Publications by authors named "Koemans W"

The genome of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is highly unstable and might evolve over time. Here, we track karyotype evolution in EACs in response to treatment and upon recurrence through multi-region and longitudinal analysis. To this end, we introduce L-PAC (low-purity inference of absolute copy-number alterations [CNAs]), a bio-informatics technique that allows inference of absolute CNAs of low-purity samples by leveraging the information of high-purity samples from the same cancer.

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Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a highly aggressive cancer and its response to chemo- and radiotherapy is unpredictable. EACs are highly heterogeneous at the molecular level. The aim of this study was to perform gene expression analysis of EACs to identify distinct molecular subgroups and to investigate expression signatures in relation to treatment response.

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Objective: This study investigated the patterns, predictors, and survival of recurrent disease following esophageal cancer surgery.

Background: Survival of recurrent esophageal cancer is usually poor, with limited prospects of remission.

Methods: This nationwide cohort study included patients with distal esophageal and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma after curatively intended esophagectomy in 2007 to 2016 (follow-up until January 2020).

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Article Synopsis
  • This study analyzed trends in the treatment and outcomes for patients with distal esophageal and gastro-esophageal junction cancers in the Netherlands from 2007 to 2016.
  • It found that the use of transthoracic esophagectomy, neo-adjuvant treatments, and minimally invasive surgery significantly increased during this period.
  • Postoperative results improved, with lower complication rates, higher success in tumor removal, better lymph node retrieval, and longer survival times for patients.
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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how the tumor microenvironment and immune cell presence affect survival in esophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) patients who poorly respond to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT).
  • - Researchers analyzed immune markers in tumor samples from 123 patients after nCRT, finding that high levels of CD8 immune cells negatively impacted overall survival (OS) in poor responders.
  • - The findings suggest that patients with a poor response to nCRT but high CD8 counts may benefit from additional adjuvant therapy to improve their outcomes.
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Introduction: The peritoneum is a predilection site for gastric cancer metastases. Current standard treatment for gastric cancer patients with synchronous peritoneal metastases is palliative systemic therapy. However, its efficacy is largely unknown.

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Introduction: The PERISCOPE I (Treatment of PERItoneal dissemination in Stomach Cancer patients with cytOreductive surgery and hyPErthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy) study was conducted to investigate the safety and feasibility of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in gastric cancer patients with limited peritoneal dissemination. In this study, tumor characteristics and clinical outcome of the patients treated in the PERISCOPE I trial were investigated.

Methods: Patients who had undergone the full study protocol were selected; that is, preoperative systemic chemotherapy, followed by a surgical procedure consisting of a (sub)total gastrectomy, cytoreductive surgery, and HIPEC with oxaliplatin (460 mg/m ) and docetaxel (in escalating doses).

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Background: The PERISCOPE I study was designed to assess the safety and feasibility of (sub)total gastrectomy, cytoreductive surgery (CRS), and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with oxaliplatin and docetaxel for gastric cancer patients who have limited peritoneal dissemination. The current analysis investigated changes in perioperative management together with their impact on postoperative outcomes.

Methods: Patients with resectable gastric cancer and limited peritoneal dissemination were administered (sub)total gastrectomy, CRS, and HIPEC with oxaliplatin (460 mg/m) and docetaxel (escalating scheme: 0, 50, 75 mg/m).

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Introduction: The Lauren classification of gastric adenocarcinoma describes three histological subtypes, the intestinal, the diffuse and the mixed type carcinoma. The metastatic pattern of gastric adenocarcinoma by histological subtype has not been studied.

Methods: Gastric adenocarcinoma patients with metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis between 1999 and 2017 were identified through the Netherlands Cancer Registry.

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Background: The presence of lymph node metastasis (LNmets) is a poor prognostic factor in oesophageal cancer (OeC) patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by surgery. Tumour regression grade (TRG) in LNmets has been suggested as a predictor for survival. The aim of this study was to investigate whether TRG in LNmets is related to their location within the radiotherapy (RT) field.

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In the PERISCOPE I study, gastric cancer patients with limited peritoneal dissemination were treated with systemic chemotherapy followed by (sub)total gastrectomy, cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with 460 mg/m hyperthermic oxaliplatin followed by normothermic docetaxel in escalating doses (0, 50, 75 mg/m). In total, 25 patients completed the study protocol. Plasma samples were collected before the start of the HIPEC procedure, after oxaliplatin washing, after docetaxel washing and the following morning.

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BACKGROUND : The International Gastric Cancer Linkage Consortium (IGCLC) consensus guideline advises prophylactic gastrectomy in early adulthood to prevent gastric cancer development in germline mutation carriers; psychosocial reasons may postpone gastrectomy. We analyzed the yield of signet-ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) during surveillance gastroscopy in mutation carriers. METHODS : A retrospective analysis on surveillance gastroscopies in mutation carriers was performed.

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Background: The role of cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in gastric cancer is unknown. This non-randomized dose-finding phase I-II study was designed to assess the safety and feasibility of HIPEC, following systemic chemotherapy, in patients with gastric cancer and limited peritoneal dissemination. The maximum tolerated dose of normothermic intraperitoneal docetaxel in combination with a fixed dose of intraperitoneal oxaliplatin was also explored.

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Aim: To investigate the nationwide time trends in incidence and survival of oesophageal and gastric adenocarcinomas according to the Laurén classification (intestinal, diffuse and mixed type).

Methods: All patients diagnosed in the Netherlands with oesophageal or gastric adenocarcinoma between 1989 and 2015 were included. A syntax was developed to determine the histological subtype based on pathology reports as archived in the Dutch pathology registry.

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Background: At present, palliative systemic chemotherapy is the standard treatment in the Netherlands for gastric cancer patients with peritoneal dissemination. In contrast to lymphatic and haematogenous dissemination, peritoneal dissemination may be regarded as locoregional spread of disease. Administering cytotoxic drugs directly into the peritoneal cavity has an advantage over systemic chemotherapy since high concentrations can be delivered directly into the peritoneal cavity with limited systemic toxicity.

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Gastric adenocarcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma are aggressive cancers with a poor prognosis. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies are needed, especially for patients refractory to conventional treatment. Cancer immunotherapy (CIT), is a promising new treatment option and is effective in a proportion of patients with gastroesophageal malignancies.

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