Preferences and considerations for interval cytoreductive surgery in advanced ovarian cancer: The patient's perspective.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment of advanced-stage ovarian cancer contains cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and chemotherapy. Achieving successful CRS (≤ 1 cm residual disease) is prognostically important, but may not be feasible peri-operatively while still risking complications. Therefore, patients' treatment expectations are important to discuss. We investigated patient considerations for interval CRS. METHODS: Patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer planned for interval CRS completed a questionnaire about the impact of chance of successful CRS, survival benefit and becoming care-dependent on decision-making regarding CRS. The questionnaire included a vignette study, in which patients repeatedly chose between two treatment scenarios with varying levels for chance of successful CRS, survival benefit and risk of complications including stoma. Patient preferences were analyzed, including differences between patients aged < 70 and ≥ 70 years. RESULTS: Among 85 included patients, 31 (37%) patients considered interval CRS worthwhile irrespective of survival benefit and 33 (39%) irrespective of chance of successful surgery. However, 34 patients (41%) considered interval CRS only worthwhile if survival benefit was > 12 months, while 41 (49%) thought so if chance of successful surgery was ≥ 25%. Older patients considered these factors more important. Overall, 27% considered becoming permanently dependent of home care unacceptable. In the vignette study (n = 72) risk of complications and stoma were considered less important than chance of successful CRS and survival benefit. CONCLUSION: Survival benefit, chance of successful surgery and becoming care-dependent are important factors in patient's decision for interval CRS, while risk of complications and stoma are less important. Our results are useful in shared decision-making for interval CRS in ovarian cancer.

Maternal death by cancer in pregnancy: A descriptive study of the International Network on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To characterise pregnant women diagnosed with primary or recurrent cancer who died during pregnancy, during delivery or within 1 year postpartum. DESIGN: A descriptive study. SETTING: The registry of the International Network on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy (INCIP). POPULATION: Women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy between 2000 and 2022. METHODS: Using the INCIP registry database, we compared the characteristics of all women with cancer who died during pregnancy, delivery or within 1 year postpartum with those of all women with cancer who survived the first year postpartum. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal and tumour characteristics and obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 2359 women registered in INCIP, there were 131 cases (5.6%) of maternal mortality. Lung cancer (9/14, 64.3% of all registered women with lung cancer), gastro-oesophageal cancer (13/21, 61.9%) and acute leukaemia (17/105, 16.2%) had the highest rates of maternal mortality. Maternal mortality was associated with fewer live births compared with the control group without maternal mortality (99/131, 75.6%, vs 1952/2163, 90.0%; P < 0.001), more elective caesarean sections (64/104, 60.4%, vs 756/1836, 41.2%; P < 0.001) and a lower gestational age at (induced) delivery (34.0 vs 37.1 weeks; P < 0.001), resulting in more preterm births. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal mortality occurred in 5.6% of cancer-in-pregnancy cases and is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.

High expression of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase predicts poor outcome in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

INTRODUCTION: High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is characterized by high mortality and prevalent recurrences. This study investigates the prognostic value of phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) in HGSOC which has been linked to metabolic reprogramming and recurrences in other cancers. METHODS: Data from 306 patients with advanced-stage HGSOC treated between 2008 and 2015 were analyzed. PHGDH expression levels were determined using immunohistochemistry and categorized as "low" or "high." RESULTS: PHGDH-high was associated with higher FIGO stage and increased use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with PHGDH-high tumors had significantly worse survival than PHDH-low, even after adjusting for confounding factors.

An open-label, single-arm, prospective, multi-center, tandem two-stage designed phase II study to evaluate the efficacy of fulvestrant in women with recurrent/metastatic estrogen receptor-positive gynecological malignancies (FUCHSia study).

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate fulvestrant efficacy in women with estrogen receptor-positive low-grade gynecological cancers. The primary objective was to determine the response rate. Secondary objectives were progression-free survival, clinical benefit, duration of response, safety, tolerability, and quality of life. METHODS: FUCHSia is an open-label, single-arm, prospective, multi-center phase II study. The study population included patients with recurrent/metastatic low-grade gynecological malignancies with estrogen receptor positivity who received a maximum of two lines of previous hormonal therapy. Patients received fulvestrant (FASLODEX, AstraZeneca) via two intramuscular injections (250 mg/5 mL each) in the gluteal muscle on day 1, day 15, day 29, and then every 28 days thereafter until disease progression, withdrawal from the trial due to any unacceptable adverse event, or withdrawal of patient consent. RESULTS: A total of 15 patients (uterine sarcoma n=4; sex cord-stromal ovarian tumors n=3; endometrial carcinoma n=4; serous ovarian cancer n=4) were enrolled. Median follow-up was 48 weeks (interquartile range (IQR) 26-122) in the uterine sarcoma cohort, 63 weeks (IQR 28-77) for sex cord-stromal tumors, 19 weeks (IQR 17-21) for endometrial carcinoma, and 60 weeks (IQR 40-119) for serous ovarian cancer. One partial response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1 was observed in one uterine sarcoma patient. No responses were observed in the other cohorts. However, stable disease was observed in three uterine sarcomas (median duration 12 weeks), three sex cord-stromal tumors (median duration 32 weeks), and four low-grade serous ovarian cancer patients (median duration 20 weeks), leading to a disease control rate of 100% for these tumor types. All patients with endometrial carcinoma showed progressive disease. CONCLUSION: Fulvestrant may control tumor growth in recurrent/metastatic estrogen receptor-positive low-grade gynecological malignancies of specific histology. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.

PI3K/mTOR inhibition induces tumour microenvironment remodelling and sensitises pS6high uterine leiomyosarcoma to PD-1 blockade.

BACKGROUND: Uterine leiomyosarcomas (uLMS) are aggressive tumours with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Although immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has proven effective in some 'challenging-to-treat' cancers, clinical trials showed that uLMS do not respond to ICB. Emerging evidence suggests that aberrant PI3K/mTOR signalling can drive resistance to ICB. We therefore explored the relevance of the PI3K/mTOR pathway for ICB treatment in uLMS and explored pharmacological inhibition of this pathway to sensitise these tumours to ICB. METHODS: We performed an integrated multiomics analysis based on TCGA data to explore the correlation between PI3K/mTOR dysregulation and immune infiltration in 101 LMS. We assessed response to PI3K/mTOR inhibitors in immunodeficient and humanized uLMS patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) by evaluating tumour microenvironment modulation using multiplex immunofluorescence. We explored response to single-agent and a combination of PI3K/mTOR inhibitors with PD-1 blockade in humanized uLMS PDXs. We mapped intratumoural dynamics using single-cell RNA/TCR sequencing of serially collected biopsies. RESULTS: PI3K/mTOR over-activation (pS6high) associated with lymphocyte depletion and wound healing immune landscapes in (u)LMS, suggesting it contributes to immune evasion. In contrast, PI3K/mTOR inhibition induced profound tumour microenvironment remodelling in an ICB-resistant humanized uLMS PDX model, fostering adaptive anti-tumour immune responses. Indeed, PI3K/mTOR inhibition induced macrophage repolarisation towards an anti-tumourigenic phenotype and increased antigen presentation on dendritic and tumour cells, but also promoted infiltration of PD-1+ T cells displaying an exhausted phenotype. When combined with anti-PD-1, PI3K/mTOR inhibition led to partial or complete tumour responses, whereas no response to single-agent anti-PD-1 was observed. Combination therapy reinvigorated exhausted T cells and induced clonal hyper-expansion of a cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell population supported by a CD4+ Th1 niche. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that aberrant PI3K/mTOR pathway activation contributes to immune escape in uLMS and provides a rationale for combining PI3K/mTOR inhibition with ICB for the treatment of this patient population.

Fertility Preservation and Assisted Reproduction in Patients With Breast Cancer Interrupting Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy to Attempt Pregnancy.

PURPOSE: We investigated time to pregnancy, efficacy and safety of fertility preservation, and assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in women with early hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (BC) desiring future pregnancy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: POSITIVE is an international, single-arm, prospective trial, in which 518 women temporarily interrupted adjuvant endocrine therapy to attempt pregnancy. We evaluated menstruation recovery and factors associated with time to pregnancy and investigated if ART use was associated with achieving pregnancy. The cumulative incidence of BC-free interval (BCFI) events was estimated according to the use of ovarian stimulation at diagnosis. The median follow-up was 41 months. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-three patients (53%) reported amenorrhea at enrollment, of whom 94% resumed menses within 12 months. Among 497 patients evaluable for pregnancy, 368 (74%) reported at least one pregnancy. Young age was the main factor associated with shorter time to pregnancy with cumulative incidences of pregnancy by 1 year of 63.5%, 54.3%, and 37.7% for patients age <35, 35-39, and 40-42 years, respectively. One hundred and seventy-nine patients (36%) had embryo/oocyte cryopreservation at diagnosis, of whom 68 reported embryo transfer after enrollment. Cryopreserved embryo transfer was the only ART associated with higher chance of pregnancy (odds ratio, 2.41 [95% CI, 1.75 to 4.95]). The cumulative incidence of BCFI events at 3 years was similar for women who underwent ovarian stimulation for cryopreservation at diagnosis, 9.7% (95% CI, 6.0 to 15.4), compared with those who did not, 8.7% (95% CI, 6.0 to 12.5). CONCLUSION: In POSITIVE, fertility preservation using ovarian stimulation was not associated with short-term detrimental impact on cancer prognosis. Pregnancy rates were highest among those who underwent embryo/oocyte cryopreservation followed by embryo transfer.

Primary chemoradiation versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery as treatment strategy for locally advanced vulvar carcinoma (VULCANize2).

BACKGROUND: Current treatment options for patients with locally advanced vulvar cancer are limited and associated with high morbidity. Therefore, it is important to develop new and safe treatment strategies for this vulnerable patient group. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery with definitive chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced vulvar cancer. STUDY HYPOTHESIS: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery is oncologically safe, potentially more effective than primary chemoradiation in establishing long lasting locoregional control, and associated with an improved quality of life. TRIAL DESIGN: This study is a multicenter, prospective, phase II randomized controlled trial. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to the standard treatment arm (primary chemoradiation, consisting of a tumor dose of 64.5 Gy in 30 fractions of external beam radiotherapy with weekly cisplatin for 6 weeks) or the experimental treatment arm (neoadjuvant chemotherapy, consisting of carboplatin and paclitaxel in a 3 weekly scheme, followed by surgery). MAJOR INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Eligible patients must have a histologically confirmed primary or recurrent locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages Ib-Iva; Lesions larger than 2 cm in size or stromal invasion larger than 1 mm (T1b or higher), any status of lymph node involvement (any N), no distant metastasis including pelvic lymph nodes (M0)) with the size or localization of the tumor requiring treatment through primary chemoradiation or extensive surgery. Patients with documented metastases of the pelvic lymph nodes will be excluded from participation in this study. PRIMARY ENDPOINT: Locoregional control at 24 months. SAMPLE SIZE: 98 patients will be included in the study. ESTIMATED DATES FOR COMPLETING ACCRUAL AND PRESENTING RESULTS: Expected complete accrual in 2028 with presentation of results by 2030. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05905315.

Comprehensive Recommendations for the Clinical Management of Pregnant Women With Noninvasive Prenatal Test Results Suspicious of a Maternal Malignancy.

In this article, we defined comprehensive recommendations for the clinical follow-up of pregnant women with a malignancy-suspicious NIPT result, on the basis of the vast experience with population-based NIPT screening programs in two European countries complemented with published large data sets. These recommendations provide a tool for classifying NIPT results as malignancy-suspicious, and guide health care professionals in structured clinical decision making for the diagnostic process of pregnant women who receive such a malignancy-suspicious NIPT result.

Long-term neurocognitive, psychosocial, and physical outcomes after prenatal exposure to radiotherapy: a multicentre cohort study of the International Network on Cancer, Infertility, and Pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The main data available on the safety of radiation during pregnancy originate from animal studies and from studies of survivors of atomic or nuclear disasters. The effect of radiotherapy to treat maternal cancer on fetal development is uncertain. This report presents a unique cohort and aims to determine the long-term neurocognitive, psychosocial and physical outcomes of offspring of mothers treated with radiotherapy during pregnancy. METHODS: In this international, multicentre, mixed retrospective-prospective cohort study, we recruited participants between Aug 5, 2006, and Aug 24, 2023, aged between 1·5 and 46 years, at three referral centres in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the USA. Participants were eligible if they were born from mothers treated with radiotherapy during pregnancy. Fetal radiation doses were obtained from medical records and participants were followed up at predefined ages (1·5, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 years) and 5-yearly in adulthood, based on age at enrolment, using a neurocognitive test battery (measuring intelligence, attention, and memory), parent-reported executive function and psychosocial questionnaires, and a medical assessment. Results were compared with test-specific normative data. Linear regression models investigated associations between radiotherapy factors (fetal radiation dose, gestational age at the start and end of radiotherapy, and radiotherapy duration) and outcomes. FINDINGS: 68 maternal cases of radiotherapy during pregnancy were registered by the three participating centres, of which 61 resulted in a livebirth and were therefore eligible to participate in the child follow-up study. After excluding those who did not give consent, 43 participants born from 42 mothers treated with radiotherapy during pregnancy were included in the study (median age at first assessment 3 years [IQR 2-11]; median age at last assessment 12 years [9-18]; median number of assessments two [1-4]). 18 (42%) of the included participants were female and 25 (58%) male, and 37 (86%) were of White ethnicity. Mean neurocognitive outcomes of the entire cohort were within normal ranges. No associations were found with fetal radiation dose or timing of radiotherapy during pregnancy. Six (16%) of 38 participants with neurocognitive outcomes scored lower than one SD on at least one neurocognitive outcome, three (7%) reported chronic medical conditions (spasmophilia, spastic diplegia, and IgG deficiency), and three (7%) were diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (of whom two scored lower on attention). Of ten (23%) participants with lower neurocognitive score(s), a chronic medical condition, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, eight were born preterm. The remaining 33 (77%) participants showed no neurocognitive, psychosocial, or chronic physical problems. INTERPRETATION: We show on average normal neurocognitive, psychosocial, and physical outcomes after prenatal exposure to radiotherapy. Differences in outcomes could not be explained by exposure to radiotherapy during pregnancy. These results suggest that extra-abdomino-pelvic radiotherapy exposure during pregnancy in general does not adversely affect outcomes of liveborn children. Further research with a larger sample is necessary to confirm these findings. FUNDING: Kom Op Tegen Kanker, KWF Kankerbestrijding, Stichting Tegen Kanker, Research Foundation Flanders.

Evaluating offspring Genomic and Epigenomic alterations after prenatal exposure to Cancer treatment In Pregnancy (GE-CIP): a multicentric observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Around 1 in 1000-2000 pregnancies are affected by a cancer diagnosis. Previous studies have shown that chemotherapy during pregnancy has reassuring cognitive and cardiac neonatal outcomes, and hence has been proposed as standard of care. However, although these children perform within normal ranges for their age, subtle differences have been identified. Given that chemotherapeutic compounds can cross the placenta, the possibility that prenatal chemotherapy exposure mutates the offspring's genome and/or epigenome, with potential deleterious effects later in life, urges to be investigated. METHODS AND ANALYSES: This multicentric observational study aims to collect cord blood, meconium and neonatal buccal cells at birth, as well as peripheral blood, buccal cells and urine from infants when 6, 18 and/or 36 months of age. Using bulk and single-cell approaches, we will compare samples from chemotherapy-treated pregnant patients with cancer, pregnant patients with cancer not treated with chemotherapy and healthy pregnant women. Potential chemotherapy-related newborn genomic and/or epigenomic alterations, such as single nucleotide variants, copy number variants and DNA-methylation alterations, will be identified in mononuclear and epithelial cells, isolated from blood, buccal swabs and urine. DNA from maternal peripheral blood and paternal buccal cells will be used to determine de novo somatic mutations in the neonatal blood and epithelial cells. Additionally, the accumulated exposure of the fetus, and biological effective dose of alkylating agents, will be assessed in meconium and cord blood via mass spectrometry approaches. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Ethics Committee Research of UZ/KU Leuven (EC Research) and the Medical Ethical Review Committee of University Medical Center Amsterdam have approved the study. Results of this study will be disseminated via presentations at (inter)national conferences, through peer-reviewed, open-access publications, via social media platforms aimed to inform patients and healthcare workers, and through the website of the International Network on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy (www.cancerinpregnancy.org).

Results of an international survey on the current organization of care for pregnant women with cancer.

The global incidence of cancer is increasing, including its incidence in women of reproductive age. Still, physicians encounter this situation rarely, which could lead to substandard care. This research sought to explore opportunities to improve future care for pregnant women with cancer, by describing the outcomes of a survey distributed to physicians all over the world focusing on clinical experience with pregnant women with cancer, the organization of care and current gaps in knowledge. We included 249 responses from physicians working across 36 countries. Responses demonstrate a wide variation in the organization of care - generally lacking centralization, and the physicians' acknowledgement of insufficient knowledge on the management of pregnant women with cancer. There is a need for improvement through national centralization and/or establishing advisory boards for cancer in pregnancy. Seeing the paucity of cancer in pregnancy experience, the importance of global multidisciplinary collaboration is emphasized.

Long-term outcomes of children after prenatal exposure to maternal cancer and its treatment.

The incidence of antenatal cancer is increasing, prompting a medical-ethical evaluation. The International Network on Cancer, Infertility, and Pregnancy (INCIP) was established to study cancer treatment safety during pregnancy and its impact on maternal and child health. Pivotal research has led to a paradigm shift in clinical management, demonstrating the feasibility and safety of most antenatal oncological treatments. Short-term outcomes reveal normal growth and cardiac function in the exposed offspring, but caution is advised against first-trimester chemotherapy. Psychological impact studies highlight the elevated levels of distress in pregnant cancer patients, underscoring the need for personalized information and ongoing psychological support. Long-term follow-up studies address gaps in postnatal impacts, while research into specific chemotherapeutic agents continues. Despite generally reassuring outcomes, continued monitoring is crucial, especially in families, such as those where the child was born premature after cancer (treatment) during pregnancy or where mothers are frequently absent due to continued illness or have died from. The ongoing INCIP child follow-up initiative aims to further elucidate knowledge gaps, emphasizing the importance of large-scale studies and personalized patient care.

Evaluating the effectiveness of pre-operative diagnosis of ovarian cancer using minimally invasive liquid biopsies by combining serum human epididymis protein 4 and cell-free DNA in patients with an ovarian mass.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of scalable, objective, and minimally invasive liquid biopsy-derived biomarkers such as cell-free DNA copy number profiles, human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) for pre-operative risk assessment of early-stage ovarian cancer in a clinically representative and diagnostically challenging population and to compare the performance of these biomarkers with the Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI). METHODS: In this case-control study, we included 100 patients with an ovarian mass clinically suspected to be early-stage ovarian cancer. Of these 100 patients, 50 were confirmed to have a malignant mass (cases) and 50 had a benign mass (controls). Using WisecondorX, an algorithm used extensively in non-invasive prenatal testing, we calculated the benign-calibrated copy number profile abnormality score. This score represents how different a sample is from benign controls based on copy number profiles. We combined this score with HE4 serum concentration to separate cases and controls. RESULTS: Combining the benign-calibrated copy number profile abnormality score with HE4, we obtained a model with a significantly higher sensitivity (42% vs 0%; p<0.002) at 99% specificity as compared with the RMI that is currently employed in clinical practice. Investigating performance in subgroups, we observed especially large differences in the advanced stage and non-high-grade serous ovarian cancer groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that cell-free DNA can be successfully employed to perform pre-operative risk of malignancy assessment for ovarian masses; however, results warrant validation in a more extensive clinical study.

Challenges and opportunities for proton therapy during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the use of radiation therapy for cancer treatment is often considered impossible due to the assumed associated fetal risks. However, suboptimal treatment of pregnant cancer patients and unjustifiable delay in radiation therapy until after delivery can be harmful for both patient and child. In non-pregnant patients, proton-radiation therapy is increasingly administered because of its favorable dosimetric properties compared with photon-radiation therapy. Although data on the use of pencil beam scanning proton-radiation therapy during pregnancy are scarce, different case reports and dosimetric studies have indicated a more than 10-fold reduction in fetal radiation exposure compared with photon-radiation therapy. Nonetheless, the implementation of proton-radiation therapy during pregnancy requires complex fetal dosimetry for the neutron-dominated out-of-field radiation dose and faces a lack of clinical guidelines. Further exploration and standardization of proton-radiation therapy during pregnancy will be necessary to improve radiotherapeutic management of pregnant women with cancer and further reduce risks for their offspring.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy for breast cancer during pregnancy: A comprehensive update.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant patients diagnosed with breast cancer (PrBC) may receive substantially different treatments compared to general population, considering that certain treatment options cannot be applied during pregnancy due to their potential harmful effects to the foetus. Regarding the use of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in pregnant patients, potential concerns include foetal harm from radiation exposure, possible teratogenic effects of blue dyes and maternal anaphylaxis to isosulfan. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the present systematic review is to summarize and present current knowledge and up-to-date evidence about the safety and efficacy of SLNB in PABC. METHODS: MEDLINE, Google Scholar and UpToDate databases were searched up to 22 January 2023. Articles studying the safety and effectiveness of SLNB in patients for PrBC were eligible for inclusion in the present review. RESULTS: In total, 63 articles that met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. Forty-seven articles were strongly in favour of performing SLNB in PABC, 4 articles were partially in favour, 10 articles were strongly against and 2 articles were partially against performing SLNB in PABC. Sub-categorization based on type of study showed that the majority of studies in favour were of higher level of evidence than those against. Furthermore, there were overall 12 studies reporting on outcomes. There were overall 382 women with PrBC that underwent SLNB. Full data were reported for 237 cases. Overall live birth rate was 95.8%, while overall neonatal complication rate was 3.4%. No case of maternal side effects or anaphylactic reaction, maternal death, stillbirth and neonatal death was reported (0%). CONCLUSIONS: Sentinel lymph node biopsy seems to be safe and effective technique for breast cancer during pregnancy.

Practice patterns, time trends and quality of care of uterine cancer in Belgium: An analysis of the EFFECT database.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the practice patterns and quality of care for uterine cancer on a national level in Belgium, including trends in practice over the period 2012-2016. METHODS: Quality indicators were measured using the EFFectiveness of Endometrial Cancer Treatment (EFFECT) database. Multivariable logistic mixed regression was used to test for associations between the quality indicators and year of diagnosis, adjusted for potential confounders and intra-cluster correlations. RESULTS: The EFFECT database includes 4178 patients diagnosed with uterine cancer in the period 2012-2016. Minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic or robotic-assisted) was applied in 61.6% of patients who had surgery for clinical stage I endometrial carcinoma (EC), increasing from 52.9% in 2012 to 66.4% in 2016. At least pelvic lymph node staging was performed in 69.0% of patients with clinical stage I, high-grade EC; and in 63.9% of patients with clinical stage I-II serous carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma or carcinosarcoma. The latter increased from 48.8% in 2012 to 77.2% in 2016. Adjuvant radiotherapy (external beam and/or brachytherapy) was offered to 33.5% of patients who had surgery without lymph node staging for pathological stage I EC at high-intermediate or high risk of recurrence. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 64.4% of patients with pathological stage III-IVA EC. CONCLUSIONS: Study results indicate an overall good quality of care for patients with uterine cancer in Belgium. Treatment areas with potential room for improvement include the use of minimally invasive surgery, comprehensive surgical staging and adjuvant therapy, which confirms the remaining controversies in uterine cancer treatment and the need for further research.

Severe Immune-Related Enteritis after In Utero Exposure to Pembrolizumab.

Immune checkpoint blockade has become standard treatment for many types of cancer. Such therapy is indicated most often in patients with advanced or metastatic disease but has been increasingly used as adjuvant therapy in those with early-stage disease. Adverse events include immune-related organ inflammation resembling autoimmune diseases. We describe a case of severe immune-related gastroenterocolitis in a 4-month-old infant who presented with intractable diarrhea and failure to thrive after in utero exposure to pembrolizumab. Known causes of the symptoms were ruled out, and the diagnosis of pembrolizumab-induced immune-related gastroenterocolitis was supported by the results of histopathological assays, immunophenotyping, and analysis of the level of antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1). The infant's condition was successfully treated with prednisolone and infliximab.

European multidisciplinary tumor boards support cross-border networking and increase treatment options for patients with rare gynecological tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate outcomes of European cross-border multidisciplinary tumor boards in terms of participation, adherence to treatment recommendations, and access to novel treatment strategies. METHODS: The European reference network for rare gynecological tumors (EURACAN G2 domain) aims to improve the diagnosis, management, and treatment of patients with these cancers. Cross-border multidisciplinary tumor boards were initiated to facilitate intercollegiate clinical discussions across Europe and increase patients' access to specialist treatment recommendations and clinical trials. All G2 healthcare providers were invited to participate in monthly multidisciplinary meetings. Patient data were collected using a standardized form and case summaries were distributed before each meeting. After each tumor board, a meeting summary with treatment recommendations was sent to all participants and the project manager at the coordinating center. The multidisciplinary tumor board format and outcomes were regularly discussed at G2 domain meetings. Anonymized clinical data and treatment recommendations were registered in a prospective database. For this report, clinical data were collected between November 2017 and December 2020 and follow-up data retrieved until May 2021. RESULTS: During the 3-year period, 31 multidisciplinary tumor boards were held with participants from 10 countries and 20 centers. 91 individual patients were discussed between one and six times for a total of 109 case discussions. Follow-up data were retrieved from 64 patients and 80 case discussions. Adherence to treatment recommendations was 99%. Multidisciplinary tumor board recommendations resulted in 11 patients getting access to off-label treatment and one patient being enrolled in a clinical trial in another European country. 14/91 patients were recommended for surveillance only when additional treatment had been considered locally. CONCLUSION: Cross-border multidisciplinary tumor boards enable networking and clinical collaboration between healthcare professionals in different countries. Surveillance strategies, off-label drug use, and increased participation in clinical trials are possible benefits to patients with rare gynecological tumors.

High accumulation of nivolumab in human breast milk: A case report.

Nivolumab is an immunotherapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) that is used for the treatment of several types of cancer. The evidence on its use during lactation is lacking. Here, we report on a 39-year-old woman with metastasized melanoma who was treated with 480 mg nivolumab every four weeks during lactation. Breast milk samples were collected over the course of 34 days, including two cycles of nivolumab. The highest measured concentration of nivolumab during the first cycle was 503 ng/mL at day 13. The cumulative relative infant dose (RID) over the first cycle (28 days) was 9.8 %. The highest overall measured nivolumab concentration was 519 ng/mL at day 33, five days after administration of the second nivolumab cycle. Nivolumab seems to accumulate in breast milk over two consecutive cycles, hence the RIDs of consecutive cycles are expected to be higher. To draw further conclusions regarding safety of breastfeeding during nivolumab therapy, more information about the oral bioavailability of nivolumab in newborns, the nivolumab steady-state concentrations in breast milk and its pharmacodynamic effects are needed.