ESMO 2013 WCGC – Poster Presentation – Diabetes risk factor for TE in GI cancers

Poster 67 Elizabeth Goode  elizabeth.goode@nnuh.nhs.uk.  Chemotherapy is an independent risk factor for thromboembolism (TE), although current guidelines do not recommend routine use of anti-thrombin agents in this setting. Neo-adjuvant ECX chemotherapy is the standard treatment regimen for these potentially curative  gastric and lower oesophageal cancers. Dr Elizabeth Goode explained that the study looked at the risk factors for thromboembolism is this group.

 

The presence of diabetes was the main difference in the cohort and is a risk factor for TE. The local Drugs and therapeutic committee has endorsed the use of LMWH and other thrombin agents in this group of patients. The main time period was the 100 days pre-operatively where many of the potential events took place. A total of 23 events happened resulting in 4 patients not getting surgery and one death. Dr Goode explained that is was a small study yet big differences did occur. The use of thrombin agents will be monitored to see if there are changes in outcomes.

Peri-operative CT in Oesophageal Cancers

Poster 68 Dr Hugo De La Pena  medhugodoc@gmail.com

Peri-operative cisplatin / 5FU in operable osephageal cancer remains the standard of care in the UK . Theretrospective syudy looked at 142 patients  over a 4 year period (2006-10). They found that most patients were staged using CT scan, PET scan and laparoscopy.

The results showed a trend towards improved disease free survival. With better results post 2008.

Dr De La Pena explained that the changes since 2008 due to two main reasons:

1. Staging of the disease is now more accurate and as such there are patients excluded that should not receive treatment.

2. ECX treatment added to regimen and this has been shown to be better than CF alone.

The authors concluded that better chemotherapy regimens are required to improve survival.