Validation of a sustainable internationally monitored cervical cancer screening system using a visual smartphone inspection in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of a cervical cancer screening program based on visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol's iodine using a smartphone in a sub-urban area of very low resources in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo). METHODS: This cross-sectional validation study was conducted at Monkole Hospital and it included women between the ages of 25-70 years after announcing a free cervical cancer screening campaign through posters placed in the region of our hospital. Questionnaires collected sociodemographic and behavioral patients characteristics. In the first consultation, we gathered liquid-based cytology samples from every woman. At that time, local health providers performed two combined visual inspection techniques (5% acetic acid and Lugol's iodine) while a photograph was taken with a smartphone. Two international specialists evaluated the results of the smartphone cervicography. When a visual inspection was considered suspicious, patients were offered immediate cryotherapy. Cytological samples were sent to the Pathology Department of the University of Navarra for cytological assessment and human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA genotyping. RESULTS: A total of 480 women participated in the study. The mean age was 44.6 years (range 25-65). Of all the patients, only 18.7% were infected with HPV (75% had high-risk genotypes). The most frequent high-risk genotype found was 16 (12.2%). The majority (88%) of women had normal cytology. After comparing combined visual inspection results with cytology, we found a sensitivity of 66.0%, a specificity of 87.8%, a positive predictive value of 40.7%, and a negative predictive value of 95.3% for any cytological lesion. The negative predictive value for high-grade lesions was 99.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical cancer screening through combined visual inspection, conducted by non-specialized personnel and monitored by experts through smartphones, shows encouraging results, ruling out high-grade cytological lesions in most cases. This combined visual inspection test is a valid and affordable method for screening programs in low-income areas.

The role of oncovascular surgery in gynecologic oncology surgery.

Oncovascular surgery is a new term used to define tumor resection with simultaneous reconstruction of the great vessels when the tumor infiltrates or firmly adheres to such vessels. The benefit of oncovascular surgery has been widely described in patients with hepato-biliary-pancreatic cancers, retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma, and in other areas of gynecologic oncology, such as the lateral compartment of the pelvis, retroperitoneum, and hepato-biliary-pancreatic region, with an increase in complete resections and without increasing the morbidity and mortality rates. In the latter decades of the past century, several advances and accumulating scientific evidence led gynecologic oncologists to perform more thorough cytoreductive surgeries that included multivisceral resections. But to our knowledge, published studies on the frequency and relevance of vascular surgery in gynecological oncology are scarce. Gynecologic oncologists still do not receive formal training in vascular surgery and additionally, with the current reduction in experience with pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy, as well as other types of radical abdominal and pelvic surgeries, trainees will encounter fewer vascular injuries and the opportunity to deal with a variety of management types required. Well-organized collaboration between each subspecialty with a multidisciplinary approach and adequate pre-operative planning are pivotal. The aim of this review is to pave the way towards the understanding that patients with suspicion of great vessels' infiltration or encasement by tumor require personalized and specialized treatment with the need to form an oncovascular surgery team, and that it is necessary for gynecologic oncology surgeons to take a step forward in surgical training.

Radical hysterectomy in early cervical cancer in Europe: characteristics, outcomes and evaluation of ESGO quality indicators.

INTRODUCTION: Comprehensive updated information on cervical cancer surgical treatment in Europe is scarce. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate baseline characteristics of women with early cervical cancer and to analyze the outcomes of the ESGO quality indicators after radical hysterectomy in the SUCCOR database. METHODS: The SUCCOR database consisted of 1272 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy for stage IB1 cervical cancer (FIGO 2009) between January 2013 and December 2014. After exclusion criteria, the final sample included 1156 patients. This study first described the clinical, surgical, pathological, and follow-up variables of this population and then analyzed the outcomes (disease-free survival and overall survival) after radical hysterectomy. Surgical-related ESGO quality indicators were assessed and the accomplishment of the stated recommendations was verified. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 47.1 years (SD 10.8), with a mean body mass index of 25.4 kg/m2 (SD 4.9). A total of 423 (36.6%) patients had a previous cone biopsy. Tumor size (clinical examination) <2 cm was observed in 667 (57.7%) patients. The most frequent histology type was squamous carcinoma (794 (68.7%) patients), and positive lymph nodes were found in 143 (12.4%) patients. A total of 633 (54.8%) patients were operated by open abdominal surgery. Intra-operative complications occurred in 108 (9.3%) patients, and post-operative complications during the first month occurred in 249 (21.5%) patients, with bladder dysfunction as the most frequent event (119 (10.3%) patients). Clavien-Dindo grade III or higher complication occurred in 56 (4.8%) patients. A total of 510 (44.1%) patients received adjuvant therapy. After a median follow-up of 58 months (range 0-84), the 5-year disease-free survival was 88.3%, and the overall survival was 94.9%. In our population, 10 of the 11 surgical-related quality indicators currently recommended by ESGO were fully fulfilled 5 years before its implementation. CONCLUSIONS: In this European cohort, the rate of adjuvant therapy after radical hysterectomy is higher than for most similar patients reported in the literature. The majority of centers were already following the European recommendations even 5 years prior to the ESGO quality indicator implementations.

En-bloc rectosigmoid and mesorectum resection as part of pelvic cytoreductive surgery in advanced ovarian cancer

Objective: "En-bloc" resection of pelvic tumor in ovarian cancer (OC) is still controversial. The aim was to analyze results in an OC series from a single center, all of whom underwent "en-bloc" resection as part of cytoreductive surgery. Material and Methods: Clinical and surgical records from sixty patients with ovarian carcinoma who underwent "en-bloc" resection surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Patients' mean age was 56 years; 36 patients had primary disease and 24 had recurrent disease. Carcinomatosis was present in 46.7% of patients. Primary surgery was performed in 49 and interval debulking surgery in eleven. Complete cytoreduction was achieved in 55.0% and optimal in 38.3% of patients. Carcinomatosis significantly decreased the probability of complete cytoreduction [odds ratio (OR): 0.22; p=0.021]. Mesorectal infiltration occurred in 83% of patients. Risk of death was non-significantly higher (hazard ratio: 1.9) in women with mesorectal infiltration. Median overall survival was longer for patients without infiltration (46.1 vs 79.1 months; p=0.15). Eighty-five percent suffered from mild to moderate complications and colorectal anastomosis (CRA) leak occurred in two patients (3.6%) with CRA below 6 cm. Diaphragm resection had >5 times the risk for major complications (OR: 5.35; p=0.014). There was no three month mortality. Conclusion: When contiguous gross extension of disease to pelvic peritoneum and sigmoid colon is found, in patients with advanced OC, microscopic involvement of the mesorectum and intestinal wall is present in most cases making "en-bloc" resection necessary if complete cytoreduction is to be achieved. The associated morbidity is acceptable.

Oncological outcome of surgical management in patients with recurrent uterine cancer-a multicenter retrospective cohort study-CEEGOG EX01 Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the survival of patients who have received an operation for recurrent cervical and endometrial cancer and to determine prognostic variables for improved oncologic outcome. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter analysis of the medical records of 518 patients with cervical (N = 288) or endometrial cancer (N = 230) who underwent surgery for disease recurrence and who had completed at least 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS: The median survival reached 57 months for patients with cervical cancer and 113 months for patients with endometrial cancer after surgical treatment of recurrence (p = 0.036). Histological sub-type had a significant impact on overall survival, with the best outcome in endometrial endometrioid cancer (121 months), followed by cervical squamous cell carcinoma, cervical adenocarcinoma, or other types of endometrial cancer (81 vs 35 vs 35 months; p <0.001). The site of recurrence did not significantly influence survival in cervical or in endometrial cancer. Cancer stage at first diagnosis, tumor grade, lymph node status at recurrence, progression-free interval after first diagnosis, and free resection margins were associated with improved overall survival on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, the stage at first diagnosis and resection margins were significant independent predictive parameters of an improved oncologic outcome. CONCLUSION: Long-term survival can be achieved via secondary cytoreductive surgery in selected patients with recurrent cervical and endometrial cancer. An excellent outcome is possible even if the recurrence site is located in the lymph nodes. The possibility of achieving complete resection should be the main criterion for patient selection.

Para-aortic plus pelvic lymphadenectomy in locally advanced cervical cancer: A single institutional experience.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to assess the safety and efficacy of transperitoneal laparoscopic para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy in the setting of surgical staging of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), and to analyse the prognostic value and impact of this staging on the survival prognosis of this condition. STUDY DESIGN: Data from 67 patients with LACC who underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy and who received chemo-radiation therapy were retrospectively analysed. RESULTS: Metastatic lymph nodes (LN) were identified in 32 patients (47.7%), 20 (29.8%) had metastatic LN in the pelvic area and 12 (17.9%) had metastatic LN in the pelvic and para-aortic area. There were no skip metastases in the para-aortic area. After a median follow-up of 54.6 months (5-122.2 months), the 5-year local control and disease-free survival (DFS) rates for the whole group were 91.1% and 60.5% respectively. The five-year DFS for patients without LN metastasis was 86.4%, while for patients with pelvic LN metastases or pelvic and para-aortic metastases was 34.2% and 24.2% respectively (p < 0.001). The five-year overall survival (OS) for the whole group was 67.3%. The mortality rate in patients with para-aortic nodal metastases was increased compared to patients with negative nodes (5-year OS 21.3% vs 81.6% respectively, p = 0.005), but the OS rate was similar in patients with negative nodes and those with only pelvic nodes affected (5-year OS 81.6% vs 70.8% respectively, p = 0.380). This approach allowed the modification of the initial treatment plan in the para-aortic area in 13.4% of patients and in the pelvic area in 28.3%. The overall intraoperative morbidity rate was 5.9%, while the postoperative morbidity rate was 10.4%, with only 3 patients presenting grade 3 morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: Transperitoneal para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy provides precise information about nodal state and allows personalized treatment planning in patients with LACC, avoiding false negative (FN) and false positive (FP) imaging results. In 17.9% of patients, the external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) field had to include the aortic area, whilst 47.7% received pelvic boost to the involved nodes.

Pre-operative assessment of intra-abdominal disease spread in epithelial ovarian cancer: a comparative study between ultrasound and computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic performance of ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) for detecting pelvic and abdominal tumor spread in women with epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: An observational cohort study of 93 patients (mean age 57.6 years) with an ultrasound diagnosis of adnexal mass suspected of malignancy and confirmed histologically as epithelial ovarian cancer was undertaken. In all cases, transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound as well as CT scans were performed to assess the extent of the disease within the pelvis and abdomen prior to surgery. The exploration was systematic, analyzing 12 anatomical areas. All patients underwent surgical staging and/or cytoreductive surgery with an initial laparoscopy for assessing resectability. The surgical and pathological findings were considered as the 'reference standard'. Sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound and CT scanning were calculated for the different anatomical areas and compared using the McNemar test. Agreement between ultrasound and CT staging and the surgical stage was estimated using the weighted kappa index. RESULTS: The tumorous stage was International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I in 26 cases, stage II in 11 cases, stage III in 47 cases, and stage IV in nine cases. Excluding stages I and IIA cases (n=30), R0 (no macroscopic residual disease) was achieved in 36 women (62.2%), R1 (macroscopic residual disease <1 cm) was achieved in 13 women (25.0%), and R2 (macroscopic residual disease >1 cm) debulking surgery occurred in three women (5.8%). Eleven patients (11.8%) were considered not suitable for optimal debulking surgery during laparoscopic assessment. Overall sensitivity of ultrasound and CT for detecting disease was 70.3% and 60.1%, respectively, and specificity was 97.8% and 93.7%, respectively. The agreement between radiological stage and surgical stage for ultrasound (kappa index 0.69) and CT (kappa index 0.70) was good for both techniques. Overall accuracy to determine tumor stage was 71% for ultrasound and 75% for CT. CONCLUSION: Detailed ultrasound examination renders a similar diagnostic performance to CT for assessing pelvic/abdominal tumor spread in women with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Diagnostic Performance of Transvaginal Ultrasound for Detecting Cervical Invasion In Women With Endometrial Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) for diagnosing cervical invasion in the preoperative assessment of endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: A search for studies evaluating the role of TVUS for assessing cervical invasion in endometrial carcinoma from January 1990 to December 2016 was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, www.ClinicalTrials.gov, and www.who.int/trialsearchdatabases. The quality of the studies was evaluated by the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2. RESULTS: We identified 211 citations. Ultimately, 17 studies comprising 1751 women were included. The mean prevalence of cervical invasion was 16.3%. The risk of bias was high in 7 studies for the domains "patient selection" and "index test," whereas it was considered low for the "reference test" domain. Overall, the pooled estimated sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of TVUS for detecting cervical invasion were 63% (95% confidence interval [CI], 51%-74%), 91% (95% CI, 87%-94%), 10.2 (95% CI, 5.7-18.3), and 0.38 (95% CI, 0.28-0.53), respectively. Heterogeneity was high for both sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Transvaginal ultrasound has acceptable diagnostic performance for detecting cervical invasion in women with endometrial carcinoma.

Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration for Assessing Suspected Deep Pelvic or Abdominal Recurrence in Gynecologic Cancer: A Feasibility Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of gastrointestinal endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) for histologic confirmation of cancer recurrence in women with gynecologic cancer. METHODS: This work was a retrospective cohort study comprising 46 consecutive women treated for gynecologic cancer and suspected of having a deep pelvic or abdominal recurrence on ultrasound imaging, computed tomography, positron emission tomography-computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging, evaluated at our institution from January 2010 to December 2017. Primary cancer was ovarian (n = 22), cervical (n = 13), endometrial (n = 4), sarcoma (n = 4), and other (n = 3). All women underwent EUS examinations for locating the lesion and guiding FNA. The results of FNA (benign/malignant) were assessed. Procedure-related complications were recorded. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 57.8 years. A total of 66 procedures were performed. Eleven women underwent 2 procedures; 2 women underwent 3 procedures; and 1 woman underwent 6 procedures at different times during the study period. In 1 case, no lesion was detected on the EUS assessment, and in 2 cases, FNA was not successful. Most lesions were located in the retroperitoneum or involved the intestine. Fine-needle aspiration could be performed in 63 cases (94.5%). Cytologic samples were adequate in 62 of 63 (98.4%). Recurrence was confirmed in 56 cases (90.3%) and ruled out in 6 (9.7%). No patient had any complication related to the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided FNA is a minimally invasive, feasible, and safe technique for confirming pelvic/abdominal recurrence of gynecologic cancer.

Perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy in locally advanced and recurrent gynecological cancer: Final results of a Phase II trial.

PURPOSE: To determine the long-term results of a Phase II trial of perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (PHDRB) in primary advanced or recurrent gynecological cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Fifty patients with locally advanced and recurrent gynecological cancer suitable for salvage surgery were included. Unirradiated patients (n = 25) received preoperative chemoradiation followed by surgery and PHDRB (16-24 Gy). Previously irradiated patients (n = 25) received surgery and PHDRB alone (32-40 Gy). RESULTS: Median followup was 11.5 years. Eight unirradiated patients (32%) developed Grade ≥3 toxic events including two fatal events. Local and locoregional control rates at 16 years were 87.3% and 78.9%, respectively. Sixteen-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 42.9% and 46.4%, respectively. Ten previously irradiated patients (40.0%) developed Grade ≥3 adverse events, including four fatal events. Local and locoregional control rates at 14 years were 59.6% and 42.6%, respectively. Fourteen-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 16.0% and 19.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PHDRB allows effective salvage of a subset of unfavorable gynecological tumors with high-risk surgical margins. Toxicity was unacceptable at the initial dose levels but deescalation resulted in the absence of severe toxicity without a negative impact on locoregional control. A substantial percentage of patients remain alive and controlled at >10 years including a few previously irradiated cases with positive margins.

Three-Dimensional Transvaginal Sonography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Local Staging of Cervical Cancer: An Agreement Study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the agreement of clinical examination, 2-dimensional (2D) sonography, and 3-dimensional (3D) sonography with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for local staging of cervical cancer. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study including women with a diagnosis of carcinoma of the cervix. All women were staged clinically and underwent 2D and 3D transvaginal sonography and MRI before treatment for assessing tumor size and parametrial, bladder, and rectal involvement using the examiner's subjective impression. Agreement between sonography and MRI was assessed by calculating the κ index and percentage of agreement. RESULTS: Forty women were included (mean age ± SD, 46.6 ± 11.4 years). Eleven had early-stage (IA and IB1) disease, and 29 had advanced-stage (IB2-IVB) disease. A significant correlation for tumor size estimation was found between MRI and pelvic examination (r = 0.754; P < .001), MRI and 2D sonography (r = 0.649; P < .001), and MRI and 3D sonography (r = 0.657; P< .001). Agreement for parametrial infiltration between MRI and pelvic examination was fair (κ = 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10-0.54; 62.5% agreement), between MRI and 2D sonography was moderate (κ = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.15-0.66; 70.0% agreement), and between MRI and 3D sonography was good (κ = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.35-0.85; 80.0% agreement). Agreement for bladder involvement between MRI and pelvic examination was moderate (κ = 0.48; 95% CI, 0.10-0.99; 95.0% agreement), between MRI and 2D sonography was moderate (κ = 0.48; 95% CI, 0.10-0.99; 95.0% agreement), and between MRI and 3D sonography was very good (κ = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.55-1.0; 97.5% agreement). Agreement for rectal involvement was not calculated because of the very small number of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional sonography showed good agreement with MRI for assessing parametrial infiltration and bladder involvement in cervical cancer.

Three-Dimensional Power Doppler Ultrasound for Predicting Response and Local Recurrence After Concomitant Chemoradiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Carcinoma of the Cervix.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the potential role of 3-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound (3D-PDUS) for predicting clinical response and recurrence after chemoradiotherapy in advanced-stage cervical cancer. METHODS: This is a prospective study comprising a series of women with histological proven diagnosis of locally advanced stage (stage IB2-IVA) carcinoma of the cervix and submitted to chemoradiaton therapy. Before the start of chemoradiation therapy, all women were submitted to undergo transvaginal 3D-PDUS for assessing tumor volume and tumor vascularization. After finishing chemoradiation, all women were evaluated to assess clinical response. Complete clinical response was determined when no residual tumor was apparent. Partial clinical response (PCR) was determined when persistent residual tumor was observed and confirmed by histological analysis. Patients with PCR underwent salvage surgery. Local recurrence was defined as reappearance of the tumor within the pelvis at any time during follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty-nine women (mean age, 50.3 years; ranging from 30 to 81 years) were included in the study. Complete clinical response was achieved in 29 women (70.7%), whereas 10 women (24.4%) had PCR. Eight women (20.5%) had local recurrence during follow-up. We did not find statistical significant differences in tumor size, volume, and vascularization between those women who had complete clinical response and those who had PCR and between those who had local recurrence and those who had not. CONCLUSIONS: A single 3D-PDUS assessment of tumor size and vascularization before treatment seems to be of limited value for predicting tumor response to chemoradiation therapy and for predicting tumor recurrence in women with locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix.

Intraoperative Gross Examination and Intraoperative Frozen Section in Patients With Endometrial Cancer for Detecting Deep Myometrial Invasion: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis comparing diagnostic performance of intraoperative gross evaluation (IGE) and intraoperative frozen section (IFS) for the assessment of myometrial invasion in patients with endometrial cancer. METHODS: An extensive search was performed in several databases from January 1989 to May 2015. Eligibility criteria were studies using intraoperative gross evaluation or intraoperative frozen section to determine deep myometrial invasion in patients with endometrial cancer using the final histopathology report with reference standard. Quality was assessed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool. RESULTS: Forty-seven articles were identified. Of these, 35 studies were selected and included in the meta-analysis. A total of 6387 women were evaluated intraoperatively with any of the 2 methods mentioned. Pooled sensitivity and specificity for IGE were 71% (95% confidence interval [CI], 63%-77%) and 91% (95% CI, 89%-93%), respectively. Heterogeneity was found high for sensitivity (I2: 83.6%; Cochran Q: 79.4; P < 0.001) and moderate for specificity (I, 51.4%; Cochran Q, 29.8; P =0.01). Pooled sensitivity and specificity for IFS were 85% (95% CI, 81%-88%) and 97% (95% CI, 96%-98%), respectively. Heterogeneity was found moderate for sensitivity (I, 56.4%; Cochran Q, 45.9; P < 0.001) and high for specificity (I, 83.2%; Cochran Q, 118.9; P < 0.001). Both sensitivity (P = 0.0008) and specificity (P = 0.0021) were significantly higher for IFS compared to IGE. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative frozen section has better diagnostic performance than intraoperative gross evaluation for the intraoperative diagnosis of deep myometrial invasion in patients with endometrial cancer.

Salvage surgery and radiotherapy including intraoperative electron radiotherapy in isolated locally recurrent tumors: Predictors of outcome.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence of equivalent dose (EQD2) in clinical outcomes of patients with isolated locally recurrent tumors (ILRT), treated with salvage surgery and intra-operative electron beam radiation therapy (IOERT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We retrospectively reviewed 128 patients with non-metastatic ILRT of different tissues (soft tissue sarcomas, head and neck, uterine, and colorectal). Patients had received salvage surgery (R0/R1/R2) and IOERT. Previously not irradiated patients had received additional external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). RESULTS: IOERT was delivered at a median dose of 15 Gy (range, 5-25 Gy). Seventy-five patients (60.9%) received additional EBRT of 46 Gy. Median EQD2 of salvage program was 62 Gy and median EQD2 of exclusive IORT was 31.2 Gy. Median follow-up was 19.2 months (range: 1.3-220). Thirty-one patients (24.2%) developed severe (grade 3-5) complications. New locoregional recurrence was documented in 86 (67.2%) of the 123 cases. Five-year rates were 31% for locoregional control, 57% for distant metastasis-free and 31% for overall survival. On multivariate analysis, R0-1 vs. R2 resection (HR 2.2, 95 CI: 1.2-4.1) was statistically significant for locoregional recurrence and EQD2 ⩾62 Gy for survival (HR 2.2, 95 CI: 1.1-4.1). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical radicality (gross macroscopic resection) and radiation dose (EQD2 ⩾62 Gy in radiation salvage program) are the dominant prognostic factors beside ILRT histology. Modest rates of long-term disease control are expected when both factors are fulfilled.

Transvaginal/transrectal ultrasound for assessing myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer: a comparison of six different approaches.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic performance of six different approaches for assessing myometrial infiltration using ultrasound in women with carcinoma of the corpus uteri. METHODS: Myometrial infiltration was assessed by two-dimensional (2D) transvaginal or transrectal ultrasound in 169 consecutive women with well (G1) or moderately (G2) differentiated endometrioid type endometrial carcinoma. In 74 of these women three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound was also performed. Six different techniques for myometrial infiltration assessment were evaluated. The impression of examiner and Karlsson's criteria were assessed prospectively. Endometrial thickness, tumor/uterine 3D volume ratio, tumor distance to myometrial serosa (TDS), and van Holsbeke's subjective model were assessed retrospectively. All subjects underwent surgical staging within 1 week after ultrasound evaluation. Definitive histopathological data regarding myometrial infiltration was used as gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity for all approaches were calculated and compared using McNemar test. RESULTS: The impression of examiner and subjective model performed similarly (sensitivity 79.5% and 80.5%, respectively; specificity 89.6% and 90.3%, respectively). Both methods had significantly better sensitivity than Karlsson's criteria (sensitivity 31.8%, p<0.05) and endometrial thickness (sensitivity 47.7%, p<0.05), and better specificity than tumor/uterine volume ratio (specificity 28.3%, p<0.05) and TDS (specificity 41.5%, p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Subjective impression seems to be the best approach for assessing myometrial infiltration in G1 or G2 endometrioid type endometrial cancer by transvaginal or transrectal ultrasound. The use of mathematical models and other objective 2D and 3D measurement techniques do not improve diagnostic performance.

Diagnostic performance of IOTA simple rules for adnexal masses classification: a comparison between two centers with different ovarian cancer prevalence.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of the IOTA simple rules for classifying adnexal masses when used in two centers with different ovarian cancer prevalence. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study was performed between June 2012 and December 2013 at two different centers with different ovarian cancer prevalence. Center A had high ovarian malignancy prevalence and Center B had low malignancy rates. Eligible patients were all women diagnosed as having a persistent adnexal mass. Examiners had to analyze the masses according to IOTA simple rules (SR) providing a diagnosis of malignant, benign or inconclusive. Those cases classified as inconclusive were then examined by an expert examiner (the same examiner in center A, a different examiner in center B), who had to classify the mass as malignant, benign or uncertain according to his subjective impression (SI). Definitive histologic diagnosis from tumors removed surgically was used as gold standard. The diagnostic performance was assessed by calculating the sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, for SR and SR+SI assessments. McNemar test was used for comparing sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: During this period, 247 women were eligible for this study. The rate of inconclusive masses was 18.4% and 18.0% for centers A and B, respectively (p>0.05). Ovarian malignancy rate was significantly higher in center A as compared with center B (27.2% versus 11.3%), (p=0.001). When analyzing only cases classifiable by SR, sensitivity in center A was significantly higher (100% versus 84.6% p=0.001), but specificity was similar in both centers (93.9% and 95.8% respectively). When analyzing SR plus SI, sensitivity in center A was significantly higher (100% versus 86.7% p=0.001), but specificity was similar in both centers (89.9% and 88.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic performance in terms of sensitivity of IOTA rules is higher in a center with higher prevalence of ovarian malignancy.

Time to loading and locoregional control in perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy: The tumor bed effect revisited.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the time to loading (TTL) affects locoregional control. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Locoregional control status was determined in 301 patients enrolled in several perioperative high-dose-rate brachytherapy (PHDRB) prospective studies conducted at the University of Navarre. The impact of the time elapsed from catheter implantation to the first PHDRB treatment (TTL) was analyzed. Patients treated with PHDRB alone (n = 113), mainly because of prior irradiation, received 32 Gy in eight twice-a-day treatments or 40 Gy in 10 twice-a-day treatments for negative or close/positive margins, respectively. Patients treated with PHDRB + external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) (n = 188) received 16 Gy in four twice-a-day treatments or 24 Gy in six twice-a-day treatments for negative or close/positive margins followed by 45 Gy of EBRT in 25 treatments. RESULTS: After a median followup of 6.5 years (range, 2-13.6+), 113 patients have failed (37.5%), 65 in the PHDRB-alone group (57.5%) and 48 in the combined PHDRB + EBRT group (25.5%). Patients who started PHDRB before Postoperative Day 5 had a 10-year locoregional control rate of 66.7% and patients who started PHDRB on Postoperative Day 5 or longer had a 10-year locoregional control rate of 51.8% (p = 0.009). Subgroup analysis detected that this difference was only observed in the recurrent cases treated with PHDRB alone (Subset 2; n = 99; p = 0.004). No correlation could be detected between locoregional control rate and TTL in the other patient subsets although a trend toward a decreased locoregional control rate after a longer TTL was observed when they were grouped together (p = 0.089). CONCLUSIONS: Patients should start PHDRB as soon as possible to maximize locoregional control especially in those recurrent cases treated with PHDRB alone. The time effect in other disease scenarios is less clear.

The role of ultrasound in the assessment of uterine cervical cancer.

Uterine cervical cancer is the second most frequent gynecological malignancy worldwide. The assessment of the extent of disease is essential for planning optimal treatment. Imaging techniques are increasingly used in the pre-treatment work-up of cervical cancer. Currently, MRI for local extent of disease evaluation and PET-scan for distant disease assessment are considered as first-line techniques. Notwithstanding, in the last few years, ultrasound has gained attention as an imaging technique for evaluating women with cervical cancer. In this paper, current knowledge about the use of ultrasound for assessing uterine cervical cancer will be reviewed and discussed.