Fertility-Sparing Treatment for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer ≥ 2 cm: Can One Still Effectively Become a Mother? A Systematic Review of Fertility Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Fertility-sparing treatments (FSTs) have played a crucial role in the management of early-stage cervical cancer (ECC); however, there is currently no standard of care for women with ECC ≥ 2 cm who wish to preserve their fertility. The current orientation of the scientific community comprises upfront surgical techniques and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by minor surgery such us conization. However these approaches are not standardized. This systematic review aimed to collect the evidence in the literature regarding the obstetric outcomes of the different techniques for applying FSTs in ECC ≥ 2 cm. METHODS: A systematic review was performed in September 2022 using the Pubmed and Scopus databases, from the date of the first publication. We included all studies containing data regarding pregnancy, birth, and preterm rates. RESULTS: Fifteen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and 352 patients were analyzed regarding fertility outcomes. Surgery-based FST showed the pregnancy rate (22%), birth rate (11%), and preterm rate (10%). Papers regarding FST using the NACT approach showed a pregnancy rate of 44%, with a birth rate of 45% in patients who managed to get pregnant. The preterm rate amounted to 44%, and pregnancy rates and birth rates were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Fertility preservation in patients with ECC > 2 cm is challenging. The endpoint for evaluating the best treatment should include oncological and fertility outcomes together. From this prospective, NACT followed by less radical surgery could be a reasonable compromise.

Secondary cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer: a multi-institutional study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and morbidity and mortality of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). DESIGN: A retrospective study conducted using information extracted from a multi-institutional prospective database on peritoneal surface malignancies (PSMs). Setting Four Italian centres specializing in locoregional treatment of PSM. POPULATION: Patients with recurrent EOC. METHODS: Fifty-six patients underwent 57 combined procedures. CRS was performed using peritonectomy procedures and HIPEC using the closed-abdomen technique with cisplatin and doxorubicin or cisplatin and mitomycin-C. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), morbidity and mortality rates. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 55.2 years (range 30-75 years). The median peritoneal cancer index was 15.2 (range 4-30). Forty-seven patients had microscopic residual disease (completeness of cytoreduction, CC-0), seven had residual disease ≤2.5 mm (CC-1) and one had residual disease >2.5 mm (CC>2). Major complications occurred in 15 patients (26.3%), and procedure-related mortality occurred in three patients (5.3%). The median follow-up time was 23.1 months. The median OS and PFS were 25.7 (95% CI 20.3-31.0) and 10.8 (95% CI 5.4-16.2) months, respectively. The 5-year OS and PFS were 23% and 7%, respectively. Independent prognostic factors affecting OS according to the multivariate analysis were Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, preoperative serum albumin, and completeness of cytoreduction. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with recurrent EOC treated with CRS and HIPEC showed promising results in terms of outcome. The combined treatment strategy could benefit subsets of patients wider than that defined for conventional secondary debulking surgery without HIPEC. These data warrant further evaluation in randomised clinical trials.

Comparison of three different mesh materials in tension-free inguinal hernia repair: prolene versus Vypro versus surgisis.

Using mesh or a synthetic prosthesis during tension-free inguinal hernia repair has been shown to be safe and effective. We compared the final outcome in treating inguinal hernia in 45 patients using three different prosthetic materials: 15 patients underwent tension-free inguinal hernia repair using Prolene (polypropylene) mesh, 15 using Vypro (polyglactin and polypropylene) mesh, and 15 with Surgisis-a new bioactive material derived from porcine small intestinal submucosa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tension-free inguinal repair using Surgisis, comparing it with conventional prosthetic materials. From January 2003 to December 2003, 45 male patients underwent Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair. Median follow-up was 12 months, with a range of 1-16 months. Each patient underwent ultrasound evaluation of the inguinal region 1 month after surgery. All the procedures were completed under local anesthesia. There were no intraoperative complications, and all patients were discharged home the same day of surgery. No recurrent hernias and wound infections were observed in our post-operative follow-up period. Postoperative pain (visual analog score) and discomfort were lower in patients with Surgisis mesh. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of overall early and late complications; however, there was a tendency toward a higher incidence of pain and discomfort in Vypro and Prolene group. The median time to full recovery was significantly shorter in the Surgisis group. Surgisis mesh seems to be a promising new prosthetic material for hernia repair. Long-term follow-up is necessary to confirm these preliminary results.

Primary retrorectal adenocarcinoma: report of a case.

Primary adenocarcinomas of the retrorectal (presacral) space are uncommon and usually arise from cystic lesions developing from remnants of the embryological postanal gut (tail gut cysts) containing mucous-secreting epithelium. A singular case of a patient who presented with a retrorectal mass is described. A 70-year-old previously healthy man had a four-month history of perianal pain during defecation. Preoperative colonoscopy showed external compression of the lower rectum with normal mucosa; pelvic computed tomography demonstrated a 5.5 x 4.5 cm(2) retrorectal oval mass, originating from the posterior lower rectal wall, containing cystic components and some small calcifications. The tumor, after complete resection via transanal approach, was shown to be a very rare case of primary adenocarcinoma of the presacral space. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and he is free from disease 4 years after surgery. Clinicopathological features and surgical treatment of this unusual tumor are discussed.

Protective effect of relaxin in cardiac anaphylaxis: involvement of the nitric oxide pathway.

1 Relaxin (RLX) is a multifunctional hormone best known for its role in pregnancy and parturition, that has been also shown to influence coronary perfusion and mast cell activation through the generation of endogenous nitric oxide (NO). In this study we report on the effects of RLX on the biochemical and mechanical changes of ex vivo perfused hearts isolated from ovalbumin-sensitized guinea-pigs induced by challenge with the specific antigen. The possible involvement of NO in the RLX action has been also investigated. 2 A 30-min perfusion with RLX (30 ng ml(-1)) before ovalbumin challenge fully abated the positive chronotropic and inotropic effects evoked by anaphylactic reaction to the antigen. RLX also blunted the short-term coronary constriction following to antigen challenge. Conversely, perfusion with chemically inactivated RLX had no effect. 3 The release of histamine in the perfusate and the accumulation of calcium in heart tissue induced by antigen challenge were significantly decreased by RLX, while the amounts of nitrites in the perfusate were significantly increased, as were NO synthase activity and expression and cGMP levels in heart tissue. 4 These findings indicate that RLX has a protective effect in cardiac anaphylaxis which involves an up-regulation of the NO biosynthetic pathway.

Laparoscopic resection of calcifying fibrous pseudotumor of the gastric wall. A unique case report.

Calcifying fibrous pseudotumor (CFPT) is a recently described peculiar lesion characterized by the presence of abundant hyalinized collagen with psammomatous or dystrophic calcifications and a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Initially, a few cases of CFPT were observed in the subcutaneous and deep soft tissues, especially at the level of the extremities, trunk, scrotum, groin, neck, and axilla; more recently, several cases have been reported in the pleura. We present a case of CFPT of the gastric wall. To our knowledge, this is the first such case to be described. A previously healthy 49-year-old woman presented with a 5-month history of epigastric pain after eating, early satiety, and weight loss. Gastroscopy revealed a polypoid lesion covered by normal mucosa along the great curvature of the gastric body. The patient was submitted to surgical treatment consisting of laparoscopic wedge resection of the gastric body. Histologic examination of the specimen disclosed CFPT affecting the wall of the gastrointestinal tract. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged from the hospital 5 days after surgery. The patient was free of disease 6 months after excision. Herein we discuss the clinicopathological features and surgical treatment of this most unusual case.

Long-term modulation of HERG channel gating in hypoxia.

Using the patch-clamp technique, we analysed changes in the biophysical properties of HERG potassium channels in neuroblastoma cells long-term exposed to hypoxia. In this condition, HERG channels underwent a profound modulation that consisted of: (i) a slowing in open-close kinetics; (ii) a marked hyperpolarizing shift in voltage dependence of steady-state activation; and (iii) a slowing of the inactivation removal. The overall physiological impact of these changes in neuroblastoma cells is an increase in the HERG window current in the range of the resting potential (V(REST)), which varied between -40 and -30 mV. Such a current modulation is suitable to stabilise the resting potential (V(REST)) in hypoxic environments.

Objective laparoscopic skills assessments of surgical residents using Hidden Markov Models based on haptic information and tool/tissue interactions.

UNLABELLED: Laparoscopic surgical skills evaluation of surgery residents is usually a subjective process, carried out in the operating room by senior surgeons. By its nature, this process is performed using fuzzy criteria. The objective of the current study was to develop and assess an objective laparoscopic surgical skill scale using Hidden Markov Models (HMM) based on haptic information, tool/tissue interactions and visual task decomposition. METHODS: Eight subjects (six surgical trainees: first year surgical residents 2 x R1, third year surgical residents 2 x R3 fifth year surgical residents 2 x R5; and two expert laparoscopic surgeons: 2 x ES) performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy following a specific 7 steps protocol on a pig. An instrumented laparoscopic grasper equipped with a three-axis force/torque sensor located at the proximal end with an additional force sensor located on the handle, was used to measure the forces and torques. The hand/tool interface force/torque data was synchronized with a video of the tool operative maneuvers. A synthesis of frame-by-frame video analysis was used to define 14 different types of tool/tissue interactions, each one associated with unique force/torque (F/T) signatures. HMMs were developed for each subject representing the surgical skills by defining the various tool/tissue interactions as states and the associated F/T signatures as observations. The statistical distance between the HMMs representing residents at different levels of their training and the HMMs of expert surgeons were calculated in order to generate a learning curve of selected steps during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. RESULTS: Comparison of HMM's between groups showed significant differences between all skill levels, supporting the objective definition of a learning curve. The major differences between skill levels were: (i) magnitudes of F/T applied (ii) types of tool/tissue interactions used and the transition between them and (iii) time intervals spent in each tool/tissue interaction and the overall completion time. The objective HMM analysis showed that the greatest difference in performance was between R1 and R3 groups and then decreased as the level of expertise increased, suggesting that significant laparoscopic surgical capability develops between the first and the third years of their residency training. The power of the methodology using HMM for objective surgical skill assessment arises from the fact that it compiles enormous amount of data regarding different aspects of surgical skill into a very compact model that can be translated into a single number representing the distance from expert performance. Moreover, the methodology is not limited to in-vivo condition as demonstrated in the current study. It can be extended to other modalities such as measuring performance in surgical simulators and robotic systems.