PURPOSE Prospective data on the efficacy of a watch-and-wait strategy to achieve organ preservation in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with total neoadjuvant therapy are limited. METHODS In this prospective, randomized phase II trial, we assessed the outcomes of 324 patients with stage II or III rectal adenocarcinoma treated with induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy (INCT-CRT) or chemoradiotherapy followed by consolidation chemotherapy (CRT-CNCT) and either total mesorectal excision (TME) or watch-and-wait on the basis of tumor response. Patients in both groups received 4 months of infusional fluorouracil-leucovorin-oxaliplatin or capecitabine-oxaliplatin and 5,000 to 5,600 cGy of radiation combined with either continuous infusion fluorouracil or capecitabine during radiotherapy. The trial was designed as two stand-alone studies with disease-free survival (DFS) as the primary end point for both groups, with a comparison to a null hypothesis on the basis of historical data. The secondary end point was TME-free survival. RESULTS Median follow-up was 3 years. Three-year DFS was 76% (95% CI, 69 to 84) for the INCT-CRT group and 76% (95% CI, 69 to 83) for the CRT-CNCT group, in line with the 3-year DFS rate (75%) observed historically. Three-year TME-free survival was 41% (95% CI, 33 to 50) in the INCT-CRT group and 53% (95% CI, 45 to 62) in the CRT-CNCT group. No differences were found between groups in local recurrence-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, or overall survival. Patients who underwent TME after restaging and patients who underwent TME after regrowth had similar DFS rates. CONCLUSION Organ preservation is achievable in half of the patients with rectal cancer treated with total neoadjuvant therapy, without an apparent detriment in survival, compared with historical controls treated with chemoradiotherapy, TME, and postoperative chemotherapy.

4008 Background: Organ preservation (OP) with a watch and wait strategy (WW) and total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT) are new treatment paradigms for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. The safety and efficacy of WW and of TNT have not been studied prospectively. Methods: Patients with MRI stage II and III rectal adenocarcinoma were randomized to 4 months of FOLFOX or CAPEOX before (Induction) or after (Consolidation) fluorouracil or capecitabine based chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Patients were re-staged 8-12 weeks after finishing TNT with digital rectal exam, flexible sigmoidoscopy and MRI. Patients with complete or near-complete clinical response were offered WW. Those with incomplete response had total mesorectal excision. The trial was designed so that each arm served as its own single-stage study that discriminates between 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates of 75% (historical null) and 85%, with 86% power, and a two-sided type I error of 5%. Secondary objectives included comparing DFS, OP, and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates between the two arms using the log-rank test. Results: Of 324 patients enrolled, 307 (152 I, 155 C) are currently evaluable for the time-to-event analysis as of 2/1/2020. Median follow-up is 2.1 years; 52 DFS events were observed. Patient demographics and tumor characteristics were generally balanced across the two arms. Full compliance with systemic chemotherapy was 82% and 81% for the I- and C-arms, respectively. The median radiation dose was 5400 cGy for both arms. Table shows 3-y DFS, DMFS, and OP rates. Conclusions: A WW strategy for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer that achieve a clinical complete response to TNT results in organ preservation for a high proportion of patients without compromising survival. Up-front CRT followed by consolidation chemotherapy resulted in a numerically higher WW rate compared to induction chemotherapy followed by CRT. Clinical trial information: NCT02008656 . [Table: see text]

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BACKGROUND AIM Anemia is commonly associated with acute and chronic inflammation, but the mechanisms of their interaction are not clear. We investigated whether microRNA 122 (MIR122), which is generated in the liver and is secreted into the blood, is involved in the development of anemia associated with inflammation. METHODS We characterized the primary transcript of the human liverspecific MIR122 using northern blot, quantitative real-time PCR, and 3' and 5' RACE analyses. We studied regulation of MIR122 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines (Huh7 and HepG2) as well as in C57BL/6 and mice with disruption of the tumor necrosis factor gene (Tnf). Liver tissues were collected and analyzed by bioluminescence imaging or immunofluorescence. Inflammation in mice was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or by cerulein injections. Mice were given 4 successive injections of LPS, leading to inflammation-induced anemia. Steatohepatitis was induced with a choline-deficient high-fat diet. Hemolytic anemia was stimulated by phenylhydrazine injection. MIR122 was inhibited in mice by tail-vein injection of antogomiR-122 (an oligonucleotide antagonist of MIR122). MicroRNA and mRNA levels were determined by quantitative real time PCR. RESULTS The primary transcript of MIR122 spanned 5 kb, comprising 3 exons; the third encodes MIR122. Within the MIR122 promoter region we identified a nuclear factor-B (NF-B) binding site and demonstrated that RELA, as well as activators of NF-B (TNF and LPS), increased promoter activity of MIR122. Administration of LPS to mice induced secretion of MIR122 into blood, which required TNF. Secreted MIR122 reached the kidney and reduced expression of erythropoietin (Epo), which we identified as a MIR122 target gene. Injection of mice with antagomiR-122 increased blood levels of EPO, reticulocytes, and hemoglobin. We found an inverse relationship between blood levels of MIR122 and EPO in mice with acute pancreatitis or steatohepatitis, and also in patients with acute inflammation. CONCLUSION In mice, we found that LPS-induced inflammation increases blood levels of MIR122, which reduces expression of Epo in the kidney; this is a mechanism of inflammation-induced anemia. Strategies to block MIR122 in patients with inflammation could reduce the development or progression of anemia. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. M A N U S C R I P T A C C E P T E D ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT AbstractBackground & Aim: Anemia is commonly associated with acute and chronic inflammation, but the mechanisms of their interaction are not clear. We investigated whether microRNA 122 (MIR122),...