Factors associated with an inconclusive result from commercial homologous recombination deficiency testing in ovarian cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) testing is used to determine the appropriateness of poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors for patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and no germline/somatic BRCA1/2 alterations. Myriad MyChoice CDx reports a genomic instability score (GIS) to quantify the level of HRD, with a positive score defined as ≥42. The authors sought to define factors associated with obtaining an inconclusive HRD test result. METHODS: GIS was retrieved for patients at their institution with epithelial ovarian cancer without germline/somatic BRCA1/2 deleterious alterations who underwent HRD testing from April 2020-August 2023. Clinical data were abstracted from the medical record. RESULTS: Of 477 HRD test results identified, 57 (12%) were inconclusive. High-grade serous ovarian cancers had higher GIS than other histologic types (median 29 vs. 21, p < .001). Most HRD cases were of high-grade serous histology; no cases with clear cell or endometrioid histology were HRD-positive. On univariate analysis, interval versus primary cytoreductive surgery, other specimen sources versus surgical specimens, and chemotherapy exposure were risk factors for inconclusive HRD testing. On multivariable analysis, chemotherapy exposure, and tissue source were associated with an inconclusive test result, with surgical specimens more likely to yield a conclusive result than other sources (biopsy, cytology, other). Age, stage, self-reported race, and histology were not associated with an inconclusive result. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical tissue was more likely to yield a conclusive HRD test result versus other sources of epithelial ovarian cancer tissue acquisition. When feasible, laparoscopic biopsy before initiation of neoadjuvant chemotherapy may increase the likelihood of obtaining interpretable HRD test results.

Folate receptor alpha expression in low-grade serous ovarian cancer: Exploring new therapeutic possibilities.

OBJECTIVE: Mirvetuximab soravtansine may be a potentially effective therapeutic option for ovarian low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC), but the prevalence of folate receptor alpha (FRα) overexpression in this tumor type is unknown. We sought to characterize FRα expression in LGSC and its association with clinical and molecular features. METHODS: FRα immunohistochemistry was performed on a tissue microarray comprised of 89 LGSCs and 42 ovarian serous borderline tumors (SBTs). Clinical tumor-normal panel-based sequencing was performed on 78 LGSCs. Associations between FRα-high status and clinicopathologic characteristics and survival outcomes were examined. RESULTS: Of 89 LGSCs, 36 (40%) were FRα-high (≥75% of viable tumor cells exhibiting moderate-to-strong membranous expression). Of 9 patients with LGSC and samples from different timepoints, 4 (44%) had discordant results, with conversion from FRα-negative to FRα-high in 3 (33%) cases. There was no association between FRα-high status with age, race, or progression-free/overall survival. A MAPK pathway genetic alteration, most commonly involving KRAS (n = 23), was present in 45 (58%) LGSCs. Those lacking MAPK pathway alterations were more likely to be FRα-high compared to MAPK-altered LGSCs (61% vs 20%, p < 0.001). In SBTs, FRα-high expression was associated with high-risk (micropapillary) histology and/or subsequent LGSC recurrence compared to conventional SBTs without malignant recurrence (53% vs 9%, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Future studies of FRα-directed therapy in patients with LGSC are warranted. Discordant FRα status at recurrence suggests potential benefit for retesting. A biomarker-driven approach to direct treatment selection in LGSC is recommended. As high FRα expression is more common amongst tumors lacking MAPK pathway genetic alterations, FRα testing to determine eligibility for mirvetuximab soravtansine therapy is particularly recommended for this subgroup.

Cervical Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Practices in U.S. Prisons.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study is to better understand cervical cancer screening and follow-up practices in U.S. prisons. METHODS: A 29-question survey examining cervical cancer screening practices, education, and facility/patient characteristics was disseminated to state-prison medical directors. RESULTS: A total of 70% (35/50) of state medical directors completed the survey between August 2021 and January 2022. All prison systems provided cervical cancer screening both at intake and specified intervals. A total of 36% provided colposcopy on site, and 9% performed excisional procedures on site. A total of 11 states identified 1‒5 cases of cervical cancer within the last year. Frequently cited challenges included a perceived lack of patient interest, delays in community referral, and lack of follow-up of abnormal results after release. CONCLUSIONS: This study found relatively high rates of screening with a perceived lack of patient interest as the most reported barrier. Follow-up care was also often affected by reported lack of patient interest, delays in community referral for diagnostic procedures, and patient release before follow-up. There is room for further optimization of screening and surveillance among incarcerated women by understanding and addressing systems-based challenges. By understanding patient barriers to primary screening, expanding access to onsite testing and community referral for abnormal results, and streamlining post-release follow-up, disparities in care among incarcerated women can be reduced.

Fentanyl in the labor epidural impacts the results of intrapartum and postpartum maternal and neonatal toxicology tests.

BACKGROUND: A positive urine fentanyl toxicology test may have considerable consequences for peripartum individuals, yet the extent to which fentanyl administration in a labor epidural may lead to such a positive test is poorly characterized. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to quantify the extent to which neuraxial fentanyl in labor neuraxial analgesia can lead to a positive peripartum maternal or neonatal urine toxicology test. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a prospective cohort study of pregnant participants planning a vaginal delivery with neuraxial analgesia. Participants with a history of substance use disorder, hypertension, or renal or liver disease were excluded. A urine sample was collected before initiation of neuraxial analgesia, each time the bladder was emptied during labor, and up to 4 times postpartum. Neonatal urine was collected once. Urine fentanyl testing was performed using 2 common toxicology testing methods, namely immunoassay and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric detection. RESULTS: A total of 33 maternal-infant dyads yielded a total of 178 urine specimens. All maternal specimens were negative for fentanyl using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric analysis and immunoassay before initiation of neuraxial analgesia. Intrapartum, 26 of 30 (76.7%) participants had positive liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry results for fentanyl or its metabolites, and 12 of 30 (40%) participants had positive immunoassay results. Postpartum, 19 of 21 (90.5%) participants had positive liquid chromatograph with tandem mass spectrometric results, and 13 of 21 (61.9%) had a positive immunoassay result. Of the 13 neonatal specimens collected, 10 (76.9%) were positive on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis, the last of which remained positive 29 hours and 50 minutes after delivery. CONCLUSION: Neuraxial fentanyl for labor analgesia may lead to positive maternal and neonatal toxicology tests at various times after epidural initiation and cessation and at different rates depending on the testing method used. Caution should be used in interpreting toxicology test results of individuals who received neuraxial analgesia to avoid false assumptions about nonprescribed use.

The MEMORY Study: MulticentEr study of Minimally invasive surgery versus Open Radical hYsterectomy in the management of early-stage cervical cancer: Survival outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: The Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) trial found that minimally invasive radical hysterectomy compared to open radical hysterectomy compromised oncologic outcomes and was associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in early-stage cervical carcinoma. We sought to assess oncologic outcomes at multiple centers between minimally invasive (MIS) radical hysterectomy and OPEN radical hysterectomy. METHODS: This is a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study of patients with 2009 FIGO stage IA1 (with lymphovascular space invasion) to IB1 cervical carcinoma from 1/2007-12/2016. Patients who underwent preoperative therapy were excluded. Squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and adenosquamous carcinomas were included. Appropriate statistical tests were used. RESULTS: We identified 1093 cases for analysis-715 MIS (558 robotic [78%]) and 378. OPEN procedures. The OPEN cohort had more patients with tumors >2 cm, residual disease in the hysterectomy specimen, and more likely to have had adjuvant therapy. Median follow-up for the MIS and OPEN cohorts were 38.5 months (range, 0.03-149.51) and 54.98 months (range, 0.03-145.20), respectively. Three-year PFS rates were 87.9% (95% CI: 84.9-90.4%) and 89% (95% CI: 84.9-92%), respectively (P = 0.6). On multivariate analysis, the adjusted HR for recurrence/death was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.47-1.03; P = 0.07). Three-year OS rates were 95.8% (95% CI: 93.6-97.2%) and 96.6% (95% CI: 93.8-98.2%), respectively (P = 0.8). On multivariate analysis, the adjusted HR for death was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.43-1.52; P = 0.5). CONCLUSION: This multi-institutional analysis showed that an MIS compared to OPEN radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer did not appear to compromise oncologic outcomes, with similar PFS and OS.

Patient-reported outcomes and chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment in gynecologic malignancy.

OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy has multiple adverse effects, including chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment, the phenomenon colloquially referred to as 'chemobrain'. The objective of this study was to understand patient-reported experiences of this phenomenon in relation to chemotherapy administration among gynecologic oncology patients. METHODS: A prospective patient-reported outcomes program was implemented in the Gynecologic Oncology clinic of a tertiary academic institution in January 2018. Patients with endometrial or ovarian cancer who received chemotherapy were included through September 2019 in this cohort study. Patients completed the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire. Serial responses were compared before, during, and after chemotherapy using a mixed effects linear regression with random effects for repeated measures within patients and a fixed effect for endometrial versus ovarian cancer. RESULTS: Fifty patients were included who completed a total of 152 patient-reported outcome measures. Thirty-five questionnaires were administered before chemotherapy, 59 during treatment, and 58 at a median of 161 days after the final cycle of chemotherapy. Seventy-one percent of patients reported no difficulties with concentration before chemotherapy, which remained stable after chemotherapy (72%). Sixty-six percent reported no difficulty with memory before chemotherapy versus 52% after chemotherapy. There were significant differences in feeling tension (p<0.001), worry (p<0.001), and depression (p=0.02) before and after chemotherapy on mixed effects linear regression, with higher levels of adverse emotional symptoms before chemotherapy administration compared with after. Women reported more interference with their social lives during chemotherapy (mean 1.08) compared with before (mean 0.85) and after chemotherapy (0.75, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: While no overt memory issues were discovered with serial administration of patient-reported outcome measures, rates of adverse emotional symptoms such as depression, tension, and worry diminished after chemotherapy administration. Further study is needed about the phenomenon of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment using a larger cohort.

Acceptability of virtual prenatal care: thinking beyond the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Obstetrical providers have had to rapidly rethink how to provide comprehensive prenatal care during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. At our institution, we implemented a risk-stratified approach to incorporating telemedicine into our prenatal care. The objective of this study was to determine acceptability of virtual prenatal care and preferences for future pregnancies among our patient population. STUDY DESIGN: We sought feedback from a convenience sample of patients regarding the acceptability of virtual prenatal care and desires for future pregnancies. RESULTS: We found that virtual prenatal care is acceptable to patients, and the majority would like to incorporate it into future post-pandemic pregnancy care, although preferences differ by race. CONCLUSION: Virtual prenatal care should continue to be employed in post-pandemic obstetric practice. Obstetrical providers must determine how to incorporate this practice in a risk-stratified and equitable fashion.

Predictive validity of American College of Surgeons: National Surgical Quality Improvement Project risk calculator in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing interval debulking surgery.

INTRODUCTION: In gynecologic patients, few studies describe the accuracy of the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (ACS-NSQIP) pre-operative risk calculator for women undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the ACS-NSQIP risk calculator accurately predicts post-operative complications and length of stay in patients undergoing interval debulking surgery for advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: For this multi-institutional retrospective cohort study, pre-operative risk factors, post-operative complication rates, and Current Procedural Terminology codes were abstracted from records of patients with ovarian cancer managed with open interval debulking surgery from January 2010 to July 2015. A power calculation was done to estimate the minimum number of complications needed to evaluate the accuracy of the ACS-NSQIP risk calculator. Predicted risk compared with observed risk was calculated using logistic regression. The predictive accuracy of the ACS-NSQIP risk calculator in estimating post-operative complications or length of stay was assessed using c-statistics and Briar scores. Complications with a c-statistic of >0.70 and Brier score of <0.01 were considered to have high discriminative ability. RESULTS: A total of 261 patients underwent interval debulking surgery, encompassing 21 unique Current Procedural Terminology codes. Readmission (n=25), surgical site infection (n=35), urinary tract infection (n=12), and serious post-operative complications (n=57) met the minimum event threshold (n>10). All predicted complication rates fell within the IQR of the observed incidence rates. However, the ACS-NSQIP calculator demonstrated neither discriminative ability nor accuracy for any post-operative complications based on c-statistics and Brier scores. The calculator accurately predicted length of stay within 1 day for only 32% of patients and could not accurately predict which patients were likely to have a prolonged length of stay (c-statistic=0.65). CONCLUSION: Among patients undergoing interval debulking surgery, the ACS-NSQIP did not accurately discriminate which patients were at increased risk of complications or extended length of stay. The risk calculator should be considered to have limited utility in informing pre-operative counseling or surgical planning.

Placental Expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in Maternal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: Are Placental Defenses Mediated by Fetal Sex?

BACKGROUND: Expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and type II transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS2), host molecules required for viral entry, may underlie sex differences in vulnerability to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We investigated whether placental ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression vary by fetal sex in the presence of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Placental ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression was quantified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and by Western blot in 68 pregnant women (38 SARS-CoV-2 positive, 30 SARS-CoV-2 negative) delivering at Mass General Brigham from April to June 2020. The impact of fetal sex and maternal SARS-CoV-2 exposure on ACE2 and TMPRSS2 was analyzed by 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection impacted placental TMPRSS2 expression in a sexually dimorphic fashion (2-way ANOVA interaction, P = .002). We observed no impact of fetal sex or maternal SARS-CoV-2 status on ACE2. TMPRSS2 expression was significantly correlated with ACE2 expression in males (Spearman ρ = 0.54, P = .02) but not females (ρ = 0.23, P = .34) exposed to maternal SARS-CoV-2. CONCLUSIONS: Sex differences in placental TMPRSS2 but not ACE2 were observed in the setting of maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection, which may have implications for offspring vulnerability to placental infection.

Lymph node assessment at the time of hysterectomy has limited clinical utility for patients with pre-cancerous endometrial lesions.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of patients with a pre-invasive endometrial lesion who meet Mayo criteria for lymph node dissection on final pathology to determine if the use of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with pre-invasive lesions would be warranted. METHODS: All women who underwent hysterectomy for a pre-invasive endometrial lesion (atypical hyperplasia or endometrial intra-epithelial neoplasia) between 2009 and 2019 were included for analysis. Relevant statistical tests were utilized to test the associations between patient, operative, and pathologic characteristics. RESULTS: 141 patients met inclusion criteria. 51 patients (36%) had a final diagnosis of cancer, the majority (96%) of which were Stage IA grade 1 endometrioid carcinomas. Seven patients (5%) met Mayo criteria on final pathology (one grade 3, seven size >2 cm, one >50% myoinvasive). Three of these seven patients had lymph nodes assessed of which 0% had metastases. Six of these patients had frozen section performed, and 2 met (33%) Mayo criteria intraoperatively. Of the seven patients in the overall cohort that had lymph node sampling, six had a final diagnosis of cancer and none had positive lymph nodes. Of the 51 patients with cancer, only 10 had cancer diagnosed using frozen section, and only two met intra-operative Mayo criteria. Age > 55 was predictive of meeting Mayo criteria on final pathology (p = 0.007). No patients experienced a cancer recurrence across a median follow up of 24.3 months. CONCLUSIONS: Atypical hyperplasia and endometrial intra-epithelial neoplasia portend low risk disease and universal nodal assessment is of limited value.

Disease Distribution at Presentation Impacts Benefit of IP Chemotherapy Among Patients with Advanced-Stage Ovarian Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer with miliary disease spread is an aggressive phenotype lacking targeted management strategies. We sought to determine whether adjuvant intravenous/intraperitoneal (IV/IP) chemotherapy is beneficial in this disease setting. METHODS: Patient/tumor characteristics and survival data of patients with stage IIIC epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent optimal primary debulking surgery from 01/2010 to 11/2014 were abstracted from records. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare categorical and continuous variables. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival curves, and outcomes were compared using log-rank tests. Factors significant on univariate analysis were combined into multivariate logistic regression survival models. RESULTS: Among 90 patients with miliary disease spread, 41 (46%) received IV/IP chemotherapy and 49 (54%) received IV chemotherapy. IV/IP chemotherapy, compared with IV chemotherapy, resulted in improved progression-free survival (PFS; 23.0 versus 12.0 months; p = 0.0002) and overall survival (OS; 52 versus 36 months; p = 0.002) in patients with miliary disease. Among 78 patients with nonmiliary disease spread, 23 (29%) underwent IV/IP chemotherapy and 55 (71%) underwent IV chemotherapy. There was no PFS or OS benefit associated with IV/IP chemotherapy over IV chemotherapy in these patients. On multivariate analysis, IV/IP chemotherapy was associated with improved PFS (HR, 0.28; 95% CI 0.15-0.53) and OS (HR, 0.33; 95% CI 0.18-0.61) in patients with miliary disease compared with those with nonmiliary disease (PFS [HR, 1.53; 95% CI 0.74-3.19]; OS [HR, 1.47; 95% CI 0.70-3.09]). CONCLUSIONS: Adjuvant IV/IP chemotherapy was associated with oncologic benefit in miliary disease spread. This survival benefit was not observed in nonmiliary disease.

Patient reported outcome measures among patients with vulvar cancer at various stages of treatment, recurrence, and survivorship.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to pragmatically describe patient reported outcomes (PROs) in a typical clinic population of vulvar cancer patients, as prior studies of vulvar cancer PROs have examined clinical trial participants. METHODS: A prospective PRO program was implemented in the Gynecologic Oncology clinic of a tertiary academic institution in January 2018. Vulvar cancer patients through September 2019 were administered the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of life Questionnaire, the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Instrumental and Emotional Support Scales, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Vulvar questionnaire. Binary logistic regressions were performed to determine adjusted odds ratios for adverse responses to individual questions by insurance, stage, age, time since diagnosis, recurrence, radiation, and surgical radicality. RESULTS: Seventy vulvar cancer patients responded to PROs (85.4% response rate). Seventy-one percent were > 1 year since diagnosis, 61.4% had stage I disease, and 28.6% recurred. Publicly insured women had less support and worse quality of life (QOL, aOR 4.15, 95% CI 1.00-17.32, p = 0.05). Women who recurred noted more interference with social activities (aOR 4.45, 95% CI 1.28-15.41, p = 0.019) and poorer QOL (aOR 5.22 95% CI 1.51-18.10, p = 0.009). There were no major differences by surgical radicality. Those >1 year since diagnosis experienced less worry (aOR 0.17, 95% CI 0.04-0.63, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical radicality does not affect symptoms or QOL in vulvar cancer patients, whereas insurance, recurrence, and time since diagnosis do. This data can improve counseling and awareness of patient characteristics that would benefit from social services referral.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy does not disproportionately influence post-operative complication rates or time to chemotherapy in obese patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) disproportionately benefits obese patients. METHODS: Data were collected from stage IIIC-IV ovarian cancer patients treated between 01/2010-07/2015. We performed univariate/multivariate logistic regression analyses with post-operative infection, readmission, any postoperative complication, and time to chemotherapy as outcomes. An interaction term was included in models, to determine if the effect of NACT on post-operative complications was influenced by obesity status. RESULTS: Of 507 patients, 115 (22.6%) were obese and 392 (77.3%) were non-obese (obese defined as BMI ≥30). Among obese patients undergoing primary debulking surgery (PDS) vs. NACT, rates of postoperative infection were 42.9% vs. 30.8% (p = 0.12), 30-day readmission 30.2% vs. 11.5% (p < 0.02), and any post-operative complication were 44.4% vs 30.8% (p = 0.133). Among non-obese patients undergoing PDS vs. NACT, rates of post-operative infection were 20.0% vs. 12.9% (p = 0.057), 30-day readmission 16.9% vs. 9.2% (p = 0.02), and any post-operative complication were 19.4% vs 28% (p = 0.044). Obesity was associated with post-operative infection (OR 2.3; 95%CI 1.22-4.33), 30-day readmission/reoperation (OR 2.27; 95%CI 1.08-3.21) and the development of any post-operative complication (OR 2.1; CI 1.13-3.74). However, there was not a significant interaction between obesity and NACT in any of the models predicting post-operative complications. CONCLUSIONS: The decision to use NACT should not be predicated on obesity alone, as the reduction in post-operative complications in obese patients is similar to non-obese patients.

Superior Vena Cava Syndrome associated with recurrent uterine adenosarcoma.

•A woman with a history of Stage IA low-risk uterine adenosarcoma presented with shortness of breath and rib pain.•She was found to have recurrent metastatic disease with resultant fatal SVC Syndrome.•Better methods to determine which patients with uterine adenosarcoma are at risk of recurrence and death are needed.

Adjuvant treatment improves overall survival in women with high-intermediate risk early-stage endometrial cancer with lymphovascular space invasion.

BACKGROUND: Adjuvant therapy in early-stage endometrial cancer has not shown a clear overall survival benefit, and hence, patient selection remains crucial. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether women with high-intermediate risk, early-stage endometrial cancer with lymphovascular space invasion particularly benefit from adjuvant treatment in improving oncologic outcomes. METHODS: A multi-center retrospective study was conducted in women with stage IA, IB, and II endometrial cancer with lymphovascular space invasion who met criteria for high-intermediate risk by Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) 99. Patients were stratified by the type of adjuvant treatment received. Clinical and pathologic features were abstracted. Progression-free and overall survival were evaluated using multivariable analysis. RESULTS: 405 patients were included with the median age of 67 years (range 27-92, IQR 59-73). 75.0% of the patients had full staging with lymphadenectomy, and 8.6% had sentinel lymph node biopsy (total 83.6%). After surgery, 24.9% of the patients underwent observation and 75.1% received adjuvant therapy, which included external beam radiation therapy (15.1%), vaginal brachytherapy (45.4%), and combined brachytherapy + chemotherapy (19.1%). Overall, adjuvant treatment resulted in improved oncologic outcomes for both 5-year progression-free survival (77.2% vs 69.6%, HR 0.55, p=0.01) and overall survival (81.5% vs 60.2%, HR 0.42, p<0.001). After adjusting for stage, grade 2/3, and age, improved progression-free survival and overall survival were observed for the following adjuvant subgroups compared with observation: external beam radiation (overall survival HR 0.47, p=0.047, progression-free survival not significant), vaginal brachytherapy (overall survival HR 0.35, p<0.001; progression-free survival HR 0.42, p=0.003), and brachytherapy + chemotherapy (overall survival HR 0.30 p=0.002; progression-free survival HR 0.35, p=0.006). Compared with vaginal brachytherapy alone, external beam radiation or the addition of chemotherapy did not further improve progression-free survival (p=0.80, p=0.65, respectively) or overall survival (p=0.47, p=0.74, respectively). CONCLUSION: Adjuvant therapy improves both progression-free survival and overall survival in women with early-stage endometrial cancer meeting high-intermediate risk criteria with lymphovascular space invasion. External beam radiation or adding chemotherapy did not confer additional survival advantage compared with vaginal brachytherapy alone.

Mechanisms to increase cascade testing in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer: Impact of introducing standardized communication aids into genetic counseling.

AIM: Precancer identification of women with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) could prevent 20% of these ovarian cancers. The objective was to determine whether standardized Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) materials are acceptable, improve knowledge of HBOC and increase disclosure to family members. METHODS: A prospective cohort of women with breast or ovarian cancer was identified prior to genetic testing. Subjects completed a baseline knowledge survey and were provided three communication aids. Knowledge, acceptability and communication to family members were reassessed at 6 months and compared to a retrospective cohort who had undergone genetic testing for breast or ovarian cancer prior to the intervention. The primary outcome was increase in HBOC knowledge, requiring 20 pre- and postknowledge scores to detect a 10% difference. RESULTS: Forty women were enrolled. The median age at cancer diagnosis was 50 years and 55% had a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Though subjects found the resources acceptable, knowledge scores did not improve after their use. Disclosure rates were of no different between cohorts (83% preintervention vs 77% postintervention, P = 0.26) though there was an increase in deleterious mutation carriers, 0% (0/6) preintervention vs 100% (22/22) postintervention. Rates of subsequent testing in relatives were low in both preintervention and postintervention cohorts (0% vs 4.5%). CONCLUSION: Inclusion of standardized communication tools is acceptable to patients. Knowledge did not improve after their use. In deleterious mutation carriers, disclosure rates increased postintervention.

Validation of the surprise question in gynecologic oncology: A one-question screen to promote palliative care integration and advance care planning.

OBJECTIVE: The "surprise question" ("Would you be surprised if this patient died in the next year?") has been shown to be predictive of 12-month mortality in multiple populations, but has not been studied in gynecologic oncology (GO) patients. We sought to evaluate the prognostic performance of the surprise question in GO patients among physician and non-physician providers. METHODS: GO providers at two tertiary care centers were asked the surprise question about a cohort of their patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. Demographic and clinical information was chart abstracted. Mortality data were collected at one year; relative risk of death at one year based on response to the surprise question was then calculated. RESULTS: 32 providers (12 MDs, 7 APPs, 13 RNs) provided 942 surprise question assessments for 358 patients. Fifty-seven % had ovarian cancer and 54% had recurrent disease. Eighty-three (24%) patients died within a year. Patients whose physician answered "No" to the surprise question had a 43% one-year mortality (compared to 10% for "Yes"). Overall RR of 12-month mortality for "No" was 3.76 (95% CI 2.75-5.48); this association remained significant in all provider types. Among statistically significant predictors of 12-month mortality (including recurrent disease and >2 prior lines of chemotherapy), the surprise question had the highest RR. CONCLUSIONS: The surprise question is a simple, one question tool that effectively identifies GO patients increased risk of 12-month mortality. The surprise question could be used to identify patients for early referral to palliative care and initiation advance care planning.

Adjuvant therapy for early stage, endometrial cancer with lymphovascular space invasion: Is there a role for chemotherapy?

OBJECTIVES: Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) is an independent risk factor for recurrence and poor survival in early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC), but optimal adjuvant treatment is unknown. We aimed to compare the survival of women with early-stage EEC with LVSI treated postoperatively with observation (OBS), radiation (RAD, external beam and/or vaginal brachytherapy), or chemotherapy (CHEMO)+/-RAD. METHODS: This was a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study of women with stage I or II EEC with LVSI who underwent hysterectomy+/-lymphadenectomy from 2005 to 2015 and received OBS, RAD, or CHEMO+/-RAD postoperatively. Progression-free survival and overall survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: In total, 478 women were included; median age was 64 years, median follow-up was 50.3 months. After surgery, 143 (30%) underwent OBS, 232 (48.5%) received RAD, and 103(21.5%) received CHEMO+/-RAD (95% of whom received RAD). Demographics were similar among groups, but those undergoing OBS had lower stage and grade. A total of 101 (21%) women recurred. Progression-free survival (PFS) was improved in both CHEMO+/-RAD (HR = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.09-0.39) and RAD (HR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.18-0.54) groups compared to OBS, though neither adjuvant therapy was superior to the other. However, in grade 3 tumors, the CHEMO+/-RAD group had superior PFS compared to both RAD (HR 0.25; 95% CI: 0.12-0.52) and OBS cohorts (HR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.03-0.32). Overall survival did not differ by treatment. CONCLUSIONS: In early-stage EEC with LVSI, adjuvant therapy improved PFS compared to observation alone. In those with grade 3 EEC, adjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiation improved PFS compared to observation or radiation alone.

When to Worry about Cancer: Concurrent Carcinoma and Recurrence in Borderline Ovarian Tumors.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to identify and assess the factors associated with concurrent carcinoma and recurrence in women with epithelial borderline ovarian tumors. METHODS: The cancer and pathology databases at a tertiary care academic cancer center were queried for all borderline ovarian tumors from 2005 to 2015. Cases with/without concurrent ovarian carcinoma and with/without recurrence were compared. RESULTS: A total of 123 women with borderline tumors were identified (mean age 51.3 years). Concurrent carcinoma was present in 31 (25.2%). Women with concurrent carcinoma were significantly more likely to be peri- or postmenopausal, have an elevated CA-125, and have a nonserous histology. Seven (5.7%) women's cancer recurred at a mean of 23.5 months (mean follow-up 30.0 months). Women with recurrence were more likely to be nonwhite, have concurrent invasive carcinoma, and have had residual disease at the time of surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Epithelial borderline ovarian tumors often co-exist with carcinoma and occur more frequently in postmenopausal women, in women with elevated CA-125, and in tumors with nonserous histology. The presence of any of these factors should alert clinicians to the potential need for comprehensive staging at the time of surgery. The recurrence of borderline tumors is associated with nonwhite race, concurrent carcinoma, and residual disease at initial surgery.