Glassy cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: 20-year experience from a comprehensive cancer center

Role of radiotherapy in the management of rare gynaecological cancers

There are a large number of gynaecological cancers with rare histologies, for which the available data are limited and usually retrospective. Because of their rarity and poor prognosis, the management of these cancers must be centralized in expert centres, for both histological diagnosis and treatment. With the exception of sarcomas, most endometrial or cervical cancers with rare histologies respond to the same radiation treatment modalities than cancers with more common histologies, although there are some specificities regarding treatments such as neuroendocrine carcinomas (chemotherapy with platinum and etoposide, major role of surgery). For localized or locally advanced ovarian cancer, external beam radiotherapy has a role in the management of hypercalcaemic small cell carcinoma of the ovary. This article summarizes the current role of external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy in the management of cancers of the uterine cervix, uterine corpus and ovaries, with rare or very rare histologies, and with localized or locally advanced stages.

A Unique Glassy Cell Carcinoma (GCC) of the Cervix Diagnosed during Pregnancy—A Case Report

Glassy Cell carcinoma (GCC) of the cervix is classified as a unique, aggressive neoplasm, with different sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is such an extremely rare tumor that it is practically not observed during pregnancy. Information on the coexistence of cervical GCC with pregnancy is also unique, so it seems extremely important to disseminate it in order to develop the most effective treatment regimen. Additionally, making any decisions regarding therapeutic methods during pregnancy encounters great ethical problems. We present the case of a 26-year-old pregnant woman, 18 weeks gestation, diagnosed with GCC of the cervix, IB3 grade in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) scale. Despite the unfavorable prognosis, the use of chemotherapy in a pregnant patient brought on a favorable therapeutic effect, without any negative effects on the fetus. The article also presents a literature review on the epidemiology, pathology, immunohistochemistry, treatment and prognosis of this rare disease.