[Immunological aspects of ovarian cancer: Therapeutic perspectives]. / Aspects immunologiques du cancer de l'ovaire : perspectives thérapeutiques.

Ovarian cancer is recognized by the immunological system of its host. Initially, it is effective to destroy and eliminate the cancer. But gradually, resistant tumor cells more aggressive and those able to protect themselves by inducing immune tolerance will be selected. Immunotherapy to be effective should consider both components of immune response with an action on cytotoxic immune effectors and action on tolerance mechanisms. The manipulations of the immune system should be cautious, because the immune effects are not isolated. A theoretically efficient handling may simultaneously cause an adverse effect which was not envisaged and could neutralize the benefits of treatment. Knowledge of tolerance mechanisms set up by the tumor is for the clinician a prerequisite before they prescribe these treatments. For each cancer, the knowledge of its immunological status is a prerequisite to propose adapted immunological therapies.

Pelvic endometriosis in women under 25: a specific management?

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of women under 25 years with pelvic endometriosis and assess their potential for recurrence and fertility after surgery. METHODS: In a comparative retrospective study, 108 patients aged less than 25 years who underwent surgery for pelvic endometriosis were included: 49 in the DIE group (deep infiltrating endometriosis) and 59 in the SE group (superficial endometriosis). The main outcome measures were complications, recurrence and fertility. This study received the favorable opinion of the CEROG No 2012-GYN-04-02. RESULTS: The diagnosis was made at 21.6 ± 2.8 years, mainly considering clinical signs (78.4%), and on average 4.3 ± 3.7 years after the onset of symptoms; 16.1% of patients had to be reoperated (N.=5/31) due to a recurrence of their endometriosis. There were more recurrent pain (50% vs. 21.7%, P=0.005) and endometriosis (35.7 vs. 19.6%, P=0.08) in the DIE group. 75% (N.=33/44) patients desired pregnancy after surgery and 50% of them became pregnant, with one third thanks to assisted reproductive technology. CONCLUSION: In young women, endometriosis is often more severe. The early treatment does not improve the rate of recurrence and fertility, but can reduce pain and thus improve the quality of life.

How to improve the preoperative staging of presumed early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer?

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: Accurate preoperative staging of early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) is necessary to avoid under or over surgical treatment. The objective is to determine the rate of understaging and to evaluate the accuracy of different methods: hysteroscopy-curettage versus endometrial biopsy in predicting the final stage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective single-centre study led from 2000 to 2010, included women with EEC preoperatively assessed at low- or intermediate-risk. Understaging was defined as a postoperative FIGO Stage > 1 or a determination of high risk after the final histopathologic diagnosis. RESULTS: The study included 101 women (75 low-risk and 26 intermediate-risk). Final diagnosis was upstaged for 26 of them, more frequently in the presumed intermediate-risk group (57.7% vs 14.7%, p < 0.001). The rate of preoperative understaging was higher in the women with endometrial biopsies than those with curettage (34.5% vs 15.2%, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Hysteroscopy-curettage combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may improve preoperative staging of early-stage EEC, especially for presumed intermediate-risk disease.

[Impact of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging on surgical management: experience of two university hospitals]. / Impact de l'IRM mammaire préopératoire sur la prise en charge chirurgicale des cancers du sein: expérience de deux centres hospitaliers universitaires.

OBJECTIVES: Breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has attained a solid position in the diagnosis of breast cancer but its benefit is still to be confirmed in the preoperative staging. The authors assessed the impact of preoperative breast MRI on surgical management of breast cancer in two university hospitals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective review was realized in two university hospitals and concerned all patients with breast carcinoma who had a surgical first therapy. We selected 89 patients who underwent preoperative breast MRI in the period between January 2008 and December 2009. RESULTS: The sensitivity of breast MRI for detecting breast tumor was 95%. Fourteen percent of patients had a multifocal disease, 10% a multicentric disease and 2% a synchronous bilateral cancer. The correlation of radiological tumor size with histopathological size was r=0.68 in IRM compared to r=0.45 in conventional imaging (P<0.001). Nineteen additional biopsies were performed and 9.9% of false-positive findings were detected. Retrospectively, planned surgical management was altered in 9% of patients, resulted from use of breast MRI. Six patients had conversion of planned breast conservation to mastectomy and two patients underwent contralateral lumpectomy after discover synchronous bilateral cancer. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Breast MRI was very sensitive for the detection of breast carcinoma and improved local staging in almost 9% of patients. But, low specificity of this imaging requires a systematically validation of additional lesions by biopsy before surgical planning.

[Trophoblast: conductor of the maternal immune tolerance]. / Le trophoblaste: chef d'orchestre de la tolérance immunologique maternelle.

Pregnancy is a temporary semi-allograft that survives for nine months. The importance of this event for the survival of the species justifies several tolerance mechanisms that are put into place at the beginning of pregnancy, some of which occur even at the time of implantation. The description of these mechanisms underlines the leadership of the trophoblast. The trophoblast is the conductor of the events, protects himself by expressing specific antigens and regulates the environment of the decidua according to the calendar of the events of the pregnancy The trophoblast and the decidual environment attract the effectors of immunity, almost all present in the decidua. The immunological atmosphere of the decidua evolves during the pregnancy modulating the level of activation of the immunological cells and adapting the level of activation to the stage of the pregnancy.

[Is radical hysterectomy necessary in surgical procedure for early stage cervical cancer?]. / La colpohystérectomie élargie a-t-elle encore une place dans le traitement des cancers du col débutants?

OBJECTIVE: Radical hysterectomy is one of the treatment options for early stage cervical cancer. This surgery results in significant morbidity, especially urinary complications. The objective of the study is to determine the rate and predictive factors of parametrial involvement in early stage cervical cancer and to define a subset of patient at low risk for parametrial disease and potential applicant to less morbid surgery. METHODS: This review reports recent retrospective and prospective studies and we show randomized trial concerning feasibility of no radical surgery. RESULTS: Parametrial involvement rate in tumors <2 cm, without lymphovascular space invasion, with negative lymph nodes and depth of invasion <10mm is between 0 and 1.96%. CONCLUSION: This result, which suggests simple hysterectomy, is maybe adequate in this case. At present, no randomized trial allows to validate this hypothesis and to change present practices. Radical hysterectomy stays standard of surgical treatment of early stage cervical cancer.

[Reexcision for positive margins in the surgery of ductal carcinoma in situ: are there any risk factors?]. / Reprise chirurgicale des carcinomes canalaires in situ pour exérèse non in sano : existe-t-il des facteurs de risque ?

OBJECTIVES: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a common breast lesion (10% of breast cancers). In most of the cases the standard treatment is a partial mastectomy combined with adjuvant irradiation. However, when positive margins (<2mm) occur, surgical re-excision is necessary. The purpose of our study was to determine the rate of reoperation for positive margins in DCIS and identify potential preoperative risk factors of unhealthy margins. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study of 63 patients. We collected cases of DCIS at the Lille and Valenciennes' hospitals from the 1st of January 2007 till the 1st of January 2012. RESULTS: Fifty patients have had a partial mastectomy and 28 patients (56%) have had one or two complementary interventions to get healthy resection margins. The pathologic tumor size (>10mm) appears to be a risk factor for positive margins. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Few studies were aimed at identifying risk factors for unhealthy margins for DCIS. The main risk factors found in the literature are: the presence of comedonecrosis, tumor greater than 10mm, a palpable tumor, the absence of a preoperative biopsy, the low-grade lesions. Our study confirmed the influence of tumor size greater than 10mm as a risk factor for positive margins.

[Diagnosis and management of uterine perforations after intrauterine device insertion: a report of 11 cases]. / Diagnostic et prise en charge des perforations utérines par dispositif intra-utérin: à partir de 11 cas.

OBJECTIVE: Intrauterine device insertion is common. It is however not harmless and uterine perforation can be serious. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eleven cases of uterine perforation after intrauterine device insertion were listed at Tourcoing hospital between 2005 and 2009. They were analyzed to identify risk factors of uterine perforation and specify management. RESULTS: The main symptom was pelvic pain (4 cases), pregnancy occurrence (3 cases) or inability to remove the IUD (2 cases). The intrauterine device was set during the first 9 months of post-partum in 7 cases, 2 patients were still breastfeeding. Seven patients underwent laparoscopy, 2 needed switch for laparotomy, one was treated by laparotomy only and one was lost of follow-up. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Incidence of uterine perforation after IUD insertion ranges from 0,1 to 3/1000. Pelvic pain is the most revealing symptom. Fifteen percent of perforations complicate with adjacent organ lesion. Perforation incidence seems greater if the intrauterine device is set during the 6 first weeks of post-partum and breastfeeding, but non influenced by operator practical experience. Ultrasound follow-up of patients carrying intrauterine device is controversial. Facing a suspicion of ectopic intrauterine device, pelvic ultrasound examination is the first step imaging modality and using 3D could be useful. If it fails to localize the intrauterine device, an abdominal X-ray must be performed. Ectopic intrauterine device removal is recommended.

[Immunological analogies between ovarian cancer and pregnancy]. / Analogies immunologiques du cancer de l'ovaire et de la grossesse.

During pregnancy an environment allowing installation of tolerance toward the fetus is set up locally at the materno-fetal interface. Numerous effectors of immunity are involved in this tolerance (NK cell, T cell, Macrophages, dendritic cell). Specific mechanisms during pregnancy attract locally these immunological cells. In the decidua, they are educated toward tolerance. These mechanisms evolve during the pregnancy because at the end of the pregnancy, tolerance is broken to prepare and activate the labor. Ovarian tumors, after having surmounted the immunosurveillance, like trophoblast, chair the installation of a tolerance of their host facilitating the development of the disease. The blocking of these mechanisms of tolerance coupled with activation of mechanisms of defenses offer new perspectives in the treatment of the ovarian cancer. The authors suggest showing the analogies of the tolerance observed during ovarian cancer and pregnancy. The knowledge of the orchestration of the physiological mechanisms observed during pregnancy will offer new therapeutic targets.

The place of robotics in gynecologic surgery.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic gynecologic surgery has undergone widespread development in recent years. The surgical literature on this subject continues to grow. The goal of this article is to summarize the principal indications for robotic assistance in gynecologic surgery and to offer a general overview of the principal articles dealing with robotic surgery for both benign and malignant disease.

[Immunological aspect of pregnancy]. / Aspects immunologiques de la grossesse.

Pregnancy is a temporary semi-allograft that survives for nine months. The importance of this event for the survival of the species justifies several tolerance mechanisms that are put into place at the beginning of pregnancy, some of which occur even at the time of implantation. The presence of multiple tolerance mechanisms and the richness of the means employed underline the central importance of the trophoblast. Understanding these mechanisms, and in particular, their integration into an overall scheme, enables the anomalies encountered in certain pathologies of pregnancy to be placed into context. Understanding these mechanisms and their interruption at the end of pregnancy should improve our understanding of disappointing results from current immunological treatments facilitate the implementation of new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies.

[Except fertility, place of myomectomy in perimenopause and after menopause]. / Hors fertilité, place de la myomectomie en périménopause et après la ménopause.

More and more perimenopausal and menopausal women seek an alternative to hysterectomy because they desire future pregnancy or wish to retain their uteri even if they have completed childbearing. Myomectomy may be an option. We can't know the evolution of leiomyomas. Hysteroscopic myomectomy is the treatment of submucous fibromas. Recurrence and subsequent surgery occurs in 16 to 21 % of cases. Intramural and subserousal myomas can be treated by myomectomy. Myomectomy should be performed laparoscopically because of shorter hospital stay, faster recovery and reduced postoperative pain. Second surgery is needed in 4-16 % of patients. If hysterectomy is performed, it should be by vaginal or laparoscopic route. There is no difference in perioperative morbidity between hysterectomy and myomectomy. Intra- and postoperative complications are similar between myomectomy and hysterectomy. Hysterectomy may be prefered if there is risk factor of malignancy or if the fibroma is discovered or has a rapid growth after menopause.

[Management of pregnant women with advanced cervical cancer: About five cases observed in Lille from 2002 till 2009. Evaluation of practices referring to the new French recommendations of 2008]. / Cancer du col utérin invasif et grossesse : cinq cas observés à Lille de 2002 à 2009. Évaluation des pratiques en référence aux recommandations françaises.

PURPOSE: An update on the management of invasive cervical cancer (from stage IB) diagnosed during pregnancy with reference to the recent French guidelines. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients for whom invasive cervical cancer was diagnosed during pregnancy and managed jointly by Jeanne-de-Flandres and Roubaix maternity and by Oscar-Lambret cancer center between 2002 and 2009. RESULTS: Five patients were included: four stage IB1, and one stage IB2. Five pregnancies resulted in the birth of six alive children. Three patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy during pregnancy. One patient had a laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy in first trimester. Two laparoscopic extraperitoneal paraortic lymphadenectomy have been made. The mean time of survey is 47.5 months (12-94 months). One patient died of her cancer. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of cervical cancer during pregnancy involves the same therapeutic guidelines in the absence of pregnancy. The laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy (up to 20 to 24 weeks of gestation) is crucial in the therapeutic treatment for tumors less than 4cm. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is used during pregnancy for patients refusing medical termination of pregnancy.

[Fetal microchimerism: self and non-self, finally who are we?]. / Microchimérisme fœtal: soi et non soi, finalement qui sommes-nous?

For a long time, the conventional view was that the fetus and maternal vascular system are kept separate. In fact there is a two-way traffic of immune cells through the placenta and the transplacental passage of cells is in fact the norm. The fetal cells can persist in a wide range of woman's tissue following a pregnancy or an abortion and she becomes a chimera. Fetal cells have been found in the maternal circulation and they were shown to persist for almost three decades in humans, thus demonstrating long-term engraftment and survival capabilities. Microchimerism is a subject of much interest for a number of reasons. Studies of fetal microchimerism during pregnancy may offer explanations for complications of pregnancy, such as preeclampsia, as well as insights into the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease which usually ameliorates during pregnancy. The impact that the persistence of allogenic cells of fetal origin and the maternal immunological response to them has on the mother's health and whether it is detrimental or beneficial to the mother is still not clear. Although microchimerism has been implicated in some autoimmune diseases, fetal microchimerism is common in healthy individuals. On the beneficial side, it has been proposed that genetically disparate fetal microchimerism provides protection against some cancers, that fetal microchimerism can afford the mother new alleles of protection to some diseases she has not, that fetal microchimerism can enlarge the immunological repertoire of the mother improving her defense against aggressor. Fetal cells are often present at sites of maternal injury and may have an active role in the repair of maternal tissues.

[Is fetal microchimerism beneficial for the fetus or the mother]. / Microchimérisme fœtal : un bien ou un mal pour le fœtus et sa mère ?

There is a two-way traffic of cells through the placenta during the pregnancy (feta and maternal microchimerisms). Fetal cells migrate in the maternal body where they are present long after birth. The fetal microchimerism may be deleterious for the mother when implicated in the induction of autoimmune diseases and of repeated abortion. Usually fetal microchimerism is beneficial for the mothers. Fetal cells can repair damaged tissues, transmit paternal resistance alleles, improve the directory of T cell receptors. In cancer, the effects are more contrasted, beneficial and protective for certain cancers, harmful and favouring the development for the others. The phenomenon of fetal and maternal microchimerisms inspires numerous questions and offers new perspectives on the biology of pregnancy and cancer, on pathogenesis of auto-immunity, of the transplantations, without forgetting the biology of the heredity because these cells could bring resistance or risk alleles for some diseases from the father towards the mother through the fetus, through the mother to the fetus, from the first fetus of a first pregnancy to the next fetus through the woman.

[Vaginal mesh for pelvic organ prolapse repair]. / Place du matériel prothétique dans le traitement du prolapsus par voie vaginale.

The use of mesh for pelvic organ prolapse repair through the vaginal route has increased within the last decade. The main objective is to improve anatomical results (based on the superiority of sacropexy with meshes when compared to vaginal traditional surgery), with the advantages of the vaginal route. An increasing number of cohort series and randomized control trials have been published. There is level-1 evidence that the use of mesh for the treatment of cystocele through the vaginal route improves anatomical results when compared to traditional surgery. The rates of complications between these two techniques seem equivalent, even for de novo dyspareunia.

[Twenty-two cases of uterine carcinosarcomas]. / À propos de 22 cas de carcinosarcomes utérins.

OBJECTIVES: Twenty-two uterine carcinosarcomas were treated and followed in two centers over 10 years. We wanted to describe them and review the literature on the subject. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We describe all uterine carcinosarcomas treated in Lille, over 10 years, both in department of gynecology, Hospital Jeanne-de-Flandre (11 patients), and in department of gynecologic oncology of Centre Oscar-Lambret (11 patients). RESULTS: For the 22 patients included, we give age at time of diagnosis, body mass index, pre and post surgical histology, details of surgical treatment, adjuvant treatment and evolution of the pathology. Mean age at time of diagnosis was 69.6. Sixty-eight percent of patients had overweight or obesity. Revealing symptoms were in 91% of cases post-menopausal meno- or metrorrhagias. Preoperatively, histology had an important number of false negative and, 57% of diagnoses were ignored in our study. All patients had first intention surgery, only 54% were yet at an early stage. Sixteen had association radiotherapy, eight of chemotherapy, two declined any adjuvant treatment. Ten patients died with a mean survival of 12.9 months, eight had a good evolution still at 35 months, two had recent pelvic relapse, two were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: Uterine carcinosarcomas are rare, aggressive, yet not very well known tumors. First line treatment will be surgery with peritoneal cytology, hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, pelvic and sometimes lumbo-aortic lymphadenectomy, omentectomy, peritoneal biopsies. Adjuvant chemotherapy has shown its interest in this type of tumor. Radiotherapy is still debated.

[Mature and immature ovarian teratomas: US, CT and MR imaging features]. / Tératomes ovariens matures et immatures: caractéristiques en échographie, TDM et IRM.

Mature cystic ovarian teratomas, also called dermoid cysts, are one of the most frequent ovarian tumors of younger female patients and are suggested when a fat-containing cystic tumor is identified on imaging. However, the presence of fat is not pathognomonic for dermoid cyst, and it may also be identified in immature teratomas, whose prognosis and treatment are different. Some imaging features are helpful to differentiate between both tumors, including th epresence of enhancement on CT and MRI. Knowledge of the imaging features of these tumors allows for a confident diagnosis to be made in most cases. A few rare and less typical imaging features should also be recognized.

[Breast cancer and pregnancy]. / Cancer du sein et grossesse.

UNLABELLED: As maternal age at the time of pregnancy continues to increase and the incidence of breast cancer is raising, the incidence of pregnancy associated with breast cancer can be expected to increase. A review of the literature was performed to help identify optimal treatment strategies. METHODS: a search of electronic databases between 1967 and the present identifies studies reporting breast cancer associated with pregnancy. There is a paucity of prospective studies regarding diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer during pregnancy. Women diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy have similar disease characteristics to age-matched controls. Current evidence suggests that diagnosis may be carried out with limitations regarding staging. Surgical treatment may be performed as for the non-pregnant women. Radiotherapy and endocrine or antibody treatment should be postponed until after delivery. Chemotherapy is allowed after the first trimester. Breast cancer in pregnancy is an uncommon phenomenon but one which poses dilemmas for patients and their physicians. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended for optimal clinical decision making. But physicians should be aggressive in the workup of breast symptoms in the pregnant population to expedite diagnosis.