Survival after docetaxel for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in a rural health care setting.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate overall survival of men who received systemic therapy with docetaxel for metastatic castration- resistant prostate cancer (MCRPC) in rural Nordland County, Norway. Prognostic factors related to treatment and other variables were evaluated.

Material And Methods: Overall, 132 pa- tients were included in this retrospective study covering the years 2009-2022.

IMPRESS-Norway: improving public cancer care by implementing precision medicine in Norway; inclusion rates and preliminary results.

Background And Purpose: In Norway, comprehensive molecular tumour profiling is implemented as part of the public healthcare system. A substantial number of tumours harbour potentially targetable molecular alterations. Therapy outcomes may improve if targeted treatments are matched with actionable genomic alterations.

Sex Differences in Presentation, Treatment, and Survival in Patients Receiving Palliative (Chemo)Radiotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to analyze sex differences in a real-world cohort of patients who received palliative thoracic radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

Patients And Methods: Retrospectively, baseline, treatment, toxicity, and survival data from a single institution were analyzed. The study included 181 patients (82 females, 99 males).

Percent of remaining life on palliative radiation treatment: solely a function of fractionation?

Background: This study analyzed the percent of remaining life (PRL) on treatment in patients irradiated for bone metastases. Bone metastases were treated together with other target volumes, if indicated, e.g.

The LabPS score: Inexpensive, Fast, and Site-agnostic Survival Prediction.

Objectives: To provide a widely applicable, blood-biomarker-based and performance-status-based prognostic model, which predicts the survival of patients undergoing palliative non-brain radiotherapy. This model has already been examined in a cohort of patients treated for brain metastases and performed well.

Methods: This was a retrospective single-institution analysis of 375 patients, managed with non-ablative radiotherapy to extracranial targets, such as bone, lung, or lymph nodes.

Palliative appropriateness criteria: external validation of a new method to evaluate the suitability of palliative radiotherapy fractionation.

Background: Recently, the palliative appropriateness criteria (PAC) score, a novel metric to aid clinical decision-making between different palliative radiotherapy fractionation regimens, has been developed. It includes baseline parameters including but not limited to performance status. The researchers behind the PAC score analyzed the percent of remaining life (PRL) on treatment.

Health-related quality of life in patients with advanced melanoma treated with ipilimumab: prognostic implications and changes during treatment.

Background: We have previously reported that the safety and efficacy of ipilimumab in real-world patients with metastatic melanoma were comparable to clinical trials. Few studies have explored health-related quality of life (HRQL) in real-world populations receiving checkpoint inhibitors. This study reports HRQL in real-world patients receiving ipilimumab and assesses the prognostic value of patient-reported outcome measures.

Improving public cancer care by implementing precision medicine in Norway: IMPRESS-Norway.

Background: Matching treatment based on tumour molecular characteristics has revolutionized the treatment of some cancers and has given hope to many patients. Although personalized cancer care is an old concept, renewed attention has arisen due to recent advancements in cancer diagnostics including access to high-throughput sequencing of tumour tissue. Targeted therapies interfering with cancer specific pathways have been developed and approved for subgroups of patients.

Established Serum Biomarkers Are Prognostic Factors in Patients With Oligometastatic Cancer and Brain Involvement.

Background/aim: This study was designed to evaluate the prognostic impact of the previously validated LabBM score (serum lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, albumin, hemoglobin, platelets) in a new setting, namely patients with a limited number of brain metastases, arbitrarily defined as max. 4 brain lesions, from common tumor types such as lung and breast cancer. A total of 5 metastatic lesions overall were allowed to comply with current definitions of oligometastatic cancer.

Feasibility and efficacy of early docetaxel plus androgen deprivation therapy for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer in a rural health care setting.

Aim/background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy, in terms of overall survival, of intensified upfront systemic therapy in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer who lived in rural Nordland County, Norway.

Patients And Methods: Overall 117 patients were included in this retrospective study. Three cohorts were created: early docetaxel and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT; the CHAARTED regimen;  = 37), ADT only during the same time period (2014-2020;  = 33), and ADT only in the years 2009-2014 ( = 47).

The LabBM score is an excellent survival prediction tool in patients undergoing palliative radiotherapy.

Background And Aim: The prognostic assessment of patients referred for palliative radiotherapy can be conducted by site-specific scores. A quick assessment that would cover the whole spectrum could simplify the working day of clinicians who are not specialists for a particular disease site. This study evaluated a promising score, the LabBM (validated for brain metastases), in patients treated for other indications.

Ipilimumab in a real-world population: A prospective Phase IV trial with long-term follow-up.

Ipilimumab was the first treatment that improved survival in advanced melanoma. Efficacy and toxicity in a real-world setting may differ from clinical trials, due to more liberal eligibility criteria and less intensive monitoring. Moreover, high costs and lack of biomarkers have raised cost-benefit concerns about ipilimumab in national healthcare systems and limited its use.

Recursive Partitioning Analysis of Systemic Therapy after Radiotherapy in Patients with Brain Metastases.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with the initiation or continuation of systemic treatment after brain irradiation. The outcome of interest was a utilization rate of at least 75%, given that active extracranial disease is common in patients with brain metastases. If left untreated, extracranial disease limits survival, regardless of successful local treatment of the brain metastases.

Is there a seasonal variation of survival after systemic chemotherapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in a rural part of North Norway?

The winter darkness or polar night induces endocrine and metabolic mechanisms, which might reduce the efficacy of cancer treatment and thus contribute to shorter survival. Moreover, season-and weather-related treatment delays and irregularities might also cause reduced efficacy of anti-cancer drugs. Therefore, this study evaluated the prognostic impact of timing of chemotherapy (start during winter darkness or outside of this season), in terms of overall survival, in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (MCRPC) who received oncology care at the Nordland hospital Bodø.

Management of Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Cancer and Bone Metastases.

Background/aim: Previous research has suggested that patients with metastatic renal cell cancer (mRCC) and bone metastases have a poorer prognosis compared to their counterparts with no skeletal involvement. Therefore, we analyzed the management and outcomes of such patients in our center.

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 35 consecutive patients who received systemic treatment, largely targeted therapy, for mRCC with bone metastases.

Independent External Validation of a Score Predicting Survival After Radiotherapy for Bone Metastases and Expansion to Patients Treated With Single Fraction Radiotherapy.

Background: Recently a prognostic score that predicts 12-month survival in patients treated with fractionated radiotherapy for painful bone metastases has been developed. Fractionated radiotherapy might cause unnecessary burden for patients with limited survival, thus estimation of survival is clinically relevant. The purpose of the present study was independent external validation of the new score and, in addition, its application in patients who received single fraction irradiation, a convenient option currently endorsed in several guidelines.

Feasibility and efficacy of sequential systemic therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in a rural health care setting.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy, in terms of overall survival, of sequential systemic therapy in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (MCRPC) who lived in Nordland County, Norway, a large region with a challenging geography, yet only one department of oncology located in the main city, Bodø. Overall 77 patients who had received at least 2 lines of treatment were included in this retrospective study. Management included docetaxel in 69 patients (90%), often prescribed in first line.

Confirmatory Analysis of QUARTZ Study Results: Survival Prolongation After Whole-brain Radiotherapy.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the survival of patients with brain metastases treated with best supportive care or additional whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT), in order to confirm results from the prospective randomized QUARTZ study, which suggested prolonged survival after WBRT (5 fractions of 4 Gy) if favorable prognostic factors were present (age younger than 60 years, graded prognostic assessment score 2.5-3 points).

Patients And Methods: We performed a retrospective single institution analysis of 76 patients with favorable prognosis.

Presence of Brain Metastases at Initial Diagnosis of Cancer: Patient Characteristics and Outcome.

Objective To describe the characteristics of patients who present with brain metastases already at first diagnosis of cancer and to evaluate overall survival (OS) and long-term survival. Methods Retrospective uni- and multivariate analyses in a group of 84 patients treated with different approaches. Results With respect to primary cancer type, the largest entities were adenocarcinoma non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (34.

External Validation of the LabBM Score in Patients With Brain Metastases.

Background: The aim of this study was to validate the prognostic impact of the recently introduced three-tiered LabBM score in patients with brain metastases. In contrast to the previous development and validation cohorts, the present cohort did not include patients treated with primary surgery and/or radiosurgery. The score is based on hemoglobin, platelet counts, albumin, C-reactive protein and lactate dehydrogenase.

Contribution of Serum Biomarkers to Prognostic Assessment in Patients With Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic impact of biomarkers, such as serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), in patients with oligometastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, arbitrarily defined as a maximum of five metastatic lesions.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective single-institution analysis. Overall 34 patients were included, all of whom received first-line docetaxel without ablative local treatment.

Serum Lactate Dehydrogenase Contributes to Prognostic Assessment in Patients With Oligometastatic Cancer and Brain Involvement.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic impact of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in patients with oligometastatic brain metastases, arbitrarily defined as max. Four brain lesions and 5 metastatic lesions overall.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective single institution analysis.