Performance of human papillomavirus (HPV) mRNA testing and HPV 16 and 18/45 genotyping combined with age stratification in the triaging of women with ASC-US cytology.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the clinical performance of an HPV E6/E7 mRNA assay (Aptima HPV, AHPV) and AHPV 16 18/45 genotype assay (AHPV-GT) combined with age stratification for triaging women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) cytology. METHODS: In total, 3052 women >21 years old with ASC-US cytology underwent AHPV testing, and AHPV-positive samples were reflex-tested with the AHPV-GT test. All women were referred for colposcopy and then biopsy if indicated. The AHPV and AHPV-GT test performances and risk estimates by hrHPV status with age stratification were calculated. RESULTS: Overall, 1599 women (52.4%) tested AHPV positive; of these women, 225 (7.4%), 101 (3.3%) and 1273 (41.7%) tested HPV 16+, HPV 18/45+ and other hrHPV-genotype-positive. When identifying CIN3+, the AHPV test had a 93.2% sensitivity and achieved a higher NPV (99.7% vs. 98.5%, P < 0.001) but a lower PPV (4.3% vs. 10.4%, P < 0.001) than the AHPV-GT test. The immediate risks of CIN3+ in AHPV+, other hrHPV+, and AHPV-GT+ women were 4.3%, 2.7%, and 10.4%, respectively. In the 21-24-year-old group, the immediate risks were 1.6%, 2.0% and 0.0%, which were below the 4.0% threshold for immediate colposcopy. The immediate colposcopy referral rate for AHPV-positive/ASC-US women 25 years or older was reduced from 51.7% to 10.5% by the AHPV-GT risk stratification method. CONCLUSIONS: AHPV testing with age stratification is effective for triaging women with ASC-US cytology. AHPV-GT testing may be a proper risk stratification method for women with AHPV-positive ASC-US cytology.

Impact of Tumor-Stroma Ratio on the Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: It is critical to develop a reliable and cost-effective prognostic tool for colorectal cancer (CRC) stratification and treatment optimization. Tumor-stroma ratio (TSR) may be a promising indicator of poor prognosis in CRC patients. As a result, we conducted a systematic review on the predictive value of TSR in CRC. METHODS: This study was carried out according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guideline. An electronic search was completed using commonly used databases PubMed, CENTRAL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google scholar till the last search up to May 30, 2021. STATA version 13 was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies [(12 for disease-free survival (DFS) and nine studies for overall survival (OS)] involving 4,857 patients met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review in the present study. In individuals with stage II CRC, stage III CRC, or mixed stage CRC, we observed a significantly higher pooled hazard ratio (HR) in those with a low TSR/greater stromal content (HR, 1.54; 95% CI: 1.20 to 1.88), (HR, 1.90; 95% CI: 1.35 to 2.45), and (HR, 1.70; 95% CI: 1.45 to 1.95), respectively, for predicting DFS. We found that a low TSR ratio had a statistically significant predictive relevance for stage II (HR, 1.43; 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.77) and mixed stages of CRC (HR, 1.65; 95% CI: 1.31 to 2.0) for outcome OS. CONCLUSION: In patients with CRC, low TSR was found to be a prognostic factor for a worse prognosis (DFS and OS).

Outcomes of Trachelectomy vs. Hysterectomy for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To provide updated evidence on comparative efficacy for clinical outcomes of radical trachelectomy and radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google scholar databases. Studies were done in patients with early-stage cervical cancer that compared the outcomes between radical trachelectomy (RT) and hysterectomy (RH) were considered for inclusion in the review. The outcomes of interest were operative time, the volume of blood loss, need for blood transfusion, any complications, length of hospital stay, risk of recurrence, and survival. The strength of association was presented in the form of pooled relative risk (RR), hazards risk (HR), and weighted mean difference (WMD). Statistical analysis was done using STATA version 16.0. Results: A total of 12 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The majority were retrospective cohort-based studies. Compared to RH, the operative time (in min) was comparatively higher in RT (WMD 23.43, 95% CI: 5.63, 41.24). Patients undergoing RT had blood loss (in ml) similar to those undergoing RT (WMD -81.34, 95% CI: -170.36, 7.68). There were no significant differences in the risk of intra-operative (RR 1.61, 95% CI: 0.49, 5.28) and post-operative complications (RR 1.13, 95% CI: 0.54, 2.40) between the two groups. Patients in the RT group had lesser duration of post-operative hospital stay (in days) (WMD -1.65, 95% CI: -3.22, -0.09). There was no statistically significant difference in the risk of recurrence (HR 1.21, 95% CI: 0.68, 2.18), 5-year overall survival (HR 1.00, 95% CI: 0.99, 1.02), and recurrence-free survival (HR 0.99, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.01) between the two groups. Conclusion: Among the patients with early-stage cervical cancer, RT is similar to RH in safety and clinical outcomes. Future studies with a randomized design and larger sample sizes are needed to further substantiate these findings.

[Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of Ovarian Thecoma].

Objective To investigate the magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)findings of ovarian thecomas and improve the accuracy of preoperative MRI diagnosis of the disease.Methods A retrospective analysis of 48 patients with ovarian thecoma confirmed by operation and pathology was performed.According to the maximum diameter,the lesions were divided into≥5 cm and <5 cm groups and analyzed in terms of location,size,shape,boundary,cystic necrosis,T1WI/T2WI signals,DWI characteristics,enhancement features,and pelvic effusion.The diagnostic score was evaluated by MRI(the highest score was 6 points).Results All the 48 lesions were single.In the≥5 cm group(n=39),the tumor boundary was clear in 37 cases and unclear in 2 cases;necrosis was found in 35 cases;T1WI showed equal signals in 23 cases and equal low signals in 16 cases;T2WI showed equal signals in 7 cases,equal low signals in 23 cases,and slightly higher signals in 9 cases;DWI showed high signals in 23 cases and mixed high signals in 16 cases;dynamic enhanced scans showed slight enhancement in all cases;33 patients had different degrees of pelvic fluid;score evaluation showed 6 points in 33 cases,5 points in 2 cases,4 points in 2 cases,and 3 points in 2 cases.In the <5 cm group(n=9),all lesions had clear boundaries;cystic necrosis was seen in 3 cases;T1WI showed equal signals in 3 cases and equal low signals in 6 cases;T2WI showed equal signals in 2 cases,equal low signals in 4 cases,and slightly higher signal in 3 cases;DWI showed high signals;the dynamic enhancement of the lesions showed slight enhancement in 8 cases and significant enhancement in one case;a small amount of pelvic fluid was seen in 4 cases;score evaluation revealed 6 points in 3 cases,5 points in 1 case,4 points in 4 cases,and 3 points in 1 case.The incidences of pelvic effusion(χ2=6.680,P=0.010)and cyst necrosis(χ2=14.109,P<0.001)in the≥5 cm group were significantly higher than those in the <5 cm group.The number of patients with cystic lesions with elevated estrogen levels was significantly higher than that of patients without cystic lesions(χ2=5.847,P=0.016;contingency coefficeient=0.330).Conclusions Large ovarian thecomas have high or mixed high signals on DWI;they are often accompanied by pelvic fluid and cystic necrosis,and the cystic necrosis is common and has small involvement.For small ovarian thecomas,DWI often reveals high signals,and cystic necrosis is rare.MRI score evaluation combined with patient's age and other factors is helpful to improve the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis.

Analysis of magnetic resonance imaging features of ovarian thecoma.

To investigate the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in ovarian thecoma and improve preoperative diagnostic accuracy.Retrospective analysis was performed on 45 patients with surgically and pathologically confirmed ovarian thecoma. Patients were grouped into those with maximum lesion diameter ≥5 cm and <5 cm. Diagnostic scores (up to 6 points) were evaluated on the basis of MRI performance.The ≥5 cm group contained 36 cases (cystic necrosis, 32 cases) with the following findings: T1WI: isointense signal, 22 cases; slightly hypointense signal, 14 cases; T2WI: isointense signal, 6 cases; slightly hypointense signal, 21 cases; slightly hyperintense signal, 9 cases; Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI): hyperintense signal, 23 cases; mixed hyperintense signal, 13 cases; slight enhancement on dynamic enhanced scans; pelvic fluid accumulation, 31 cases. The diagnostic score evaluations yielded 6 points in 31 cases, 5 points in 1 case, 4 points in 2 cases, and 3 points in 2 cases. The <5 cm group contained 9 cases (cystic necrosis, 3 cases) with the following findings: T1WI: isointense signal, 3 cases; slightly hypointense signal, 6 cases; T2WI: isointense signal, 2 cases; slightly hypointense signal, 4 cases; slightly hyperintense signal, 3 cases; DWI, hyperintense signal; slight enhancement in 8 cases and significant enhancement in 1 case; pelvic fluid accumulation, 4 cases. The diagnostic score evaluations yielded 6 points in 3 cases, 5 points in 1 case, 4 points in 4 cases, and 3 points in 1 case. (iii) Incidence of pelvic fluid accumulation and cystic necrosis differed depending on the size of the lesion (P = .007, .000).Larger lesions show hyperintense or mixed hyperintense signals on DWI along with pelvic fluid and cystic necrosis; whereas, smaller lesions show a hyperintense signal on DWI, cystic necrosis is rare. MRI characteristics along with the patient age and laboratory findings can improve the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis of these lesions.

Prevalence and Characteristics of hrHPV Infection among 414,540 Women: A Multicenter Study in Central and Eastern China.

Objectives: Understanding the prevalence and characteristics of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) with the large-scale multicenter data based on a US FDA-approved testing method is important to guide ongoing vaccination programs in China. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study based on data from 11 large hospitals in central and eastern China. From October 1st, 2012 to December 31st, 2016, a total of 480,034 cervical specimens were collected, and 414,540 eligible participants (14-80 years, mean age 39.9 years) were included and tested using Cervista High-Risk HPV Assay (Hologic Inc., Bedford, Mass, USA). Results: The overall hrHPV prevalence in this study was 17.8% (73,713/414,540), with Wuhan slightly higher than Zhejiang (18.6% vs. 17.6%, P < 0.001). The prevalence showed a declining trend from 2012 to 2016. The most common hrHPV group was A9 (61.7%), followed by A5/A6 (29.4%) and A7 (25.6%). A U-shaped curve was observed for age-specific hrHPV prevalence: ≤19 years and ≥50 years were higher than other age groups. Conclusion: In pre-vaccination period, A9 was the most dominant hrHPV group, and infections were most likely to occur at younger and older ages. The prevalence of hrHPV varied by cities and age groups, suggesting vaccination programs should be propagated in a population-specific approach.

Association of age and viral factors with high-risk HPV persistence: A retrospective follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical HR-HPV persistence is the main risk factor for cervical cancer. We aimed to investigate the association of age and viral factors with HR-HPV persistence. METHODS: From 2010 to 2017, 343,128 women underwent 390,411 tests performed by the Cervista HR-HPV assay (Data C3) and 157,123 women underwent 206,505 tests performed by the GenoArray HR-HPV assay (Data G14) in nine medical centers located in central and eastern China. We combined the test results and identified 9234 HPV-specific baseline-negative records for time-to-event analyses. The study endpoint event was defined as clearance of type/group-specific HPV. Therefore, hazard ratio (HR) < 1 indicated a higher risk of HPV persistence, which is contrary to the common meaning of HR. RESULTS: The median persistence time was 375 and 541.5 days for Data C3 and Data G14, respectively. For every 5-year increase in age, a 15% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11%-19%) decrease in the clearance rate was observed only after 400 days of infection. For each additional co-infected HPV, the HR was 1.80 (95% CI, 1.63-1.97) on infection initiation but decreased by 22% (95% CI, 18%-26%) every 100 days. The HR of infection recurrence was 0.48 (95% CI, 0.32-0.72). The findings were consistent across different populations and test methods and were robust in sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: We found a time-dependent association of age and viral factors with HPV clearance. Older age reduced HPV clearance only after 400 days of infection. Co-infection promoted HPV clearance in the beginning, but the effect attenuated and reversed as infection persisted. Recurrent same-type infection cleared slower than the previous one.