Report from the 25th Annual Western Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference on Gastric and Gastroesophageal Cancers, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 26-27 October 2023.

The 25th Annual Western Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference (WCGCCC) was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on 26-27 October 2023. The WCGCCC is an interactive multidisciplinary conference that was attended by healthcare professionals from across Western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba) who are involved in the care of patients with gastrointestinal cancer. Surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists; pathologists; oncology nurses; pharmacists; and a family physician in oncology (FPO) participated in presentation and discussion sessions for the purpose of developing the recommendations presented here.

A population-based analysis of the impact of 1 vs. 2 doses of mitomycin on patterns of failure of anal cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Purpose: We report the impact of 1 vs. 2 doses of mitomycin-C (MMC) based chemoradiation (CRT) on patterns of treatment failure and long-term patient outcomes in anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) and the predictors for locoregional failure (LRF) and distant metastasis (DM).

Methods: In this population-based study, we identified all patients with anal cancer in our province treated radically with radiation and concurrent 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) and 1 vs.

Immunotherapy before liver transplant in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of global cancer mortality, with liver transplantation as the sole curative treatment. For advanced disease, first-line systemic therapies including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown a survival benefit, but there is scarce data on clinical outcomes when used prior to transplantation.

Case Description: We present three case studies of patients who received immunotherapy with atezolizumab/bevacizumab or ipilimumab/nivolumab before liver transplant.

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.

Real-world experience of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in children, adolescents and adults with relapsed or refractory bone tumours: A Canadian Sarcoma Research and Clinical Collaboration (CanSaRCC) study.

Objectives: We conducted a retrospective multi-centre study to assess the real-world outcome of regorafenib (REGO) and cabozantinib (CABO) in recurrent/refractory bone tumours (BTs) including osteosarcoma (OST), Ewing sarcoma (EWS) and chondrosarcoma (CS)/extra-skeletal mesenchymal CS (ESMC).

Methods: After regulatory approval, data from patients with recurrent BT (11 institutions) were extracted from CanSaRCC (Canadian Sarcoma Research and Clinical Collaboration) database. Patient characteristics, treatment and outcomes were collected.

Patterns of colorectal cancer diagnosis among younger adults in a real-world, population-based cohort.

To review the patterns of early-onset (<50 years old) colorectal cancer (CRC) in Alberta across the past 15 years among different socioeconomic and demographic patient subgroups. This is a retrospective, population-based study based on Alberta administrative databases. Income level was identified via income information from the 2006 Canadian census.

Comparison of oral versus intravenous etoposide in the management of small-cell lung cancer; A real-world, population-based study.

Background: We looked at the utility of PO versus IV etoposide for first-line treatment in combination with a platinum agent (cisplatin/carboplatin) for Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC).

Methods: Patients with SCLC in Alberta from 2008 to 2015 were identified through the registry. Patients were separated on the basis of stage; limited disease (LD) and extensive disease (ED).

Outcomes of Patients With Advanced Gastrointestinal Cancer in Relationship to Opioid Use: Findings From Eight Clinical Trials.

Background: This study assessed the patterns of opioid use among patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers who were included in 8 clinical trials and evaluated the impact of opioid use on survival outcomes of included patients.

Methods: Deidentified datasets from 8 clinical trials evaluating first-line systemic treatment of advanced gastrointestinal cancers were accessed from the Project Data Sphere platform (ClinicalTrial.gov identifiers: NCT01124786, NCT00844649, NCT00290966, NCT00678535, NCT00699374, NCT00272051, NCT00305188, and NCT00384176).

Impact of age on toxicity and efficacy of 5-FU-based combination chemotherapy among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer; a pooled analysis of five randomized trials.

Objective: To assess the impact of age on toxicity and efficacy outcomes of metastatic colorectal cancer treated with 5FU-based combination chemotherapy.

Methods: Project Data Sphere (PDS) platform has been accessed and de-identified datasets of the following clinical trials were downloaded (NCT00272051; NCT00305188; NCT00115765; NCT00364013; and NCT00384176). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the impact of age (< 70 years versus ≥ 70 years) on the probability of different toxicities.

Acute leukemic appendicitis in a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Leukemic and lymphomatous infiltration of the appendix is a rare complication. We present the case of a 31-year-old male with acute promyelocytic leukemia who developed acute abdomen on day 11 of induction chemotherapy with idarubicin and cytarabine. After appropriate work-up, a clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis was made.

To bind or to let loose: effectiveness of sodium polystyrene sulfonate in decreasing serum potassium.

Background. The use of sodium polystyrene sulfonate in decreasing serum potassium has recently been questioned due to the lack of documented effectiveness. Methods.

Anticoagulant-resistant thrombophilia in a patient with polycythemia vera: a case report.

Mechanical valve thrombosis is a rare condition in an adequately anticoagulated patient in the absence of underlying thrombophilia. We report a case of a 76-year-old male with mechanical prosthetic mitral valve thrombosis as the presenting feature of polycythemia vera. The patient was treated with thrombolysis at the time of acute presentation and subsequently maintained on low molecular weight heparin, low-dose aspirin, phlebotomy and hydroxyurea.