Relationship between minimally invasive hysterectomy, pelvic cytology, and lymph vascular space invasion: a single institution study of 458 patients

Surgical Treatment for Endometrial Cancer, Hysterectomy Performed via Minimally Invasive Routes Compared with Open Surgery: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Background: Total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy via minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has emerged as the standard of care for early-stage endometrial cancer (EC). Prior systematic reviews and meta-analyses have focused on outcomes reported solely from randomised controlled trials (RCTs), overlooking valuable data from non-randomised studies. This inaugural systematic review and network meta-analysis comprehensively compares clinical and oncological outcomes between MIS and open surgery for early-stage EC, incorporating evidence from randomised and non-randomised studies. Methods: This study was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020186959). All original research of any experimental design reporting clinical and oncological outcomes of surgical treatment for endometrial cancer was included. Study selection was restricted to English-language peer-reviewed journal articles published 1 January 1995-31 December 2021. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted. Results: A total of 99 studies were included in the network meta-analysis, comprising 181,716 women and 14 outcomes. Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery demonstrated reduced blood loss and length of hospital stay but increased operating time. Compared with laparoscopic surgery, robotic-assisted surgery was associated with a significant reduction in ileus (OR = 0.40, 95% CrI: 0.17-0.87) and total intra-operative complications (OR = 0.38, 95% CrI: 0.17-0.75) as well as a higher disease-free survival (OR = 2.45, 95% CrI: 1.04-6.34). Conclusions: For treating early endometrial cancer, minimal-access surgery via robotic-assisted or laparoscopic techniques appears safer and more efficacious than open surgery. Robotic-assisted surgery is associated with fewer complications and favourable oncological outcomes.

The Impact of Intrauterine Manipulators on Outcome and Recurrence Patterns of Endometrial Cancer Patients Undergoing Minimally Invasive Surgery

Objective: To evaluate the use of manipulators on the outcome of women who had minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients operated with or without an intrauterine manipulator. Results: Six hundred ninety-nine patients were included. The median follow-up was 44 months (range, 29-67). Nineteen (8.8%) patients had positive cytology in the manipulator group versus 21 (4.4%) in the comparison group (p = 0.02). Total recurrence rate was similar between the groups (12.3% vs. 11.9%; p = 0.8). Vaginal vault recurrence was the most common site of recurrence with higher incidence in the manipulator group (4.5% vs. 1.3%; p = 0.007). Subgroup analysis of low-risk patients who did not receive adjuvant treatment showed higher recurrence rate (8.3% vs. 3%; p = 0.023) and worse disease-free survival (p = 0.01) for the manipulator group. After controlling for other variables, the use of a manipulator did not affect the risk of recurrence for the whole cohort (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28; confidence interval [95% CI], 0.7-2.1, p = 0.3) and for the low-risk subgroup of patients who did not receive adjuvant treatment (HR, 2.47; 95% CI, 0.8-7, p = 0.08). Conclusion: The use of a manipulator increases the risk of positive cytology as well as vaginal vault recurrences, but it does not reduce the overall survival of patients.

Intrauterine manipulator during hysterectomy for endometrial cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of oncologic outcomes

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the effects on oncologic outcomes of intrauterine manipulator use during laparoscopic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic literature search was performed by an expert librarian in multiple electronic databases from inception to January 31, 2023.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

We included all studies in the English language that compared oncologic outcomes (recurrence-free, cause-specific, or overall survival) between endometrial cancer patients who underwent total laparoscopic or robotic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer with vs without the use of an intrauterine manipulator. Studies comparing only peritoneal cytology status or lymphovascular space invasion were summarized for completeness. No selection criteria were applied to the study design.

METHODS

Four reviewers independently reviewed studies for inclusion, assessed their risk of bias, and extracted data. Pooled hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated for oncologic outcomes using the random effect model. Heterogeneity was quantified using the I2 tests. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plot and Egger test.

RESULTS

Out of 350 identified references, we included 2 randomized controlled trials and 12 observational studies for a total of 14 studies and 5,019 patients. The use of an intrauterine manipulator during hysterectomy for endometrial cancer was associated with a pooled hazard ratio for recurrence of 1.52 (95% confidence interval, 0.99-2.33; P=.05; I2=31%; chi square P value=.22). Pooled hazard ratio for recurrence was 1.48 (95% confidence interval, 0.25-8.76; P=.62; I2=67%; chi square P value=.08) when only randomized controlled trials were considered. Pooled hazard ratio for overall survival was 1.07 (95% confidence interval, 0.65-1.76; P=0.79; I2=44%; chi square P value=.17). The rate of positive peritoneal cytology or lymphovascular space invasion did not differ using an intrauterine manipulator.

CONCLUSION

Intrauterine manipulator use during hysterectomy for endometrial cancer was neither significantly associated with recurrence-free and overall survival nor with positive peritoneal cytology or lymphovascular space invasion, but further prospective studies are needed.

Use of uterine manipulator and uterine perforation in minimally invasive endometrial cancer surgery

OBJECTIVE

Safety of the uterine manipulator (UM) within endometrial cancer (EC) surgery is being questioned. Its use might be one of the issues for potential tumor dissemination during the procedure, especially in the case of uterine perforation (UP). No prospective data on this surgical complication, nor on the oncological consequences exist. The aim of this study was to assess the rate of UP while using UM when performing surgery for EC and the impact of UP on the choice of adjuvant treatment.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective single-center cohort study from November 2018 to February 2022, considering all EC cases surgically treated by a minimally invasive approach with the help of a UM. Demographic, preoperative, postoperative and adjuvant treatment corresponding to the included patients were collected and comparatively analyzed according to the absence or presence of a UP.

RESULTS

Of the 82 patients included in the study, 9 UPs (11%) occurred during surgery. There was no significant difference in demographics and disease characteristics at diagnosis that may have induced UP. The type of UM used or the approach (laparoscopic vs. robotic) did not influence the occurrence of UP (p = 0.44). No positive peritoneal cytology was found post hysterectomy. There was a statistically significantly higher rate of lymph-vascular space invasion within the perforation group, 67% vs. 25% in the no perforation group, p = 0.02. Two out of nine (22%) adjuvant therapies were changed because of UP. The median follow-up time for patients was 7.6 months (range 0.5-33.1 months). No recurrence was found in the UP group.

CONCLUSION

Our study found a uterine perforation rate of 11%. This information needs to be further integrated to consider the usefulness of MU for EC surgery.

Influence of uterine manipulator on oncological outcome in minimally invasive surgery of endometrial cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

The endoscopic approach for early-stage endometrial cancer (EC) treatment is considered gold standard. Some authors expressed their concern regarding uterine manipulator (UM) as a risk factor for tumor spillage and dissemination allowing peritoneal or lympho-vascular spaces invasion (LVSI). This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of UM on the presence of LVSI, recurrence rate and presence of atypical or malignant peritoneal cytology in patients with endometrial cancer.

METHODS

We searched electronic databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov. The pooled results were used to evaluate the association between the use of UM and oncological outcomes. This systematic review was reported according to PRISMA statement 2020. Statistical meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager software.

RESULTS

This systematic review included 18 studies (3 prospective studies, 13 retrospective studies, and 2 RCT). The pooled results showed no significant difference (RR: 0.86, 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.08) in the incidence of LVSI between manipulated hysterectomy and total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) and between UM group and non-UM group in minimally invasive surgery (RR: 1.18, 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.85), no significant difference in the rate of recurrence (RR: 1.11, 95% CI, 0.71 to 1.74), in the incidence of positive peritoneal cytology between manipulated and non-manipulated hysterectomies in minimally invasive surgery (RR: 1.89, 95% CI, 0.74 to 4.83) and before and after the use of uterine manipulator (RR: 1.21, 95% CI, 0.68 to 2.16). We found a positive association between malignant cytology and hysterectomies in which a uterine manipulator had been used in a sub-group analysis where LH/LAVH were compared to TAH. (RR = 2.26, 95% CI, 1.08-4.71. P = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis supports that the use of uterine manipulator for minimally invasive treatment of endometrial cancer does not increase the rate of recurrence and LVSI. Therefore, the opportunity of any other studies on its use in endometrial cancer women should be questioned.

Proteomic analysis of the influence of CO2 pneumoperitoneum in cervical cancer cells

Objective

The effect of CO₂ pneumoperitoneum (CDP) on the oncology outcomes of patients undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of CDP on the proliferation of cervical cancer cells and examined the molecular mechanism.

Materials and Methods

We established an in vitro CDP model to study the effects of CDP on the proliferation of cervical cancer cells by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, xenografted tumor assay. Tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics were used to study the proteomic changes in HeLa cells after CDP treatment. Western blot assay was used to detect the expressions of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway proteins.

Results

CDP increased cell proliferation after a short period of inhibition in vitro and promoted tumorigenesis in vivo. Proteomic analysis showed that the expression levels of 177 and 309 proteins were changed significantly 24 and 48 h after CDP treatment, respectively. The acidification caused by CO₂ inhibited the proliferation of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting the phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt.

Conclusions

CDP promoted the proliferation of human cervical cancer cells after a short time of inhibition. The mechanism of which is related to the inhibition of phosphorylation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Clinico-pathological significance of suspicious peritoneal cytology in endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Suspicious peritoneal cytology refers to the result of peritoneal cytology testing that is insufficient in either quality or quantity for a definitive diagnosis of malignancy. This study examined characteristics and survival outcomes related to suspicious peritoneal cytology in endometrial cancer.

METHODS

A population-based retrospective study by querying the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program was conducted. A total of 41,229 women with Stage I-III endometrial cancer who had peritoneal cytologic sampling at hysterectomy from 2010 to 2016 were examined. A Cox proportional hazard regression model and a competing risk analysis with Fine-Gray model were fitted to assess survival outcome related to suspicious peritoneal cytology.

RESULTS

Suspicious peritoneal cytology was seen in 702 (1.7%) cases. In multivariable models, suspicious peritoneal cytology was associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer mortality (subdistribution-hazard ratio [HR] 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-2.20, p < 0.001) and all-cause mortality (adjusted-HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.27-1.90, p < 0.001) compared with negative peritoneal cytology. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that suspicious peritoneal cytology had discrete overall survival improvement compared with malignant peritoneal cytology in a propensity score weighting model (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.72-0.99, p = 0.049).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that suspicious peritoneal cytology may be a prognostic factor for decreased survival in endometrial cancer.

Impact of surgical approach on prevalence of positive peritoneal cytology and lymph-vascular invasion in patients with early-stage endometrial carcinoma: a National Cancer Database study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of positive peritoneal cytology and lymph-vascular invasion by surgical approach among patients with early stage endometrioid endometrial carcinoma undergoing hysterectomy.

METHODS

The National Cancer Database was accessed and patients with FIGO stage I endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (with no history of another tumor diagnosed) who underwent simple hysterectomy (open or minimally invasive) between January 2010 and December 2015 and had available data on the presence of lymph-vascular invasion and/or status of peritoneal cytology were selected for further analysis. The impact of a surgical approach on the odds of lymph-vascular invasion and positive peritoneal cytology was calculated after controlling for tumor grade, size, and depth of myometrial invasion.

RESULTS

A total of 74 732 patients who met the inclusion criteria were identified. The rate of minimally invasive hysterectomy was 75.7%. Data on peritoneal cytology status and lymph-vascular invasion were available for 50 185 and 71 641 patients, respectively. A higher proportion of patients who had minimally invasive hysterectomy had positive peritoneal cytology (4.4% vs 2.3%, p<0.001), and presence of lymph-vascular invasion (10.4% vs 9.2%, p<0.001). After controlling for tumor size, tumor grade, and disease substage, the performance of minimally invasive surgery was associated with higher odds of positive peritoneal cytology (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.83 to 2.37) and presence of lymph-vascular invasion (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.25 to 1.41). After controlling for confounders there was no difference in survival between open and minimally invasive surgery groups (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Minimally invasive surgery may be associated with a higher incidence of positive peritoneal cytology and lymph-vascular invasion among patients with early stage endometrioid endometrial cancer. There was no difference in overall survival between patients who had laparotomy or minimally invasive surgery.

Evaluation of pelvic washing specimens in patients with endometrial cancer: Cytomorphological features, diagnostic agreement, and pathologist experience

BACKGROUND

Pelvic washings for patients with endometrial cancer is recommended but not used for staging. The International System for Reporting Serous Fluid Cytology (TIS) has standardized diagnostic categories, but the criteria remain incomplete. The 3 primary goals of this study were to 1) investigate features that distinguish atypical/indeterminate from malignant specimens, 2) measure the level of agreement between chart and reviewer diagnoses, and 3) determine whether the number of years in practice had an effect on the diagnoses rendered.

METHODS

Pelvic washings and surgical pathology specimens for 52 patients with a chart diagnosis of atypical/indeterminate, suspicious, or malignant cytology and 52 age-matched controls with a negative chart diagnosis were included, reviewed blindly by 2 cytopathologists, and assigned a study diagnosis. Morphologic features were assessed. Agreement between original chart diagnoses and reviewer diagnoses were assessed as well as effect of years in practice.

RESULTS

The overall cellularity in cell block (CB) slides for the malignant category was significantly increased compared with the atypical/indeterminate category (P < .0001). In addition, the number of atypical groups in ThinPrep for malignant washings was significantly increased compared with the atypical category (P < .001) and the negative and suspicious categories (P < .0001) in the CB. Overall agreement between the original and adjudicated diagnoses was high (γ = 0.983). There was no significant difference between diagnoses rendered and years in practice.

CONCLUSION

The overall cellularity and number of atypical cells can be used to distinguish between malignant and atypical pelvic washing specimens. There is high reproducibility in the diagnostic categories and high agreement among pathologists, regardless of practice experience. These findings can help refine the criteria for TIS.

Vascular Pseudoinvasion After Endometrial Ablation

Vascular pseudoinvasion or displacement of tumor or normal endometrial tissue is a potential pitfall in uterine pathology. The proposed mechanisms of this phenomenon are mostly associated with the uterine manipulator used during minimally invasive hysterectomies. The aim of this report is to describe vascular pseudoinvasion in a still unreported setting, that of a postendometrial ablation hysterectomy, and to provide a summary of studies dealing with artifactual or nonmalignant myometrial vessel involvement by normal or neoplastic endometrial tissue.

Role of uterine manipulator during laparoscopic endometrial cancer treatment

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most frequent gynecologic malignancy with 61,000 new cases diagnosed per year in the USA. Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) LAP2 randomized study demonstrated a superimposable 5-year overall survival between laparotomic and laparoscopic approaches in EC treatment. In this context the uterine manipulator (UM) represents a valuable tool in order to increase the ergonomics of surgical gesture during a laparoscopic total hysterectomy. Despite the proven safety of the minimally invasive approach in EC treatment, neither the indication whether to use or not, nor the recommendation concerning a specific type of UM are provided by international guidelines. This narrative review aims to collect all the main findings in the literature about UM use to investigate its safety in EC patients. Based on the analysis of the literature research, the main results were categorized into two manipulator-related problems: the iatrogenic LVSI, and the retrograde tumor spillage. LVSI is defined as the presence of tumor cells within an endothelium-lined space. An electronic search was performed using the following keywords: 'uterine manipulator', and 'endometrial cancer'. The electronic database search provided a total of 93 studies. Of whom, 12 case reports, 5 studies not in English language, and 65 works not fitting the review scope were excluded from the analysis. Eleven studies were considered eligible for the purpose of the study. The most recent studies have highlighted the safety of the uterine manipulator in the early-stage EC laparoscopic treatment. All types of manipulators are considered to be fairly safe but its application should be tailored according to tumor dimension and grade of myometrial infiltration.

Learning curve could affect oncologic outcome of minimally invasive radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Recent prospective studies have shown poorer oncologic outcomes following minimally invasive surgery, which has led many surgeons to deeply inspect their practices. We reviewed our experience and evaluated the results of radical hysterectomy in patients with early stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients with early stage cervical cancer (Ia1 - IIa1) who were treated with radical hysterectomy from May 2006 to Dec 2016. Patients were divided into three groups according to the surgical approach: radical abdominal hysterectomy (RAH), laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH), and robot-assisted radical hysterectomy (RRH).

RESULTS

Learning curves of each type of surgery were obtained using the cumulative sum method. Survival rates were compared using Kaplan-Meier curves. To analyze the learning curve of a single surgeon, 89 patients were selected from the whole population. Learning curves of each group showed two distinct phases. The minimum number of cases required to achieve surgical improvement were 16 in RAH, 13 in LRH, and 21 in RRH. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival did not vary between RAH and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) (p = .828 and p = .757, respectively). However, when stratified by the phases of the learning curves, patients included in the early phase of MIS showed a poorer PFS (p = .014).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical proficiency could significantly affect the oncologic outcome in MIS. A prospective study regarding sufficient surgical competence is necessary for elaborate analysis of the feasibility of minimally invasive radical hysterectomy.

The effects of uterine manipulators in minimally invasive hysterectomy for endometrial cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Minimally invasive surgery has achieved great success in the surgical treatment of many kinds of cancer. This study aimed to systematically review the available evidence evaluating the effects of the use of uterine manipulators in minimally hysterectomies for endometrial cancer patients.

METHODS

We searched the CENTRAL, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE and ClinicalTrials.gov databases to Sep. 12, 2019 to identify relevant prospective or retrospective studies, using the intersection of "endometrial neoplasms", "endometrial carcinoma", "endometrial cancer"; "uterine manipulator", and "intrauterine manipulator". The initial search identified 251 items in total. The main outcomes of interest were the presence of LVSI (lymphovascular space invasion), the incidence of positive peritoneal cytology, and the presence of recurrence during follow-up.

RESULTS

After screening for eligibility, 11 studies were included in the meta-analysis finally. The timing of uterine manipulators insertion during MIS for endometrial cancer was not associated with an increased risk of positive peritoneal cytology (RR: 1.21, 95% CI, 0.68 to 2.16). Moreover, there was no significant difference for the rate of positive peritoneal cytology (RR: 1.53, 95% CI, 0.85 to 2.77), LVSI (RR: 1.18, 95% CI, 0.66 to 2.11) or the rate of recurrence (RR: 1.25, 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.74) regarding the use of uterine manipulators for laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of endometrial cancer patients.

CONCLUSION

We found that the use of uterine manipulators is not associated with an increased incidence of positive peritoneal cytology, LVSI, or recurrence among patients with endometrial cancer.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO, CRD42020147111.

Laparoscopic Radical Hysterectomy with Enclosed Colpotomy and without the Use of Uterine Manipulator for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer

It was reported recently that minimally invasive radical hysterectomy was associated with worse prognosis than the open abdominal counterpart for the management of early-stage cervical cancer. Uterine manipulator and intracorporeal open colpotomy may be the 2 main suspects responsible for the inferiority. We hypothesize that minimally invasive radical hysterectomy with enclosed colpotomy and without the use of a uterine manipulator will improve survival. Thus, laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with abdominal uterine manipulation and enclosed colpotomy was performed in women with early-stage cervical cancer. The round ligament, the ovary ligament, and the fallopian tube were sutured together for the abdominal manipulation of the uterus. Meanwhile, the upper vagina was ligated before colpotomy to avoid tumor spillage. There were no intraoperative and postoperative complications. The abdominal uterine manipulation and enclosed colpotomy technique, which are both safe and feasible in this study, provide a relatively tumor-free approach for minimally invasive radical hysterectomy. Further investigation of oncologic outcomes in larger prospective studies are needed to confirm our hypothesis.

Intrauterine Manipulator Use During Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy and Risk of Lymphovascular Space Invasion in Endometrial Cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine an association between intrauterine manipulator (IUM) use and frequency of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) in women with endometrial cancer undergoing minimally invasive hysterectomy.

METHODS

A retrospective case-control study was conducted among stage I-IV endometrial cancer patients who underwent hysterectomy between 2008 and 2015. Medical records were reviewed for patient demographics, surgical details, and tumor characteristics. Women who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) with IUM use were compared with women who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). Review of archived medical record for data collection and propensity score matching were performed to adjust for background differences between TLH-IUM and TAH groups. A systematic literature review with pooled analysis was performed to examine frequency of LVSI.

RESULTS

There were 687 women who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial cancer. Of those, 419 women underwent TLH with IUM use and 194 women underwent TAH. The most common type of IUM was VCare (89.5%). There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of LVSI between the 2 groups: 15.1% for TLH-IUM vs 19.9% for TAH (P = 0.14). After propensity score matching, frequencies of LVSI were similar between the 2 groups: 21.2% for TLH-IUM vs 19.6% for TAH (P = 0.78). Systematic literature review identified 1371 cases of TLH-IUM and 1246 cases of TAH performed for endometrial cancer, and frequencies of LVSI were similar between the 2 groups (15.0% vs 13.6%, P = 0.31).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that IUM use during TLH for endometrial cancer is not associated with increased frequency of LVSI.

MR-Based Radiomics Nomogram of Cervical Cancer in Prediction of the Lymph-Vascular Space Invasion preoperatively

Background

Lymph‐vascular space invasion (LVSI) is an unfavorable prognostic factor in cervical cancer. Unfortunately, there are no current clinical tools for the preoperative prediction of LVSI.

Purpose

To develop and validate an axial T₁ contrast‐enhanced (CE) MR‐based radiomics nomogram that incorporated a radiomics signature and some clinical parameters for predicting LVSI of cervical cancer preoperatively.

Study Type

Retrospective.

Population

In all, 105 patients were randomly divided into two cohorts at a 2:1 ratio.

Field Strength/Sequence

T₁ CE MRI sequences at 1.5T.

Assessment

Univariate analysis was performed on the radiomics features and clinical parameters. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine the optimal feature subset. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to evaluate the performance of prediction model and radiomics nomogram.

Statistical Tests

The Mann–Whitney U‐test and the chi‐square test were used to evaluate the performance of clinical characteristics and LVSI status by pathology. The minimum‐redundancy/maximum‐relevance and recursive feature elimination methods were applied to select the features. The radiomics model was constructed using logistic regression.

Results

Three radiomics features and one clinical characteristic were selected. The radiomics nomogram showed favorable discrimination between LVSI and non‐LVSI groups. The AUC was 0.754 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6326–0.8745) in the training cohort and 0.727 (95% CI, 0.5449–0.9097) in the validation cohort. The specificity and sensitivity were 0.756 and 0.828 in the training cohort and 0.773 and 0.692 in the validation cohort.

Data Conclusion

T₁ CE MR‐based radiomics nomogram serves as a noninvasive biomarker in the prediction of LVSI in patients with cervical cancer preoperatively.

Level of Evidence: 4

Technical Efficacy: Stage 2

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;49:1420–1426.

Significance of abnormal peritoneal cytology on survival of women with stage I-II endometrioid endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

To examine survival of women with stage I-II endometrioid endometrial cancer whose peritoneal cytology showed malignant or atypical cells (abnormal peritoneal cytology).

METHODS

This is a multi-center retrospective study examining 1668 women with stage I-II endometrioid endometrial cancer who underwent primary hysterectomy with available peritoneal cytology results between 2000 and 2015. Abnormal peritoneal cytology was correlated to clinico-pathological characteristics and oncological outcome.

RESULTS

Malignant and atypical cells were seen in 125 (7.5%) and 58 (3.5%) cases, respectively. On multivariate analysis, non-obesity, non-diabetes mellitus, cigarette use, and lympho-vascular space invasion were independently associated with abnormal peritoneal cytology (all, P<0.05). Abnormal peritoneal cytology was independently associated with decreased disease-free survival (hazard ratio 3.07, P<0.001) and cause-specific survival (hazard ratio 3.42, P=0.008) on multivariate analysis. Abnormal peritoneal cytology was significantly associated with increased risks of distant-recurrence (5-year rates: 8.8% versus 3.6%, P=0.001) but not local-recurrence (5.2% versus 3.0%, P=0.32) compared to negative cytology. Among women with stage I disease, abnormal peritoneal cytology was significantly associated with an increased risk of distant-recurrence in the low risk group (5-year rates: 5.5% versus 1.0%, P<0.001) but not in the high-intermediate risk group (13.3% versus 10.8% P=0.60). Among 183 women who had abnormal peritoneal cytology, postoperative chemotherapy significantly reduced the rate of peritoneal recurrence (5-year rates: 1.3% versus 9.2%, P=0.039) whereas postoperative radiotherapy did not (7.1% versus 5.5%, P=0.63).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that abnormal peritoneal cytology may be a prognostic factor for decreased survival in women with stage I-II endometrioid endometrial cancer, particularly for low-risk group.

Associated characteristics and impact on recurrence and survival of free-floating tumor fragments in the lumen of fallopian tubes in Type I and Type II endometrial cancer

Objective

This study sought to evaluate characteristics of cases of free-floating tumor fragments within the lumen of fallopian tubes (‘floaters’) on final pathology for Type I and Type II endometrial adenocarcinoma, including relationships with disease recurrence and mortality.

Methods

A single institution experience of 1022 consecutive cases of uterine cancer presenting between 2005 and 2010 was retrospectively reviewed, with data extraction from electronic medical records. Associations of floaters with baseline characteristics were studied with logistic regression, and relationships with disease recurrence and survival were assessed with Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

Among 816 included cases of Type I or Type II endometrial adenocarcinoma, floaters were identified on final pathology for 20 patients (2.5%). Patient characteristics of cases with floaters mirrored the overall sample. With adjustment, presence of floaters trended towards association with laparoscopic/robotic approach (OR = 3.84; 95%CI 0.98-15.1), and was significantly associated with lymphovascular invasion (OR = 9.65; 95%CI 2.35-39.6) and higher stage disease. Although floaters were associated with increased risk of recurrence in unadjusted analysis (HR = 3.22; 95%CI 1.41-7.37), after adjustment for disease type, stage, and patient comorbidities, no evidence for impact on disease recurrence or overall survival was found.

Conclusions

The presence of floaters is rare. Floaters were generally associated with more extensive disease, but no evidence was found to show any independent prognostic impact on risk of recurrence or death. In agreement with prior research, this study found a trend towards association of floaters with laparoscopic/robotic approach, indicating the possibility of floaters sometimes being the result of trauma from uterine manipulator insertion.

•

Floaters are defined as free floating tumor fragments within the fallopian tubes.

•

Floaters are uncommon, but had previously unknown prognostic significance.

•

Presence of floaters was associated with higher stage and lymphovascular invasion.

•

Floaters may be associated with laparoscopy due to trauma from uterine manipulation.

•

Floaters are not associated with increased chance of recurrence or death.

Intraperitoneal cytology after laparoscopic hysterectomy in patients with endometrial cancer: A retrospective observational study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dissemination of cancer cells at laparoscopic hysterectomy according to the intraperitoneal cytology.Patients with endometrial cancer underwent total laparoscopic modified radical hysterectomy. Peritoneal wash cytology was performed on entering the peritoneal cavity before surgical preparation and just after hysterectomy.Seventy-eight patients underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer. Among the 15 patients who had positive intraperitoneal cytology on entering the peritoneal cavity, 10 converted to negative intraperitoneal cytology after hysterectomy. In contrast, among the 63 patients who had negative intraperitoneal cytology on entering the peritoneal cavity, 2 converted to positive intraperitoneal cytology after hysterectomy.While surgery can reduce the number of cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity, leakage can occur, as seen in some cases of hysterectomy. Careful washing must be performed after hysterectomy.

Update on pathology, staging and molecular pathology of endometrial (uterine corpus) adenocarcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma is comprised of two major groups: type I that is hormonally driven with a good prognosis and type II that is hormone independent with a poor prognosis. The two most common subtypes are endometrioid adenocarcinoma, the prototypic type I cancer, and uterine serous carcinoma, the prototypic type II cancer, each with their own distinct precursor lesion. The histologic type, as codified by the WHO Tumor Classification system, grade, and stage are used to guide treatment. There is an increasing interest in screening for familial risk factors, specifically Lynch syndrome. A molecular classification of endometrial cancers holds promise for future improvements in care.

Timing of Intrauterine Manipulator Insertion During Minimally Invasive Surgical Staging and Results of Pelvic Cytology in Endometrial Cancer

STUDY OBJECTIVE

Considering the hypothetical concern of retrograde tumor spread to the peritoneal cavity by insertion of an intrauterine manipulator, we examined the correlation between the timing of manipulator insertion and the results of pelvic cytology during total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) in endometrial cancer.

DESIGN

Case-control study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING

University-based hospitals.

PATIENTS

Stage I to IV endometrial cancer patients who underwent TLH in which an intrauterine manipulator was used. Medical records were reviewed for patient demographics, surgical details, and tumor characteristics.

INTERVENTIONS

Archived medical record review.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 333 patients was identified. Cases were divided into those with intrauterine manipulator insertion after pelvic cytology sampling (Group 1, n = 103) and those with intrauterine manipulator insertion before pelvic cytology sampling (Group 2, n = 230). Types of intrauterine manipulator were similar across the 2 groups (p = .77). There was no statistical difference in the results of pelvic cytology between the 2 groups: Group 1 versus 2, atypical cells 2.9% versus 4.8% and malignant cells 5.8% versus 9.6% (p = .36). Uterine perforation related to intrauterine manipulator insertion was seen in 1.0% and .4% of each group (p = .52). In a multivariate analysis controlling for demographics and tumor characteristics, advanced-stage disease remained an independent risk factor associated with increased risk of atypical and malignant cells (adjusted odds ratio, 10.3; 95% confidence interval, 4.44-23.8; p < .001).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that the timing of intrauterine manipulator insertion during TLH for endometrial cancer is not associated with the results of pelvic cytology.