Synchronous primary cancers of endometrium and ovary vs endometrial cancer with ovarian metastasis: an observational study

GLP1R boosts survival, migration and invasion of endometrial cancer cells and protects against ferroptotic cell death

BACKGROUND

Despite the strong evidence concerning carcinogenic roles of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R), the role of this gene in endometrial cancer (EC) remains elusive. This study investigated the properties of GLP1R on EC in vitro.

METHODS

The expression of GLP1R in EC was detected by RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blotting. Cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, invasion and ferroptosis were assessed through CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing, transwell, DCFH-DA and western blotting, respectively.

RESULTS

We found that GLP1R was up-regulated in EC than normal specimens. It had the highest expression in AN3CA cells. Cell viability, migration and invasion were significantly reduced, while cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were induced following GLP1R knockdown. The malignant biological behaviours of AN3CA cells were investigated when treated with exendin-4 (GLP1R agonist). Moreover, GLP1R lowered intracellular ROS level and expression of SLC7A11, and FTH1, but mitigated GPX4 expression in AN3CA cells.

CONCLUSION

In a word, GLP1R was up-regulated in EC and its up-regulation facilitated the proliferative and metastatic potentials, and protected cells from ferroptosis, thereby accelerating EC progression. These data emphasised the potency of GLP1R as a therapeutic agent against EC.

The research progress on synchronous endometrial and ovarian carcinoma

Synchronous endometrial and ovarian carcinoma (SEOC) is the most common combination of primary double cancer in the female reproductive system. The etiology and pathogenesis of SEOC remain unclear, and clinically, it is often misdiagnosed as metastatic cancer, affecting the formulation of treatment plans and prognosis for patients. This article provides a review of its epidemiology, pathological and clinical characteristics, risk factors, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Construction and validation of prognostic nomogram and clinical characteristics for ovarian endometrioid carcinoma: an SEER-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Ovarian endometrioid carcinoma (OEC) is the second most commonly occurring ovarian epithelial malignancy, but the associated prognostic factors remain obscure. This study aimed to analyze independent prognostic factors for patients with OEC and to develop and validate a nomogram to predict the overall survival (OS) of these patients.

METHODS

Clinical information of patients with OEC (2000-2019) was obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors, and nomogram models were constructed using independent prognostic factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to verify the accuracy and validity of the nomogram. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare the differences in OS and cancer-specific survival (CSS) among subgroups.

RESULTS

A total of 4628 patients with OEC were included, being divided into training (n = 3238) and validation (n = 1390) sets (7:3 ratio). On multivariate Cox analysis, AJCC stage, age, tumor size, differentiation, chemotherapy, and lymph node resection were significant predictors of survival outcomes (P < 0.05). Resection of 1-3 lymph nodes in early-stage OEC patients did not significantly prolong OS (P > 0.05), but resection of ≥ 4 lymph nodes in early-stage improved OS and CSS (P < 0.05). The OS of early-stage patients was not related to whether or not they received chemotherapy (P > 0.05). Lymph node resection and chemotherapy significantly improved the prognosis of patients with advanced OEC (P < 0.05). The c-index of nomogram prediction model was 0.782. ROC with good discrimination, calibration plots with high consistency, and DCA with large net benefit rate result in large clinical value.

CONCLUSION

AJCC stage, differentiation, tumor size, age, chemotherapy, and lymph node dissection were prognostic factors of OEC. The constructed nomogram prediction model can effectively predict the prognosis of OEC patients and improve the accuracy of clinical decision-making.

A Review of the Clinical Characteristics and Novel Molecular Subtypes of Endometrioid Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic cancers that has the highest mortality rate. Endometrioid ovarian cancer, a distinct subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer, is associated with endometriosis and Lynch syndrome, and is often accompanied by synchronous endometrial carcinoma. In recent years, dysbiosis of the microbiota within the female reproductive tract has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, with some specific pathogens exhibiting oncogenic having been found to contribute to cancer development. It has been shown that dysregulation of the microenvironment and accumulation of mutations are stimulatory factors in the progression of endometrioid ovarian carcinoma. This would be a potential therapeutic target in the future. Simultaneously, multiple studies have demonstrated the role of four molecular subtypes of endometrioid ovarian cancer, which are of particular importance in the prediction of prognosis. This literature review aims to compile the potential mechanisms of endometrioid ovarian cancer, molecular characteristics, and molecular pathological types that could potentially play a role in the prediction of prognosis, and the novel therapeutic strategies, providing some guidance for the stratified management of ovarian cancer.

Estrogen disorders: Interpreting the abnormal regulation of aromatase in granulosa cells (Review)

Ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) are the most important source of estrogen. Therefore, aromatase (estrogen synthase), which is the key enzyme in estrogen synthesis, is not only an important factor of ovarian development, but also the key to estrogen secretion by GCs. Disorders of the ovarian estrogen secretion are more likely to induce female estrogen-dependent diseases and fertility issues, such as ovarian cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome. Hence, aromatase is an important drug target; treatment with its inhibitors in estrogen-dependent diseases has attracted increasing attention. The present review article focuses on the regulation and mechanism of the aromatase activity in the GCs, as well as the specific regulation of aromatase promoters. In GCs, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) is dependent on the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway to regulate the aromatase activity, and the regulation of this enzyme is related to the activation of signaling pathways, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In addition, endocrine-disrupting substance and other related factors affect the expression of aromatase, which eventually create an imbalance in the estrogen secretion by the target tissues. The present review highlights these useful factors as potential inhibitors for target therapy.