Ovarian Mesonephric-like Adenocarcinoma Recurring With a Rhabdomyosarcoma Component: A Case Report.

Mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma (MLA) has recently been described as a tumor of the endometrium or ovaries, which, morphologically and immunohistochemically, resembles mesonephric adenocarcinoma arising mostly in the uterine cervix. Herein, we report, to our knowledge, the first case of ovarian MLA that developed into an extremely rapidly growing recurrent mesonephric-like carcinosarcoma, as confirmed by a genomic profiling test. A 51-year-old woman underwent chemotherapy with complete debulking surgery for ovarian carcinoma. Pathologically, the patient was diagnosed with stage IVB ovarian MLA. Subsequent to 15 months of complete remission, an enhanced computed tomography scan revealed a solid tumor of 10 cm diameter in the abdominal cavity. Secondary surgery was terminated with a 2 cm 2 tumor biopsy specimen collection considering perioperative complications. Histologically, the tumor consisted of short spindle cells, and immunohistochemical staining revealed a rhabdomyosarcomatous profile without an epithelial component. Despite treatment for the sarcoma, she died 3 months after the detection of the tumor. The genomic profiling of the primary ovarian carcinoma and secondary resected tumor biopsy specimens revealed an identical KRAS mutation in both. Therefore, we concluded that the ovarian MLA recurred with a rhabdomyosarcoma component.

Retrospective comparative study of robot-assisted surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and laparotomy for endometrial cancer in patients with a low risk of recurrence.

AIM: Minimally invasive surgeries for endometrial cancer are increasing worldwide. In Japan, some articles have examined surgical outcomes, but only a few have addressed oncological outcomes. This study aims to compare robot surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and laparotomy in terms of surgical and oncological outcomes within a low-risk group for endometrial cancer recurrence. METHODS: This study included patients with endometrial cancer deemed to be at low risk of recurrence and who underwent surgery between January 2011 and December 2020. We studied 99 patients who underwent robot surgery, 85 patients who underwent laparotomy, and 77 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery. Surgical and oncological outcomes were compared retrospectively for these groups of patients. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 47, 61, and 60 months in the laparotomy, laparoscopy, and robotic groups, respectively. The three groups had similar perioperative and pathological data. No significant differences in overall survival and disease-free survival were observed among the groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses conducted on the overall study population for disease-free survival and overall survival showed that the surgical approach did not have any influence. Minimally invasive surgery groups had longer operating times compared to the laparotomy group, but they had significantly less blood loss. The number of resected pelvic lymph nodes was similar, and the complication rate was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Robot-assisted surgery and laparoscopic surgery were found to be less invasive and showed similar oncologic outcomes compared to laparotomy surgery for endometrial cancer in patients with a low risk of recurrence.

Comparison of older and younger patients with ovarian cancer: A post hoc study (JGOG3016-A3) of the treatment strength and prognostic outcomes of conventional or dose-dense chemotherapy.

AIM: To evaluate changes of treatment strength and its impact on prognosis in older patients with ovarian cancer. METHODS: We compared relative dose intensity (RDI) as a representative of treatment strength, prognosis, and other features between older (≥65 years) and younger patients (<65 years) retrospectively. Seventy-seven older patients of 301 who received dose-dense-paclitaxel-carboplatin (dTC) and 93 older patients of 304 who received conventional-paclitaxel-carboplatin (cTC) from the Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group (JGOG) 3016 clinical trial were analyzed. RESULTS: The RDI of older patients was lower than that of younger patients in cTC (87.4% vs. 90.8%, p = 0.009) but not in dTC (79.0% vs. 81.2%, p = 0.205). In both regimens, older patients had worse overall survival than younger patients: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25-2.59; p = 0.001 for dTC, and HR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.15-2.19; p = 0.04 for cTC. However, the RDI was not determined as a prognostic factor statistically. The prognostic factors identified by multivariate analysis for both regimens were clinical stage and residual disease; for dTC were age, performance status, and serum albumin; and for cTC was white blood cell count. There was no difference in neutropenia observed between age groups in either regimen. CONCLUSIONS: The RDI of older patients varies according to the administered schedule and is not always lower than that of younger patients. Older patients with comparable treatment strength to younger patients in the dTC group did not accomplish the same level of prognosis as younger patients. Other biologic factors attributable to aging may affect prognosis.

Pathological processes and pretreatment cytologic diagnosis of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium: addendum report of the Kansai Clinical Oncology Group/Intergroup study in Japan.

A previous retrospective study of a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium including 42 cases employed a central pathologic review to ensure the reliability of the findings. However, the pathological processes were not described in detail. In this study, we further analyzed these processes and the results of pretreatment endometrial cytology of neuroendocrine carcinoma. Of the 65 patients from 18 institutions registered in the study, 42 (64.6%) were diagnosed with neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium based on the central pathological review. Thirteen of the 23 excluded cases conflicted from their original diagnoses: 5 (38.5%) were diagnosed with endometrioid adenocarcinoma, 5 (38.5%) with undifferentiated carcinoma, and 3 (23.1%) with carcinosarcoma. Immunohistochemical staining led to a change in diagnosis for 8 (61.5%) of the 13 cases. Pretreatment endometrial cytology was examined in 38 (90.5%) cases; 34 (89.5%) of these 38 cases were found, or suspected, to be positive. To ensure the selection of appropriate therapy and keeping patients correctly informed, it is important to distinguish neuroendocrine carcinoma from other similar histologic types. Endometrial cytology may help in the early detection of this disease.

How do doctors choose treatment for older gynecological cancer patients? A Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group survey of gynecologic oncologists.

BACKGROUND: The proportion of elderly Japanese people (age ≥ 65 years) is currently 27.7%, and the average life span of women is 87.14 years, both of which are unprecedented. In gynecologic cancer, evidence of treatment for the elderly is scarce, and treatment policies are determined by each facility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the status of treatment policies for elderly patients with gynecologic cancer. METHODS: A web-based questionnaire regarding how treatment strategies are currently determined for elderly patients with gynecologic cancer was conducted on gynecologic oncologists to develop a tool for the objective evaluation of treatment policy decisions for elderly patients. RESULTS: The responses showed that 48% of the gynecologic oncologists were aware of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), but only 6% had actually conducted CGA. Age, comorbidities, performance status, and pretreatment evaluations were regarded as important in determining the treatment strategy. Invasive treatments such as radical hysterectomy and para-aortic lymph node dissection tended to have age limits. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that awareness of CGA is low in Japan, and that elderly people may not be given standard therapy, which highlights the importance of building on these findings by gathering further evidence and developing a new tool for predicting treatment outcomes for elderly patients with gynecologic cancer.

Multicenter Clinicopathological Study of High-Grade Serous Carcinoma Presenting as Primary Peritoneal Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a multicenter clinicopathological study to characterize patients with high-grade serous carcinoma presenting as primary peritoneal carcinoma (clinical PPC). METHODS: At 9 sites in Japan, patients with clinical PPC diagnosed according to Gynecologic Oncology Group criteria were enrolled retrospectively. The Gynecologic Oncology Group criteria allow for minor ovarian involvement by high-grade serous carcinoma. There was no systematic detailed histopathological review of the fallopian tubes to determine whether they were involved by serous carcinoma. RESULTS: There were 139 patients and 64% were aged 60 years or older. Median pretreatment serum CA-125 was 1653.5 IU/mL. Pretreatment performance status was poor in more than 50%, endometrial cytology was positive in 40.3%, and the preoperative clinical diagnosis was correct in 72.7%. Primary debulking surgery was performed in 36% of patients, whereas 64% underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with interval debulking surgery (IDS). The main tumor sites were the upper abdomen (greater omentum), extrapelvic peritoneum, mesentery, and diaphragm. Lymph node metastasis was found in 46.8% of patients undergoing systematic retroperitoneal node dissection. The optimal surgery rate was 32.0% with primary debulking surgery versus 53.9% with NAC and IDS (P = 0.0139). The response rate was 82.0% with NAC and 80.6% with postoperative chemotherapy. Median progression-free survival was 19.0 months and median overall survival was 41.0 months. Multivariate analysis showed that prognostic factors for progression-free survival were NAC and residual tumor diameter after debulking surgery, whereas the only prognostic factor for overall survival was the residual tumor diameter. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified various characteristics of clinical PPC. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with IDS is a reasonable treatment strategy, and complete debulking surgery is optimum.

Contributions of the Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group (JGOG) in Improving the Quality of Life in Women With Gynecological Malignancies.

The Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group (JGOG) is leading Japan in the treatment of gynecological malignancies. The JGOG consists of three treatment committees focusing on uterine cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer. Each committee makes efforts to improve treatment and diagnosis. In addition, the Supportive and Palliative Care Committee was established in 2015. Novel studies of supportive care and palliative care have been initiated by this committee. Furthermore, surveys about not only treatment results such as overall survival rates but also quality of life (QOL) and cost-effectiveness assessments are performed by the ovarian cancer committee. Improvements of patients' QOL in the treatment of gynecological malignancies were divided into three concepts as follows: QOL associated with cancer treatment, health care after cancer therapy, and progression of cancer. In this review, we report the contributions and future plans for the improvement of QOL in patients with gynecological malignancies.

Paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with completely or optimally resected carcinosarcoma of the uterus: a phase II trial by the Japanese Uterine Sarcoma Group and the Tohoku Gynecologic Cancer Unit.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with completely or optimally resected uterine carcinosarcoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a single-arm multicenter prospective phase II trial at 20 Japanese medical facilities. Eligible patients had histologically confirmed uterine carcinosarcoma without prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Patients received 6 courses of 175 mg/m (2)paclitaxel over 3 hours, followed by a 30-minute intravenous administration of carboplatin at an area under the serum concentration-time curve of 6. RESULTS: A total of 51 patients were enrolled in this study, 48 of whom underwent complete resection and 3 of whom underwent optimal resection. At 2 years, the progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 78.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64.1%-87.3%) and 87.9% (95% CI, 75.1%-94.4%), respectively. At 4 years, these rates were 67.9% (95% CI, 53.0%-79.0%) and 76.0% (95% CI, 60.5%-86.1%), respectively. Although 15 patients showed disease recurrence during the follow-up period (median, 47.8 months; range, 2.1-72.8 months), a total of 40 (78.4%) patients completed the 6 courses of treatment that had been planned. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of paclitaxel and carboplatin was a feasible and effective postoperative adjuvant therapy for patients with completely or optimally resected uterine carcinosarcoma.

The pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts therapeutic response to radiation therapy and concurrent chemoradiation therapy in uterine cervical cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of the pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a predictive marker prior to treatment of cervical cancer with radiation therapy (RT) alone or concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT). METHODS: Fifty-six patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the uterine cervix who underwent RT or CCRT from 2005-2013 at the Hirosaki University Hospital were retrospectively identified using electronic databases. Patients were divided into a high NLR group (≥2.5) and a low NLR group (<2.5). The efficacy of RT and CCRT in the two groups was compared. RESULT: Of the 56 patients, 35 were in the high NLR group and 21 were in the low NLR group. In comparison to a high NLR, a low NLR was significantly associated with a complete response (P < 0.001). When cancer was divided into stages I/II and III/IV, patients with a low NLR had a significantly better therapeutic outcome than those with a high NLR (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that only the NLR was a significant prognostic factor for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Patients with a high NLR had significantly shorter PFS and OS than those with a low NLR. CONCLUSION: Results showed that a low NLR before treatment could predict a good response to RT or CCRT at all stages of uterine cervical cancer. The NLR may be a promising parameter on which to base the choice of a therapeutic strategy to treat SCC of the uterine cervix.

Investigation of the clinicopathological features of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: a retrospective survey of the Tohoku Gynecologic Cancer Unit.

BACKGROUND: This multi-institutional study was conducted to clarify the clinicopathological features of squamous cell carcinomas of the vulva. METHODS: The medical records of vulvar cancer patients treated between 2002 and 2012 were retrospectively reviewed following approval by the Institutional Review Board of each institution. RESULTS: One hundred and eleven patients with vulvar malignancies were included. Of these, 63 patients had squamous cell carcinoma (57 %). Initial treatment was surgery, radiation therapy (RT), and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in 34 (54 %), 15 (24 %), and 11 (17 %) patients, respectively. Nineteen, 11, 26, and 7 patients had stage I, II, III, and IV disease, respectively. Of the 34 patients who had surgical treatment, 50 % had stage I disease, while 74 % of those who received CCRT had stage III or IV disease. Complete response (CR) rates for the surgery, RT, and CCRT groups were 73, 60, and 64 %, respectively. The 5-year survival rates for stage I/II and III/IV disease were 64 and 39 %, respectively (P = 0.019). The 5-year survival rates for the surgery, RT, and CCRT groups were 53, 38, and 50 %, respectively, and the prognosis of patients treated with surgery or CCRT was significantly better than that of patients who received RT (P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, clinical response to initial treatment was an independent prognostic factor (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although many patients had advanced-stage disease in the CCRT group, the therapeutic outcome for the surgery and CCRT groups was similar. Thus, CCRT may be a promising treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.

The prophylactic effects of a traditional Japanese medicine, goshajinkigan, on paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy and its mechanism of action.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the prophylactic effect of goshajinkigan (GJG) on paclitaxel (PTX)-induced neuropathy and to elucidate the mechanism of action. RESULTS: There was a time-dependent irreversible decrease in pain threshold in PTX group. In PTX/GJG group, pain threshold showed changes in the same level as control. Electron microscope showed that although the ganglion cells of control and PTX/GJG groups were normal, degeneration of the nucleus and swelling of the mitochondria were observed in PTX group. Expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) gene in PTX group significantly increased compared with that in control and PTX/GJG groups. In TRPV4 knock-out mice, no PTX-induced hyperalgesia was observed, and there was no significant difference in pain threshold between the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that PTX induced hyperalgesia by enhancing TRPV4 expression, and suggested that GJG might alleviate hyperalgesia by preventing degeneration of the ganglion cells and suppressing TRPV4 expression.

L-type amino acid transporter 1 expression increases in well-differentiated but decreases in poorly differentiated endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma and shows an inverse correlation with p53 expression.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine whether the altered L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) expression is related to clinicopathologic factors, expressions of Ki-67, p53, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor and clarify the significance of LAT1 as a prognostic factor and the novel possibility of using it to treat endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma. METHODS: The LAT1 expression was analyzed immunohistochemically in atrophic (6 cases), secretory phase (6 cases), proliferative phase endometria (6 cases), atypical hyperplasia (6 cases), and endometrioid adenocarcinoma (26 well-differentiated [G1], 17 moderately differentiated, and 11 poorly differentiated [G3] adenocarcinoma patients). RESULTS: The LAT1 expression was observed in the cell membrane. Its expression increased in the atrophic, secretory, and proliferative phases of the endometrium in that order. There was no difference between the proliferative phase endometrium, atypical hyperplasia, and G1 adenocarcinoma. The LAT1 expression in G1 adenocarcinoma was significantly higher than that in G3 adenocarcinoma. The LAT1 expression was inversely correlated with p53 expression but not with those of Ki-67, estrogen receptor, or progesterone receptor. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the significance of LAT1 as a prognostic factor is low because LAT expression was low in G3 adenocarcinoma, not correlated with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and proliferative activity and inversely correlated with p53. The LAT1 inhibitors can be used as anticancer drugs for G1 and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma that express high LAT1.

Effectiveness of the Traditional Japanese Medicine Goshajinkigan in Preventing Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Multicenter Randomized Comparative Trial.

Objective: Development of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) poses significant challenges in cancer treatment, often leading to dose reductions or treatment discontinuation. Goshajinkigan (GJG), a traditional Japanese medicine, has shown promise for alleviating CIPN symptoms. This multicenter, randomized controlled trial aimed to prospectively examine the efficacy of GJG in preventing paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy. Methods: This study enrolled 55 patients with ovarian cancer undergoing first-line chemotherapy using paclitaxel and carboplatin. The participants were randomized into Groups A (GJG initiation after onset of grade 2 neuropathy) and B (prophylactic administration of GJG from 1 week before chemotherapy). The primary endpoints were the proportion with a maximum sensory neuropathy grade and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. The secondary endpoints were the rate of chemotherapy completion and paclitaxel dose reduction due to neurotoxicity. Results: Prophylactic GJG administration (Group B) resulted in significant benefits. While both groups had a similar incidence of grade 2 sensory neuropathy, all patients in Group B with grade 2 neuropathy completed treatment without requiring additional analgesics. Group B exhibited lower VAS scores by the end of the study, reduced reliance on adjuvant analgesics (27.3% vs 66.7% in Group A), and significantly less frequent persistent CIPN 6 months post-chemotherapy (18.2% vs 55.6% in Group A). No differences were observed in the chemotherapy completion rates or CIPN-related changes between the groups. Conclusion: GJG, when administered prophylactically, showed potential for mitigating CIPN symptoms during paclitaxel chemotherapy. While promising, further research with placebo controls and objective measures is essential to comprehensively validate these findings.

Perceptions and practice patterns of cancer survivorship care among Japanese gynecologic oncologists: The JGOG questionnaire survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess gynecologic oncologists (GOs)' perceptions and attitudes toward cancer survivorship to help improve survivor care. METHODS: We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey about survivorship issues for the GOs belonging to the Japan Gynecologic Oncology Group. We analyzed the proactiveness of the participants toward addressing 25 survivor issues. In addition, the practice patterns and barriers to care for survivors' long-term health issues, such as second primary cancer (SPC) and lifestyle-related diseases (LSRD), and return-to-work (RTW) support were assessed. RESULTS: We received 313 responses. The respondents had a mean of 22 years of physician experience. The ratio of men to women was approximately 7:3, and 84.7% worked at facilities for multidisciplinary cancer treatment. The respondents' proactiveness for addressing psychosocial problems was significantly lower than physical and gynecological issues (p<0.01 by χ² test). However, most GOs tried to contribute to such issues according to patients' demands. Women GOs were more proactively involved in some survivorship issues than the men (p<0.05 by logistic regression analysis). The rates of the respondents who proactively discussed SPC, LSRD, and RTW were unexpectedly high (60.7%, 36.1%, and 52.4%, respectively). However, the GOs only provided verbal support for these issues in many cases. CONCLUSION: The Japanese GOs were enthusiastic about survivorship care. However, their tendency to deal with survivors' problems through their own knowledge and judgments raises concerns about the quality of care. Therefore, creating survivorship care guidelines and enhancing multidisciplinary collaboration should be prioritized.

Loss of ARID1A expression is an early molecular event in tumor progression from ovarian endometriotic cyst to clear cell and endometrioid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: ARID1A is a recently identified tumor suppressor participating in chromatin remodeling. Somatic inactivating mutations of ARID1A and loss of its expression occur frequently in ovarian clear cell and endometrioid carcinomas and in uterine endometrioid carcinomas. Because endometriotic epithelium is thought to be the cell of origin of most ovarian clear cell and endometrioid carcinomas, we undertook an analysis of ARID1A expression of these tumors arising within an endometriotic cyst (endometrioma). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our immunohistochemical study set consisted of 47 endometriotic cysts containing clear cell carcinoma in 24 cases, well-differentiated ovarian endometrioid carcinoma in 20 cases, and mixed clear cell and endometrioid carcinoma in 3 cases. RESULTS: ARID1A loss was observed in 31 (66%) of 47 carcinomas; and therefore, these cases were informative for determining the temporal sequence of loss of ARID1A expression in tumor progression. In 16 of the 47 cases, ARID1A immunoreactivity was retained in both the endometriotic cyst and the carcinoma; and thus, these cases were not informative. All of the 31 informative cases showed loss of ARID1A immunoreactivity in the carcinoma and in the endometriotic cyst epithelium in direct continuity with the carcinoma but not in the cyst epithelium that was not adjacent to the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Loss of ARID1A function as shown by loss of expression, presumably due to mutations, is an early molecular event in the development of most ovarian clear cell and endometrioid carcinomas arising in endometriomas.

Renal metastasis of ovarian granulosa cell tumor.

Introduction: We would like to present a rare case of metastatic renal tumor. Case presentation: A 60-year-old woman presented to our department with a left renal tumor. She underwent a total hysterectomy and right adnexal resection for a stage IA ovarian granulosa cell tumor approximately 15 years ago, followed by left adnexal resection and postoperative chemotherapy with gemcitabine and paclitaxel 6 years ago. She received six courses of gemcitabine and carboplatin to treat a stage IC clear cell adenocarcinoma of the ovary.The patient was diagnosed with the left renal tumor and underwent a laparoscopic left nephrectomy. Immunostaining was positive for α-inhibin and SF-1 and showed FOXL2 402C→G (C134W) mutation. Finally, the patient was diagnosed with renal metastasis of a granulosa cell tumor. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is a very rare case of renal metastasis of a granulosa cell tumor with the FOXL2 mutation in an adult.

[Successful optimal debulking surgery following chemotherapy combined with irinotecan hydrochloride and cisplatin for advanced clear cell carcinoma of the ovary].

BACKGROUND: Clear cell carcinoma of the ovary is known to be resistant to chemotherapy. CASE: A 59-year-old woman was diagnosed with advanced clear cell carcinoma of the ovary after an exploratory laparotomy. Large disseminated foci expanded from diaphragm to omentum to liver. Three courses of chemotherapy combined with irinotecan hydrochloride (CPT-11) and cisplatin (CDDP)(CPT-P) remarkably reduced the volume of the primary tumor and disseminated foci. These diseases could be extirpated completely by the subsequent interval debulking surgery. CONCLUSION: CPT-P may become a promising regimen for clear cell carcinoma of the ovary.

Preventive effect of daikenchuto, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, on onset of ileus after gynecological surgery for malignant tumors.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative ileus is a major complication of abdominal surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to investigate preventive effect of daikenchuto (DKT) on onset of ileus in patients who received gynecological surgery for malignant tumors. METHODS: A total of 904 patients who received gynecological surgery for malignant tumors by opening retroperitoneum along with retroperitoneal lymph node dissection during a period between 2004 and 2018 were included in this retrospective study. The retroperitoneum was not sutured in all patients. Comparisons were made for proportion of patients developing ileus (frequency of postoperative ileus onset), timing of ileus onset, and treatment types for ileus among following three groups: a group treated with enema or laxatives to release gas if they did not pass the intestinal gas for 3 days postoperatively (Group A, n = 152); a group treated with adhesion-inhibitory absorptive barrier at the opening to the retroperitoneum (Group B, n = 188); and a group treated with adhesion-inhibitory absorptive barrier and oral intake of DKT 7.5 g per day (Group C, n = 564). RESULTS: The frequency of ileus onset significantly decreased in both Groups B (4.8%) and C (3.5%) compared to Group A (16.4%). Furthermore, the frequency of ileus onset was significantly less in Group C compared to Group B. For the treatment types, frequency of ileus, which was successfully treated only with conservative therapy, was the same for Groups B and C. However, incidence of serious ileus that required surgery decreased by 45% in Group C (2/564) compared to Groups A (2/152) and B (3/188). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that DKT prevents development of serious ileus after gynecological surgery for malignant tumors and therefore contributes to improvement in patients' QOL.

Quantitative evaluation of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy by using intraepidermal electrical stimulation.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a frequently observed treatment-related adverse effect, particularly associated with taxane-based chemotherapy, which affects the quality of life of the patients. To date, CIPN has been subjectively evaluated by patients or physicians. Intraepidermal electrical stimulation (IES) may be applied to evaluate the function of small fibers by measuring pain threshold, and assess the degree of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate CIPN objectively by using IES. The pain threshold measured by IES in patients with gynecological cancer who underwent taxane-based chemotherapy was compared with the clinical grading scale of peripheral neuropathy (National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 4.0). A total of 57 patients were evaluated (151 measurements). The median age of the patients was 63 years. The number of measurements with clinical grades of 0, 1 and ≥2 was 49, 57 and 45, respectively. The mean pain threshold was 0.1, 0.14 and 0.18 mA for grades 0, 1 and ≥2, respectively. Therefore, the mean pain threshold significantly increased with the progression of the clinical grade. The measurement of pain threshold by using IES may be a reliable indicator for quantitative evaluation of CIPN.

Clinical and reproductive outcomes of fertility-sparing surgery in stage I epithelial ovarian cancer.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the oncologic safety and reproductive outcome in patients with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) treated with fertility-sparing surgery (FSS). Women aged ≤40 years with stage I EOC who had undergone FSS between 2000 and 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Survival was examined using the Kaplan-Meier method and statistical significance was analyzed using the log-rank test. A total of 29 EOC patients (stage IA, n=14; stage IC1 n=6; stage IC3, n=9) from seven participating institutions belonging to the Tohoku Gynecologic Cancer Unit were enrolled. After a median follow-up duration of 60.6 months (range, 6-135 months), five patients (17.2%) experienced tumor recurrence. The respective five-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 90.9 and 100% for stage IA/IC1, and 43.8 and 87.5% for stage IC3. Significant differences in RFS were observed between stage IA/IC1 and IC3 patients (P=0.026). However, there was no significant difference in OS between patients with 1A/1C1 and those with 1C3 (P=0.712). After FSS, seven pregnancies occurred in five patients, which resulted in the birth of six healthy children. The results of the present study confirmed that FSS may be an acceptable treatment method for stage IA and IC1 EOC, exhibiting a favorable reproductive outcome. However, the safety of FSS for treating stage IC3 EOC is uncertain and warrants further investigation.