Radical hysterectomy for recurrent carcinoma of the uterine cervix after radiotherapy.

Patients with small recurrent cervical carcinomas following radiation therapy may be salvaged with radical hysterectomy rather than exenteration. Between 1953 and 1993, 50 patients underwent radical hysterectomy for persistent (n = 18) or recurrent (n = 32) cervical cancer after primary radiotherapy. The mean age of the cohort was 44 years (range, 23-70). Histologic types were squamous in 46, adenocarcinoma in 3, and adenosquamous in 1. Of 37 patients with staged disease, 24 had stage IB/IIA, 7 had stage IIB, 2 had stage IIIA, and 2 had stage IIIB. Combination radiotherapy, consisting of 40-45 Gy external-beam radiation plus brachytherapy (mean 6980 mg/hr), was performed in 32 patients (64%). In the 32 patients with recurrent lesions, the median interval from definitive radiotherapy to radical hysterectomy was 16 months (4-301), with 19 of these patients (60%) presenting within the first 24 months. Patients with persistent carcinomas underwent radical hysterectomy after a median observation interval of 2 months (1-4). A class II or III radical hysterectomy was performed in 39 (78%) cases. Pelvic and para-aortic lymph node samplings were performed in 39 patients (78%), including 33 (66%) who underwent complete pelvic lymphadenectomy. Among those sampled, 5 (13%) had metastatic nodal disease. All 5 patients died of disease at a median 13 months after surgery. Severe postoperative complications occurred in 21 patients (42%). The most common site of injury was the urinary tract, with 14 patients (28%) developing vesicovaginal or rectovaginal fistulae, 11 (22%) developing ureteral injuries, and 10 (20%) developing severe long-term bladder dysfunction. There was one postoperative death from sepsis among the entire population. Patients with abnormal preoperative intravenous pyelograms (P < 0.05), patients with recurrent presurgical lesions (P < 0.05), and patients with postoperative pelvic cellulitis (P < 0.01) were more likely to develop fistulae. The 5- and 10-year actuarial survival rates for all cases was 72 and 60%, respectively. Tumor size at radical hysterectomy was significantly associated with survival. Five-year actuarial survival in 12 of 44 patients (27%) with identifiable lesion diameters less than 2 cm was 90% compared with 64% in patients with larger lesions (P < 0.01). Prolonged disease-free survival occurred in 26 of 50 patients (52%) who had known disease status at follow-up, whereas recurrence after radical hysterectomy was seen in 24 patients (48%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Second genital primary squamous neoplasms in vulvar carcinoma: viral and histopathologic correlates.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether vulvar squamous cell carcinomas associated with certain morphologic features and/or human papillomavirus (HPV) nucleic acids were more likely to be associated with other genital primary squamous neoplasms. METHODS: We surveyed 169 invasive squamous cell carcinomas of the vulva and correlated associated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), invasive growth patterns resembling VIN (intraepithelial-like or basaloid), and the presence of HPV nucleic acids by in situ hybridization with a history of a second primary squamous neoplasm of the genital tract. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients (13%) had a history of a second primary. An intraepithelial growth pattern or an associated VIN correlated significantly with HPV, at P = .0005 and P = .007, respectively, and with a second primary, at P = .077 and P = .009, respectively. When HPV-positive, the same histologic variables correlated with a second primary at P = .099 and P = .25, respectively. Compared with cases lacking both these histologic features and HPV, they correlated with multifocal disease at P = .01 and P = .003. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of HPV nucleic acids, tumor growth patterns, and associated VIN are interrelated and confer risk of other genital primary neoplasms in women with vulvar carcinoma. This supports the concept that subsets of vulvar carcinoma may be distinguished not only by morphology and HPV DNA, but also by a distinctly different risk of a second genital primary neoplasm.

Pelvic exenteration in the elderly patient.

Advanced age is frequently considered a contraindication to radical exenterative surgery. We reviewed the outcomes of 63 patients age 65 years or older who underwent pelvic exenteration between 1960-1991 at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Sixty-three percent had preexisting medical illnesses. Major or potentially life-threatening complications were noted in 38% of the patients. An additional 38% experienced minor complications. Sixty percent experienced one or more infectious complications, including pyelonephritis, wound infection, sepsis, and flap necrosis. When both major and minor complications were considered, infectious morbidity was the single largest category. Although they are not life-threatening, nonspecific infectious morbidity and transient confusion were the most frequent individual complications, occurring in 26 and 24% of patients, respectively. Twenty-four percent of the patients experienced no complications. Thirty-four percent of the postoperative survivors suffered late major morbidity. Operative mortality was 11%; multisystem failure was the most frequent cause of death. After a mean follow-up of 4 years, 22 patients were alive with no clinical evidence of disease. Twenty-one patients died of recurrent disease, with a median time to recurrence of 9.6 months. The 5-year survival rate for the group was 46%. In comparison, 363 patients younger than age 65 who underwent exenteration during the same period experienced an operative mortality rate of 8.5% and a 5-year survival rate of 45%, neither of which were significantly different from the rates found for the older group (P = .51 and .52, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Youth as a prognostic factor in carcinoma of the cervix: a matched analysis.

A matched analysis comparing 250 patients less than 35 years old with squamous cell cancer of the cervix treated between 1971 and 1981 to a randomly selected group matched on treatment who were greater than 35 years old was performed. A chart review that focused on important prognosticators for survival and progression-free interval was performed. The groups were found to be similar for the important prognosticators. Overall survival and progression-free intervals were plotted using Kaplan-Meier curves and demonstrated that for advanced stages, younger patients were less likely to survive and more likely to recur. Cox proportional-hazard analyses were performed, looking at important prognosticators of survival and progression-free interval. Age, stage, positive lymph nodes, and cervical diameter emerged as statistically significant predictors of survival, while stage, positive lymph nodes, and cervical diameter emerged as statistically significant predictors of progression-free interval. The plot of relative hazard by stage of younger versus older patients showed an interaction between age and stage that merits further exploration.

Splenectomy in gynecologic oncology: indications, complications, and technique.

Although uncommonly performed in this setting, splenectomy is sometimes indicated in patients with gynecologic malignancies. From January 1970 through March 1989, 45 patients at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center underwent splenectomy during the course of gynecologic laparotomies. All procedures were performed by the gynecology staff and trainees. Twenty-seven patients (60%) had ovarian cancer; endometrial and cervical cancers were present in three patients each. The remaining 11 patients had other diseases. Splenectomy was planned preoperatively in only 9 patients (20%). Thirteen patients (29%) underwent splenectomy because of injury to the spleen. Injury was most commonly due to traction during omentectomy, resulting in capsular laceration. The injury was immediately recognized in 12 patients; 1 patient required reexploration for hemoperitoneum. In 24 patients (53%), splenectomy was performed for tumor reduction. Pathologic examination showed that 11 of 24 patients had capsular involvement by tumor, 7 had parenchymal metastases, and 6 had no direct splenic involvement. Residual tumor following cytoreduction was smaller than 2 cm in 62.5% of patients. Splenectomy is a well-tolerated procedure and the operative approach can be tailored to the clinical situation and distribution of tumor. An attempt should be made to repair splenic injury when tumor involvement is not present.

Prognostic indicators for invasive carcinoma of the vulva.

Three hundred sixty-five patients with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva have been treated at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1944 and 1990. We undertook a rigorous review of the medical records, and a Cox proportional hazards model was applied to examine predictors of both failure to survive and recurrence. Significant predictors of both failure to survive and recurrence included tumor size, clinical stage, therapy aim, pelvic or inguinal nodal metastases, and positive margins. We then undertook an analysis of Stage I and II lesions treated with a curative aim to see if there was a difference in survival or in disease-free interval between those patients treated with radical vulvectomy and those treated with radical wide local excision. There was no survival advantage from the radical vulvectomy procedure. We conclude that careful selection may allow us to choose some patients for less radical procedures.

The significance of residual tumor after preoperative pelvic irradiation for stage II endometrial carcinoma.

The prognostic significance of residual endometrial carcinoma in the hysterectomy specimen after preoperative radiotherapy is controversial. Sixty-two patients with stage II endometrial carcinoma were treated with a standardized program of preoperative radiotherapy, followed in six weeks by an extrafascial hysterectomy. Twenty patients (32%) had no residual carcinoma in their hysterectomy specimens and 42 (68%) had residual carcinoma. There were no significant clinical, surgical, or pathologic differences between patients with or without residual carcinoma. Patients with no residual carcinoma had a 25% recurrence rate and a 53% actuarial five-year survival rate. Patients with residual carcinoma had a 21% recurrence rate and a 78% actuarial five-year survival rate. The presence of residual endometrial carcinoma in the hysterectomy specimen does not imply a compromised prognosis in patients with stage II endometrial carcinoma treated by the described method.

Prognostic factors in stage II endometrial carcinoma.

The rarity of Stage II endometrial carcinoma and variable treatment modalities have made the evaluation of prognostic factors difficult. Clinical, surgical, and pathologic characteristics were evaluated in 64 patients treated with whole pelvic irradiation and intracavitary radium followed by hysterectomy at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute from January 1965 to December 1983. Comparison of 5-year actuarial survival rates revealed the following statistically significant categories: age, grade, depth of myometrial invasion, disease extent at surgery including lymph node metastases, and pelvic cytology. Race, weight, and cell type were not significant prognostic factors. Evaluation of prognostic factors at surgery includes pelvic and para-aortic lymph node biopsies, omental biopsy, pelvic cytologic washings, and biopsy of any suspicious tissues. Patients with adverse prognostic factors are candidates for trials with adjuvant therapy.

Pelvic exenteration: prognostic significance of regional lymph node metastasis.

The members of the Felix Rutledge Society were surveyed to determine their policies concerning pelvic exenteration when regional lymph node metastasis is discovered at the outset of an operation and the resulting survival data. Survival data from the responding members are presented in a summary table. A series of 448 exenterations performed at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute from 1955 to 1984 was reviewed, and the medical records of patients with positive nodes were analyzed for factors that might influence prognosis, such as anatomical site of cancer, histologic type, and location and number of positive nodes. Of the 407 patients whose lymph nodes were studied histologically, 44 had nodal metastasis. Death from recurrent gynecologic cancer and death from all causes were used as end points, and survival rates were calculated according to primary treatment, treatment of recurrent cancer, cancer of the cervix, location of positive nodes, and number of positive nodes. For patients with positive nodes, 36.2% avoided death from recurrent cancer for 3 years, and 26.3% survived for 5 years. We conclude that although the prognosis for patients with positive nodes is poor, some longterm survivals can be achieved. The goal of pelvic exenteration is cure; however, for selected patients, the operation may be justified when it improves the quality of life and extends life.

Stage IB cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy: role of adjuvant radiotherapy.

A retrospective review of 194 patients with stage IB cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy between January 1977 and December 1984 revealed 30 patients (15%) with pelvic node metastases. Twenty patients with pelvic node metastases received postoperative radiotherapy and ten patients did not. Five of 20 patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy had recurrence, compared with five of ten patients who did not receive radiotherapy. No pelvic recurrences occurred in the adjuvant radiotherapy group compared with two in the no radiotherapy group. Only one serious complication occurred in a patient receiving radiotherapy. Adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy may reduce pelvic recurrences and improve survival in patients with pelvic node metastases treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy.

A trial of continuous-infusion vinblastine in refractory endometrial adenocarcinoma.

Fourteen patients with refractory or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the endometrium were treated with continuous infusion vinblastine. No patient had a response. One patient had stable disease. Although well tolerated, vinblastine sulfate given by this method has no activity in this malignancy.

Chemotherapeutic complete remission in patients with metastatic ovarian dysgerminoma. Potential for cure and preservation of reproductive capacity.

Two patients with metastatic dysgerminoma of the ovary were treated with a combination of etoposide, bleomycin, and cisplatin at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at Houston. Both patients achieved a complete remission. Patient 1 developed a massive recurrence in the para-aortic lymph nodes 21 months after diagnosis and treatment with right salpingo-oophorectomy alone. She received four cycles of chemotherapy and is free of disease 21 months from the start of chemotherapy. Patient 2 had Stage III dysgerminoma and a lymphangiogram positive for tumor in the para-aortic lymph nodes. After surgery she received three cycles of chemotherapy and is free of disease 20 months from the start of chemotherapy. Both complete remissions were documented with second-look laparotomy. Chemotherapy may be an alternative to radiotherapy for the treatment of metastatic dysgerminoma and should also be considered for selected patients with Stage I disease. A literature review further supports the conclusion that additional clinical trials might expand the indications for chemotherapy in patients with this disease.

Immature teratoma of the ovary.

Forty-one patients with pure immature teratoma of the ovary treated at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute at Houston from 1944 to 1985 were reviewed. The median age of these patients was 17 years. The most common symptom was abdominal pain, which occurred in 39 (95%) patients. FIGO stages included 24 patients with stage I, four with stage II, 12 with stage III, and one stage IV. The tumors ranged in size from 6 to 31 cm in greatest diameter, with a median of 17 cm. Of 39 cases reexamined microscopically, four were grade 1 tumors, 22 were grade 2 tumors, and 13 were grade 3 tumors. Initial surgery included ovarian cystectomy in one patient, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in 27 patients, and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in 13 patients. Fifteen of 16 patients treated with surgery alone developed recurrent disease; 11 are surviving after further therapy. Two patients died after treatment with radiotherapy plus chemotherapy. Twenty-one patients received a combination of vincristine, actinomycin-D, and cyclophosphamide postoperatively, and 18 are alive and well. One of two patients who received other combination regimens is alive and well. Therefore, 29 of the 41 patients (71%) are alive and well. Optimal management of patients with pure immature teratoma of the ovary consists of initial surgery (with preservation of a normal contralateral ovary in most patients) followed by combination chemotherapy in all patients except those with stage I, grade 1 disease; the latter may be treated safely with surgery alone.

Percutaneous nephrostomy catheter use in gynecologic malignancy: M.D. Anderson Hospital experience.

The clinical courses of 30 patients with 41 nephrostomy catheters were followed. Duration of drainage ranged from 2 days to 15 months with a mean of 3.7 months. The most common complications were hemorrhage (28%), infection (70%), and blockage of catheter (65%). No deaths occurred as a result of these complications. Renal function recovered in 14 of 20 patients (70%) who presented with elevated creatinine values. Twenty-six of 28 patients with malignant obstruction were able to receive further therapy. The only long-term survivors presented with primary advanced cervical cancer.

Bartholin gland carcinoma.

Bartholin gland tumors are rare and management recommendations have been based on limited information. This report summarizes a 30-year clinical experience involving Bartholin gland carcinoma in 36 patients whose five-year survival rate was 84%. FIGO stages of the 36 tumors were stage I, nine; stage II, 15; stage III, ten; and stage IV, two. Cell types were: squamous, 27 (three nonkeratinizing with areas of a transitional component); adenomatous, six; adenoid cystic, two; and adenosquamous, one. Fourteen of 30 (47%) patients with lymph node dissections had nodal metastases and 11 remain disease-free. Disease recurred in nine patients (six local, two distant, one local and distant) and four were treated successfully. One of 14 (7%) patients receiving radiation and six of 22 (27%) patients not receiving radiation developed local recurrences. Wide excision (often necessitating a radical hemivulvectomy), ipsilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy, and adjunctive irradiation to the vulva and regional lymph nodes produced excellent results.

Second-look laparotomy in the management of malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary.

From 1970 to 1985, 53 patients with malignant nondysgerminomatous germ cell tumors of the ovary underwent second-look laparotomy after initial surgery and combination chemotherapy. Twenty-two patients had immature teratoma, 15 had endodermal sinus tumor, 15 had mixed germ cell tumor, and one patient had embryonal carcinoma. Thirty-one of the neoplasms were stage I, four were stage II, 17 were stage III, and one was stage IV. Two patients received a combination of actinomycin-D, 5-fluorouracil, and cyclophosphamide; four patients received vinblastine, bleomycin, and cisplatin; 44 patients received vincristine, actinomycin-D, and cyclophosphamide; and three patients received a combination of the last two regimens. Second-look findings were negative in 52 patients and positive in one patient who was subsequently salvaged with further chemotherapy. One patient with stage I endodermal sinus tumor relapsed nine months after a negative second-look laparotomy and died. Two patients with negative findings subsequently died of leukemia. Of 53 patients undergoing second-look laparotomy, three are dead (one of cancer and two of leukemia), and 50 patients are surviving without disease. Although the precise role of second-look laparotomy in patients with malignant germ cell tumors is yet to be established, possible indications are discussed.

Use of cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide to treat advanced and recurrent adenocarcinoma of the endometrium.

Eighteen patients with recurrent or advanced adenocarcinoma of the endometrium were treated with the combination of cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide between January 1981 and December 1983. Sixteen of the 18 had received prior irradiation. None of the patients had received prior chemotherapy. Fifteen patients had previously received hormones without response. No patients received concurrent hormone treatments. Ten of the 18 patients (56%) achieved an objective response: five (28%) achieved complete response and five (28%) achieved partial response. Myelosuppression was present in seven patients, and two developed neurotoxicity. Combination chemotherapy using cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide is active in patients with adenocarcinoma of the endometrium, including those who have received prior irradiation and have failed hormonal therapy.