Oncological and obstetrical outcomes after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by fertility-sparing surgery in patients with cervical cancer ≥2 cm.

OBJECTIVE: There is significant debate between up-front radical trachelectomy versus neo-adjuvant chemotherapy before fertility-sparing surgery in patients with tumors ≥2 cm. The aim of this study was to report on the oncological and obstetrical outcome of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by fertility-sparing surgery, in patients diagnosed with cervical cancer ≥2 cm. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer measuring ≥2 cm to ≤6 cm, who were scheduled to undergo neo-adjuvant chemotherapy before fertility-sparing surgery, at six institutions from four Latin American countries between February 2009 and February 2019. Data collected included: age, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 stage, histology, tumor size, pre-treatment imaging work-up, chemotherapy agents and number of cycles, toxicity, clinical and imaging response rate, type of fertility-sparing surgery, pathology results, timing of lymphadenectomy, follow-up time, and obstetrical and oncological outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients were included, with a median age of 27 years (range 20-37): 17 patients had stage IB1, 7 had stage IB2 cervical cancer, and 1 patient had stage IIA1 (FIGO 2009); 23 patients had squamous cell carcinoma and 2 patients had adenocarcinoma. The median number of chemotherapy cycles was 3 (range 3-6) and no toxicity grade 3-4 was reported. Lymphadenectomy was performed before chemotherapy in 6 (24%) patients. After neo-adjuvant chemotherapy 20 patients were scheduled for radical trachelectomy (11 abdominal and 9 laparoscopic) and 5 patients for conization. After surgery, no residual disease was found in 11 patients (44%). Fertility was preserved in 23 patients (92%) and 10 patients became pregnant (43.5%). After a median follow-up time of 47 months (13-133), 3 patients had recurrent disease (3/23=13%), 2 were alive without disease, and 1 patient had disease at last contact. CONCLUSION: Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy followed by fertility-sparing surgery is feasible in well selected patients with cervical tumors ≥2 cm. Future studies should focus on the timing of lymphadenectomy and type of cervical surgery.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in pregnant patients with cervical cancer: a Latin-American multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe oncologic and obstetric outcomes in patients diagnosed with cervical cancer during pregnancy who had a successful delivery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective review was conducted in 12 institutions from six Latin American countries, between January 2007 and December 2018. Data collected included clinical characteristics, neoadjuvant chemotherapy agents, treatment, obstetric and oncologic outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were included. Median age was 34 years (range 31-36). Twenty (60.6%) women were diagnosed at early stage (IB), and 13 (39.4%) with locally advanced stage (IIA-IIIB) according to FIGO 2009 classification. Carboplatin and paclitaxel was the most frequent combination used (60.6%). Partial and complete response rates were 27.3% and 9.1%, respectively. Median gestational age at delivery was 35 weeks (range 34-36). All patients had live births delivered by cesarean section. Obstetric pathology: pre-term labor, placenta percreta or intra-uterine growth restriction, was documented in seven patients (21.2%). Two (6.1%) neonates had low birth weight. Definitive treatment was primary chemo-radiation in 19 (57.6%) patients, radical hysterectomy in 11 (33.3%), abandoned radical hysterectomy with para-aortic lymphadenectomy and ovarian transposition in 1 patient (3.0%), and no further treatment in 2 (6.1%) patients. After a median follow-up of 16.3 months (range 2.0-36.9), 8 (26.7%) patients had recurrent disease. Of these, four (13.3%) died due to disease. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy may be offered to patients wishing to preserve an ongoing pregnancy in order to achieve fetal maturity. Long-term consequences of chemotherapy in the child are yet to be determined.

[High mortality for cervical cancer in young women from the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires]. / Elevada mortalidad por cáncer cérvico-uterino en mujeres jóvenes del área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires.

The cervical cancer, which is a reliable indicator of social inequality, remains a major public health issue in Argentina. It is generally accepted that its frequency among young women is low, being the most exposed those over 35 years old. Nevertheless, as gynecologic oncologists, we have been accompanying young patients to their death, mostly women with neither access to screening strategies nor timely or suitable treatment. Such a situation motivated the present analysis of our data on frequency, survival, and demography of cervical cancer collected at the referral cancer hospital of Buenos Aires City. Of 748 cases retrospectively assessed (2007-2011), 84.0% (n = 627) resided in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires; 76.9% (n = 576) were admitted at a locoregionally advanced stage. Regarding tumor size, 53.6% (n = 401) had tumors > 4 cm diameter and 24.2% (n = 181) > 6 cm. The lowest rates of disease-free survival and cause-specific survival were observed for tumor sizes > 6 cm and the age subgroup < 35 years old. Both tumor size and age retained their prognostic value after multivariate analysis adjustment. When focusing in patients under 35 years old, 48% (n = 70) died within 5 years following diagnosis and their probability of surviving 5 years more was < 50%. These figures raise a public health alert on young women with cervical cancer living in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, which concentrates almost one third of the country population.

Advanced Vulvar Cancers: What are the Best Options for Treatment?

The treatment of patients with vulvar cancer remains challenging for gynecologic oncologists. Up to 30 % of the cases are diagnosed in a clinical condition of irresectability, and some kind of strategy has to be taken into account beyond surgery. In this regard, a common and standard definition is critical to maximize oncological results and minimize complications after treatments. Each patient treatment must be tailored individually according to their clinical and biological features and to the setting in which they are dealing with.

An analysis of reported independent prognostic factors for survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: is tumor size significance being underrated?

OBJECTIVE: To assess independent prognostic factors described in the literature. Thus, to identify different risk groups. METHODS: Review of the records with a diagnosis of primary vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (January/1992-January/2012). INCLUSION CRITERIA: depth of stromal invasion (DSI) >1mm, pathological tumor size >2 cm, and pathological tumor-free margin ≥ 8 mm. Patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy due to locoregionally advanced vulvar cancer were excluded. All the patients underwent radical, both local and regional, surgery. Adjuvant radiation therapy was administered to all patients with positive nodes. Features of lymph nodes, tumor size, age, grade, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), DSI, type of radical surgery, pathological margin distance and stage were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: 194 patients were included. Median age: 67 years. Median follow-up: 62 months. 5-year OS and DFS: 65.5% and 58.2%. Positive lymph nodes were found in 91 (46.9%) patients. After a multivariate analysis, the number of positive lymph nodes, extra-nodal growth, pathologic tumor size and DSI proved to be independent prognostic factors. A high risk group for failure to survive (5y-OS 24%) was identified: tumor size ≥ 6-7.9 cm and DSI >4mm or ≥ 8 cm irrespective of DSI; and extra-nodal growth or ≥2 positive lymph nodes irrespective of tumor size and DSI. CONCLUSIONS: A new high-risk group was identified based on different cutoff values for tumor size, extra-nodal growth and number of positive lymph nodes. This could be very important in the tailored treatment of a specific group of patients with bulky primary tumors and a poorer prognosis.

Tailoring the treatment of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical surgery: results from a multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of performing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCH) followed by radical surgery in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. METHODS: Prospective and multicenter trial. Thirty-five patients with a diagnosis of previously untreated locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva were given 4 schemes of cisplatin-based NCH and 1 NCH regimen with single bleomycin. Then, they underwent radical surgery of the vulva if clinical response was 50% or more. Age, NCH schemes used, toxicity, response to treatment, type of radical surgery performed, and clinical outcome were evaluated. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients completed the proposed schemes, and 30 were assessed for radical surgery. Finally, 27 patients underwent radical surgery (radical vulvectomy or radical local excision plus bilateral inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy). In 2 cases of persistent rectal involvement, posterior pelvic exenteration was performed. Moreover, 24 of 27 patients remain with no evidence of disease to date. Toxicity was acceptable. Median age was 62 years (range, 54-72 years). Median follow-up was 49 months (range, 4-155 months). CONCLUSIONS: The use of NCH in selected groups may increase surgical feasibility in initially inoperable patients, thus favoring organ preservation and less extensive resections. Adverse reactions were acceptable, and vulvoperineal deleterious effects that may occur after radiotherapy were consequently avoided.

The role of sentinel lymph node mapping in endometrial carcinoma.

Endometrial cancer is the most commonly diagnosed gynecological malignancy in developing countries, and the second malignancy after cervical cancer in developing countries. The primary treatment is based on surgical and pathologic staging including extrafascial type A radical hysterectomy bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and pelvic and latero-aortic lymphadenectomy. Minimally invasive surgery is the most widely used technique. Sentinel node biopsy is part of this concept and has reached the management of endometrial cancer. The aim of this review was to describe the history, the different injection techniques and results of sentinel node biopsy, and analyze the future role of this technique in endometrial carcinoma.

Defining the concept of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: a new perspective based on standardization of criteria and current evidence.

The phrase "locally advanced carcinoma of the vulva" has often been mentioned in the literature, though not accurately defined, or even leading to the interpretation overlapping. Grounded on cervical cancer experience, we are able to state that designing a tailored primary strategy based on clinically measurable adverse prognostic factors represents the cornerstone of therapy. This fact urged us to rethink about the real usefulness of the concept of locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. We will refer to this concept as a clinical entity emerging from a rigorous workup which is a valuable guiding tool in the context of a thorough debate about the best primary treatment approach to be used. Furthermore, bulky tumors of the vulva have been associated with a worse prognosis on several occasions. Some authors have questioned the fact that tumor size has not been considered in the staging system. Finally, a standardized definition will help us compare the results obtained, which is extremely necessary given the worldwide low prevalence of this disease.

Elevada mortalidad por cáncer cérvico-uterino en mujeres jóvenes del área metropolitana de Buenos Aires / High mortality for cervical cancer in young women from the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires

El cáncer cérvico-uterino, fiel indicador de inequidad social, sigue siendo un grave problema de salud pública en la República Argentina. Se suele afirmar que su frecuencia en mujeres jóvenes es baja y que las más expuestas son aquellas mayores de 35 años. Sin embargo, como ginecólogos oncólogos, con frecuencia acompañamos a morir a mujeres jóvenes que no han tenido acceso a tamizaje ni a tratamiento oportuno y adecuado del cáncer invasor. Esto ha motivado el presente análisis de frecuencia y supervivencia del cáncer cérvico-uterino en el contexto demográfico de las mujeres asistidas en el hospital de referencia en cáncer ginecológico de Buenos Aires. De los 748 casos analizados retrospectivamente (2007-2011), el 84.0% (n = 627) residía en el Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires y el 76.9% (n = 576) fue admitido en estadios loco-regionalmente avanzados. El 53.6% (n = 401) presentó un diámetro tumoral > 4 cm y el 24.2% (n = 181) > 6 cm. Las tasas más bajas de supervivencia se observaron en tumores > 6 cm y en el subgrupo etario < 35 años. Tanto el tamaño tumoral como la edad conservaron su valor pronóstico tras ser ajustados en el análisis multivariado. En el subgrupo < 35 años, el 48% (n = 70) murió durante los 5 años siguientes al diagnóstico y la probabilidad de sobrevivir otros 5 años fue < 50%. Estos resultados representan una alerta sanitaria sobre la situación de mujeres jóvenes con cáncer cérvico-uterino en el Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, la cual concentra casi un tercio de la población del país.

he cervical cancer, which is a reliable indicator of social inequality, remains a major public health issue in Argentina. It is generally accepted that its frequency among young women is low, being the most exposed those over 35 years old. Nevertheless, as gynecologic oncologists, we have been accompanying young patients to their death, mostly women with neither access to screening strategies nor timely or suitable treatment. Such a situation motivated the present analysis of our data on frequency, survival, and demography of cervical cancer collected at the referral cancer hospital of Buenos Aires City. Of 748 cases retrospectively assessed (2007-2011), 84.0% (n = 627) resided in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires; 76.9% (n = 576) were admitted at a locoregionally advanced stage. Regarding tumor size, 53.6% (n = 401) had tumors > 4 cm diameter and 24.2% (n = 181) > 6 cm. The lowest rates of disease-free survival and cause-specific survival were observed for tumor sizes > 6 cm and the age subgroup < 35 years old. Both tumor size and age retained their prognostic value after multivariate analysis adjustment. When focusing in patients under 35 years old, 48% (n = 70) died within 5 years following diagnosis and their probability of surviving 5 years more was < 50%. These figures raise a public health alert on young women with cervical cancer living in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires, which concentrates almost one third of the country population.