The Relationship Between Melatonin 1-2 Receptor Expression in Patients With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and Survival.

Melatonin has antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, apoptotic, and immunomodulatory properties in ovarian cancer. Considering those, we evaluated the relationship between melatonin 1 (MT1) and melatonin 2 receptor (MT2) expression in tumor tissues of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). Patients who received primary surgical treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer in our clinic between 2000 and 2019 were retrospectively scanned through patient files, electronic databases, and telephone calls. One hundred forty-two eligible patients were included in the study, their tumoral tissues were examined to determine MT1 and MT2 expression by immunohistochemical methods. The percentage of receptor-positive cells and intensity of staining were determined. MT1 receptor expression ( P = 0.002 for DFS and P = 0.002 for OS) showed a significant effect on DFS and OS. MT2 expression had no effect on survival ( P = 0.593 for DFS and P = 0.209 for OS). The results showed that the higher the MT1 receptor expression, the longer the DFS and OS. It is suggested that melatonin should be considered as adjuvant therapy for ovarian cancer patients in addition to standard treatment, and clinical progress should be observed.

Impact of adjuvant treatments and risk factors on survival in 2023 FIGO stage IIB endometrial cancer patients: Turkish Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of adjuvant treatments, factors influencing recurrence, and survival data in patients with 2023 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIB endometrial cancer. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with endometrial cancer who underwent surgery between 2005 and 2022 at seven different centers in Turkey. Demographic, clinicopathological, and survival data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Among 7323 patients, 565 (7.7%) were classified as 2023 FIGO stage IIB based on pathological results. Of 565 patients, 214 were followed without receiving adjuvant treatment, while 335 (95.4%) received adjuvant radiotherapy, and 16 (4.6%) received radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The locoregional recurrence rate was higher in patients with a tumor size >4 cm (p=0.038) and myometrial invasion >50% (p=0.045). In patients with distant metastasis, the recurrence rate was lower in those with myometrial invasion <50% compared with myometrial invasion ≥50% (p=0.031). The impact of adjuvant treatment on endometrial cancer patients revealed no significant differences for both disease free survival (p=0.85) and overall survival (p=0.54). Subgroup analyses showed that in patients with deep myometrial invasion, adjuvant treatment was associated with a significant increase in overall survival (p=0.044), but there was no effect on disease-free survival (p=0.12). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with stage IIB endometrial cancer with myometrial invasion ≥50% were more likely to have locoregional and distant metastases. Adjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy did not demonstrate an overall survival benefit in these patients.

3-4 Cycles versus 6 Cycles Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Advanced-Stage Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Survival Is Not Determined by the Number of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Cycles.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients who underwent interval cytoreductive surgery after 3-4 cycles or 6 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer patients. METHODS: Out of 219 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer, 123 patients received 3-4 cycles and 96 patients received 6 cycles of platinum-based NACT. Afterward, laparotomy was performed for interval cytoreductive surgery. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found for DFS and OS of the patients who received 3-4 cycles and those who received 6 cycles of NACT (HR: 1.047, 95.0% CI [0.779-1.407]; p: 0.746 for DFS, and HR: 1.181, 95.0% CI [0.818-1.707]; p: 0.368 for OS). Evaluating 123 patients who received 3-4 cycles of NACT, 87 patients (70.7%) without macroscopic residual tumor after interval cytoreductive surgery had significantly longer DFS and OS compared to 36 patients (29.3%) with any residual tumor (HR: 1.830, 95.0% CI [1.194-2.806]; p: 0.003 for DFS, and HR: 1.946, 95.0% CI [1.166-3.250]; p: 0.009 for OS). 96 patients who received 6 courses of NACT were evaluated; 63 patients (65.6%) without macroscopic residual tumor after interval cytoreductive surgery had significantly longer DFS and OS than 33 patients (34.4%) with any residual tumor (HR: 1.716, 9 5.0% CI [1.092-2.697]; p: 0.010 for DFS, and HR: 1.921, 95.0% CI [1.125-3.282]; p: 0.013 for OS). CONCLUSION: In patients with advanced ovarian cancer, there is no significant difference in DFS and OS between 3 and 4 cycles or 6 cycles of NACT. The most important factor determining survival is whether macroscopic residual tumor tissue remains after interval cytoreductive surgery following NACT.

Diagnostic accuracy of sentinel node biopsy in non-endometrioid, high-grade and/or deep myoinvasive endometrial cancer: A Turkish gynecologic oncology group study (TRSGO-SLN-006).

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping algorithm in high-risk endometrial cancer patients. METHODS: Two hundred forty-four patients with non-endometrioid histology, grade 3 endometrioid tumors and/or tumors with deep myometrial invasion were enrolled in this retrospective, multicentric study. After removal of SLNs, all patients underwent pelvic ± paraaortic lymphadenectomy. Operations were performed via laparotomy, laparoscopy or robotic surgery. Indocyanine green (ICG) and methylene blue (MB) were used as tracers. SLN detection rate, sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV) and false-negative rate (FNR) were calculated. RESULTS: Surgeries were performed via laparotomy in 132 (54.1%) patients and 152 (62.3%) underwent both bilateral pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy. At least 1 SLN was detected in 222 (91%) patients. Fifty-five (22.5%) patients had lymphatic metastasis and 45 patients had at least 1 metastatic SLN. Lymphatic metastases were detected by side-specific lymphadenectomy in 8 patients and 2 patients had isolated paraaortic metastasis. Overall sensitivity, NPV and FNR of SLN biopsy were 81.8%, 95% and 18.2%, respectively. By applying SLN algorithm steps, sensitivity and NPV improved to 96.4% and 98.9%, respectively. For grade 3 tumors, sensitivity, NPV and FNR of the SLN algorithm were 97.1%, 98.9% and 2.9%. CONCLUSION: SLN algorithm had high diagnostic accuracy in high-risk endometrial cancer. All pelvic metastases were detected by the SLN algorithm and the isolated paraaortic metastasis rate was ignorable. But long-term survival studies are necessary before this approach becomes standard of care.

Diagnostic and prognostic role of TFF3, Romo-1, NF-кB and SFRP4 as biomarkers for endometrial and ovarian cancers: a prospective observational translational study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate trefoil factor 3 (TFF3), secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (sFRP4), reactive oxygen species modulator 1 (Romo1) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) as diagnostic and prognostic markers of endometrial cancer (EC) and ovarian cancer (OC). METHODS: Thirty-one patients with EC and 30 patients with OC undergone surgical treatment were enrolled together with 30 healthy controls in a prospective study. Commercial ELISA kits determined serum TFF-3, Romo-1, NF-кB and sFRP-4 concentrations. RESULTS: Serum TFF-3, Romo-1 and NF-кB levels were significantly higher in patients with EC and OC than those without cancer. Regarding EC, none of the serum biomarkers differs significantly between endometrial and non-endometrioid endometrial carcinomas. Mean serum TFF-3 and NF-кB levels were significantly higher in advanced stages. Increased serum levels of TFF-3 and NF-кB were found in those with a higher grade of the disease. Regarding OC, none of the serum biomarkers differed significantly among histological subtypes. Significantly increased serum levels of NF-кB were observed in patients with advanced-stage OC than those with stage I and II diseases. No difference in serum biomarker levels was found between those who had a recurrence and those who had not. The sensibility and specificity of these four biomarkers in discriminating EC and OC from the control group showed encouraging values, although no one reached 70%. CONCLUSIONS: TFF-3, Romo-1, NF-кB and SFRP4 could represent new diagnostic and prognostic markers for OC and EC. Further studies are needed to validate our results.

Adjuvant Treatment Modalities, Prognostic Factors, and Outcome of the Uterine Carcinosarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of adjuvant therapy and other factors associated with the recurrence and survival of patients with uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS). METHODS: A total of 102 patients who underwhent surgery for UCS from 1998 to 2017 were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: At 240 months, the actuarial recurrence rate was 34.3%. Distant recurrence was the most common recurrence pattern. Patients with higher CA 125 levels, sarcoma dominance, cervical involvement, advanced stage, no lymphadenectomy, and residual tumour had a significiantly higher risk of recurrence. Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 67% and 77%, respectively. FIGO stage was found to be an independent prognostic factor for DFS and OS. Sarcoma dominance was independently associated with decreased OS. CONCLUSION: Sarcoma dominance is associated with poor survival in UCS. Adjuvant treatment was not found to affect recurrence or survival. Given this finding, more effective postoperative strategies are needed.

Is the extent of lymphadenectomy a prognostic factor in International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage II endometrioid endometrial cancer?

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of adequate lymph node dissection (LND) (≥10 pelvic lymph nodes (LNs) and ≥ 5 paraaortic LNs removed) in patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage II endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC). METHODS: A multicenter department database review was performed to identify patients who had been operated and diagnosed with stage II EEC at seven centers in Turkey retrospectively. Demographic, clinicopathological, and survival data were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: We identified 284 women with stage II EEC. There were 170 (59.9%) patients in the adequate lymph node dissection (LND) group and 114 (40.1%) in the inadequate LND group. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the inadequate LND group was significantly lower than that of the adequate LND group (84.1% vs. 89.1%, respectively; p = 0.028). In multivariate analysis, presence of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-4.63; p = 0.009), age ≥ 60 (HR: 3.30, 95% CI: 1.65-6.57; p = 0.001], and absence of adjuvant therapy (HR: 2.74, 95% CI: 1.40-5.35; p = 0.003) remained as independent risk factors for decreased 5-year disease-free survival (DFS). Inadequate LND (HR: 2.34, 95% CI: 1.18-4.63; p < 0.001), age ≥ 60 (HR: 2.67, 95% CI: 1.25-5.72; p = 0.011), and absence of adjuvant therapy (HR: 4.95, 95% CI: 2.28-10.73; p < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors for decreased 5-year OS in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Adequate LND and adjuvant therapy were significant for the improvement of outcomes in FIGO stage II EEC patients. Furthermore, LVSI was associated with worse 5-year DFS rate in stage II EEC.

SATEN III-Splitting Adjuvant Treatment of stage III ENdometrial cancers: an international, multicenter study.

INTRODUCTION: The purposes of this study were to compare adjuvant treatment modalities and to determine prognostic factors in stage III endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS: SATEN III was a retrospective study involving 13 centers from 10 countries. Patients who had been operated on between 1998 and 2018 and diagnosed with stage III endometrioid EC were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 990 women were identified; 317 with stage IIIA, 18 with stage IIIB, and 655 with stage IIIC diseases. The median follow-up was 42 months. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with stage III EC by adjuvant treatment modality was 68.5% for radiotherapy (RT), 54.6% for chemotherapy (CT), and 69.4% for chemoradiation (CRT) (p=0.11). The 5-year overall survival (OS) for those patients was 75.6% for RT, 75% for CT, and 80.7% for CRT (p=0.48). For patients with stage IIIA disease treated by RT versus CT versus CRT, the 5-year OS rates were 75.6%, 75.0%, and 80.7%, respectively (p=0.48). Negative peritoneal cytology (HR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.23 to 0.86; p=0.02) and performance of lymphadenectomy (HR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.77, p=0.001) were independent predictors for improved OS for stage IIIA EC. For women with stage IIIC EC treated by RT, CT, and CRT, the 5-year OS rates were 78.9%, 67.0%, and 69.8%, respectively (p=0.08). Independent prognostic factors for better OS for stage IIIC disease were age <60 (HR: 0.50, 95%CI: 0.36 to 0.69, p<0.001), grade 1 or 2 disease (HR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.37 to 0.94, p=0.014; and HR: 0.65, 95%CI: 0.46 to 0.91, p=0.014, respectively), absence of cervical stromal involvement (HR: 063, 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.86, p=0.004) and performance of para-aortic lymphadenectomy (HR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.72, p<0.001). DISCUSSION: Although not statistically significant, CRT seemed to be a better adjuvant treatment option for stage IIIA endometrioid EC. Systematic lymphadenectomy seemed to improve survival outcomes in stage III endometrioid EC.

The use of colposcopic punch biopsy in the management of abnormal cervical cytology: a 5-year retrospective audit.

The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of colposcopic punch biopsy to detect cervical epithelial neoplasia (CIN) II + in patients with abnormal cervical cytology and the major colposcopic findings in patients who underwent a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), subsequently. A total of 231 patients with abnormal cervical cytology who underwent a colposcopy guided cervical biopsy and subsequent LEEP were analysed. The mean age was 33.4 ± 8.7 years. CIN II + rate on LEEP pathology was significantly higher in patients with high-grade cytology, compared to those with a low-grade cytology (92 vs. 55%, p < .0001). CIN II + was found in 80, 98 and 100% of colpocopic biopsies of patients with LSIL, HSIL and AGC, respectively. The overall concordance rate between a colposcopic biopsy and LEEP was 41% with a kappa coefficient. The overall underestimation of CIN II + was 10.5%. On a patient-based analysis, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of colposcopic biopsy were 89.4, 47.1, 79.5 and 66%, respectively. More than two cervical biopsies had 100% sensitivity for CIN II + on LEEP pathology. The specificity and PPV decreased with increasing number of cervical biopsies. A see-and-treat strategy may be considered for high-grade cytologies. Patients with a low-grade cytology should be managed with more than two colposcopic biopsies.

The Role of Pathological Margin Distance and Prognostic Factors After Primary Surgery in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Vulva.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of clear surgical margin distance and other factors associated with the recurrence and survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. METHODS/MATERIALS: A total of 107 patients operated for vulvar carcinoma from 1996 to 2016 were included in the analysis. Patients were divided into subgroups with clear pathological margin of 2 mm or less, greater than 2 to less than 8 mm, and 8 mm or greater for the analysis of the prognostic impact of the clear margin distance. Data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 66 years. The median follow-up was 69 months. The labia majora and/or labia minora were the most common sites of involvement. Radical local excision and radical vulvectomy were performed in 96 and 11 patients, respectively. Thirty-nine patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. The overall recurrence rate was 46%. At 231 months, the actuarial local recurrence rate was 18.6%. Patients with clear pathological margin of 2 mm or less had significantly higher local recurrence risk. Five-year disease-free survival was 32.7%. Older age and adjuvant chemotherapy were found as independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that a more than 2 mm tumor-free margins is associated with better local control. In addition, older age is an independent prognostic factor for survival.

Concomitant endometriosis in malignant and borderline ovarian tumours.

The aim of the study was to reveal the prevalence of concomitant endometriosis in malignant and borderline ovarian tumours. A retrospective analysis was performed of 530 patients with malignant ovarian tumours and 131 with borderline ovarian tumours, who underwent surgery in our hospital between 1995 and 2011. Forty-eight (7.3%) of 661 patients with malignant and borderline ovarian tumours were associated with endometriosis. Of the 48 endometriosis cases, 73% of those were atypical. Infertility was noted in 38% of patients with endometriosis-associated ovarian tumours. The most frequently endometriosis-associated subtypes were endometrioid (33%) and clear cell (18%) histologies. Of endometriosis-associated endometrioid and clear cell ovarian tumours, 70% were early stage and 60% were premenopausal. The prevalence of concomitant endometriosis in borderline tumours (12%) was found to be significantly higher than that found in the malignant ones (6%; p = .02). Of 32 endometriosis-associated malignant ovarian tumours, 69% were FIGO stages I and II. In conclusion, ovarian endometriosis is seen with both malignant and borderline ovarian tumours, the association being significant with borderline tumours. Fortunately, the endometriosis-associated malignant ovarian tumours are mostly early stage. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Epidemiologic data suggest that endometriosis has malignant potential. However, a subgroup of women with endometriosis at a high risk for ovarian cancer is yet to be clarified. Currently, endometriosis and ovarian cancer association does not seem to have a clinical implication. What do the results of this study add? The findings of this study revealed that nearly 75% of endometriosis-associated ovarian tumours were of atypical endometriosis. Half of endometriosis-associated ovarian tumour cases were of endometrioid/clear cell histology and 70% were early-stage. Endometriosis was significantly associated with borderline ovarian tumours and the endometriosis-associated malignant ovarian tumours were mostly early stage. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Additional studies need to be conducted to develop screening approaches for malignant transformation or an association in women with endometriosis. Till that time, a change of current clinical practices cannot be justified. However, counselling and treating women with endometriosis who are at high risk for cancer coexistence or conversion is encouraged.

Simple vaginal trachelectomy for early stage cervical cancer: A tertiary cancer center experience.

OBJECTIVES: Less radical fertility sparing procedures have been introduced to reduce morbidity and adverse obstetric outcome in cervical cancer. Our objective was to describe oncological and obstetric outcomes of women with early-stage cervical cancer who underwent a simple vaginal trachelectomy (SVT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: From 01/2013 to 05/2017, 14 women underwent SVT preceded by laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection. RESULTS: Patients' median age was 32 years and all of them were nulliparous. Histology included squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma in 12 (85.7%) and 2 (14.3%) patients, respectively. Three patients had stage 1A1 with lymphovascular space invasion, 4 1A2 and 7 1B1. After obtaining final histopathology, one patient underwent radical hysterectomy due to positive surgical margin and excluded from analysis. None of the patients had lymph node metastasis. None of the 13 patients developed a recurrence within a median follow-up of 27 (6-56) months. Seven patients have conceived: 4 were term deliveries, 2 were late preterm deliveries and 1 was spontaneous abortion. CONCLUSIONS: SVT in well selected early-stage cervical cancer patients seems to be a safe treatment option with excellent oncologic outcome, preserving reproductive function. Literature data will need to be confirmed in large prospective series.

Is serum level of nestin useful in detecting epithelial ovarian cancer?

AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of nestin as a discriminative marker between benign and malignant ovarian tumors. METHODS: During the 1 year from January 2015 through December 2015, a nonconsecutive series of 80 patients (40 malignant, 40 benign) who underwent surgery for an adnexal mass were enrolled in the study. Intraoperative frozen section evaluation was performed if there was a suspicion in diagnosis. Statistical analyses were performed using spss ver. 16.0, while clinicopathological variables, including the categorical data, were analyzed using the χ2 -test or Fisher's exact test. A P-value < 0.05 was defined as statistically significant. RESULTS: Preoperative serum carbohydrate antigen (CA)-125, CA-15-3, and nestin levels were significantly higher in the malignant group compared to patients with benign ovarian tumors (P < 0.001, respectively). Serum nestin levels did not differ significantly on the basis of histologic subtypes. Serum nestin levels had specificity of 89.7%, which demonstrates nestin's sufficiency to distinguish benign from malignant epithelial ovarian tumors. The positive likelihood ratio of nestin was found to be superior to that of CA-125 and CA-15-3. CONCLUSION: The results obtained from our study suggest that measurement of nestin level, alongside physical examination, transvaginal ultrasound, and serum CA-125 and CA-15-3 levels, can help differentiate benign ovarian tumors from malignant epithelial ovarian tumors. The findings of our study need to be supported with additional studies.

See and treat strategy by LEEP conization in patients with abnormal cervical cytology.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the overtreatment and re-LEEP rates of see and treat strategy (S & T) in women who underwent S & T by LEEP and to identify the risk factors for overtreatment and surgical margin and/or endocervical curettage positivity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 800 patients who underwent S & T in Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty between June 2010 and June 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Overtreatment rate was found to be 46.6%, decreasing with higher grade of cervical smear abnormalities. Age more than 45, low grade of cervical cytologic abnormality and absence of glandular involvement were associated with higher overtreatment rates. The more advanced the histopathology, the more increased risk of surgical margin on LEEP and ECC positivity (p < 0.0001, for both). Glandular involvement was associated with both surgical margin and ECC positivity. CONCLUSIONS: S & T can be used in patients with high grade cytologic anomaly with an acceptable overtreatment rate. In addition, bigger pieces of specimens may need to be removed during LEEP in patients who have suspicious images of higher grade of abnormalities on colposcopy to reduce surgical margin or ECC positivity. When high rate of ECC positivity in patients with HSIL cytology is considered, we suggest performing ECC to every patients with HSIL.

Synchronous Primary Cancers of the Endometrium and Ovary With the Same Histopathologic Type Versus Endometrial Cancer With Ovarian Metastasis: A Single Institution Review of 72 Cases.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of women with simultaneous endometrial and ovarian carcinomas having the same histopathologic type. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of medical records from 1997 to 2015 identified 72 patients with simultaneous carcinomas of the endometrium and ovary with the same histopathologic type. Patients with synchronous primary cancers of endometrium and ovary (SCEOs) were compared with patients with primary endometrial cancer with ovarian metastasis (ECOM). Clinical and pathological data were obtained from the patients' medical records. Clinicopathological variables including categorical data were analyzed by χ(2) or Fisher exact test and continuous data by a Student t test. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed and compared by using the log-rank test. RESULTS: A univariate and multivariate analysis of 72 patients with SCEO with the same histopathologic type revealed that SCEO is an independent prognostic factor of 10-year overall survival. There were 31 patients in the SCEO group and 41 patients in the ECOM group. With a mean follow-up time of 68.2 months, the 10-year overall survival rates were 61.3% and 36.6% in SCEO and ECOM groups, respectively (P = 0.029). Age, menopausal status, stage of ovarian cancer, performing lymphadenectomy, grade of endometrial tumor, omental metastasis, and residual tumor were found to be significant risk factors for recurrence in the synchronous group. CONCLUSIONS: The differentiation between SCEO and ECOM is of great clinical importance while our results showed a better prognosis for patients with SCEO compared with patients with ECOM. More aggressive therapeutic approaches may be considered for patients with SCEO who are older, postmenopausal, and/or have advanced grade of endometrial tumor, omental metastasis, and residual tumor. Lymphadenectomy should be performed in every patient with SCEO.

The Combination of Preoperative Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography and Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping in the Surgical Management of Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the combination of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping and F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan in detection of lymph node involvement in patients with endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC). METHODS/MATERIALS: Ninety-five patients with EEC who had preoperative PET/CT imaging and underwent SLN mapping were retrospectively analyzed. Methylene blue dye was used and injected to the cervix at 3- and 9-o'clock positions (a total of 4 mL). Pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed on all of the patients after SLN mapping. If the SLN was negative in the initial hematoxylin and eosin staining, an ultrastaging study was performed for the SLNs. RESULTS: Sentinel lymph nodes were detected in 77 (81.1%) of 95 patients, with a mean of 2.95 SLNs. There was only 1 case (1.4%) with a positive SLN in the intraoperative frozen section examination in those patients with negative PET/CT findings and in whom SLNs were detected (n = 70). Among the remaining 69 patients with negative preoperative PET/CT findings and negative frozen section results for the SLNs, there were 2 patients with SLN involvement in the final ultrastaging pathology. In the patient-based analyses, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the PET/CT and SLN frozen section were 33%, 100%, 100%, and 97.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: As no metastases in the nonsentinel pelvic lymph nodes were found in patients with EEC who had both negative PET/CT findings and frozen section results of the SLNs in both hemipelvises, we suggest using both methods to reduce the incidence of unnecessary systematic lymphadenectomy.

Expression of PTEN and ß-Catenin and Their Relationship With Clinicopathological and Prognostic Factors in Endometrioid Type Endometrial Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate rates of expression of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) and ß-catenin and their relationship with clinicopathological and prognostic factors in endometrioid type endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: PTEN and ß-catenin expressions of 59 operated patients with EC between January 2000 and December 2008 and followed-up until December 2014 in Cerrahpasa School of Medicine, Gynecologic Oncology Division, were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical data were obtained from patient files, and pathological data were obtained from pathology records. Each patient had 4 paraffin sections of tumoral tissue. These sections were stained by immunohistochemical methods. Clinical features and postoperative histopathologic findings were analyzed using Fisher exact test or the χ(2) test as appropriate. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate the survival curves. RESULTS: During median follow-up of 102 months, tumor recurrence and disease-related mortality were observed in 10 (16.9%) and 7 (11.9%) cases, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining of PTEN and ß-catenin were positive in 61% and 69.5% of all cases, respectively. Positive staining of PTEN was positively correlated with myometrial invasion (P= 0.02). There was no correlation between ß-catenin and clinicopathological factors. PTEN or ß-catenin positivity were not significant prognostic factors for 5-year overall survival (P = 0.37, P = 0.62, respectively) and 5-year disease-free survival (P = 0.28, P = 0.58, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: PTEN and ß-catenin expressions cannot be used to determine prognosis in patients with EC as PTEN and ß-catenin staining status were found to have no significant effect on 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival. Positive staining of PTEN may be associated with increased myometrial invasion. Meta-analyses and broader studies are needed to evaluate the prognostic value of PTEN and ß-catenin in EC.

Surgical Treatment of Metastatic Ovarian Tumors From Extragenital Primary Sites.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes and prognostic factors of metastasectomy in patients with metastatic ovarian tumors from extragenital primary sites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with pathologically confirmed metastatic ovarian tumors between January 1997 and June 2015 were included in this study. A total of 131 patients were identified. The data were obtained from the patients' medical records. Clinicopathological features were evaluated by both univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The primary sites were colorectal region (53.4%), stomach (26%), and breast (13%). Preoperative serum CA 125 and CA 19-9 levels were elevated in 29.4% and 39.8% of the patients, respectively. Cytoreductive surgery was performed in 41.2% of the patients. Seventy-three (55.7%) patients had no residual disease after surgery. Sixty-six (49.6%) patients had combined metastases at the time of the surgery to sites including the liver, pancreas, lung, bone, lymph nodes, bladder, or the intestine. With a median follow-up of 33 months, the median survival time was 22 months. The estimated 5-year survival probability is 0.26. On univariate analysis, primary cancer site, combined metastasis outside the ovaries, residual disease, preoperative serum CA 125 and CA 19-9 levels, and histologic type were significant parameters for overall survival. Furthermore, residual disease, preoperative serum CA 19-9 level, and primary cancer site were found to be independent prognostic factors on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The most common primary sites for ovarian metastasis are gastrointestinal tract. Metastasectomy may have beneficial effects on survival, especially if the residual disease is less than 5 mm. Prospective studies warranted to evaluate the value of metastasectomy in patients with ovarian metastasis.

Risk factors for recurrence of borderline ovarian tumours: A tertiary centre experience.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for recurrence of borderline ovarian tumours. This study investigated 127 women who were finally diagnosed with borderline epithelial ovarian tumours. Most of them were diagnosed in stage I (83.4%). With a median follow-up of 81.8 months (range: 14-205), the median time to recurrence was 22.4 months (range: 3-74). Five-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 85.8% and 97.6%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, invasive implants and fertility-sparing surgery were found to be independent prognostic factors for 5-year RFS. Overall, 20 patients (15.7%) experienced relapse within the observation period. Although there is no consensus about high-risk category of borderline ovarian tumours, invasive implants and conservative surgery were closely related to the recurrence. Patients presenting these risk factors should undergo closer follow-up.