A cut-off value of 2 cm in tumor size is of prognostic value in surgically treated FIGO stage IB cervical cancer

Postoperative management of FIGO 2018 stage IIA1 cervical squamous cell carcinoma with only one intermediate-risk factor: Is radiotherapy needed?

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether postoperative radiotherapy is required for FIGO 2018 stage IIA1 cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients with only one intermediate-risk factor.

METHODS

This was a multicenter retrospective study. The selected patients were classified into no postoperative adjuvant therapy and postoperative radiotherapy groups. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were compared.

RESULTS

In total, 159 patients with no postoperative adjuvant therapy and 179 patients with postoperative radiotherapy were included, with the former group showing a lower OS but no difference in DFS. No postoperative adjuvant therapy was an independent risk factor for patient mortality. Patients were also stratified by tumor diameter: 56 patients had a tumor diameter ≤2 cm, comprising 32 patients with postoperative radiotherapy and 24 patients without (no between-group difference was found); 272 patients had a tumor diameter >2 cm, comprising 122 patients with postoperative radiotherapy and 150 patients without, with the former group showing a higher OS, and no postoperative adjuvant therapy was an independent risk factor for patient mortality.

CONCLUSION

For FIGO 2018 stage IIA1 cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients with only one intermediate-risk factor and a tumor diameter >2 cm, postoperative radiotherapy is likely beneficial to improve prognosis.

MR Imaging in Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer remains a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality for women globally despite medical advances in preventative medicine and treatment. The 2018 Internal Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics committee modified their original 2009 staging scheme to incorporate advanced imaging modalities, where available, to increase the accuracy of staging and to guide evolving treatments. Having a robust understanding of the newest staging iteration, its consequences on treatment pathways, and common imaging pitfalls will aid the radiologist in generating valuable and practical reports to optimize treatment strategies.

Dataset for the Reporting of Carcinoma of the Cervix: Recommendations From the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR)

Cervical carcinoma remains one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide, despite effective screening programs being implemented in many countries for several decades. The International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) dataset for cervical carcinoma was first developed in 2017 with the aim of developing evidence-based standardized, consistent and comprehensive surgical pathology reports for resection specimens. This 4th edition update to the ICCR dataset on cervical cancer was undertaken to incorporate major changes based upon the updated International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FIGO) staging for carcinoma of the cervix published in 2018 and the 5th Edition World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Female Genital Tumors published in 2020 and other significant developments in pathologic aspects of cervical cancer. This updated dataset was developed by a panel of expert gynecological pathologists and an expert gynecological oncologist, with a period of open consultation. The revised dataset includes "core" and "noncore" elements to be reported; these are accompanied by detailed explanatory notes and references providing the rationale for the updates. Standardized reporting using datasets such as this helps facilitate consistency and accuracy, data collection across different sites and comparison of epidemiological and pathologic parameters for quality and research purposes.

The current status of cell‐free human papillomavirus DNA as a biomarker in cervical cancer and other HPV ‐associated tumors: A review

Tumor cells release fragments of their DNA into the circulation, so called cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA), allowing for analysis of tumor DNA in a simple blood test, that is, liquid biopsy. Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women worldwide and high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is the cause of the majority of cases. HR-HPV integrates into the host genome and is often present in multiple copies per cell and should thus also be released as ctDNA. Such ctHPV DNA is therefore a possible biomarker in cervical cancer. In this review, we first give a background on ctDNA in general and then a comprehensive review of studies on ctHPV DNA in cervical cancer and pre-malignant lesions that may develop in cervical cancer. Furthermore, studies on ctHPV DNA in other HPV related malignancies (eg, head-and-neck and anogenital cancers) are briefly reviewed. We conclude that detection of ctHPV DNA in plasma from patients with cervical cancer is feasible, although optimized protocols and ultra-sensitive techniques are required for sufficient sensitivity. Results from retrospective studies in both cervical cancer and other HPV-related malignancies suggests that ctHPV DNA is a promising prognostic biomarker, for example, for detecting relapses early. This paves the way for larger, preferably prospective studies investigating the clinical value of ctHPV DNA as a biomarker in cervical cancer. However, there are conflicting results whether ctHPV DNA can be found in blood from patients with pre-malignant lesions and further studies are needed to fully elucidate this question.

Development of machine learning models integrating PET/CT radiomic and immunohistochemical pathomic features for treatment strategy choice of cervical cancer with negative pelvic lymph node by mediating COX-2 expression

Objectives: We aimed to establish machine learning models based on texture analysis predicting pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM) and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in cervical cancer with PET/CT negative pelvic lymph node (PLN).

Methods: Eight hundred and thirty-seven texture features were extracted from PET/CT images of 148 early-stage cervical cancer patients with negative PLN. The machine learning models were established by logistic regression from selected features and evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC). The correlation of selected PET/CT texture features predicting PLNM or COX-2 expression and the corresponding immunohistochemical (IHC) texture features was analyzed by the Spearman test.

Results: Fourteen texture features were reserved to calculate the Rad-score for PLNM and COX-2. The PLNM model predicting PLNM showed good prediction accuracy in the training and testing dataset (AUC = 0.817, p < 0.001; AUC = 0.786, p < 0.001, respectively). The COX-2 model also behaved well for predicting COX-2 expression levels in the training and testing dataset (AUC = 0.814, p < 0.001; AUC = 0.748, p = 0.001). The wavelet-LHH-GLCM ClusterShade of the PET image selected to predict PLNM was slightly correlated with the corresponding feature of the IHC image (r = −0.165, p < 0.05). There was a weak correlation of wavelet-LLL-GLRLM LongRunEmphasis of the PET image selected to predict COX-2 correlated with the corresponding feature of the IHC image (r = 0.238, p < 0.05). The correlation between PET image selected to predict COX-2 and the corresponding feature of the IHC image based on wavelet-LLL-GLRLM LongRunEmphasis is considered weak positive (r = 0.238, p=<0.05).

Conclusion: This study underlined the significant application of the machine learning models based on PET/CT texture analysis for predicting PLNM and COX-2 expression, which could be a novel tool to assist the clinical management of cervical cancer with negative PLN on PET/CT images.

[Revised German guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of carcinoma of the uterine cervix-what's new for pathologists in 2021?]

In 2021, the 2015 German consensus guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of uterine cervical carcinoma was updated. The present article summarises the new recommendations for pathologists: the incorporation of the International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Classification (IECC), which morphologically separates HPV-associated and non-HPV-associated adenocarcinomas, as well as the reporting of the prognostic relevant growth pattern of the adenocarcinoma of the endocervical subtype (Silva pattern). Histologically, multifocality has been defined as the presence of clearly invasive foci with a minimum distance between each focus of 0.2 cm. Because of its intratumoural heterogeneity, all carcinomas ≤ 2 cm in their largest dimension should be processed completely, and tumours > 2 cm should be processed with one block per centimetre of their greatest dimension. In cases of (radical) trachelectomy/hysterectomy, the distal vaginal resection margin and all parametrial tissue should be processed completely. Sentinel lymph nodes have to be processed completely by lamellation along its long axis in 0.2 cm intervals. Immunohistochemical ultrastaging is mandatory. Staging should be performed using the 2009 FIGO classification and 2017 TNM classification. Reporting the revised 2018 FIGO classification is optional. To date, molecular markers have not been relevant for prognostication and treatment decision making.

Current Standards in the Management of Early and Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: Update on the Benefit of Neoadjuvant/Adjuvant Strategies

Simple Summary

Cervical cancers is a human papillomavirus infection-induced gynecologic cancer. Due to the uneven access to prevention measures in the world, it is still a leading cause of cancer death in women in low- and middle-income countries. The mainstay of treatment for early-stage cervical cancers is upfront surgery. Clinical trials confirmed the place of adjuvant radiotherapy to improve disease control, but also highlighted the need for a careful selection of patients prior to surgery, in order to avoid the cumulative morbidities of each treatment. In locally advanced cervical cancers, the standard of care remains concurrent pelvic chemoradiotherapy followed by an image-guided adaptive brachytherapy boost allowing for dose escalation and leading to a very high probability of local control. Systemic failures remain a major concern, and neoadjuvant or adjuvant approaches in this context are discussed in the light of recent literature.

Abstract

Globally, cervical cancers continue to be one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. The primary treatment of patients with early-stage disease includes surgery or radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. The main challenge in treating these patients is to maintain a curative approach and limit treatment-related morbidity. Traditionally, inoperable patients are treated with radiation therapy solely and operable patients undergo upfront surgery followed by adjuvant (chemo) radiotherapy in cases with poor histopathological prognostic features. Patients with locally advanced cervical cancers are treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by an image-guided brachytherapy boost. In these patients, the main pattern of failure is distant relapse, encouraging intensification of systemic treatments to improve disease control. Ongoing trials are evaluating immunotherapy in locally advanced tumours following its encouraging efficacy reported in the recurrent and metastatic settings. In this article, clinical evidence of neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments in cervical cancer patients is reviewed, with a focus on potential strategies to improve patients’ outcome and minimize treatment-related morbidity.

Is the pathologic tumor size associated with survival in early cervical cancer treated with radical hysterectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy?

OBJECTIVE

In 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system of uterine cervix cancer, size criteria of primary tumor has been revised. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of this new size criteria (<2, 2-4, and ≧4 cm) in patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) for early cervical cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively examined 312 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and adjuvant RT for early cervical cancer (IB-IIA) from 2001 to 2014. The effects of clinical and pathological factors on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 71.5 months, the 5-year DFS and OS rates were 89.5% and 94.7%, respectively. The primary tumor size was not a significant factor for DFS (p = 0.382) or OS (p = 0.725) in all patients.

CONCLUSION

Primary tumor size was not a significant factor for survival in patients who received hysterectomy and adjuvant RT for early cervical cancer. Adequacy of new tumor size criteria (<2, 2-4, and ≧4 cm) in new 2018 FIGO stage needs to be validated in further studies.

Prognostic impact of tumor size on patients with neuroblastoma in a SEER-based study

Objective

The prognostic value of tumor size in neuroblastoma (NB) patients has not been fully evaluated. Our purpose is to elucidate the prognostic significance of tumor size in surgery performed on neuroblastoma patients.

Methods

Neuroblastoma patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2015 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) for the study. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to identify risk factors and the independent prognostic influences of tumor size on NB patients. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed through univariate Cox regression analysis. To determine the optimal cutoff value of tumor size, we first divided the cohort into three groups (≤5 cm, 5–10 cm, >10 cm). Subsequently, the patients were divided into two groups repeatedly, with tumor size at 1 cm intervals. The cutoff value that maximized prognostic outcome difference was selected. Furthermore, we performed the Kaplan–Meier methods to visually present differences in prognosis between the optimal tumor size cutoff value in different subgroups.

Results

A total of 591 NB patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected from the SEER database in this study. Cox analysis showed that age >1 year (HR = 2.42, p < 0.0001), originate from adrenal site (HR = 1.7, p = 0.014), distant stage (HR = 6.4, p < 0.0001), undifferentiated grade (HR = 1.94, p = 0.002), and large tumor size (HR = 1.5, p < 0.0001) independently predicted poor prognosis. For tumor size, there were significant differences in tumor size distribution in different ages, tumor grade, disease stage, and primary site subgroup but not in sex, race, and histology subgroup. Furthermore, both univariate (HR = 4.96, 95% CI 2.31–10.63, p < 0.0001) and multivariable analysis (HR = 2.8, 95% CI 1.29–6.08, p < 0.0001) indicated the optimal cutoff value of tumor size was 4 cm for overall survival of NB patients. Using a 4 cm of tumor size cutoff in subgroups, we found that it can identify poor prognosis patients whatever their age or primary site. Interestingly, tumor size of 4 cm cutoff can only identify unfavorable NB patients with diagnosis at distant‐stage disease, or differentiated grade tumor, but not with regional and local or undifferentiated tumor.

Conclusions

Tumor size is first to be recognized as a key prognostic factor of neuroblastoma patients and a cutoff value >4 cm might predict poor prognosis, which should be included in the evaluation of prognostic factors for NB.

Development and Validation of Novel Nomograms to Predict the Overall Survival and Cancer-Specific Survival of Cervical Cancer Patients With Lymph Node Metastasis

Objective

The objective of this study was to establish and validate novel individualized nomograms for predicting the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in cervical cancer patients with lymph node metastasis.

Methods

A total of 2,956 cervical cancer patients diagnosed with lymph node metastasis (American Joint Committee on Cancer, AJCC N stage=N1) between 2000 and 2018 were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were applied to identify independent prognostic predictors, and the nomograms were established to predict the OS and CSS. The concordance index (C-index), calibration curves, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied to estimate the precision and discriminability of the nomograms. Decision-curve analysis (DCA) was used to assess the clinical utility of the nomograms.

Results

Tumor size, log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS), radiotherapy, surgery, T stage, histology, and grade resulted as significant independent predictors both for OS and CSS. The C-index value of the prognostic nomogram for predicting OS was 0.788 (95% CI, 0.762–0.814) and 0.777 (95% CI, 0.758–0.796) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. Meanwhile, the C-index value of the prognostic nomogram for predicting CSS was 0.792 (95% CI, 0.767–0.817) and 0.781 (95% CI, 0.764–0.798) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The calibration curves for the nomograms revealed gratifying consistency between predictions and actual observations for both 3- and 5-year OS and CSS. The 3- and 5-year area under the curves (AUCs) for the nomogram of OS and CSS ranged from 0.781 to 0.828. Finally, the DCA curves emerged as robust positive net benefits across a wide scale of threshold probabilities.

Conclusion

We have successfully constructed nomograms that could predict 3- and 5-year OS and CSS of cervical cancer patients with lymph node metastasis and may assist clinicians in decision-making and personalized treatment planning.

Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography in tumor size: Evaluation of equality in advanced cervical cancer patients

Background:

Methods:

Results:

Conclusion:

The prognostic factors in 384 patients with FIGO 2014 stage IB cervical cancer: What is the role of tumor size on prognosis?

OBJECTIVE

To define the relationship of tumor size with surgico-pathological factors and oncological outcome in FIGO 2014 stage IB cervical cancer.

METHODS

This study retrospectively evaluated 384 FIGO 2014 Stage IB cervical cancer patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. Tumor size was stratified according to 2 cm (≤ 2cm, 2-≤4 cm, >4 cm) and 4 cm (≤4 cm, >4 cm), and the relationship with poor prognostic factors, and the effects on survival were examined. The distribution of prognostic factors was compared between three subgroups: ≤2 cm vs. 2-≤4 cm; 2-≤4 cm vs. > 4 cm and ≤ 2 cm vs. > 4 cm. Survival rate was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional-hazards regression.

RESULTS

Stratification of tumor size according to 4 cm was found to better determine pelvic lymph node determination. Parametrial involvement, uterine involvement and deep cervical stromal invasion were correlated with increasing tumor size. Lymph node involvement and uterine involvement were an independent prognostic risk factor for recurrence and cancer-specific survival. Tumor size showed no association with prognosis.

CONCLUSION

There is no meaningful cut-off value for tumor size determining all surgico-pathological factors. There was also seen to be no association between tumor size and recurrence or disease-related mortality.

Implications of the new FIGO staging and the role of imaging in cervical cancer

International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging, which is the fundamentally important cancer staging system for cervical cancer, has changed in 2018. New FIGO staging includes considerable progress in the incorporation of imaging findings for tumour size measurement and evaluating lymph node (LN) metastasis in addition to tumour extent evaluation. MRI with high spatial resolution is expected for tumour size measurements and the high accuracy of positron emmision tomography/CT for LN evaluation. The purpose of this review is firstly review the diagnostic ability of each imaging modality with the clinical background of those two factors newly added and the current state for LN evaluation. Secondly, we overview the fundamental imaging findings with characteristics of modalities and sequences in MRI for accurate diagnosis depending on the focus to be evaluated and for early detection of recurrent tumour. In addition, the role of images in treatment response and prognosis prediction is given with the development of recent technique of image analysis including radiomics and deep learning.

Prognostic Model for Predicting Overall and Cancer-Specific Survival Among Patients With Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A SEER Based Study

BACKGROUND

Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the most common histological subtype of cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess prognostic factors and establish personalized risk assessment nomograms to predict overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in CSCC patients.

METHODS

CSCC patients diagnosed between 1988 and 2015 were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were applied to select meaningful independent predictors and construct predictive nomogram models for OS and CSS. The concordance index (C-index), calibration curve, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to determine the predictive accuracy and discriminability of the nomogram.

RESULTS

A total cohort (n=17962) was randomly divided into a training cohort (n=11974) and a validation cohort (n=5988). Age, race, histologic grade, clinical stage, tumor size, chemotherapy and historic stage were assessed as common independent predictors of OS and CSS. The C-index value of the nomograms for predicting OS and CSS was 0.771 (95% confidence interval 0.762-0.780) and 0.786 (95% confidence interval 0.777-0.795), respectively. Calibration curves of the nomograms indicated satisfactory consistency between nomogram prediction and actual survival for both 3-year and 5-year OS and CSS.

CONCLUSION

We constructed nomograms that could predict 3- and 5-year OS and CSS of CSCC patients. These nomograms showed good performance in prognostic prediction and can be used as an effective tool to evaluate the prognosis of CSCC patients, thus contributing to clinical decision making and individualized treatment planning.

Evaluation of adjuvant vaginal vault brachytherapy in early stage cervical cancer patients

PURPOSE

Adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) was shown to decrease pelvic relapses in patients with an early stage cervical cancer and intermediate-risk histopathological prognostic factors, at the cost of increased bowel morbidity. We examined the feasibility and results of adjuvant brachytherapy alone as an alternative to EBRT in this situation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Medical records of consecutive patients receiving adjuvant brachytherapy between 1991 and 2018 for an early stage cervical cancer were examined. Patients were included if they presented a pT1a2N0 or pT1b1N0 disease following radical colpohysterectomy. Adjuvant vaginal wall brachytherapy (without EBRT) was indicated because of a tumor size≥2cm and/or presence of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI). Patients received 60Gy to 5mm of the vaginal wall, through low-dose or pulse-dose rate technique. Patients' outcome was examined for disease control, toxicities and prognostic factors.

RESULTS

A total of 40 patients were included. Eight patients (20%) had LVSI, 26 patients (65%) had a tumor size≥2cm. With median follow-up time of 42.0 months, 90% of patients were in complete remission and four patients (10%) experienced tumor relapse, all in the peritoneal cavity, and associated with synchronous pelvic lymph node failure in 2/4 patients. No vaginal or isolated pelvic nodal failure was reported. At 5 year, overall survival was 83.6% (CI95%: 67.8-100%) and disease-free survival was 85.1% (CI95%: 72.6-99.9%). In univariate analysis, probability of relapse correlated with tumor size≥3cm (P=0.004). No acute or late toxicity grade more than 2 was reported.

CONCLUSION

Brachytherapy alone was a well-tolerated adjuvant treatment for selected patients with intermediate risk factors. The risk of relapse in patients with tumor size≥3cm was however high, suggesting that EBRT is more appropriate in this situation.

Radiomic features of cervical cancer on T2-and diffusion-weighted MRI: Prognostic value in low-volume tumors suitable for trachelectomy

BACKGROUND

Textural features extracted from MRI potentially provide prognostic information additional to volume for influencing surgical management of cervical cancer.

PURPOSE

To identify textural features that differ between cervical tumors above and below the volume threshold of eligibility for trachelectomy and determine their value in predicting recurrence in patients with low-volume tumors.

METHODS

Of 378 patients with Stage1-2 cervical cancer imaged prospectively (3T, endovaginal coil), 125 had well-defined, histologically-confirmed squamous or adenocarcinomas with >100 voxels (>0.07 cm3) suitable for radiomic analysis. Regions-of-interest outlined the whole tumor on T2-W images and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps. Textural features based on grey-level co-occurrence matrices were compared (Mann-Whitney test with Bonferroni correction) between tumors greater (n = 46) or less (n = 79) than 4.19 cm3. Clustering eliminated correlated variables. Significantly different features were used to predict recurrence (regression modelling) in surgically-treated patients with low-volume tumors and compared with a model using clinico-pathological features.

RESULTS

Textural features (Dissimilarity, Energy, ClusterProminence, ClusterShade, InverseVariance, Autocorrelation) in 6 of 10 clusters from T2-W and ADC data differed between high-volume (mean ± SD 15.3 ± 11.7 cm3) and low-volume (mean ± SD 1.3 ± 1.2 cm3) tumors. (p < 0.02). In low-volume tumors, predicting recurrence was indicated by: Dissimilarity, Energy (ADC-radiomics, AUC = 0.864); Dissimilarity, ClusterProminence, InverseVariance (T2-W-radiomics, AUC = 0.808); Volume, Depth of Invasion, LymphoVascular Space Invasion (clinico-pathological features, AUC = 0.794). Combining ADC-radiomic (but not T2-radiomic) and clinico-pathological features improved prediction of recurrence compared to the clinico-pathological model (AUC = 0.916, p = 0.006). Findings were supported by bootstrap re-sampling (n = 1000).

CONCLUSION

Textural features from ADC maps and T2-W images differ between high- and low-volume tumors and potentially predict recurrence in low-volume tumors.

[The 2019 FIGO classification for cervical carcinoma-what's new?]

Numerous therapeutic and prognostic studies of cervical carcinoma have necessitated a revision of the FIGO classification.For microinvasive carcinomas, the horizontal dimension is no longer considered and diagnosis and staging will solely be made by the depth of cervical stromal invasion. Lymphovascular invasion beyond the deepest point of stromal infiltration by tumor cells does not alter the stage.There will be a new subclassification of macroinvasive carcinoma confined to the uterine cervix, which will be made by largest tumor extension as follows: FIGO IB1/T1b1 - invasive carcinoma >0.5 cm depth of stromal invasion and ≤2 cm in largest dimension, FIGO IBII/T1b2: - invasive carcinoma >2 cm and ≤4 cm, FIGO IBII/T1b3 - invasive carcinoma >4 cm. Pelvic as well as para-aortic lymph nodes will be defined as regional nodes. Pelvic lymph node metastases only will be categorised as FIGO IIIC1/pN1a and para-aortic lymph node involvement with or without concomitant pelvic involvement will be FIGO IIIC2/pN1b. Uterine corpus as well as adnexal involvement are not relevant for staging purpose.

Radical Hysterectomy After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Locally Bulky-Size Cervical Cancer: A Retrospective Comparative Analysis between the Robotic and Abdominal Approaches

Radical hysterectomy (RH) is the standard treatment for early stage cervical cancer, but the surgical approach for locally bulky-size cervical cancer (LBS-CC) is still unclear. We retrospectively compared the outcomes of women with LBS-CC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and subsequent RH between the robotic (R-RH) and abdominal approaches (A-RH). Between 2012 and 2014, 39 women with LBS-CC FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage IB2–IIB were treated with NACT-R-RH (n = 18) or NACT-A-RH (n = 21). Surgical parameters and prognosis were compared. Patient characteristics were not significantly different between the groups, but the NACT-R-RH group had significantly more patients with FIGO stage IIB disease, received multi-agent-based NACT, and had a lower percentage of deep stromal invasion than the NACT-A-RH group. After NACT-R-RH, surgical parameters were better, but survival outcomes, such as disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), were significantly worse. On multivariate analysis, FIGO stage IIB contributed to worse DFS (p = 0.003) and worse OS (p = 0.012) in the NACT-A-RH group. Women with LBS-CC treated with NACT-R-RH have better perioperative outcomes but poorer survival outcomes compared with those treated with NACT-A-RH. Thus, patients with FIGO stage IIB LBS-CC disease might not be suitable for surgery after multi-agent-based NACT.

[TNM classification of gynecologic malignancies : What remains to be done beyond 2017?]

For some gynecologic malignancies, there are disagreements between the most recent WHO and TNM classifications and the recommendations of the International Collaboration of Cancer Reporting. These discrepancies are addressed and discussed in this paper. The WHO definition for primary vaginal cancer does not match the TNM definition. The paper also discusses and provides TNM classifications for rare gynecologic tumors like primary malignant vulvar melanomas, sarcomas of the vulva, perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PECom) of the uterus, undifferentiated uterine sarcomas, and extra-intestinal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), and provides some recommendations for the reporting and categorization of regional lymph nodes in nonuterine serous pelvic cancer.

Long-Term Oncologic Outcomes of Uterine-Preserving Surgery in Young Women With Stage Ib1 Cervical Cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate oncologic outcomes of women with stage IB1 cervical cancer treated with uterine-preserving surgery (UPS) (defined as conization or trachelectomy) versus non-UPS (defined as hysterectomy of any type).

METHODS

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was used to identify women younger than 45 years diagnosed with stage IB1 cervical cancer from 1998 to 2012. Only those who underwent lymph node (LN) assessment were included. Outcomes of UPS versus non-UPS were analyzed.

RESULTS

Among 2717 patients, 125 were treated with UPS and 2592 were treated with non-UPS. Those in the UPS group were younger (median age 33 vs 37 years, P < 0.001), less commonly had tumor size greater than 2 cm (27% vs 45%, P < 0.001), and less commonly received adjuvant radiation therapy (18% vs 29%, P = 0.006). There was no difference in distribution of tumor grade, histology, or rate of LN positivity. Median follow-up was 79 months (range, 0-179). There was no difference in 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS) between the UPS versus non-UPS groups (93% vs 94%, respectively, P = 0.755). When stratified by tumor size, DSS for UPS versus non-UPS was as follows: tumors 2 cm or less, 96.8% versus 96.3% (P = 0.683); tumors greater than 2 cm, 82.4% versus 90.4% (P = 0.112). Factors independently associated with worsened survival included adenosquamous histology (hazard ratio [HR] 2.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]1.51-3.47), G3 disease (HR 2.44, 95% CI 1.01-5.89), tumor size greater than 2 cm (HR 1.93, 95% CI 1.36-2.75) and LN positivity (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.64-3.22). The UPS was not associated with a higher risk of death.

CONCLUSIONS

The UPS does not seem to compromise oncologic outcomes in a select group of young women with stage IB1 cervical cancer, especially in the setting of tumors 2 cm or less. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of UPS in tumors greater than 2 cm.

Identifying selection criteria for non-radical hysterectomy in FIGO stage IB cervical cancer

Aim

This retrospective study sought to identify the selection criteria required for a non‐radical hysterectomy with minimal parametrectomy in patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB invasive cervical cancer.

Methods

Overall, 461 patients with FIGO stage IB cervical cancer who underwent a radical hysterectomy were reviewed clinicopathologically according to pathological tumor size (≤2 cm, >2 – ≤4 cm, and > 4 cm).

Results

The pathological parametrial involvement rate in the less than equal to 2 cm group (2%) was significantly lower than in greater than 2–less than equal to 4 cm (13%) or greater than 4 cm (29%) groups (both P < 0.001). The 5‐year overall survival rate was significantly higher in the less than equal to 2 cm group (97%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 94–99%) compared with greater than 2–less than equal to 4 cm (90%, 95% CI 94–86%) and greater than 4 cm (70%, 95% CI 79–60%) groups (both P < 0.001). Cox model analysis identified tumor size to be an independent prognostic factor for survival (95% CI 1.33–5.78) and recurrence (95% CI 1.31–5.66) compared to other pathological factors. However, a significant difference between the three groups was not found in rates of Grade 3 or 4 adverse events following radical hysterectomy (P = 0.19).

Conclusions

Tumor size is an independent prognostic factor for survival in patients with FIGO stage IB invasive cervical cancer. This retrospective study suggests that FIGO stage IB patients with a less than equal to 2 cm tumor size are optimal candidates for non‐radical hysterectomy with minimal parametrectomy, and without resulting bladder dysfunction.

Piver Type II vs. Type III Hysterectomy in the Treatment of Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: Midterm Follow-up Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: With the expansion of value-based medicine, we explore whether using type III hysterectomy to treat low-risk, early-stage cervical cancer constitutes overtreatment. In present study, we evaluate the midterm safety and postoperative quality of life of patients who underwent type II hysterectomy vs. type III hysterectomy with systematic lymphadenectomy for low-risk early-stage cervical cancer (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) IA2-IB1; maximum tumor diameter < 2 cm). Patients and methods: The main study was a multicenter, phase III, randomized controlled trial (NCT02368574, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02368574). Patients meeting the criteria were randomly divided into type II and type III hysterectomy groups between 2015 and 2018. Midterm outcomes were analyzed at 36 months after the first eligible patient was enrolled. The primary end point was disease-free survival, and the secondary end point was postoperative quality of life. Results: A total of 97 patients were preliminarily enrolled, 93 of whom were included in the final analysis. The general information of the two groups did not differ. The 2-year DFS rate in the type II group was 100% compared with 97.9% in the type III group (P > 0.05). Compared to the type III group, the patients who underwent type II hysterectomy showed a shorter surgical time (163 ± 18.8 min vs. 226 ± 16.4 min, P = 0.014), less intraoperative blood loss (174 ± 27.7 ml vs. 268 ± 37.4 ml, P = 0.047), less postoperative urinary retention (5/46 vs. 11/47 cases, P = 0.109), and milder bladder injuries. The postoperative symptom experience scores of the type II group were significantly lower than those of the type III group. Moreover, the postoperative sexual/vaginal functioning and lubrication scores of the type II group were significantly lower than those of the type III group in subgroup analyses of patients who did not undergo postoperative chemoradiotherapy. Sexual apprehension scores were increased postoperatively in both groups. Conclusion: Based on the midterm analysis, the two groups show considerable security within 2 years after surgery, but long-term security requires further analysis. Type II hysterectomy can effectively reduce the surgical time and intraoperative blood loss, decrease postoperative complications, and improve the quality of life of early-stage cervical cancer patients.

Prognostic value of microvessel density in cervical cancer

Background

Several epidemiological researches have indicated that microvessel density (MVD), reflecting angiogenesis, was a negatively prognostic factor of cervical cancer. However, the results were inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between microvessel density and the survival probability of patients with cervical cancer.

Method

There was a comprehensive search of the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane databases up to August 31, 2017. Based on a fixed-effects or random-effects model, the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated from researches on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Result

Totally, we included 13 observational researches, involving 1097 patients with cervical cancer. The results showed that high level of microvessel density was negatively correlated with OS (HR = 1.79, 95% CIs 1.31-2.44, I ² = 60.7%, P = 0.003) and DFS (HR = 1.47, 95% CIs 1.13-1.80, I ² = 0%, P = 0.423) of cervical cancer patients. In subgroup analysis, high counts of MVD were significantly associated with a poor survival (including OS and DFS) of the patients detected by anti-factor VIII antibodies or in European origin.

Conclusion

The present meta-analysis indicated that survival with high level of MVD was significant poorer than with low MVD in cervical cancer patient. Standardization of MVD assessment is needed.

Prognostic significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in cervical cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in cervical cancer are controversial. We conducted this meta-analysis to obtain a more accurate assessment of prognostic significance of NLR in cervical cancer.

RESULTS

A total of 9 studies, consisting of 2,804 patients, were selected in this meta-analysis. Our pooled results showed that high pre-treatment NLR level was significantly associated with poorer overall survival (HR: 1.88, 95% CI 1.30-2.73) and shorter progression free survival (HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.18-2.29). Additionally, increased NLR was also significantly correlated with tumor size (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.14-3.65), advanced FIGO stage (OR 2.12, 95% CI1.28-3.49) and lymph node involvement (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.65-3.04).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature search using the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase up to May 2016.Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 10.0.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevated pretreatment NLR could serve as a predicative factor of poor prognosis for cervical cancer patients.

Randomized study between radical surgery and radiotherapy for the treatment of stage IB-IIA cervical cancer: 20-year update

OBJECTIVE

Stage IB-IIA cervical carcinoma can be equally cured either by radical surgery or radiotherapy (RT). Albeit such policies show the same efficacy, they carry a different morbidity. This is an update after 20 years of a previously published randomized trial of RT vs. surgery in the treatment of stage IB-IIA cervical cancers to assess long-term survival and morbidity and the different pattern of relapse between the 2 modalities.

METHODS

Between September 1986 and December 1991, women referred for a newly diagnosed stage IB and IIA cervical carcinoma were randomized to radical surgery or RT. The primary outcome measures were long-term survival and complications rate. The secondary outcome was recurrence of the disease.

RESULTS

Three-hundred forty-three eligible women were randomized: 172 to radical surgery and 171 to external RT. Minimum follow-up was 19 years. Thirty-three patients (10%) died of intercurrent disease (31 cases) or fatal complications (2 cases). Twenty-year overall survival is 72% and 77% in the 2 treatment groups (p=0.280), respectively. As a whole, 94 recurrences (28%) were observed. Median time to relapse was 13.5 (surgery group) and 11.5 months (radiotherapy group) (p=0.100), respectively. Multivariate analysis confirms that risk factors for survival are histotype (p=0.020), tumor diameter (p=0.008), and lymph node status (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study seem to suggest that there is no treatment of choice for early stage cervical carcinoma in terms of survival. Long term follow-up confirms that the best treatment for the individual patient should take into account clinical factors such as menopausal status, comorbidities, histological type, and tumor diameter.

Risk of Parametrial Spread in Small Stage I Cervical Carcinoma: Pathology Review of 223 Cases With a Tumor Diameter of 20 mm or Less

BACKGROUND

Considering the morbidity of radical hysterectomy, the advent of fertility-sparing approaches, and the low risk of parametrial involvement in patients with early stage I cervical tumors, the benefit from parametrial resection is debatable. Objectives of this study were to determine factors predicting parametrial tumor spread and to define a group of patients who might be safely spared parametrial resection.

METHODS

Pathology review was done on patients with stages IA2 and small IB1, treated by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection. Analysis was performed to determine factors associated with parametrial spread and to define risks of obeying parametrial resection.

RESULTS

A total of 223 patients with tumors less than 20 mm in diameter were identified. Parametrial metastases were documented in 8 patients (3.6%); nodes, 1.3%; lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), 1.8%; contiguous spread, 0.9%. Of 211 (94.6%) patients with negative pelvic nodes, none had parametrial nodal involvement, 0.9% had LVSI, and 0.4% had contiguous spread. Factors associated with parametrial disease were deep cervical invasion, LVSI, tumor volume, and pelvic lymph node metastases (P < 0.01 for each). In patients without tumor LVSI and the depth of invasion was within the inner third, the rate of parametrial spread was 0.45%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data show a risk of parametrial spread of 0.45% for tumors less than 20 mm in diameter, no LVSI, and a depth of invasion within the inner third. Patients wanting fertility preservation might be prepared to take this risk of recurrence. Morbidity after nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy is tolerably low, and for patients in whom fertility preservation is not an issue, this should be considered the standard of care.

[Cervical cancer : Update on morphology]

The World Health Organization (WHO) classification from 2014 differentiates between different subtypes of mucinous adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix. A gastric subtype was recently described that showed no association with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, has a poor prognosis, is mainly diagnosed in women of Asian origin and can occur in patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Although no clear grading system has been recommended in the WHO classification, it is likely that grading of adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix will partly be based on the different patterns of invasion. Deep stromal infiltration of macroinvasive carcinomas is defined as an infiltration of >66 % of the cervical stroma. In the near future a maximum tumor size of 2 cm could act as a discriminator for planning of less radical surgery. Parameters of the histopathological report that are relevant for the prognostic assessment as well as the choice of adjuvant treatment and function as quality indicators during certification are described. The histological type of an adenocarcinoma alone is of no predictive or prognostic relevance for patients undergoing primary surgical treatment, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, combined chemo-radiotherapy or treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors. Currently, molecular parameters and biomarkers are of no relevance.

Preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis and deep stromal invasion in women with invasive cervical cancer: prospective multicenter study using 2D and 3D ultrasound

OBJECTIVES

To determine how various objective two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound parameters allow prediction of deep stromal tumor invasion and lymph node involvement, in comparison to subjective ultrasound assessment, in women scheduled for surgery for cervical cancer.

METHODS

This was a prospective multicenter trial including 104 women with cervical cancer at FIGO Stages IA2-IIB, verified histologically. Patients scheduled for surgery underwent a preoperative ultrasound examination. The value of various 2D (size, color score) and 3D (volume, vascular indices) ultrasound parameters was compared to that of subjective assessment in the prediction of deep stromal tumor invasion and lymph node involvement. Histology obtained from radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy was considered as the gold standard for assessment.

RESULTS

All women underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy, with 99 (95%) undergoing subsequent radical surgery; five underwent only pelvic lymphadenectomy because of the presence of a positive sentinel lymph node. Women with deep stromal invasion or lymph node involvement had significantly larger tumors (diameter and volume) but there was no correlation with vascular indices measured on 3D ultrasound. Subjective evaluation was superior (AUC, 0.93; sensitivity, 90.5%; specificity, 97.2%) in the prediction of deep stromal invasion when compared to any objective measurement technique, with maximal tumor diameter at 20.5-mm cut-off (AUC, 0.83; sensitivity, 90.5%; specificity, 61.1%) and 3D tumor volume at 9.1-mm(3) cut-off (AUC, 0.85; sensitivity, 79.4%; specificity, 83.3%) providing the best performance among the objective parameters. Both subjective assessment and objective measurements were poorly predictive of lymph node involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

In women with cervical cancer, subjective ultrasound evaluation allowed better prediction of deep stromal invasion than did objective measurements; however, neither subjective evaluation nor objective parameters were adequate to predict lymph node involvement. 3D vascular indices were ineffective in the prediction of advanced stages of the disease.