Glassy cell carcinoma of the cervix: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to summarize the data on the incidence, clinical behavior and overall survival of patients with glassy cell cervical carcinoma (GCCC). METHODS: Twenty-four case series and fifteen case reports identified by searching PubMed database qualified for inclusion in this study. The published cases were combined with data from a retrospective chart review of patients with GCCC in two major teaching hospitals in Brooklyn, NY. RESULTS: A total of 292 cases were collected through our literature and chart review. Median age at diagnosis was 45 years old (range 12-87 years of age). GCCC incidence ranges from 0.2 to 9.3% of all cervical cancers and 2 to 30.2% of cervical adenocarcinomas. The stage distribution is similar to squamous cell carcinoma with 79% of the patients being diagnosed with Stage I or II disease. Most common sites of recurrence for Stage I patients are the vagina and pelvis. In Stage II patients locoregional and distant metastases are equally common. Recurrence rate was higher among patients treated only with surgery (32.7%), as compared to patients treated with surgery followed by radiation (11%) or patients treated with radiation only (10%). Median overall survival (OS) was 25 months (95% CI 8.4-41.6). Overall 5-year survival for all stages is lower when compared to all cervical cancers (54.8% vs 75%). There was no interaction between race and OS (p=0.66). CONCLUSION: GCCC is a rare histologic type of cervical cancer that presents at a younger age, is associated with high risk for distant failure and carries worse prognosis as compared to the squamous cell type. Radiation therapy is associated with decreased risk of recurrence.

External validation of a nomogram for predicting survival of women with uterine cancer in a cohort of African American patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to externally validate a nomogram for predicting overall survival of women with uterine cancer in an African American population. METHODS: After the institutional review board approval, data from the uterine cancer database from 2 major teaching hospitals in Brooklyn, NY, were analyzed. The predicted survival for each patient was calculated with the use of the nonogram; the data were clustered in deciles and compared with the observed survival data. RESULTS: High incidence of aggressive histologic types (22% carcinosarcoma, 16% serous/clear cell), poorly differentiated (53% grade 3), and advanced stage (38% stage III or IV) tumors was found in our study population. The median follow-up for survivors was 52 months (range, 1-274 months). The observed and predicted 3-year overall survival probabilities were significantly different (62.5% vs 72.6%, P < 0.001). Similarly, the observed 5-year overall survival probability was significantly lower than the predicted by the nomogram (55.5% vs 63.4%, P < 0.001). The discrepancy between predicted and observed survival was more pronounced in the midrisk groups. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram is not an adequate tool to predict survival in the African American population with cancer of the uterine corpus. Race seems to be a significant, independent factor that affects survival and should be included in predictive models.

A case of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib as an alterntive therapy for leiomyosarcoma.

•Research surrounding treatment of leiomyosarcoma (LMS) treatment remains sparse.•Pembrolizumab/lenvatinib has been reported as a therapy for endometrial cancer, though not yet as therapy for LMS.•This report demonstrates disease regression after use of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib in a patient with recurrent LMS.

FIGO staging for carcinosarcoma: can the revised staging system predict overall survival?

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to detect differences in overall survival between the 1988 FIGO staging and current staging of uterine carcinosarcomas to determine if revised 2009 staging accurately predicts actual patient survival. METHODS: From 1988 until 2010, patients with uterine carcinosarcoma were retrospectively identified from tumor registry records. Patients were grouped in both broad stages (1-4) and all FIGO substages in order to detect differences. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were generated to predict death before the end of the second year post-diagnosis for both the new and revised system. Kaplan Meier estimated median survival time was utilized to compare actual patient survival. RESULTS: Of 112 patients with carcinosarcoma, 37 patients (33%) had FIGO Stage I disease, 15 patients (13.4%) had Stage II disease, 36 patients (32%) were diagnosed as Stage III, and 24 patients (21.4%) had Stage IV disease. 106 of 112 (94.6%) patients underwent lymphadenectomy (pelvic +/- para-aortic). Four patients (3.6%) were downstaged when utilizing broad staging criteria: 2 patients were downstaged from Stage II to I, and 2 patients were downstaged from Stage III to Stage I and II respectively. When looking at substage, the area under the ROC was 0.67 for the former staging system, and 0.65 for the revised staging. Kaplan-Meier estimated median survival time post-diagnosis was 610 days (95% CI [478,930]). CONCLUSION: Based upon our reclassification of 112 patients with uterine carcinosarcoma, the revised FIGO staging system does not predict survival more accurately than former staging. Carcinosarcoma has an overall poor prognosis and better indicators of survival are needed.

Hydronephrosis as a prognostic indicator of survival in advanced cervix cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether hydronephrosis is an independent prognostic indicator of survival among patients with advanced cervical carcinoma. Moreover, we wanted to demonstrate the relationship between unilateral and bilateral hydronephrosis and overall survival. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 197 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIB cervical carcinoma or higher treated between 1990 and 2007 was conducted. Inclusion criteria were clinical staging according to FIGO criteria, standardized radiation treatment and cisplatin-based chemosensitization regimens. Associations between hydronephrosis and covariates-age, race, histopathologic diagnosis, pelvic sidewall involvement, stage, nodal involvement, and Gynecologic Oncology Group/Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS)-were determined. Statistical analysis including Kaplan-Meier, log-rank test, proportional hazards regression, Fisher exact test, and Mann-Whitney test were used where appropriate, with P < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Of 143 included patients, 73 patients had no hydronephrosis (HN), 39 patients had unilateral HN, and 31 patients had bilateral HN. Twenty-nine patients (40%) with no HN died compared to 24 patients (61.5%) with unilateral HN and 21 patients (67.7%) with bilateral HN. Median time to death was significantly shorter for patients with unilateral HN (27 months; 95% confidence interval [CI], 10-48) and bilateral HN (12 months; 95% CI, 6-23) versus patients without HN (68 months; 95% CI, 39-∞; P < 0.001). Unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) for HN (both unilateral and bilateral) was 2.4 (95% CI, 1.5-3.8); P < 0.001. Of potential covariates evaluated, PS and sidewall involvement were significantly associated with HN (P = 0.021 and P = 0.014, respectively). Proportional hazards regression revealed that controlling for use of radiation, chemotherapy, and for PS, HN was still significantly associated with poor prognosis (HR unilateral HN = 2.0, 95% CI, 1.2-3.5; HR bilateral HN = 3.2, 95% CI, 1.7-6.0); P ≤ 0.001. CONCLUSION: Hydronephrosis is an independent poor prognostic indicator of survival in patients with advanced cervical cancer. Bilateral hydronephrosis compared to unilateral involvement confers a worse overall prognosis. Additional studies are needed to determine if FIGO staging should be amended.

Transvaginal sonography of postabortal (Redo) syndrome.

Acute hematometra, also termed the postabortal syndrome or redo syndrome, is a rare immediate complication of suction curettage characterized by severe lower abdominal cramping in association with an enlarged and markedly tender uterus. We describe the transvaginal sonographic features of this syndrome.

Sonographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings of pelvic abscess following uterine perforation sustained during office endometrial sampling.

Pipelle endometrial sampling, an outpatient, office-based procedure, provides comparative successful endometrial sampling in comparison with other techniques including conventional dilatation and curettage. We present an unusual occurrence in which office Pipelle endometrial sampling in a perimenopausal patient was complicated 10 days later by lower abdominal pain and intermittent fever. Sonography depicted findings consistent with a large pelvic abscess overriding the uterine fundus. Sonography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the presence of the unusual pelvic abscess and, in addition, noted findings consistent with perforation of the uterus during endometrial sampling.

Antegrade cystoscopy - An innovative approach to managing acute urinary retention following vulvar reconstruction flap stenosis.

Vulvar reconstruction can be performed following radical vulvectomy and is known to be associated with urologic complications. We describe the use of antegrade cystoscopy to manage acute urinary retention secondary to an obliterated urethral meatus following radical vulvectomy and reconstruction for radiation dermatitis. Antegrade cystoscopy was performed by applying the surgical concepts for suprapubic catheterization and general laparoscopy. Antegrade cystoscopy is a simple and safe approach for female patients with distorted pelvic anatomy from radical surgery and reconstructions for vulvar cancer.

Peritoneal Sarcoidosis Mimicking Peritoneal Tuberculosis and Advanced Ovarian Carcinoma.

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that affects one or multiple organs, most commonly the lungs and lymph nodes. This disease can present in a variety of ways which often makes diagnosis difficult. A 54-year-old postmenopausal African American female with a history of omental carcinomatosis of unknown origin was referred to the gynecology-oncology service at a local community hospital following a laparoscopic incarcerated hernia repair where multiple abdominal lesions suspicious of ovarian carcinomatosis were visualized. She was brought to the operating room for a diagnostic laparoscopy at which point the intra-abdominal survey revealed white tubercle-like lesions that were consistent with peritoneal tuberculosis. The lesions were excised and sent to pathology. The omentum biopsy was originally reported as adipose tissue showing focal fibrosis, focal mild acute inflammation, few cyst formation, and multiple granulomatous chronic inflammation, with multinucleated giant cells. Periodic acid-Schiff stain and acid fast bacilli stain were negative, and a diagnosis of peritoneal tuberculosis was made. The patient was started on an antituberculosis treatment regimen; however, she was not improving. The pathology slides were reexamined and revealed nonnecrotizing granulomatous inflammation consistent with sarcoidosis. The patient was immediately referred to the department of pulmonology and rheumatology, at which point she was started on corticosteroids and had an improvement in her condition.

Serous carcinoma of a prolapsed fallopian tube: A rare cause of a vaginal apex mass.

BACKGROUND: The differential diagnosis for women who present with a vaginal mass after undergoing a hysterectomy is dependent on the indication, type and timing of the hysterectomy. The differential diagnosis includes cervical dysplasia, malignancy, nabothian cysts, prolapsed endocervical polyp/fibroid, abscess, hematoma, granulation tissue, or dehiscence with organ evisceration. CASE: We introduce a case of a woman who presented with a vaginal apex mass and had a remote history of a total hysterectomy for an unknown indication. She was ultimately diagnosed with high grade serous carcinoma of a prolapsed fallopian tube. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case of serous carcinoma of a prolapsed fallopian tube and highlights the importance of maintaining a wide differential diagnosis for women who present with vaginal apex masses.

Advanced ovarian carcinoma following bilateral uterine artery embolization: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Bilateral uterine artery embolization has become an accepted therapeutic modality in the management of patients with symptomatic uterine leiomyomata. Complications of bilateral uterine artery embolization, including rare cases of malignancies, have been reported following this procedure. CASE: We present a 46-year-old woman, gravida 3, para 1, who was treated with bilateral uterine artery embolization for symptomatic uterine leiomyomata following pelvic sonography and magnetic resonance imaging, which depicted bilateral normal adnexa. Nine months after the procedure she was diagnosed with stage III ovarian carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing bilateral uterine artery embolization should be informed of the possibility of preexisting or potential subsequent development of ovarian carcinoma, reflecting the lack of an effective screening method for this disease.

Peripartum Primary Prophylaxis Inferior Vena Cava Filter Placement in a Patient with Stage IV B-Cell Lymphoma Presenting with a Pathologic Femur Fracture.

Background Pulmonary embolus (PE) remains a leading etiology of maternal mortality in the developed world. Increasing utilization of retrievable inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement currently includes pregnant patients. Case A 22-year-old woman at 27 weeks' gestation was diagnosed with Stage IV high-grade malignant B cell lymphoma following pathologic femur fracture. Significant risk factors for PE led to placement of primary prophylaxis IVC filter before cesarean delivery, open reduction and internal fixation of the fractured femur, and chemotherapy. Conclusion This case supports that primary prophylaxis placement of IVC filters in highly selected pregnant patients may assist in decreasing PE-associated maternal mortality.

Extent of lymph node dissection and overall survival in patients with uterine carcinosarcoma, papillary serous and endometrioid adenocarcinoma: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the interaction between extent of lymph node dissection (LND) and overall survival (OS) in patients with various histologic types of uterine cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively identified 834 patients who had primary surgery in our institution for uterine carcinosarcoma (CS), papillary serous (UPSC) and endometrioid adenocarcinoma between 1984 and 2009. Stage, grade, total lymph node count (LNC), positive LNC, adjuvant therapy, age, race and OS were collected. OS was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Predictive factors were compared with the log rank test and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Our cohort included 158 patients with CS, 115 patients with UPSC and 561 patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Of the cohort, 38% of the patients had Stage III or IV disease. LND was performed in 73% of patients with CS, 68% of patients with UPSC and 79% of patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma. LND was performed in 82% of Stage I-II and in 68% of Stage III-IV cases. The median total LNC was 13 (range 1-75) and there was no significant difference in the total LNC between the different histologies. Median OS was 21 months for CS, 18 months for UPSC and 200 months for patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma. A positive association between the total and positive LNC was present in all three histologic types (Spearman coefficient, p < 0.001). The cohort was divided in quartiles based on the total LNC and a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. A continuum of improved OS was noted in correlation with increased LNC. OS was 27 months for the group with 0 nodes, 112 months for the group with 1-8 nodes, 117 months for the group with 9-16 nodes and 196 months for the group with >17 nodes. Doubling the total LNC was associated with 28% risk of death reduction (HR 0.724, CI 0.66-0.794, p < 0.001) for the first year and 14% risk reduction (HR 0.858, CI 0.761-0.967, p = 0.012) for the second year. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, the performance of LND is associated with improved OS. This effect appears to be uniform across pathology types. The extent of the LND is inversely correlated with the risk of death for the first 2 years.

Survival impact of cytoreduction to microscopic disease for advanced stage cancer of the uterine corpus: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of cytoreduction to no gross residual disease (R0) on overall survival (OS) in patients with stage III-IV uterine carcinosarcoma (CS), papillary serous/clear cell (UPSC/CC) and endometrioid carcinoma (EC). METHODS: We retrospectively identified 168 patients who underwent primary surgery for advanced uterine cancer between 1984 and 2009 in two teaching hospitals in Brooklyn, New York. Histology, stage, grade, residual disease (RD), adjuvant therapy, age, race and OS were collected. OS was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Predictive factors were compared using the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Our cohort included 54 patients with CS (stage III, n = 32; stage IV, n = 22), 54 patients with UPSC/CC (stage III, n = 20; stage IV, n = 34) and 60 patients with EC (stage III, n = 45; stage IV, n = 15). R0 was achieved in 64% of patients with CS, in 53% of patients with UPSC/CC and in 68% of patients with EC. There was no interaction between histologic subtype and feasibility of complete cytoreduction (p = 0.39). R0 was associated with a median OS of 25 months (95% CI [18, 33]) versus 13 months (95% CI [8, 18]) in patients with gross RD (p = 0.03). This effect was uniform among histologic subtypes. On multivariate analysis, predictors of increased mortality were gross residual disease (HR = 2.0, 95% CI [1.1, 3.7], p = 0.01), stage IV (HR = 1.8, 95% CI [1.1, 3.1], p = 0.02) and age (HR = 1.04 per year of age, 95% CI [1.02, 1.07], p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Cytoreductive surgery to R0 is associated with improved OS in advanced uterine cancer. This effect is uniform among histologies. There is no interaction between histologic subtype and feasibility of complete cytoreduction.

Ex vivo Efficacy of Anti-Cancer Drug PNC-27 in the Treatment of Patient-Derived Epithelial Ovarian Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Despite an 80% response rate to chemotherapy, epithelial ovarian cancer has the highest case fatality rate of all gynecologic malignancies. Several studies have shown the efficiency of anticancer peptides PNC-27 and PNC-28 in killing a variety of cancer cells selectively in vitro and in vivo. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of PNC-27 against human primary epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: We established primary cultures of freshly isolated epithelial ovarian cancer cells from patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cystadenocarcinomas. Two cell lines were obtained, one from mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, and the other from high-grade papillary serous carcinoma. The cancerous properties of these cells were characterized in vitro morphologically, by their growth requirements and serum independence. Treatment effects with PNC-27 were followed qualitatively by light microscopy, and quantitatively by measuring inhibition of cell growth using the MTT cell proliferation assay and direct cytotoxicity by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). RESULTS: PNC-27 inhibits in a dose-dependent manner the growth of and is cytotoxic to human primary cancer cells that had been freshly isolated from two ovarian epithelial cancers. The results further show that the control peptide PNC-29 has no effect on the primary cancer cells. Our results also show that PNC-27 is cytotoxic to cells from long-established and chemotherapy-resistant human ovarian cancer cell lines. CONCLUSION: These findings show, for the first time, the efficacy of PNC-27 on freshly isolated, primary human cancer cells. Our results indicate the potential of PNC-27 peptide as an efficient alternative treatment of previously untreated ovarian cancer as well as for ovarian cancers that have become resistant to present chemotherapies.