Contemporary management of uterine clear cell carcinoma: A Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) review and recommendation

Impact of adjuvant therapy on oncologic outcomes in uterine-confined clear cell carcinoma of the endometrium

OBJECTIVES

To determine the impact of adjuvant therapy on oncologic outcomes in patients with 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IA, IB, or II endometrial clear cell carcinoma (ECCC).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review at 4 international institutions. Patients with newly diagnosed clinical stage I or II disease of either clear cell or mixed histology with a clear cell component treated between 01/01/2000-12/31/2015 were included. Oncologic outcomes were assessed for patients based on adjuvant treatment received, including chemotherapy, radiation, or chemotherapy with radiation.

RESULTS

Of 125 patients identified and analyzed, 77 (61.6%) had clear cell histology and 118 (94.4%) had stage I disease. Median age at diagnosis was 65 years (range, 33-91). All patients underwent hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and lymph node assessment. Twenty-five patients (20.0%) underwent surgical management alone and 100 (80.0%) received adjuvant therapy: 20 (16.0%) received postoperative chemotherapy, 47 (37.6%) received postoperative radiation, and 33 (26.4%) received postoperative chemotherapy with radiation. Median follow-up was 88.4 months (range, <1-234). Progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) did not significantly differ between surgery alone and type of adjuvant therapy (P = 0.18 and P = 0.56, respectively). Patients with mixed ECCC did not have a survival advantage over those with pure ECCC (5-year PFS rate, 85.0% vs 82.7%, P = 0.77; 5-year OS rate, 88.3% vs 91.2%, P = 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Receipt of adjuvant therapy in surgically staged I/II ECCC did not appear to offer a survival advantage over observation alone. Adjuvant therapy in early-stage ECCC with consideration of molecular classification should be evaluated.

Translating biological insights into improved management of endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynaecological cancer among women in high-income countries, with both incidence and mortality continuing to increase. The complexity of the management of patients with EC has evolved with greater comprehension of the underlying biology and heterogeneity of this disease. With a growing number of novel therapeutic agents available, emerging treatment regimens seem to have the potential to help to address the concerning trends in EC-related mortality. In this Review, we describe the epidemiology, histopathology and molecular classification of EC as well as the role of the new (2023) International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (FIGO) staging model. Furthermore, we provide an overview of disease management in the first-line and recurrent disease settings. With increasing use of molecular profiling and updates in treatment paradigms, we also summarize new developments in this rapidly changing treatment landscape.

Frequency of HER2 protein overexpression and HER2 gene amplification in endometrial clear cell carcinoma

HER2 (ERBB2) overexpression and/or HER2 gene amplification has been well established in several tumors types and when present HER2 directed therapy may be to be efficacious. While recent findings suggests that HER2 overexpression and HER2 amplification are a relatively common in serous endometrial carcinoma, similar data regarding clear cell endometrial carcinoma (CCC) is difficult to interpret due to issues such as diagnostic criteria, sample type and HER2 interpretation criteria. Our goals were to study HER2 expression and HER2 copy number status in hysterectomy specimens from a large series of patients with pure CCC to determine the frequency of HER2 overexpression and HER2 amplification and evaluate applicability of current HER2 interpretation criteria. Pure CCC specimens derived from hysterectomy specimens from 26 patients were identified. All diagnoses were confirmed by two gynecologic pathologists. Immunohistochemistry for HER2 protein and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies for HER2 were performed on whole-slide sections from all cases. Results were interpreted according to the 2018 ASO/CAP HER2 guidelines for breast cancer and International Society of Gynecologic Pathologists (ISGyP) HER2 guidelines for serous endometrial carcinoma. Additional testing was performed when indicated by the guidelines. HER2 expression by immunohistochemistry was 3+ in 4% and 0% of cases, and 2+ in 46% and 52% of cases, by 2018 ASCO/CAP and ISGyP criteria, respectively, while the remaining cases were negative. HER2 testing by FISH showed a positive result in 27% of tumors with 2018 ASCO/CAP guidelines, while 23% were positive with the ISGyP criteria. Our findings indicate that HER2 overexpression and HER2 amplification occur in a subset of CCC. Therefore, additional study into the potential benefit of HER2 targeted therapy in patients with CCC is warranted.

Factors That Affect Survival Outcomes in Patients with Endometrial Clear Cell Carcinoma

Background: Clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is a rare aggressive histologic subtype of endometrial cancer with a high relapse rate. In the present study, we sought to evaluate the prognostic factors of disease relapse and overall survival. Methods: We conducted retrospective cohort studies that included endometrial CCC patients treated at our institution. Predictive variables of survival outcomes were evaluated considering factors that determine the survival of patients with endometrioid carcinoma. Results: Fifty-five patients with a median age of 68 years and a median follow-up period of 31 months were included in the present study. Recurrence-free and overall survival rates did not differ among patients with early-stage and advanced-stage disease (RFS HR 1.51 (95% CI 0.63, 3.61), OS HR 1.36 (0.56, 3.31)). Patients with upper abdominal metastases had significantly shorter progression-free and overall survival intervals (log-rank < 0.001). The Gehan-Breslow-Wilcoxon analysis indicated worse survival rates for patients with advanced disease (p = 0.040); however, the log-rank test that gave equal weight to all time points did not reveal significant differences (log-rank = 0.576). Conclusion: Clear cell carcinoma is an aggressive histologic subtype of endometrial cancer that seems to be moderately affected by known predictors of survival rates in endometrioid carcinoma patients, except for the disease stage. Further research is needed to evaluate whether the molecular profiling of these patients may help predict survival outcomes.

Endometrial clear cell carcinoma: A population-based study

Background

A systematic analysis of prognostic factors concerning endometrial clear cell carcinoma (ECCC) is lacking. The current study aimed to construct nomograms predicting the overall survival (OS) of ECCC patients.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study, and predicted nomograms for 3-, 5-, and 10-year OS were established. The nomograms were verified with the consistency index (C-index), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

A total of 1778 ECCC patients, 991 from FIGO stage I/II and 787 from FIGO stage III/IV, were included in this study. The age at diagnosis, marital status, T stage, tumor size, and surgery-independent prognostic factors in FIGO stage I/II, and the age at diagnosis, T stage, lymph node involvement, distant metastasis, tumor size, surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in FIGO stage III/IV were independent prognostic factors. The C-indexes of the training and validation group were 0.766 and 0.697 for FIGO stage I/II and 0.721 and 0.708 for FIGO stage III/IV, respectively. The calibration curve revealed good agreement between nomogram-predicted and actual observation values. The DCA established that nomograms had better clinical benefits than the traditional FIGO stage.

Conclusions

The predicted nomograms showed good accuracy, excellent discrimination ability, and clinical benefits, depicting their usage in clinical practice.

Survival after laparoscopy versus laparotomy for apparent early-stage uterine clear cell carcinoma: Results of a large multicenter cohort study

Objective

To compare the long-term survival between laparoscopic surgery and open surgery in patients with apparent early-stage uterine clear cell carcinoma (UCCC).

Patients and methods

254 patients with apparent early-stage UCCC were reviewed. Comparisons were made between patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery versus those who underwent open surgery. Baseline data, clinicopathological data, and oncological outcomes were analyzed. 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate and 5-year overall survival (OS) rate were estimated and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Log-rank test. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was employed to control the confounding factors.

Results

147 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery, and 107 patients were managed by open surgery. No differences in terms of recurrence rate (laparoscopy versus laparotomy: 10.9% versus 12.9%, P=0.842) and recurrence pattern were observed. For patients who underwent open surgery and patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery, the 5-year DFS rates and 5-year OS rate were 75.8% (95% CI: 65.8%-83.2%) and 69.1% (95% CI: 58.8%-77.4%), 66.0% (95% CI: 57.1%-73.5%) and 60.8% (95% CI: 52.0%-68.5%), respectively. The Cox proportional hazards regression model shown that for apparent early-stage UCCC, the approach of surgical staging was not an independent predictor for survival (laparoscopy versus laparotomy: for DFS, aHR=1.06, 95% CI=0.64-1.75, P=0.826; for OS, aHR=1.10, 95% CI=0.72-1.68, P=0.671).

Conclusion

For apparent early-stage UCCC, in terms of oncological survival, laparoscopic surgery was as safe as open surgery.

Screening of Differentially Expressed Iron Death-Related Genes and the Construction of Prognosis Model in Patients with Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma

Objective

In this study, we used the TCGA database and ICGC database to establish a prognostic model of iron death associated with renal cell carcinoma, which can provide predictive value for the identification of iron death-related genes and clinical treatment of renal clear cell carcinoma.

Methods

The gene expression profiles and clinical data of renal clear cell carcinoma and normal tissues were obtained in the TCGA database and ICGC database, and the differential genes related to iron death were screened out. The differential genes were screened out by single and multifactor Cox risk regression model. R software, "edge" package (version 4.0), was used to identify the DELs of 551 transcriptional gene samples and 522 clinical samples. The risk prediction model with genes was established to analyze the correlation between the genes in the established model and clinical characteristics, Through the final screening of iron death related genes, it can be used to predict the prognosis of renal clear cell carcinoma and provide advice for clinical targeted therapy.

Results

Seven iron death differential genes (CLS2, FANCD2, PHKG2, ACSL3, ATP5MC3, CISD1, PEBP1) associated with renal clear cell carcinoma were finally screened and were refer to previous relevant studies. These genes are closely related to iron death and have great value for the prognosis of renal clear cell carcinoma.

Conclusion

Seven iron death genes can accurately predict the survival of patients with renal clear cell carcinoma.

Executive Summary of the Uterine Cancer Evidence Review Conference

Evidence for uterine cancer prevention, diagnosis, and special issues from the Uterine Cancer Evidence Review Conference is summarized.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognized the need for educational materials for clinicians on the prevention and early diagnosis of gynecologic cancers. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists convened a panel of experts in evidence review from the Society for Academic Specialists in General Obstetrics and Gynecology and content experts from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology to review relevant literature, best practices, and existing practice guidelines as a first step toward developing evidence-based educational materials for women's health care clinicians about uterine cancer. Panel members conducted structured literature reviews, which were then reviewed by other panel members and discussed at a virtual meeting of stakeholder professional and patient advocacy organizations in January 2021. This article is the evidence summary of the relevant literature and existing recommendations to guide clinicians in the prevention, early diagnosis, and special considerations of uterine cancer. Substantive knowledge gaps are noted and summarized to provide guidance for future research.

Genomic alterations in gynecological malignancies: histotype-associated driver mutations, molecular subtyping schemes, and tumorigenic mechanisms

There are numerous histological subtypes (histotypes) of gynecological malignancies, with each histotype considered to largely reflect a feature of the "cell of origin," and to be tightly linked with the clinical behavior and biological phenotype of the tumor. The recent advances in massive parallel sequencing technologies have provided a more complete picture of the range of the genomic alterations that can persist within individual tumors, and have highlighted the types and frequencies of driver-gene mutations and molecular subtypes often associated with these histotypes. Several large-scale genomic cohorts, including the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), have been used to characterize the genomic features of a range of gynecological malignancies, including high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma, uterine cervical carcinoma, and uterine carcinosarcoma. These datasets have also been pivotal in identifying clinically relevant molecular targets and biomarkers, and in the construction of molecular subtyping schemes. In addition, the recent widespread use of clinical sequencing for the more ubiquitous types of gynecological cancer has manifested in a series of large genomic datasets that have allowed the characterization of the genomes, driver mutations, and histotypes of even rare cancer types, with sufficient statistical power. Here, we review the field of gynecological cancer, and seek to describe the genomic features by histotype. We also will demonstrate how these are linked with clinicopathological attributes and highlight the potential tumorigenic mechanisms.