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Background: We developed models for tumor segmentation to automate the assessment of total tumor volume (TTV) in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM)., Methods: In this prospective cohort study, pre- and post-systemic treatment computed tomography (CT) scans of 259 patients with initially unresectable CRLM of the CAIRO5 trial (NCT02162563) were included. In total, 595 CT scans comprising 8,959 CRLM were divided into training (73%), validation (6.5%), and test sets (21%). Deep learning models were trained with ground truth segmentations of the liver and CRLM. TTV was calculated based on the CRLM segmentations. An external validation cohort was included, comprising 72 preoperative CT scans of patients with 112 resectable CRLM. Image segmentation evaluation metrics and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were calculated., Results: In the test set (122 CT scans), the autosegmentation models showed a global Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.96 (liver) and 0.86 (CRLM). The corresponding median per-case DSC was 0.96 (interquartile range [IQR] 0.95-0.96) and 0.80 (IQR 0.67-0.87). For tumor segmentation, the intersection-over-union, precision, and recall were 0.75, 0.89, and 0.84, respectively. An excellent agreement was observed between the reference and automatically computed TTV for the test set (ICC 0.98) and external validation cohort (ICC 0.98). In the external validation, the global DSC was 0.82 and the median per-case DSC was 0.60 (IQR 0.29-0.76) for tumor segmentation., Conclusions: Deep learning autosegmentation models were able to segment the liver and CRLM automatically and accurately in patients with initially unresectable CRLM, enabling automatic TTV assessment in such patients., Relevance Statement: Automatic segmentation enables the assessment of total tumor volume in patients with colorectal liver metastases, with a high potential of decreasing radiologist's workload and increasing accuracy and consistency., Key Points: • Tumor response evaluation is time-consuming, manually performed, and ignores total tumor volume. • Automatic models can accurately segment tumors in patients with colorectal liver metastases. • Total tumor volume can be accurately calculated based on automatic segmentations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: This study aimed to analyze the predictive value of Hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) for posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) after major liver resection with a comparison to assessment of liver volume in a multicenter cohort., Methods: Patients who underwent liver resection after HBS were included from six centers. Remnant liver volume was calculated from CT images. PHLF was scored and graded according to the grade B/C ISGLS criteria., Results: In 547 patients PHLF incidence was 10% (56/547) and 90-day mortality rate 8% (42/547). Overall predictive value of remnant liver function was 0.66 (0.58-0.74) and similar to that of remnant volume (0.63 (0.72). For biliary tumors, a function cut-off of 2.7%/min/m2 and 30% volume cut-off resulted in a PHLF rate 12% and 13%, respectively. While an 8.5%/min (4.5%/min/m2) function cut-off resulted in 7% PHLF for those with a function above the cutoff while a 40% volume cutoff still resulted in 14% PHLF rate. In the multivariable analyses for PHLF, liver function was predictive but liver volume was not., Conclusion: The current study shows that preoperative liver function assessment using HBS is at least as predictive for PHLF as liver volume assessment, and likely has several advantages, particularly in the high-risk sub-group of biliary tumors., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Patients with locally extensive high-grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas (eSTS) are often presented in multidisciplinary teams to decide between ablative surgery (amputation) or limb-salvage surgery supplemented with either neo-adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) or induction isolated limb perfusion (ILP). In The Netherlands, ILP typically aims to reduce the size of tumors that would otherwise be considered irresectable, whereas neo-adjuvant RT aims mainly at improving local control and reducing morbidity of required marginal margins. This study presents a 15-year nationwide cohort to describe the oncological outcomes of both pre-operative treatment strategies., Methods: All consecutive patients with locally extensive primary high-grade eSTS surgically treated between 2000 and 2015 at five tertiary sarcoma centers that received neo-adjuvant ILP or RT were included. 169 patients met the inclusion criteria (89 ILP, 80 RT). Median follow-up was 7.3 years., Results: Limb salvage was achieved in 84% of cases in the ILP group (80% for patients with amputation indication) and 96% of cases in the RT group. 5-Year overall survival was 47% in the ILP group, 69% in the RT group. 5-Year local recurrence rate was 14% in the ILP group, 10% in the RT group. Distant metastasis rate was 55% in the ILP group, 36% in the RT group., Conclusion: We find oncological outcomes and limb salvage rates in line with existing literature for both treatment modalities. Whether the tumor was locally advanced with an indication for induction therapy to prevent amputation or morbid surgery appeared to be the main determinant in choosing between neo-adjuvant ILP or RT., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: After portal vein embolization (PVE) 30% fail to achieve liver resection. Malnutrition is a modifiable risk factor and can be assessed by radiological indices. This study investigates, if sarcopenia affects resectability and kinetic growth rate (KGR) after PVE., Methods: A retrospective study was performed of the outcome of PVE at 8 centres of the DRAGON collaborative from 2010 to 2019. All malignant tumour types were included. Sarcopenia was defined using gender, body mass and skeletal muscle index. First imaging after PVE was used for liver volumetry. Primary and secondary endpoints were resectability and KGR. Risk factors impacting liver growth were assessed in a multivariable analysis., Results: Eight centres identified 368 patients undergoing PVE. 62 patients (17%) had to be excluded due to unavailability of data. Among the 306 included patients, 112 (37%) were non-sarcopenic and 194 (63%) were sarcopenic. Sarcopenic patients had a 21% lower resectability rate (87% vs. 66%, p < 0.001) and a 23% reduced KGR (p = 0.02) after PVE. In a multivariable model dichotomized for KGR ≥2.3% standardized FLR (sFLR)/week, only sarcopenia and sFLR before embolization correlated with KGR., Conclusion: In this largest study of risk factors, sarcopenia was associated with reduced resectability and KGR in patients undergoing PVE., (Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Compare total tumor volume (TTV) response after systemic treatment to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST1.1) and assess the prognostic value of TTV change and RECIST1.1 for recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with colorectal liver-only metastases (CRLM)., Background: RECIST1.1 provides unidimensional criteria to evaluate tumor response to systemic therapy. Those criteria are accepted worldwide but are limited by interobserver variability and ignore potentially valuable information about TTV., Methods: Patients with initially unresectable CRLM receiving systemic treatment from the randomized, controlled CAIRO5 trial (NCT02162563) were included. TTV response was assessed using software specifically developed together with SAS analytics. Baseline and follow-up computed tomography (CT) scans were used to calculate RECIST1.1 and TTV response to systemic therapy. Different thresholds (10%, 20%, 40%) were used to define response of TTV as no standard currently exists. RFS was assessed in a subgroup of patients with secondarily resectable CRLM after induction treatment., Results: A total of 420 CT scans comprising 7820 CRLM in 210 patients were evaluated. In 30% to 50% (depending on chosen TTV threshold) of patients, discordance was observed between RECIST1.1 and TTV change. A TTV decrease of >40% was observed in 47 (22%) patients who had stable disease according to RECIST1.1. In 118 patients with secondarily resectable CRLM, RFS was shorter for patients with less than 10% TTV decrease compared with patients with more than 10% TTV decrease ( P = 0.015), while RECIST1.1 was not prognostic ( P = 0.821)., Conclusions: TTV response assessment shows prognostic potential in the evaluation of systemic therapy response in patients with CRLM., Competing Interests: C.J.A.P. has an advisory role for Nordic Pharma. This funding is not related to the current research. The remaining authors declare no potential conflicts of interest. The CAIRO5 study is supported by unrestricted scientific grants from Roche and Amgen. The funders had no role in the design, conduct, and submission of the study, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: The Clinicopathological and Gene Expression Profile (CP-GEP) model was developed to accurately identify patients with T1-T3 primary cutaneous melanoma at low risk for nodal metastasis., Objectives: To validate the CP-GEP model in an independent Dutch cohort of patients with melanoma., Methods: Patients (aged ≥ 18 years) with primary cutaneous melanoma who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) between 2007 and 2017 at the Erasmus Medical Centre Cancer Institute were eligible. The CP-GEP model combines clinicopathological features (age and Breslow thickness) with the expression of eight target genes involved in melanoma metastasis (ITGB3, PLAT, SERPINE2, GDF15, TGFBR1, LOXL4, CXCL8 and MLANA). Using the pathology result of SLNB as the gold standard, performance measures of the CP-GEP model were calculated, resulting in CP-GEP high risk or low risk for nodal metastasis., Results: In total, 210 patients were included in the study. Most patients presented with T2 (n = 94, 45%) or T3 (n = 70, 33%) melanoma. Of all patients, 27% (n = 56) had a positive SLNB, with nodal metastasis in 0%, 30%, 54% and 16% of patients with T1, T2, T3 and T4 melanoma, respectively. Overall, the CP-GEP model had a negative predictive value (NPV) of 90·5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 77·9-96.2], with an NPV of 100% (95% CI 72·2-100) in T1, 89·3% (95% CI 72·8-96·3) in T2 and 75·0% (95% CI 30·1-95·4) in T3 melanomas. The CP-GEP indicated high risk in all T4 melanomas., Conclusions: The CP-GEP model is a noninvasive and validated tool that accurately identified patients with primary cutaneous melanoma at low risk for nodal metastasis. In this validation cohort, the CP-GEP model has shown the potential to reduce SLNB procedures in patients with melanoma., (© 2020 The Authors. British Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists.)

Background: A cohort of 201 patients with small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) treated between January 1st, 2009 and December 31st, 2016 in five GIST expertise centers in the Netherlands was analyzed. Goal of this study was to describe the clinical, surgical and pathological characteristics of this rare subpopulation of GIST patients, registered in the Dutch GIST registry., Methods: Clinical outcomes and risk factors of patients with small bowel GIST who underwent surgery or treated with systemic therapy were analyzed. A classification was made based on disease status at diagnosis (localized vs. metastasized)., Results: 201 patients with small bowel GIST were registered of which 138 patients (69%) were diagnosed with localized disease and 63 patients (31%) with metastatic disease. Approximately 19% of the patients had emergency surgery, and in 22% GIST was an accidental finding. In patients with high risk localized disease, recurrence occurred less often in patients who received adjuvant treatment (4/32) compared to patients who did not (20/31, p < 0.01). Disease progression during palliative imatinib treatment occurred in 23 patients (28%) after a median of 20.7 (range 1.8-47.1) months. Ongoing response was established in 52/82 patients on first line palliative treatment with imatinib after a median treatment time of 30.6 (range 2.5-155.3) months., Conclusion: Patients with small-bowel GIST more frequently present with metastatic disease when compared to patients with gastric GIST in literature. We advocate for Prospective registration of these patients and investigate the use of surgery in patients with limited metastatic disease., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd, BASO ~ The Association for Cancer Surgery, and the European Society of Surgical Oncology. All rights reserved.)

Background: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is emerging as a novel treatment option in metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS). The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of exclusive SBRT on disease control and survival in oligometastatic (≤ 3 synchronous lesions) STS., Materials and Methods: In total, 16 consecutive patients, accounting for 26 metastases (including 21 lung and 5 lymph node or soft tissue metastases), were treated at our institution with SBRT. Patient- and treatment-related characteristics were collected. Local control (LC), overall survival (OS), distant metastases-free survival (DMFS), and time to initiation of chemotherapy or best supportive care (corrected disease-free survival, cDFS) were assessed., Results: Four-year OS was 54% and median OS was 69 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 20-118 months]. LC of 26 lesions at 4 years was 78%. Median DMFS and cDFS were 17 (95% CI 5-30 months) and 28 months (95% CI 5-52 months), respectively. Disease-free interval < 24 months from primary tumor treatment to first metastasis was the only predictor of reduced LC, cDFS, and OS (p = 0.022, 0.023, and 0.028, respectively). No acute or chronic grade ≥ 3 toxicity was observed. Median follow-up was 36 months (IQR 18-71 months)., Conclusions: In patients with oligometastatic STS, SBRT yields satisfying local control with minimal toxicity. Median OS was 69 months. Repeated SBRT may be considered to extend disease-free and systemic therapy-free interval. Increased time from primary tumor to first metastasis identifies patients with potentially greater benefit from SBRT.

18 F-FDG PET has previously been proven effective as an early way to evaluate the response of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) to imatinib treatment. However, it is unclear whether early evaluation of response affects treatment decisions in GIST patients treated with neoadjuvant intent. Methods: We retrospectively scored changes in management based on early evaluation of response by 18 F-FDG PET in patients in the Dutch GIST registry treated with neoadjuvant imatinib. Results: Seventy 18 F-FDG PET scans were obtained for 63 GIST patients to evaluate for an early response to neoadjuvant imatinib. The scans led to a change in management in 27.1% of the patients. Change in management correlated strongly with lack of metabolic response ( P < 0.001) and non- KIT exon 11-mutated GISTs ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: Performing 18 F-FDG PET for early evaluation of response often results in a change of management in GIST patients harboring the non- KIT exon 11 mutation and should be considered the standard of care in GIST patients treated with neoadjuvant intent., (© 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.)

Purpose: Patients, platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) D842V-mutated gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are known for their insensitivity to imatinib. However, in clinical practice responses have been observed in some patients. We describe the natural history and treatment outcomes in a cohort of PDGFRA exon 18 mutated GIST patients., Patients and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in PDGFRA exon 18 mutation GIST patients treated in six expert centres in the Netherlands and the United States. Two independent radiologists assessed radiological response to imatinib according to Choi's criteria in all patients with measurable disease treated with imatinib in neo-adjuvant or palliative intent., Results: Seventy-one patients with PDGFRA exon 18 mutation were identified of whom 48 patients (69%) had a D842V mutation. Twenty-two (45.8%) D842V-mutated GIST patients received imatinib treatment, 16 had measurable disease. Fourteen out of the 23 (60.9%) patients with non-D842V mutations received imatinib treatment, eight had measurable disease. Two out of 16 (12.5%) D842V-mutated GIST patients had partial response, 3 patients (18.8%) had stable disease and 9 patients (56.3%) had progressive disease as best response. Two patients did not have follow-up computed tomography scans to assess response. Six out of 8 (75%) patients with non-D842V exon 18 mutations had partial response and two (25%) had stable disease as best response., Conclusion: Patients with D842V-mutated GISTs can occasionally respond to imatinib. In the absence of better therapeutic options, imatinib should therefore not be universally withheld in patients with this mutation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In liver cancer tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells (Ti-Treg) are potent suppressors of tumor-specific T-cell responses and express high levels of the Treg-associated molecules cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR). In this study, we have evaluated the capacity of GITR-ligation, CTLA-4-blockade and a combination of both treatments to alleviate immunosuppression mediated by Ti-Treg. Using ex vivo isolated cells from individuals with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or liver metastases from colorectal cancer (LM-CRC) we show that treatment with a soluble form of the natural ligand of GITR (GITRL), or with blocking antibodies to CTLA-4, reduces the suppression mediated by human liver tumor-infiltrating CD4 + Foxp3+ Treg, thereby restoring proliferation and cytokine production by effector T cells. Importantly, combined treatment with low doses of both molecules exhibited stronger recovery of T cell function compared with either treatment alone. Our data suggest that in patients with primary and secondary liver cancer both GITR-ligation and anti-CTLA-4 mAb can improve the antitumor immunity by abrogating Ti-Treg mediated suppression.

Melanoma patients with clinically evident regional lymph node metastases are treated with therapeutic lymph node dissections (TLNDs). The aim of this study was to evaluate morbidity and mortality following TLND in our institution. Moreover, disease-free (DFS) and overall (OS) survival were evaluated and factors that influence prognosis after TLND were assessed. Between 1982 and 2005, 236 patients underwent a TLND. Patients, who received a palliative LND or a sentinel node procedure, were not included. The median Breslow thickness was 2.4mm. Ulceration was present in 23% of patients and unknown in 66%. 37 patients had unknown primary tumors. There were 129 ilio-inguinal, 50 axillary and 61 cervical dissections performed. 37% of the patients experienced at least one operation related complication. The most frequently seen complications were wound infections/necrosis and chronic lymph edema. Ilio-inguinal dissection patients experienced significantly more complications and a longer duration of hospitalization compared to axillary or cervical patients. The duration of hospitalization has been reduced in recent years from 12 to 5days. The mean follow-up was 29months. Kaplan-Meier estimated 5-year regional control was 79%, 5-year DFS was 19% and 5-year OS was 26%. The number of positive lymph nodes, the site of the primary tumor and extra capsular extension (ECE) were independent prognostic factors for DFS and only site and ECE for OS. In conclusion, TLND for stage III melanoma is accompanied with considerable short-term complications, and can achieve regional control and potential curation in approximately one in every four patients.