Adenocarcinoma in situ of the cervix

Human Papilloma Virus Typing as a Triage Tool for Women with Postcoital Bleeding: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: To investigate the performance of human papilloma virus (HPV) typing as a triage tool in the management of patients with postcoital bleeding (PCB). Methods: All patients referred for colposcopy at a cervical pathology clinic of a nationwide health insurance organization, due to PCB and had a preceding high-risk HPV (hrHPV) test between 2018 and 2020, were retrospectively located. Demographic and pathologic data were collected from electronic medical files. Sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive value of hrHPV test according to final pathology were calculated. Results: Three hundred ninety patients referred for colposcopy due to PCB with a preceding hrHPV test were located. HrHPV-positive patients were significantly younger (33.7 ± 10 vs. 37.2 ± 9, p < 0.006) with a higher proportion of nulliparous, nonmarried, and smokers compared with hrHPV-negative patients (75% vs. 47%, p < 0.001; 75.4% vs. 45.1%, p < 0.001; and 24.6% vs. 12.8%, p < 0.028, respectively). No case of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2/3) was identified among hrHPV-negative patients. The sensitivity and NPV of the hrHPV test for high-grade cervical lesions were both 100%, decreasing to 36% and 95%, respectively, for any cervical dysplasia (CIN1/CIN2/CIN3). Adding cytology to HPV typing had a negligible effect on test performance. At univariate analysis, age, HPV vaccine status, nulliparity, and positive HPV typing were independently associated with cervical dysplasia. At multivariate analysis, only positive HPV typing remained significantly associated with cervical dysplasia (hazard ratio 2.75, confidence interval 1.1-6.5, p = 0.023). Conclusion: A negative HPV test even in the presence of PCB may rule out cervical dysplasia with extremely high accuracy and may save unnecessary colposcopies.

Immune landscape and heterogeneity of cervical squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma

Despite the differences in disease outcomes and pathological features between cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC), the molecular characteristics in immune heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment remain unclear. Here, we explored the immune landscape and heterogeneity between CSCC and ADC. Gene expression and clinical characteristics of cervical carcinoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were downloaded. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs), immune cell infiltration, and pathway enrichment analyses were used to explore the immune landscape and heterogeneity between CSCC and ADC. Furthermore, distinct immune signatures between CSCC and ADC were validated based on clinical samples. In total, 4,132 upregulated DEGs and 2,307 down-regulated DEGs were identified between CSCC and ADC, with enrichments in immune related-pathways in CSCC. In addition, 54 hub DEGs correlated with patients' prognosis and immunocytes infiltration were identified. The CSCC patients had a higher ImmuneScore and more abundant immunocytes infiltration compared to ADC patients, as validated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and multicolor immunofluorescence (mIF) analyses of collected samples. Furthermore, CSCC displayed higher inhibitory immune checkpoints expression, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) compared to ADC, which indicated CSCC patients were more likely to benefit from immunotherapy. In summary, our results revealed the huge immune heterogeneity between CSCC and ADC, and provided guidance for immunotherapy selection for different pathological types of cervical cancer.

False-negative Papanicolaou tests in women with biopsy-proven invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma/adenocarcinoma in situ: a retrospective analysis with assessment of interobserver agreement

INTRODUCTION

The objectives of our study were to identify factors contributing to false-negative Papanicolaou (Pap) tests in patients with endocervical adenocarcinoma (EA) or adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), and to analyze the impact of educational instruction on interobserver agreement in these cases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

False-negative Pap tests from patients with EA/AIS were reviewed by a consensus group and by 12 individual reviewers in 2 rounds, with an educational session on glandular neoplasia in Pap tests conducted between the 2 rounds.

RESULTS

Of 79 Pap tests from patients with EA/AIS, 57 (72.2%) were diagnosed as abnormal and 22 (27.8%) as negative. Of the 22 false-negative cases, 10 remained negative on consensus review, with false-negative diagnoses attributed to sampling variance. The other 12 cases were upgraded to epithelial abnormalities (including 8 to glandular lesions). The false-negative diagnoses were attributed to screening variance in 2 cases and interpretive variance in 10 cases. On individual review, abnormal cells were misinterpreted as reactive glandular cells or endometrial cells in 7 of 8 and 5 of 8 cases upgraded to glandular abnormalities, respectively. With education, the proportion of individual reviewers demonstrating at least moderate agreement with the consensus diagnosis (Cohen's kappa >0.4) increased from 33% (4 of 12) to 75% (9 of 12).

CONCLUSIONS

Sampling and interpretive variance each accounted for nearly one-half of the false-negative Pap tests, with underclassification as reactive glandular or endometrial cells the main source of the interpretive variances. Educational instruction significantly decreased the interpretive variance and interobserver variability in the diagnosis of glandular abnormalities.

Endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ-from Papanicolaou test to hysterectomy: a series of 74 cases

INTRODUCTION

Endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) is not always identified on cervical Papanicolaou (Pap) test cytology because the Pap test has relatively low sensitivity for the diagnosis endocervical glandular lesions. We performed a retrospective study to determine the relative sensitivity of different diagnostic approaches, including Pap tests, cervical biopsy and/or endocervical curettage, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), and hysterectomy specimens.

METHODS

Cases of endocervical AIS diagnosed from August 2005 to January 2019 were retrieved from our institution's pathology databases, and their clinicopathologic features were reviewed.

RESULTS

A total of 74 patients with endocervical AIS with or without concurrent squamous intraepithelial lesions or cervical neoplasms were identified. Their mean age at diagnosis was 39.9 years. More than one half of the cases of AIS were not detected from screening Pap tests but were diagnosed during histologic examination of cervical biopsy or endocervical curettage, LEEP, or cone biopsy specimens (~66%). Only a few patients had had a definitive diagnosis of AIS from the Pap tests (10.8%). Other abnormal glandular cytology included atypical glandular cells, not otherwise specified (16.2%), atypical glandular cells favoring neoplasia (5.4%), and atypical glandular cells suspicious for malignancy (1.3%). Abnormal squamous cytology was common in the study population (54%), with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion the most common finding (30%). AIS was diagnosed in 31 of 42 cervical biopsies or curettages, with 16 cases an incidental finding and 15 cases confirming previous abnormal glandular cytology. In addition, AIS was identified in 51 of 53 LEEPs. Approximately 41.5% of those undergoing LEEP had a previous diagnosis of AIS, and 54.7% of the cases were incidental findings. More than one half of the AIS cases harbored significant concurrent cervical lesions, including 26.7% with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 5.7% with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 1.9% with invasive squamous cell carcinoma, 20.9% with invasive adenocarcinoma, and 6.7% with microinvasive adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results have demonstrated that the ability to detect AIS with routine screening Pap testing or biopsy/curettage has variable efficacy depending on the screening methods. Given the relatively low combined sensitivity of Pap testing and biopsy/endocervical curettage in the diagnosis of AIS, all LEEPs and cervical cone biopsies performed for squamous cell abnormalities should be thoroughly evaluated for glandular lesions.

The role of Pap smear in the diagnostics of endocervical adenocarcinoma

In the high-income countries, the amount of cervical adenocarcinomas is on the rise. The pap smear sampling has a low sensitivity and a low specificity for endocervical malignancies, and there are only a few cytomorphological features, that are specifically associated with glandular atypia. In this study, 298 pap smears of 60 patients with endocervical adenocarcinoma or adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and 30 patients with high-grade intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) in histology were reviewed. The pap smear type (screening/clinical), the HPV status and the time from sampling to the histological confirmation of diagnosis were recorded for each case. Despite that no cytomorphological features could be associated with adenocarcinoma statistically, 70% of the pap smears were initially correctly diagnosed as an endocervical glandular lesion. Palisading cell borders, nuclear pleomorphism and the lack of single atypical cells present simultaneously were found to be associated with adenocarcinoma and AIS with the corresponding ORs of 5.89 (95% CI 1.96-17.70), 3.71 (95% CI 1.14-12.02) and 10.76 (95% CI 1.20-59.50). This combination of features was seen in smears taken up to 5 years before the histological diagnosis. Of all our screening samples, 10.9% were HPV-positive. There were no HPV-negative samples among patients with adenocarcinoma.

Detection of in situ and invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma on ThinPrep Pap Test: Morphologic analysis of false negative cases

Background:

The goal of this study was to calculate the sensitivity and false negative (FN) rate of ThinPrep Pap Test (TPPT) and carefully analyze missed cases for educational purposes.

Materials and Methods:

Patients with histologically proven adenocarcinoma in-situ (AIS) or invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma (EAC) over a 17-year-period (1998-2015) were identified. The TPPT immediately preceding the histological diagnosis of AIS/ECA was designated as index Pap (IP). Paps up to 122 months before histologic diagnosis of AIS/ECA were considered for this study. All available negative and unsatisfactory TPPT were re-reviewed.

Results:

There were 78 patients with histologically-proven AIS (56) or ECA (22) with 184 TPPTs, and 95 of these TPPTs were abnormal. Of the abnormal cases, 55.7% TPPTs were diagnosed as endocervical cell abnormality (atypical endocervical cells/AIS/ECA). Notably, 44.2% of abnormal TPPTs were diagnosed as squamous cell abnormality (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance/low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion/high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion). Including the diagnoses of squamous cell abnormality, the sensitivity of index TPPT for histologically-confirmed AIS/ECA was 88%. Eighty-eight of 184 TPPT, including 10 IP, were negative = 87, or unsatisfactory = 1. Forty-two of these slides were available for re-review. Upon review, 21 TPPT (50%) were confirmed negative and 21 TPPT (50%) were reclassified as abnormal = 20, or unsatisfactory = 1. Of the FN cases, the main difficulty in correct diagnosis was the presence of few diagnostic cell clusters which had less feathering, and consisted of smaller, rounder cells in small and tighter clusters, with nuclear overlap. In particular, nuclear overlap in three-dimensional groups precluded the accurate diagnosis. Rare FN cases showed squamous cell abnormality on re-review, and rare cases showed obscuring blood or inflammation.

Conclusion:

A significant proportion of AIS/EAC is discovered after Pap showing squamous cell abnormality. FN cases were most commonly related to nuclear overlap in tight three-dimensional clusters.

Prognosis of Cervical Cancer in the Era of Concurrent Chemoradiation from National Database in Korea: A Comparison between Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma

In 1999, the National Cancer Institute issued a clinical advisory strongly touting the advantage of cisplatin-based chemoradiation (CCRT) for cervical cancer patients requiring radiation for their treatment. This study aimed to compare survival outcomes of cervical squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma before and after the advent of CCRT. Data were obtained from the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database for patients who were diagnosed with cervical cancers between 1993 and 2012. We compared survival according to histologic subtypes in cervical cancer patients diagnosed before (1993–1997), during (1998–2002), and after (2003–2012) the introduction of CCRT. A total of 80,766 patients were identified, including 64,531 (79.9%) women with squamous cell carcinomas and 7,265 (9.0%) with adenocarcinoma. With the introduction of CCRT, survival trends gradually increased in patients of both histologic subtypes with regional tumors. However, survival was significantly higher in squamous cell carcinoma than in adenocarcinoma patients regardless of treatment modalities (surgery alone, P < 0.001; surgery followed by CCRT, P < 0.001; or primary CCRT, P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis showed that adenocarcinoma was an independent negative prognostic factor for survival regardless of the time period (before CCRT, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.49; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.37–1.62; after introduction of CCRT, HR = 1.40; 95% CI, 1.30–1.50). Although the survival of adenocarcinoma has improved after the introduction of CCRT, adenocarcinoma is still associated with worse overall survival compared to squamous cell carcinoma in the era of CCRT.

Cytological variations and typical diagnostic features of endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ: A retrospective study of 74 cases

Background:

The sensitivity of Papanicolaou smears for detecting endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) is very low. A comprehensive cytological analysis of endocervical AIS is necessary to increase diagnostic accuracy.

Methods:

The subjects were 74 patients with pathologically-diagnosed AIS. A total of 140 Papanicolaou smears were reviewed to calculate the sensitivity of the Papanicolaou smears for detecting AIS and the incidence of sampling/screening/diagnostic errors. The cytological review was performed by 6 cytotechnologists, and the final cytological diagnosis was obtained at the consensus meeting. We classified the cases into three differentiation types; typical type (well-differentiated AIS), polymorphic type (poorly differentiated AIS), and mixed typical and polymorphic type. Three cytological subtypes (endocervical, endometrioid and intestinal subtypes) of AIS were also analyzed.

Results:

The sensitivity of the original Papanicolaou smears for the detection of AIS was 44.6%, while that for the detection of AIS and adenocarcinoma was 63.5%. The diagnostic accuracy of AIS increased to 78.5% in the final diagnosis. The common characteristic features were microbiopsies/hyperchromatic crowded groups (HCG) (82.0%) and mitotic figures (72.2%). The appearance of single cells (2.8%) was rare, and all the cervical cytology smears showed no evidence of necrotic tumor diathesis. The most common AIS was the typical type (41 cases, 67.2%) among all cytologically-diagnosed AIS or adenocarcinoma cases (61 cases). Although mixed typical and polymorphic AIS existed in 17 cases (27.9%), pure polymorphic AIS was very rare (3 cases, 4.9%). The endocervical subtype was the most predominant subtype (67.2%), followed by a few mixed subtypes. The important diagnostic keys for AIS cytology are as follows: (1) The appearance of microbiopsies/HCG (single-cell pattern is rare), (2) mitotic figures in the microbiopsies/HCG, (3) a lack of necrotic tumor diathesis in cases with polymorphic AIS, and (4) recognition of typical cytological subtypes.

Conclusions:

The relatively low diagnostic accuracy AIS was caused by the underestimation of microbiopsies/HCG and the overestimation of polymorphic components. The typical cytological features of AIS are the presence of microbiopsies/HCG with mitotic figures in the absence of necrotic tumor diathesis in specimens containing endocervical samples. The recognition of infrequent AIS subtypes (endometrioid and intestinal subtypes) is also important.

The effect of coexisting squamous cell lesions on prognosis in patients with cervical adenocarcinoma in situ

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the relative incidences of cervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and squamous cell carcinoma in situ (sCIS) and to determine the effect of coexisting squamous cell lesions on prognosis in patients with cervical AIS.

STUDY DESIGN

We performed a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with AIS or sCIS who underwent cervical conization at a University hospital between 2000 and 2011.

RESULTS

A total of 1184 patients with cervical carcinoma in situ were included. The ratio of sCIS to AIS was 16:1. Among 71 patients with AIS, AIS with coexisting squamous cell lesions and AIS alone were detected in 41 patients (58%) and 30 patients (42%), respectively. During the median follow-up of 57.1 months, 5 episodes of AIS recurrences and one episode of invasive recurrence occurred. The recurrence rate was significantly higher in patients with AIS alone than in patients with AIS and coexisting squamous cell lesions (17% versus 2%; P=0.043).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that patients with cervical AIS and coexisting squamous cell lesions have a more favorable prognosis than patients with AIS alone.

Trends in the incidence of in situ and invasive cervical cancer by age group and histological type in Korea from 1993 to 2009

OBJECTIVE

Our study aims to describe changes in carcinoma in situ (CIS) and invasive cervical carcinoma (ICC) in Korean women diagnosed between 1993 and 2009.

METHODS

All cases of CIS and invasive cervical carcinoma diagnosed from 1993 to 2009 in the Korean National Cancer Incidence database were analyzed. Age-standardized rates (ASRs) and annual percent changes (APCs) in incidence rates were compared according to age and histological type. Additionally, we used Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) to know the association between screening rate for cervical cancer and incidence rate of cervical cancer.

RESULTS

Between 1993 and 2009, 72,240 cases of ICC were reported in Korea. Total incidence rate of ICC was 14.7 per 100,000 females. ASRs of ICC declined 3.8% per year, from 19.3 per 100,000 in 1993 to 10.5 per 100,000 in 2009. Although the overall incidence rate of adenocarcinoma remained stable, invasive squamous cell carcinoma showed a decreasing trend (APC -4.2%). For women aged 60-79 years, ASRs for squamous cell carcinoma increased from 1993 to 2001, and decreased from 2001 to 2009 (APC: -4.6%). Total 62,300 cases of CIS were diagnosed from 1993 to 2009. Total incidence rate of CIS was 12.2 per 100,000 females. ASRs of CIS increased 5.7% per year, from 7.5 per 100,000 in 1993 to 19.0 per 100,000 in 2009. Adenocarcinoma in situ increased 13.2% per year. There was a strong positive correlation between screening rate for cervical cancer and incidence rate for CIS (p-value = 0.03) whereas screening rate showed a strong negative correlation with incidence rate for squamous ICC (p-value = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

The increasing trend in CIS, coupled with a decreasing trend in ICC, suggests the important role of cervix cancer screening. The incidence of adenocarcinoma showed a plateau, but the incidence of adenocarcinoma in situ showed an increasing trend.

Frequent loss of tumor suppressor ARID1A protein expression in adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas of the uterine cervix

OBJECTIVES

Expression of ARID1A (the adenine, thymine-rich interactive domain 1A), a putative tumor suppressor, has recently been shown to be lost in several tumor types. This study investigated whether ARID1A expression was also lost in cervical squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas.

METHODS

A total of 91 patients with cervical carcinoma were enrolled. Cervical carcinoma specimens were examined for ARID1A protein expression by immunohistochemistry. The correlations between the loss of ARID1A expression and clinicopathological characteristics, and prognosis were investigated.

RESULTS

Using immunohistochemistry, the frequency of loss of ARID1A expression in adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas (31.1% [14/45]) was significantly higher than that in squamous cell carcinomas (6.5% [3/46]; P = 0.0017). There was no significant association between the loss of ARID1A expression and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging, lymphovascular space invasion, lymph node metastasis, age, and Ki-67 LI in cervical adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas. Loss of ARID1A expression was not correlated with shorter overall/disease-free survival in cervical adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, this study provides the first evidence of the frequent loss of ARID1A protein expression in cervical adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas. No significant differences between ARID1A positive and negative cases were observed with respect to any clinicopathological features examined.

Biological and clinical significance of NAC1 expression in cervical carcinomas: a comparative study between squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas

This study examined the biological and clinical significance of NAC1 (nucleus accumbens associated 1) expression in both cervical squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas. Using immunohistochemistry, the frequency of positive NAC1 expression in adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas (31.0%; 18/58) was significantly higher than that in squamous cell carcinomas (16.2%; 12/74) (P = .043). NAC1 gene amplification was identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization in 5 (7.2%) of 69 squamous cell carcinomas. NAC1 amplification was not identified in the adenocarcinomas (0%; 0/58). Positive NAC1 expression was significantly correlated with shorter overall survival in squamous cell carcinomas (P < .0001). A multivariate analysis showed that positive NAC1 expression in squamous cell carcinomas was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival after standard radiotherapy (P = .0003). In contrast to squamous cell carcinomas, positive NAC1 expression did not correlate with shorter overall survival in adenocarcinomas/adenosquamous carcinomas (P = .317). Profound growth inhibition, increased apoptosis, decreased cell proliferation, and decreased cell migration and invasion were observed in silencing RNA-treated cancer cells with NAC1 overexpression compared with cancer cells without NAC1 expression. NAC1 overexpression stimulated proliferation, migration, and invasion in the cervical cancer cell lines TCS and Hela P3, which normally lack NAC1 expression. These findings indicate that NAC1 overexpression is critical to the growth and survival of cervical carcinomas irrespective of histologic type. Furthermore, they suggest that NAC1 silencing RNA-induced phenotypes depend on the expression status of the targeted cell line. Therefore, cervical carcinoma patients with NAC1 expression may benefit from a targeted therapy irrespective of histologic type.

Patients with cervical cancer: why did screening not prevent these cases?

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to assess the screening history of women with cervical cancer and review normal cervical smears 5 years preceding the diagnosis.

STUDY DESIGN

Cytological and histological results of 401 women treated for invasive cervical cancer between 1991 and 2008 at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center were studied. Ninety-eight normal smears were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of the 401 women, 269 (67%) received at least 1 invitation for the national screening program for cervical cancer (NCSP). One- third fell outside the target age of the NCSP. Seventeen percent never responded to the invitation(s). Twenty-one percent had 1 or more normal smears within 5 years preceding the diagnosis. After review, only 39% of those smears were reviewed as a normal smear.

CONCLUSION

Half of the women with cervical cancer were never screened because of the limited target age range or nonattendance. Twenty-one percent had a normal smear within 5 years preceding the diagnosis, caused by interpretation and/or sampling errors.

Molecular characterization of early adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix by oligonucleotide microarray

PURPOSE

In an attempt to understand the molecular characterization for the early adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix, an analysis of gene expression profiles obtained from early adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix was performed to find those genes most aberrantly expressed.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Total RNA was prepared from 32 samples of early adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix and 32 paired normal cervix tissues, and hybridized to cancer-associated oligonucleotide microarrays with probe sets complementary to about 1,426 transcripts.

RESULTS

Supervised analysis of gene expression data identified 13 genes that exhibited >2-fold upregulation and 27 genes >2-fold downregulation, respectively, in early adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix compared to normal cervix. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of the expression data readily distinguished early adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix from normal cervix. Two genes (karyopherin alpha 2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen) were selected randomly for real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis. Both genes were expressed significantly higher in early adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix than in normal cervix, with p = 0.0003 and <0.0001, respectively. These results were compatible with the microarray data.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has revealed several genes that may be highly attractive candidate molecular markers/targets for early adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Screening and adenocarcinoma of the cervix

Screening has had a major impact on cervical cancer in many countries. Although there can be no doubt about its effectiveness in preventing squamous-cell carcinoma, there is little evidence of any benefit on adenocarcinoma and adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix, and many authors have concluded that it is ineffective. A population-based case-control design was used in women aged 20-69 in the United Kingdom, with information on screening obtained from routine databases. Among 3,305 cases with known histology, 641 had adenocarcinoma and 133 adenosquamous carcinoma. The risk reduction associated with 3-yearly screening was greater for squamous carcinoma (75%, 95%CI 71-79%) and adenosquamous carcinoma (83%, 95%CI 68-91%) than for adenocarcinoma (43%, 95%CI 24-58%). Among stage 1B+ cases, 83% (335/406) of women with adenocarcinoma had been screened within 10 years of diagnosis. This is very similar to controls (82%, 3,292/3,965), but much higher than in women with squamous carcinoma (57%, 852/1,493). Incidence of adenocarcinoma was low within 2.5 years of a negative smear (OR 2.3, 95%CI 0.15-0.34), but was no different from the background rates 4.5-5.5 years after a negative smear. We conclude that screening has reduced the incidence of adenocarcinoma of the cervix, but the prognostic value of cytology is less (in both magnitude and duration) for adenocarcinoma than for squamous carcinoma. The impact of screening on adenosquamous carcinoma is similar to its impact on squamous carcinoma.

Histologic follow-up results in 662 patients with Pap test findings of atypical glandular cells: results from a large academic womens hospital laboratory employing sensitive screening methods

OBJECTIVE

Atypical glandular cell (AGC) Pap interpretations and screening for glandular neoplasias remain major challenges. We document the largest reported AGC histopathologic follow-up experience and include verification bias-adjusted data on laboratory screening sensitivity.

METHODS

AGC Pap tests of endocervical origin (AGC-EC), endometrial origin (AGC-EM), and not otherwise specified (AGC-NOS) were documented at a center serving an older low risk population. 98% of Pap tests were liquid-based cytology (LBC) specimens screened using computer-assisted screening. Follow-up diagnoses were correlated with cytology and stratified into age groups. Screening sensitivity was assessed by examining Pap results during 1 year preceding neoplastic diagnoses. Verification bias was adjusted with findings in over 2000 patients with hysterectomies.

RESULTS

Of 247,131 Pap tests, 1021 (0.41%) reported AGC results and 662 cases had tissue follow-up. Precancerous or malignant neoplastic histologic outcomes were documented in 101 patients (15.3%), including 8.3% cervical, 6.3% endometrial, and 0.6% ovarian. AGC results were most often associated with neoplastic cervical outcomes in women younger than 40 and with neoplastic endometrial outcomes in women 50 or older. AGC-NOS with a squamous cell abnormality and AGC-EC results suggested cervical neoplasia, while AGC-EM results suggested endometrial neoplasia.

CONCLUSIONS

AGC Pap results detected significant numbers of cervical and non-cervical neoplasias. Since 38 of 44 (86%) of AGC-detected carcinomas were endometrial or ovarian, HPV co-testing would not have aided screening in detecting the majority of malignancies diagnosed after AGC Pap results. Verification bias-adjusted Pap screening sensitivity in the laboratory for detection of significant neoplastic cervical disease was 93%.

Expression of the bric-a-brac tramtrack broad complex protein NAC-1 in cervical carcinomas seems to correlate with poorer prognosis

PURPOSE

Recent studies have suggested a novel oncogenic role of a bric-a-brac tramtrack broad complex (also known as POZ) domain gene, NAC-1, in ovarian carcinomas. The aim of this study was to clarify the functional role of NAC-1 in human cervical carcinomas.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

NAC-1 expression in cervical cancer was assessed by immunohistochemistry, and data on clinical variables were collected by retrospective chart review. NAC-1 gene knockdown using small interfering RNA and a NAC-1 gene transfection system were used to asses NAC-1 function in cervical cancer in vivo.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical and gene expression analysis revealed that NAC-1 is significantly overexpressed in cervical adenocarcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas compared with squamous cell carcinomas. Patients with squamous cell carcinomas positive for NAC-1 expression who received radiotherapy had significantly shorter overall survival than peers whose tumors did not express NAC-1, and multivariate analysis showed that NAC-1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival after radiotherapy. Overexpressions of the NAC-1 gene stimulated cell proliferation in cervical carcinoma cells of the TCS, CaSki, and HeLa P3 lines, which do not have endogenous NAC-1 expression. NAC-1 gene knockdown inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in HeLa, HeLa TG, and ME180 cells, all of which overexpressed NAC-1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that NAC-1 may play an important role in cervical carcinomas; moreover, these findings provide a rationale for future development of NAC-1-based therapy for cervical carcinomas that overexpress this candidate oncogene.

Comparative sensitivities of ThinPrep and Papanicolaou smear for adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and combined AIS/high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL): comparison with HSIL

BACKGROUND

Despite the historic belief that cytologic screening offers little protection against cervical adenocarcinoma (CAC), there is emerging evidence that, by detecting the precursor lesion, adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), cervical screening may reduce the incidence of CAC as it has for cervical squamous carcinoma. Because liquid-based cytology is fast replacing the conventional Papanicolaou smear (PS), it is important to establish that it is at least as effective in detecting AIS.

METHODS

The authors calculated the sensitivities of PS and ThinPrep (TP) for 100 women with histologic AIS (from 160 PS slides and 60 TP slides), for 94 women with AIS+high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (from 151 PS slides and 50 TP slides), and for 558 women with HSIL (from 788 PS slides and 383 TP slides). All smears were taken up to 36 months before the histologic diagnosis.

RESULTS

In no category was there a significant difference between PS sensitivity and TP sensitivity. The HSIL category had a significantly higher overall sensitivity than the other categories. However, when sensitivity was defined as cytologic detection of high-grade disease, there was no difference between any of the categories. For the detection of a high-grade glandular lesion, the presence of a concurrent histologic HSIL was associated with reduced sensitivity for the detection of AIS.

CONCLUSIONS

The current results indicated that it may prove possible for cervical screening, with either PS or TP, to reduce the incidence of CAC.

Significant decrease of adenocarcinoma in situ not reflected in cervical adenocarcinoma incidence in the Netherlands 1989-2003

Over the period 1989–2003, the incidence of cervical adenocarcinoma (n=1615) was stable whereas that of cervical adenocarcinoma in situ (n=1884) significantly decreased (P=0.008), mainly caused by adenocarcinoma in situ lesions with a concurrent squamous dysplasia.

Follow-up of Cytologic Predictions of Endocervical Glandular Abnormalities: Histologic Outcomes in 123 Cases

OBJECTIVES

To determine histologic positive predictive values (PPVs) for three categories of cytologic reports of endocervical glandular abnormalities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We obtained histologic follow-up for 100% of 67 cytologic predictions of adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) and 82% of 39 predictions of possible AIS (?AIS) made over a 4-year period (1999-2002) and for 25% of 105 atypical endocervical cells (AEC) predictions over a 12-month period (2000). For each category of cytologic report, we determined the histologic yields of high-grade lesions overall and of high-grade glandular lesions.

RESULTS

PPVs for predictions of AIS and ?AIS for high-grade lesions overall were 91% and 75% (p = .032), respectively, and those for high-grade glandular lesions were 88% and 72% (p = .046), respectively. For a cytologic report of AEC, of those with histologic follow-up, 9% had a high-grade lesion and 7% had a high-grade glandular lesion.

CONCLUSION

Cytology can accurately predict AIS.

Mortality trends for cervical squamous and adenocarcinoma in the United States

BACKGROUND

In the United States, detection of squamous carcinoma in situ (CIS) by screening has led to reduced rates for invasive squamous carcinoma and lower mortality. Adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) rates also have increased, but invasive cervical adenocarcinoma rates have not declined similarly. To make inferences about the effectiveness of screening, the authors assessed mortality trends for squamous and adenocarcinoma in relation to incidence of these tumors, incidence of their precursors and survival.

METHODS

Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER), the authors tabulated incidence per 10(5) woman-years for invasive carcinomas (1976-2000) and for CIS and AIS (1976-1995) by age (< 50 years, > or = 50 years) and race (whites, blacks). Cumulative relative survival rates were tabulated for 1976-1995 and mortality rates were estimated for 1986-2000.

RESULTS

Among all groups, CIS rates approximately doubled whereas rates for invasive squamous carcinoma declined. Among younger whites, mortality declined from 1.12 to 0.93, and for older whites, mortality decreased from 5.02 to 3.82. Among younger blacks, mortality for squamous carcinoma decreased from 2.69 to 1.96. Among older blacks, the mortality rates declined from 14.88 to 9.15. Although AIS rates have increased dramatically among whites (all ages) and younger blacks, adenocarcinoma incidence and mortality rates have not changed greatly. Survival for patients did not change greatly within these age-race groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors concluded that increases in CIS seemed disproportionately large compared with improvements in mortality rates for squamous carcinoma. Despite increased reporting of AIS, declines in mortality for cervical adenocarcinoma have not been demonstrated conclusively. However, future analyses are required to evaluate these trends more completely.

Comparison of gene expression in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix

OBJECTIVES

Microarray expression analysis of cervical tumors has revealed differential expression of genes that may be useful as markers or targets for treatment. We question the application of array findings across the major categories of cervical cancer. We sought to identify differences between normal squamous epithelium (NSQ) and glandular epithelium (NGL) of the uterine cervix and their malignant variants: squamous cell cancer (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ACA).

METHODS

Eight genes were selected: 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX), keratin 4, trypsinogen 2 (TRY2), Rh glycoprotein C (RhGC), collagen type V alpha 2, integrin alpha 5, integrin alpha 6, and c-myc. Ten cases each of SCC and ACA of the cervix were selected from our tumor bank. NSQ and NGL epithelia were obtained from consecutive patients undergoing surgery for benign disease. RNA extraction, cDNA synthesis, and DNA amplification of all samples were performed according to an established protocol. Electrophoresis of the multiplexed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products was performed under standard conditions, followed by digital image capture. A ratio of target to control gene (beta-actin) was obtained for each sample. Analysis of variance was applied to the mean ratios for each tissue to establish significant differences. Individual pairwise comparisons were made by Student t tests and verified with the Tukey-Kramer test.

RESULTS

Clinically valid comparisons are NSQ to NGL, NSQ to SCC, NGL to ACA, and SCC to ACA. Various expression patterns were observed between the epithelia and their malignant phenotypes. Significant differences in gene expression were observed between benign squamous and glandular epithelium in four of the eight genes and between malignant squamous and glandular epithelium in three of the eight genes. Significant differences in gene expression between benign and malignant tissues were demonstrated in four of the eight genes.

CONCLUSIONS

We have defined significant differential expression changes between the two principal cervical tumor types. Differences in genes are demonstrated and must be considered if array technology is applied to the study of the biologic behavior of these tumors as well as their screening and management. The observed differential expression should be a compelling argument to perform type-specific expression analysis for other tumors with histological variants.

Adenocarcinoma in situ of the uterine cervix

BACKGROUND

Little attention has been given to the reasons for failure to detect adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) of the uterine cervix in Papanicolaou (Pap) smears. In the current study, the authors examined a series of screening or diagnostic errors in cases in which the final histologic diagnosis was either AIS or AIS combined with a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (AIS + HSIL).

METHODS

Smears obtained in the 3 years before histologically proven AIS or AIS + HSIL was diagnosed and within a specified 6-year period (1993-1998) were reviewed and reclassified. All were conventional Pap smears. The smears studied were those with a review diagnosis of possible or definite high-grade epithelial abnormality that initially were reported by a cytotechnologist to be negative (screening error) or that were reported by a pathologist to be negative, unsatisfactory, or indicative of a low-grade epithelial abnormality (diagnostic error). A semiquantitative, blinded assessment of the frequency of cytologic criteria for the diagnosis of AIS was made for smears with erroneous diagnoses compared with a series of smears that yielded true-positive findings.

RESULTS

Sampling errors, which were defined as cases in which smears did not have sufficient evidence for a diagnosis of possible or definite AIS or HSIL on review, accounted for 35.1% and 36% of all smears from patients with a biopsy diagnosis of AIS and patients with a biopsy diagnosis of AIS + HSIL, respectively. With regard to AIS, there were 3 screening errors and 5 diagnostic errors, accounting for 10.4% of 77 smears. Minimal, poorly preserved material was evident in four smears, including three smears with only one sheet of abnormal glandular cells. In four other smears, there was a moderate amount of adequately preserved glandular material, mainly in large sheets, with varying degrees of crowding and hyperchromasia. With regard to AIS + HSIL, there were 6 screening errors and 6 diagnostic errors, accounting for 13.5% of 89 smears. In those smears, there generally was a moderate amount of abnormal material in the form of crowded groups of suboptimally preserved, hyperchromatic squamous cells. Only two of those smears yielded findings of possible abnormal glandular cells. Only 3 of 20 errors occurred in smears that were examined during the last 3 years of the study. In the semiquantitative assessment, smears with erroneous findings were shown to contain far less abnormal material than true-positive smears and to exhibit a corresponding paucity of diagnostic criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Sampling errors were the main cause of false-negative reports in cases of AIS and AIS + HSIL. The primary factors that contributed to screening or diagnostic errors in AIS were minimal, poorly preserved abnormal material and an overly conservative approach to the assessment of unusual large sheets or aggregates of glandular cells. With regard to AIS + HSIL, most laboratory errors were related to the presence of crowded groups of squamous epithelial cells. There were fewer errors in the last 3 years of the study, raising the possibility of improvement over time.

Cervical adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma incidence trends among white women and black women in the United States for 1976-2000

BACKGROUND

Although cervical carcinoma incidence and mortality rates have declined in the U.S. greatly since the introduction of the Papanicolaou smear, this decline has not been uniform for all histologic subtypes. Therefore, the authors assessed the differential incidence rates of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (AC) of the cervix by race and disease stage for the past 25 years.

METHODS

Data from nine population-based cancer registries participating in the U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program were used to compute incidence rates for cervical carcinoma diagnosed during 1976-2000 by histologic subtype (SCC and AC), race (black and white), age, and disease stage (in situ, localized, regional, or distant).

RESULTS

In black women and white women, the overall incidence of invasive SCC declined over time, and the majority of tumors that are detected currently are in situ and localized carcinomas in young women. The incidence of in situ SCC increased sharply in the early 1990s. AC in situ (AIS) incidence rates increased, especially among young women. In black women, invasive AC incidence rose linearly with age.

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in screening, endocervical sampling, nomenclature, and improvements in treatment likely explain the increased in situ cervical SCC incidence in white women and black women. Increasing AIS incidence over the past 20 years in white women has not yet translated into a decrease in invasive AC incidence. Etiologic factors may explain the rising invasive cervical AC incidence in young white women; rising cervical AC incidence with age in black women may reflect either lack of effective screening or a differential disease etiology.

Coexisting high-grade glandular and squamous cervical lesions and human papillomavirus infections

The frequency of high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) genotypes in patients with adenocarcinoma in situ (ACIS) with coexisting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), ACIS without coexisting CIN, and high-grade CIN (CIN II/III) was studied, in order to gain more insight into the relation between hr-HPV infections and the development of coexisting squamous and glandular lesions. The SPF(10) LiPA PCR was used to detect simultaneously 25 different HPV genotypes in biopsies obtained from 90 patients with CIN II/III, 47 patients with ACIS without coexisting CIN, and 49 patients with ACIS and coexisting CIN. hr-HPV was detected in 84 patients (93%) with CIN II/III, 38 patients (81%) with ACIS without CIN, and in 47 patients (96%) with ACIS and coexisting CIN. A total of 13 different hr-HPV genotypes were detected in patients with CIN II/III, and only five in patients with ACIS with/without coexisting CIN. HPV 31, multiple hr-HPV genotypes, and HPV genotypes other than 16, 18, and 45 were significantly more often detected in patients with CIN II/III, while HPV 18 was significantly more often detected in patients with ACIS with/without CIN. There were no significant differences in the frequency of specific hr-HPV genotypes between patients with ACIS with or without coexisting CIN. In conclusion, the frequency of specific hr-HPV genotypes is similar for patients with ACIS without CIN and patients with ACIS and coexisting CIN, but is significantly different for patients with CIN II/III without ACIS. These findings suggest that squamous lesions, coexisting with high-grade glandular lesions, are aetiologically different from squamous lesions without coexisting glandular lesions.

Predictive value of diagnoses of endocervical glandular abnormalities in cervical smears

AIMS

To determine the positive predictive value (PPV) of cervical smear diagnoses of 'definite' and 'possible' endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ or invasive adenocarcinoma, and whether diagnostic accuracy can be improved.

METHODS

The study examined cervical smears reported as definite or possible high-grade glandular abnormality between 1992 and 1998. PPV was calculated by comparing smear diagnoses with the subsequent histopathology report. All available smears were reviewed without knowledge of follow-up results, and were reclassified by consensus.

RESULTS

Thirty-two smears were diagnosed as high-grade glandular lesions, with adequate biopsy follow-up in 31 cases (96.9%). A high-grade epithelial abnormality (HGEA) was detected in 29 cases (PPV, 93.5%), with a high-grade glandular lesion in 24 (PPV, 77.4%). Very few smears were reclassified on review. Seventy-three smears were initially diagnosed in the 'inconclusive' glandular or indeterminate cell-type category. There was adequate biopsy follow up for 54 cases (74.0%). On follow-up, 31 cases had a HGEA (PPV, 57.4%), with 14 cases having a high-grade glandular abnormality (PPV, 25.9%). In the review of 'inconclusive' smears, 12 were reclassified as squamous abnormalities and none of these had a glandular lesion on biopsy. Eight were reclassified as negative; seven contained endometrial stroma and the glandular cells in question were considered to be of lower uterine segment (LUS) origin. No significant lesion was present on follow-up of these cases.

CONCLUSIONS

For clinicians using our laboratory, large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) or cone biopsy should follow a 'definite' cytological diagnosis of a high-grade endocervical glandular lesion. However, cone biopsy may not be the appropriate initial management in the 'possible' high-grade glandular group because of a significantly lower predictive value of the diagnosis. The slide review highlighted the importance of (1) caution in classifying sheets of abnormal cells as glandular, and (2) endometrial stroma as a marker of LUS material.