Lymphadenectomy in elderly patients with high-intermediate-risk, high-risk or advanced endometrial cancer: Time to move from personalized cancer medicine to personalized patient medicine!

BACKGROUND: Pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy are recommended for women with high-intermediate, high-risk and advanced endometrial cancer (EC). Lymphadenectomy is less frequently performed in elderly patients than in younger patients. We examined the survival of elderly women diagnosed with high-risk EC according to whether lymphadenectomy was performed or not. METHODS: We selected women over 70 years with high-intermediate risk, high-risk or advanced EC from a multicenter retrospective cohort of women diagnosed between 2001 and 2013. Multivariate logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards survival methods for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were used for analyses. RESULTS: 71 women had lymphadenectomy and were compared with the 213 who did not. Recurrence was similar in both groups (42% vs 33%, respectively, p = 0.17) but more deaths were reported in the group without lymphadenectomy (38% vs 23%, respectively, p < 0.001). There was no difference in adjuvant treatment in the two groups (17% vs 27%, respectively, p = 0.27). Elderly patients without lymphadenectomy had lower 3-year DFS (56% vs 71%, p = 0.076), CSS (67% vs 85%, p < 0.001) and OS (50% vs 71% p < 0.001). The Cox proportional hazard models showed independently poorer prognosis in women without lymphadenectomy (3.027, 95% CI 1.58-5.81, p < 0.001), histology type 2 (3.46, 95% CI 1.51-7.97, p = 0.003) and lymphovascular space involvement (3.47, 95% CI 1.35-8.98, p = 0.01) on 3-year CSS. CONCLUSION: No lymphadenectomy in elderly patients with high-risk or advanced EC is independently associated with poorer prognosis. Elderly patients with EC should benefit from lymphadenectomy when indicated.

Atypical epithelial hyperplasia of the breast: state of the art.

INTRODUCTION: Atypical epithelial hyperplasia (AEH) of the breast is considered benign histological lesions with breast cancer risk. This review focuses on clinical signification and management of AEH that remains controversial. AREAS COVERED: A review of published studies was performed using medline database. In this review, we fully describe the current evidence available. In particular, we describe 1) data from immunohistochemistry and molecular studies that suggest AEH is a precursor of breast cancer; 2) epidemiological studies demonstrate low rate of breast cancer in women with AEH; 3) surgical excision is necessary after diagnosis of AEH, such as lobular carcinoma in situ or atypical ductal hyperplasia, on core needle biopsy; 4) although current recommendations are evolving to fewer (if not no) excisions for flat epithelial with atypia and classic lobular neoplasia found on percutaneous biopsy (without radiologic indications for excision). Expert commentary: HEA management steel need prospective evidences, but recent retrospective data give some clue for less invasive management for some of HEA.