Vulvar Cancer, Version 3.2024, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Vulvar cancer is annually diagnosed in an estimated 6,470 individuals and the vast majority are histologically squamous cell carcinomas. Vulvar cancer accounts for 5% to 8% of gynecologic malignancies. Known risk factors for vulvar cancer include increasing age, infection with human papillomavirus, cigarette smoking, inflammatory conditions affecting the vulva, and immunodeficiency. Most vulvar neoplasias are diagnosed at early stages. Rarer histologies exist and include melanoma, extramammary Paget's disease, Bartholin gland adenocarcinoma, verrucous carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and sarcoma. This manuscript discusses recommendations outlined in the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for treatments, surveillance, systemic therapy options, and gynecologic survivorship.

NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Cervical Cancer, Version 1.2024.

The NCCN Guidelines for Cervical Cancer provide recommendations for all aspects of management for cervical cancer, including the diagnostic workup, staging, pathology, and treatment. The guidelines also include details on histopathologic classification of cervical cancer regarding diagnostic features, molecular profiles, and clinical outcomes. The treatment landscape of advanced cervical cancer is evolving constantly. These NCCN Guidelines Insights provide a summary of recent updates regarding the systemic therapy recommendations for recurrent or metastatic disease.

Minimally invasive interval debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: Assess outcomes of interval debulking surgery (IDS) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy via minimally invasive surgery (MIS) compared with laparotomy in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with stage IIIC or IV epithelial ovarian cancer between 2013 and 2018 who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and IDS were identified in the National Cancer Database. Primary outcome was overall survival. Secondary outcomes were 5-year survival, 30- and 90-day postoperative mortality, extent of surgery, residual disease, hospitalization duration, surgical conversions, and unplanned readmissions. Propensity score matching was used to compare MIS and laparotomy for IDS. Association of treatment approach with overall survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression. Sensitivity analysis was conducted for effect of unmeasured confounders. RESULTS: A total of 7897 patients met inclusion criteria; 2021 (25.6%) underwent MIS. Percentage undergoing MIS increased from 20.3%-29.0% over the study period. After propensity score matching, median overall survival was 46.7 months in the MIS group versus 41.0 months in the laparotomy group [hazard ratio (HR) 0.86 (95%CI 0.79-0.94)]. Five-year survival probability was higher in MIS versus laparotomy (38.3% vs 34.8%, p < 0.01). There was lower 30- and 90-day mortality (0.3% vs 0.7% [p = 0.04] and 1.4% vs 2.5% [p = 0.01], respectively), shorter length of stay (median 3 vs 5 days, p < 0.01), lower residual disease (23.9% vs 26.7%, p < 0.01), and lower additional cytoreductive procedures (59.3% vs 70.8%, p < 0.01) in MIS compared to laparotomy, with similar rates of unplanned readmission (2.7% vs 3.1%, p = 0.39). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who undergo IDS by MIS have similar overall survival and decreased morbidity compared with laparotomy.

Uterine Neoplasms, Version 1.2023, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Adenocarcinoma of the endometrium (also known as endometrial cancer, or more broadly as uterine cancer or carcinoma of the uterine corpus) is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract in the United States. It is estimated that 65,950 new uterine cancer cases will have occurred in 2022, with 12,550 deaths resulting from the disease. Endometrial carcinoma includes pure endometrioid cancer and carcinomas with high-risk endometrial histology (including uterine serous carcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, carcinosarcoma [also known as malignant mixed Müllerian tumor], and undifferentiated/dedifferentiated carcinoma). Stromal or mesenchymal sarcomas are uncommon subtypes accounting for approximately 3% of all uterine cancers. This selection from the NCCN Guidelines for Uterine Neoplasms focuses on the diagnosis, staging, and management of pure endometrioid carcinoma. The complete version of the NCCN Guidelines for Uterine Neoplasms is available online at NCCN.org.

NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Ovarian Cancer, Version 3.2022.

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer in the United States, with less than half of patients living >5 years following diagnosis. The NCCN Guidelines for Ovarian Cancer provide recommendations for the diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and follow-up for patients with ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancers. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize the panel discussion behind recent important updates to the guidelines, including revised guidance on alternative chemotherapy regimens for patients with advanced age and/or comorbidities, a new algorithm for recurrent low-grade serous carcinoma based on developing research and novel therapeutic agents, and updated language regarding tumor molecular analysis applications in ovarian cancer.

Minimally Invasive Surgery in Morbidly Obese Women.

Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery provides a number of clinical advantages compared with open laparotomy. Over the past 25 years, important modifications and innovations have further expanded the utility of these techniques. Complications such as surgical site infection, venous thromboembolism, and wound cellulitis or dehiscence rise in concert with escalating obesity, so it stands to reason that these patients would derive the most benefit from minimally invasive surgery. Yet, surgical complexity also rises proportionally, requiring fastidious technique and allowing little margin for error. As nonsurgical interventions become more commonplace and the rate of morbid obesity continues to increase, those women actually requiring a gynecologic operation through an abdominal approach will be ever more likely to present a number of challenges to safe completion of minimally invasive surgery. This article frames the topic and offers some tips across the range of care to enhance the likelihood of achieving success in this patient population most in need of surgical expertise.

Laparoscopic diverting loop ileostomy for spontaneous colon perforation in advanced ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer is associated with reduced morbidity in the elderly (Meyer et al., 2018). Spontaneous colonic perforation often leads to multisystem organ failure and death (Carter and Durfee, 2007; Rose and Piver, 1995). METHODS: A 76-year old woman with stage IIIC disease initiated carboplatin AUC 5 and paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 with unanticipated development of profound neutropenia. She clinically deteriorated by day nine and CT scan revealed a large volume of free air. Emergent surgery was performed. RESULTS: Diagnostic laparoscopy confirmed the presence of intra-abdominal stool and extensive inflammatory exudate (Video). The likelihood of identifying the site of perforation appeared remote, but pelvic tumor encasement was highly suggestive of a sigmoid origin. The stool was evacuated, the exudate gently debrided and the terminal ileum partially mobilized. Copious irrigation was performed with drain placement and the pneumoperitoneum was decompressed. The right lower abdominal wall trocar incision was extended so that the ileal segment could be brought out and matured. She was discharged to rehab on postoperative day 2 to continue a two week course of broad spectrum antibiotics. Single-agent carboplatin was resumed within a month. Uncomplicated ileostomy takedown with parastomal hernia repair was performed between cycles five and six. The patient is currently in remission. CONCLUSION: Bowel perforation in the elderly, presenting with cachexia and treatment-induced pancytopenia for advanced ovarian cancer, is often a harbinger of early death. Selected patients may benefit from a minimally invasive approach by an experienced gynecologic oncologist instead of vertical laparotomy, abdominal washout, diversion and the potential sequelae of an open abdomen.

Stage IV Gestational Choriocarcinoma Diagnosed in the Third Trimester.

BACKGROUND: Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia rarely occurs in term pregnancies. Stage IV choriocarcinoma treated with conventional chemotherapy can result in death as a result of hemorrhagic sequelae at tumor sites. CASE: A 30-year-old woman at 34 weeks of gestation presented with a persistent cough, worsening dyspnea, and vaginal bleeding. Chest radiograph demonstrated innumerable lung nodules, and quantitative ß-hcg concentration exceeded 1.3 million milli-international units/mL. Cesarean delivery was performed for presumed abruption. Placental pathology demonstrated choriocarcinoma, and imaging confirmed stage IV disease with a World Health Organization score of 14. Remission was achieved after two courses of low-dose induction chemotherapy followed by 10 cycles of combination chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia should be considered in a pregnant or postpartum woman presenting with atypical vaginal bleeding. Coexistent pulmonary or neurologic findings may suggest advanced disease.

What Is New in Opioids?: Best Articles From the Past Year.

This month we focus on current research in opioids. Dr. Schorge discusses five recent publications, which are concluded with a "bottom-line" that is the take-home message. A complete reference for each can be found on on this page along with direct links to abstracts.

Trends in Place of Death Among Patients With Gynecologic Cancer in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the change over time in place of death (hospital, home, hospice) among all women in the United States who died of gynecologic malignancies and compare them with other leading causes of female cancer deaths. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study using national death certificate data from the Mortality Multiple Cause-of-Death Public Use Record Data. All women who died from gynecologic, breast, lung, and colorectal cancers were identified according to International Classification of Diseases, 10 Revision, cause of death from 2003 to 2015. Regression analyses with ordinary least-squares linear probability modeling were used to test for differences in location of death over time, and differences in trends by cancer type, while controlling for age, race, ethnicity, marital status, and education status. RESULTS: From 2003 to 2015, 2,133,056 women died from gynecologic, lung, breast, and colorectal malignancies in the United States. A total of 359,340 died from gynecologic malignancies, including ovarian cancer (n=188,366 [52.4%]), uterine cancer (n=106,454 [29.6%]), cervical cancer (n=52,320 [14.6%]), and vulvar cancer (n=12,200 [3.4%]). Overall, 49.2% (n=176,657) of gynecologic cancer deaths occurred at home or in hospice. The relative increase from 2003 to 2015 in the rate of deaths at home or in hospice was 47.2% for gynecologic cancer deaths (40.5% in 2003 to 59.5% in 2015). In adjusted analyses, the trend in the percentage of deaths at home or in hospice increased at a rate of 1.6 percentage points per year for gynecologic cancer deaths (95% CI 1.5-1.6) vs 1.5 (95% CI 1.4-1.5, P<.001), 1.4 (95% CI 1.4-1.5, P<.001), and 1.5 (95% CI 1.4-1.5, P=.09) percentage points per year for lung, breast, and colorectal cancer deaths, respectively. CONCLUSION: Between 2003 and 2015, there was a 47.2% increase (40.5-59.5%) in the rates of gynecologic cancer deaths occurring at home or in hospice. This trend may represent an increase in advance care planning and value-based treatment decisions.