Routine histologic features in complex atypical hyperplasia can predict the presence of endometrial carcinoma: a clinicopathological study of 222 cases

Integrated histological parameters define prognostically relevant groups in atypical endometrial hyperplasia/endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia

OBJECTIVE

To assess the risk of endometrial carcinoma following a diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia/endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia by endometrial biopsy, stratified based on integrated histological parameters.

METHODS

All women with atypical hyperplasia/endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia undergoing hysterectomy within 1 year of diagnosis without progestin treatment were included. Patients were subdivided into three study groups, based on two criteria: (a) grade of nuclear atypia and (b) foci (<2 mm) of confluent glands with no intervening stroma: low-grade, high-grade, and confluent glands. The rate of endometrial carcinoma on the subsequent hysterectomy was assessed in each study group, and differences between study groups were assessed using Fisher's exact test, with a significant p value <0.05. Reproducibility was assessed by using Cohen's κ.

RESULTS

Ninety-six patients were included. Overall, 36 of 96 patients (37.5%) had endometrial carcinoma on the subsequent hysterectomy. The number of endometrial carcinomas was 4 of 42 (9.5%) in the low-grade group, 14 of 28 (50.0%) in the high-grade group, and 18 of 26 (69.2%) in the confluent glands group. The rate of endometrial carcinoma was significantly higher in the high-grade group than in the low-grade group (p<0.001), whereas it did not significantly differ between the high-grade group and the confluent glands group (p=0.176). The reproducibility among pathologists was moderate for low-grade versus high-grade (κ=0.58) and substantial for confluent glands versus low-grade (κ=0.63) and high-grade (κ=0.63).

CONCLUSION

Atypical hyperplasia/endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia can be stratified into prognostically relevant groups based on integrated histological parameters, with a possible major impact on patient management.

D&C has the best concordance between preoperative and postoperative grades among morbidly obese endometrial cancer patients

AIM

Endometrial cancer is diagnosed by obtaining uterine biopsies by pipelle, dilatation and curettage (D&C), or hysteroscopy. In 15%-25% of the cases, the preoperative and postoperative grades do not match. This discrepancy may carry significant clinical and prognostic consequences. We aimed to assess how body mass index (BMI) affects preoperative and postoperative grade mismatches and whether biopsy methods mitigate this effect.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of patients with endometrial cancer who underwent surgery at our center between 2014 and 2022. We stratified patients into six classes of BMI based on the WHO classification. Preoperative and postoperative grades were compared for concordance with regards to patient BMI and sampling method.

RESULTS

A total of 158 patients were included, diagnosed by pipelle (n = 99), hysteroscopy (n = 15), or D&C (n = 44). For all methods, every unit increase in BMI increased the odds of having a gap between histology grades by 5.2%. In the pipelle group, the odds of a larger gap between the histology grades was 62% higher than that of women in the other groups. Among the D&C group, the odds of having a bigger difference between histology grades were 91.8% lower compared to the other groups. Patients with BMI over 30 had nearly 50% discrepancy when diagnosed with pipelle or hysteroscopy, but less than 10% with D&C.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing BMI is associated with decreasing concordance between preoperative and postoperative grades in endometrial cancer, especially when it exceeds 30. This effect is much less pronounced, however, when the diagnostic method is D&C.

Hysteroscopic biopsy compared with endometrial curettage to assess the preoperative rate of atypical hyperplasia underestimating endometrial carcinoma

PURPOSE

To evaluate the rate of atypical hyperplasia (AH) underestimating endometrial cancer (EC) comparing endometrial biopsy (EB) accomplished by hysteroscopic biopsy with dilatation and curettage (D&C). Second, to compare the two techniques to foresee EC grading.

METHODS

This trial was based on the findings of two Gynecological Departments within the same Public Utility, sharing pathological service and database but routinely performing EB under hysteroscopic visualization (group A) or hysteroscopy followed by D&C (group B). We retrieved the clinical data of patients showing EC on hysterectomy throughout a 10-year period. The accuracy of hysteroscopic-view diagnosis and EB pathology were compared, having the pathologic findings of hysterectomy as reference.

RESULTS

A total of 161 patients met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 109 and 52 were included in groups A and B, respectively. In group A, 32.1% of patients underwent EB in an out-patient setting. To foresee EC, hysteroscopic view showed a sensitivity of 82.5% and 70.2% in groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.019). An underestimation of EC diagnosed as AH on EB was found in 20 patients (12.4%). Among these, 18 (16.5%) and 2 (3.8%) were included in groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.022). In group A, a fault diagnosis of AH resulted higher when EB was performed as out-patient setting (P = 0.006). EB allowed the grading of EC in 73.3% and 90.3% of patients in groups A and B, respectively. The agreement was 73.7% and 85.1%, leading to moderate (κ = 0.56) and good (κ = 0.77) "κ" coefficient of concordance for groups A and B, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

EB performed by D&C lowers the rate of AH underestimating concurrent EC and improves the grading agreement when compared with hysteroscopic sampling.

Systemic Progestins and Progestin-Releasing Intrauterine Device Therapy for Premenopausal Patients With Endometrial Intraepithelial Neoplasia

OBJECTIVE

To estimate trends in use and outcomes of progestin therapy for premenopausal patients with endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia.

METHODS

The MarketScan Database was used to identify patients aged 18-50 years with endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia from 2008 to 2020. Primary treatment was classified as hysterectomy or progestin-based therapy. Within the progestin group, treatment was classified as systemic therapy or progestin-releasing intrauterine device (IUD). The trends in use of progestins and the pattern of progestin use were examined. A multivariable logistic regression model was fit to examine the association between baseline characteristics and the use of progestins. The cumulative incidence of hysterectomy, uterine cancer, and pregnancy since initiation of progestin therapy was analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 3,947 patients were identified. Hysterectomy was performed in 2,149 (54.4%); progestins were used in 1,798 (45.6%). Use of progestins increased from 44.2% in 2008 to 63.4% in 2020 (P=.002). Among the progestin users, 1,530 (85.1%) were treated with systemic progestin, and 268 (14.9%) were treated with progestin-releasing IUD. Among progestin users, use of IUD increased from 7.7% in 2008 to 35.6% in 2020 (P<.001). Hysterectomy was ultimately performed in 36.0% (95% CI 32.8-39.3%) of those who received systemic progestins compared with 22.9% (95% CI 16.5-30.0%) of those treated with progestin-releasing IUD (P<.001). Subsequent uterine cancer was documented in 10.5% (95% CI 7.6-13.8%) of those who received systemic progestins compared with 8.2% (95% CI 3.1-16.6%) of those treated with progestin-releasing IUD (P=.24). Venous thromboembolic complications occurred in 27 (1.5%) of those treated with progestins; the venous thromboembolism (VTE) rate was similar for oral progestins and progestin-releasing IUD.

CONCLUSION

The rate of conservative treatment with progestins in premenopausal individuals with endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia has increased over time, and among progestin users, progestin-releasing IUD use is increasing. Progestin-releasing IUD use may be associated with a lower rate of hysterectomy and a similar rate of VTE compared with oral progestin therapy.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0011324 is involved in endometrial cancer progression and the evolution of its mechanism

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological tumors with an increasing incidence. CircRNA plays an essential regulatory role in EC. Our objective was to investigate the potential mechanism of circRNAs derived SPOC Domain Containing 1 (SPOCD1) in EC progression. Seven circRNAs from SPOCD1 were analyzed by circBase and their expression was verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Only the expression of hsa_circ_0011324 was significantly increased in cancer tissues. The cell lines Ishikawa and RL95-2 which interfered with or overexpressed hsa_circ_0011324 were constructed and cell functions were tested. Results revealed hsa_circ_0011324 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion; while silence of hsa_circ_0011324 had opposite effect on cell functions. RNA22 website and Targetscan website were applied to analyze downstream genes regulated by hsa_circ_0011324. Then, the expression of downstream genes was detected in EC tissues. Results indicated hsa-miR-497/16-5p expression were down-regulated, and mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase (mTOR) was up-regulated in EC. Furthermore, hsa_circ_0011324 regulated mTOR expression and cell functions by affecting hsa-miR-497/16-5p. And the potential mechanism was hsa_circ_0011324 competes with mTOR to directly bind to hsa-miR-497/16-5p. In conclusion, hsa_circ_0011324 could sponge hsa-miR-497/16-5p targeted mTOR to participate in EC progress. Our study may provide a new therapeutic target for EC.

Atypical Endometrial Hyperplasia, Low-grade: "Much ADO About Nothing"

Atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) is considered a precursor of endometrioid carcinoma. The 2020 World Health Organization (WHO) classification divides endometrial hyperplasia into 2 categories: hyperplasia without atypia and atypical hyperplasia/endometrioid intraepithelial neoplasia (EIN); however, this classification does not consider the degree of nuclear atypia. We graded nuclear atypia for estimating the risk of finding carcinoma at hysterectomy. Also, we investigated genes involved in endometrial carcinogenesis including mismatch repair (MMR) genes and ARID1A, PIK3CA, PTEN, KRAS, and CTNNB1. We reviewed 79 biopsies of AEH from 79 patients who underwent hysterectomy within a 1-year interval. Intraobserver and interobserver agreement of grading nuclear atypia and the relationship between the grade of nuclear atypia at biopsy and the findings at hysterectomy were evaluated. Immunohistochemistry for MMR status was performed in all cases and targeted sequencing in 11. Using low-grade versus high-grade nuclear atypia, κ values ranged from 0.74 to 0.91 (89% to 96%) and from 0.72 to 0.81 (87% to 91%) for the intraobserver and the interobserver agreement, respectively. The degree of nuclear atypia at biopsy was highly predictive of the findings at hysterectomy (P=1.6×10-15). Of 53 patients with low-grade AEH, none had carcinoma at hysterectomy, whereas 6 (6/26; 23%) with high-grade AEH in the biopsy also had high-grade AEH in the uterus and 16 (16/26; 61%) had FIGO grade 1 carcinoma. MMR deficiency was found in 3 of the 79 patients. None of the genes showed a mutational load significantly associated with the degree of nuclear atypia. In summary, our data show high reproducibility within and between observers for the diagnosis of low-grade and high-grade AEH. Most cases of AEH had low-grade nuclear atypia and neither high-grade AEH nor carcinoma was encountered in the corresponding hysterectomy specimens.

Predictors of endometrial carcinoma in patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia at a tertiary gynaecological cancer centre in Western Australia

AIM

Our objective was to assess clinical and pathological factors associated with a final diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma in patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia with a particular emphasis on the grading of atypia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective review over five years on patients (N = 97) who underwent hysterectomy for a diagnosis of atypical endometrial hyperplasia at a statewide public tertiary gynaecologic oncology centre. Clinical and pathological characteristics were obtained.

RESULTS

The rate of concurrent endometrial carcinoma was 34% (n = 33) with most being stage 1A endometrioid. A significant group difference was reported for age at diagnosis (t = -2.20 P = 0.031 d = 0.43) with carcinoma patients on average older (M_age  = 60.2 (8.9) years) than patients without carcinoma (M_age  = 55.5 (12.3) years). No significant group differences were found for body mass index, endometrial thickness or time between diagnosis and treatment. Significantly higher rates of carcinoma were reported in patients with moderate atypical hyperplasia (27.6%) and severe atypical hyperplasia (66.7%), compared to mild atypical hyperplasia (7.1%). Only severe atypical hyperplasia (odds ratio (OR) = 21.5, 95% CI 2.8-163.1, P = 0.003) and postmenopausal status (OR = 13.2, 95% CI 1.3-139.0, P = 0.032) significantly increased the risk of carcinoma in a multivariate model.

CONCLUSION

Severe atypical hyperplasia and postmenopausal status were significant predictors of concurrent endometrial carcinoma in patients with atypical endometrial hyperplasia. The grading of atypical hyperplasia may be utilised by gynaecologic oncologists in the triage and referral process of managing these patients; however, the grading system requires external validation in larger prospective studies.

Diagnostic value of histopathological examination results obtained during screening of patients with diagnosed atypical hyperplasia

Vulvovaginal atrophy accompanied by lower urinary tract dysfunction related to low levels of estrogen and androgens is labeled as genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Although this condition affects most postmenopausal women worldwide, it seems to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. Women should be properly advised to choose an adequate treatment modality to improve their quality of life, sexual relationships and social activity. The aim of this article is to increase knowledge of GSM. The current treatment options, both hormonal and non-hormonal, are reviewed. Topical estrogen therapy still remains the gold standard, but the demand for individually tailored therapy is growing. New treatment modalities are continuously included in clinical practice. They should consider the whole personality of a woman as well as cultural and social factors. Further studies on GSM and on the effectiveness of various treatment options are necessary to achieve this purpose.