ESGO-ESMO-ESP consensus conference recommendations on ovarian cancer: pathology and molecular biology and early, advanced and recurrent disease.

The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Society of Pathology held a consensus conference (CC) on ovarian cancer on 15-16 June 2022 in Valencia, Spain. The CC panel included 44 experts in the management of ovarian cancer and pathology, an ESMO scientific advisor and a methodologist. The aim was to discuss new or contentious topics and develop recommendations to improve and harmonise the management of patients with ovarian cancer. Eighteen questions were identified for discussion under four main topics: (i) pathology and molecular biology, (ii) early-stage disease and pelvic mass in pregnancy, (iii) advanced stage (including older/frail patients) and (iv) recurrent disease. The panel was divided into four working groups (WGs) to each address questions relating to one of the four topics outlined above, based on their expertise. Relevant scientific literature was reviewed in advance. Recommendations were developed by the WGs and then presented to the entire panel for further discussion and amendment before voting. This manuscript focuses on the recommendation statements that reached a consensus, their voting results and a summary of evidence supporting each recommendation.

Addendum to the consensus opinion from the International Deep Endometriosis Analysis (IDEA) group: sonographic evaluation of the parametrium.

Preoperative sonographic staging in patients with suspected parametrial endometriosis is essential to plan the surgical intervention and to anticipate the need for a multidisciplinary approach, and hence optimize surgical outcome. The results of a recent metanalysis suggest that defining more accurately the ultrasonographic criteria of parametrial involvement in endometriosis is needed. The aim of this addendum to the IDEA-consensus is to highlight the sonographic characteristics of the parametrium and identify ultrasound techniques to diagnose deep endometriosis in this area. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Imaging in gynecological disease (26): clinical and ultrasound characteristics of benign retroperitoneal pelvic peripheral-nerve-sheath tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and sonographic characteristics of benign, retroperitoneal, pelvic peripheral-nerve-sheath tumors (PNSTs). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with a benign, retroperitoneal, pelvic PNST who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination at a single gynecologic oncology center between 1 January 2018 and 31 August 2022. All ultrasound images, videoclips and final histological specimens of benign PNSTs were reviewed side-by-side in order to: describe the ultrasound appearance of the tumors, using the terminology of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA), Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment (MUSA) and Vulvar International Tumor Analysis (VITA) groups, following a predefined ultrasound assessment form; describe their origin in relation to nerves and pelvic anatomy; and assess the association between their ultrasound features and histotopography. A review of the literature reporting benign, retroperitoneal, pelvic PNSTs with preoperative ultrasound examination was performed. RESULTS: Five women (mean age, 53 years) with a benign, retroperitoneal, pelvic PNST were identified, four with a schwannoma and one with a neurofibroma, of which all were sporadic and solitary. All patients had good-quality ultrasound images and videoclips and final biopsy of surgically excised tumors, except one patient managed conservatively who had only a core needle biopsy. In all cases, the findings were incidental. The five PNSTs ranged in maximum diameter from 31 to 50 mm. All five PNSTs were solid, moderately vascular tumors, with non-uniform echogenicity, well-circumscribed by hyperechogenic epineurium and with no acoustic shadowing. Most of the masses were round (n = 4 (80%)), and contained small, irregular, anechoic, cystic areas (n = 3 (60%)) and hyperechogenic foci (n = 5 (100%)). In the woman with a schwannoma in whom surgery was not performed, follow-up over a 3-year period showed minimal growth (1.5 mm/year) of the mass. We also summarize the findings of 47 cases of benign retroperitoneal schwannoma and neurofibroma identified in a literature search. CONCLUSIONS: On ultrasound examination, no imaging characteristics differentiate reliably between benign schwannomas and neurofibromas. Moreover, benign PNSTs show some similar features to malignant retroperitoneal tumors. They are solid lesions with intralesional blood vessels and show degenerative changes such as cystic areas and hyperechogenic foci. Therefore, ultrasound-guided biopsy may play a pivotal role in their diagnosis. If confirmed to be benign PNSTs, these tumors can be managed conservatively, with ultrasound surveillance. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Benign descriptors and ADNEX in two-step strategy to estimate risk of malignancy in ovarian tumors: retrospective validation in IOTA5 multicenter cohort.

OBJECTIVE: Previous work has suggested that the ultrasound-based benign simple descriptors (BDs) can reliably exclude malignancy in a large proportion of women presenting with an adnexal mass. This study aimed to validate a modified version of the BDs and to validate a two-step strategy to estimate the risk of malignancy, in which the modified BDs are followed by the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa (ADNEX) model if modified BDs do not apply. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis using data from the 2-year interim analysis of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Phase-5 study, in which consecutive patients with at least one adnexal mass were recruited irrespective of subsequent management (conservative or surgery). The main outcome was classification of tumors as benign or malignant, based on histology or on clinical and ultrasound information during 1 year of follow-up. Multiple imputation was used when outcome based on follow-up was uncertain according to predefined criteria. RESULTS: A total of 8519 patients were recruited at 36 centers between 2012 and 2015. We excluded patients who were already in follow-up at recruitment and all patients from 19 centers that did not fulfil our criteria for good-quality surgical and follow-up data, leaving 4905 patients across 17 centers for statistical analysis. Overall, 3441 (70%) tumors were benign, 978 (20%) malignant and 486 (10%) uncertain. The modified BDs were applicable in 1798/4905 (37%) tumors, of which 1786 (99.3%) were benign. The two-step strategy based on ADNEX without CA125 had an area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve (AUC) of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.92-0.96). The risk of malignancy was slightly underestimated, but calibration varied between centers. A sensitivity analysis in which we expanded the definition of uncertain outcome resulted in 1419 (29%) tumors with uncertain outcome and an AUC of the two-step strategy without CA125 of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.91-0.95). CONCLUSION: A large proportion of adnexal masses can be classified as benign by the modified BDs. For the remaining masses, the ADNEX model can be used to estimate the risk of malignancy. This two-step strategy is convenient for clinical use. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Quality of life after extended pelvic exenterations.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to compare health-related quality of life (QoL) and oncological outcome between gynaecological cancer patients undergoing pelvic exenteration (PE) and extended pelvic exenteration (EPE). EPEs were defined as extensive procedures including, in addition to standard PE extent, the resection of internal, external, or common iliac vessels; pelvic side-wall muscles; large pelvic nerves (sciatic or femoral); and/or pelvic bones. METHODS: Data from 74 patients who underwent PE (42) or EPE (32) between 2004 and 2019 at a single tertiary gynae-oncology centre in Prague were analysed. QoL assessment was performed using EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC CX-24, and QOLPEX questionnaires specifically developed for patients after (E)PE. RESULTS: No significant differences in survival were observed between the groups (P > 0.999), with median overall and disease-specific survival in the whole cohort of 45 and 49 months, respectively. Thirty-one survivors participated in the QoL surveys (20 PE, 11 EPE). No significant differences were observed in global health status (P = 0.951) or in any of the functional scales. The groups were not differing in therapy satisfaction (P = 0.502), and both expressed similar, high willingness to undergo treatment again if they were to decide again (P = 0.317). CONCLUSIONS: EPEs had post-treatment QoL and oncological outcome comparable to traditional PE. These procedures offer a potentially curative treatment option for patients with persistent or recurrent pelvic tumour invading into pelvic wall structures without further compromise of patients´ QoL.

Preoperative staging of ovarian cancer: comparison between ultrasound, CT and whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI (ISAAC study).

OBJECTIVES: To compare the performance of transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound with that of the first-line staging method (contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT)) and a novel technique, whole-body magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion-weighted sequence (WB-DWI/MRI), in the assessment of peritoneal involvement (carcinomatosis), lymph-node staging and prediction of non-resectability in patients with suspected ovarian cancer. METHODS: Between March 2016 and October 2017, all consecutive patients with suspicion of ovarian cancer and surgery planned at a gynecological oncology center underwent preoperative staging and prediction of non-resectability with ultrasound, CT and WB-DWI/MRI. The evaluation followed a single, predefined protocol, assessing peritoneal spread at 19 sites and lymph-node metastasis at eight sites. The prediction of non-resectability was based on abdominal markers. Findings were compared to the reference standard (surgical findings and outcome and histopathological evaluation). RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients with confirmed ovarian cancer were analyzed. Among them, 51 (76%) had advanced-stage and 16 (24%) had early-stage ovarian cancer. Diagnostic laparoscopy only was performed in 16% (11/67) of the cases and laparotomy in 84% (56/67), with no residual disease at the end of surgery in 68% (38/56), residual disease ≤ 1 cm in 16% (9/56) and residual disease > 1 cm in 16% (9/56). Ultrasound and WB-DWI/MRI performed better than did CT in the assessment of overall peritoneal carcinomatosis (area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve (AUC), 0.87, 0.86 and 0.77, respectively). Ultrasound was not inferior to CT (P = 0.002). For assessment of retroperitoneal lymph-node staging (AUC, 0.72-0.76) and prediction of non-resectability in the abdomen (AUC, 0.74-0.80), all three methods performed similarly. In general, ultrasound had higher or identical specificity to WB-DWI/MRI and CT at each of the 19 peritoneal sites evaluated, but lower or equal sensitivity in the abdomen. Compared with WB-DWI/MRI and CT, transvaginal ultrasound had higher accuracy (94% vs 91% and 85%, respectively) and sensitivity (94% vs 91% and 89%, respectively) in the detection of carcinomatosis in the pelvis. Better accuracy and sensitivity of ultrasound (93% and 100%) than WB-DWI/MRI (83% and 75%) and CT (84% and 88%) in the evaluation of deep rectosigmoid wall infiltration, in particular, supports the potential role of ultrasound in planning rectosigmoid resection. In contrast, for the bowel serosal and mesenterial assessment, abdominal ultrasound had the lowest accuracy (70%, 78% and 79%, respectively) and sensitivity (42%, 65% and 65%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective study to document that, in experienced hands, ultrasound may be an alternative to WB-DWI/MRI and CT in ovarian cancer staging, including peritoneal and lymph-node evaluation and prediction of non-resectability based on abdominal markers of non-resectability. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Imaging in gynecological disease (23): clinical and ultrasound characteristics of ovarian carcinosarcoma.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of ovarian carcinosarcoma. METHODS: This was a retrospective multicenter study. Patients with a histological diagnosis of ovarian carcinosarcoma, who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination between 2010 and 2019, were identified from the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) database. Additional patients who were examined outside of the IOTA study were identified from the databases of the participating centers. The masses were described using the terms and definitions of the IOTA group. Additionally, two experienced ultrasound examiners reviewed all available images to identify typical ultrasound features using pattern recognition. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients with ovarian carcinosarcoma who had undergone ultrasound examination were identified, of whom 24 were examined within the IOTA studies and 67 were examined outside of the IOTA studies. Median age at diagnosis was 66 (range, 33-91) years and 84/91 (92.3%) patients were postmenopausal. Most patients (67/91, 73.6%) were symptomatic, with the most common complaint being pain (51/91, 56.0%). Most tumors (67/91, 73.6%) were International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage III or IV. Bilateral lesions were observed on ultrasound in 46/91 (50.5%) patients. Ascites was present in 38/91 (41.8%) patients. The median largest tumor diameter was 100 (range, 18-260) mm. All ovarian carcinosarcomas contained solid components, and most were described as solid (66/91, 72.5%) or multilocular-solid (22/91, 24.2%). The median diameter of the largest solid component was 77.5 (range, 11-238) mm. Moderate or rich vascularization was found in 78/91 (85.7%) cases. Retrospective analysis of ultrasound images and videoclips using pattern recognition in 73 cases revealed that all tumors had irregular margins and inhomogeneous echogenicity of the solid components. Forty-seven of 73 (64.4%) masses appeared as a solid tumor with cystic areas. Cooked appearance of the solid tissue was identified in 28/73 (38.4%) tumors. No pathognomonic ultrasound sign of ovarian carcinosarcoma was found. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian carcinosarcomas are usually diagnosed in postmenopausal women and at an advanced stage. The most common ultrasound appearance is a large solid tumor with irregular margins, inhomogeneous echogenicity of the solid tissue and cystic areas. The second most common pattern is a large multilocular-solid mass with inhomogeneous echogenicity of the solid tissue. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Terms, definitions and measurements to describe sonographic features of lymph nodes: consensus opinion from the Vulvar International Tumor Analysis (VITA) group.

In centers with access to high-end ultrasound machines and expert sonologists, ultrasound is used to detect metastases in regional lymph nodes from melanoma, breast cancer and vulvar cancer. There is, as yet, no international consensus on ultrasound assessment of lymph nodes in any disease or medical condition. The lack of standardized ultrasound nomenclature to describe lymph nodes makes it difficult to compare results from different ultrasound studies and to find reliable ultrasound features for distinguishing non-infiltrated lymph nodes from lymph nodes infiltrated by cancer or lymphoma cells. The Vulvar International Tumor Analysis (VITA) collaborative group consists of gynecologists, gynecologic oncologists and radiologists with expertise in gynecologic cancer, particularly in the ultrasound staging and treatment of vulvar cancer. The work herein is a consensus opinion on terms, definitions and measurements which may be used to describe inguinal lymph nodes on grayscale and color/power Doppler ultrasound. The proposed nomenclature need not be limited to the description of inguinal lymph nodes as part of vulvar cancer staging; it can be used to describe peripheral lymph nodes in general, as well as non-peripheral (i.e. parietal or visceral) lymph nodes if these can be visualized clearly. The association between the ultrasound features described here and histopathological diagnosis has not yet been established. VITA terms and definitions lay the foundations for prospective studies aiming to identify ultrasound features typical of metastases and other pathology in lymph nodes and studies to elucidate the role of ultrasound in staging of vulvar and other malignancies. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

ESGO/ISUOG/IOTA/ESGE Consensus Statement on preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumours.

The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG), the International Ovarian Tumour Analysis (IOTA) group and the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) jointly developed clinically relevant and evidence-based statements on the preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumours, including imaging techniques, biomarkers and prediction models. ESGO/ISUOG/IOTA/ESGE nominated a multidisciplinary international group, including expert practising clinicians and researchers who have demonstrated leadership and expertise in the preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumours and management of patients with ovarian cancer (19 experts across Europe). A patient representative was also included in the group. To ensure that the statements were evidence-based, the current literature was reviewed and critically appraised. Preliminary statements were drafted based on the review of the relevant literature. During a conference call, the whole group discussed each preliminary statement and a first round of voting was carried out. Statements were removed when a consensus among group members was not obtained. The voters had the opportunity to provide comments/suggestions with their votes. The statements were then revised accordingly. Another round of voting was carried out according to the same rules to allow the whole group to evaluate the revised version of the statements. The group achieved consensus on 18 statements. This Consensus Statement presents these ESGO/ISUOG/IOTA/ESGE statements on the preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumours and the assessment of carcinomatosis, together with a summary of the evidence supporting each statement.

Interobserver agreement of transvaginal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in local staging of cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate interobserver agreement for the assessment of local tumor extension in women with cervical cancer, among experienced and less experienced observers, using transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: The TVS observers were all gynecologists and consultant ultrasound specialists, six with and seven without previous experience in cervical cancer imaging. The MRI observers were five radiologists experienced in pelvic MRI and four less experienced radiology residents without previous experience in MRI of the pelvis. The less experienced TVS observers and all MRI observers underwent a short basic training session in the assessment of cervical tumor extension, while the experienced TVS observers received only a written directive. All observers were assigned the same images from cervical cancer patients at all stages (n = 60) and performed offline evaluation to answer the following three questions: (1) Is there a visible primary tumor? (2) Does the tumor infiltrate > ⅓ of the cervical stroma? and (3) Is there parametrial invasion? Interobserver agreement within the four groups of observers was assessed using Fleiss kappa (κ) with 95% CI. RESULTS: Experienced and less experienced TVS observers, respectively, had moderate interobserver agreement with respect to tumor detection (κ (95% CI), 0.46 (0.40-0.53) and 0.46 (0.41-0.52)), stromal invasion > ⅓ (κ (95% CI), 0.45 (0.38-0.51) and 0.53 (0.40-0.58)) and parametrial invasion (κ (95% CI), 0.57 (0.51-0.64) and 0.44 (0.39-0.50)). Experienced MRI observers had good interobserver agreement with respect to tumor detection (κ (95% CI), 0.70 (0.62-0.78)), while less experienced MRI observers had moderate agreement (κ (95% CI), 0.51 (0.41-0.62)), and both experienced and less experienced MRI observers, respectively, had good interobserver agreement regarding stromal invasion (κ (95% CI), 0.80 (0.72-0.88) and 0.71 (0.61-0.81)) and parametrial invasion (κ (95% CI), 0.69 (0.61-0.77) and 0.71 (0.61-0.81)). CONCLUSIONS: We found interobserver agreement for the assessment of local tumor extension in patients with cervical cancer to be moderate for TVS and moderate-to-good for MRI. The level of interobserver agreement was associated with experience among TVS observers only for parametrial invasion. © 2021 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

ESGO/ISUOG/IOTA/ESGE Consensus Statement on preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumors.

The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG), the International Ovarian Tumour Analysis (IOTA) group and the European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) jointly developed clinically relevant and evidence-based statements on the preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumors, including imaging techniques, biomarkers and prediction models. ESGO/ISUOG/IOTA/ESGE nominated a multidisciplinary international group, including expert practising clinicians and researchers who have demonstrated leadership and expertise in the preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumors and management of patients with ovarian cancer (19 experts across Europe). A patient representative was also included in the group. To ensure that the statements were evidence-based, the current literature was reviewed and critically appraised. Preliminary statements were drafted based on the review of the relevant literature. During a conference call, the whole group discussed each preliminary statement and a first round of voting was carried out. Statements were removed when consensus among group members was not obtained. The voters had the opportunity to provide comments/suggestions with their votes. The statements were then revised accordingly. Another round of voting was carried out according to the same rules to allow the whole group to evaluate the revised version of the statements. The group achieved consensus on 18 statements. This Consensus Statement presents these ESGO/ISUOG/IOTA/ESGE statements on the preoperative diagnosis of ovarian tumors and the assessment of carcinomatosis, together with a summary of the evidence supporting each statement.

Declaración de consenso de ESGO/ISUOG/IOTA/ESGE sobre el diagnóstico preoperatorio de los tumores de ovario La Sociedad Europea de Oncología Ginecológica (ESGO), la Sociedad Internacional de Ecografía en Obstetricia y Ginecología (ISUOG), el Grupo Internacional de Análisis de Tumores de Ovario (IOTA) y la Sociedad Europea de Endoscopia Ginecológica (ESGE) elaboraron conjuntamente declaraciones de importancia para la práctica clínica y con base empírica sobre el diagnóstico preoperatorio de los tumores de ovario, a partir de imágenes, biomarcadores y modelos de predicción, entre otras técnicas. La ESGO/ISUOG/IOTA/ESGE designó a un grupo internacional multidisciplinar, que incluye a personas expertas de la práctica clínica y la investigación que han demostrado liderazgo y experiencia en el diagnóstico preoperatorio de los tumores de ovario y en el tratamiento de las pacientes con cáncer de ovario (19 personas expertas de toda Europa). También se incluyó en el grupo a una representante de las pacientes. Para garantizar que las declaraciones tenían una base empírica, se revisó la literatura actual y se valoró de forma crítica. Se redactaron declaraciones preliminares basadas en la revisión de la literatura pertinente. La totalidad del grupo debatió durante una teleconferencia cada declaración preliminar y se llevó a cabo una primera ronda de votaciones. Las declaraciones se eliminaron cuando no se obtuvo el consenso entre los miembros del grupo. Los votantes tuvieron la oportunidad de aportar comentarios/sugerencias a la par que sus votos. Las declaraciones se revisaron en consecuencia. Se llevó a cabo otra ronda de votaciones según las mismas reglas para que todo el grupo pudiera evaluar la versión revisada de las declaraciones. El grupo logró un consenso sobre 18 declaraciones. Esta Declaración de Consenso presenta estas declaraciones de la ESGO/ISUOG/IOTA/ESGE sobre el diagnóstico preoperatorio de los tumores de ovario y la evaluación de la carcinomatosis, junto con un resumen de la evidencia que apoya cada declaración.