Current Approaches to the Management of Patients with Endometrial Cancer.

The incidence of endometrial cancer (EC) is rising and healthcare professionals need to be informed about the latest data on the constant developments in the field of its management. With particular interest in the classification and management of EC, we surveyed current literature, national and international data, and guidelines, as well as the latest studies to present the most recent data regarding the management of EC. It became evident that despite the consensus on low-risk EC, there are still controversies surrounding the management of high-risk EC, especially regarding the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Our aim is to present the old and new perspectives in the management of EC, the different available surgical routes, the possible desire for fertility preservation, the role of adjuvant therapies and the focus on the advantages and the limitations of the implementation of SLNB in therapeutic strategies. It became evident throughout our search and based on literature data that minimally invasive surgery (MIS) leads to satisfying outcomes, thus becoming gradually the preferred route of surgery, while SLNB could provide essential information and guidance about the overall management needed in cases of both low-risk and high-risk EC.

Definitive chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer: A 11-year population-based study.

PURPOSE: To assess the recurrence pattern and survival in women treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of women FIGO (2012) stage IB2 to IVA from the Grampian region of Scotland between February 2000 and March 2011. These women were followed up until April 2018. RESULTS: A total of 121 eligible women allocated with mean age at treatment 50.59 years (SD = 13.98, range 22-82). Tumours staged: IB2: n = 24 (19.8%), II: n = 45 (37.2%), III: n = 43 (35.5%) and IVA: n = 7 (5.8%). Two (1.7%) women had no available data. Fifty-five (45.5%) women had recurrence after treatment, and 51 (42.15%) women died from the disease. The sites of recurrence were as follows: central pelvic only (n = 4, 7.27%), pelvic and distant (n = 39, 70.91%) and distant only (n = 12, 21.82%) with median time from end of treatment to first recurrence 44 months (range 2-98), 26 months (range 1-146) and 22 months (range 3-66) respectively. 5-and 8-year overall survival was 76.0% (95% CI: 68.8%-84.0%) and 64.4% (95% CI: 56.4%-73.5%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Though overall survival is better than with radiotherapy alone, recurrence occurs up to 10 years after treatment. This raises the issues of how to reduce late recurrence and the appropriateness of current follow-up protocols.

Surgical Outcomes and Morbidity After Radical Surgery for Ovarian Cancer in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, the Northeast of Scotland Gynaecologic Oncology Centre.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Ovarian cancer (OC) has a high mortality rate and usually presents late in advanced stage, which poses challenges to management. Better understanding of the disease biology and application of radical surgery (RS) to achieve no visible residual tumor, alongside with chemotherapy, may lead to longer survival amongst these patients. Our purpose was to examine the demographic characteristics, surgical morbidity and outcomes of patients undergoing RS for OC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of women undertaking surgery for OC between February 2014 and September 2016 in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. RESULTS: A total of 121 women had surgery for OC of whom 78 (64.5%) were stage II and above. Of these, 40 (51.3%) women had primary and 38 (48.7%) had interval debulking surgery with 42 (53.8%) having radical surgery. The most common procedures that were performed as part of RS included rectosigmoid resection (n=20, 47.6%), small bowel resection (n=10, 23.8%), splenectomy (n=9, 21.4%). Morbidity outcomes included blood loss >1.5 lt. (n=14, 33.3%), hospitalization >7days (n=31, 73.8%), sepsis (n=8, 19%). There was no short-term mortality. Debulking outcomes were: no macroscopic residual disease (n=36, 85.7%), ≤10 mm disease (n=2, 4.8%), and ≥10 mm disease (n=3, 7.1%). CONCLUSION: Our findings support the practise where RS for OC can be offered to selected patients, with good surgery outcomes and low morbidity rates.

Management of microinvasive cervical cancer: a British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology audit.

UNLABELLED: The incidence of microinvasive cervical cancers seems to be increasing as a result of screening. However, there is little national or international guidance on best management or follow-up of women treated with conservation of the cervix. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess the current management and follow-up of women with stage IA cervical cancer, according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, within the United Kingdom. DESIGN/SETTING: This study is a multicenter national audit of a clinical practice in the United Kingdom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A structured questionnaire was sent and returned electronically to all lead colposcopists in the United Kingdom on the management and follow-up of women with stage IA cervical cancer according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. The study was approved by the British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology. RESULTS: Of the 210 lead colposcopists, 110 (52%) responded. All reported that women with stage IA cervical cancer are discussed at a gynecologic multidisciplinary team meeting. Women who managed conservatively with their cervix in situ are followed up for at least 5 years. There is a wide variation in clinical management of cases with lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI) and depth of invasion greater than 3 mm (stage IA2). CONCLUSIONS: The pattern and practice of follow-up for stage IA cervical cancer is highly variable. The development of national guidance should be considered.

An update on the management of uterine carcinosarcoma.

UNLABELLED: Carcinosarcomas are rare aggressive neoplasms with a poor prognosis. The recent International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 categorizes uterine carcinosarcoma into the endometrial carcinoma group. This review highlights the prognosis, recurrence rate, and the treatment modalities. The primary treatment is surgery. Lymphadenectomy as part of the surgical procedure has shown to prolong survival even for early-stage disease. A combined chemo-radiotherapeutic approach has shown a survival benefit. Radiotherapy from various studies has shown a significant effect on local control of the disease, with no obvious benefit on overall survival. Various trials led by the gynecologic oncology group looking into different chemotherapeutic combinations have showed differing response rates. In the future, the emergence of combination of chemotherapeutic agents with molecular-targeted agents may show promising results. TARGET AUDIENCE: Obstetricians & Gynecologists and Family Physicians. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After completing this CME activity, physicians should be better able to appraise the aggressive nature of uterine carcinosarcoma and factors which would help in delaying or preventing recurrence, assess the importance of lymphadenectomy for uterine carcinosarcoma and its effect on survival, and evaluate various recent trials addressing the chemo-radiotherapeutic combinations as adjuvant therapy.

High-risk HPV genotyping in the follow-up of women treated conservatively for microinvasive cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Conservative management of women with microinvasive cervical cancer (International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians stage IA) has led to prolonged and intensive cytological follow-up. We conducted a retrospective study to assess human papillomavirus status and genotypes at diagnosis and to find out whether there is an association between the persistence of high-risk human papillomavirus during follow-up and the detection of recurrent disease. STUDY DESIGN: Paraffin-embedded cervical biopsies in the pathology archives were identified from women with an initial large loop excision of the transformation zone or cone specimen diagnostic of microinvasive disease since 1991. RESULTS: We identified 45 women with a diagnosis of microinvasive cervical cancer. Human papillomavirus was detected in 87% of the initial diagnostic specimens. Human papillomavirus testing showed a negative predictive value of 100% for recurrent disease with a sensitivity of 100%. CONCLUSION: Human papillomavirus testing has an important role in the follow-up of women treated conservatively for stage IA cervical cancer.

Case series of Zoon vulvitis.

We report 3 cases of plasma cell vulvitis (Zoon vulvitis) over a 10-year period and their management. This series highlights 1 case that was refractory to all modalities of treatment and hence had to be managed surgically, which has only been reported once before.

A review of women with microinvasive cervical cancer in the Grampian region.

OBJECTIVE: To review the diagnosis and treatment of women with microinvasive cervical cancer within a geographically defined population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of cervical cancer in the Grampian region identified 64 women diagnosed with microinvasive cervical cancer since 1991. RESULTS: All of the women were referred with an abnormal smear, with invasion suspected on cytology in 12.5% of cases. With the addition of colposcopy, suspicion of invasion was noted in 23.5%. Most women (72%) were managed with conservative excision treatment of the cervix (large loop excision of the transformation zone or cone biopsy). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term follow-up is vital, because 5 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and 1 recurrent cancer were detected up to 58 months after diagnosis.

Characteristics of neuronal lipofuscin in the superior temporal gyrus in Alzheimer's disease do not differ from non-diseased controls: a comparison with disease-related changes in the superior frontal gyrus.

Neuronal lipofuscin characteristics in the superior temporal gyrus from 21 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and from 18 age-matched non-diseased subjects were compared with previously reported findings from the superior frontal gyrus. A discriminant function analysis of lipofuscin characteristics in the superior temporal gyrus did not provide a significant predictive level for cases whose diagnoses were correctly classified (56.4%, P=0.63). In contrast, AD-related decrease in the number of smaller lipofuscin regions in the neurons of the frontal gyrus was confirmed, and the same analysis of lipofuscin characteristics in this region gave a significant predictive level for membership of the AD group of 86.6% (P<0.001). The findings indicate that changes in neuronal lipofuscin related to AD, which may reflect an increased rate of lipofuscin formation, show differences between neocortical regions. This study provides additional information on the distribution of neuropathological characteristics in AD.