Oligoprogressive versus oligopersistent

The oligoprogressive phase is a relapsed phase of oligometastatic cancer under a systemic treatment [1]. It «refers to disease progression at a limited number of anatomic sites, with continued response or stable disease at other sites of disease [2].» It can also be related «to patients with stage IV disease who are receiving active systemic therapy that is controlling most of the disease in the body but a small number of sites show disease progression [2].» «Oligoprogression refers to the clinical scenario where a few metastases progress, whereas all other metastases are stable or responding to a systemic therapy strategy. Unlike the oligometastatic state, there can be diffuse metastatic disease, therefore there is no upper limit about how many metastases a patient has. The key point is that with the exception of a few growing tumours, the majority of other tumours are not progressing [3].»

The oligopersistent phase refers to the persistence or resistance but not the progression of the disease to systemic treatment [1].

According to the ESTRO-EORTC consensus [1]:

An oligoprogressive prostate cancer is «a limited number of pelvic or distant recurrent metastases that have arisen or progressed while the patient was receiving systemic therapy, historically androgen deprivation therapy». An oligopersistent prostate cancer is «a limited number of residual pelvic or distant recurrent lesions that persist following an intervention. The term applies to both hormone-sensitive and castrate-resistant prostate cancer patients» [4].

Bibliographic references:

[1] Guckenberger M, Lievens Y, Bouma AB, et al. Characterisation and classification of oligometastatic disease: a European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer consensus recommendation. Lancet Oncol. 2020 Jan;21(1):e18-e28. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/s1470-2045(19)30718-1.
[2] Kim C, Hoang CD, Kesarwala AH, et al. Role of Local Ablative Therapy in Patients with Oligometastatic and Oligoprogressive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. J Thorac Oncol. 2017 Feb;12(2):179-193. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtho.2016.10.012.
[3] Cheung P. Stereotactic body radiotherapy for oligoprogressive cancer. Br J Radiol. 2016 Oct;89(1066):20160251. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20160251. 

[4] Kucharczyk MJ, So J, Gravis G, et al. A combined biological and clinical rationale for evaluating metastasis directed therapy in the management of oligometastatic prostate cancer. Radiother Oncol. 2020 Nov;152:80-88. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2020.08.011.