Ponsegromab for the Treatment of Cancer Cachexia.

Background: Cachexia is a common complication of cancer and is associated with an increased risk of death. The level of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a circulating cytokine, is elevated in cancer cachexia. In a small, open-label, phase 1b study involving patients with cancer cachexia, ponsegromab, a humanized monoclonal antibody inhibiting GDF-15, was associated with improved weight, appetite, and physical activity, along with suppressed serum GDF-15 levels.

Li-Fraumeni Syndrome with Unusual Synchronous Malignancies: A Case Report.

Introduction: Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder brought on by pathogenic mutations in the tumor suppressor gene. LFS is characterized by a high lifetime risk of developing various cancers at a relatively young age.

Case Presentation: We are presenting a 48-year-old male with a diagnosis of LFS that was confirmed by a genetic test triggered by the patient's son's diagnosis of LFS and leukemia.

Real-World Safety and Effectiveness of a Bevacizumab Biosimilar (ABP 215) in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients in Canada.

Background: ABP 215 is a biosimilar to the reference product, bevacizumab, and was one of the first biosimilars approved by Health Canada for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This study aimed to address gaps in real-world evidence (RWE) including patient characteristics, treatment safety (primary objective), and effectiveness (secondary objective) for first-line ABP 215 therapy in Canadian patients with mCRC.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective data were collected in 2 waves, at least 1 year (Wave 1) or 2 years (Wave 2) after commercial availability of ABP 215 at each participating site.

Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2023.

The annual Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2023 was held in Quebec City, Quebec 2-4 February 2023. The purpose of the conference was to develop consensus statements on emerging and evolving treatment paradigms. Participants included Canadian medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and surgical oncologists from across Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces.

Small Bowel Neuroendocrine Tumors-10-Year Experience of the Ottawa Hospital (TOH).

(1) Aim: The prevalence and incidence of small bowel NETs have increased significantly over the past two decades. This study aims to report the 10-year experience of SB-NET management at a regional cancer center in Canada. (2) Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective study of the clinical and pathological data of patients diagnosed with biopsy-proven SB-NET at The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), Ottawa, Canada between 2011 and 2021.

Real world use of lanreotide in neuroendocrine tumors.

Background: Treatment for metastatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is often with somatostatin analogues (SSA) such as lanreotide in the first-line setting. Real world use of lanreotide in Canada is not well studied.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 69 patients to study real world use of lanreotide at our centre.

Expert Consensus Practice Recommendations of the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society for the management of high grade gastroenteropancreatic and gynecologic neuroendocrine neoplasms.

High-grade neuroendocrine neoplasms are a rare disease entity and account for approximately 10% of all neuroendocrine neoplasms. Because of their rarity, there is an overall lack of prospectively collected data available to advise practitioners as to how best to manage these patients. As a result, best practices are largely based on expert opinion.

Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma: 10-Year Experience in a Cancer Center-The Ottawa Hospital (TOH).

(1) Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is one of the predominant primary small bowel cancers that has a dismal outcome. We aim to report 10 years of experience in SBA management at a regional cancer centre in Canada.; (2) We retrospectively analysed clinical and pathological data of patients diagnosed with an SBA between 2011 and 2021 at the Ottawa Hospital (TOH), Ottawa, Canada.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: 10-Year Experience in Cancer Center-The Ottawa Hospital (TOH).

(1) Background: The management of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) has significantly evolved over the last two decades, with the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). We aim to report 10 years of experience of GIST management at a regional cancer center in Canada. (2) Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 248 consecutive patients diagnosed with GIST between 2011 and 2021.

The Impact of Virtual Cancer Care on Chemotherapy Delivery and Clinical Outcomes in Colorectal Cancer Patients Receiving Systemic Therapy: A Pre- and Intra-Pandemic Analysis.

(1) Background: The coronavirus 2019 pandemic has resulted in an abrupt transition to virtual oncology care worldwide. This study's objective is to evaluate chemotherapy delivery and clinical outcomes in patients on systemic treatment for colorectal cancer before and during the pandemic. (2) Methods: Clinical data was collected on patients with colorectal cancer receiving intravenous chemotherapy at The Ottawa Hospital from June 2019 to March 2021.

Efficacy and safety of extended duration to perioperative thromboprophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin on disease-free survival after surgical resection of colorectal cancer (PERIOP-01): multicentre, open label, randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To determine the efficacy and safety of extended duration perioperative thromboprophylaxis by low molecular weight heparin when assessing disease-free survival in patients undergoing resection for colorectal cancer.

Design: Multicentre, open label, randomised controlled trial.

Settings: 12 hospitals in Quebec and Ontario, Canada, between 25 October 2011 and 31 December 2020.

Histologic and Genotypic Characterization of Lung Cancer in the Inuit Population of the Eastern Canadian Arctic.

Inuit are the Indigenous Arctic peoples and residents of the Canadian territory of Nunavut who have the highest global rate of lung cancer. Given lung cancer's mortality, histological and genomic characterization was undertaken to better understand the disease biology. We retrospectively studied all Inuit cases from Nunavut's Qikiqtani (Baffin) region, referred to the Ottawa Hospital Cancer Center between 2001 and 2011.

An Evidence-Based Guideline for Surveillance of Patients after Curative Treatment for Colon and Rectal Cancer.

Objective: To provide recommendations for a surveillance regimen that leads to the largest overall survival benefit for patients after curative treatment for Stage I-IV colon and rectal cancer.

Methods: Consistent with the Program in Evidence-Based Care's standard approach, guideline databases, i.e.

Models of Follow-Up Care and Secondary Prevention Measures for Survivors of Colorectal Cancer: Evidence-Based Guidelines and Systematic Review.

Objective: To provide recommendations for preferred models of follow-up care for stage I-IV colorectal (CRC) cancer survivors in Ontario; to identify signs and symptoms of potential recurrence and when to investigate; and to evaluate patient information and support needs during the post-treatment survivorship period.

Methods: Consistent with the Program in Evidence-Based Medicine's standardized approach, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and PROSPERO databases were systematically searched. The authors drafted recommendations and revised them based on the comments from internal and external reviewers.

Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2019.

The annual Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2019 was held in Morell, Prince Edward Island, 19-21 September 2019. Experts in medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology who are involved in the management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies participated in presentations and discussion sessions for the purpose of developing the recommendations presented here. This consensus statement addresses multiple topics in the management of anal, colorectal, biliary tract, and gastric cancers, including: radiotherapy and systemic therapy for localized and advanced anal cancer; watch and wait strategy for the management of rectal cancer; role of testing for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency prior to commencement of fluoropyrimidine therapy; radiotherapy and systemic therapy in the adjuvant and unresectable settings for biliary tract cancer; and radiotherapy and systemic therapy in the perioperative setting for early-stage gastric cancer.

Phosphorylated transducer and activator of transcription-3 (pSTAT3) immunohistochemical expression in paired primary and metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background: Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 (STAT3) mediates cellular functions. We assessed the IHC expression of phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) in paired primary tumors and liver metastases in patients with advanced stage colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: We included patients with tissue blocks available from both the primary CRC and a surgically resected liver metastasis.

Rechallenge Strategy in Cancer Therapy.

Drug resistance is one of the most important factors limiting the success of systemic anticancer therapy in achieving cure or prolonged overall survival. In clinical practice, resistant disease describes cancer that is found to have progressed since the time of treatment initiation. The term "drug resistant" is often used synonymously with "progressive disease" when referring to a treated tumour.

Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2018.

The annual Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 20-22 September 2018. Experts in radiation oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, and pathology who are involved in the management of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies participated in presentations and discussion sessions for the purpose of developing the recommendations presented here. This consensus statement addresses multiple topics in the management of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, hepatocellular cancer, and rectal and colon cancer, including ■ surgical management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma,■ adjuvant and metastatic systemic therapy options in pancreatic adenocarcinoma,■ the role of radiotherapy in the management of pancreatic adenocarcinoma,■ systemic therapy in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours,■ updates in systemic therapy for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma,■ optimum duration of adjuvant systemic therapy for colorectal cancer, and■ sequence of therapy in oligometastatic colorectal cancer.

Time to Diagnosis and Treatment with Palliative Radiotherapy among Inuit Patients with Cancer from the Arctic Territory of Nunavut, Canada.

Aims: The cancer burden among Circumpolar Inuit is high. Palliative radiotherapy is a mainstay treatment for controlling symptoms of advanced cancers, but Inuit are required to travel far distances to access this service. Access to palliative radiotherapy and time away from home communities have not been explored among this population.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios as predictive and prognostic markers in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

Background: A standard therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) includes fluoropyrimidine (FP)-based neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT). Previous studies have inconsistently demonstrated that baseline neutrophil- and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR and PLR) are predictive of response to nCRT or prognostic of outcomes in LARC.

Methods: We reviewed patients with LARC undergoing nCRT followed by surgery from 2005 to 2013 across 8 Canadian cancer centres.

Intervention Development Process for a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial: The Thoracic Peri-Operative Integrative Surgical Care Evaluation Trial.

Background: Use of complementary therapies is high among people with cancer despite research gaps. The Thoracic Peri-Operative Integrative Surgical Care Evaluation (POISE) Trial will evaluate the impact of an integrative care intervention delivered by naturopathic doctors (NDs) in conjunction with usual care for patients undergoing surgery for lung, gastric, and esophageal cancer.

Objectives: To describe the multistep, multidisciplinary process of defining the integrative care intervention to be used in the Thoracic POISE trial using a principle-based approach that is pragmatic, holistic, safe, feasible, evidence driven, and consensus based.

A prospective intervention to improve happiness and reduce burnout in oncologists.

Background: There is a paucity of data about effective interventions to improve happiness and reduce burnout in oncologists. Benjamin Franklin developed a 13-week program of "necessary activities" or "virtues" (temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity, and humility) to follow, in his attempt at self-improvement. In this pilot study, we explored whether using a modified version of this was associated with any discernable impact on physician happiness, burnout, or compliance with each of the virtues.

Rationale and Design of the IROCAS Study: Multicenter, International, Randomized Phase 3 Trial Comparing Adjuvant Modified (m) FOLFIRINOX to mFOLFOX6 in Patients With High-Risk Stage III (pT4 and/or N2) Colon Cancer-A UNICANCER GI-PRODIGE Trial.

Background: According to the IDEA trial, 6-month adjuvant chemotherapy should remain the treatment standard in stage III T4 or N2 colon cancer. The relatively poor survival in this high-risk subgroup-a 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of 65%-and the potential synergistic efficacy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), oxaliplatin, and irinotecan suggest that FOLFIRINOX may be a regimen of particular interest in this setting.

Patients And Methods: This multicenter international phase 3 trial (ClinicalTrials.