapy should consider treatment adherence, adverse events, and expected outcomes in a population with life expectancy longer than later-onset (LO) CRC (age ≥ 50 years).
Individual patient data from six trials in the International Duration Evaluation of Adjuvant Chemotherapy database were analyzed. Characteristics, treatment adherence, and adverse events in stage II or III EO-CRC and LO-CRC were compared. To reduce confounders of non-cancer-related deaths because of age or comorbidities, time to recurrence (3-year relapse-free rate) and cancer-specific survival (5-year cancer-specific mortality rate) were considered.
Out of 16,349 patients, 1,564 (9.6%) had EO-CRC. Compared with LO-CRC, EO-CRC had better performance status (86% 80%, < .01), similar T stage (% T1-3/T4: 76/24 77/23, = .97), higher N2 disease rate (24% 22%, < .01), more likely to complete the planned treatment duration (83.2% 78.2%, < .01), and received a higher treatment dose intensity, especially with 6-month regimens. Gastrointestinal toxicity was more common in EO-CRC; hematologic toxicity was more frequent in LO-CRC. Compared with LO-CRC, significantly worse cancer-specific outcomes were demonstrated especially in high-risk stage III EO-CRC: lower 3-year relapse-free rate (54% 65%; hazard ratio [HR] 1.33; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.55; value < .001) and higher 5-year cancer-specific mortality rate (24% 20%; HR 1.21; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.47; value < .06). In this subgroup, no difference was observed with 3 or 6 months of therapy, with equally poor disease-free survival rates (57% 56%; HR 0.97; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.29; value = .85).
Young age is negatively prognostic in high-risk stage III CRC and associated with significantly higher relapse rate; this is despite better treatment adherence and higher administered treatment intensity, suggesting more aggressive disease biology.
早发性(EO)结直肠癌(CRC,年龄<50 岁)的发病率正在上升。在预期寿命超过晚发性(LO)CRC(年龄≥50 岁)的人群中,决定最佳辅助治疗时应考虑治疗依从性、不良反应和预期结果。
对国际辅助化疗持续时间评估数据库中 6 项试验的个体患者数据进行了分析。比较了 II 期或 III 期 EO-CRC 和 LO-CRC 的特征、治疗依从性和不良反应。为了减少因年龄或合并症导致的非癌症相关死亡的混杂因素,考虑了复发时间(3 年无复发生存率)和癌症特异性生存(5 年癌症特异性死亡率)。
在 16349 例患者中,有 1564 例(9.6%)患有 EO-CRC。与 LO-CRC 相比,EO-CRC 的表现状态更好(86%比 80%,<.01),T 分期相似(%T1-3/T4:76/24 比 77/23,=.97),N2 疾病发生率更高(24%比 22%,<.01),更有可能完成计划的治疗持续时间(83.2%比 78.2%,<.01),并且接受了更高的治疗剂量强度,尤其是 6 个月的治疗方案。EO-CRC 中胃肠道毒性更常见;LO-CRC 中血液学毒性更常见。与 LO-CRC 相比,EO-CRC 的癌症特异性结局明显更差,尤其是在高危 III 期 EO-CRC 中:3 年无复发生存率较低(54%比 65%;风险比[HR]1.33;95%CI,1.14 至 1.55; 值<.001),5 年癌症特异性死亡率较高(24%比 20%;HR 1.21;95%CI,1.00 至 1.47; 值<.06)。在该亚组中,3 个月或 6 个月的治疗没有差异,无病生存率同样较低(57%比 56%;HR 0.97;95%CI,0.73 至 1.29; 值=.85)。
在高危 III 期 CRC 中,年轻的年龄是预后不良的因素,并与更高的复发率相关;尽管治疗依从性更好,治疗强度更高,但这表明疾病生物学更具侵袭性。