Defining the relationship between ovarian adult granulosa cell tumors and synchronous endometrial pathology: Does ovarian tumor size correlate with endometrial cancer?

OBJECTIVE: The main feature of adult granulosa cell tumors (AGCT) is their capacity to secrete hormones, with nearly all of them capable of synthesizing oestradiol. The primary goal of this study is to identify synchronized endometrial pathologies, particularly endometrial cancer, in AGCT patients who had undergone a hysterectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study cohort comprised retrospectively of 316 AGCT patients from 10 tertiary gynecological oncology centers. AGCT surgery consisted of bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, hysterectomy, peritoneal cytology, omentectomy, and the excision of any suspicious lesion. The median tumor size value was used to define the relationship between tumor size and endometrial cancer. The relationship between each value and endometrial cancer was evaluated. RESULTS: Endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia, or hyperplasia with complex atypia, was detected in 7.3% of patients, and endometrial cancer in 3.1% of patients. Age, menopausal status, tumor size, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, ascites, and CA-125 level were not statistically significant factors to predict endometrial cancer. There was no endometrial cancer under the age of 40, and 97.8% of women diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia were over the age of 40. During the menopausal period, the endometrial cancer risk was 4.5%. Developing endometrial cancer increased to 12.1% from 3.2% when the size of the tumor was >150 mm in menopausal patients (p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: Endometrial hyperplasia, or cancer, occurs in approximately 30% of AGCT patients. Patients diagnosed with AGCT, especially those older than 40 years, should be evaluated for endometrial pathologies. There may be a relationship between tumor size and endometrial cancer, especially in menopausal patients.

Is adjuvant chemotherapy necessary for 2014 FIGO stage IC adult granulosa cell tumor?: Multicentric Turkish study.

AIM: The aim of our study is to examine the clinical, surgical, and pathological factors of stage 1C adult granulosa cell tumor (AGCT) patients and to investigate the effects of adjuvant therapy on recurrence and survival rates in this patient group. METHODS: Out of a total of 415 AGCT patients treated by 10 tertiary oncology centers participating in the study, 63 (15.2%) patients with 2014 FIGO stage IC constituted the study group. The FIGO 2014 system was used for staging. Patient group who received adjuvant chemotherapy was compared with patient group who did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy in terms of disease-free survival (DFS), and disease-specific survival. RESULTS: The 5-year DFS of the study cohort was 89%, and the 10-year DFS was 85%. Those who received adjuvant chemotherapy and those who did not were similar in terms of clinical, surgical and pathological factors, except for peritoneal cytology. In the univariate analysis, none of the clinical, surgical or pathological factors were significant for DFS. Adjuvant chemotherapy and type of treatment protocol had no impact on DFS. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant chemotherapy was not associated with improved DFS and overall survival in stage IC AGCT. Multicentric and randomized controlled studies are needed for early stage AGCT in order to confirm these results and reach accurate conclusions.

Prognostic factors of adult granulosa cell tumors of the ovary: a Turkish retrospective multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: To define the clinical, histopathological features and the prognostic factors affecting survival in patients with adult granulosa cell tumors of the ovary (AGCT). METHODS: A 322 patients whose final pathologic outcome was AGCT treated at nine tertiary oncology centers between 1988 and 2021 participated in the study. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 51.3±11.8 years and ranged from 21 to 82 years. According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2014, 250 (77.6%) patients were stage I, 24 (7.5%) patients were stage II, 20 (6.2%) patients were stage III, and 3 (7.8%) were stage IV. Lymphadenectomy was added to the surgical procedure in 210 (65.2%) patients. Lymph node involvement was noted in seven (3.3%) patients. Peritoneal cytology was positive in 19 (5.9%) patients, and 13 (4%) had metastases in the omentum. Of 285 patients who underwent hysterectomy, 19 (6.7%) had complex hyperplasia with atypia/endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia, and 8 (2.8%) had grade 1 endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. It was found that 93 (28.9%) patients in the study group received adjuvant treatment. Bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin was the most commonly used chemotherapy protocol. The median follow-up time of the study group was 41 months (range, 1-276 months). It was noted that 34 (10.6%) patients relapsed during this period, and 9 (2.8%) patients died because of the disease. The entire cohort had a 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) of 86% and a 5-year disease-specific survival of 98%. Recurrences were observed only in the pelvis in 13 patients and the extra-abdominal region in 7 patients. The recurrence rate increased 6.168-fold in patients with positive peritoneal cytology (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.914-19.878; p=0.002), 3.755-fold in stage II-IV (95% CI=1.275-11.063; p=0.016), and 2.517-fold in postmenopausal women (95% CI=1.017-6.233; p=0.046) increased. CONCLUSION: In this study, lymph node involvement was detected in 3.3% of patients with AGCT. Therefore, it was concluded that lymphadenectomy can be avoided in primary surgical treatment. Positive peritoneal cytology, stage, and menopausal status were independent prognostic predictors of DFS.

Predictors of recurrence and survival in lymphovascular space invasion negative early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess prognostic factors correlated with recurrence and decreased oncologic outcomes, as well as the role of adjuvant treatment on survival in women with stage I and II endometrioid endometrial cancer without lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI). Material and Methods: Patients with LVSI negative, early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer patients were retrospectively reviewed. Multivariable logistic regression models were used for identifying predictors of recurrence. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival curves were compared by log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to establish factors affecting OS and DFS. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: A total of 289 patients were included, with a mean age of 58 years and the median surveillance time of 45 (6-147) months. The majority of the patients (54%) had grade 1 tumors. Adjuvant therapy was administered to 68 (23.5%). A total of 13 (4.5%) recurred with median time to recurrence of 52 months. Patients receiving adjuvant treatment were more likely to recur (p=0.015), and grade was the only independent predictor of recurrence (p=0.029). Five-year OS and DFS were 95.8% and 97.9%, respectively. While tumor size (p=0.018) and grade 3 histology (p=0.045) were related with shorter DFS, age (p<0.001) was the only related factor for decreased OS. Conclusion: Recurrence rate was low among LVSI negative, early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer patients. Although recurrences were seen more frequently in patients who received adjuvant treatment, it wasn't an independent prognostic factor. Neither recurrence nor adverse uterine risk factors were associated with shorter OS. While age was the only prognostic factor for decreased OS, grade 3 histology and tumor size were associated with decreased DFS.

The Risk of Recurrence in Endometrial Cancer Patients with Low-Volume Metastasis in the Sentinel Lymph Nodes: A Retrospective Multi-Institutional Study.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of low-volume metastasis (LVM) on disease-free survival (DFS) in women with apparent early-stage endometrial cancer (EC) who underwent sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping. Patients with pre-operative early-stage EC were retrospectively collected from an international collaboration including 13 referring institutions. A total of 1428 patients were included in this analysis. One hundred and eighty-six patients (13%) had lymph node involvement. Fifty-nine percent of positive SLN exhibited micrometastases, 26.9% micrometastases, and 14% isolated tumor cells. Seventeen patients with positive lymph nodes did not receive any adjuvant therapy. At a median follow-up of 33.3 months, the disease had recurred in 114 women (8%). Patients with micrometastases in the lymph nodes had a worse prognosis of disease-free survival compared to patients with negative nodes or LVM. The rate of recurrence was significantly higher for women with micrometastases than those with low-volume metastases (HR = 2.61; p = 0.01). The administration of adjuvant treatment in patients with LVM, without uterine risk factors, remains a matter of debate and requires further evaluation.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage IVB uterine serous carcinoma: a Turkish multicentric study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic factors for and determine the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) on oncologic outcome in stage IVB pure serous endometrial carcinoma patients who received taxane and platinum. Forty-two patients with 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IVB uterine serous carcinoma were enrolled from six gynecologic oncology centers and a study group was created. The study group had a 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) of 32% and 2-year disease-specific survival (DSS) of 73%. On univariate analysis; lymphadenectomy (not performed vs. performed), paraaortic lymph node metastasis (positive vs. negative) and number of metastatic lymph node count (≤5 vs. >5) were found to have statistical significance for DFS (p < 0.001, p = 0.026 and p = 0.044, respectively). Adnexal metastasis (positive vs. negative) and type of cytoreductive surgery (maximal vs. optimal and suboptimal) had statistical significance for DSS (p = 0.041 and p = 0.015, respectively). Receiving NACT did not affect DFS and DSS in stage IVB uterine serous carcinoma patients. As our sample size was small, precise conclusions could not be made for suggesting the use of NACT in advanced stage uterine serous carcinoma. For more accurate results, more randomized controlled studies are needed in this patient group.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Endometrial carcinoma is the most common type of gynecologic tract malignancies and usually it is diagnosed at early stages. Although the favorable prognosis, uterine serous carcinoma (USC), one of the rarest subtypes, has a poorer prognosis when compared to other histological subtypes. USC has a propensity to spread beyond pelvis. Due to this aggressive behavior, surgical intervention could not be feasible in advanced stage disease.What do the results of this study add? Our study evaluated the prognostic factors that affect survival in advanced stage USC patients. Also we investigated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) could improve oncologic outcomes. Performing lymphadenectomy, presence of paraaortic lymph node and adnexal metastasis, number of metastatic lymph nodes and type of cytoreductive surgery improved survival in advanced stage USC patients. However, NACT did not have a statistical significance as a predictor for disease-specific survival (DSS) and disease-free survival (DFS).What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Maximal surgical effort should be performed in advanced stage USC according to our results. On the other hand, NACT had no impact on DSS and DFS rates. For this reason, we could not be able to suggest the routine use of NACT in advanced stage USC. But more randomized controlled trials are warranted for confirmation of our results.

Radiomics analysis of uterine tumors in 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography for prediction of lymph node metastases in endometrial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In this single-center study, we aimed to analyze texture features of primary uterine lesions on 18F-FDG PET/CT to predict lymph node metastases. METHODS: Totally, 157 (mean age: 62 ± 10.2 years) patients were included in the analysis. Histopathological examination results were considered as the standard reference for nodal involvement. On 18F-FDG PET/CT images, only the primary tumor was segmented. SUVmax, SUVmean, SUVpeak, MTV, and TLG of primary uterine lesions were calculated for analyses. For texture analysis first, second, and higher-order texture features were calculated. RESULTS: Mean diameter of primary uterine lesions was calculated as 35± 18.1 mm. Lymph node metastases were detected in 19% of patients in histopathological examination of surgical materials. While 26 patients had pelvic lymph node metastases, 19 patients had additional paraaortic lymph node metastases. On radiomics analysis for 20 features, a significant difference was found between patients with and without lymph node metastasis. With using data mining methods GLZLM ZLNU, EntropyGLCM, Entropyhisto, GLRLM LRHGE, GLZLM HGZE, GLZLM SZHGE, GLRLM HGRE, GLRLM SRHGE were found significant radiomics features to predict lymph node metastasis with a diagnostic accuracy of 0.8. DISCUSSION: The radiomics analysis of intratumoral heterogeneity is a promising method for improving triage of the patients for lymph node dissection in endometrial carcinoma.

The added value of SLN mapping with indocyanine green in low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer management: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the SLN detection rate in presumed early stage, low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancers, the incidence of SLN metastases, and the negative predictive value of SLN mapping performed with indocyanine green (ICG). METHODS: A systematic review with meta-analyses was conducted. Study inclusion criteria were A) low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer, B) the use of ICG per cervical injection; C) a minimum of twenty included patients per study. To assess the negative predictive value of SLN mapping, D) a subsequent lymphadenectomy was an additional inclusion criterion. RESULTS: Fourteen studies were selected, involving 2,117 patients. The overall and bilateral SLN detection rates were 95.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]=92.4%-97.9%) and 76.5% (95% CI=68.1%-84.0%), respectively. The incidence of SLN metastases was 9.6% (95% CI=5.1%-15.2%) in patients with grade 1-2 endometrial cancer and 11.8% (95% CI=8.1%-16.1%) in patients with grade 1-3 endometrial cancer. The negative predictive value of SLN mapping was 100% (95% CI=98.8%-100%) in studies that included grade 1-2 endometrial cancer and 99.2% (95% CI=97.9%-99.9%) in studies that also included grade 3. CONCLUSION: SLN mapping with ICG is feasible with a high detection rate and negative predictive value in low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancers. Given the incidence of SLN metastases is approximately 10% in those patients, SLN mapping may lead to stage shifting with potential therapeutic consequences. Given the high negative predictive value with SLN mapping, routine lymphadenectomy should be omitted in low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer.

OPEC study: An international multicenter study of ovarian preservation in endometrial cancers.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and oncological safety of ovarian preservation in early stage endometrial adenocarcinoma (EC) patients aged 40 and below. METHODS: A total of 11 institutions from eight countries participated in the study. 169 of 5898 patients aged ≤40 years were eligible for the study. Patients with EC treated between March 2007 and January 2019 were retrospectively assessed. RESULTS: The median duration of follow-up after EC diagnosis was 59 months (4-187). Among 169 participants, ovarian preservation surgery (OPS) was performed in 54 (31.9%), and BSO was performed in 115 (68.1%) patients. Although patients younger than 30 years of age were more likely to have OPS than patients aged 30 to 40 years (20.4% vs. 9.6%, P = 0.021), there was no significant difference by the mean age. There were no other relevant baseline differences between OPS and BSO groups. The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed no difference in either the overall survival (P = 0.955) or recurrence-free survival (P = 0.068) among patients who underwent OPS, and BSO. CONCLUSION: OPS appears to be safe without having any adverse impact on survival in women aged ≤40 years with FIGO Stage I EC.

Perspectives of Gynecologic Oncologists on Minimally Invasive Surgery During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Turkish Society of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Oncology (MIJOD) Survey.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate gynecologic oncologists' trends and attitudes towards the use of Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in active period of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. METHODS: Online national survey sent to members of Turkish Endoscopy Platform consisting of six sections and 45 questions between the dates 1-15 June 2020 in Turkey to explore their surgical practice during the pandemic in three hospital types: Education and research hospital/university hospital, state hospital and private Hospital. Participants were gynecologic oncologists who are members of Turkish Endoscopy Platform. RESULTS: Fifty-eight percent of participants canceled all operations except for cancer surgeries and emergent operations. About a quarter of participants (28%) continued to operate laparoscopically and/or robotically. For the evaluation of the suspected adnexial mass (SAM) 64% used laparotomy and only 13 % operated by laparoscopy (L/S). For the management of low-risk early-stage endometrial cancer only fifth of the participants preferred to perform L/S. For endometrial cancer with high-intermediate risk factors more than half of participants preferred complete staging with laparotomy. For advanced stage ovarian cancer, one-fifth of the participants preferred to perform an explorative laparotomy, whilst 15 % preferred diagnostic laparoscopy to triage the patients for either NACT or cytoreductive surgery. On the contrary 41 % of participants chose to have cytology by paracentesis for neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). Gynecologic oncologists with >10 years L/S experience used MIS more for SAM. Furthermore, experienced surgeons used L/S more for endometrial cancer patients. In busy COVID hospitals, more participants preferred laparotomy over L/S. CONCLUSION: Use of MIS decreased during the pandemic in Turkey. More experienced surgeons continued to perform MIS. Surgical treatment was the preferred approach for SAM, early-stage endometrial cancer.  However, NACT was more popular compared to radical surgery.

Diagnostic accuracy of sentinel node biopsy in non-endometrioid, high-grade and/or deep myoinvasive endometrial cancer: A Turkish gynecologic oncology group study (TRSGO-SLN-006).

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping algorithm in high-risk endometrial cancer patients. METHODS: Two hundred forty-four patients with non-endometrioid histology, grade 3 endometrioid tumors and/or tumors with deep myometrial invasion were enrolled in this retrospective, multicentric study. After removal of SLNs, all patients underwent pelvic ± paraaortic lymphadenectomy. Operations were performed via laparotomy, laparoscopy or robotic surgery. Indocyanine green (ICG) and methylene blue (MB) were used as tracers. SLN detection rate, sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV) and false-negative rate (FNR) were calculated. RESULTS: Surgeries were performed via laparotomy in 132 (54.1%) patients and 152 (62.3%) underwent both bilateral pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy. At least 1 SLN was detected in 222 (91%) patients. Fifty-five (22.5%) patients had lymphatic metastasis and 45 patients had at least 1 metastatic SLN. Lymphatic metastases were detected by side-specific lymphadenectomy in 8 patients and 2 patients had isolated paraaortic metastasis. Overall sensitivity, NPV and FNR of SLN biopsy were 81.8%, 95% and 18.2%, respectively. By applying SLN algorithm steps, sensitivity and NPV improved to 96.4% and 98.9%, respectively. For grade 3 tumors, sensitivity, NPV and FNR of the SLN algorithm were 97.1%, 98.9% and 2.9%. CONCLUSION: SLN algorithm had high diagnostic accuracy in high-risk endometrial cancer. All pelvic metastases were detected by the SLN algorithm and the isolated paraaortic metastasis rate was ignorable. But long-term survival studies are necessary before this approach becomes standard of care.

The safety of major gynaecologic cancer surgery without routine preoperative COVID-19 testing in the COVID-19 era: a multicentre, retrospective, case-control study.

Our goal was to address the safety of major gynaecologic cancer surgery without routine preoperative COVID-19 testing in the COVID-19 era. The databases of seven gynaecologic cancer centres were searched in order to identify all consecutive gynaecologic cancer patients undergoing major surgery between March 11, 2020 and May 15, 2020 for this retrospective, case-control study. The case group consisted of patients with histopathologically confirmed gynaecologic cancers, and each case was matched with two counterparts who had undergone primary surgery before the COVID-19 pandemic. The case and the control groups were compared in terms of length of hospital stay, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), intraoperative and postoperative complications.During the study period, 154 women with gynaecologic cancer undergoing major surgery were identified. Although the case group had more co-morbidities compared to the control group (103/154 vs. 178/308, respectively; p = .04), the median length of hospital stays, the rate of ICU admission, intraoperative complication rates and postoperative complication rates were similar in the two groups. Gynaecologic cancer surgery may be performed safely in the COVID-19 era with similar rates of ICU admission, intraoperative and postoperative complications compared to the patients operated before the COVID-19 pandemic.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Many societies have announced their guidelines about the surgical management of gynaecologic cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most of them are not evidence-based and mostly on expert opinions.What do the results of this study add? The main findings of this retrospective, case-control study indicate that the short-term (30 day) outcomes of gynaecologic cancer patients undergoing major surgery in the COVID-19 era are similar to those who had been operated before the COVID-19 pandemic. The length of hospital stays, the rates of admission to the ICU, intraoperative and postoperative complications were comparable between women undergoing major gynaecologic cancer surgery in the COVID-19 era and the women who had been operated before the pandemic.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? We can suggest that definitive surgery may be performed for gynaecologic cancer patients in the COVID-19 era if the resources permit and appropriate precautions such as social distancing, isolation and the use of personal protective equipment are taken.

Factors associated with the involvement of lymph nodes in low-grade serous ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Evaluating nodal metastases in low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) patients. METHODS: Women with LGSOC who had undergone primary cytoreductive surgery comprising systematic pelvic-paraaortic lymphadenectomy were included. Data were obtained retrospectively from 12 oncology centers. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-eight women with LGSOC who had undergone comprehensive surgical staging were included. Seventy-one (48.0%) patients had metastatic lymph nodes. Preoperative serum CA-125 levels of ≥170 U/ml (odds ratio [OR]: 3.84; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-12.07; p = 0.021) and presence of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) (OR: 13.72; 95% CI: 3.36-55.93; p < 0.001) were independent predictors of nodal metastasis in LGSOC. Sixty (40.5%) patients were classified to have apparently limited disease to the ovary/ovaries. Twenty (33.3%) of them were upstaged after surgical staging. Twelve (20.0%) had metastatic lymph nodes. Presence of LVSI (OR: 12.96; 95% CI: 1.14-146.43; p = 0.038) and preoperative serum CA-125 of ≥180 U/ml (OR: 7.19; 95% CI: 1.35-38.12; p = 0.02) were independent predictors of lymph node metastases in apparent Stage Ⅰ disease. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians may consider to perform a reoperation comprising systematic lymphadenectomy in patients who had apparently limited disease to the ovary/ovaries and had not undergone lymphadenectomy initially. Reoperation may be considered particularly in patients whose preoperative serum CA-125 is ≥180 U/ml and/or whose pathological assessment reported the presence of LVSI.

Survival outcomes of women with grade 3 endometrioid endometrial cancer: the impact of adjuvant treatment strategies.

AIM: This multicenter investigation was performed to evaluate the adjuvant treatment options, prognostic factors, and patterns of recurrence in patients with grade 3 endometrioid endometrial cancer (G3-EEC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical reports of patients undergoing at least total hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy for G3-EEC between 1996 and 2018 at 11 gynecological oncology centers were analyzed. Optimal surgery was defined as removal of all disease except for residual nodules with a maximum diameter ≤ 1 cm, as determined at completion of the primary operation. Adequate systematic lymphadenectomy was defined as the removal of at least 15 pelvic and at least 5 paraaortic LNs. RESULTS: The study population consists of 465 women with G3-EEC. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of the entire cohort are 50.3% and 57.6%, respectively. Adequate systematic lymphadenectomy was achieved in 429 (92.2%) patients. Optimal surgery was achieved in 135 (75.0%) patients in advanced stage. Inadequate lymphadenectomy (DFS; HR 3.4, 95% CI 3.0-5.6; P = 0.016-OS; HR 3.2, 95% CI 1.6-6.5; P = 0.019) was independent prognostic factors for 5-year DFS and OS. CONCLUSION: Inadequate lymphadenectomy and LVSI were independent prognostic factors for worse DFS and OS in women with stage I-II G3-EEC. Adequate lymphadenectomy and optimal surgery were independent prognostic factors for better DFS and OS in women with stage III-IV G3-EEC.

Evaluation of peripheral nodal recurrence in patients with endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinico-pathological patient features, prognostic factors, treatment options and outcomes of peripheral nodal recurrence (PNR) of endometrial cancer (EC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of nine patients with PNR of EC from two institutions were reviewed. The electronic literature was reviewed from 1972 to May 2018 to identify articles about PNR in EC. Finally, 42 cases were evaluated. RESULTS: Nineteen (45.2%) patients were initially diagnosed with either stage I or II disease, whereas 20 (47.7%) patients had stage III or IV disease while the stages were not reported in three (7.1%). PNR developed as the first recurrence in 40 (95.2%) patients and as the second recurrence in 2 (4.8%) patients. Isolated PNR appeared in 35 (83.3%). Seven (16.7%) had PNR coexisting with multiple other sites of tumoral involvement. In the entire cohort, the 5-year and 10-year post-recurrence survival (PRS) were both 78%. Only the presence of distant hematogenous metastasis concurrent with PNR was significantly related to poor PRS (p=0.005). Among patients with isolated PNR, those who had surgery had 30% greater 5-year PRS than those treated without surgery, but this difference was not significant (80% vs 50%; p>0.05). CONCLUSION: A concurrent distant hematogenous metastasis was the only factor related to poor survival. A wide range of therapies exists for PNR but none of the therapies appear to be more advantageous than another. However, surgery as a component of treatment can render a survival advantage for patients who have isolated PNR.

Could the Long-Term Oncological Safety of Laparoscopic Surgery in Low-Risk Endometrial Cancer also Be Valid for the High-Intermediate- and High-Risk Patients? A Multi-Center Turkish Gynecologic Oncology Group Study Conducted with 2745 Endometrial Cancer Cases. (TRSGO-End-001).

This study was conducted to compare the long-term oncological outcomes of laparotomy and laparoscopic surgeries in endometrial cancer under the light of the 2016 ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO risk classification system, with particular focus on the high-intermediate- and high-risk categories. Using multicentric databases between January 2005 and January 2016, disease-free and overall survivals of 2745 endometrial cancer cases were compared according to the surgery route (laparotomy vs. laparoscopy). The high-intermediate- and high-risk patients were defined with respect to the 2016 ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO risk classification system, and they were analyzed with respect to differences in survival rates. Of the 2745 patients, 1743 (63.5%) were operated by laparotomy, and the remaining were operated with laparoscopy. The total numbers of high-intermediate- and high-risk endometrial cancer cases were 734 (45%) patients in the laparotomy group and 307 (30.7%) patients in the laparoscopy group. Disease-free and overall survivals were not statistically different when compared between laparoscopy and laparotomy groups in terms of low-, intermediate-, high-intermediate- and high-risk endometrial cancer. In conclusion, regardless of the endometrial cancer risk category, long-term oncological outcomes of the laparoscopic approach were found to be comparable to those treated with laparotomy. Our results are encouraging to consider laparoscopic surgery for high-intermediate- and high-risk endometrial cancer cases.

Homocysteine and C-reactive Protein Levels in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in infertile women characterized by both reproductive and metabolic dysfunctions of different degrees. Furthermore, it has been associated with increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and related long-term health sequela. The aim of this study is to evaluate serum homocysteine (Hcy) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in women with PCOS and to evaluate their relationship with clinical and laboratory parameters in women with PCOS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prospective single-center study included 45 women with PCOS (study group) and 41 control subjects. Demographic variables and Hcy, CRP, fasting blood glucose, insulin, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, total and free testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, thyroid-stimulating hormone levels, and lipid profiles of the subjects were recorded. homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) indexes were calculated. RESULTS: Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, free and total testosterone levels, and clinical hirsutism were significantly higher in the study group. There was no statistically significant difference in lipid profile between groups. Hcy and CRP levels were higher in the study group, which was not statistically significantly different (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Some of the parameters that are correlated with CVD risk were found to be higher in women with PCOS, although the difference for Hcy and CRP did not reach statistical significance. However, the current study reveals that the CVD risk associated with PCOS deserves more comprehensive prospective studies with long-term outcomes.

short review of current implementations of sentinel lymph node mapping in gynecologic cancers

Lymph node metastasis both increases disease stage and alters adjuvant treatment plans in gynecologic cancers. Since a minority of the patients have nodal metastasis, many patients unnecessarily undergo complete lymphadenectomy and are exposed to the subsequent morbidities. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping is an alternative for evaluation of lymph nodes with lesser side effects. Although it is yet an experimental approach in ovarian cancer, it has been incorporated into guidelines for endometrial, cervical and vulvar cancers. We aimed to summarize the current situation of SLN mapping in gynecologic cancers.

Comparison of two intraoperative examination methods for the diagnosis of sentinel lymph node metastasis in clinically early stage endometrial cancer: A Turkish Gynecologic Oncology Group Study (TRSGO-SLN-003).

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) frozen section examination and scrape cytology as a possible solution for management of SLN positive patients. STUDY DESIGN: Clinically early-stage endometrial cancer patients who underwent SLN algorithm and intraoperative SLN examination were analyzed. Findings were compared with final pathology results and diagnostic accuracy of frozen section and scrape cytology were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 208 eligible patients, 100 patients (48 %) had frozen section examination and 108 (52 %) had scrape cytology of the SLN. Intraoperative examination and final pathology were negative for metastasis in 187/208 (90 %) cases. The rest 21 cases had metastatic SLNs according to final pathology. 12 of 21 (57 %) metastases were classified as macrometastasis. Intraoperative examination of SLNs correctly identified 13 cases (true positive) and missed 8 cases (false negative). Five of 8 false negative cases had micrometastasis or isolated tumor cells. Considering identification of macrometastasis, sensitivity and negative predictive value were 85.71 % and 98.94 %, respectively, for the frozen section and 60.00 % and 98.15 %, respectively, for the scrape cytology. CONCLUSION: Frozen section examination of SLN has higher sensitivity in detecting macrometastasis compared to scrape cytology and it could help the surgeon in decision for further lymphadenectomy intraoperatively.

Impact of cytoreductive surgery on survival of patients with low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: A multicentric study of Turkish Society of Gynecologic Oncology (TRSGO-OvCa-001).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the factors affecting recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of women diagnosed with low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC). METHODS: Databases from 13 participating centers in Turkey were searched retrospectively for women who had been treated for stage I-IV LGSOC between 1997 and 2018. RESULTS: Overall 191 eligible women were included. The median age at diagnosis was 49 years (range, 21-84 years). One hundred seventy-five (92%) patients underwent primary cytoreductive surgery. Complete and optimal cytoreduction was achieved in 148 (77.5%) and 33 (17.3%) patients, respectively. The median follow-up period was 44 months (range, 2-208 months). Multivariate analysis showed the presence of endometriosis (p = .012), lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) (p = .022), any residual disease (p = .023), and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage II-IV disease (p = .045) were negatively correlated with RFS while the only presence of residual disease (p = .002) and FIGO stage II-IV disease (p = .003) significantly decreased OS. CONCLUSIONS: The maximal surgical effort is warranted for complete cytoreduction as achieving no residual disease is the single most important variable affecting the survival of patients with LGSOC. The prognostic role of LVSI and endometriosis should be evaluated by further studies as both of these parameters significantly affected RFS.