Survey of monitor specification and viewing conditions in breast screening units in the North West of England.

INTRODUCTION: Monitor specification and viewing conditions are important factors affecting image assessment in mammography. This survey evaluates the different viewing conditions and monitor specifications that exist in acquisition and reporting rooms in UK breast screening units. METHODS: Static (n = 10) and mobile (n = 2) breast screening units were evaluated in North West England. Room illumination levels were measured in 3 locations for each room using a calibrated Lux meter and the specification of 122 monitors recorded. Room layout, wall colour, location and number of doors, windows and light sources were recorded. RESULTS: In reporting rooms, 90/91 of monitors had similar technical specifications and were compliant to guidelines. The ambient light levels ranged from 10 to 25.8 lux. The mean illuminance was 12.32 ± 4.6 lux. In acquisition rooms, great variances appeared in monitor specification and ambient light levels. The majority of monitors (24/34) had 3 megapixel (MB) optimum resolution but the ambient light level ranged from 10 to 1020 lux. The mean illuminance was 105.3 ± 178.8 lux. The mobile units were consistent with each other and compliant with guidelines. CONCLUSION: A lack of consistency and great variances appeared in terms of ambient light levels and monitor specifications in the image acquisition rooms. However, there was excellent consistency among the illumination measurements and the monitors' technical specifications in the reporting rooms. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This research demonstrates, for the first time, the need for further research and specialised guidelines for acquisition rooms.

A systematic review of viewing conditions and monitor specifications in mammography.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this systematic review was to establish the current status of recommended monitor specifications and viewing conditions in mammography for image acquisition and reporting rooms. A literature search was completed between August 2018 and March 2019 using ScienceDirect, PubMed, Web of Science and MEDLINE databases. An additional manual search was performed to identify relevant guidelines to support the review. Only articles and guidelines written in English were included. KEY FINDINGS: Results were selected according to the following criteria; articles detailing (i) monitor specification and, (ii) viewing conditions in mammography acquisition and reporting rooms. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. Six papers described monitor specifications, five described viewing conditions and ten guideline documents were identified from the UK, Europe and the US. Common outcomes were that monitors with 3 or 5 MP resolution seemed to be preferred and at the same time higher illumination levels (>15 lux) were found to decrease the luminance of the monitors and negatively impact the assessment of image quality. Contrary to this, the majority of guideline documents recommended illumination levels above 20 Lux. Finally, there is a lack of guidance for viewing conditions in acquisition rooms. CONCLUSION: This review did not reveal any strong evidence for the proposed room illumination levels in acquisition rooms. In reference to monitors specifications, there is preference for using higher resolution displays (3 and 5 MP) but again, the evidence is not strong. Moreover, variance exists in the guidelines and that promotes inconsistency in mammography departments. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This review highlights the lack of standardised guidelines and the need for further research on the viewing conditions and monitor specifications for the acquisition rooms in mammography.

The impact of hoist sling fabrics on interface pressure whilst sitting in healthy volunteers and wheelchair users: A comparative study.

AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the effect of three sling fabrics on gluteal interface pressure whilst sitting in a population of wheelchair users and to compare these to data previously collected in a pilot study with a healthy population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A repeated measures experimental design was used with 32 adult wheelchair users (15 women, 17 men). Healthy population pilot study consisted of 61 participants (51 women, 10 men) recruited from staff and students at The University of Salford. METHODS: Gluteal pressures at six pressure zones were recorded using the X-sensor PX100 pressure sensor at 30 s intervals for 10 min. Data were collected in 4 conditions with participants seated in a standardised chair, followed by the chair with slings made of three different fabrics. RESULTS: The spacer fabric reduced the mean gluteal pressure more effectively than slipfit and polyester (p = 0.014 and p = 0.01 respectively, 95%CI) and reduced peak pressure at the left ischial tuberosity and coccyx when compared to the slipfit (p = 0.003 and p = 0.005) with the wheelchair users. When comparing data with the pilot study, the mean gluteal pressure and peak pressures at the ischial tuberosities and coccyx were significantly higher in the wheelchair user group (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: The fabric identified as the most effective in reducing mean and peak pressures in both groups was the spacer fabric, suggesting that a spacer fabric sling is more likely to reduce the risk of pressure ulcer development. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Localized micro- and nano-scale remodelling in the diabetic aorta.

Diabetes is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, but the mechanisms, structural and biomechanical consequences of aberrant blood vessel remodelling remain poorly defined. Using an experimental (streptozotocin, STZ) rat model of diabetes, we hypothesized that diabetes enhances extracellular protease activity in the aorta and induces morphological, compositional and localized micromechanical tissue remodelling. We found that the medial aortic layer underwent significant thickening in diabetic animals but without significant changes in collagen or elastin (abundance). Scanning acoustic microscopy demonstrated that such tissue remodelling was associated with a significant decrease in acoustic wave speed (an indicator of reduced material stiffness) in the inter-lamellar spaces of the vessel wall. This index of decreased stiffness was also linked to increased extracellular protease activity (assessed by semi-quantitative in situ gelatin zymography). Such a proteolytically active environment may affect the macromolecular structure of long-lived extracellular matrix molecules. To test this hypothesis, we also characterized the effects of diabetes on the ultrastructure of an important elastic fibre component: the fibrillin microfibril. Using size exclusion chromatography and atomic force microscopy, we isolated and imaged microfibrils from both healthy and diabetic aortas. Microfibrils derived from diabetic tissues were fragmented, morphologically disrupted and weakened (as assessed following molecular combing). These structural and functional abnormalities were not replicated by in vitro glycation. Our data suggest that proteolysis may be a key driver of localized mechanical change in the inter-lamellar space of diabetic rat aortas and that structural proteins (such as fibrillin microfbrils) may be biomarkers of diabetes induced damage.

Noninvasive papillary serous carcinoma of the endometrium.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical course of noninvasive uterine papillary serous carcinoma and whether it indicates advanced metastatic disease. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of women with noninvasive uterine papillary serous carcinoma who were treated at our institution and abstracted surgical stage, sites of metastases, disease progression, and length of follow-up. RESULTS: There were 595 cases of endometrial adenocarcinoma between January 1990 and February 2000, 69 of which had papillary serous histology. Sixteen were noninvasive tumors. Six were confirmed stage IA by complete surgical staging and ten were associated with metastasis at staging. Two of the six women with stage IA tumors had disease recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Noninvasive papillary serous carcinoma is often widely metastatic. In our experience, approximately two thirds of patients had metastasis, indicating the need for complete surgical staging. Even in those with disease limited to the endometrium, a significant percentage will have disease recurrence.

Expression of Ki-67 in vulvar carcinoma and vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia III: correlation with clinical prognostic factors.

OBJECTIVES: In vulvar carcinoma, the expression of Ki-67 has been previously found to correlate with patient outcome. The objective of the study was to determine whether a specific pattern of expression was associated with occult vulvar cancer in patients with vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) III and whether patterns of Ki-67 expression correlated with other clinical prognostic factors. METHODS: 19 women with only VIN III, 16 women with both vulvar cancer and VIN III, and 15 women with only vulvar cancer were identified. Immunostaining, using a monoclonal antibody for Ki-67, was then performed on representative tissue blocks and slides were assessed for diffuse or localized patterns of expression. For the patients with vulvar cancer, the type of staining was correlated with FIGO stage, tumor grade, lymph nodes status, and associated VIN III. RESULTS: All 35 patients with VIN III exhibited a diffuse staining pattern. In the 31 patients with vulvar carcinoma, 11 (35%) expressed a diffuse staining pattern while 20 (65%) showed a localized pattern. Poorly differentiated tumors were associated with a diffuse staining pattern (P = 0.013, RR 3.59, CI 1.59-7.60). For vulvar carcinoma, there were no statistically significant relationships between Ki-67 expression pattern and stage, associated VIN III, or lymph node involvement. CONCLUSION: VIN III, regardless of a concomitant vulvar cancer, always expressed a diffuse pattern; thus Ki-67 staining was not useful as a marker for occult cancer. In women with vulvar carcinoma, however, a diffuse Ki-67 expression was significantly associated with poorly differentiated tumors.

A phase I study of intraperitoneal interferon-alpha 2b and intravenous cis-platinum plus cyclophosphamide chemotherapy in patients with untreated stage III epithelial ovarian cancer: a Gynecologic Oncology Group pilot study.

Previous clinical investigations using interferons (IFNs) have shown activity against epithelial ovarian cancer. The objective of this study was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of intraperitoneal (ip) IFN-alpha 2b which could be administered in combination with intravenous (iv) cis-platinum plus cyclophosphamide chemotherapy. After comprehensive surgical staging and maximal cytoreduction, previously untreated patients with primary ovarian adenocarcinoma were entered at one of five IFN dose levels. IFN-alpha 2b (5-30 x 10(6) units) was administered ip on Day 1 (+/- Day 8). cis-Platinum (75 mg/m2) plus cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m2) were administered iv on Day 2 with prophylactic hydration and anti-emetics. Courses were repeated every 3 weeks for 8 cycles. Adverse effects were recorded using standard Gynecologic Oncology Group toxicity scales. Fifteen patients with mean age 56 years (range 43-73) were entered and received a combined total of 100 treatment cycles. Catheter-related complications occurred in 8 patients, and in three cases lead to catheter removal and discontinuation of ip therapy. Two patients experienced grade 2-3 nephrotoxicity and 1 experienced grade 2 peripheral neuropathy. There was a single episode of chemical peritonitis. Myelosuppression was the dose-limiting toxicity with grade 3-4 leukopenia complicating 6, 5, 12, 11, and 17 cycles at dose levels 1-5, respectively. No patient completed planned treatment without interruption or dose reduction. Planned cis-platinum dose intensity was most compromised at the fifth IFN-alpha 2b dose level. The maximum tolerated dose of IFN-alpha 2b was determined to be 20 x 10(6) units repeated on Days 1 and 8 of this 21-day cis-platinum plus cyclophosphamide chemotherapy cycle.

Use of the APACHE II scoring system to determine mortality of gynecologic oncology patients in the intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if an elevated score on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system is associated with mortality of acutely ill gynecologic oncology patients. METHODS: Gynecologic oncology patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) were identified from the ICU data base. Their admission APACHE II score and type of gynecologic cancer were also extracted from the data base. Charts were reviewed to determine the disease status and reason for admission to the surgical ICU. Patient mortality was correlated with APACHE II scores. RESULTS: Forty-five gynecologic oncology patients were admitted to the surgical ICU from June 1988 to January 1992. They had a mean age of 62 years and various cancers: ovarian (24), cervical (16), and endometrial (five). The mean APACHE II score was 12 (range 2-26). Eight of 45 (18%) patients died. There was a significant correlation between APACHE II scores and mortality; patients with an APACHE II score of 20 or greater had a 78% risk of death compared to a 3% risk if the score was less than 20 (P < .001, chi 2 test). CONCLUSION: Elevated APACHE II scores are associated with mortality in acutely ill gynecologic oncology patients.

The fourth-year medical school curriculum: recommendations of the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics and the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

OBJECTIVES: The Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics and the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology have proposed a fourth-year medical school curriculum for a student interested in pursuing a residency in obstetrics and gynecology. STUDY DESIGN: Faculty members and residents in North Carolina, Illinois, and Michigan were surveyed as to the ideal curriculum that they would recommend for fourth-year students. The committee members representing the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics then reviewed these surveys and proposed a final curriculum. RESULTS: A core curriculum of general medicine as an acting internship, an intensive care unit rotation, neonatology, and emergency medicine was recommended. Additional courses strongly considered were ambulatory obstetrics-gynecology, acting internship in obstetrics-gynecology, endocrinology, and general surgery. CONCLUSION: The committee recommends a curriculum that is broad and balanced in general medical education.

Localized ovarian cancer in the elderly. The Gynecologic Oncology Group experience.

BACKGROUND: The appropriate therapy for patients with localized (FIGO Stage I and II) ovarian cancer has been poorly defined for all age groups and particularly for the elderly. Few prospective randomized comparisons of adjuvant therapy after careful surgical staging have been performed. The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) has performed a series of trials testing adjuvant treatment in carefully staged patients with early-stage ovarian cancer. Early trials included few elderly patients but the most recent trial (GOG 95) included 18% over the age of 65 years. METHODS: Comprehensive surgical staging defined by protocol is performed before randomization. Patients with predefined stages and histologies are included and the patients are randomized prospectively to receive either intraperitoneal phosphorus-32 or three monthly cycles of cyclophosphamide and cisplatin. Assessment of the value of this adjuvant therapy will depend on survival, disease-free survival, and relapse pattern differences between the two adjuvant therapies. RESULTS: This is an ongoing clinical trial and insufficient numbers of patients have been randomized for definitive conclusions. There have been seven recurrences on both arms of the trial with a median time to recurrence of 14 months. There currently are no significant age differences between relapsed patients and disease-free patients. At this point, 12 elderly patients have been randomized to each of the arms of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Although no apparent survival differences exist for elderly patients in the most recent adjuvant chemotherapy trial of early ovarian cancer, the number of patients with cancer randomized and follow-up are insufficient to establish such a difference. Currently there is no evidence that elderly patients display a significant difference in relapse frequency or pattern.

Oral contraceptive use and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

To explore the somewhat controversial relationship between oral contraceptives and pre-invasive cervical cancer, 103 cases of biopsy-confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II or CIN III were compared with 258 controls who had normal cervical cytology. Cases were slightly less likely than controls to have ever used oral contraceptives; the odds ratio, controlling for age, socioeconomic status, barrier method use, smoking history, age at first sexual intercourse, number of sex partners, current marital status, and number of Pap smears, was 0.7 (95% CI 0.3-1.6). Recency, latency, duration, and age at first oral contraceptive use were evaluated and in no instance was oral contraceptive use positively associated with CIN. This study adds to the body of knowledge that oral contraceptives are not associated with pre-invasive cervical cancer. Further, if oral contraceptive users continue to be regularly screened, their risk of developing the more invasive lesions should be very low.

PIP: Between September 1987 and November 1988, 103 University of North Carolina Hospitals (UNCH) Dysplasia Clinic patients with newly diagnosed, biopsy-confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II or CIN III were enrolled as cases. They were 18-45 years old, black or white, nonpregnant North Carolina residents. 40 cases were CIN II and 63 cases were CIN III confirmed histologically. The controls were 258 UNCH Family Practice Center patients with normal cervical cytology. All subjects participated in a 15-minute structured interview. The Hollingshead Index was used as a proxy for socioeconomic status (SES). Known risk factors for cervical neoplasia were found to be risk factors for CIN II and CIN III. Compared with controls, cases were younger (odds ratio [OR] = 3.4 for those under 25 years of age), less educated (OR - 13.3 for 13 years), and of lower SES. Cases were more likely to have been divorced (OR - 2.7), to be cigarette smokers (OR = 3.4), to have ever been pregnant (OR - 2.6), to have had more than 2 sex partners (OR = 5.0), to have reported having had a sexually transmitted disease (gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, venereal warts, or pelvic inflammatory disease) (OR = 2.9), and to have had at least 3 Pap smears in the 5 years prior to study recruitment (OR = 1.7). Cases were less likely to have used a barrier method of contraception (OR = 0.3). 80.6% of cases and 81.0% of controls had ever used oral contraceptives (OCs); thus, the crude OR was 1.0. Adjustment of the OR for all confounders (age, SES, ever-use of barrier methods, smoking history, age at 1st sexual intercourse, lifetime number of male sex partners, current marital status, and number of Pap smears) reduced the OR to 0.7 (95% confidence interval 0.3-1.6). Recency, latency, duration, and age at 1st OC use were compared without finding any positive association between OC use and CIN.

Nicotine and cotinine in the cervical mucus of smokers, passive smokers, and nonsmokers.

Although epidemiological studies suggest that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for cervical cancer, further evidence is required to document the biological plausibility of this relationship. This study obtained cervical mucus, using a cervical flush technique, from 50 patients in a neoplasia clinic. Nicotine was detected in the cervical mucus of all 25 smokers and cotinine in the mucus of 84% of the smokers; nicotine and cotinine levels were correlated (P < or = 0.10) with both the number of cigarettes usually smoked and the number smoked in the last 24 h. Nicotine and cotinine levels for passive smokers and nonexposed women were much lower than for women who currently smoked, with little difference found between the nonsmoking women who did and did not report passive smoke exposure. In the one woman who reported smokeless tobacco use, both nicotine and cotinine were detected at much higher levels than for other nonsmoking women. These results indicate that tobacco constituents do indeed reach the uterine cervix, suggesting that they could play a causal role in the development of cervical cancer.

Barrier methods of contraception and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.

This North Carolina-based case-control study examined risk factors for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Cases were 103 women with biopsy-confirmed CIN II or III who were recruited from a referral dysplasia clinic. Controls were 258 family practice patients with normal cervical cytology. All subjects were interviewed regarding their sexual and reproductive history, Pap smear screening, active and passive cigarette exposures, and contraceptive use patterns. When compared with controls, cases were half as likely to have ever used barrier methods of contraception; the adjusted odds ratio was 0.5 (95% CI 0.2-0.9). The risk of CIN II/III decreased further with increasing years of barrier method use. Recency, latency, and age at first barrier method use were all associated with a reduced risk of CIN. Men and women should carefully consider the range of benefits of barrier method use as a means to reduce their risk of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and cervical neoplasia.

PIP: The risk of cervical intraepithelial neophasia (CIN II and III) and use of barrier methods was assessed in a case control study among 103 biopsy confirmed CIN II and II patients in a North Carolina hospital clinic. Determinants considered were 1) the ever use of any barrier method (condoms, spermicides, or diaphragms), 2) duration of use, 3) time since last use, 4) time since 1st use, 5) age at 1st use, and 6) ever use of each specific type of barrier method. The hypothesis was that barrier use prevented cervical neoplasia; also explored was the effect of ever use of each method separately. Confounding variables were age, race, current marital status, ever use of OCs, active cigarette smoking history, age at 1st sexual intercourse, lifetime number of male sex partners, number of Pap smears, history of ever having genital warts, SES (Hollingshead Index), and years of education. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate the maximum likelihood estimates of the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The results were that the adjusted risk of CIN II/III. SES did not affect the strength of the relationship. These findings support other findings, but differ in that spermicide use alone was not associated with a reduced risk. Other spermicide findings are discussed. Spermicides by definition were significantly associated with a reduced risk because of their use with the diaphragm. Another difference is the lack of support for SES effects. The lowest odds were found to among the lowest SES strata. Since the focus is on preinvasive cervical cancer, the results are not generalizable to studies of invasive cervical cancer. However, if a continuum is accepted with CIN at the beginning, then a clearer picture of etiologic factors is revealed. Misclassification of disease was reduced by using only biopsy confirmed cases of CIN II and III. The only controls that were used had normal cervical cytology at the time of enrollment. Respondents with any history of CIN were excluded. All laboratory tests were read in the same place. The small sample size is a limitation. Use of barrier methods may however reduce risks of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted disease, and cervical neoplasia.

Stage II carcinoma of the ovary: an analysis of survival after comprehensive surgical staging and adjuvant therapy.

Ninety-three women with FIGO stage II epithelial ovarian carcinoma underwent comprehensive surgical staging and were randomized prospectively to therapy consisting of either intraperitoneal radioactive phosphorus or oral melphalan. No patient had gross residual disease at the time of randomization. Ten of the forty-five women treated with melphalan experienced severe bone marrow depression at some time during therapy and two women expired from leukemia. Four of the forty-eight women treated with intraperitoneal phosphorus required surgical reexploration for intestinal obstruction or bowel injury. Twenty-one women died of their disease. Survival was not statistically different between the two treatment arms. The 5-year actuarial survival was 78%.

Intraperitoneal radioactive phosphate in early ovarian carcinoma: an analysis of complications.

Intraperitoneal radioactive chromic phosphate was administered to 69 patients with Stage I and II ovarian carcinoma who had undergone comprehensive surgical staging. Intestinal obstruction requiring surgical intervention occurred in four patients and was the most severe complication. Abdominal pain was the most common post-therapy complaint. Attention to time and technique of drug administration could minimize complications.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva in pregnancy.

Two women presenting with invasive squamous cell cancer of the vulva during pregnancy are reported. The first patient was successfully treated by radical vulvectomy 2 weeks after cesarean section delivery; the second patient died of disseminated cancer despite radical vulvectomy and postoperative radiation therapy. In the second case the diagnosis was not established until 3 months after delivery. Only 12 cases of invasive squamous cell vulvar cancer during pregnancy have been previously reported. Liberal use of punch biopsy for any suspicious vulvar lesions is mandatory to enhance the potential for early diagnosis and successful treatment.

Ultrastructural characterization of two new human endometrial carcinoma cell lines and normal human endometrial epithelial cells cultured on extracellular matrix.

Two new lines of human endometrial carcinoma (HEC) cells, one from an adenocarcinoma and one from a highly metastatic serous papillary carcinoma, were established in culture. Structural and morphologic properties of these cells at early passage were compared with those of cultured normal human endometrial epithelial (NHEE) cells. For these studies, cells were grown on a conventional plastic surface or on an extracellular matrix substrate (Matrigel), and examined by transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescent light microscopy. The HEC cells appeared morphologically similar on plastic and Matrigel, whereas the NHEE cells showed significantly greater epithelial morphologic differentiation on Matrigel than on plastic. On extracellular matrix, the morphologic differences observed between HEC cells and NHEE cells were primarily of an architectural nature, which may be in part explained by differences between NHEE and HEC cells in the arrangement of actin microfilaments and cytokeratin intermediate filaments. Furthermore, HEC cells displayed extensive networks of vimentin intermediate filaments, which were absent from the NHEE cells. These observations support the hypothesis that architectural deregulation is a prominent feature of endometrial carcinoma, and that cytoskeletal alterations may uncouple HEC cell ultrastructural morphology from the influence of extracellular matrix.

Adjuvant therapy in stage I and stage II epithelial ovarian cancer. Results of two prospective randomized trials.

About a third of patients with ovarian cancer present with localized disease; despite surgical resection, up to half the tumors recur. Since it has not been established whether adjuvant treatment can benefit such patients, we conducted two prospective, randomized national cooperative trials of adjuvant therapy in patients with localized ovarian carcinoma (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stages Ia to IIc). All patients underwent surgical resection plus comprehensive staging and, 18 months later, surgical re-exploration. In the first trial, 81 patients with well-differentiated or moderately well differentiated cancers confined to the ovaries (Stages Iai and Ibi) were assigned to receive either no chemotherapy or melphalan (0.2 mg per kilogram of body weight per day for five days, repeated every four to six weeks for up to 12 cycles). After a median follow-up of more than six years, there were no significant differences between the patients given no chemotherapy and those treated with melphalan with respect to either five-year disease-free survival (91 vs. 98 percent; P = 0.41) or overall survival (94 vs. 98 percent; P = 0.43). In the second trial, 141 patients with poorly differentiated Stage I tumors or with cancer outside the ovaries but limited to the pelvis (Stage II) were randomly assigned to treatment with either melphalan (in the same regimen as above) or a single intraperitoneal dose of 32P (15 mCi) at the time of surgery. In this trial (median follow-up, greater than 6 years) the outcomes for the two treatment groups were similar with respect to five-year disease-free survival (80 percent in both groups) and overall survival (81 percent with melphalan vs. 78 percent with 32P; P = 0.48). We conclude that in patients with localized ovarian cancer, comprehensive staging at the time of surgical resection can serve to identify those patients (as defined by the first trial) who can be followed without adjuvant chemotherapy. The remaining patients with localized ovarian cancer should receive adjuvant therapy, and with adjuvant melphalan or intraperitoneal 32P should have a five-year disease-free survival of about 80 percent.

Morbidity of lymph node sampling in cancers of the uterine corpus and cervix.

To assess the morbidity of lymph node sampling, medical records were reviewed for all patients with cancers of the uterine corpus and cervix who underwent primary surgical therapy between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1986. Five hundred fifty-four patients were identified. Of the 292 patients with corpus cancer undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy, lymph node sampling was performed in 65.4%. Operative blood loss, transfusion requirements, and length of hospital stay were not increased significantly (P greater than .05) in women having node sampling. Of the 262 patients with cervical cancer, 72 underwent abdominal hysterectomy, 111 underwent radical hysterectomy, and 79 underwent staging laparotomy, with lymph node sampling performed in 82, 100, and 92% of these groups, respectively. The incidence of perioperative complications in this group was similar to that in the corpus cancer group. Vascular injuries, hematomas, and lymphocysts were more frequent after lymph node sampling. One postoperative death was attributed to complications from node sampling, but there were no other long-term sequelae. The low overall risk associated with lymph node sampling supports its inclusion in the surgical evaluation of gynecologic malignancies.

Adverse effects of intraperitoneal fluorouracil in patients with optimal residual ovarian cancer after second-look laparotomy: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.

Twenty-seven patients with ovarian cancer who had failed combination chemotherapy were offered intraperitoneal (IP) fluorouracil (5-FU) as salvage therapy in an attempt to ascertain the efficacy of such a therapeutic method. All patients had minimal residual epithelial cancer. The median number of treatment cycles was six. Major problems with dialysate inflow and egress occurred in ten patients and required discontinuation of therapy. An additional ten patients experienced hematologic toxicity with a median nadir WBC of 2,300/microL. Therapy was altered but not discontinued because of this complication. Other adverse sequelae, such as abdominal pain, were manageable with medication. IP 5-FU is technically feasible on a multiinstitutional basis in residual ovarian cancer, but its therapeutic role remains to be defined.