ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium 2021

Gavin, thank you for posting the ASCO 2021 abstracts for current research studies on liver cancer.

One study caught my eye, because it addresses a question we sometimes get from patients and caregivers on this board.  The question is how long can you safely delay the start of adjuvant treatment after resection surgery, and still have it be effective.  (Most patients start adjuvant treatment around 2-3 months after surgery.)  This question can come up, for example, when patients have a difficult recovery from surgery.  While this question had been studied for other cancers, there were no similar studies for cholangiocarcinoma.

Until now!  Abstract 291, “The implications of treatment delays in adjuvant therapy for cholangiocarcinoma (authored by Matthew Parsons et al.)”  looks retrospectively at the records of 7,422 patients who had adjuvant treatment.  Nearly all (94%) started adjuvant treatment between 2-4 months after resection surgery.  According to the abstract, their findings “suggest that there is no survival detriment to initiating adjuvant therapy beyond three or four months after surgery for biliary cancers.”  The full citation is given in Gavin’s link above.

I have to add the caveat that patients and caregivers should consult your medical team for guidance on the best timing of adjuvant treatment for your own case if you have questions.  The authors note the importance of studying the impacts of treatment delays given the current disruptions to medical care caused by covid-19.

Regards, Mary