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Palliative systemic therapy is frequently underutilized in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), for many reasons. The aim of this study was to identify patient-reported factors that may predict for treatment decisions and survival in advanced NSCLC, using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), which is a self-reported questionnaire that quantifies symptom burden by asking patients to rate the severity of 9 common symptoms.With ethics approval, we analyzed ESAS scores at initial oncology consultation for 461 patients with advanced NSCLC seen at The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre from 2009 to 2012. Subgroup analysis was performed to determine if treatment strategies or overall survival (OS) were related to the total symptom burden, as defined by the sum of the individual ESAS symptom scores.The severity of the ESAS total symptom burden score was positively correlated with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (R = 0.48; P .0001). Furthermore, patients with a higher symptom burden were less likely to receive systemic chemotherapy than those with fewer symptoms (43% vs. 66%; P .0001), and had a significantly reduced OS (5.5 vs. 9.9 months; P .0001). A higher ESAS symptom burden score was also associated with reduced OS by univariate analysis (hazard ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-2.18; P .0001), although multivariate analysis showed only a trend towards significance (hazard ratio, 1.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.62; P = .06).Overall, this demonstrates a novel role for the ESAS as a prognostic tool that could complement existing patient assessment models, such as Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, in the development of optimal treatment plans and estimation of survival, in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Summary Background Results from retrospective studies indicate that selecting individuals for low-dose CT lung cancer screening on the basis of a highly predictive risk model is superior to using criteria similar to those used in the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST; age, pack-year, and smoking quit-time). We designed the Pan-Canadian Early Detection of Lung Cancer (PanCan) study to assess the efficacy of a risk prediction model to select candidates for lung cancer screening, with the aim of determining whether this approach could better detect patients with early, potentially curable, lung cancer. Methods We did this single-arm, prospective study in eight centres across Canada. We recruited participants aged 50–75 years, who had smoked at some point in their life (ever-smokers), and who did not have a self-reported history of lung cancer. Participants had at least a 2% 6-year risk of lung cancer as estimated by the PanCan model, a precursor to the validated PLCOm2012 model. Risk variables in the model were age, smoking duration, pack-years, family history of lung cancer, education level, body-mass index, chest x-ray in the past 3 years, and history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Individuals were screened with low-dose CT at baseline (T0), and at 1 (T1) and 4 (T4) years post-baseline. The primary outcome of the study was incidence of lung cancer. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00751660. Findings 7059 queries came into the study coordinating centre and were screened for PanCan risk. 15 were duplicates, so 7044 participants were considered for enrolment. Between Sept 24, 2008, and Dec 17, 2010, we recruited and enrolled 2537 eligible ever-smokers. After a median follow-up of 5·5 years (IQR 3·2–6·1), 172 lung cancers were diagnosed in 164 individuals (cumulative incidence 0·065 [95% CI 0·055–0·075], incidence rate 138·1 per 10 000 person-years [117·8–160·9]). There were ten interval lung cancers (6% of lung cancers and 6% of individuals with cancer): one diagnosed between T0 and T1, and nine between T1 and T4. Cumulative incidence was significantly higher than that observed in NLST (4·0%; p Interpretation The PanCan model was effective in identifying individuals who were subsequently diagnosed with early, potentially curable, lung cancer. The incidence of cancers detected and the proportion of early stage cancers in the screened population was higher than observed in previous studies. This approach should be considered for adoption in lung cancer screening programmes. Funding Terry Fox Research Institute and Canadian Partnership Against Cancer.

Background Our tertiary Canadian academic cancer centre serves a population as far as 200 km away. We assessed whether driving time or winter season affected uptake of systemic treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Materials and methods With ethics approval, we performed a retrospective analysis of stage IIIB and IV NSCLC outpatients seen from 2009 to 2012. Patients were stratified by driving time from our cancer centre. Demographics, treatment and survival data were collected. Results In the overall cohort, 514 patients were included. The median age was 68, 56% were male and 71% had performance status 0–2. By drive time, 420 patients lived Conclusions A long travel time to the cancer centre, even in winter months, did not adversely impact treatment rates for advanced NSCLC. These results suggest that centralization of medical oncology services does not limit uptake of available care options. Microabstract A long travel time to the cancer centre may create a barrier to access. In a retrospective analysis of 514 patients with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC, proximity to the cancer centre and winter season had no impact on the uptake of systemic therapy or overall survival. Centralization of medical oncology services does not limit uptake of available care options.

Background The src family of kinases may play a role in the malignant phenotype through effects on migration, motility, adhesion and proliferation. The activity of saracatinib, an orally available inhibitor of src kinases, was evaluated in patients with advanced, platinum-pretreated NSCLC. Patients and Methods Eligible patients with advanced NSCLC of any histologic subtype and who had obtained a best response to prior platinum-based chemotherapy of at least stable disease received saracatanib 175 mg orally daily in a 28 day cycle. The primary end point was the proportion of patients progression-free after 4 cycles (16 weeks) of therapy; 8 such patients of 32 evaluable were required to deem the therapy active. Immunohistochemistry for src expression was performed on archival tissue from enrolled patients. Results Thirty-seven patients received a median of 2 cycles (range, 1–14) each. Six of 31 evaluable patients were progression-free at 16 weeks. Two partial responses were observed, lasting 3.7 and 14.6 months; 1 responder had an EGFR exon 19 deletion. An additional 4 patients had stable disease for at least 4 cycles. The median progression-free and overall survival times were 1.8 and 7.6 months. No correlation between src protein expression and outcome was observed. Conclusions There may be a subset of saracatinib-responsive NSCLC that is currently molecularly undefined. Further studies of this agent in a population preselected for target mutations that potentially relevant to src pathways, such as EGFR, should be considered.

Background Even if non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is diagnosed early and resected, recurrence is common. Uncertainty exists about the optimal treatment of locoregional recurrence. In fit patients with locoregional recurrence, chemoradiotherapy is sometimes offered, but no data exist about the feasibility and efficacy of this approach. We retrospectively collected data from patients treated this way to assess their outcomes and to identify prognostic factors. Patients and Methods Databases of The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre (TOHCC) (N = 5791) and the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) (N = 2225) were screened to identify patients with recurrent NSCLC after curative resection who were offered curative-intent chemoradiotherapy. Selected patients' charts were reviewed. Results Thirty patients fit our search criteria. The median disease-free interval was 15 months (2-33 months) and stage at recurrence was mainly T0 (n = 25 [83%]), N2 (n = 25 [83%]), and M0 (n = 29 [97%]). The median radiation dose given at recurrence was 63.5 Gy (26-66 Gy). Chemotherapy included a platinum agent in all cases, mostly a platinum-vinorelbine doublet (n = 14 [47%]), at a median of 3 cycles, (1-6 cycles) 2 of which were concurrent (0-3 cycles). Toxicities were as expected from thoracic chemoradiotherapy, with 7 cases of grade 4 toxicities and no treatment-related deaths. Median follow-up was 22 months (1.5-88 months). Median survival after recurrence was 26.9 months. No prognostic factors were identified. Conclusion Chemoradiotherapy for locoregional recurrent NSCLC is practiced sporadically. This treatment is feasible for highly selected patients, and in our cohort, it allowed for a significantly higher than expected survival. No prognostic factors were identified. Chemoradiotherapy for locoregional NSCLC should be examined in a prospective trial.

Introduction Extensive-disease small cell lung cancer (ED SCLC) is characterized by initial chemosensitivity, followed inevitably by relapse. The optimal role of additional chemotherapy at the time of progression is controversial. We reviewed the experience of all patients over a 5-year period with ED SCLC to describe outcomes of second-line chemotherapy. Methods Records of all patients registered at The Ottawa Hospital Regional Cancer Centre with ED SCLC were reviewed, and baseline prognostic factors, chemotherapy delivered, and treatment outcomes were extracted. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine the effect of second-line chemotherapy on survival. Results Of 192 patients who completed first-line chemotherapy, only 62 (32%) received second-line therapy; these patients were younger and fitter, and lived longer from the time of relapse (5.2 vs. 1.5 months). Second-line therapy was an independent predictor of survival. Benefit was observed in patients with relapse either before or after 60 days from the completion of first-line therapy. Conclusions Second-line chemotherapy given at the time of relapse of ED SCLC seems to be associated with prolongation of survival, even in patients traditionally felt to have chemoresistant disease. The majority of patients, however, do not receive second-line therapy because of poor clinical status at relapse.

Purpose: To investigate a putative increased risk of rectal cancer subsequent to prostatic radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: In an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry, we compared men who had radiotherapy for prostatic carcinoma with those treated surgically and those treated with neither modality. Kaplan-Meier analyses for the time to failure from rectal cancer were performed between age-matched subgroups of the three cohorts. Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to ascertain what influences might affect the incidence of subsequent rectal cancer. Results: In all, 33,831 men were irradiated, 167,607 were treated surgically, and 36,335 received neither modality. Rectal cancers developed in 243 (0.7%) of those irradiated (mean age, 70.7 years), 578 (0.3%) of those treated surgically (68.7 years), and 227 (0.8%) of those treated with neither modality (74.2 years). When age effects and the differences between the surgical and untreated cohorts were controlled for, we were unable to demonstrate any significant increased incidence of rectal cancer in men irradiated for prostatic cancer. Conclusions: An increased frequency of rectal cancer after prostatic irradiation, apparent on crude analysis, could be attributed to age confounding and other unmeasured confounders associated with prostate cancer treatment and rectal cancer risk.