Prognostic factors in FIGO stage IB-IIA small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix treated surgically: results of a multi-center retrospective Korean study

Assessing treatment effects with adjusted restricted mean time lost in observational competing risks data

BACKGROUND

According to long-term follow-up data of malignant tumor patients, assessing treatment effects requires careful consideration of competing risks. The commonly used cause-specific hazard ratio (CHR) and sub-distribution hazard ratio (SHR) are relative indicators and may present challenges in terms of proportional hazards assumption and clinical interpretation. Recently, the restricted mean time lost (RMTL) has been recommended as a supplementary measure for better clinical interpretation. Moreover, for observational study data in epidemiological and clinical settings, due to the influence of confounding factors, covariate adjustment is crucial for determining the causal effect of treatment.

METHODS

We construct an RMTL estimator after adjusting for covariates based on the inverse probability weighting method, and derive the variance to construct interval estimates based on the large sample properties. We use simulation studies to study the statistical performance of this estimator in various scenarios. In addition, we further consider the changes in treatment effects over time, constructing a dynamic RMTL difference curve and corresponding confidence bands for the curve.

RESULTS

The simulation results demonstrate that the adjusted RMTL estimator exhibits smaller biases compared with unadjusted RMTL and provides robust interval estimates in all scenarios. This method was applied to a real-world cervical cancer patient data, revealing improvements in the prognosis of patients with small cell carcinoma of the cervix. The results showed that the protective effect of surgery was significant only in the first 20 months, but the long-term effect was not obvious. Radiotherapy significantly improved patient outcomes during the follow-up period from 17 to 57 months, while radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy significantly improved patient outcomes throughout the entire period.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose the approach that is easy to interpret and implement for assessing treatment effects in observational competing risk data.

Endometrial large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: A case report and literature review

Endometrial large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a highly malignant tumor that presents with neuroendocrine function. It is difficult to diagnose at an early stage. Moreover, the diagnosis depends on the pathological and immunohistochemical findings. It is also prone to distant metastasis, but is difficult to treat and shows poor prognosis. Presently, there exists no unified treatment plan, and the prognosis of this disease is also poor. We reported here an analysis and literature review of a case of endometrial LCNEC to facilitate the comprehension of this disease and provide help toward clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic factors of patients with surgically treated high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: A multicenter retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prognostic factors and survival outcomes of patients with surgically treated high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (NECC).

METHODS

This multicenter, retrospective study involved 98 cervical cancer patients with stage IA2-IIA2 and IIIC1/2p high-grade NECC. We divided the patients into two groups based on histology: the pure and mixed groups. All clinicopathologic variables were retrospectively evaluated. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier methods were used for analysis.

RESULTS

In our study, 60 patients were in the pure group and 38 patients were in the mixed group. Cox multivariate analysis showed that mixed histology was a protective factor impacting overall survival (OS) (P = 0.026) and progression free survival (PFS) (P = 0.018) in surgically treated high-grade NECC. Conversely, survival outcomes were negatively impacted by ovarian preservation (OS: HR, 20.84; 95% CI: 5.02-86.57, P < 0.001), age >45 years (OS: HR, 4.50; 95% CI: 1.0-18.83, P = 0.039), tumor size >4 cm (OS: HR, 6.23; 95% CI: 2.34-16.61, P < 0.001), parity >3 (OS: HR, 4.50; 95% CI: 1.02-19.91, P = 0.048), and perineural invasion (OS: HR, 5.21; 95% CI: 1.20-22.53, P = 0.027). Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed notable differences in histologic type (OS: P = 0.045; PFS: P = 0.024), chemotherapy (OS: P = 0.0056; PFS: P = 0.0041), ovarian preservation (OS: P = 0.00031; PFS: P = 0.0023), uterine invasion (OS: P < 0.0001; PFS: P < 0.0001), and depth of stromal invasion (OS: P = 0.043; PFS: P = 0.022).

CONCLUSION

Patients with mixed histologic types who undergo surgery for high-grade NECC have a better prognosis. Meanwhile, ovarian preservation, tumor size >4 cm, parity >3, age >45 years and perineural invasion were poor prognostic predictors. Therefore, patients with high-risk factors should be considered in clinical practice.

Liquid-Based Cytology of Small Cell Carcinoma of the Cervix: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

Background/Aims

There are currently few reports describing the liquid-based cytological characteristics of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze these features to reduce missed or misdiagnosis.

Methods

A total of 11 patients with histologically diagnosed small cell carcinoma of the cervix from three hospitals between 2017 and 2023 were included in this study. The cytological morphology of small cell carcinoma of the cervix and causes of missed or misdiagnosis were analyzed and summarized through a review of clinical data, liquid-based cytology, histology, immunohistochemistry, and human papillomaviruses (HPV) test results.

Results

In this study, the positivity rate of preliminary cytological screening was 63.6% (7/11); however, no cases were accurately diagnosed as small cell carcinoma of the cervix. A total of 36.4% (4/11) of small cell carcinoma of the cervix cases were cytologically negative; retrospective cytology found that two of these were false negatives. The main cytological features of small cell carcinoma of the cervix were summarized. Most of the liquid-based cytology smear cells were dense, and almost all cases showed clustered and scattered cytoplasm-scanty tumor cells. The tumor cells were all deeply stained and relatively consistent small cells. Most cases showed typical nuclear molding, chromatin stippling, and no obvious nucleoli. Mild nuclear smears, nuclear fragments, and mitotic figures were seen in most cases.

Conclusion

Liquid-based cytology has a high rate of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis in small cell carcinoma of the cervix. This study confirms that reviewing cytology results can effectively reduce this proportion and that increasing understanding of small cell carcinoma of the cervix morphology is conducive to improving the cytology-based diagnosis rate.

State of the art of cervical cancer treatment in rare histologies

The objective of this review is to summarize the current scientific evidence to formulate clinical recommendations regarding the classification, diagnostic approach, and treatment of rare histological subtypes of cervical cancer; neuroendocrine carcinoma, gastric-type mucinous adenocarcinoma, and glassy cell adenocarcinoma. These histological subtypes are generally characterized by their low frequency, aggressive biological behavior, certain chemoradioresistance, and consequently, high recurrence rates with a deleterious impact on survival. Molecular studies have identified several associated mutations in neuroendocrine carcinoma (PIK3CA, MYC, TP53, PTEN, ARID1A, KRAS, BRCA2) and gastric-type adenocarcinoma (KRAS, ARID1A, PTEN) that may serve as molecular targets. While adenocarcinomas are typically treated and classified based on squamous histology across early, locally advanced, and advanced stages, the treatment strategies for neuroendocrine carcinomas in early stages or locally advanced cases differ, particularly in the sequencing of administering chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, or surgery. The chemotherapy regimen is based on etoposide plus cisplatin (EP). Unlike squamous cell carcinomas, immune checkpoint inhibitors are yet to establish a standard role in the treatment of recurrent neuroendocrine carcinomas due to the absence of clinical trials. Regarding glassy cell adenocarcinomas and gastric-type adenocarcinoma, the potential use of immunotherapy in advanced stages/disease requires further evaluation through international collaborations, given the limited number of cases.

Advancements in the Understanding of Small-Cell Neuroendocrine Cervical Cancer: Where We Stand and What Lies Ahead

Small-cell neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma (SCNCC) is a rare yet aggressive gynecological malignancy associated with dismal clinical outcomes. Its rarity has led to a limited number of retrospective studies and an absence of prospective research, posing significant challenges for evidence-based treatment approaches. As a result, most gynecologic oncology centers have limited experience with this tumor, emphasizing the urgent need for a comprehensive review and summary. This article systematically reviews the pathogenesis, immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics, prognostic factors, and clinical management of gynecologic SCNCC. We specifically focused on reviewing the distinct genomic characteristics of SCNCC identified via next-generation sequencing technologies, including loss of heterozygosity (LOH), somatic mutations, structural variations (SVs), and microRNA alterations. The identification of these actionable genomic events offers promise for discovering new molecular targets for drug development and enhancing therapeutic outcomes. Additionally, we delve deeper into key clinical challenges, such as determining the optimal treatment modality between chemoradiation and surgery for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I phase patients within a precision stratification framework, as well as the role of targeted therapy within the homologous recombination (HR) pathway, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in the management of SCNCC. Finally, we anticipate the utilization of multiple SCNCC models, including cancer tissue-originated spheroid (CTOS) lines and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), to decipher driver events and develop individualized therapeutic strategies for clinical application.

Small Cell Cervical Carcinoma in Pregnancy: Therapeutic Options for an Aggressive Cancer Diagnosis

Neuroendocrine small cell cervical carcinoma is an aggressive cancer which accounts for approximately 1 to 3% of all cervical neoplasms. Therapy must be altered in pregnancy to optimize maternal-fetal outcomes. A 39-year-old woman presented for a routine prenatal visit and was noted to have a grossly abnormal cervix. Cervical biopsies confirmed small cell carcinoma. At 19 weeks' gestation, chemotherapy was initiated. The patient delivered at 34 weeks' gestation to initiate radiation therapy. Six months later, she was diagnosed with metastatic disease and died from cancer complications. In pregnancy, treatment modalities for small cell cervical carcinoma are based on the patient's gestational age at diagnosis. While aggressive early treatment is preferred, platinum-based chemotherapy can be initiated in the second trimester and radiation therapy delayed until delivery. Small cell cervical carcinoma complicating pregnancy requires aggressive treatment. Chemotherapy in the second trimester with planned delayed radiation therapy, may optimize fetal outcomes.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: About a rare case and literature review

INTRODUCTION

Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix are rare carcinomas, accounting for only 0.9-1.5 % of cervical tumors. Given their rarity and the absence of randomized trials, the diagnostic and therapeutic management of these tumors is complicated and is essentially modeled on that of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

We report a new case of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix, and review the various aspects of this rare entity.

DISCUSSION

Neuroendocrine carcinoma is a rare and aggressive malignant tumor, It differs from squamous cell carcinoma in its higher recurrence rate and delayed diagnosis. On the other hand, association with human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and 18 is a common risk factor for both carcinomas.

CONCLUSION

To improve the survival of patients with large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix, it is imperative to conduct multicenter clinical trials aimed at defining an effective, standardized treatment.

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: From molecular basis to therapeutic advances

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (SCNECC) is an uncommon but aggressive uterine malignancy, the cause of which is generally associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. A lack of clinical trials and evidence-based treatment guidelines poses therapeutic challenges to this rare tumor. At present, published data remain limited to case series and case reports. While clinical management has traditionally followed those of small cell neuroendocrine (SCNE) lung cancer relying on surgery, chemoradiation, and systemic chemotherapy, the prognosis remains dismal. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as monoclonal antibodies that target programmed death-1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), atezolizumab and durvalumab have proven effective in extensive-stage SCNE lung cancer. Moreover, pembrolizumab has also proven beneficial effects when added onto chemotherapy in metastatic and recurrent HPV-associated non-SCNE cervical cancer. It holds promise to use ICIs in combination with chemoradiation to improve the clinical outcomes of patients with SCNECC. Future advances in our understanding of SCNECC biology - associated with the study of its genomic and molecular aberrations as well as knowledge from SCNE of lung and other extrapulmonary sites- would be helpful in discovering new molecular targets for drug development. Collaborative efforts and establishment of a SCNECC-specific biobank will be essential to achieve this goal.

East Asian Gynecologic Oncology Trial Group (EAGOT): founding history and future perspective

Racial and regional differences exist in morbidity, histology, drug response, toxicity, and prognosis of gynecologic cancer. However, most large-scale phase III studies have been conducted in Western countries, and these data on Asians, who account for more than half of the world's population, are limited. To build a global clinical trial network in Asia, four clinical trial groups with high expertise and international competitiveness in East Asia, namely the Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group in Japan, the Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group in Korea, the Taiwanese Gynecologic Oncology Group in Taiwan, and the Chinese Gynecologic Cancer Society in the People's Republic of China, established a new group called the East Asia Gynecologic Oncology Trial Group (EAGOT) on November 19, 2021. It includes four committees: the Cervical Cancer Committee, Uterine Corpus Cancer Committee, Ovarian Cancer Committee, and Translational Research Committee. The purpose of EAGOT is to conduct international clinical trials in an effort to provide the best treatments for Asian women affected by gynecologic cancer. Discussions on new collaborative clinical trials have already begun. The first Annual EAGOT Meeting was held on May 25-27, 2023 in Niigata, Japan. EAGOT, the largest healthcare/investigational innovation network in Asia in the area of gynecologic cancers, will become a platform for establishing standards of care and lead to guidelines for Asian women suffering from gynecologic cancer. The harmonization of regulatory/investigator-initiated clinical trials, simultaneous approval of unapproved drugs in the four countries under a common protocol, and expansion of indications will improve the prognosis of gynecologic cancers in Asia in the near future.

The prognosis of patients with small cell carcinoma of the cervix: a retrospective study of the SEER database and a Chinese multicentre registry

BACKGROUND

Small cell carcinoma of the cervix is a rare but poor prognosis pathological type of cervical cancer, for which advice in clinical guidelines is unspecific. We therefore aimed to investigate the factors and treatment methods that affect the prognosis of patients with small cell carcinoma of the cervix.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, we collected data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 18 registries cohort and a Chinese multi-institutional registry. The SEER cohort included females diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the cervix between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 31, 2018, whereas the Chinese cohort included women diagnosed between Jun 1, 2006, and April 30, 2022. In both cohorts, eligibility was limited to female patients older than 20 years with a confirmed diagnosis of small cell carcinoma of the cervix. Participants who were lost to follow-up or those for whom small cell carcinoma of the cervix was not the primary malignant tumour were excluded from the multi-institutional registry, and those with an unknown surgery status (in addition to those for whom small cell carcinoma of the cervix was not the primary malignant tumour) were excluded from the SEER data. The primary outcome of this study was overall survival (length of time from the date of first diagnosis until the date of death from any cause, or the last follow-up). Kaplan-Meier analysis, propensity score matching, and Cox-regression analyses were used to assess treatment outcomes and risk factors.

FINDINGS

1288 participants were included in the study; 610 in the SEER cohort and 678 in the Chinese cohort. Both univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis (SEER hazard ratio [HR] 0·65 [95% CI 0·48-0·88], p=0·0058; China HR 0·53 [0·37-0·76], p=0·0005) showed that surgery was associated with a better prognosis. In subgroup analyses, surgery remained a protective factor for patients with locally advanced disease in both cohorts (SEER HR 0·61 [95% CI 0·39-0·94], p=0·024; China HR 0·59 [0·37-0·95]; p=0·029). Furthermore, the protective effect of surgery was observed among patients with locally advanced disease after propensity score matching in the SEER cohort (HR 0·52 [95% CI 0·32-0·84]; p=0·0077). In the China registry, surgery was associated with better outcomes in patients with stage IB3-IIA2 cancer (HR 0·17 [95% CI 0·05-0·50]; p=0·0015).

INTERPRETATION

This study provides evidence that surgery improves outcomes of patients with small cell carcinoma of the cervix. Although guidelines recommend non-surgical methods as first-line treatment, patients with locally advanced disease or stage IB3-IIA2 cancer might benefit from surgery.

FUNDING

The National Key R&D Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Impacts of ovarian preservation on the prognosis of neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma: a retrospective analysis based on machine learning

BACKGROUND

Neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma (NECC) is a rare but aggressive malignancy with younger patients compared to other common histology types. This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of ovarian preservation (OP) on the prognosis of NECC through machine learning.

METHODS

Between 2013 and 2021, 116 NECC patients with a median age of 46 years received OP or bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) and were enrolled in a retrospective analysis with a median follow-up of 41 months. The prognosis was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Random forest, LASSO, stepwise, and optimum subset prognostic models were constructed in training cohort (randomly selected 70 patients) and tested in 46 patients through receiver operator curves. Risk factors for ovarian metastasis were identified through univariate and multivariate regression analyses. All data processing was carried out in R 4.2.0 software.

RESULTS

Among 116 patients, 30 (25.9%) received OP and showed no significantly different OS compared with BSO group (p = 0.072) and got better DFS (p = 0.038). After construction of machine learning models, the safety of OP was validated in lower prognostic risk group (p > 0.05). In patients ≤ 46 years, no impacts of OP were shown for DFS (p = 0.58) or OS (p = 0.67), and OP had no impact on DFS in different relapse risk population (p > 0.05). In BSO group, regression analyses showed that later stage, para-aortic LNM, and parametrial involvement were associated with ovarian metastasis (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Preserving ovaries had no significant impact on prognosis in patients with NECC. OP should be considered cautiously in patients with ovarian metastasis risk factors.

Quantitative proteomics analysis in small cell carcinoma of cervix reveals novel therapeutic targets

BACKGROUND

As a rare pathologic subtype, small cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC) is characterized by extensive aggressiveness and resistance to current therapies. To date, our knowledge of SCCC origin and progression is limited and sometimes even controversial. Herein, we explored the whole-protein expression profiles in a panel of SCCC cases, aiming to provide more evidence for the precise diagnosis and targeting therapy.

METHODS

Eighteen SCCC samples and six matched normal cervix tissues were collected from January 2013 to December 2017. Data independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA) was performed to discriminate the different proteins (DEPs) associated with SCCC. The expression of CDN2A and SYP in corresponding SCCC tissues was verified using immunohistochemistry. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were used to identify the key DEPs related to SCCC development and tumor recurrence.

RESULTS

As a result, 1311 DEPs were identified in SCCC tissues (780 up-regulated and 531 down-regulated). In up-regulated DEPs, both GO analysis and KEGG analysis showed the most enriched were related to DNA replication (including nuclear DNA replication, DNA-dependent DNA replication, and cell cycle DNA replication), indicating the prosperous proliferation in SCCC. As for the down-regulated DEPs, GO analysis showed that the most enriched functions were associated with extracellular matrix collagen-containing extracellular matrix. KEGG analysis revealed that the DEPs were enriched in Complement and coagulation cascades, proteoglycans in cancer, and focal adhesion-related pathways. Down-regulation of these proteins could enhance the mobility of cancer cells and establish a favorable microenvironment for tumor metastasis, which might be accounted for the frequent local and distant metastasis in SCCC. Surprisingly, the blood vessels and circulatory system exhibit a down-regulation in SCCC, which might be partly responsible for its resistance to anti-angiogenic regimens. In the stratification analysis of early-stage tumors, a group of enzymes involved in the cancer metabolism was discriminated in these recurrence cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Using quantitative proteomics analysis, we first reported the whole-protein expression profiles in SCCC. Significant alterations were found in proteins associated with the enhancement of DNA replication and cellular motility. Besides the association with mitosis, a unique metabolic feature was detected in cases with tumor recurrence. These findings provided novel targets for disease surveillance and treatments, which warranted further validation in the future.

The role of postoperative radiation after radical hysterectomy for women with early-stage neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: A meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (NECC) is an aggressive disease with high rates of nodal disease spread even in seemingly cervix-confined disease. Many providers routinely prescribe postoperative radiation therapy in an effort to reduce recurrences despite a lack of supporting studies. The objective of this study was to determine recurrence and mortality in patients with early-stage NECC who had pelvic radiation after radical hysterectomy compared to those who did not receive radiation.

METHODS

We performed a meta-analysis of 13 unique studies that reported recurrence and/or mortality for patients with early-stage NECC who underwent radical hysterectomy with or without adjuvant radiation therapy.

RESULTS

In 5 studies that reported overall recurrence rates, 63 (52.5%) of 120 patients who received postoperative radiation recurred compared to 70 (37.8%) of 185 patients who did not (RR 1.21, 95% CI: 0.85-1.70, p = 0.29). In 5 studies that reported pelvic recurrence rates, there were 15 pelvic recurrences (12.5%) in the 120 patients who received postoperative radiation compared to 45 pelvic recurrences (24.3%) in the 185 patients who did not (RR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.34-1.08, p = 0.09). In 13 studies that reported mortality rate, there were 138 deaths (34.8%) in 396 patients who received postoperative radiation therapy compared to 223 (35.2%) in 632 patients who did not (RR 1.08, 95% CI: 0.75-1.56, p = 0.66).

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of routine postoperative radiation therapy in all patients with early-stage NECC after radical hysterectomy may reduce pelvic recurrences but does not appear to decrease overall recurrence or death. However, there may still be a role for postoperative radiation therapy in patients with additional high-risk pathologic factors.

A Nomogram Model Based on Neuroendocrine Markers for Predicting the Prognosis of Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of Cervix

BACKGROUND

Combining traditional clinical parameters with neuroendocrine markers to construct a nomogram model to predict the postoperative recurrence of neuroendocrine carcinoma of cervix (NECC).

METHODS

A total of 257 patients were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to establish a nomogram model in the training cohorts, which was further validated in the validation cohorts. The calibration curve was used to conduct the internal and external verification of the model.

RESULTS

Overall, 41 relapse cases were observed in the training (23 cases) and validation (18 cases) cohorts. The univariate analysis preliminarily showed that FIGO stage, stromal invasion, nerve invasion, lymph vascular space invasion, lymph node involvement, cervical-uterine junction invasion and CgA were correlated with NECC recurrence. The multivariate analysis further confirmed that FIGO stage (p = 0.023), stromal invasion (p = 0.002), lymph vascular space invasion (p = 0.039) and lymph node involvement (p = 0.00) were independent risk factors for NECC recurrence, which were ultimately included in the nomogram model. In addition, superior consistency indices were demonstrated in the training (0.863, 95% CI 0.784-0.942) and validation (0.884, 95% CI 0.758-1.010) cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

The established nomogram model combining traditional clinical parameters with neuroendocrine markers can reliably and accurately predict the recurrence risks in NECC patients.

Impact of the initial site of metastases on post-recurrence survival for neuroendocrine cervical cancer

Objective

To summarize the risk factors and emphasize the prognostic importance of the site of recurrent neuroendocrine cervical cancer (NECC).

Methods

We enrolled 88 patients who developed recurrence after radical surgery for pathological stage I–IVa primary NECC between January 2003 and 30 December 2020 and classified these cases into 7 groups based on the initial recurrence. The risk factors for post-recurrence survival (PRS) were analyzed by Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression methods.

Results

Among 88 NECC patients, nearly all patients (95.50%) experienced progression within 3 years. The time to progression was significantly longer in patients with lung recurrence than in patients without lung recurrence (p = 0.008). After the first recurrence, the median follow-up was 11.1 months (range 2.37–65.50 months), and the 5-year PRS was only 20.6%. The depth of invasion in the primary surgery, number of recurrent sites, abdominal organ recurrence were correlated with PRS by univariate analysis. Multivariate analyses revealed that the number of recurrent sites (p = 0.025) and abdominal organ recurrence (p = 0.031) were independent prognostic factors. Notably, the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy, with or without surgery, showed a 43.8% objective response rate in recurrent NECC.

Conclusion

Patients with abdominal organ recurrence need more sophisticated therapy. The combination of immune therapy and chemotherapy might be an opportunity for recurrent NECC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09737-4.

Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of the Gynecologic Tract

Simple Summary

Neuroendocrine refers to the cells that synthesize and secrete messenger chemicals such as neuropeptides and amines. Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are aggressive tumors arising from neuroendocrine cells, with an annual incidence of 6.98/100,000 and a prevalence of 170,000 in the United States. Primary gynecologic NENs constitute ≤2% of female reproductive tumors. NENs of the gynecologic tract are associated with high recurrence rates and dismal prognosis, making their treatment challenging. This article focuses on the updated staging classifications, clinicopathological characteristics, imaging, and management of NENs of the gynecological tract.

Abstract

Gynecological tract neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are rare, aggressive tumors from endocrine cells derived from the neuroectoderm, neural crest, and endoderm. The primary gynecologic NENs constitute 2% of gynecologic malignancies, and the cervix is the most common site of NEN in the gynecologic tract. The updated WHO classification of gynecologic NEN is based on the Ki-67 index, mitotic index, and tumor characteristics such as necrosis, and brings more uniformity in the terminology of NENs like other disease sites. Imaging plays a crucial role in the staging, triaging, restaging, and surveillance of NENs. The expression of the somatostatin receptors on the surface of neuroendocrine cells forms the basis of increasing evaluation with functional imaging modalities using traditional and new tracers, including ⁶⁸Ga-DOTA-Somatostatin Analog-PET/CT. Management of NENs involves a multidisciplinary approach. New targeted therapies could improve the paradigm of care for these rare malignancies. This article focuses on the updated staging classifications, clinicopathological characteristics, imaging, and management of gynecologic NENs of the cervix, ovary, endometrium, vagina, and vulva, emphasizing the relatively common cervical neuroendocrine carcinomas among these entities.

Data from small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: FIGO 2018 staging is more accurate than FIGO 2009

OBJECTIVE

To compare the prognostic value of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 and 2018 staging systems in surgical patients with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (SCNEC).

METHODS

We re-staged 64 surgical IB-IIA (FIGO 2009) SCNEC patients according to the FIGO 2018 system and refined stage IIIC of FIGO 2018 based on tumor local invasion. The prognostic factors were analyzed, and the advantages of FIGO 2018 were compared with 2009.

RESULTS

The 5-year overall survival rate (OS) was 78.5% for stage I and 22.2% for stage II (FIGO 2009). In FIGO 2018, there was no difference between stage I and II, and the 5-year OS was 74.1%, 60.2%, and 0% for stage I/II, IIIC1, and IIIC2. After combining stage IIIC with the local invasion stage (T1 was limited to the cervix and vagina; T2 involved the parametrium; T3 involved the pelvic or abdominal cavity), the 5-year OS for stage IIICT1, IIICT2, and IIICT3 was 83.3%, 30.0%, and 0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

For stage II SCNEC patients, FIGO 2009 underestimated the prognosis, while FIGO 2018 was more accurate. For stage IIIC, FIGO 2018 might be more individualized and accurate after combining stage IIIC with tumor local invasion.

Emerging Therapeutic Concepts and Latest Diagnostic Advancements Regarding Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Gynecologic Tract

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are particularly rare in all sites of the gynecological tract and include a variety of neoplasms with variable prognosis, dependent on histologic subtype and site of origin. Following the expert consensus proposal of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the approach in the latest World Health Organization (WHO) Classification System of the Female Genital Tumours is to use the same terminology for NENs at all body sites. The main concept of this novel classification framework is to align it to all other body sites and make a clear distinction between well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). The previous WHO Classification System of the Female Genital Tumours featured more or less the same principle, but used the terms ‘low-grade neuroendocrine tumor’ and ‘high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma’. Regardless of the terminology used, each of these two main categories include two distinct morphological subtypes: NETs are represented by typical and atypical carcinoid and NEC are represented by small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC) and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC). High-grade NECs, especially small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma tends to be more frequent in the uterine cervix, followed by the endometrium, while low-grade NETs usually occur in the ovary. NENs of the vulva, vagina and fallopian tube are exceptionally rare, with scattered case reports in the scientific literature.

18F-FDG PET/computed tomography scan in patients with suspicion of recurrent neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the value of [18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) to detect recurrent cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma and its subsequent impact on patient management.

METHODS

A total of 25 patients who had undergone 30 18F-FDG PET/CT studies for suspected recurrent cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma (18 small cells, 2 large cells, 1 atypical carcinoid, and 4 unclassified) were retrospectively analyzed. The findings of the PET/CT images were compared with the histopathologic results in 8 scans and with clinical follow-up in 22 scans.

RESULTS

Of the 30 PET/CT studies, 63.3% (19/30) were positive for recurrence while 36.7% (11/30) were negative. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of 18F-FDG PET/CT for detecting recurrent disease of cervical neuroendocrine carcinomas were 90.0, 90.0, 94.7, 81.8, and 90.0%, respectively. Metastasis to distant organs was the most common (89.4%), followed by lymph node recurrence (52.6%). Lungs were the most frequent site of distant metastasis (63.1%). 18F-FDG PET/CT findings led to the change of the management in 10 out of 25 patients (40%) by introducing the use of previously unplanned therapeutic procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

18F-FDG PET/CT is an efficient technique for detecting recurrent cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma, and may thus contribute to improving patient management.

Clinicopathological Analysis of Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix: A Single-Institution Retrospective Review of 9 Cases

Aim

To evaluate the clinicopathological features affecting the recurrence and survival of 9 cases of neuroendocrine cancer of the cervix.

Method

We retrospectively analyzed 9 cervical neuroendocrine cancer cases identified among 453 cervical cancer patients between 2004 and 2021 at Akdeniz University Gynecological Oncology Outpatient Clinic. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Mathematical functions of mean, standard deviation, median, Min–Max values, and frequencies were used for descriptive statistics. The categorical data were expressed in numbers and percentages (%).

Results

Nine patients with neuroendocrine histological subtype were selected out of 453 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer (1.98%). The average overall survival time of the patients was 26 months. The 5-year survival rate was 53.3%, while the PFS was 62.5%. The most common subtype was small cell neuroendocrine cancer. Tumours were mostly locally advanced at the time of diagnosis. 3 patients' stage was 1b2, while 4 patients were 2b, 1 patient was 3c2r, and 1 patient was 4b. All tumours showed the immunohistochemical staining properties of neuroendocrine cancer. The main treatment modality applied to our patients was surgery + adjuvant CRT. The most used chemotherapeutic agents were cisplatin/carboplatin and etoposide. Recurrence was found in 3 cases, including 5 deaths.

Conclusion

Neuroendocrine tumour of the cervix is a rare subtype with a poor prognosis. Unfortunately, there is not yet a standard treatment protocol due to the limited number of comparative studies of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy based treatment schemes.

The importance of choosing the right strategy to treat small cell carcinoma of the cervix: a comparative analysis of treatments

Background

Standard treatments for small cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC) have not been established. In this study, we aimed to estimate the optimal treatment strategy for SCCC.

Methods

This was a multicenter retrospective study. Medical records of patients with pathologically proven SCCC treated between 2003 and 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival (OS) was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank tests and Cox regression analysis were used to assess the differences in survival according to stage, treatment strategy, and chemotherapy regimen.

Results

Data of 78 patients were collected, and after excluding patients without immunohistopathological staining, 65 patients were evaluated. The median age of the included patients was 47 (range: 24–83) years. The numbers of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2018 stages I-IIA, IIB-IVA, IVB were 23 (35%), 34 (52%), and 8 (12%), respectively. Of 53 patients who had undergone chemotherapy, 35 and 18 received SCCC and non-SCCC regimens as their first-line chemotherapy regimen, respectively. The 5-year OS for all patients was 49%, while for patients with FIGO stages I-IIA, IIB-IVA, IVB, it was 60, 50, and 0%, respectively. The 5-year OS rates for patients who underwent treatment with SCCC versus non-SCCC regimens were 59 and 13% (p < 0.01), respectively. This trend was pronounced in locally advanced stages. Multivariate analysis showed that FIGO IVB at initial diagnosis was a significant prognostic factor in all patients. Among the 53 patients who received chemotherapy, the SCCC regimen was associated with significantly better 5-year OS in both the uni- and multivariate analyses.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the application of an SCCC regimen such as EP or IP as first-line chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced SCCC may play a key role in OS. These findings need to be validated in future nationwide, prospective clinical studies.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08772-x.

Prognostic factors and treatment of neuroendocrine tumors of the uterine cervix based on the FIGO 2018 staging system: a single-institution study of 172 patients

Objective

This study aimed to explore the prognostic factors and outcomes of patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the cervix and to determine appropriate treatment.

Methods

A single-institution retrospective analysis of 172 patients with NETs was performed based on the new International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO 2018) staging system.

Results

Among the 172 eligible patients, 161 were diagnosed with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC), six with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, four with typical carcinoid tumors and one with SCNEC combined with an atypical carcinoid tumor. According to the FIGO 2018 staging guidelines, 31 were stage I, 66 were stage II, 57 were stage III, and 18 were stage IV. The 5-year survival rates of patients with stage I–IV disease were 74.8%, 56.2%, 41.4% and 0%, respectively. The 5-year progression-free survival rates of patients with stage I–IV disease were 63.8%, 54.5%, 30.8% and 0%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, advanced FIGO stage, large tumor and older age were identified as independent variables for 5-year survival in patients with stage I–IV disease. FIGO stage, tumor size and para-aortic lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors for 5-year progression-free survival in patients with stage I–IV disease. For the patients receiving surgery (n = 108), tumor size and pelvic lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors for 5-year survival, and pelvic lymph node metastasis for 5-year progression-free survival. In stage IVB, at least six cycles of chemotherapy (n = 7) was associated with significantly better 2-year OS (83.3% vs. 9.1%, p < 0.001) and 2-year PFS (57.1% vs. 0%, p = 0.01) than fewer than six cycles of chemotherapy(n = 11).

Conclusion

Advanced FIGO stage, large tumor, older age and lymph node metastasis are independent prognostic factors for NETs of the cervix. The TP/TC and EP regimens were the most commonly used regimens, with similar efficacies and toxicities. Standardized and complete multimodality treatment may improve the survival of patients with NETs.

Small cell carcinoma as an independent prognostic factor for cervical cancer patients: a population-based analysis

Aim: To compare cervical small cell carcinoma (SmCC) with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in patient characteristics and survival outcomes. Methods: Cervical SmCC and SCC patients in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database from 2004 to 2015 were enrolled. Propensity-score matching analysis (PSM) paired subjects with similar background variables. Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier and stratified analyses were conducted before and after PSM. Results: Cervical SmCC patients showed a higher rate of larger tumor size, advanced grade disease, lymph node involvement and distant metastasis (p < 0.001). Before and after PSM, SmCC histology and advanced Federation International of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages (p < 0.001) were principal prognostic factors of survival, and cervical SmCC was associated with worse survival in all stages (stage I-IV). Conclusion: SmCC was an independent poor prognostic factor in cervical cancer patients.

The puzzle of gynecologic neuroendocrine carcinomas: State of the art and future directions

Primary gynecologic neuroendocrine carcinomas (gNECs) are a heterogeneous spectrum of rare and highly aggressive neoplasms, accounting for about 2% of all gynecologic malignancies, which mostly resemble the small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Due to the lack of standardized treatment guidelines, their management poses a noteworthy clinical challenge. Currently, cumulative data retrieved from the management of SCLC and from retrospective studies supports a multimodality strategy, based on surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Nevertheless, the prognosis remains poor and recurrences are extremely frequent. Hence, there is an urgent need for novel treatment options and promising molecular targets. Recently, there has been an increasing interest on the potential role of immune checkpoint inhibitors, especially in the recurrent setting. However, only scant evidence exists and there is still a long road ahead. A solid collaboration between gynecologists and oncologists worldwide is required to improve the treatment of these puzzling tumors.

Optimal treatment strategies for small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: A retrospective multi-center study (KROG 19-03)

OBJECTIVE

This multi-institutional study aimed to identify the optimal treatment strategy for small cell carcinoma of the cervix.

STUDY DESIGN

We retrospectively collected the medical records of 166 patients diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix from January 2000 to December 2015 from 13 institutions of the Korean Radiation Oncology Group. After excluding 18 (10.8 %) patients who initially had distant metastasis, the treatment outcomes of 148 patients were analyzed.

RESULTS

After a median 46.4 (1.4-231.9) months of follow-up, the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of all patients were 45.9 % and 63.5 %, respectively. Distant metastasis was the dominant pattern of failure occurring in 67 patients (45.3 %). We stratified the patients according to the primary local treatment: primary surgery (n = 119), primary radiotherapy (RT) (n = 26), and no local treatment group (n = 3). Although the primary RT group had advanced disease (FIGO stage ≧ IIB) more frequently than the primary surgery group (80.8 % vs. 47.9 %), the PFS and OS did not differ between the groups in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Definitive RT is a reasonable local treatment option for small cell cervical cancer, particularly for advanced cases. Given the high rates of distant relapse, an effective systemic therapy protocol is warranted for small cell cervical cancer patients.

Expression and clinical significance of a new neuroendocrine marker secretagogin in cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma

AIMS

To explore the expression of secretagogin (SCGN) in neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix and analyse its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis.

METHODS

From January 2010 to December 2017, 44 patients with cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma undergoing surgery were included in the study group, and 55 patients with cervical non-neuroendocrine carcinoma (including 30 cases of cervical squamous cell carcinoma and 25 cases of cervical adenocarcinoma) undergoing surgery were included in the control group. Immunohistochemical staining of SCGN was performed in both groups and compared with three common neuroendocrine markers, chromogranin A, synaptophysin (Syn) and CD56 in the study group. Detailed clinicopathological data of the two groups were analysed, and the patient survival in the study group was followed up.

RESULTS

The positive expression of SCGN in cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma, cervical adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma was 65.9% (29/44), 8% (2/25) and 0%, respectively. The positive expression of SCGN in cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma was significantly higher than that in cervical adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (χ²=44.5, p<0.001). There were no statistical differences among the positive expression of SCGN and three common neuroendocrine markers (p>0.05 for all). The intensity of SCGN staining in patients with cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma with lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than that in patients without lymph node metastasis (p=0.020). However, there was no significant association between SCGN expression and survival among patients with cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma (p=0.633).

CONCLUSIONS

SCGN is a new neuroendocrine marker for cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma, whose expression correlates with lymph node metastasis.

Prognostic factors and treatment comparison in small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix based on population analyses

Objective

We aimed to assess the impact of the treatment modality on the outcome of small cell neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma (SCNEC) using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.

Methods

Patients from the SEER program between 1981 and 2014 were identified. Significant factors for cancer‐specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan‐Meier survival and Cox regression methods.

Results

A total of 503 SCNEC patients were identified. The 5‐year CSS and OS were 36.6% and 30.6%, respectively. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I to IV distributions was 189 (37.6%), 108 (21.5%), 95 (18.9%), and 111 patients (22.0%), respectively. Within the patients with known treatment strategies, 177 (45.9%) were treated with radical surgery and 209 (54.1%) underwent primary radiotherapy. Local treatment strategies were independent prognostic factor for CSS and OS. The 5‐year CSS for radical surgery and primary radiotherapy was 50.0% and 27.9%, respectively (P < .001). The 5‐year OS for those who received radical surgery and primary radiotherapy was 57.8%, and 29.6%, respectively (P < .001). In FIGO stage I SCNEC, patients treated with radical surgery had superior CSS (P = .001) and OS (P = .003) than those with primary radiotherapy. However, in FIGO stage II and III SCNEC, there were no differences in CSS and OS with respect to different local treatment strategies. Our results also found that the addition of brachytherapy impacted OS in the FIGO stage III SENCE (P = .002). The 5‐year CSS and OS of patients with FIGO IV were only 11.7% and 7.1%, respectively.

Conclusions

SCNEC is a rare disease with aggressive clinical behavior. The findings indicate that radical surgery should be suggested for early‐stage SCNEC and combining radiation therapy with brachytherapy should be suitable for patients with advanced stage.

Prognostic Factors and Impact of Minimally Invasive Surgery in Early-stage Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Cervix

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prognostic factors and impact of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in surgically treated early-stage high-grade (HG) neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma (NECC).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

PATIENTS

Patients with International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2009) stages IB1 to IIA HG NECC.

INTERVENTIONS

All patients underwent radical hysterectomy (RH) with a laparotomy or an MIS approach.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Between 1993 and 2017, 47 patients with International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology stages IB1 to IIA1 HG NECC were initially treated with RH. Clinicopathologic variables of patients were retrospectively reviewed from electronic medical records. The median follow-up period was 28.2 months (interquartile range, 17.1-42). Stage IB1 disease was the most common (70.2%). Twenty-nine patients (61.7%) underwent RH by MIS. The overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 63.8% and 38.3%, respectively. Lymph node metastasis and resection margin involvement were significant risk factors for DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.227; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.018-4.871; p =.045 and HR, 6.494; 95% CI, 1.415-29.809; p =.016, respectively) and OS (HR, 3.236; 95% CI, 1.188-8.815; p =.022 and HR, 12.710; 95% CI, 1.128-143.152; p =.040, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed no significant differences in OS and DFS between the laparotomy and MIS groups (50% vs 72.4% log-rank p =.196, 38.9% vs 37.9% p =.975).

CONCLUSION

Lymph node metastasis and resection margin involvement were poor prognostic factors of survival outcomes in initially surgically treated early-stage HG NECC. No difference was observed in the survival outcomes between the MIS and laparotomy approaches.

Updates and management algorithm for neuroendocrine tumors of the uterine cervix

Neuroendocrine carcinomas of the cervix account for less than 2% of all invasive cervical cancers and are classified as low-grade (carcinoid, atypical carcinoid tumor) or high-grade (known as small- and large-cell) neuroendocrine carcinomas. There are increasing data showing that cervical neuroendocrine carcinomas may be associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV), especially HPV18, and most will stain positive for p16. Immunohistochemistry markers such as synaptophysin and CD56 are the most sensitive markers. Although there are no commonly associated mutations, PIK3CA, KRAS, and TP53 are the most frequently found mutations in neuroendocrine tumors. Neuroendocrine cervical carcinomas are exceedingly aggressive tumors with a high tendency for nodal involvement and distant metastases. Age, lymph node metastases, smoking, pure small-cell histology, and tumor size are independent prognostic factors. Overall, the 5-year survival rate is 36% and the median overall survival ranges between 22 and 25 months. Treatment options are often extrapolated from small-cell lung cancer and limited retrospective studies. The preferred treatment is a multimodal approach of surgery, chemoradiation, and systemic chemotherapy. The most common chemotherapy regimen used as initial therapy is a combination of cisplatin and etoposide. In the setting of recurrent disease, a combination of topotecan, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab has demonstrated favorable outcomes. Multicenter tumor registries, such as the Neuroendocrine Cervical Tumor Registry (NeCTuR), are an opportunity to evaluate patterns of disease treatment and oncologic outcomes.

Small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: a multi-institutional experience

OBJECTIVE

Small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is associated with a poor prognosis with a median overall survival that is quite low. The aim of this study was to determine the clinico-pathologic characteristics that have an impact on survival in patients with small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

METHODS

A total of 93 patients were involved in this retrospective study. Inclusion criteria were patients diagnosed with histopathologically confirmed small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix and then later treated at three participating centers, between June 2001 and March 2015. Those without complete available follow-up records were excluded. The endpoints of this study were disease-free survival and overall survival. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods were used for analyses.

RESULTS

There were statistical differences in overall survival between patients in early and in advanced stages by using the 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) clinical stage. There were 75 patients with FIGO stage I to IIA (56 patients stage I, 17 patients stage IIA, and two patients stage IB or IIA because of uncertainty as to whether the fornix was involved); and 18 patients with FIGO stage IIB and above (10 patients IIB stage, five patients stage III, and three patients stage IV). Among the 76 patients who had surgery, 73 (96%) had a radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection and three (4%) patients had a simple hysterectomy without lymph node dissection. For early-stage patients, the 5 year disease-free survival rate was 52.7% compared with 32.4% in the advanced stage group (p=0.022). The disease-free survival for the early-stage group was 64.4% compared with 36.7% in the advanced-stage group (p=0.047). For factors affecting overall survival, age at diagnosis, tumor homology, tumor size, depth of stromal invasion, lymph node involvement, and treatment modality failed to reach significance in both univariate and multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

FIGO stage was a prognostic factor impacting survival-both overall survival and disease-free survival. Age at diagnosis, tumor histology (pure or mixed), tumor size, depth of stromal invasion, lymph node involvement, and treatment modality did not have an impact on overall survival.

[Neuroendocrine tumors of the cervix: case study and literature review]

Neuroendocrine tumors of the cervix are rare accounting for only 0.9-1.5% of these tumors. The non-specificity of the clinical signs and the absence of a screening test delay diagnosis. Immunohistochemical and histological studies play a crucial role to confirm the diagnosis. Today, therapeutic management is difficult and prognosis is unfavorable. We report a case of neuroendocrine tumor of the cervix and we will outline the peculiarities of this rare disease.

Postoperative adjuvant radiation improves local control in surgically treated FIGO stage I-II small cell carcinoma of the cervix

Objective

To determine the prognostic effect of adjuvant radiation and clinicopathological variables in surgically treated patients with small cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC).

Methods

Clinical data of SCCC patients with International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I-II underwent radical surgery from May 2000 to August 2014 at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Forty-three patients with SCCC were included to this study. Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test, Student’s t test or Mann–Whitney U test, Kaplan–Meier method and multivariate analysis of Cox proportional hazards regression were used for statistical analysis. P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results

Among 43 patients (median age, 49 years old) recruited, 25(58.1%) had stage I, 18(41.9%) had stage II disease. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 39.54%, and the 5-year disease free survival (DFS) was 27.91%. Distant metastasis was the main cause of treatment failure (71.9%). Patients with adjuvant chemoradiation displayed lower rate of local recurrence than those with adjuvant chemotherapy (10.7% vs 60.0%, P < 0.0001). Multivariable analysis identified lymph node metastasis as a significant prognostic factor for both DFS and OS (P = 0.001, 0.004 respectively). Age was also an independent predictor of OS (P = 0.004). Adjuvant radiation appeared to significantly improve DFS (HR = 0.383, 95% CI, 0.185–0.791), but not OS.

Conclusions

Adjuvant radiotherapy could improve the local control and prolong DFS in surgically treated SCCC. However, a large prospective clinical trial is needed to confirm this.

A multi-center retrospective study of neuroendocrine tumors of the uterine cervix: Prognosis according to the new 2018 staging system, comparing outcomes for different chemotherapeutic regimens and histopathological subtypes

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical behavior of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the uterine cervix, we conducted a multicenter, retrospective study of 193 patients.

METHODS

We evaluated the prognosis of NETs according to the new International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system, compared the clinical response to different chemotherapy regimens, and compared different histological subtypes of NETS.

RESULTS

Diagnoses of the subjects were atypical carcinoid tumor (ACT, n = 37), small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC, n = 126), large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC, n = 22), and NET, not elsewhere classified (n = 8), according to central pathological review. According to FIGO 2018, 69, 17, 74, and 33 patients were at stage I, II, III, or IV, respectively. Five-year survival was 64.5%, 50.1%, 30.2%, and 3.4% for patients at stage I, II, III and IV. About 40% of patients with stage IIIC1 survived >5 years. On multivariate analyses, locally-advanced disease, para-aortic node metastasis, distant metastasis, and <4 cycles of chemotherapy were associated with poor survival. Histological subtype and pelvic node metastasis had no prognostic significance. Response rates to etoposide-platinum (EP) or irinotecan-platinum (CPT-P) regimens were 43.8% (28/64), but only 12.9% to a taxane-platinum (TC) regimen (4/31). The response rate for ACT was 8.7% (2/23), significantly less than the 36.6% for high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (HGNEC: both SCNEC and LCNEC, 41/111).

CONCLUSIONS

Locally-advanced, extra-pelvic disease and insufficient chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors for cervical NET. HGNEC showed good responses to EP or CPT-P but not TC. Chemotherapy was less effective for ACT, which had a prognosis identical to HGNEC.

Prognostic factors and outcomes of early-stage small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: 37 cases from a single center

Background

The objective of this study is to investigate small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC), using a retrospective clinicopathological characteristic and treatment approach.

Method

We retrospectively analyzed cases of early-stage SCCC, identified between 2006 and 2016, in women who received radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy. Kaplan–Meier and one-way ANOVA analyses were performed.

Result

A total of 37 cases of SCCC are presented in this study, of which 21 had stage IB1 SCCC, 12 had stage IB2, 3 had stage IIA1, and 1 had stage IIA2. All patients were treated with radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy, specifically, 26 with radical surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiation and 11 with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by radical surgery. After a median follow-up time of 27 months (range, 8–115 months), the 2-year and 5-year disease-free survival rate for all patients was 51.9% and 34.1%, respectively, and the overall survival rate was 60.3% and 38.6%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and tumor size may be a predictor of a poor prognosis. NACT and adjuvant radiation did not improve survival over adjuvant chemotherapy alone but should not be a significant independent prognostic factor for survival.

Conclusion

Even in patients with early-stage SCCC, the prognosis is poor, although FIGO stage and tumor size may act as surrogate factors prognostic of survival.

Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Cervix in Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review

Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix is a rare subtype of cervical cancer. Here we report a case in which a 27-year-old female patient presented at 34-week gestation with abnormal vaginal bleeding, underwent normal labor, and gave birth to a healthy neonate. Her pregnancy was complicated with a cervical tumor which turned out to be small cell neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma. We reviewed and discussed the features, diagnosis, and prognosis of small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix.

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the endometrium: a report and review of the literature

Large-cell neuroendocrine tumor of the endometrium is a rare tumor type which is difficult to diagnose. Our routine tissue sampling is often non-productive and these tumors can be mistaken for other poorly differentiated carcinomas. Sites of metastatic disease sometimes confuse the identification of the primary organ, and histological diagnosis requires a choice of neuroendocrine biomarkers. In addition, there are no published diagnostic criteria for LCNEC of the endometrium and diagnostic criteria must be translated from the WHO classification of tumors of the lung. Once a diagnosis is reached, there are no large series to direct treatment. Consensus opinion appears to favor surgery for early stage disease followed by chemotherapy with etoposide and platinum-based agents. While there are many hurdles to overcome, the proper diagnosis of LCNEC of the endometrium is of utmost importance in a disease characterized by rapid progression and poor prognosis. We examine a case of large cell neuroendocrine tumor of the endometrium with rapid progression over a period of two months which precluded her planned chemotherapy.

•

There are 20 cases of large cell neuroendocrine tumor of the endometrium reported.

•

It is difficult to make the diagnosis with traditional tissue sampling procedures.

•

The prognosis is poor with disease that may progress rapidly.

•

There may be a role for neo-adjuvant chemotherapy but this is poorly studied.

Small cell carcinoma of cervix: A population-based study evaluating standardized provincial treatment protocols

Objectives

To describe the patient characteristics, patterns of treatment, and outcome of patients with small cell carcinoma of Cervix (SmCC) treated with radical radiotherapy from a provincial cancer registry database.

Methods

Overall 25 patients with SmCC were treated with radical radiotherapy (with or without chemotherapy) from January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2013. Nineteen patients had pure SmCC while 6 had additional neuroendocrine component. Patients were treated with combined chemo-radiotherapy using multi-agent chemotherapy with pelvic or combined pelvic and para-aortic radiotherapy. All patients received brachytherapy. Use of prophylactic cranial irradiation was dependent on physician discretion. Survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method and compared using log-rank test.

Results

We report a median overall survival of 53.8 months for our cohort. After a median follow-up of 54 months for surviving patients, the overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) at 5-years were 48% and 46.4% respectively. Patients with stage I-IIA disease had superior 5-year PFS (67.3% vs. 11.1%; p = .004) and 5-year OS (62.5% vs. 22.2%; p = .006). Patients with node-negative disease had a trend towards better 5-year PFS (55.7% vs. 19%; p = .07) and OS (61.1% vs. 14.3% at 5-years; p = .06) Distant metastasis was the predominant site of disease progression (n = 12; 48%).

Conclusion

Distant metastasis is the predominant pattern of failure for patients with SmCC treated with radical chemo-radiotherapy. With modern chemo-radiotherapy protocols we can expect a 5 year survival of around 50%. Early stage and node-negative status appear to be favorable prognostic factors with survival rates at 5-year over 60%.

•

Multi-agent chemotherapy with radiotherapy results in 50% overall survival at 5-years in small cell carcinoma of cervix

•

Distant metastasis remains the predominant site of disease progression

•

Stage and node-involvement bears significant association with survival

The clinicopathological features and treatment modalities associated with survival of neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma in a Chinese population

Background

Neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma (NECC) is a rare but aggressive form of cervical cancer representing less than 3% of all cervical cancer cases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of the clinicopathologic features and treatment modalities on the survival of patients with NECC.

Methods

In all, 89 stage I-IV patients with NECC that were diagnosed and treated between 2006 and 2014 at the Zhejiang Cancer Hospital were retrospectively recruited in this study. The Kaplan-Meier method, Cox regression analysis models and the log-rank test were used for the statistical analyses.

Results

NECC patients with advanced FIGO stage, tumor size > 4 cm, lymph node metastasis (LNM) and lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) were more likely to have significantly worse survival. Neither neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) nor radiotherapy (RT) was associated with improved overall survival. In the stratified analysis of stage I-IIA patients, those with advanced FIGO stage (P = 0.018), LNM (P = 0.008) and LVSI (P = 0.024) were associated with significantly worse survival. Patients without LNM who did not receive RT had significantly better survival rates than those who received RT (HR = 3.363, 95%CI = 1.245–10.619; P = 0.018). Moreover, for stage I-IIA patients with tumor size > 4 cm, NACT was not associated with a significantly better survival rate compared with no NACT (P = 0.600). None of the clinicopathologic features or treatment modalities was an independent prognostic factor in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

In conclusion, advanced FIGO stage, tumor size > 4 cm, LNM and LVSI were associated with poor survival. For stage I-IIA patients, RT should be carefully used in patients who are negative for LNM, and NACT may not be the optimal treatment for patients with tumor size > 4 cm.

Imaging and staging of neuroendocrine cervical cancer

Neuroendocrine cervical cancer (NECC) is a rare and aggressive subtype of cervical cancer, accounting for less than 2% of cervical tumors. They are divided into low-grade and high-grade tumors. High-grade NECC is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) 18 and to a smaller extent type 16. The most common molecular alterations in NECC include PIK3CA, KRAS, and TP53 mutations. Immunohistochemical staining for CD56, synaptophysin, and chromogranin is a helpful tool in the diagnosis. NECCs pose a significant clinical and therapeutic challenge because of their aggressive nature which is explained by their tendency towards early nodal and hematogenous spread. They have a median survival of 21-22 months, compared to 10 years in cervical squamous cell carcinomas. NECCs have a homogeneous high T2 signal intensity, homogeneous contrast enhancement and lower ADC values in MRI, compared to non-neuroendocrine tumors of the cervix. It is recommended to treat NECC with a multimodality therapeutic approach combining radical hysterectomy, systemic chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The objective of this manuscript is to address the pathogenesis of NECC, elaborate the role of radiological imaging in the diagnosis and staging of NECCs, evaluate their prognosis, and summarize the suggested management plans for this lethal disease.

Undifferentiated Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix with Evidence of Its Origin from Small-Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma

Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) of the uterine cervix is an uncommon aggressive tumor, comprises <5% of the cervical malignancies. Undifferentiated carcinoma of the cervix, described by the World Health Organization Classification of Tumors as a distinct entity, is extremely rare with no histologic evidence of differentiation. Immunohistochemistry with p63 and neuroendocrine markers helps in delineating the type as undifferentiated squamous cell carcinoma or NEC. NEC of the uterine cervix behaves biologically like any other cervical malignancy, has an association with human papillomavirus, and is similar to NEC of any possible site with early metastasis and poorer survival. We present a case of 45-year-old premenopausal female with undifferentiated carcinoma of the uterine cervix originating from small-cell NEC proven by the presence of differentiated component in the proximity of undifferentiated tumor and by the immunohistochemistry.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix (NECC) is a rare variant of cervical cancer. The prognosis of women with NECC is poor and there is no standardized therapy for this type of malignancy based on controlled trials.

METHODS

We performed a systematic literature search of the databases PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify clinical trials describing the management and outcome of women with NECC.

RESULTS

Three thousand five hundred thirty-eight cases of NECC in 112 studies were identified. The pooled proportion of NECC among women with cervical cancer was 2303/163470 (1.41%). Small cell NECC, large cell NECC, and other histological subtypes were identified in 80.4, 12.0, and 7.6% of cases, respectively. Early and late stage disease presentation were evenly distributed with 1463 (50.6%) and 1428 (49.4%) cases, respectively. Tumors expressed synaptophysin (424/538 cases; 79%), neuron-specific enolase (196/285 cases; 69%), chromogranin (323/486 cases; 66%), and CD56 (162/267; 61%). The most common primary treatment was radical surgery combined with chemotherapy either as neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy, described in 42/48 studies. Radiotherapy-based primary treatment schemes in the form of radiotherapy, radiochemotherapy, or radiotherapy with concomitant or followed by chemotherapy were also commonly used (15/48 studies). There is no standard chemotherapy regimen for NECC, but cisplatin/carboplatin and etoposide (EP) was the most commonly used treatment scheme (24/40 studies). Overall, the prognosis of women with NECC was poor with a mean recurrence-free survival of 16 months and a mean overall survival of 40 months. Immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted agents were reported as being active in three case reports.

CONCLUSION

NECC is a rare variant of cervical cancer with a poor prognosis. Multimodality treatment with radical surgery and neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide with or without radiotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for early stage disease while chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide or topotecan, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab is appropriate for women with locally advanced or recurrent NECC. Immune checkpoint inhibitors may be beneficial, but controlled evidence for their efficacy is lacking.

Surgery Versus Radiation Treatment for High-Grade Neuroendocrine Cancer of Uterine Cervix: A Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Database Analysis

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to assess treatment and other factors impacting survival in cervical high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (HGNEC).

METHODS/MATERIALS

We identified patients with cervical HGNECs diagnosed during 1988 to 2012 in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. We determined overall survival by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages and by local treatment modalities, that is, radical surgery versus external beam radiation treatment (EBRT) plus brachytherapy using Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test. We also determined factors of age, stage, and treatment modality impacting survival using proportional hazard analysis.

RESULTS

We identified 832 cases of cervical HGNECs in the database. After excluding cases with incomplete stage data, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages I to IV distributions were 196 (28.0%), 69 (9.9%), 175 (25.0%), and 260 patients (37.1%), respectively. Radical surgery and primary radiotherapy yielded similar 5-year overall survival for stages I (61% vs 53%, P = 0.27), II (48% vs 28%, P = 0.308), and III (33% vs 28%, P = 0.408) patients. External beam radiation treatment plus brachytherapy did not yield superior survival than EBRT alone in stage I (48% vs 49%, P = 0.799), II (37% vs 20%, P = 0.112), or III (25% vs 32%, P = 0.636) patients. Age (P = 0.004) and stage (stage II: hazard ratio [HR], 1.78, P = 0.013; stage III: HR, 2.42; P < 0.001) were independent factors impacting survival but not local treatment modality (EBRT: HR, 1.30, P = 0.17; EBRT plus brachytherapy: HR, 1.16; P = 0.417).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with cervical HGNECs had poor prognosis. Primary treatment by radical surgery or external beam radiotherapy with or without brachytherapy yielded equally poor survival.

Influence of clinicopathological characteristics and comprehensive treatment models on the prognosis of small cell carcinoma of the cervix: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Small cell carcinoma of the cervix (SCCC) is a rare primary neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma with a high degree of invasiveness. SCCC is prone to early-stage lymph node and distant metastases and characterized by a poor prognosis. Currently, there is no standard treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological factors and treatment models that influence SCCC prognosis through a systematic review and meta-analysis, to improve the diagnosis and treatment of SCCC. A comprehensive search was performed in multiple medical literature databases to retrieve studies on the clinical prognosis of SCCC published in China and abroad as of March 1, 2017. Twenty cohort studies with 1904 patients were analyzed. Meta-analysis showed statistical significance for the following factors: FIGO staging (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.13–3.24; odds ratio [OR] = 3.72, 95% CI: 2.46–5.62), tumor size (HR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.25–2.15), parametrial involvement (HR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.43–4.05), resection margin (HR = 4.09, 95% CI: 2.27–7.39), lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.18–3.71), depth of stromal invasion (HR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.33–2.97), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.14–3.73), and adjuvant chemotherapy (HR = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.26–2.12; OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.02–2.16). FIGO staging, tumor size, parametrial involvement, resection margin, depth of stromal invasion, and lymph node metastasis can be used as clinicopathological characteristics for the prediction of SCCC prognosis. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy tended to improve prognosis. Our findings suggest that neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus adjuvant chemotherapy may be the preferred strategy. However, adjuvant radiotherapy appeared to cause no significant improvement in prognosis. Therefore, the clinical application of radiotherapy and the relationship between radiotherapy and clinicopathological factors need to be re-examined. The results of this study should be validated and developed in formal, well-designed multicenter clinical trials.

Clinicopathological features of small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database

To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and survival of small cell carcinoma of the cervix using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Patients with a diagnosis of small cell carcinoma of the cervix were included between 1988 and 2012. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression models were used. A total of 487 patients were included. Of the patients with known International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and tumor grade, the stage IV disease was diagnosed in 37.9% patients, and 98.5% patients had poorly or undifferentiated histology. The 5-year cause specific survival and overall survival were 33.0% and 29.4%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, increasing age, advanced stage, and treatment by primary radiotherapy were associated with worse survival outcomes. Small cell carcinoma of the cervix is a rare disease with aggressive characteristics and prone to metastasize and is dismal in prognosis. Reduced survival was associated with increasing age, advanced stage, and treatment by primary radiotherapy.

Nonsurgical Management of Neuroendocrine Cancer of the Cervix: Brief Report

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate disease progression and overall survival in patients diagnosed with neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix treated with chemotherapy and radiation without surgical intervention; we hypothesize similar overall survival to the surgical intervened cases.

METHODS

This study used a retrospective analysis of patients with neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix who were not surgically managed. Review was performed from 1990 to 2014. The data collected included demographics, stage of disease, and outcomes after each treatment. Specific chemotherapy regimen given and radiation dosage were reviewed. Overall survival and recurrence rates were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 16 patients met inclusion criteria. Six patients were diagnosed with stage I; these patients had 83.3% 2-year overall survival, 83.3% 5-year overall survival, and a recurrence rate of 16.6%. Three patients were diagnosed with stage II; these patients had 66.6% 2-year overall survival, 0% 5-year overall survival, and a recurrence rate of 100%. Seven patients were diagnosed with stage IV; these patients had 14.3% 2-year overall survival and 0% 5-year overall survival and never underwent remission.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings noted a comparable overall survival with lower rates of recurrence in patients with early-stage disease using chemotherapy and radiation therapy alone as primary means of treatment. Nonsurgical management of neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix may be of benefit in early-stage disease.

Systemic therapy for cervical carcinoma - current status

Two major treatment modalities in cervical cancer are radiation therapy (RT) and surgery. Chemotherapy continues to be the main form of systemic therapy adjunctive to definitive local therapies, and is used for palliation. Platinum-based regimens, administered concurrently with both definitive and postoperative RT, were demonstrated to provide significant survival benefits, whereas the beneficial effect of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in later-stage disease was smaller. The role of chemotherapy in addition to RT in IB1/IIA1 cervical cancer patients not undergoing surgery remains undefined. Likewise, the role of chemotherapy in combination with postoperative RT for patients with intermediate-risk factors for recurrence has not yet been verified. The recent standard for chemoradiotherapy is cisplatin alone administered weekly. Other cisplatin-based or non-cisplatin-based regimens have not been subjected to large clinical studies. The benefits of consolidation chemotherapy after chemoradiation for locally advanced cervical cancer are still undetermined. Neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by surgery has shown survival benefits, however its role in the era of chemoradiotherapy remains unclear. The combination of cisplatin and paclitaxel is considered a standard regimen in the palliative setting. There is no standard of care for second-line systemic therapy in advanced cervical cancer. Bevacizumab combined with palliative chemotherapy (cisplatin/paclitaxel or topotecan/paclitaxel) in the first-line treatment for recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer significantly improves overall survival when compared to chemotherapy alone. The role of immunotherapy in cervical cancer remains to be established. The optimal combined modality treatment including systemic therapy for cervical tumors of non-squamous histology remains a matter of debate. Ongoing accumulation of data on genomic and proteomic characteristics provides insight into the molecular heterogeneity of cervical cancer and paves the way for developing molecularly targeted therapies.

Prognostic factors and optimal therapy for stages I-II neuroendocrine carcinomas of the uterine cervix: A multi-center retrospective study

PURPOSE

We aimed to determine appropriate treatment guidelines for patients with stages I-II high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas (HGNEC) of the uterine cervix in a multicenter retrospective study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We reviewed the clinicopathological features and prognoses of 93 patients with HGNEC of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages I and II. All patients were diagnosed with HGNEC by central pathological review.

RESULTS

The median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were 111.3months and 47.4months, respectively. Eighty-eight patients underwent radical surgery, and five had definitive radiotherapy. The hazard ratio (HR) for death after definitive radiotherapy to death after radical surgery was 4.74 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-15.90). Of the surgery group, 18 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Pathological prognostic factors and optimal adjuvant therapies were evaluated for the 70 patients. Forty-one patients received adjuvant chemotherapy with etoposide-platinum (EP) or irinotecan-platinum (CPT-P). Multivariate analyses identified the invasion of lymphovascular spaces as a significant prognostic factor for both OS and DFS. Pelvic lymph node metastasis was also a prognostic factor for DFS. Adjuvant chemotherapy with an EP or CPT-P regimen appeared to improve DFS (HR=0.27, 95% CI, 0.10-0.69). A trend toward improved OS was also observed, but was not statistically significant (HR=0.39, 95% CI, 0.15-1.01).

CONCLUSION

Radical surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with an EP or CPT-P regimen was optimal treatment for stages I and II HGNEC of the uterine cervix.