Oncologic outcomes in elderly patients who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial cancer: a multi-institutional survey in Kinki District, Japan.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study is to assess the oncologic outcomes of elderly patients who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial cancer across three variables: hysterectomy approach, lymph node resection, and adjuvant therapy. METHODS: Hospital records of patients aged ≥ 70 years who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial cancer were obtained from 19 institutions. Patients were categorized into three risk groups: low, intermediate, and high. In each group, disease-free survival and overall survival were compared according to hysterectomy approach, lymph node resection, and adjuvant therapy using Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analysis with a 95% confidence interval was performed to estimate relative risk (RR) of death. RESULTS: A total of 1246 patients were included. In the low-risk group, the adjusted RR for death for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) versus laparotomy and lymph node resection versus no lymph node resection were 0.64 (0.24-1.72) and 0.52 (0.24-1.12), respectively. In the intermediate-risk group, the adjusted RR for death for MIS versus laparotomy, lymph node resection versus no lymph node resection, and adjuvant therapy versus no adjuvant therapy were 0.80 (0.36-1.77), 0.60 (0.37-0.98), and 0.89 (0.55-1.46), respectively. In the high-risk group, the adjusted RRs for death for lymph node resection versus no lymph node resection and adjuvant therapy versus no adjuvant therapy were 0.56 (0.37-0.86) and 0.60 (0.38-0.96), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: MIS is not inferior to laparotomy in uterine-confined diseases. Lymph node resection improved the outcome for all disease stages and histological types. In contrast, adjuvant therapy improved the outcomes only in high-risk patients.

Apoptosis in cervical cancer after balloon-occluded arterial infusion of anticancer drugs.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to investigate the relationship between apoptosis and Bcl-2 and Bax expressions in uterine cervical cancer after balloon-occluded arterial infusion (BOAI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four specimens were obtained before and after BOAI. The occurrence of apoptosis was examined with molecular biochemical techniques. The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins were investigated by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Labelling of DNA in situ indicated that apoptotic cells were sporadically seen before BOAI (6.1 +/- 1.9). Apoptotic cells apparently increased at 5 days (25.1 +/- 6.4) after BOAI The autoradiographic analysis revealed that the DNA-ladder was identified at 5 days after BOAI. Although Bcl-2 immuno-reactivity was faintly detected, the expression of Bax increased at 3 days (49.4 +/- 10.4%) after BOAI. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that treatment with BOAI resulted in transient increases of apoptosis in cervical cancer in association with the increased expression of Bax.