Evaluation of sarcopenia and phase angle in elderly patients with Parkinson's Disease.

PURPOSE: To investigate sarcopenia and related factors and to determine the disease-specific phase angle (PhA) cut-off score in detecting sarcopenia in elderly patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD). METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 89 participants. The Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA), the Eating Attitude Test-10 (EAT-10), the Physical Activity Scale for The Elderly (PASE) questionnaire and the Hoehn-Yahr scale have been used. Additionally, anthropometric measurements were performed. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was based on the new consensus published by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2). PhA has been performed by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) with Tanita MC 780®. RESULTS: The mean age was of the participants 68.9 ± 6.4 years, and 57.3% were male. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 12.3%. PhA, malnutrition, age, disease severity, low calf circumference (CC), low body mass index (BMI), the difference between the pre-diagnosis and current weight loss, dopaminergic treatment, and low PASE score were associated with sarcopenia. The cut-off value of the PhA in terms of the ability to identify sarcopenia was <4.5o with a sensitivity of 53.3% and a specificity of 93.2% (p = 0.001). When we grouped the PhA of the patients according to this cut-off score, it was seen that 14.6% of them were sarcopenic. Age, disease severity, PASE score and hand grip strength were significantly related to both sarcopenia and PhA. CONCLUSION: It is important to be aware of sarcopenia and related factors at an early stage in Parkinson's patients. Because of disease-related symptoms, it may be more appropriate to use a disease-specific PhA cut-off score in the definition of sarcopenia.

Clinical features of gestational choriocarcinoma: A retrospective bicentric study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological features, prognostic factors, treatment, clinical response, and outcome of gestational choriocarcinoma (GCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was made of the clinicopathological and survival data of 13 patients who were diagnosed and treated for GCC in two referral centers in Turkey between 1992 and 2020. RESULTS: The median age of patients was 36 years (range, 27-54 years), and seven were ≤39 years. The antecedent pregnancy was a term in nine (69.2%) cases, and the risk score was ≥7 in 11 (84.6%). According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2009 staging, eight cases were in stage I, two in stage III, and three in stage IV. With the exception of one patient, all the others received combination chemotherapy (CT), and two of those were also treated with radiotherapy. Chemoresistance developed in 50% (6/12), and second-line CT was given to four of these. The overall complete response rate was 69.2%. Four patients died of chemoresistance and disease progression, all of them were with antecedent-term pregnancy, had high scores ≥7, and had metastases. CONCLUSION: GCC is a unique subtype of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, which differs from others in terms of poor prognosis, a frequent tendency to early metastasis, and resistance to treatment. To be able to achieve the most efficient therapy and prognosis, histopathology-based risk models should be developed.

Assessment of the differences in oncologic outcomes between patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma and uterine serous carcinoma.

AIM: To evaluate whether the recurrence rates, recurrence patterns, and survival outcomes differed according to the primary site of the tumor in patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) and uterine serous carcinoma (USC). METHODS: The population of this multicenter retrospective study consisted of patients who had USC or HGSOC. Progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) estimates were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 247 patients with HGSOC and 34 with USC. Recurrence developed in 118 (51.1%) in the HGSOC group and 14 (42.4%) in the USC group (p = 0.352). The median time to recurrence was 23.5 (range, 4-144) and 17 (range, 4-43) months in the HGSOC and USC groups, respectively (p = 0.055). The 3-year PFS was 52% in the HGSOC group and 47% in the USC group (p = 0.450). Additionally, 3-year DSS was 92% and 82% in the HGSOC and USC groups, respectively (p = 0.060). CONCLUSIONS: HGSOC and USC are aggressive tumors with high recurrence and mortality rates in advanced stages. These two carcinomas, which are similar in molecular features and clinical management, may also have similar recurrence patterns, disease failure, and survival rates.

The surgical and clinicopathological characteristics of primary mucinous ovarian cancer: a single institution 30-year retrospective analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma (MOC) and define oncologic outcomes. Material and Methods: This retrospective study reviewed patients diagnosed with primary MOC at a single institution and underwent primary treatment between 1990 and 2019. The clinicopathological factors affecting oncological outcomes and treatment response were evaluated. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate survival outcomes. Survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Results: The cohort's (n=92) median (range) age was 48 (15-82) years. Seventy-five (81.5%) patients were in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I-II. Forty patients received platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy. The 5-year progression-free survival was 98% in stage I-II and 17% for stage III-IV (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, the only independent risk factor for disease failure was stage (hazard ratio: 6.838, 95% confidence interval: 1,358-34,415; p=0.020). Conclusion: Advanced stage was an independent poor prognostic factor for recurrence in patient with MOC.

Histological results of HPV genotyping from a colposcopy center.

PURPOSE: To investigate the role of partial human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping tests in predicting the diagnosis of high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesion and cancer (HSIL +) as a result of colposcopic histopathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 2872 patients who presented at our colposcopy unit between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019 and underwent colposcopy for the first time. The patients were compared in terms of HSIL + results as HPV 16/18 and HPV other type positive groups. RESULTS: HSIL + was determined at the rate of 22.3% in the HPV 16/18 group and at 7.0% in the HPV Other group, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.000). HPV 16/18 types were found to be responsible for 84.8% of cervical cancers and 83.5% of HSIL and worse cases. CONCLUSION: Partial HPV 16/18 genotyping is an effective strategy in the triage of HPV-positive women. HPV type identification consistent with the epidemiology of HPV types in HSIL + cases in the screened population, and the age-appropriate use of primary HPV tests will determine the sensitivity and cost effectiveness of screening.

Oncologic outcome in patients with 2018 FIGO stage IB cervical cancer: Is tumor size important?

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the prognostic factors and oncologic outcome in patients with 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB cervical cancer (CC) after radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 290 patients with type II or III radical hysterectomy + pelvic ± para-aortic lymphadenectomy and 2018 FIGO stage IB1-3 epithelial CC. Disease-free survival (DFS) estimates were determinate by using the Kaplan-Meier method. Survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed using a Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: The mean age of study cohort was 52 ± 10.25 years. Five-year DFS was 93% in entire cohort. On univariate analysis, surgical border involvement (p = 0.007), lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) (p = 0.040), uterine involvement (p = 0.040), and depth of cervical stromal invasion (p = 0.007) were found to have statistical significance for DFS. However, none of them were independent prognostic factors for the risk of recurrence. Tumor size according to 2018 FIGO staging criteria was not related with recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical border involvement, LVSI, depth of cervical stromal invasion, and uterine involvement were predictors for DFS on univariate analysis. Tumor size was not predicting to recurrence in patient with 2018 FIGO stage IB1-3 CC.

A Study on the Luminescent Terbium(III) and Pyridine 2,6 Dicarboxylate Complexes by Experimental and TD-DFT Approaches.

Tb3+ luminescence is enhanced by complex formation in aqueous phases as its pyridine 2,6 dicarboxylate (dpa2-) complexes by using experimental spectroscopic techniques and theoretical time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. The fluorimetric titration of Tb3+ ion with dpa2- ion is followed at λext/λems = 310/490 nm and 310/545 nm, the emission intensities of which are graphed against the mol ratios of the ligand to metal ion [moles of dpa2-/mol of Tb3+]. Experimental results denote that the tris complex; [Tb(dpa)3]3- is the most stable form at pH > 5.3. Molecular absorption spectra of tris complex shows a batho-chromic shift of 222 nm of dpa2- band to 232 nm accompanied by the hyper-chromic effect at 272 nm band. The luminescence intensities at 490, 545, 592 and 620 nm are enhanced over 100 times in tris complex. The coordination of complexes calculated by thermodynamic cycles and with supporting the experimental result, the most stable form was found to be nine coordinated tris complex; [Tb(dpa)]3-. The theoretical TD-DFT calculations perfectly matched the experimental absorption and emission bands of tris-complex. The novelty of this study is to present the first theoretical calculation of the phosphorescence results and energy transfer process for emission path of Tb3+ and pda2- aqua complexes.

The effect of adjuvant radiotherapy on oncological outcomes in patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma with only intermediate-risk factors: a propensity score matching analysis.

We aimed to evaluate whether adjuvant radiotherapy had a survival benefit for patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma with intermediate-risk factors. This study included patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy according to Wertheim-Okabayashi for stage IB1-IIA2 cervical carcinoma. Each patient had at least one intermediate-risk factor including tumour diameter ≥4 cm, deep stromal invasion, and positive lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI). Patients with lymph node metastasis, parametrial invasion, and positive surgical margins according to the final paraffin section were excluded. In total, 183 patients were included. Seventy-three (39.9%) patients had one, 85 (46.4%) had two, and 25 (13.7%) had three intermediate risk factors. Sixty-seven (36.6%) patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of stage, LVSI, and endometrial/uterine invasion between the groups that did and did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy (p = .024, p = .018, and p = .001, respectively). These two groups were homogenised by performing propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. In the new matched cohort (n = 134), 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 89.5% in the group that received adjuvant radiotherapy and 82% in the group that did not (HR: 0.484, 95% CI: [0.171-1.369]; p = .171). Also, receiving adjuvant radiotherapy was not associated with an improvement in oncologic outcomes in patients with one, two, or more intermediate risk factors. In univariate analysis, none of the risk factors was associated with DFS. In conclusion, adjuvant radiotherapy had no favourable effect on survival outcomes in patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma with only intermediate risk factors.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Radiotherapy after radical hysterectomy in cervical carcinoma is accepted as the standard of care when high-risk factors - positive surgical margins, lymph node metastasis, and parametrial involvement - are found in the surgical specimen. However, the necessity of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with intermediate-risk factors - deep stromal invasion, positive LVSI, tumour diameter ≥4 cm - is controversial.What do the results of this study add? We compared patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy and those who did not. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of oncologic outcomes. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of pelvic and extrapelvic recurrence rates. The number of positive intermediate-risk factors did not affect survival. Moreover, age, tumour type, stage, number of removed lymph nodes, grade, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and endometrial/uterine invasion were not associated with DFS among patients with stage IB-IIA cervical carcinoma with only intermediate-risk factors.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Debate remains over the prognostic factors and the adjuvant treatment options in patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma who possess intermediate-risk factors. Adjuvant radiotherapy can be ignored if initial adequate surgery has been performed in this patient group.

Post-recurrence survival analysis of patients with pulmonary recurrence from gynaecologic cancers: a multi-institutional analysis of 122 patients.

In this retrospective study, patients with epithelial gynaecologic cancer with pulmonary recurrence (PR) were evaluated from five national gynaecologic oncology clinics. Patients with a diagnosis of primary endometrial, ovarian/fallopian tube/peritoneal, cervical or vaginal/vulvar tumours who developed an initial PR were included in the study A total of 122 patients were included in the study. The median follow-up time after recurrence was 7.5 (range, 1-84) months. The 2-year PRS was 48% in the main cohort. The risk of death was more than seven times higher in patients who did not receive salvage chemotherapy compared with those who did (hazard ratio: 7.6, 95% CI: 3.0-18.9; p < .001). When squamous cell carcinoma was compared with the other tumour types, the risk of death increased more than three times (hazard ratio: 3.7, 95% CI: 1.4-9.6; p = .007).IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Pulmonary recurrence (PR) from gynaecologic malignancies is rare and can cause major clinical problem. Therefore, defining the clinical and pathologic characteristics and recurrence patterns are essential.What the results of this study add? This study demonstrates non-squamous subtype and salvage chemotherapy at PR were associated with improved survival.What of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? To the best of our knowledge, our study is the largest study to investigate the clinico-pathologic characteristics, recurrence patterns, treatment options, and post-recurrence survival (PRS) in patients with PR from epithelial gynaecologic cancers. Future research should examine the underlying causes of these findings.

Oncologic outcomes of patients with FIGO 2014 stage IB-IIA cervical adenocarcinoma who underwent radical surgery.

PURPOSE: To identify prognostic factors of early-stage cervical adenocarcinoma in patients with FIGO IB-IIA, who were treated with radical surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data of 64 patients with stage IB-IIA cervical adenocarcinoma who underwent radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy with or without adjuvant therapy between 1993 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinicopathologic factors that affect the oncological outcomes were evaluated. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for the assessment of survival outcomes. Survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: The 5-year recurrence-free survival and 5-year disease-specific survivals were 83% and 98%, respectively. Tumor size, stage of disease and uterine spread were significantly related prognostic factors for shorter recurrence-free survival. During the follow-up, nine (14.1%) patients recurred. Five of them were extrapelvic recurrence. No correlation was identified between histopathologic subtype and extrapelvic recurrence (p = 0.265). There was no difference between adjuvant only radiotherapy and concurrent chemoradiotherapy on recurrence-free survival in a univariate analysis adjusting for prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: It is important to determine the prognostic factors that predict disease outcome in surgically treated cervical adenocarcinoma for tailored adjuvant treatment. Tumor size, stage and uterine spread are determinant factors for recurrence. Risk stratifications, including uterine spread may especially be useful for patients with AC.

Brenner tumors of the ovary: clinical features and outcomes in a single-center cohort

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical and pathological features and oncological outcomes of Brenner tumors (BT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Evaluation was performed on the data of 46 patients with BTs retrieved from the oncology clinic database and pathology reports between 2005 and 2020. RESULTS: The median (range) age of the patients was 52 (22-75) years. Median (range) tumor size was 52.5 (5.0-300) mm. The tumor was benign in 37 (80.4%), borderline in one (2.2%), and malignant in the remaining eight (17.4%). Ten (21.7%) of the tumors were detected incidentally. Mixed tumor, BT plus another ovarian pathology, was found in 13 (28.2%). Recurrence developed in 2/8 (25%) with malignant BT (MBT). The stage of these patients was 3C, and both received chemotherapy after surgery. CONCLUSION: BTs are rare and generally detected incidentally. MBTs are treated in the same way as epithelial tumors. Due to the rarity of these tumors, lymphadenectomy and optimal chemotherapy regimens are controversial issues.

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.

Colposcopic histopathology results of patients over 50: Is HPV genotyping useful?

BACKGROUND: To determine the rate of high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesion and cancer (HSIL+) diagnosis as a result of colposcopic histopathology in patients aged ≥50 years and to investigate the role of cytology, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) test positivity and HPV genotyping in predicting HSIL+. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study included 1102 patients aged ≥50 as study group and 2723 patients aged <50 as control group who were admitted to our colposcopy unit between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019 and underwent colposcopy for the first time. The patients with HSIL+ were compared as Cytology group and HPV group in the study group. To evaluate the impact of genotyping HPV positive group was compared in terms of HSIL+ results in subgroups with HPV16/18 and HPV other types positivity. Patients diagnosed with cancer in the same period were compared in terms of age, stage and histology as screening cancer group and symptomatic cancer groups. RESULTS: The rate of cervical cancer in the study group was 2.2% and 1.2 % in the control group. In patients diagnosed with cancer, Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage was ≥ stage IB2 in 57.4% of cases in the symptomatic cancer group and in 18.9% of cases in the screening cancer group. The HPV 16/18 positivity rate in HSIL+ patients were 75.0% and 79.5% in the study and control group, respectively. CONCLUSION: Cervical cancer rates were found to be high in the group aged ≥ 50 years. HPV genotyping is as effective in patients ≥50 years of age as in those aged < 50 years. Patients diagnosed as a result of screening are caught in the early stages and therefore with increased general life expectancy, the age at which screening is discontinued should be re-evaluated.

Analysis of the prognostic factors determining the oncological outcomes in patients with high-risk early-stage cervical cancer.

We aimed to evaluate clinicopathological data in high-risk early-stage cervical cancer and to define the prognostic factors determining the oncological outcomes. This retrospective study included 158 patients with stage IB-IIA cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy plus lymph node dissection. Each patient had at least one high-risk factor. The median tumour diameter of the study group was 30 mm (range, 6-80). Seventy-five (47.5%) patients had parametrial invasion, 32 (20.3%) had positive surgical margins, and 108 (68.4%) had lymph node metastasis. The median duration of follow-up was 42 months (range, 1-228). During this period, 28 patients developed recurrence, and the recurrent disease occurred in a distant area in 18 patients. Five-year disease-free survival was 77.5%, and five-year disease-specific survival was 85%. In multivariate analysis, adjuvant radiotherapy was identified as an independent prognostic factor for recurrence and death. The recurrence (Odds ratio: 10.139, 95% CI: 1.477-69.590, p = .018) and mortality rates (Odds ratio: 16.485, 95% CI: 2.484-109.408, p =.004) were higher in patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? The decision to proceed with adjuvant therapy in the patients with early-stage disease treated with surgery depends on the presence of risk factors in pathological examination. Various prognostic factors have been identified in cervical cancer (CC). However, there is a limited number of studies describing the prognostic factors in early-stage CC with high-risk factors.What do the results of this study add? In current study, the recurrence and mortality rates were higher in patients who did not receive adjuvant therapy. No relationship was found between the survival outcomes and the number of high-risk factors. Most of the patients who developed recurrence had the recurrence in the distant localisation. This result questioned the adequacy of adjuvant therapy.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? There is still a debate over the prognostic factors and the adjuvant treatment options in the patients with early-stage cervical cancer who possess high-risk factors. Adjuvant RT or adjuvant concomitant chemoradiotherapy must definitely be used in this patients. However, adjuvant therapy fails approximately 14-32%, thus multimodal treatment modalities must be developed to improve the recurrence rates and the survival.

Prognostic factors determining survival after extrapelvic recurrence in endometrioid type endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To define the factors that determine survival after extrapelvic recurrence in patients with endometrioid type endometrial cancer (EC).objective MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinicopathological and survival data of surgically treated endometrioid type EC patients who recurred outside pelvis were reviewed. Patients who had non-endometrioid tumor, sarcomatous component in the final pathology and synchronous tumor were excluded. The period from surgery to recurrence was defined as time to recurrence (TTR) and the period from recurrence to death or last visit was defined as post-recurrence survival (PRS). RESULTS: Sixty-six patients with extrapelvic recurrence were included in the study. No residual disease was achieved in all patients at initial surgery. Median TTR was 18 months (range, 2-84). Recurrence developed within 1 year in 24 (36.4%) patients and between 13 and 24 months in 22 (33.3%) patients. Fifty-three of 66 patients (80.3%) had extraabdominal recurrence. The 2-year PRS of the all cohort with extrapelvic recurrence was 56%. In the univariate analysis, advanced FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, adnexal metastasis and short TTR were associated with diminished PRS (p < 0.05). The salvage chemotherapy for recurrence had a tendency to be associated with improved PRS in the univariate analysis. Two-year survival was 81% and 37% in the patients who received chemotherapy and radiotherapy, respectively (p = 0.057). CONCLUSION: Almost half of the patients with extrapelvic recurrence died of disease within 2 years. Chemotherapy seemed to be more effective than radiotherapy as the salvage therapy of extrapelvic recurrences.

The prognostic factors in 384 patients with FIGO 2014 stage IB cervical cancer: What is the role of tumor size on prognosis?

OBJECTIVE: To define the relationship of tumor size with surgico-pathological factors and oncological outcome in FIGO 2014 stage IB cervical cancer. METHODS: This study retrospectively evaluated 384 FIGO 2014 Stage IB cervical cancer patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. Tumor size was stratified according to 2 cm (≤ 2cm, 2-≤4 cm, >4 cm) and 4 cm (≤4 cm, >4 cm), and the relationship with poor prognostic factors, and the effects on survival were examined. The distribution of prognostic factors was compared between three subgroups: ≤2 cm vs. 2-≤4 cm; 2-≤4 cm vs. > 4 cm and ≤ 2 cm vs. > 4 cm. Survival rate was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional-hazards regression. RESULTS: Stratification of tumor size according to 4 cm was found to better determine pelvic lymph node determination. Parametrial involvement, uterine involvement and deep cervical stromal invasion were correlated with increasing tumor size. Lymph node involvement and uterine involvement were an independent prognostic risk factor for recurrence and cancer-specific survival. Tumor size showed no association with prognosis. CONCLUSION: There is no meaningful cut-off value for tumor size determining all surgico-pathological factors. There was also seen to be no association between tumor size and recurrence or disease-related mortality.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced stage (IB2-IIA2-IIB) cervical carcinoma: Experience of a tertiary center and comprehensive review of the literature

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for locally advanced stage cervical carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Data of 43 patients with locally advanced cervical carcinoma who had NACT were reviewed. NACT protocols implemented included cisplatin/5-fluorauracil, cisplatin/UFT, and carboplatin/paclitaxel. After NACT, the patients were re-examined, and patients who had a tumor size ≤40 mm underwent Piver-Rutledge type III radical hysterectomy, while other patients received radiotherapy. Following NACT, clinical responses were assessed according to the criteria of the World Health Organization. Results: The mean age of the patients was 49.4 years, and the median follow-up duration was 48 (range, 5-228) months. The median tumor sizes were 50 and 30 mm before and after NACT, respectively. Complete clinical response was observed in 4 (9.3%) patients, partial clinical response in 8 (18.6%), and pathologic complete response in 3 (6.9%). Stable disease was noted in 30 (69.9%) patients and progression in 1 (2.3%) patient. After NACT, 31 patients have undergone radical surgical procedures. The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 72%, and the 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 91%. Age, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 2009 stage, histopathologic type, NACT protocol, rate of decrease in tumor size after NACT, clinical response, number of courses, tumor size before NACT, tumor size after NACT, and lymph node metastasis were not associated with disease-free survival. Conclusion: Following NACT, a significant reduction in tumor dimension was observed, and the probability of radical surgery is increased. However, clinical response was not predictive of survival.

What is the impact of corpus uterine invasion on oncologic outcomes in surgically treated cervical cancer?

AIM: To investigate the clinical significance of uterine corpus involvement in patients with surgically treated cervical cancer. METHODS: Patients (n = 354) with clinical early-stage (stage IB1-IIA2) cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic ± paraaortic lymphadenectomy were evaluated. RESULTS: Uterine invasion was detected in 60 (16.9%) patients. Patients with uterine invasion had a higher rate of pelvic lymph node metastasis than those without uterine invasion (35% vs 22.8%, p = 0.046). In multivariate analysis, no statistically significant difference was identified between patients with and without uterine invasion for pelvic lymph node metastasis (p = 0.953). Uterine invasion was identified as an independent risk factor for paraaortic lymph node metastasis in multivariate analysis (p = 0.012). The presence of pelvic lymph node metastasis was found to be another significant predictor of paraaortic lymph node involvement (p = 0.022). In addition, uterine invasion and lymph node metastasis were identified as an independent risk factors regarding poor prognosis in cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 4.537; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.304-15.782; p = 0.017 and HR: 5.598; 95% CI, 1.581-19.823; p = 0.008, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Uterine invasion is an independent predictor of decreased survival and the presence of paraaortic lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer. The presence of the uterine invasion in cervical cancer should be considered as a poor prognostic factor in the decision of treatment.

Relationship Between Adult Separation Anxiety and Attachment Styles and Vaginismus.

BACKGROUND: Vaginismus has an unknown etiology, is comorbid with anxiety, and is the most common sexual dysfunction in sexual dysfunction outpatient clinics in Turkey. AIM: This study aimed to determine the frequency of adult separation anxiety disorder (ASAD) and styles of attachment in patients with vaginismus and to investigate its relationship with female sexual dysfunction. METHODS: Sixty women with vaginismus and 60 healthy controls were compared using the Relationship Scales Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (ASA-27). OUTCOMES: We report the results of the questionnaires with their implication on the etiology of vaginismus. RESULTS: Separation anxiety and fearful and dismissive avoidance attachment style in the vaginismus group were significantly higher than in the control group. Both total FSFI scores and arousal, pain, and satisfaction subscale scores were higher in the control group. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: ASAD should be evaluated and addressed separately, when necessary, in the treatment of vaginismus. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: The relationship between ASAD and vaginismus has been shown for the first time. Study limitations included the assessment of factors influencing the study results based on self-reporting and possible recall bias. CONCLUSION: Attachment and comorbidity research in vaginismus needs to shift from just reporting disturbances, to identify various clinical variables, such as the severity of the vaginismus, response to therapy, and differences in therapeutic modalities, in terms of outcome. Unlubilgin E, Tetik S, Aksoy I, et al. Relationship Between Adult Separation Anxiety and Attachment Styles and Vaginismus. J Sex Med 2021;18:1752-1758.

Recurrence pattern and prognostic factors for survival in cervical cancer with lymph node metastasis.

AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate the recurrence pattern and oncological outcomes in cervical cancer (CC) patients with lymph node metastasis. METHODS: This study included 224 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 stage IB1-IIIB CC patients with pathologically proven lymph node metastasis. Surgical intervention was grouped as hysterectomy performed/not performed. Adjuvant therapy decision was made by the tumor board. Radiotherapy was applied to all patients with lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: Only paraaortic lymph node metastasis was determined as an independent prognostic factor for recurrence. Presence of paraaortic lymph node metastasis increased the risk of recurrence more than two times (odds ratio: 2.129; 95% confidence interval: 1.011-4.485; p = 0.047). An independent prognostic factor for death because of disease was age only. Risk of death was nearly doubled with younger age (odds ratio: 2.693; 95% confidence interval: 1.064-6.184; p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: The most of recurrences were located at distant sites and multiple regions. Paraaortic lymph node metastasis was the only independent prognostic factor for recurrence, in spite of that age was an independent predictor for risk of death in patients with early stage or locally advanced CC and also with surgically proven metastatic lymph nodes. Furthermore, the presence of the paraaortic lymph node metastasis was significantly associated with distant recurrence. Therefore, more appropriate and individualized therapy strategy focusing on intenser systemic chemotherapy options in addition to radiotherapy should be taken into consideration according to paraaortic lymph node metastasis and age.