From the Beginning of the Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group to the Present and Next Steps.

The Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group (KGOG) was established in 2002 and is the only organization in Korea conducting multi-center clinical trials for gynecologic cancers. Since its re-establishment as a non-profit organization in 2021, KGOG has grown significantly, now including 207 gynecologic oncology specialists from 76 hospitals. This growth is a testament to the dedication and hard work of all those involved in the organization. KGOG is committed to maximizing the activation of multi-center clinical research through policies that support patients with rare diseases and gynecologic cancer research, focusing on strengthening institutional capacity, equalizing participation opportunities, and enhancing information sharing. A significant milestone for KGOG was becoming a member of the US Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) in 2005, allowing participation in GOG clinical trials. KGOG later joined the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) and strengthened its capabilities by hosting the first Endometrial Cancer Consensus Conference-Clinical Research (ECCC-CR) in 2023. KGOG holds biannual meetings and symposia, as well as 224 operating committee meetings annually to review the discussions of the Tumor Site Committee. KGOG has conducted 156 investigator-initiated trial (IIT) or sponsor-initiated trial (SIT) studies as KGOG-led or participated in research. Currently, 18 studies are registered, and 10 are in preparation. To date, 68 papers have been published. KGOG conducts six national projects and collaborates with external organizations such as the NRG Oncology Foundation, Gynecologic Oncology Group Partners (GOG-P), GCIG, East Asian Gynecologic Oncology Trial group (EAGOT), and the Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group (JGOG). Through collaboration with renowned international research institutions, KGOG has significantly expanded the scope of its research, achieving noteworthy clinical outcomes. This report not only introduces the history and recent status of KGOG but also presents the exciting future direction of the organization, filled with potential breakthroughs and advancements in gynecologic oncology research.

Changes in the tumor immune microenvironment during disease progression in clear cell ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The tumor immune microenvironment in ovarian clear cell carcinoma has not been clearly defined. We analyzed the immunological changes from treatment-naive to recurrence to correlate them with clinical outcomes. METHOD: We compared the changes in immune infiltration of advanced-stage ovarian clear cell carcinoma samples before treatment and at the time of recurrence via immunohistochemistry (Programmed Cell Death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8+), forkhead box P3 (Foxp3+)), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), and next-generation sequencing (54 patients). We analyzed the association between platinum sensitivity status and tumor immune microenvironment. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry revealed significantly increased PD-L1 (p=0.048) and CD8+T cells (p=0.022) expression levels after recurrence. No significant differences were observed in TIL density or Foxp3+T cells. There was no significant correlation between TIL, PD-L1, CD8+T cell, and Foxp3+T cell levels in treatment-naive tumors and survival outcomes. The most common genomic alterations were PIK3CA (41.7%) and ARID1A (41.7%) mutations. There were no differences in the immunological changes or survival outcomes according to PIK3CA and ARID1A mutations. Patients with recurrent platinum-sensitive disease showed higher TIL expression levels. There were no significant differences in PD-L1, CD8+T cells, or Foxp3+T cells between platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant diseases. CONCLUSION: We characterized the tumor immune microenvironment in patients with advanced-stage ovarian clear cell carcinoma. PD-L1 and CD8+T cell expression significantly increased after recurrence. Whether this could be used to select patients for immunotherapy in the recurrence setting should be investigated.

Unique immune characteristics and differential anti-PD-1-mediated reinvigoration potential of CD8+ TILs based on BRCA1/2 mutation status in epithelial ovarian cancers.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the distinct immunological characteristics of the tumor immune microenvironment in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) according to BRCA1/2 mutations status and differential PD-1 expression levels. METHODS: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were collected from patients with newly diagnosed advanced-stage EOC (YUHS cohort, n=117). This YUHS cohort was compared with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data for ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (n=482), in terms of survival outcomes and immune-related gene profiles according to BRCA1/2 status. We used multicolor flow cytometry to characterize the immune phenotypes and heterogeneity of TILs with or without BRCA1/2 mutations. In vitro functional assays were conducted to evaluate the reinvigorating ability of CD8+ TILs on anti-PD-1 treatment. RESULTS: We found that EOC patients with BRCA1/2 mutations (BRCA1/2mt) exhibited better survival outcomes and significantly higher tumor mutation burden (TMB), compared with BRCA1/2 non-mutated (BRCA1/2wt) patients. Furthermore, CD8+ TILs within BRCA1/2mt tumors displayed characteristics indicating more severe T-cell exhaustion than their BRCA1/2wt counterparts. Notably, the capacity for anti-PD-1-mediated reinvigoration of CD8+ TILs was significantly greater in BRCA1/2wt tumors compared with BRCA1/2mt tumors. Additionally, within the BRCA1/2wt group, the frequency of PD-1highCD8+ TILs was positively correlated with the reinvigoration capacity of CD8+ TILs after anti-PD-1 treatment. CONCLUSION: Our results highlight unique immune features of CD8+ TILs in EOC and a differential response to anti-PD-1 treatment, contingent on BRCA1/2 mutation status. These findings suggest that immune checkpoint blockade may be a promising frontline therapeutic option for selected BRCA1/2wt EOC patients.

RAD51 as an immunohistochemistry-based marker of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor resistance in ovarian cancer.

Objective: Effective functional biomarkers that can be readily used in clinical practice to predict poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) sensitivity are lacking. With the widespread adoption of PARPi maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer, particularly in patients with BRCA mutation or HR deficiencies, accurately identifying de novo or acquired resistance to PARPi has become critical in clinical practice. We investigated RAD51 immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a functional biomarker for predicting PARPi sensitivity in ovarian cancer. Methods: Ovarian cancer patients who had received PARPi and had archival tissue samples prior to PARPi exposure ("pre-PARPi") and/or after progression on PARPi ("post-PARPi") were selected. RAD51 IHC expression was semi-quantitatively evaluated using the H-score in geminin (a G2/S phase marker)- and γH2AX (a DNA damage marker)-positive tissues. A RAD51 H-score of 20 was used as the cutoff value. Results: In total, 72 samples from 56 patients were analyzed. The median RAD51 H-score was 20 (range: 0-90) overall, 10 (0-190) in pre-PARPi samples (n = 34), and 25 (1-170) in post-PARPi samples (n = 19). Among patients with BRCA mutations, RAD51-low patients had better progression-free survival (PFS) after PARPi treatment than RAD51-high patients (P = 0.029). No difference was found in PFS with respect to the genomic scar score (P = 0.930). Analysis of matched pre- and post-PARPi samples collected from 15 patients indicated an increase in the RAD51 H-score upon progression on PARPi, particularly among pre-PARPi low-RAD51-expressing patients. Conclusion: RAD51 is a potential functional IHC biomarker of de novo and acquired PARPi resistance in BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer and can be used to fine-tune ovarian cancer treatment.

The effectiveness of CA125 and HE4 as clinical prognostic markers in epithelial ovarian cancer patients with BRCA mutation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in predicting survival outcomes based on breast cancer gene (BRCA) mutational status in epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: Medical records of 448 patients diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer at a single tertiary institution in Korea were retrospectively analyzed. Area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were assessed using the CA125 and HE4 values after surgery and 3 cycles of chemotherapy to predict 1-year survival based on the BRCA mutational status. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to obtain progression-free and overall survival to evaluate CA125 and HE4 effectiveness in predicting survival outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 423 patients were analyzed, including 180 (42.6%) who underwent interval debulking surgery (IDS) and 243 (57.4%) who underwent primary debulking surgery (PDS). BRCA mutations were observed in 37 (15.2%) and 44 (22.4%) patients in the PDS and IDS groups, respectively. CA125 and HE4 normalization demonstrated the highest specificity in patients with or without BRCA mutations, with specificities of 97.1% and 99.1% in the PDS group and 78.6% and 86.2% in the IDS group, respectively. Normalizing HE4 alone may be an effective prognostic marker, with an area under the curve of 0.774 and specificity of 75.0%, in patients with BRCA mutations. CONCLUSION: Normalizing both biomarkers emerged as the most effective predictive marker for the 1-year recurrence rate, regardless of BRCA mutational status. A negative HE4 value can be a useful predictor for 1-year recurrence-free survival in patients with BRCA mutations.

Therapeutic effects of surgical debulking of metastatic lymph nodes in cervical cancer IIICr: a trial protocol for a phase III, multicenter, randomized controlled study (KGOG1047/DEBULK trial).

BACKGROUND: Bulky or multiple lymph node (LN) metastases are associated with poor prognosis in cervical cancer, and the size or number of LN metastases is not yet reflected in the staging system and therapeutic strategy. Although the therapeutic effects of surgical resection of bulky LNs before standard treatment have been reported in several retrospective studies, well-planned randomized clinical studies are lacking. Therefore, the aim of the Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group (KGOG) 1047/DEBULK trial is to investigate whether the debulking surgery of bulky or multiple LNs prior to concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) improves the survival rate of patients with cervical cancer IIICr diagnosed by imaging tests. METHODS: The KGOG 1047/DEBULK trial is a phase III, multicenter, randomized clinical trial involving patients with bulky or multiple LN metastases in cervical cancer IIICr. This study will include patients with a short-axis diameter of a pelvic or para-aortic LN ≥2 cm or ≥3 LNs with a short-axis diameter ≥1 cm and for whom CCRT is planned. The treatment arms will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either receive CCRT (control arm) or undergo surgical debulking of bulky or multiple LNs before CCRT (experimental arm). CCRT consists of extended-field external beam radiotherapy/pelvic radiotherapy, brachytherapy and LN boost, and weekly chemotherapy with cisplatin (40 mg/m²), 4-6 times administered intravenously. The primary endpoint will be 3-year progression-free survival rate. The secondary endpoints will be 3-year overall survival rate, treatment-related complications, and accuracy of radiological diagnosis of bulky or multiple LNs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05421650; Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0007137.

Development and validation of artificial intelligence-based analysis software to support screening system of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

Cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, often proves fatal and stems from precursor lesions caused by high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. Accurate and early diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment. Current screening methods, such as the Pap test, liquid-based cytology (LBC), visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), and HPV DNA testing, have limitations, requiring confirmation through colposcopy. This study introduces CerviCARE AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) analysis software, to address colposcopy challenges. It automatically analyzes Tele-cervicography images, distinguishing between low-grade and high-grade lesions. In a multicenter retrospective study, CerviCARE AI achieved a remarkable sensitivity of 98% for high-risk groups (P2, P3, HSIL or higher, CIN2 or higher) and a specificity of 95.5%. These findings underscore CerviCARE AI's potential as a valuable diagnostic tool for highly accurate identification of cervical precancerous lesions. While further prospective research is needed to validate its clinical utility, this AI system holds promise for improving cervical cancer screening and lessening the burden of this deadly disease.

Serial Circulating Tumor DNA Analysis with a Tumor-Naïve Next-Generation Sequencing Panel Detects Minimal Residual Disease and Predicts Outcome in Ovarian Cancer.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may aid in personalizing ovarian cancer therapeutic options. Here, we aimed to assess the clinical utility of serial ctDNA testing using tumor-naïve, small-sized next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels. A total of 296 patients, including 201 with ovarian cancer and 95 with benign or borderline disease, were enrolled. Samples were collected at baseline (initial diagnosis or surgery) and every 3 months after that, resulting in a total of 811 blood samples. Patients received adjuvant therapy based on the current standard of care. Cell-free DNA was extracted and sequenced using an NGS panel of 9 genes: TP53, BRCA1, BRCA2, ARID1A, CCNE1, KRAS, MYC, PIK3CA, and PTEN. Pathogenic somatic mutations were identified in 69.2% (139/201) of patients with ovarian cancer at baseline but not in those with benign or borderline disease. Detection of ctDNA at baseline and/or at 6 months follow-up was predictive of progression-free survival (PFS). PFS was significantly poorer in patients with detectable pathogenic mutations at baseline that persisted at follow-up than in patients that converted from having detectable ctDNA at baseline to being undetectable at follow-up; survival did not differ between patients without pathogenic ctDNA mutations in baseline or follow-up samples and those that converted from ctDNA positive to negative. Disease recurrence was also detected earlier with ctDNA than with conventional radiologic assessment or CA125 monitoring. These findings demonstrate that serial ctDNA testing could effectively monitor patients and detect minimal residual disease, facilitating early detection of disease progression and tailoring of adjuvant therapies for ovarian cancer treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: In ovarian cancer, serial circulating tumor DNA testing is a highly predictive marker of patient survival, with a significantly improved recurrence detection lead time compared with conventional monitoring tools.

Comparison of Single-Port Laparoscopy with Other Surgical Approaches in Endometrial Cancer Surgical Staging: Propensity-Score-Matched Analysis.

This single-institution, retrospective study aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of single-port, multi-port, and robot-assisted laparoscopy, as well as laparotomy, in patients with endometrial cancer who underwent surgical staging between January 2006 and December 2017. This study evaluated various parameters, including disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), recurrence rate (RR), recurrence site, and intra- and postoperative complications. Propensity score matching was performed to account for baseline characteristics, and a total of 881 patients were included in the analysis. The 3-year DFS of single-port laparoscopy was similar to that of the other groups, but laparotomy exhibited a lower 3-year DFS compared to multi-port (p = 0.001) and robot-assisted (p = 0.031) laparoscopy. Single-port laparoscopy resulted in a significantly higher 3-year OS than laparotomy (p = 0.013). After propensity score matching, the four groups demonstrated similar survival outcomes (3-year DFS: p = 0.533; 3-year OS: p = 0.328) and recurrence rates (10.3%, 12.1%, 10.3%, and 15.9% in the single-port, multi-port, and robot-assisted laparoscopy and laparotomy groups, respectively, p = 0.552). Recurrence most commonly occurred in distant organs. The single-port laparoscopy group had the longest operative time (205.1 ± 76.9 min) but the least blood loss (69.5 ± 90.8 mL) and the shortest postoperative hospital stay (5.2 ± 2.3 days). In contrast, the laparotomy group had the shortest operative time (163.4 ± 51.0 min) but the highest blood loss (368.3 ± 326.4 mL) and the longest postoperative hospital stay (10.3 ± 4.6 days). The transfusion rate was 0% in the single-port laparoscopy group and 3.7% in the laparotomy group. Notably, the laparotomy group had the highest wound complication rate (p = 0.001), whereas no wound hernias were observed in the three minimally invasive approaches. In conclusion, the survival outcomes were comparable between the methods, with the benefit of lower blood loss and shorter hospital stay observed in the single-port laparoscopy group. This study suggests that single-port laparoscopy is a feasible approach for endometrial cancer surgical staging.

Clinical relevance of sentinel lymph node biopsy in early ovarian cancer.

The first-line treatment for early ovarian cancer typically involves primary debulking surgery aimed at maximal cytoreduction, alongside adjuvant chemotherapy if clinically indicated. Nodal assessment involving pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection is typically performed during the primary debulking surgery. However, the survival benefit of lymphadenectomy in patients with early ovarian cancer has not been well established, and the procedure is associated with longer operation time and higher perioperative complications. With the emergence of minimally invasive surgery as a potential alternative to laparotomy for early ovarian cancer, sentinel lymph node biopsy has been evaluated in this setting. In this review, we summarized the current literature regarding sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with early ovarian cancer, focusing on the clinical relevance of this method, including its detection rate and diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, we discuss the current status of clinical trials investigating sentinel lymph node biopsy in early ovarian cancer cases.

Frequency of peripheral PD-1+regulatory T cells is associated with treatment responses to PARP inhibitor maintenance in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis) are becoming the standard of care for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Recently, clinical trials of triple maintenance therapy (PARPi+anti-angiogenic agent+anti-PD-1/L1) are actively ongoing. Here, we investigated the immunological effects of PARPi or triple maintenance therapy on T cells and their impact on clinical responses. METHODS: We collected serial blood from EOC patients receiving PARPi therapy (cohort 1: PARPi, n = 49; cohort 2: olaparib+bevacizumab+pembrolizumab, n = 31). Peripheral T cells were analyzed using flow cytometry and compared according to the PARPi response. Progression-free survival (PFS) was assessed according to prognostic biomarkers identified in a comparative analysis. RESULTS: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) were suppressed by PARPi therapy, whereas PD-1 was not significantly changed. Short PFS group exhibited a higher percentage of baseline PD-1+Tregs than long PFS group, and the patients with high percentage of PD-1+Tregs before treatment showed poor PFS in cohort 1. However, the expression of PD-1 on Tregs significantly decreased after receiving triple maintenance therapy, and the reduction in PD-1+Tregs was associated with superior PFS in cohort 2 (P = 0.0078). CONCLUSION: PARPi suppresses Tregs, but does not affect PD-1 expression. Adding anti-PD-1 to PARPi decreases PD-1+Tregs, which have negative prognostic value for PARPi monotherapy.

Initial experience with the da Vinci SP robot-assisted surgical staging of endometrial cancer: a retrospective comparison with conventional laparotomy.

To compare the perioperative outcomes of surgical staging performed using conventional laparotomy (LT) or the da Vinci SP robotic system (SP) in patients with endometrial cancer. We retrospectively analyzed 180 patients with stage I-III endometrial cancer who underwent surgical staging using LT (n = 126) or SP (n = 54) at the Yonsei Cancer Center between November 2018 and December 2022. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to mitigate potential confounding biases. Fifty-one pairs of patients were matched by PSM. SP required longer total operation time than LT (221 vs. 142 min in SP vs. LT, respectively, p < 0.001). However, estimated blood loss and postoperative hemoglobin change were lower in SP than in LT (30 vs. 100 mL, p < 0.001; 0.6 vs. 1.6 g/dL, p < 0.001 for SP vs. LT respectively). Furthermore, postoperative minor complications (13.7% in SP vs. 33.3% in LT, p = 0.02), perioperative transfusion rate (0% in SP vs. 11.8% in LT, p = 0.03), and postoperative hospital stay (2 days for SP vs. 8 days for LT, p < 0.001) were lower in SP than in LT. Although the patient-controlled analgesia administration rate was lower in SP (13.8% in SP vs. 100% in LT, p < 0.001), the median postoperative pain score at 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery was lower in SP than in LT (2 vs. 3, p = 0.002; 2 vs. 3, p = 0.005; 2 vs. 3, p = 0.001 for SP vs. LT, respectively). Although SP required longer total operation time, it demonstrated several advantages over LT in endometrial cancer staging.

Triplet maintenance therapy of olaparib, pembrolizumab and bevacizumab in women with BRCA wild-type, platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer: the multicenter, single-arm phase II study OPEB-01/APGOT-OV4.

In this multicenter, open-label, single-arm, Phase II study with Simon two-stage optimum design (NCT04361370), we investigate the efficacy and safety of triplet maintenance (olaparib, pembrolizumab, bevacizumab) in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer who are wild-type for BRCA 1/2. A total of 44 patients were enrolled, and the median follow-up duration was 22.9 months (interquartile range: 17.4-24.7). The primary outcome was 6-months progression-free survival (PFS), which was 88.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 75.4-96.2), meeting the pre-specified primary endpoint. The secondary outcomes reported here include median PFS, 12-months PFS, and overall survival and safety. The median PFS was 22.4 months (20.4-∞), with a 12-months PFS rate of 84.0% (95% CI 69.3-92.0). The median overall survival was 28.6 months (27.3-∞). The combination demonstrated tolerable toxicity with manageable side effects. Other secondary outcomes include time-to-progression, time to subsequent treatment, time to second treatment and PFS2; however, this data is not reported, as treatment is still ongoing in a majority of patients. Exploratory analysis shows that patients who were homologous recombination deficiency-positive or had a programmed death-ligand 1 combined positive score ≥1 showed a favorable response (P = 0.043 and P < 0.001, respectively). Thus, triplet maintenance shows durable efficacy with tolerable safety in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrence.

Clinical Relevance of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width (RDW) in Endometrial Cancer: A Retrospective Single-Center Experience from Korea.

BACKGROUND: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a standard parameter of complete blood count and indicates the variability in red blood cell size. This study aimed to determine whether preoperative RDW can be used to predict the recurrence and prognosis of endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: The medical records of 431 patients diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed between May 2006 and June 2018. In addition to RDW, the clinicopathological factors, survival curves, and prognoses of the patients with endometrial carcinoma were compared between the high (n = 213) and low (n = 218) groups according to the median RDW value (12.8%). RESULTS: The patients with high RDW had significantly advanced-stage (p = 0.00) pelvic lymph node metastasis (p = 0.01) and recurrence (p = 0.01) compared to those in the low-RDW group. In univariate analysis with DFS as the endpoint, surgical stage, type II histology, grade, RDW, and lymph node metastasis were independently associated with survival. Patients with high RDW values had significantly shorter disease-free survival and overall survival than those with low RDW values (log-rank p = 0.03, log-rank p = 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that RDW is a simple and convenient indicator of endometrial carcinoma recurrence. Prospective studies are needed to validate the findings of the current study.

Comparing surgical outcomes of da Vinci SP and da Vinci Xi for endometrial cancer surgical staging in a propensity score-matched study.

The number of studies comparing robotic systems in endometrial cancer staging is limited. This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 42 consecutive endometrial cancer patients, who underwent robotic staging using the da Vinci SP (SP) system, and 126 propensity score-matched patients who underwent staging using the da Vinci Xi (Xi) system. Median console and total operation times were longer in the SP group than those in the Xi group (125 vs. 77 min, p < 0.001; 225 vs. 154.5 min, p < 0.001, respectively). Notably, the median console time of the first 10 cases using SP was 184 min; it subsequently decreased to 99.5 min in the fourth 10 cases. SP had lesser postoperative hemoglobin (Hb) change (0.6 ± 0.7 g/dL vs. 1.8 ± 0.9 g/dL in Xi, p < 0.001) and lower median pain score at 6 h after surgery (2 vs. 3 in Xi, p = 0.046). Moreover, median postoperative hospital stay was shorter in the SP group (2 days) than that in the Xi group (6 days) (p < 0.001). Although SP was correlated with lower postoperative Hb change, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and lower pain score than those in Xi, it required longer operation times. Further prospective randomized studies are needed to validate the benefits of SP compared to other robotic platforms.

Comparison of progression-free survival outcome of sentinel node biopsy without ultrastaging versus lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer: a propensity-matched analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the oncologic outcomes of patients with endometrial cancer who underwent sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy without ultrastaging compared with that of those who underwent lymphadenectomy (LND). METHODS: Patients with endometrial cancer who underwent staging with SLN biopsy or LND during 2006 - 2021 were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM). SLN metastasis was examined using hematoxylin and eosin staining, without ultrastaging. Progression-free survival (PFS) was compared between the two groups before and after PSM using age, histology, and stage as covariates. Clinical variables such as recurrence patterns and lymphatic complications, were assessed. RESULTS: After excluding 213 patients who underwent validation LND with SLN biopsy, 902 were identified. The demographics of the remaining patients differed according to histology, myometrial invasion depth, and stage. Lymph node metastasis was less frequent in the SLN group than in the LND group (9.4% vs. 3.8%, p=0.004). The recurrence rates within 2 years were lower in the SLN group. The SLN group exhibited significantly superior 2-year and overall PFS than the LND group. Among patients with uterus-confined disease, overall PFS was favorable for SLN biopsy. After matching, differences in PFS were no longer observed, although the lymphocele and lymphedema rates were significantly lower in the SLN group. CONCLUSION: In patients with endometrial cancer, SLN biopsy without ultrastaging did not compromise survival outcomes and was associated with significantly reduced lymphatic complication rates compared with LND. Therefore, SLN biopsy can be recommended for patients with endometrial cancer without definitive preoperative evidence of distant metastasis.

Comparison of oncological outcomes between sentinel lymph node biopsy and complete lymphadenectomy for endometrial cancer.

AIM: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping allows node-negative patients to be spared from the surgical comorbidities associated with total lymphadenectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the oncological outcomes of SLN biopsy versus complete lymph node dissection in patients with early-stage endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: Retrospective analyses were performed in patients with pathologically confirmed endometrioid endometrial carcinoma, who underwent minimally invasive surgical staging with SLN biopsy or complete lymph node dissection at Yonsei Cancer Center between 2015 and 2019. RESULTS: A total of 301 patients were included in this study. Eighty-two patients underwent SLN biopsy, while 219 underwent complete lymph node dissection. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between the two groups. In terms of operative characteristics, the SLN biopsy-only group had a significantly shorter surgical duration (p < 0.001) than the lymphadenectomy group. The mean follow-up period was 41.4 months. There were no differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) between the two groups (SLN biopsy vs. complete lymph node dissection; p = 0.798 and 0.301, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that SLN biopsy was not an independent prognostic factor for PFS or OS. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that SLN biopsy provided oncological outcomes similar to those of lymphadenectomy.

Comprehensive genomic and immunohistochemical profiles and outcomes of immunotherapy in patients with recurrent or advanced cervical cancer.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate genomic and immunohistochemical (IHC) profiles and immunotherapy outcomes in patients with cervical cancer. Methods: Patients with recurrent cervical cancer who underwent tumor next-generation sequencing (NGS) with the TruSight Oncology 500 panel at Yonsei Cancer Center between June 2019 and February 2022, were identified. Patients who received treatment with checkpoint inhibitors during the same period were also identified. Clinical information, including histology, stage, human papillomavirus (HPV) genotype, IHCs profile, and therapy outcome, was reviewed. Results: We identified 115 patients treated for recurrent cervical cancer, including 74 patients who underwent tumor NGS. Most of these 74 patients were initially diagnosed with advanced stage (63.6%) and had squamous cell histology (52.7%), and high-risk HPV (76.9%). Based on IHC analysis, the programmed death-ligand 1 combined positive score (PD-L1 CPS) was higher in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) than in those with adeno or mucinous types (P=0.020). HER2 receptor expression of 2+ and 3+ were identified in 5 and 1 patients, respectively, and significantly varied based on histology (p=0.002). Among the 74 patients, single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and copy number variations (CNVs) were identified in 60 (81.1%) and 13 patients (17.6%), respectively. The most common SNVs were PIK3CA, TP53, STK11, FAT1, and FBXW7 mutations. Mutations in PIK3CA, with two hotspot mutations, were frequently observed in patients with SCC histology, whereas mutations in TP53 were frequently observed in patients with non-SCC histology. Additionally, variations in FAT1 were exclusively identified in patients with SCC histology. Mutations in homologous recombination repair-associated genes were identified in 18 patients (24.3%). The most frequent CNV alteration was CCNE1 amplification. Moreover, among the 36 patients who underwent NGS and received immunotherapy, the tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability were significantly correlated with immunotherapy duration. During this timeframe, 73 patients received pembrolizumab monotherapy, among whom a small portion showed a durable response. Conclusion: Comprehensive genomic and IHC profiling may help identify potential candidates for targeted immunotherapy in patients with cervical cancer.

Investigation of PARP Inhibitor Resistance Based on Serially Collected Circulating Tumor DNA in Patients With BRCA-Mutated Ovarian Cancer.

PURPOSE: Patient-specific molecular alterations leading to PARP inhibitor (PARPi) resistance are relatively unexplored. In this study, we analyzed serially collected circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from patients with BRCA1/2 mutations who received PARPis to investigate the resistance mechanisms and their significance in postprogression treatment response and survival. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients were prospectively enrolled between January 2018 and December 2021 (NCT05458973). Whole-blood samples were obtained before PARPi administration and serially every 3 months until progression. ctDNA was extracted from the samples and sequenced with a 531-gene panel; gene sets for each resistance mechanism were curated. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients were included in this analysis. Mutation profiles of genes in pre-PARPi samples indicating a high tumor mutational burden and alterations in genes associated with replication fork stabilization and drug efflux were associated with poor progression-free survival on PARPis. BRCA hypomorphism and reversion were found in 1 and 3 patients, respectively. Among 29 patients with matched samples, mutational heterogeneity increased postprogression on PARPis, showing at least one postspecific mutation in 89.7% of the patients. These mutations indicate non-exclusive acquired resistance mechanisms-homologous recombination repair restoration (28%), replication fork stability (34%), upregulated survival pathway (41%), target loss (10%), and drug efflux (3%). We observed poor progression-free survival with subsequent chemotherapy in patients with homologous recombination repair restoration (P = 0.003) and those with the simultaneous involvement of two or more resistance mechanisms (P = 0.040). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of serial ctDNAs highlighted multiple acquired resistance mechanisms, providing valuable insights for improving postprogression treatment and survival.

Clinical Relevance of Uterine Manipulation on Oncologic Outcome in Robot-Assisted versus Open Surgery in the Management of Endometrial Cancer.

In this study, we investigated the impact of uterine manipulation on endometrial cancer survival outcomes. We analyzed patients with endometrial cancer who underwent robot-assisted staging and open staging surgery between 2010 and 2020. Either uterine manipulators or vaginal tubes were utilized in robot-assisted staging. Propensity score matching was performed to correct baseline characteristics. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curve analysis. In total, 574 patients, including those undergoing robot-assisted staging with a uterine manipulator (n = 213) or vaginal tube (n = 147) and staging laparotomy (n = 214), were analyzed. Propensity score matching was performed for age, histology, and stage as covariates. Before matching, Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that PFS and OS were significantly different among the three groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively). In the propensity-matched cohorts of 147 women, the previously suggested differences in PFS and OS were not observed in patients undergoing robot-assisted staging with a uterine manipulator or vaginal tube or open surgery. In conclusion, robotic surgery using a uterine manipulator or vaginal tube did not compromise survival outcomes in endometrial cancer management.