ESTRO/ESGO/SIOPe Guidelines for the management of patients with vaginal cancer.

Primary vaginal malignancies are rare, comprising only 2% of all female genital tract malignancies in adults and 4.5% in children. As part of its mission to improve the quality of care for women with gynecological cancers across Europe, the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) jointly with the European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology (ESTRO) and the European Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOPe) developed evidence-based guidelines in order to improve the management of patients with vaginal cancer within a multidisciplinary setting.ESTRO/ESGO/SIOPe nominated practicing clinicians who are involved in the management of vaginal cancer patients and have demonstrated leadership through their expertise in clinical care and research, their national and international engagement and profile as well as dedication to the topics addressed to serve on the expert panel (13 experts across Europe comprising the international development group). To ensure that the statements were evidence based, the current literature was reviewed and critically appraised.In the case of absence of any clear scientific evidence, judgment was based on the professional experience and consensus of the international development group. Prior to publication, the guidelines were reviewed by 112 independent international practitionners in cancer care delivery and patient representatives and their comments and input were incorporated and addressed accordingly.These guidelines cover comprehensively the diagnostic pathways as well as the surgical, radiotherapeutical and systemic management and follow-up of adult patients (including those with rare histological subtypes) and pediatric patients (vaginal rhabdomyosarcoma and germ cell tumours) with vaginal tumours.

High-grade vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia after hysterectomy for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: Is hysterectomy a "definitive" treatment compared to conization?

AIM: We investigated the frequency of early recurrence of vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 (VaIN 2/3) (within 2 years) after hysterectomy for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3). The characteristics of the clinicopathological factors common to them were explored including different surgical methods. METHODS: As a retrospective observational study, a total of 647 CIN3 patients were divided into a conization and hysterectomy group (C group, n = 492; H group, n = 155), and HSIL (CIN2/3 or VaIN2/3) recurrence within 2 years after surgery was evaluated. A stratified analyses was performed. Surgical methods were divided into trans-abdominal, trans-vaginal, and laparoscopic. RESULTS: The recurrence of VaIN3 was detected in four cases (2.6%) in the H group, which was similar to that of CIN2/3 in the C group, 12 out of 491 patients (2.4%). The patients who developed VaIN3 were significantly older than those who did not (median, VaIN3: 71.0; VaIN1 and less: 48.0; p < 0.0001). All VaIN3 cases were detected within 5 months, although majority of cases were negative in the margin (3/4 cases; margin negative). The method of hysterectomy was not related to the VaIN3 recurrence. CONCLUSION: For CIN3 patients for whom hysterectomy is the main treatment, VaIN3 can develop in 2.6% within very shortly after operation even if surgical margin was negative. The elder the age, the higher the risk of early recurrence could be. Laparoscopic surgery is considered to be acceptable methods of hysterectomy.

The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD), the European College for the Study of Vulval Disease (ECSVD), and the European Federation for Colposcopy (EFC) Consensus Statement on the Management of Vaginal Intraepithelial Neoplasia.

ABSTRACT: The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO), the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD), the European College for the Study of Vulval Disease (ECSVD), and the European Federation for Colposcopy (EFC) developed consensus statements on pre-invasive vulvar lesions in order to improve the quality of care for patients with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN). The management of VaIN varies according to the grade of the lesion: VaIN 1 (low grade vaginal squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL)) can be subjected to follow-up, while VaIN 2-3 (high-grade vaginal SIL) should be treated. Treatment needs individualization according to the patient's characteristics, disease extension and previous therapeutic procedures. Surgical excision is the mainstay of treatment and should be performed if invasion cannot be excluded. Total vaginectomy is used only in highly selected cases of extensive and persistent disease. Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser may be used as both an ablation method and an excisional one. Reported cure rates after laser excision and laser ablation are similar. Topical agents are useful for persistent, multifocal lesions or for patients who cannot undergo surgical treatment. Imiquimod was associated with the lowest recurrence rate, highest human papillomavirus (HPV) clearance, and can be considered the best topical approach. Trichloroacetic acid and 5-fluorouracil are historical options and should be discouraged. For VaIN after hysterectomy for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3, laser vaporization and topical agents are not the best options, since they cannot reach epithelium buried in the vaginal scar. In these cases surgical options are preferable. Brachytherapy has a high overall success rate but due to late side effects should be reserved for poor surgical candidates, having multifocal disease, and with failed prior treatments. VaIN tends to recur and ensuring patient adherence to close follow-up visits is of the utmost importance. The first evaluation should be performed at 6 months with cytology and an HPV test during 2 years and annually thereafter. The implementation of vaccination against HPV infection is expected to contribute to the prevention of VaIN and thus cancer of the vagina. The effects of treatment can have an impact on quality of life and result in psychological and psychosexual issues which should be addressed. Patients with VaIN need clear and up-to-date information on a range of treatment options including risks and benefits, as well as the need for follow-up and the risk of recurrence.

Prognostic nomogram and treatment efficacy analysis for vaginal cancer: A SEER database and external validation study.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the prognosis and treatment decisions for patients with vaginal cancer through a large retrospective cohort study, in order to assist clinicians to evaluate the condition and choose treatment methods. METHODS: This was a retrospective study analyzed with Cox regression, nomogram, and external validation. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used for comparative analysis of various treatment modalities. RESULTS: A total of 6650 cases of vaginal cancer diagnosed between 2000 and 2018 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and 106 cases diagnosed between 2006 and 2021 from Fujian Cancer Hospital were identified. Young age, early FIGO (the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage, well-differentiated, squamous and adenocarcinoma, first primary malignancy, married, undergoing surgery, and chemoradiotherapy were good independent prognostic factors (P < 0.001). The internal and external validation concordance indices were 0.7102 and 0.7785, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy significantly improved survival in patients with vaginal cancer. Forest plots suggest that radiotherapy combined with surgery was superior to radiotherapy alone (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We established a specific nomogram to predict vaginal cancer prognosis. Surgery combined with external beam radiation plus brachytherapy may be the most recommended treatment option.

Innovations in the Management of Vaginal Cancer.

Primary vaginal cancer is a rare gynecologic malignancy. Given the rarity of the disease, standardized approaches to management are limited, and a great variety of therapeutic conditions are endorsed. This paper reviews advances in surgical approaches, radiation, chemoradiation, and immunotherapy. Advances in surgical management including the increasing use of laparoscopic and endoscopic approaches, as well as the novel techniques in vaginal reconstruction, are reviewed. Concurrent chemoradiation remains a mainstay of treatment for vaginal cancer and has improved local control of disease and overall survival. Additionally, with metastatic disease or situations where toxicity from CCRT is unacceptable, systemic therapies including immunotherapy approaches are reviewed.

Pelvic organ prolapse and vaginal cancer: A systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Primary vaginal cancer is a rare gynecologic malignancy. Few cases describing the concurrence of a vaginal tumor with advanced genital prolapse are reported in the literature and there is no consensus on optimal treatment. OBJECTIVES: To investigate available evidence on presentation, treatment, and outcomes of these concurrent conditions. SEARCH STRATEGY: We performed a systematic search of literature indexed on PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane using a combination of keywords and text words represented by "pelvic organ prolapse", "genital prolapse", and "vaginal cancer", "vaginal carcinoma". SELECTION CRITERIA: No article type restrictions were applied. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Twenty-one studies (case reports and two small case series) were incorporated into the review process, for a total of 27 patients. MAIN RESULTS: Management usually involved surgery or primary external beam radiation therapy. External beam radiation therapy was reported to be highly associated with the development of vesicovaginal fistula. A surgical approach was the treatment of choice in most cases. Exclusive interstitial brachytherapy was rarely performed. CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary approach considering risks and benefits is of the utmost importance to provide counseling and tailor treatment strategy in these complex cases.

Amplification of ERBB2 (HER2) in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: A potential treatment target in rare cases?

The ERBB2 gene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase also known as HER2. The gene is amplified and overexpressed in one-fifth of breast carcinomas; patients with such tumors benefit from targeted treatment with trastuzumab or other drugs blocking the receptor. In addition, ERBB2 has been shown to be amplified and/or overexpressed in a variety of other malignancies. Notably, both alveolar and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), especially in children, often show increased expression of ERBB2. Although high-level amplification of the gene has not been described in RMS, its frequent expression at the cell surface of RMS cells has been exploited for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T)-based treatment strategies. We here describe two cases of pediatric, fusion-negative embryonal RMS with high-level amplification of the ERBB2 gene. One patient is currently treated with conventional chemotherapy for a recently detected standard risk RMS, whereas the other patient died from metastatic disease. Both tumors displayed focal amplicons (210 and 274 Kb, respectively) in chromosome band 17q12, with proximal and distal borders corresponding to those typically seen in breast cancer. In both tumors, the ERBB2 amplicon correlated with high expression at the RNA and protein levels. Thus, breast cancer-like ERBB2 amplification is a very rare, but recurrent feature of pediatric RMS, and should be exploited as an alternative treatment target.

Case series: Vaginal pessary for pelvic organ prolapse and its association with vaginal cancer.

Vaginal pessaries have long been used in the management of pelvic organ prolapse as an alternative option for surgery. Vaginal cancer is a very rare form of gynaecological malignancy, and its association with vaginal ring pessaries has yet to be clearly established. We examined the cases of vaginal cancers in a tertiary state hospital for the last three years and found four cases of vaginal cancers, in which three of these cases were associated with a long history of using vaginal ring pessary for pelvic organ prolapse. Two of them had defaulted follow- up and presented with a vaginal mass and vaginal bleeding. These two cases did not have evidence of distant metastases, one of them underwent surgical removal of the tumour and radiotherapy, whilst the other case was initially given neoadjuvant chemotherapy, but the patient died prior to her planned surgery. The third patient declined further investigation and treatment after she was diagnosed with vaginal cancer. In conclusion, such potential serious long term complication from vaginal pessary should be informed prior to its insertion, it is also imperative to ensure compliance to regular follow- up for patients on vaginal pessaries, and to biopsy any suspicious chronic vaginal ulcers.

Cancer of the vagina: 2021 update.

Diagnosis of a primary vaginal cancer is rare, as most vaginal tumors are metastatic from another primary site. Although cancer of the vagina is more common in postmenopausal women, an increase in young women being diagnosed with primary vaginal cancer has been reported, especially in countries with a high HIV prevalence. This is associated with persistence of high-risk HPV infection. The emphasis should be on primary prevention with prophylactic HPV vaccination. Once there is a suspicion of a primary vaginal cancer, this should be confirmed histologically with biopsy. Staging has been done clinically, as with cervical cancer; however, there is a role for imaging in assisting with staging as this is often a difficult assessment. Treatment should be individualized and depends on stage as well as histologic subtype. It is prudent to refer cases to centers of excellence with experience in dealing with this rare gynecological cancer.

Gynecologic tumor board: a radiologist's guide to vulvar and vaginal malignancies.

Primary vulvar and vaginal cancers are rare female genital tract malignancies which are staged using the 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging. These cancers account for approximately 2,700 deaths annually in the USA. The most common histologic subtype of both vulvar and vaginal cancers is squamous cell carcinoma, with an increasing role of the human papillomavirus (HPV) in a significant number of these tumors. Lymph node involvement is the hallmark of FIGO stage 3 vulvar cancer while pelvic sidewall involvement is the hallmark of FIGO stage 3 vaginal cancer. Imaging techniques include computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET)-CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and PET-MRI. MRI is the imaging modality of choice for preoperative clinical staging of nodal and metastatic involvement while PET-CT is helpful with assessing response to neoadjuvant treatment and for guiding patient management. Determining the pretreatment extent of disease has become more important due to modern tailored operative approaches and use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy to reduce surgical morbidity. Moreover, imaging is used to determine the full extent of disease for radiation planning and for evaluating treatment response. Understanding the relevant anatomy of the vulva and vaginal regions and the associated lymphatic pathways is helpful to recognize the potential routes of spread and to correctly identify the appropriate FIGO stage. The purpose of this article is to review the clinical features, pathology, and current treatment strategies for vulvar and vaginal malignancies and to identify multimodality diagnostic imaging features of these gynecologic cancers, in conjunction with its respective 2009 FIGO staging system guidelines.

New developments in rare vulvar and vaginal cancers.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To provide the latest insight on the rare vulvar and vaginal malignancies, able to impact on clinical practice, and to outline new potential research developments. RECENT FINDINGS: Many efforts are being made to produce technical and scientific advances in the fields of vulvar and vaginal carcinoma, including imaging work-up, interventional procedures and minimally invasive surgical approach, as well as molecular profiling and identification of new target treatments. SUMMARY: In the evaluation of lymph node status, ultrasound has demonstrated promising results because of high predictive value, low risk and low cost. Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography is confirmed to be reliable and should be prospectively investigated for its potential applications in radiomics, whilst Fusion-US could allow a precision guidance in diagnostics and interventional procedures. Regarding interventional procedure, surgery is becoming less invasive with the aim to increase quality of life; in carefully selected patients it would be possible to overcome the current strict criteria in the use of sentinel node biopsy. Future research should focus on potential target therapy, on the basis of tumor-specific biological features.Rare cancers should be referred to experienced centers with a high case flow, able to offer a full range of diagnostic and therapeutical options and a multidisciplinary approach. Networking should be encouraged to promote research opportunities and enable data sharing and multicenter trials.

Immunotherapy combined with high- and low-dose radiation to all sites leads to complete clearance of disease in a patient with metastatic vaginal melanoma.

A 73-year-old woman with metastatic vaginal mucosal melanoma that had progressed on ipilimumab and nivolumab experienced clinical and radiographic complete response to dual checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy given in combination with high-dose plus low-dose radiation. General characteristics and treatment options in this disease are highlighted.

GnRH analogue followed by surgery in treatment of vaginal leiomyoma-a case report.

RATIONALE: Vaginal leiomyoma is a rare type of leiomyoma that occurs on the wall of vagina. Treatment for vaginal leiomyoma is varied and is based on the location and size of the leiomyoma. PATIENT CONCERNS: In this case, a 24-year-old newly married Chinese woman complained of dyspareunia. The physical examination revealed a solid mass on the anterior wall of vagina. It almost filled up the whole vagina cavity. DIAGNOSIS: Transvaginal ultrasound showed a tumor on the anterior wall of vagina. Pelvic computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) also confirmed the tumor on vaginal wall. Fine needle aspiration biopsy confirmed fibrous and smooth muscle tissue in the tumor, and immunohistochemical examination found the estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) were positive. INTERVENTIONS: 6 courses of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue were given before the patient underwent complete surgical resection through vagina. OUTCOME: No postoperative complications occurred, and the patient was discharged from the hospital 3 days after surgery. Follow-up after 3 months revealed negative symptoms of genitourinary system. No sign of recurrence was found. CONCLUSION: In this case, vaginal leiomyoma was diagnosed with help of imagological examinations like ultrasound, CT, and MRI, as well as pathological examination like fine needle aspiration biopsy. Preoperative GnRH analogue treatment can ensure smooth surgical procedure, and reduce blood loss during surgery.

Vulvar and vaginal melanomas: A retrospective study spanning 19 years from a tertiary center.

INTRODUCTION: Mucosal melanomas (MM) of the female genital tract are rare a. We aimed to study the prognostic factors of vulvar and vaginal locations of MM. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study conducted between 01/01/2000 and 01/06/2019. RESULT: Of the 33 patients included 25 (75.8 %) had vulvar (VuM) and eight (24.2 %) vaginal melanomas (VaM). VaMs were deeper: median Breslow index: 17.5mm [3.5-22] versus 4.3mm [0.35-18] (p=0.013). Average follow-up was 24.0±59.8 months. Twenty-six patients (78.8 %) experienced recurrence. Disease-free survival was 52.9 % at 1year (64.7 % for VuM and 14.3 % for VaM) and 8.4 % at 3 years (11 % for VuM and 0% for VaM) (p=0.002). Median time to the first recurrence was 9.01 months [CI95 %: 2.07-56.71]. VaM recurred earlier than VuM (3.12 months [CI95 %: 2.07-12.49] versus 17.72 [CI95 %: 3.58-56.71], p=0.011). VaM had a higher risk of recurrence (HR=5.64 [CI95 %: 2.01-15.82], p=0.001) in multivariate analysis. Overall survival was 88.5 % at 1year (100 % for VuM and 50 % for VaM), and 59.4 % at 3 years (69.3 % for VuM and 25 % for VaM). Women with VaM died earlier: median specific death occurrence of 8.76 months [CI95 %: 6.54-24.72] versus 39.61 [CI95 %: 21.89-209.21], p=0.013 (HR=5.08 [CI95 %: 1.39-18.60], p=0.014). A lesion size ≥3cm was associated with an increased risk of mortality (HR=8.45 [CI95 %: 1.60-44.52], p=0.012). In multivariate analysis, vaginal location remained an independent and predictive variable of a higher risk of specific death (HR=8.56 [CI95 %: 1.95-37.64], p=0.005). CONCLUSION: A vaginal location of MM is associated with a poorer prognosis than a vulvar location.

Vaginal metastasis in solid tumours: our four cases and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Vaginal metastasis should be kept in mind when evaluating the staging tests of all cancers, especially endometrial cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: We present four patients with vaginal recurrence who recently applied to our clinic. Three cases were of endometrial cancer and one case of rectal cancer. All patients presented with vaginal bleeding. CONCLUSION: Standard treatment for vaginal metastasis has not yet been established. Therapeutic options for vaginal metastasis-separately or in combination-are surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the female genitourinary tract: Primary and relapsed disease in infants and older children. Treatment results of five Cooperative Weichteilsarkom Studiengruppe (CWS) trials and one registry.

BACKGROUND: Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the female genitourinary tract (FGU-RMS) located at the vagina or uterus is one of the most favorable RMS sites. Little is known about treatment and outcome in infants and relapsed disease (RD). METHODS: Characteristics, treatment, and outcome of 71 children with FGU-RMS registered within five Cooperative Weichteilsarkom Studiengruppe (CWS) trials and one registry (1981-2019) were evaluated. RESULTS: FGU-RMS was diagnosed in 67 patients with localized disease (LD) at a median age of 2.89 years (0.09-18.08). Multimodal treatment consisted of chemotherapy (CHT) (n = 66), secondary surgery (n = 32), and radiotherapy (n = 11). Age at diagnosis ≤12 months was the only significant negative prognostic factor influencing the event-free survival (EFS). Ten-year EFS and overall survival (OS) for infants ≤12 months were 50% and 81%, respectively. In contrast, children with LD >1 year and ≤10 years had a 10-year EFS and OS of 78% and 94% (P = .038), and >10 years of 82% and 88%, respectively (P = .53). Metastatic disease was observed in four patients of which three are alive. RD occurred in five of 12 infants ≤1 year and 10/55 children at a median of 1.38 years (0.53-2.97) after initial diagnosis. Treatment of patients with RD consisted of multimodal treatment (n = 13) or resection only (n = 2). Nine patients (60%) were alive in clinical remission at a median of 7.02 years (1.23-16.72) after diagnosis of RD. CONCLUSION: Infants with FGU-RMS have a higher relapse rate than older children with FGU-RMS, but prognosis is fair.

Lower Genital Tract Melanomas: Staging, Predictors of Outcome, and New Therapeutic Options.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Identification of predictors of survival of patients with lower genital tract melanoma (LGTM) and evaluation of the effectiveness of immunotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of twenty women with LGTM were retrospectively collected. Survival outcomes were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Survival distributions were analyzed using the Log rank test. RESULTS: Twenty patients with LGTM (6 vaginal/14 vulvar) were evaluated. Factors significantly affecting Five-year OS was the stage of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC 2017) (I+II: 55.6% vs. III+IV: 25.9%; p=0.030) and the T-Stage (I+II: 100% vs. III+IV: 7.5%; p=0.280). Factors negatively affecting Five-year PFS was T-Stage >II (p=0.005), AJCC stage >II (p<0.001), depth of tumor infiltration >3 mm (p=0.008), nodal involvement (p=0.013), distant disease (p=0.002), and resection margins <10 mm (p=0.024). Nine patients received immunotherapy [median duration of response (DOR)=4 months]. Three patients received immuno- and radiation therapy (median DOR of 5 months). Two patients received T-VEC, only one responded. CONCLUSION: Surgery has a therapeutic effect in early stage LGTM. Advanced stages may be treated with immunotherapy, radiation therapy, a combination of both, and oncolytic viral immunotherapy.

Impact of Medicaid expansion on women with gynecologic cancer: a difference-in-difference analysis.

BACKGROUND: Women with gynecologic cancer face socioeconomic disparities in care that affect survival outcomes. The Affordable Care Act offered states the option to expand Medicaid enrollment eligibility criteria as a means of improving timely and affordable access to care for the most vulnerable. The variable uptake of expansion by states created a natural experiment, allowing for quasi-experimental methods that offer more unbiased estimates of treatment effects from retrospective data than the traditional regression adjustment. OBJECTIVE: To use a quasi-experimental, difference-in-difference framework to create unbiased estimates of impact of Medicaid expansion on women with gynecologic cancer. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a quasi-experimental retrospective cohort study from the National Cancer Database files for women with invasive cancers of the uterus, ovary and fallopian tube, cervix, vagina, and vulva diagnosed from 2008 to 2016. Using a marker for state Medicaid expansion status, we created difference-in-difference models to assess the impact of Medicaid expansion on the outcomes of access to and timeliness of care. We excluded women aged <40 years owing to the suppression of the state Medicaid expansions status in the data and women aged ≥65 years owing to the universal Medicare coverage availability. Our primary outcome was the rate of uninsurance at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included Medicaid coverage, early-stage diagnosis, treatment at an academic facility, and any treatment or surgery within 30 days of diagnosis. Models were run within multiple subgroups and on a propensity-matched cohort to assess the robustness of the treatment estimates. The assumption of parallel trends was assessed with event study time plots. RESULTS: Our sample included 335,063 women. Among this cohort, 121,449 were from nonexpansion states and 213,614 were from expansion states, with 79,886 posttreatment cases diagnosed after the expansion took full effect in expansion states. The groups had minor differences in demographics, and we found occasional preperiod event study coefficients diverging from the mean, but the outcome trends were generally similar between the expansion and nonexpansion states in the preperiod, satisfying the necessary assumption for the difference-in-difference analysis. In a basic difference-in-difference model, the Medicaid expansion in January 2014 was associated with significant increases in insurance at diagnosis, treatment at an academic facility, and treatment within 30 days of diagnosis (P<.001 for all). In an adjusted model including all states and accounting for variable expansion implementation time, there was a significant treatment effect of Medicaid expansion on the reduction in uninsurance at diagnosis (-2.00%; 95% confidence interval, -2.3 to -1.7; P<.001), increases in early-stage diagnosis (0.80%; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-1.4; P=.02), treatment at an academic facility (0.83%; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-1.5; P=.02), treatment within 30 days (1.62%; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.3; P<.001), and surgery within 30 days (1.54%; 95% confidence interval, 0.8-2.3; P<.001). In particular, large gains were estimated for women living in low-income zip codes, Hispanic women, and women with cervical cancer. Estimates from the subgroup and propensity-matched cohorts were generally consistent for all outcomes besides early-stage diagnosis and treatment within 30 days. CONCLUSION: Medicaid expansion was significantly associated with gains in the access and timeliness of treatment for nonelderly women with gynecologic cancer. The implementation of Medicaid expansion could greatly benefit women in nonexpansion states. Gynecologists and gynecologic oncologists should advocate for Medicaid expansion as a means of improving outcomes and reducing socioeconomic and racial disparities.

Vaginal Mucosal Melanoma: a Complete Remission after Immunotherapy and '0-7-21' Radiotherapy Regimen (24 Gy/3 fractions/21 days).

We present the case of a patient with vaginal mucosal melanoma who underwent complete remission after immunotherapy and '0-7-21' radiotherapy regimen (24 Gy/3 fractions/21 days). An 80-year-old woman had a biopsy of a voluminous vaginal lesion and received a histological diagnosis of melanoma with angiomatoid aspects. The patient underwent immunotherapy with pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg every 3 weeks and was sent to our attention for planning radiotherapy as the extent of the lesion did not make it susceptible to surgery.Considering the concomitant administration of pembrolizumab, we chose to treat this patient with a modulated intensity radiation therapy technique delivering a hypofractionated dose of 24 Gy in 3 fractions delivered on days 0, 7, and 21. We observed a complete clinical remission of the melanoma 12 months after radiotherapy and she has been alive for 18 months with no clinical signs of local recurrence.

Management and outcomes of primary vaginal Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze clinical characteristics and survival of patients with primary vaginal cancer. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients with primary squamous, adenocarcinoma and adenosquamous cell carcinoma of the vagina identified from the Mayo Clinic Cancer Registry between 1998 and 2018. RESULTS: A total of 124 patients were identified: stage I, 39 patients; stage II, 44, stage III, 20 and stage IV, 21. Patients with stage III and IV were older as compared to stage I and II. (mean ages 61 vs 67) (p = 0.024). Squamous cell carcinoma made up 71% of tumors. History of other malignancy was present in 24% patients. Median follow-up time was 60 months (range 1-240). Five-year PFS in stage I, II, III and IV was 58.7%, 59.4%, 67.3% and 31.8%, respectively (p = 0.039). Five-year DSS was 84.3%, 73.7%, 78.7% and 26.5% respectively (p < 0.001). Advanced stage, tumor size >4 cm, entire vaginal involvement, and lymph node (LN) metastasis were poor prognosticators in univariate analysis. Primary surgery in stage I/II patients had similar survival outcomes as compared to primary radiation, but post-operative RT rate was 55%. Brachytherapy alone was associated with a high local recurrence (80%) in stage I/II patients. The addition of brachytherapy had improved 5-year PFS and DSS than EBRT alone in patients with stage III/IVA. (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Surgery or radiation is effective treatment for vaginal cancer stage I and II. The addition of brachytherapy to external pelvic radiation increases survival in stages III-IV.