Clinical management of uterine sarcomas

Uterine sarcomas: clinical presentation and MRI features

Uterine sarcomas are a rare heterogeneous group of tumors of mesenchymal origin, accounting for approximately 8% of uterine malignancies. They comprise leiomyosarcoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma, undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma, and adenosarcoma. Compared with the more common endometrial carcinomas, uterine sarcomas behave more aggressively and are associated with a poorer prognosis. Due to their distinct clinical and biological behavior, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics introduced a new staging system for uterine sarcomas in 2009, categorizing uterine carcinosarcoma as a variant of endometrial carcinoma, rather than a pure sarcoma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has a developing role in the assessment of these malignancies. Features such as tumor localization, irregular or nodular margins, necrosis, rapid growth, intense contrast enhancement, and restriction at diffusion-weighted imaging can suggest the diagnosis and help differentiate from more common leiomyomas and endometrial carcinoma. MRI is therefore extremely useful in preoperative detection and staging and, consequently, in determination of appropriate management. This pictorial review aims to discuss the clinical features of uterine sarcomas, as well as their most common appearances and distinct characteristics in MRI.

Survival of patients with metastatic leiomyosarcoma: the MD Anderson Clinical Center for targeted therapy experience

Advanced stage leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is incurable with current systemic antitumor therapies. Therefore, there is clinical interest in exploring novel therapeutic regimens to treat LMS. We reviewed the medical records of 75 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed metastatic LMS, who had been referred to the Clinical Center for Targeted Therapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center. To lay the foundation for potential phase I trials for the treatment of advanced LMS, we analyzed tumor response and survival outcome data. The frequent hotspot gene aberrations that we observed were the TP53 mutation (65%) and RB1 loss/mutation (45%) detected by Sequenom or next-generation sequencing. Among patients treated with gene aberration-related phase I trial therapy, the median progression-free survival was 5.8 months and the median overall survival was 15.9 months, significantly better than in patients without therapy (1.9 months, P = 0.001; and 8.7 months, P = 0.013, respectively). Independent risk factors that predicted shorter overall survival included hemoglobin <10 g/dL, body mass index <30 kg/m2 , serum albumin <3.5 g/dL, and neutrophil above upper limit of normal. The median survivals were 19.9, 7.6, and 0.9 months for patients with 0, 1 or 2, and ≥3 of the above risk factors, respectively (P < 0.001). A prognostic scoring system that included four independent risk factors might predict survival in patients with metastatic LMS who were treated in a phase I trial. Gene aberration-related therapies led to significantly better clinical benefits, supporting that further exploration with novel mechanism-driven therapeutic regimens is warranted.

Risk of Occult Uterine Sarcoma in Presumed Uterine Fibroids

Symptomatic fibroids are a common indication for hysterectomy or myomectomy. Although rare, unexpected gynecologic malignancies in presumed fibroids have been documented. In cases where tissue retrieval is performed through morcellation, there is increasing concern that intra-abdominal dispersion of occult uterine malignancies may lead to peritoneal dissemination and worse outcomes. We examined the available literature to determine the prevalence of all uterine cancers in women undergoing hysterectomy or myomectomy for benign uterine disease, with attention to the risk of morcellating occult uterine sarcomas. We also reviewed the available tools for preoperative discrimination between benign and malignant uterine disease.

[Metastatic mechanisms of uterine malignancies and therapeutic consequences]

Malignancies of the uterus metastasize by direct invasion of neighboring structures, lymphatically or hematogenously. Endometrial and cervical cancers lymphatically spread to the pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes. For endometrial cancer the depth of myometrial invasion, lymphosvascular space involvement (LVSI) and a microcystic, elongated and fragmented (MELF) glandular invasion pattern are predictors for lymph node metastases. Metastases to the pelvic lymph nodes occur in approximately 10 % of endometrial cancer patients and in 30 % of these cases the para-aortic lymph nodes are also involved. Sentinel lymph node biopsy is possible for clinical stage I endometrial cancer and early stages of cervical cancer but is not yet routine. The presence of LVSI is considered to be the strongest predictor of distant metastases, particularly if assessed by immunohistochemistry with antibodies against factor VIII-related antigen or CD31. Endometrioid and clear cell carcinomas can hematogenously metastasize to the lungs, bones, liver and brain and can rarely be manifested as a solitary metastasis. In contrast, serous carcinomas can show extensive peritoneal spread. To date molecular biomarkers cannot predict the occurrence of distant metastasis. Overexpression of P53, p16 and L1CAM have been identified as negative prognostic factors and are associated with the prognostically unfavorable serous tumor type. The metastatic spread of squamous cell cervical cancer is strongly associated with tumor volume. Microinvasive carcinomas have a very low rate of parametrial and lymph node involvement and do not require radical hysterectomy. In contrast, lymph node metastases occur in up to 50 % of bulky stages IB and II cervical cancers. Distant metastases can occur in the lungs, liver, bones and brain. Molecular biomarkers have not been shown to predict metastatic spread. In well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the cervix the pattern of invasion is strongly predictive for the presence of lymph node metastases, irrespective of tumor size and depth of invasion.

Practice guidelines for management of uterine corpus cancer in Korea: a Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology Consensus Statement

Clinical practice guidelines for gynecologic cancers have been developed by many organizations. Although these guidelines have much in common in terms of the practice of standard of care for uterine corpus cancer, practice guidelines that reflect the characteristics of patients and healthcare and insurance systems are needed for each country. The Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology (KSGO) published the first edition of practice guidelines for gynecologic cancer treatment in late 2006; the second edition was released in July 2010 as an evidence-based recommendation. The Guidelines Revision Committee was established in 2015 and decided to produce the third edition of the guidelines as an advanced form based on evidence-based medicine, considering up-to-date clinical trials and abundant qualified Korean data. These guidelines cover screening, surgery, adjuvant treatment, and advanced and recurrent disease with respect to endometrial carcinoma and uterine sarcoma. The committee members and many gynecologic oncologists derived key questions from the discussion, and a number of relevant scientific literatures were reviewed in advance. Recommendations for each specific question were developed by the consensus conference, and they are summarized here, together with other details. The objective of these practice guidelines is to establish standard policies on issues in clinical areas related to the management of uterine corpus cancer based on the findings in published papers to date and the consensus of experts as a KSGO Consensus Statement.

Gene expression profiling identifies distinct molecular subgroups of leiomyosarcoma with clinical relevance

Background:

Soft tissue sarcomas are heterogeneous and a major complication in their management is that the existing classification scheme is not definitive and is still evolving. Leiomyosarcomas, a major histologic category of soft tissue sarcomas, are malignant tumours displaying smooth muscle differentiation. Although defined as a single group, they exhibit a wide range of clinical behaviour. We aimed to carry out molecular classification to identify new molecular subgroups with clinical relevance.

Methods:

We used gene expression profiling on 20 extra-uterine leiomyosarcomas and cross-study analyses for molecular classification of leiomyosarcomas. Clinical significance of the subgroupings was investigated.

Results:

We have identified two distinct molecular subgroups of leiomyosarcomas. One group was characterised by high expression of 26 genes that included many genes from the sub-classification gene cluster proposed by Nielsen et al. These sub-classification genes include genes that have importance structurally, as well as in cell signalling. Notably, we found a statistically significant association of the subgroupings with tumour grade. Further refinement led to a group of 15 genes that could recapitulate the tumour subgroupings in our data set and in a second independent sarcoma set. Remarkably, cross-study analyses suggested that these molecular subgroups could be found in four independent data sets, providing strong support for their existence.

Conclusions:

Our study strongly supported the existence of distinct leiomyosarcoma molecular subgroups, which have clinical association with tumour grade. Our findings will aid in advancing the classification of leiomyosarcomas and lead to more individualised and better management of the disease.

Pioglitazone induces cell growth arrest and activates mitochondrial apoptosis in human uterine leiomyosarcoma cells by a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-independent mechanism

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) agonists, thiazolidinediones, including pioglitazone (PIO) exhibit anti-tumour activities in cancer cells. The present study investigates the effects of PIO on cell proliferation and apoptosis in SK-UT-1 cells, a human uterine leiomyosarcoma cell line, and human uterine smooth muscle cells (HUtSMC). The proliferation and viability of SK-UT-1 cells treated with vehicle or PIO were assessed by cell counting and WST-1 assay. The activity of MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK signalling pathways and the expression of p53, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21, Bax, Bad and Bim proteins and cleaved caspase-3 were analysed by Western blotting. Quiescent SK-UT-1 cells intensively proliferate and display high levels of phosphorylated, activated MEK1/2, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK. PIO (10 or 25 μM) induced time- and dose-dependently cell-growth arrest, reduced the cell numbers and effectively suppressed the over-activated MEK/ERK and p38 MAPK signalling pathways as evidenced by the abolished levels of phosphorylated MEK1/2, ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK. PIO activated the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, i.e. up-regulated the p53, p21, Bax and Bad proteins and cleaved caspase-3. PIO also reduced cell numbers of highly proliferative SK-UT-1 cells cultured in growth medium. The anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic actions of PIO were not PPARγ dependent and exclusive for SK-UT-1 cells as PIO did not interfere with the proliferation of HUtSMC. The pronounced anti-tumorigenic effects of PIO in SK-UT-1 cells address an important issue about the relevance of the PPARγ agonist in the treatment of the human uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Laparoscopic surgery on broken points for uterine sarcoma in the early stage decrease prognosis

Uterine sarcoma, a rare solid tumor in uterus, is difficult to identify in the early stage from some benign uterine tumors, such as uterine fibroids. Hence, uterine sarcoma may be treated in the same way as uterine fibroids; and this may not be found until pathological diagnosis. Consequently, this can lead to tumor's abdominal spread, planting and local invasive growth, resulting in an early uterine sarcoma, an increased relapse rate after surgery and a decreased survival. Therefore, it's important to avoid these unintended and iatrogenic complications through an accurate diagnosis and an appropriate surgical approach. The surgical staging and a complete resection of the tumor are both important for patients' prognosis. In this review, we will discuss the laparoscopic surgery for uterine sarcoma in the early stage and patients' prognosis.

Identification of uterine leiomyoma-specific marker genes based on DNA methylation and their clinical application

Differential diagnosis of uterine leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas is needed to determine whether the uterus can be retained. Therefore, biomarkers for uterine leiomyomas, and reliable and objective diagnostic methods have been desired besides the pathological diagnosis. In the present study, we identified 12 genes specific to uterine leiomyomas based on DNA methylation. Using these marker genes specific to uterine leiomyomas, we established a hierarchical clustering system based on the DNA methylation level of the marker genes, which could completely differentiate between uterine leiomyomas and normal myometrium. Furthermore, our hierarchical clustering system completely discriminated uterine cancers and differentiated between uterine leiomyosarcomas and leiomyomas with more than 70% accuracy. In conclusion, this study identified DNA methylation-based marker genes specific to uterine leiomyomas, and our hierarchical clustering system using these marker genes was useful for differential diagnosis of uterine leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas.

Uterine sarcoma Part II-Uterine endometrial stromal sarcoma: The TAG systematic review

Endometrial stromal tumors are rare uterine tumors (<1%). Four main categories include endometrial stromal nodule, low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS), high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HG-ESS), and uterine undifferentiated sarcoma (UUS). This review is a series of articles discussing the uterine sarcomas. LG-ESS, a hormone-dependent tumor harboring chromosomal rearrangement, is an indolent tumor with a favorable prognosis, but characterized by late recurrences even in patients with Stage I disease, suggesting the requirement of a long-term follow-up. Patients with HG-ESS, based on the identification of YWHAE-NUTM2A/B (YWHAE-FAM22A/B) gene fusion, typically present with advanced stage diseases and frequently have recurrences, usually within a few years after initial surgery. UUS is, a high-grade sarcoma, extremely rare, lacking a specific line of differentiation, which is a diagnosis of exclusion (the wastebasket category, which fails to fulfill the morphological and immunohistochemical criteria of translocation-positive ESS). Surgery is the main strategy in the management of uterine sarcoma. Due to rarity, complex biological characteristics, and unknown etiology and risk factors of uterine sarcomas, the role of adjuvant therapy is not clear. Only LG-ESS might respond to progestins or aromatase inhibitors.

Molecular targeted therapy in gynaecologic malignancies: primer for radiologists

The identification of characteristic genetic alteration in gynaecological malignancies has opened the door for molecular targeted therapy. The purpose of this review is to provide a primer for the radiologist on these agents with emphasis on the role of imaging in treatment response assessment and drug toxicities. The use of targeted therapy in gynaecological malignancies will likely increase in the future and make the role of the radiologist critical in response assessment and detection of toxicities.

Role of TGF-β signaling in uterine carcinosarcoma

Uterine carcinosarcomas (UCS) are rare (3-4%) but highly aggressive, accounting for a disproportionately high (16.4%) mortality among uterine malignancies. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates important cellular processes including epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Existence of biphasic elements and a report demonstrating amplification of TGFβ at 19q13.1 prompted us to investigate the role of TGFβ signaling in UCS.

Here we demonstrated the components of TGFβ pathway are expressed and functional in UCS. TGFβ-I induced significant Smad2/3 phosphorylation, migration and EMT responses in UCS cell lines which could be attenuated by the TGFβ receptor I (TGFβR-I) or TGFβ receptor I/II (TGFβR-I/II) inhibitor developed by Eli Lilly and company. Importantly, TGFβ-I induced proliferation was c-Myc dependent, likely through activation of cell cycle. c-Myc was induced by nuclear translocation of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT-1) in response to TGFβ-I. Inhibition of NFAT-1 or TGFβR-I blocked c-Myc induction, cell cycle progression and proliferation in UCS. In corroboration, mRNA levels of c-Myc were elevated in recurrent versus the non-recurrent UCS patient samples. Interestingly, in the absence of exogenous TGFβ the TGFβR-I/II inhibitor enhanced proliferation likely through non-Smad pathways. Thus, inhibition of TGFβR-I could be efficacious in treatment of UCS.

Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Uterine Fibroids: Is it Safe?

As more complex cases and larger uterine specimens are able to be managed with minimally invasive surgery, the limitations of tissue retrieval with these methods are of increasing concern. Risks of morcellator-related injury, tissue dissemination, or fragmentation must be weighed against increased morbidity of abdominal approach to hysterectomy. In an effort to mitigate the risks of tissue morcellation, containment system use must be considered when fragmenting a specimen, either with power morcellation or a manual technique via the vagina or minilaparotomy.

Uterine Sarcomas in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Presumed Leiomyomas: 10 Years' Experience

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To find the incidence of sarcomas in patients undergoing surgery for presumed leiomyomas.

DESIGN

Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3).

SETTING

Paul's Hospital, Centre for Advanced Laparoscopy and Infertility, Kochi, India.

PATIENTS

All women who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH), laparoscopic myomectomy (LM), and hysteroscopic myomectomy (HM) at Paul's Hospital for presumed leiomyomas from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2014 that were then diagnosed as sarcomas on histopathologic examination.

INTERVENTIONS

TLH, LM, and HM.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 2678 patients underwent TLH, LM, and HM at Paul's Hospital for presumed leiomyomas from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2014. Five patients were diagnosed as leiomyosarcoma and 3 patients as endometrial stromal sarcoma on histopathologic examination. Women's ages ranged from 12 to 53 years. Histopathologic diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma was made in 3 patients from the TLH group and 2 patients from the myomectomy group. Two patients from the TLH group and 1 patient from the myomectomy group were diagnosed as endometrial stromal sarcoma on histopathologic examination. The incidence of uterine sarcomas (leiomyosarcoma and endometrial stromal sarcoma) in patients undergoing surgery for presumed leiomyomas was found to be .29% (1 in 335 patients) in our study.

CONCLUSION

Over a period of 10 years (2004-2014), the incidence of uterine sarcomas in patients undergoing surgery for presumed leiomyomas was found to be .29% in our study.

Sarcoma of the Uterus. Guideline of the DGGG (S2k-Level, AWMF Registry No. 015/074, August 2015)

Purpose: Official guideline published and coordinated by the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG). Due to their rarity and their heterogeneous histopathology uterine sarcomas remain challenging tumors to manage and need a multidisciplinary approach. To our knowledge so far there is no evidence-based guideline on the appropiate management of these heterogeneous tumors. Methods: This S2k-guideline is the work of an representative committee of experts from a variety of different professions who were commissioned by the DGGG to carry out a systematic literature review of uterine sarcoma. Members of the participating scientific societies developed a structured consensus in a formal procedure. Recommendations: 1. The incidence and histopathologic classification of uterine sarcoma. 2. The clinical manifestations, diagnosis and staging of uterine sarcoma. 3. The management of leiomyosarcoma. 4. The management of endometrial stromal sarcoma and undifferentiated uterine sarcoma. 5. The management of adenosarcoma as well as carcinosarcomas. 6. The management of morcellated uterine sarcoma.

Long-Term Outcome of Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy With Letrozole in Patients With Advanced Low-Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma

Background

There has been no consensus on the indications for the treatment of advanced low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS), and the possible effects of hormonal treatment including progestins and aromatase inhibitors have been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of aromatase inhibitor therapy with letrozole for patients with residual or recurrent LGESS.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical response of patients with advanced LGESS who had been treated with letrozole. We also analyzed the adverse effects after the administration of letrozole. The expression levels of estrogen receptor and aromatase in the tumors were immunohistochemically examined.

Results

In 5 patients who had been treated for unresectable LGESS lesions after initial or repeat surgical procedures, residual lesions in 3 patients and recurrence lesions in 2 patients were the indications for hormonal therapy with letrozole. The median duration of letrozole exposure at retrospective analysis was 53 (10–96) months. The clinical outcomes were classified as complete response in 2 patients, partial response in 1 patient, and stable disease in 2 patients. Myalgias, hot flashes, and arthralgias were not observed during the follow-up period in any patients. The median serum levels of estradiol were <5.0 (cutoff value, <0.5–11.8) pg/mL. The median age-matched bone mineral densities were 92% (79%–123%). The LGESS tissues in all 5 patients were positive for estrogen receptor and aromatase expression.

Conclusions

Letrozole as well as progestins could be the first choice of treatment for patients with recurrent or residual LGESS, which is difficult to resect surgically because of its efficacy and minimal adverse effects.

Potential Therapeutic Targets in Uterine Sarcomas

Uterine sarcomas are rare tumors accounting for 3,4% of all uterine cancers. Even after radical hysterectomy, most patients relapse or present with distant metastases. The very limited clinical benefit of adjuvant cytotoxic treatments is reflected by high mortality rates, emphasizing the need for new treatment strategies. This review summarizes rising potential targets in four distinct subtypes of uterine sarcomas: leiomyosarcoma, low-grade and high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, and undifferentiated uterine sarcoma. Based on clinical reports, promising approaches for uterine leiomyosarcoma patients include inhibition of VEGF and mTOR signaling, preferably in combination with other targeted or cytotoxic compounds. Currently, the only targeted therapy approved in leiomyosarcoma patients is pazopanib, a multitargeted inhibitor blocking VEGFR, PDGFR, FGFR, and c-KIT. Additionally, preclinical evidence suggests effect of the inhibition of histone deacetylases, tyrosine kinase receptors, and the mitotic checkpoint protein aurora kinase A. In low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas, antihormonal therapies including aromatase inhibitors and progestins have proven activity. Other potential targets are PDGFR, VEGFR, and histone deacetylases. In high-grade ESS that carry the YWHAE/FAM22A/B fusion gene, the generated 14-3-3 oncoprotein is a putative target, next to c-KIT and the Wnt pathway. The observation of heterogeneity within uterine sarcoma subtypes warrants a personalized treatment approach.

Multimodal treatment with doxorubicin, cisplatin, and ifosfamide for the treatment of advanced or metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma: a unicentric experience

OBJECTIVE

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is a rare gynecologic malignancy characterized by a poor prognosis due to a high rate of local and metastatic recurrences. Chemotherapy with doxorubicin or ifosfamide or both is associated with a 10% to 30% objective response rate. We report a monocentric experience with doxorubicin, cisplatin, and ifosfamide (API) combination in the setting of multimodal treatment of advanced or metastatic ULMS.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This monocentric retrospective study included patients with metastatic or locally advanced ULMS with a physiological age younger than 65 years treated in first line with a multimodal aggressive approach with API chemotherapy. Treatment consisted of doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 d1, ifosfamide 3 g/m2 per day d1d2 plus mesna, cisplatin 75 mg/m2 d3, plus G-CSF; every 3 weeks up to 6 cycles. Surgery, radiation therapy, or radiofrequency ablation therapy of metastatic sites was associated whenever possible.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight patients received API for metastatic or locally advanced ULMS. Median age was 51 years (40-64 years); 4 (11%) patients were treated for a locally advanced disease and 34 (89%) for metastatic disease. Sixteen patients responded (4 complete responses+12 partial responses) among 33 evaluable patients (objective response rate, 48%); 8 and 9 patients had, respectively, stable and progressive disease. Twelve patients had surgeries with 9 surgical complete responses and 3 surgical partial responses. Median progression-free and overall survival in the whole population were 9.8 and 27 months, respectively. Main grade 3-4 toxicities in 38 patients were neutropenia (74%), thrombocytopenia (60%), anemia (55%), fatigue (18%), and vomiting (13%). Febrile neutropenia was observed in 37% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the toxicity observed, API is an effective treatment which compares favorably with other first-line therapies for patients with metastatic or advanced ULMS.

Terms, definitions and measurements to describe sonographic features of myometrium and uterine masses: a consensus opinion from the Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment (MUSA) group

The MUSA (Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment) statement is a consensus statement on terms, definitions and measurements that may be used to describe and report the sonographic features of the myometrium using gray-scale sonography, color/power Doppler and three-dimensional ultrasound imaging. The terms and definitions described may form the basis for prospective studies to predict the risk of different myometrial pathologies, based on their ultrasound appearance, and thus should be relevant for the clinician in daily practice and for clinical research. The sonographic features and use of terminology for describing the two most common myometrial lesions (fibroids and adenomyosis) and uterine smooth muscle tumors are presented.

CD146 as an adverse prognostic factor in uterine sarcoma

Background

Uterine sarcoma is an aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to determine the expression of CD146, P53, and Ki-67 in uterine sarcoma and to evaluate their prognostic significance.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the prognosis and clinicopathologic features of 68 patients with uterine sarcoma. Immunohistochemical analyses of CD146, P53, and Ki-67 were performed in tissue samples collected from these patients and their relationship with prognosis was investigated.

Results

The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 46 %. Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) patients had a better prognosis than leiomyosarcoma (LMS) patients, with a 2-year survival rate of 82 %. The membrane and cytoplasm of tumor cells exhibited CD146 overexpression in 8 (32 %) ESS cases, which was less than the 25 (69.4 %) cases observed in LMS and 2 (28.6 %) in MMMT. CD146 overexpression in the membrane and cytoplasm of tumor cells was closely related to lymph node metastasis (P = 0.021) and Ki-67 overexpression (P = 0.0053); there was no significant correlation with age, tumor size, International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology stage, or P53 overexpression in LMS.

Conclusions

CD146, P53, and Ki-67 are overexpressed in uterine sarcoma. CD146 expression correlates with lymph node metastasis and is associated with poor OS in LMS; it may be a potential prognostic marker for LMS.

Current and advancing systemic treatment options for soft tissue sarcomas

INTRODUCTION

Soft tissue sarcomas are a collection of rare malignancies, the treatment of which has evolved over time. Although cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of management of metastatic disease, many new treatments have been developed or show great promise in the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma. Research into the different underlying pathogenesis of individual subtypes has driven progress in treatment. This has allowed development of treatments targeted to specific subtypes of sarcoma.

AREAS COVERED

We provide a review of the current field of systemic therapy in soft tissue sarcoma. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of recent developments in treatment, as well as new treatments that are aimed at specific subtypes of sarcoma, and the biological rationale behind these therapies. We also look in detail at the promising new agents currently in development.

EXPERT OPINION

Much progression has been made in treatment of soft tissue sarcomas with multiple exciting new treatments in development. However outcomes in general remain poor. Further research into the underlying pathogenesis of soft tissue sarcomas may help deliver more effective systemic therapies. Increased collaboration between basic science, translational and clinical investigators is required at national and international levels to maximise progress.

Dendritic cell immunotherapy in uterine cancer

Uterine cancer is the most common pelvic gynecological malignancy. Uterine sarcomas and relapsed uterine carcinomas have limited treatment options. The search for new therapies is urgent. Dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy holds much promise, though has been poorly explored in uterine cancer. This commentary gives an insight in existing DC immunotherapy studies in uterine cancer and summarizes the possibilities and the importance of the loading of tumor antigens onto DC and their subsequent maturation. However, the sole application of DC immunotherapy to target uterine cancer will be insufficient because of tumor-induced immunosuppression, which will hamper the establishment of an effective anti-tumor immune response. The authors give an overview on the limited existing immunosuppressive data and propose a novel approach on DC immunotherapy in uterine cancer.

Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) consensus review for endometrial stromal sarcoma

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) accounts for approximately 20% of all uterine sarcomas and presents, at a mean age, around 50 years of age. Half of the patients are premenopausal. ESS often manifests as an endometrial polyp and 60% of cases present with FIGO stage I disease. The natural history is one of slow growing indolent disease. Typical microscopic findings include a uniform population of endometrial stromal-type cells invading the myometrium and myometrial vessels. Imaging studies cannot reliably diagnose ESS preoperatively, so surgical resection for a presumed fibroid is a common scenario. Hysterectomy is the cornerstone of treatment for localized ESS, but morcellation should be avoided. Systematic lymphadenectomy in ESS does not improve the outcome. Leaving the ovaries in situ does not worsen survival and this is of importance especially for young women. The data support the current practice to administer adjuvant hormonal treatment, although several questions remain, such as optimal doses, regimens (progestins or aromatase inhibitors) and duration of therapy. Repeat surgery for recurrent disease that is indolent and hormone sensitive appears to be an acceptable approach. Systemic treatment for recurrent disease is mainly hormonal.

Clinical outcomes of women with recurrent or persistent uterine leiomyosarcoma

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify prognostic factors influencing the outcome of recurrent or persistent uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS).

METHODS

All patients with recurrent or persistent ULMS who underwent treatment at the participating institutions between January 2000 and December 2010 were identified from the tumor registry. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate overall survival data. Factors predictive of outcome were compared using the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

One hundred fifteen (68.8%) patients who had recurrent/persistent disease were identified, 40 (34.8%) had persistent disease, and 75 (65.2%) had a recurrence. Median follow-up time was 24.9 months. The 5-year postrelapse survival rate was 15% and was not significantly different between women with recurrent or persistent disease (16% vs 13%; P = 0.1). Variables identified affecting the 5-year postrelapse survival rate included low number of mitosis at the time of diagnosis (<25, 25% vs 5%; P = 0.002), time to relapse from original diagnosis (≤6 vs >6 months, 8% vs 22%; P = 0.003)), and surgical treatment (17% vs 12%; P = 0.01). Age, stage, chemotherapy at time of original diagnosis or at the time of relapse, site of recurrence, and single versus multiple sites of recurrence were not associated with survival. In a multivariate Cox regression model, only low number of mitosis (hazard ratio, 0.5; 95% confidence interval, 0.3-0.8, P = 0.02) was identified as a predictor of overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis of patients with recurrent/persistent ULMS is, in general, poor. Women who have low number of mitosis at the time of diagnosis seemed to have better postrelapse survival.

A critical assessment of morcellation and its impact on gynecologic surgery and the limitations of the existing literature

Uterine sarcomas are rare uterine malignancies that are difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Because of cases of disseminated sarcoma after laparoscopic hysterectomy, the role of power morcellators in gynecologic surgery has been questioned. Morcellation is an integral part of making laparoscopic surgery possible for the removal of large uterine leiomyomata, and the development of power morcellation has increased efficiency during these procedures. Minimally invasive surgery has demonstrated benefits that include improved pain control, decreased infection risk, and faster surgical recovery and return to work. In this review, we examine the risk of incidental sarcoma at the time of surgery, the quality of the data, the accuracy of clinical and radiologic predictors of uterine sarcoma, and the impact of morcellation on the prognosis of uterine sarcoma.

Management Strategies in Advanced Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: Focus on Trabectedin

The treatment of advanced uterine leiomyosarcomas (U-LMS) represents a considerable challenge. Radiological diagnosis prior to hysterectomy is difficult, with the diagnosis frequently made postoperatively. Whilst a total abdominal hysterectomy is the cornerstone of management of early disease, the role of routine adjuvant pelvic radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy is less clear, since they may improve local tumor control in high risk patients but are not associated with an overall survival benefit. For recurrent or disseminated U-LMS, cytotoxic chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment. There have been few active chemotherapy drugs approved for advanced disease, although newer drugs such as trabectedin with its pleiotropic mechanism of actions represent an important addition to the standard front-line systemic therapy with doxorubicin and ifosfamide. In this review, we outline the therapeutic potential and in particular the emerging evidence-based strategy of therapy with trabectedin in patients with advanced U-LMS.

Recent advances in understanding and managing leiomyosarcomas

Leiomyosarcomas are malignant mesenchymal tumours that derive from the smooth muscle lineage. They are studied and frequently treated as if they are the same as other soft tissue sarcomas. Recent developments suggest that a different approach may be more appropriate. Their underlying genetic mechanisms remain unclear, and complex. Unbalanced karyotypic defects are the only shared features observed across different leiomyosarcoma subtypes. Unlike other soft tissue sarcomas, leiomyosarcomas are particularly sensitive to the combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel. Furthermore, treatment with trabectedin has shown a good efficacy in leiomyosarcomas, mainly in the form of chronic disease stabilisation.

Surgical Methods for the Treatment of Uterine Fibroids - Risk of Uterine Sarcoma and Problems of Morcellation: Position Paper of the DGGG

The appropriate surgical technique to treat patients with uterine fibroids is still a matter of debate as is the potential risk of incorrect treatment if histological examination detects a uterine sarcoma instead of uterine fibroids. The published epidemiology for uterine sarcoma is set against the incidence of accidental findings during surgery for uterine fibroids. International comments on this topic are discussed and are incorporated into the assessment by the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG). The ICD-O-3 version of 2003 was used for the anatomical and topographical coding of uterine sarcomas, and the "Operations- und Prozedurenschlüssel" (OPS) 2014, the German standard for process codes and interventions, was used to determine surgical extirpation methods. Categorical qualifiers were defined to analyze the data provided by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the German Federal Bureau of Statistics (DESTATIS; Hospital and Causes of Death Statistics), the population-based Cancer Register of Bavaria. A systematic search was done of the MEDLINE database and the Cochrane collaboration, covering the period from 1966 until November 2014. The incidence of uterine sarcoma and uterine fibroids in uterine surgery was compared to the literature and with the different registries. The incidence of uterine sarcoma in 2010, standardized for age, was 1.53 for Bavaria, or 1.30 for every 100 000 women, respectively, averaged for the years 2002-2011, and 1.30 for every 100 000 women in Germany. The mean incidence collated from various surveys was 2.02 for every 100 000 women (0.35-7.02; standard deviation 2.01). The numbers of inpatient surgical procedures such as myoma enucleation, morcellation, hysterectomy or cervical stump removal to treat the indication "uterine myoma" have steadily declined in Germany across all age groups (an absolute decrease of 17 % in 2012 compared to 2007). There has been a shift in the preferred method of surgical access from an abdominal/vaginal approach to endoscopic or endoscopically assisted procedures to treat uterine fibroids, with the use of morcellation increasing by almost 11 000 coded procedures in 2012. Based on international statements (AAGL, ACOG, ESGE, FDA, SGO) on the risk of uterine sarcoma as an coincidental finding during uterine fibroid surgery and the associated risk of a deterioration of prognosis (in the case of morcellation procedures), this overview presents the opinion of the DGGG in the form of four Statements, five Recommendation and four Demands.

Hormonal treatments in metastatic endometrial stromal sarcomas: the 10-year experience of the sarcoma unit of Royal Marsden Hospital

Background

Hormonal manipulation is sometimes recommended in the treatment of metastatic endometrial stromal sarcoma, but there are few data assessing the efficacy of endocrine therapies in this subtype of uterine sarcomas.

Methods

We performed a retrospective electronic medical record review of patients with metastatic ESS treated with a hormonal agent at Royal Marsden Hospital between 1999 and 2011. We assessed progression-free survival (PFS), objective response and toxicity profile among patients with measurable disease.

Results

Thirteen patients with metastatic ESS were treated with hormonal therapies. Hormone receptor status (estrogen and progesterone receptors) was assessed in 9 out of 13 patients and in all of them it was moderately to strongly positive. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) were prescribed as first endocrine line in 11/13 patients and progestins in the remainder, while in 2^nd line treatment AIs were prescribed in 7/10 patients, followed by progestins and GnRH analogues. Median PFS for 1^stline was 4.0 years (95% CI: 2.4 – 5.5 years) with 5-year progression-free rate of 30.8% (95% CI: 5.7 – 55.9%), both of which reflect the indolent natural history of ESS. Best objective response was partial response (PR) in 6/13 patients (46.2%; 95% CI: 19.2 – 74.9) and clinical benefit rate (defined as complete response + PR + stable disease ≥6 months) was 92.4% (95% CI: 64.0 – 99.8%; 12/13 patients). Median PFS for 2^nd line was 3.0 years (95% CI: 2.0 – 4.1 years) with 2-year progression-free rate of 88.9% (95% CI: 68.3 – 100.0).

Conclusions

In this cohort of metastatic ESS patients, 1st line endocrine treatment achieved objective response in 46.2% of them and clinical benefit in 92.4%. Tamoxifen and hormone replacement therapy should not be prescribed in patients with ESS due to their detrimental effects. Until more solid data are available, a reasonable recommendation would be that 1^st line treatment with an endocrine treatment, preferably with an AI. Moreover, in view of the positive outcomes of our patients that received 2^nd/3^rdline endocrine treatments, all available hormonal options should be used in sequence in the management of ESS.

Options on fibroid morcellation: a literature review

In laparoscopy, specimens have to be removed from the abdominal cavity. If the trocar opening or the vaginal outlet is insufficient to pass the specimen, the specimen needs to be reduced. The power morcellator is an instrument with a fast rotating cylindrical knife which aims to divide the tissue into smaller pieces or fragments. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release in April 2014 that discouraged the use of these power morcellators. This article has the objective to review the literature related to complications by power morcellation of uterine fibroids in laparoscopy and offer recommendations to laparoscopic surgeons in gynaecology. This project was initiated by the executive board of the European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy. A steering committee on fibroid morcellation was installed and experienced ESGE members requested to chair an action group to address distinct clinical questions. Clinical questions were formulated with regards to the sarcoma risk in presumed uterine fibroids, diagnosis of sarcoma, complications of morcellation and future research. A literature review on the different subjects was conducted, systematic if appropriate and feasible. It was concluded that the true prevalence of uterine sarcoma in presumed fibroids is not known given the wide range of prevalences (0.45–0.014 %) from meta-analyses mainly based on retrospective trials. Age and certain imaging characteristics such as ‘lacunes’ suggesting necrosis and increased central vascularisation of the tumour are associated with a higher risk of uterine sarcoma, although the risks remain low. There is not enough evidence to estimate this risk in individual patients. Complications of morcellation are rare. Reported are direct morcellation injuries to vessels and bowel, the development of so-called parasitic fibroids requiring reintervention and the spread of sarcoma cells in the abdominal cavity, which may possibly or even likely upstaging the disease. Momentarily in-bag morcellation is investigated as it may possibly prevent morcellation complications. Because of lack of evidence, this literature review cannot give strong recommendations but offers only options which are condensed in a flow chart. Prospective data collection may clarify the issue on sarcoma risk in presumed fibroids and technology to extract tissue laparoscopically from the abdominal cavity should be perfected.

Endometrial stromal tumours revisited: an update based on the 2014 WHO classification

Endometrial stromal tumours (EST) are rare tumours of endometrial stromal origin that account for less than 2% of all uterine tumours. Recent cytogenetic and molecular advances in this area have improved our understanding of ESTs and helped refine their classification into more meaningful categories. Accordingly, the newly released 2014 WHO classification system recognises four categories: endometrial stromal nodule (ESN), low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS), high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HGESS) and undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (UUS). At the molecular level, these tumours may demonstrate a relatively simple karyotype with a defining chromosomal rearrangement (as in the majority of ESNs, LGESSs and YWHAE-rearranged HGESS) or demonstrate complex cytogenetic aberrations lacking specific rearrangements (as in UUSs). Herein we provide an update on this topic aimed at the practicing pathologist.