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Oesophageal cancer is among the ten most common types of cancer worldwide. More than 80% of the cases and deaths related to the disease occur in developing countries. Local socio-economic, epidemiologic and healthcare particularities led us to create a Brazilian guideline for the management of oesophageal and oesophagogastric junction (OGJ) carcinomas. The Brazilian Group of Gastrointestinal Tumours invited 50 physicians with different backgrounds, including radiology, pathology, endoscopy, nuclear medicine, genetics, oncological surgery, radiotherapy and clinical oncology, to collaborate. This document was prepared based on an extensive review of topics related to heredity, diagnosis, staging, pathology, endoscopy, surgery, radiation, systemic therapy (including checkpoint inhibitors) and follow-up, which was followed by presentation, discussion and voting by the panel members. It provides updated evidence-based recommendations to guide clinical management of oesophageal and OGJ carcinomas in several scenarios and clinical settings.

Many patients with colorectal liver metastasis cannot be cured of their disease. This is because it has spread widely throughout the liver and is therefore not resectable. In this context, palliative chemotherapy is the main treatment modality. Moreover, in many of these patients, the primary tumor that caused the problem is relatively asymptomatic, and from a clinical perspective, a major problem in dealing with these patients is what to do with the primary cancer. In other words, it is a matter of great debate whether some of these patients benefit from a palliative primary tumor resection once some studies have suggested that resecting the primary cancer can prolong survival and prevent complication arising from the cancer, such as obstruction or bleeding. This review addresses the question of whether surgically removing the primary cancer is beneficial to patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastasis.

Liver metastases are the most common presentation of metastatic colorectal cancer. Surgical resection increases survival rates and, in some cases, may cure patients, but 80–90% of patients have unresectable liver disease. Conversion chemotherapy with doublet scheme associated or not with monoclonal antibodies or a triplet scheme has shown to increase response rates and R0 resection rates, although this strategy did not prove to increase overall survival rates in prospective clinical trials.

Systemic chemotherapy treatments, commonly those that comprise oxaliplatin, have been linked to the appearance of distinctive liver lesions that evolves to portal hypertension, spleen enlargement, platelets sequestration, and thrombocytopenia. This outcome can interrupt treatment or force dosage reduction, decreasing efficiency of cancer therapy. We conducted a prospective phase II study for the evaluation of partial splenic embolization in patients with thrombocytopenia that impeded systemic chemotherapy continuation. From August 2014 through July 2015, 33 patients underwent partial splenic embolization to increase platelets count and allow their return to treatment. Primary endpoint was the accomplishment of a thrombocyte level superior to 130 × 109/L and the secondary endpoints were the return to chemotherapy and toxicity. Partial splenic embolization was done 36 times in 33 patients. All patients presented gastrointestinal cancer and colorectal malignancy was the commonest primary site. An average of 6.4 cycles of chemotherapy was done before splenic embolization and the most common regimen was Folfox. Mean platelet count prior to embolization was 69 × 109/L. A total of 94% of patients achieved primary endpoint. All patients in need reinitiated treatment and median time to chemotherapy return was 14 days. No grade 3 or above adverse events were identified. Aiming for a 50% to 70% infarction area may be sufficient to achieve success without the complications associated with more extensive infarction. Combined with the better safety profile, partial splenic embolization is an excellent option in the management of thrombocytopenia, enabling the resumption of systemic chemotherapy with minimal procedure‐related morbidity.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the author group section.

Background : Liver metastases of colorectal cancer are frequent and potentially fatal event in the evolution of patients. Aim : In the second module of this consensus, management of resectable liver metastases was discussed. Method : Concept of synchronous and metachronous metastases was determined, and both scenarius were discussed separately according its prognostic and therapeutic peculiarities. Results : Special attention was given to the missing metastases due to systemic preoperative treatment response, with emphasis in strategies to avoid its reccurrence and how to manage disappeared lesions. Conclusion : Were presented validated ressectional strategies, to be taken into account in clinical practice. Racional: As metástases hepáticas de câncer colorretal são evento frequente e potencialmente fatal na evolução dos pacientes. Objetivo : No segundo módulo desse consenso, foi discutido o manejo de metástases hepáticas ressecáveis. Método : Foi definido o conceito de metástases síncrônicas e metacrônicas, e ambos os cenários foram discutidos separadamente de acordo com as suas peculiaridades prognósticas e terapêuticas. Resultados : Foi dada especial atenção às missing metástases em resposta ao tratamento pré-operatório sistêmico, com ênfase em estratégias para evitar sua recorrência e como gerenciar as lesões desaparecidas. Conclusão : Foram apresentadas e validadas estratégias de ressecção em várias circunstâncias, para serem aplicadas na prática clínica.

The Brazilian Gastrointestinal Tumor Group developed guidelines for the surgical and clinical management of patients with billiary cancers. The multidisciplinary panel was composed of experts in the field of radiology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiotherapy, endoscopy and pathology. The panel utilized the most recent literature to develop a series of evidence-based recommendations on different treatment and diagnostic strategies for cholangiocarcinomas and gallbladder cancers. RESUMO O Grupo Brasileiro de Tumores Gastrointestinais desenvolveu diretrizes de tratamento cirúrgico e clínico de pacientes com tumores de vias biliares. O painel multidisciplinar foi composto de especialistas nas áreas radiologia, oncologia, cirurgia, radioterapia, endoscopia e anatomia patológica. O painel utilizou literatura atual para desenvolver recomendações baseadas em evidência científica para as diferentes estratégias terapêuticas e diagnósticas dos colangiocarcinomas e tumores de vesícula biliar.

e15511 Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide.Classic regimens in first line setting for advanced GC combine platinum compounds and fluoropirimidines ± antracyclines or docetaxel. At Brazilian National cancer Institute (INCA), there are limitations in hospital beds and infusion pumps, so the combination between cisplatin (CDDP) + 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) in an infusion protocol has been out of possibility. An institutional project with an adapted protocol involving CDDP + 5-FU + Leucovorin (CFL) in bolus demonstrated good results and CFL became routine at INCA for more than 10 years. Methods: Retrospective cohort study evaluating 109 patients with advanced GC treated in first line setting with CDDP 80mg/m2(D1) + 5- FU 400mg/m2 (D1,D8,D15,D22)+ Leucovorin (LV) 20mg/m2 (D1,D8,D15,D22) in 28-day cycles from January 2008 to December 2014. Results: The median age was 54 years (24y-80y), 53.6% were male, 70% white and 20% mulatto, 49.1% formal smokers and 15.5% formal drinkers. Tumor staging at initial diagnosis was: E IIA 2.7%, E IIB 2.7%, E IIIA 1.8%, E IIIB 5.5%, E IIIC 5.5% and E IV 81.8%. Performance status ≤ 2 was present in 97.3% and G3 disease in 63.6%. The most common metastatic sites were: lymph nodes 31.8%, peritoneum 24.5%, liver 21.8% and lung 2.7%. The median of cycles received per patient was 4. Complete responses were achieved in 6.4%, partial responses in 14.5% and stable disease in 14.5%. Median PFS was 6.3 months (5.08 – 7.58) and median OS was 8.3 months (6.79 – 9.87). Seventy five (68.8%) patients were alive in 1-year and 26 (23.9%) in 2-years. Dose reduction was necessary in 9.1% and the most common toxicities were: nausea 27.3%, vomiting 19.3% fatigue 13.6%, diarrhea 10.6%, mucositis 4.2% and neutropenia 4.2%. Of all adverse events, grade 3 and 4 corresponded to 11.36% and 1.51%, respectively. Three patients had neutropenia G4. Only 26 patients (23.8%) received second line treatment. Conclusions: Chemotherapy protocol in bolus combining CDDP, 5-FU and LV could be an alternative for CDDP and 5-FU infusion protocol.

e15549Background: Esophageal cancer is the 6th cause of cancer deaths worldwide. For patients with unresectable disease or unfit for surgery, definitive chemoradiation with cisplatin, 5-fluoracil (...

e14027 Background: The optimal timing to initiation adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer is unknown. Studies suggest that the delay to start chemotherapy may compromise the therapeutic outcome. The purpose of this study was to assess the reasons for delaying adjuvant treatment and the implications in clinical outcome of patients treated in a public institution from Brazil. Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records of patients enrolled in National Institute of Cancer in Brazil, from 2000 to 2006, with colon adenocarcinoma, stage II and III. Patients were dichotomized into early and late treatment groups. Results: Of 327 patients studied, 172 underwent adjuvant chemotherapy, the majority of these (62%) were stage III. Time to onset ranged between 10 and 142 days (mean 61). Eighty patients (45%) started treatment with more than 60 days after surgery, the reasons for delay were: postoperative complications 8.7%, related to the system (delay in the histopathological, referral, or surgery at other institutions) 72.5%, related to patients 5% and for medical reasons 7.5%. In 6.2% of cases the reason for the delay was not identified. There was no difference in progression-free survival or overall survival between those who received adjuvant chemotherapy within 60 days post surgery compared with those who received it after more than 60 days. Conclusions: Despite the high rate of delaying for start adjuvant treatment in the study population, no difference was observed in clinical outcomes. The referral system and test results should be reviewed, since the main causes of delay were related to the system.

e16131 Background: Induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by chemoradiation (CRT) is an attractive approach in locally-advanced, high-risk rectal cancer. Additionally, aspirin has shown potential to lower recurrence rate in colorectal cancer, and improve outcomes alongside CRT in rectal cancer, with higher rate of tumor downstaging. Methods: Randomized, double-blind phase 2 trial to evaluate induction treatment with XELOX, followed by capecitabine-based chemoradiotherapy with aspirin or placebo in a high risk population selected by MRI. The aim of this study was to evaluate MRI response after total neoadjuvant treatment with aspirin or placebo. Results: Of the 25 pts who started treatment between January 2018 and March 2019, 4 pts did not complete (1 pt grade 5 diarrhea; 1pt treatment adherence). Median age was 55yo (32.9 - 73.6), 8 pts (32%) were women, and 80% had 3 or more high-risk criteria. 20 pts (80%) showed symptom improvement in the first cycle of IC. Of the 21 patients who finished treatment until interim analysis, 11 pts received aspirin (2 pts had MRI complete response (CR), 3 pts had minor/no response, and 3 pts had progression disease (PD)). 10 pts received placebo (4 MRI CR, 3 pts had minor/no response, and no PD). Conclusions: Aspirin added to chemoradiotherapy was safe but did not improve response to total neoadjuvant treatment. The study was closed due absence of benefit. Clinical trial information: NCT03170115 .