Para-aortic lymph node recurrence in surgically treated early-stage cervical cancer without para-aortic lymph node surgical staging.

OBJECTIVE: The standard treatment for early-stage cervical cancer includes radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node staging ± bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Para-aortic lymphadenectomy may be considered; however, its role remains controversial. The objective of this study was to assess the para-aortic lymph node recurrence rate in patients undergoing surgery for apparent early-stage cervical cancer without para-aortic lymph node surgical staging. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study including all consecutive patients with presumed early-stage (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2018 IA1-IB2, IIA1) cervical cancer who underwent radical surgery at the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. Pelvic lymph node assessment included sentinel lymph node biopsy and/or systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy. Patients who underwent para-aortic lymphadenectomy or had an indication to receive adjuvant para-aortic radiotherapy were excluded. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate 5-year recurrence-free survival. RESULTS: Overall, 432 patients were included. The median age was 43.7 years (IQR 38.1-51.6). Sixteen (3.7%) patients were staged IA1 at diagnosis, 24 (5.6%) IA2, 208 (48.1%) IB1, 177 (41%) IB2, and 7 (1.6%) IIA1. At final pathology, the stage distribution was as follows: 36 (8.3%) stage IA1-IA2, 323 (74.8%) stage IB1-IB3, 17 (3.9%) stage II, and 56 (13%) stage IIIC1. Eighty-two patients (19%) underwent concurrent pelvic chemoradiotherapy, 20 (4.6%) radiotherapy alone, and 3 (0.7%) chemotherapy alone. Thirty-eight (8.8%) patients experienced a recurrence with a median time of 18 months (IQR 12-29). The median follow-up time for the remaining 394 (91.2%) patients was 70 months (IQR 36-98). Two patients (0.5%) had a recurrence in the para-aortic lymph nodes. The 5-year recurrence-free survival in the overall cohort was 90% (95% CI 87.4% to 93.3%). CONCLUSION: Given the low rate of para-aortic lymph node recurrence in surgically treated early-stage cervical cancer and the well-established peri-operative complications associated with para-aortic lymphadenectomy, our study aligns with recent evidence supporting the omission of this procedure in such patients.

Atezolizumab and chemotherapy for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (AtTEnd): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: At the time of AtTEnd trial design, standard treatment for advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer included carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy. This trial assessed whether combining atezolizumab with chemotherapy might improve outcomes in this population. METHODS: AtTEnd was a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial done in 89 hospitals in 11 countries across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. Enrolled patients were aged 18 years or older, and had advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma or carcinosarcoma, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2, and received no previous systemic chemotherapy for recurrence. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) using an interactive web response system (block size of six) to either atezolizumab 1200 mg or placebo given intravenously with chemotherapy (carboplatin at area under the curve of 5 or 6 and paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 every 21 days) for 6-8 cycles, then continued until progression. Stratification factors were country, histological subtype, advanced or recurrent status, and mismatch repair (MMR) status. Participants and treating clinicians were masked to group allocation. The hierarchically tested co-primary endpoints were progression-free survival (in patients with MMR-deficient [dMMR] tumours, and in the overall population) and overall survival (in the overall population). Primary analyses were done in the intention-to-treat population, defined as all randomly assigned patients who gave their full consent to participation in the study and data processing. Safety was assessed in all patients included in the intention-to-treat population who received at least one dose of study treatment. Here, we report the primary progression-free survival and the interim overall survival results. This study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03603184. FINDINGS: Between Oct 3, 2018, and Jan 7, 2022, 551 patients were randomly assigned to atezolizumab (n=362) or placebo (n=189). Two patients in the atezolizumab group were excluded from all analyses due to lack of consent. Median follow-up was 28·3 months (IQR 21·2-37·6). 81 (23%) patients in the atezolizumab group and 44 (23%) patients in the placebo group had dMMR disease by central assessment. In the dMMR population, median progression-free survival was not estimable (95% CI 12·4 months-not estimable [NE]) in the atezolizumab group and 6·9 months (6·3-10·1) in the placebo group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·36, 95% CI 0·23-0·57; p=0·0005). In the overall population, median progression-free survival was 10·1 months (95% CI 9·5-12·3) in the atezolizumab group and 8·9 months (8·1-9·6) in the placebo group (HR 0·74, 95% CI 0·61-0·91; p=0·022). Median overall survival was 38·7 months (95% CI 30·6-NE) in the atezolizumab group and 30·2 months (25·0-37·2) in the placebo group (HR 0·82, 95% CI 0·63-1·07; log-rank p=0·048). The p value for the interim analysis of overall survival did not cross the stopping boundary; therefore, the trial will continue until the required number of events are recorded. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (97 [27%] of 356 patients in the atezolizumab group vs 51 [28%] of 185 in the placebo group) and anaemia (49 [14%] vs 24 [13%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 46 (13%) patients in the atezolizumab group and six (3%) patients in the placebo group. Treatment-related deaths occurred in two patients (pneumonia in one patient in each group). INTERPRETATION: Atezolizumab plus chemotherapy increased progression-free survival in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma, particularly in those with dMMR carcinomas, suggesting the addition of atezolizumab to standard chemotherapy as first-line treatment in this specific subgroup. FUNDING: F Hoffmann-La Roche.

Impact of different follow-up regimens on health-related quality of life and costs in endometrial cancer patients: Results from the TOTEM randomized trial.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether intensive follow-up (INT) after surgery for endometrial cancer impact health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and healthcare costs compared to minimalist follow-up (MIN), in the absence of evidence supporting any benefit on 5-year overall survival. METHODS: In the TOTEM trial, HRQoL was assessed using the SF-12 and the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) questionnaires at baseline, after 6 and 12 months and then annually up to 5 years of follow-up. Costs were analyzed after 4 years of follow-up from a National Health Service perspective, stratified by risk level. The probability of missing data was analyzed for both endpoints. RESULTS: 1847 patients were included in the analyses. The probability of missing data was not influenced by the study arms (MIN vs INT OR: 0.97 95%CI: 0.87-1.08). Longitudinal changes in HRQoL scores did not differ between the two follow-up regimens (MIN vs INT SF-12 PCS: -0.573, CI95%: -1.31; 0.16; SF-12 MCS: -0.243, CI95%: -1.08; 0.59; PGWB: -0.057, CI95%: -0,88; 0,77). The mean cost difference between the intensive and minimalist arm was €531 for low-risk patients and €683 for high-risk patients. CONCLUSION: In the follow-up of endometrial cancer after surgery, a minimalist treatment regimen did not affect quality of life and was cost-saving in both low-risk and high-risk recurrence patients. As previous results showed no survival benefit, a minimalist approach is justified. The relevant proportion of missing data on secondary outcomes of interest could be a critical point that deserves special attention.

COVID-19 in Pregnancy: Influence of Body Weight and Nutritional Status on Maternal and Pregnancy Outcomes-A Review of Literature and Meta-Analysis.

In the last two and a half years, COVID-19 has been one of the most challenging public health issues worldwide. Based on the available evidence, pregnant women do not appear to be more susceptible to infection than the general population but having COVID-19 during pregnancy may increase the risk of major complications for both the mother and the fetus. The aim of this study is to identify the correlation between BMI and nutritional status and the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 infection in pregnancy, its severity, and maternal pregnancy outcomes. We carry out a systematic literature search and a meta-analysis using three databases following the guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration. We include 45 studies about COVID-19-positive pregnant women. Compared with normal-weight pregnant women with COVID-19, obesity is associated with a more severe infection (OR = 2.32 [1.65-3.25]), increased maternal death (OR = 2.84 [2.01-4.02]), and a higher rate of hospital admission (OR = 2.11 [1.37-3.26]). Obesity may be associated with adverse maternal and pregnancy outcomes by increasing symptom severity and, consequently, hospital and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, and, finally, death rates. For micronutrients, the results are less definite, even if there seems to be a lower level of micronutrients, in particular Vitamin D, in COVID-19-positive pregnant women.

The Use of Artificial Intelligence for Complete Cytoreduction Prediction in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Narrative Review.

INTRODUCTION: In patients affected by epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) complete cytoreduction (CC) has been associated with higher survival outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) systems have proved clinical benefice in different areas of healthcare. OBJECTIVE: To systematically assemble and analyze the available literature on the use of AI in patients affected by EOC to evaluate its applicability to predict CC compared to traditional statistics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data search was carried out through PubMed, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, international congresses and clinical trials. The main search terms were: Artificial Intelligence AND surgery/cytoreduction AND ovarian cancer. Two authors independently performed the search by October 2022 and evaluated the eligibility criteria. Studies were included when data about Artificial Intelligence and methodological data were detailed. RESULTS: A total of 1899 cases were analyzed. Survival data were reported in 2 articles: 92% of 5-years overall survival (OS) and 73% of 2-years OS. The median area under the curve (AUC) resulted 0,62. The model accuracy for surgical resection reported in two articles reported was 77,7% and 65,8% respectively while the median AUC was 0,81. On average 8 variables were inserted in the algorithms. The most used parameters were age and Ca125. DISCUSSION: AI revealed greater accuracy compared against the logistic regression models data. Survival predictive accuracy and AUC were lower for advanced ovarian cancers. One study analyzed the importance of factors predicting CC in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer and disease free interval, retroperitoneal recurrence, residual disease at primary surgery and stage represented the main influencing factors. Surgical Complexity Scores resulted to be more useful in the algorithms than pre-operating imaging. CONCLUSION: AI showed better prognostic accuracy if compared to conventional algorithms. However further studies are needed to compare the impact of different AI methods and variables and to provide survival informations.

Use of Positron Emission Tomography for Pregnancy-Associated Cancer Assessment: A Review.

Background. Positron emission tomography (PET) has proven clinical utility both in the initial and relapse staging phase, but this technique is controversial during pregnancy. The objective of this review is to provide a compendium of available information on the use of PET during pregnancy. Materials and methods. A systematic literature review was conducted from 1 January 2004 until 20 May 2021. A total of 4 small series and 9 case reports consisting of 25 cases were selected. Results. During the first trimester, the fetus is most sensitive to ionization damage, so lower doses are recommended (2.6E-02 mGy/MBq). Fetal-effective doses are higher in this period and the average fetal dose (4.06 ± 3.22 mGy) remains significantly below the threshold for deterministic effects. During the second and third trimesters, recommended doses are higher (1.4E-02 mGy/MBq at 6 months, and 6.9E-03 mGy/MBq at 9 months of gestation). 18F-FDG activity was distributed to the whole fetus with a prevalence of myocardial tissue in seven cases. The use of special precautions, such as PET-magnetic resonance (MR) and urinary bladder catheterization, reduces the amount of radioactive tracer. Breastfeeding interruption is not recommended. Conclusions. 18F-FDG PET is not contraindicated in pregnancy, but multidisciplinary discussion is necessary and strict precautions are recommended.

Response to Chemotherapy and Clinical Outcome of Patients With Recurrent Epithelial Ovarian Cancer After PARP Inhibitor Maintenance Treatment: A Multicenter Retrospective Italian Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To assess response rates and survival in patients with recurrent platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) who received PARP inhibitor (PARP-i) maintenance and who subsequently underwent salvage chemotherapy for disease progression after PARPi. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective investigation analyzed 103 patients who were treated in five Italian Gynecologic centers. The PARPi used was olaparib in 46 patients, niraparib in 55, and rucaparib in 2. The interval time between the last cycle of pre- PARPi platinum-based chemotherapy and the diagnosis of progression during PARPi maintenance was defined as platinum-free interval (PFI). RESULTS: Of the 28 patients with PFI <6 months, 23 received chemotherapy (non-platinum single agent, 20; trabectedin + pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD), 3). Forty-two of the 43 patients with PFI 6-12 months underwent chemotherapy (platinum-based chemotherapy,11; trabectedin + PLD, 10; non platinum-single agent, 21). Thirty-one of the 32 patients with PFI >12 months received chemotherapy (platinum-based chemotherapy, 23; trabectedin + PLD, 3; non platinum - single agent, 5). An objective response was found in 13.0%, 26.2% and 41.9 % of the patients with PFI <6 months, 6-12 months, and >12 months (p= 0.03), respectively, and the corresponding median survivals after PARPi were 8.9 months, 17.5 months and 24.1 months (p= 0.002), respectively. CONCLUSION: Before the PARPi era, some randomized trials on platinum rechallenge in patients with recurrent EOC after more than 6 months from the last platinum cycle have shown response rates ranging from 47.2% to 66%. Response rates to chemotherapy for progression after PARPi appear to be lower than those expected according to PFI.

Effect of Depressive Disorders and Their Pharmacological Treatment during Pregnancy on Maternal and Neonatal Outcome.

Purpose: Depressive disorders are related to obstetrical and neonatal complications. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of pregnancy in women suffering from depressive disorders, who are treated or not treated with pharmacotherapy during pregnancy. Methods: The maternal and neonatal outcomes of 281 pregnant women with depressive disorders (D group-DG), who delivered their babies at Sant'Anna Hospital of Turin, were compared with those of a control group of 200 depression-free, healthy, pregnant women, who were matched for maternal age (C group-CG). Of the depressed patients, those who received pharmacotherapy during pregnancy (DG-Tr, n = 199, 70.8%) were compared with those who did not (DG-Untr, n = 82, 29.2%). The comparisons were performed using χ2 tests for categorical variables and ANOVA for continuous variables. A linear regression analysis was run to examine the association between APGAR scores at 5 min and certain clinical variables. Results: The women in DG showed higher rates of cesarean section, preterm delivery, induction of labor and SGA babies, and low neonatal weights and 5-min APGAR scores, compared to the untreated patients. Those treated with psychotropic drugs showed lower rates of cesarean section, but lower 5-min APGAR scores, compared to those who were untreated. However, after controlling for confounding variables, the 5-min APGAR scores were linearly associated with neonatal weight and not with the use of psychotropic treatment. No significant differences were observed between the treated and untreated women, regarding the rates of preterm delivery, induction of labor, SGA and low neonatal weight. Conclusion: In pregnant patients with depressive disorders, poorer outcomes are expected vs. healthy controls. Pharmacological treatment is associated with a reduced rate of cesarean section, without inducing other complications for the mother and the newborn.