A Molecular Genetic and Statistical Approach for the Diagnosis of Dual-Site Cancers

Prognostic performance of the 2023 FIGO staging schema for endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prognostic performance of the 2023 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) endometrial cancer staging schema.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study queried the Commission-on-Cancer's National Cancer Database. Study population was 129,146 patients with stage I-IV endometrial cancer per the 2009 FIGO staging schema. Stage-shifting and overall survival (OS) were assessed according to the 2023 FIGO staging schema.

RESULTS

Upstage (IA → II, 21.4 %; IB → II, 53.0 %) and downstage (IIIA→IA3, 22.2 %) occurred in both early and advanced diseases. Inter-stage prognostic performance improved in the 2023 schema with widened 5-year OS rate difference between the earliest and highest stages (68.2 % to 76.9 %). Stage IA1-IIB and IIC had distinct 5-year OS rate differences (85.8-96.1 % vs 75.4 %). The 5-year OS rate of the 2009 stage IIIA disease was 63.9 %; this was greater segregated in the 2023 schema: 88.0 %, 62.4 %, and 55.7 % for IIIA→IA3, IIIA1, and IIIA2, respectively (inter-substage rate-difference, 32.3 %). This 5-year OS rate of stage IA3 disease was comparable to the 2023 stage IB-IIB diseases (88.0 % vs 85.8-89.5 %). In the 2023 stage IIIC schema (micrometastasis rates: 29.6 % in IIIC1 and 15.6 % in IIIC2), micrometastasis and macrometastasis had the distinct 3-year OS rates in both pelvic (IIIC1-i vs IIIC1-ii, 84.9 % vs 71.1 %; rate-difference 13.8 %) and para-aortic (IIIC2-i vs IIIC2-ii, 82.9 % vs 65.2 %; rate-difference 17.7 %) nodal metastasis cases. The 5-year OS rate of the 2009 stage IVB disease was 23.4 %; this was segregated to 25.4 % for stage IVB and 19.2 % for stage IVC in the 2023 staging schema (rate-difference, 6.2 %).

CONCLUSION

The 2023 FIGO endometrial cancer staging schema is a major revision from the 2009 FIGO schema. Almost doubled enriched sub-stages based on detailed anatomical metastatic site and incorporation of histological information enable more robust prognostication.

Synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer and its recurrent risk factors: Case series

BACKGROUND

Synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer (SEOC) is a relatively rare entity with indistinct clinical manifestation but have a better prognosis compared to metastatic malignancy of each organ. The aim of the study is to determine the prognosis and factors associated with recurrence of SEOC.

METHODS

This case-series study was performed on 37 histologically confirmed SEOC, diagnosed and treated in our tertiary hospital from March 2009 to September 2021. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates following indicated procedure were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to determine risk factors of recurrence.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 49.38 (age range: 26-78). The most common complaints and symptoms were abdominal pain (40.5%), followed by abnormal uterine bleeding (29.7%). Most common histological presentation was endometroid type for both ovarian (46%) and endometrial (97.3%) cancers. Over the mean follow-up period of 85.54 months, 11 patients developed recurrence without mortality. Non-endometrioid histology of ovarian cancer, higher grade and stage of ovarian cancer, and omentum invasion were significantly associated with worse DFS in unvariate analysis. Lymphovascular invasion was the sole predictor of DFS in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

While this study was not able to investigate the risk factors of overall survival associated with SEOC, the results of this study provides an overview of clinicopathological presentation of the disease and emphasizes the importance of lymphovascular invasion in determining prognosis and DFS in SEOC.

Metastases to the ovary arising from endometrial, cervical and fallopian tube cancer: recent advances

The introduction of genomic studies has enabled assessment of the clonality of synchronous tumours involving the ovary and other sites in the female genital tract in a definitive way. This has led to the abandonment of conventional approaches to primary site assignment, and the recognition that most such synchronous neoplasms are clonally related single tumours with metastatic spread, rather than independent primary tumours. These discoveries have implications for diagnostic practice, analogous to the gradual change over the last few decades in our approach to mucinous neoplasms of the ovary metastatic from the gastrointestinal tract. In this review, we first examine the routes of metastasis to the ovary, and then discuss the diagnostic and clinical implications of concurrent ovarian carcinomas arising in combination with endometrial, endocervical and tubal carcinomas. It is proposed that cases of primary low-grade endometrioid endometrial carcinoma with a secondary unilateral ovarian tumour, both with indolent characteristics, may be classified as 'FIGO stage IIIA-simulating independent primary tumours', with a comment that conservative management would be appropriate. It should be recognised that human papillomavirus-associated endocervical adenocarcinomas may result in synchronous or metachronous ovarian metastases that appear to be unrelated to the primary tumour, and that these may be managed conservatively in the absence of other sites of disease. In cases of tubo-ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma, tubal intraepithelial or contralateral adnexal involvement should count as a pelvic disease site for staging purposes.

Guidelines to Aid in the Distinction of Endometrial and Endocervical Carcinomas, and the Distinction of Independent Primary Carcinomas of the Endometrium and Adnexa From Metastatic Spread Between These and Other Sites

In most cases of suspected endometrial neoplasia tumor origin can be correctly assigned according to a combination of clinical, radiologic, and pathologic features, even when the latter are based upon the examination of relatively small biopsy samples. However there are well-recognized exceptions to this rule which continue to create diagnostic difficulty, and sometimes difficulties persist even after the detailed examination of resection specimens. Among the most common problems encountered in practice are the distinction of primary endometrial and primary endocervical adenocarcinomas, and the determination of tumor origin when there is synchronous, multifocal involvement of gynecologic tract sites, for example the endometrium and the ovary. However, accurate diagnosis in these cases is important because this has significant staging, management and prognostic implications. In this review we discuss the value and limitations of key morphologic, immunophenotypic and molecular findings in these diagnostic scenarios.

Potential for Mitochondrial DNA Sequencing in the Differential Diagnosis of Gynaecological Malignancies

In the event of multiple synchronous gynecological lesions, a fundamental piece of information to determine patient management, prognosis, and therapeutic regimen choice is whether the simultaneous malignancies arise independently or as a result of metastatic dissemination. An example of synchronous primary tumors of the female genital tract most frequently described are ovarian and endometrial cancers. Surgical findings and histopathological examination aimed at resolving this conundrum may be aided by molecular analyses, although they are too often inconclusive. High mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variability and its propensity to accumulate mutations has been proposed by our group as a tool to define clonality. We showed mtDNA sequencing to be informative in synchronous primary ovarian and endometrial cancer, detecting tumor-specific mutations in both lesions, ruling out independence of the two neoplasms, and indicating clonality. Furthermore, we tested this method in another frequent simultaneously detected gynecological lesion type, borderline ovarian cancer and their peritoneal implants, which may be monoclonal extra-ovarian metastases or polyclonal independent masses. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the potential use of mtDNA sequencing in distinguishing independent and metastatic lesions in gynecological cancers, and to compare the efficiency of molecular analyses currently in use with this novel method.

Trends and outcomes of women with synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer

This retrospective observational study examined trends, characteristics, and survival of women with synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer (SEOC) in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program between 1973 and 2013. Among 235,454 women with primary endometrial cancer, synchronous ovarian cancer was seen in 4,082 (1.7%) women with the proportion being decreased from 2.0% to 1.6% between 1983 and 2013 (P=0.049); and the proportion of concurrent endometrioid tumors in the two cancer sites has increased from 24.2% to 49.9% among SEOC women (P<0.001). When compared to endometrial cancer without synchronous ovarian cancer, endometrioid histology in the two cancer sites was associated with improved cause-specific survival while non-endometrioid histology in the ovarian cancer was associated with decreased cause-specific survival (adjusted-P<0.01). Among 110,063 women with primary epithelial ovarian cancer, synchronous endometrial cancer was seen in 3,940 (3.6%) women with the proportion being increased from 2.2% to 4.4% between 1973 and 2013 (P<0.001); and the proportion of concurrent endometrioid tumors in the two cancer sites had increased from 24.3% to 50.2% among SEOC women (P<0.001). When compared to primary epithelial ovarian cancer without synchronous endometrial cancer, SEOC was associated with better cause-specific survival if ovarian cancer is endometrioid type or if endometrial cancer is endometrioid type (adjusted-P<0.001). Across the two cohorts, the proportion of SEOC reached to the peak in the late-40 years of age and then decreased significantly (P<0.001). In conclusion, our study suggests that synchronous ovarian cancer has decreased among endometrial cancer whereas synchronous endometrial cancer has increased among epithelial ovarian cancer.

Pathologic Staging of Endometrial Carcinomas: Selected Areas of Difficulty

Accurate staging of cancers is an important determinant of prognosis and guides optimal patient treatment. Although the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting recommends that endometrial cancers (including carcinosarcomas) are pathologically staged using the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 system, in many areas TNM [American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) or Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)] staging is used or even mandated; these latter systems are based on FIGO 2009. In this review, areas of difficulty in the pathologic staging of endometrial carcinomas are covered with practical advice for the reporting pathologist. These include issues regarding the assessment of the depth of myometrial involvement (which may be rendered difficult due to a variety of factors), tumor involvement of adenomyosis, and assessment of cervical and uterine serosal involvement. Although not included in the FIGO staging system, the issue of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) is covered as this is of prognostic importance and there are multiple problems in the pathologic assessment of this. One important point is that tumors should not be upstaged based on the presence of LVSI alone without tissue involvement; for example, the presence of LVSI in the outer half of the myometrium or in cervical or adnexal vessels in a carcinoma with myoinvasion confined to the inner half of the myometrium is still FIGO stage IA. The issue of simultaneously occurring tumors of the endometrium and adnexa is also covered with advice on how to distinguish between synchronous independent and metastatic neoplasms of both endometrioid and nonendometrioid types. Recent molecular evidence showing that simultaneously occurring endometrioid carcinomas of the endometrium and ovary are clonal and thus probably represent metastatic disease from the endometrium to the ovary rather than synchronous independent neoplasms, as is widely assumed, is discussed.

Prognosis of women with stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer and synchronous stage I endometrioid ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

Synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer with endometrioid histology at two cancer sites typically presents with early-stage disease and is thought to have a good prognosis. We examined the survival of women with early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer who had synchronous early-stage endometrioid ovarian cancer.

METHODS

This is a retrospective case-control study examining the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result Program between 1973 and 2013. Survival of women with stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer with stage I endometrioid ovarian cancer (n=839) were compared to women with stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer without synchronous ovarian cancer (n=123,692) after propensity score matching.

RESULTS

Women with synchronous stage I endometrioid ovarian cancer were more likely to be diagnosed recently, be younger, have stage IA disease, grade 1 tumors, to have undergone lymphadenectomy, and were less likely to receive radiotherapy compared to those without synchronous ovarian cancer (all, P<0.001). In a propensity score matched model, the presence of synchronous ovarian cancer was not associated with endometrial cancer-specific survival (10-year rates 96.0% versus 95.3%, P=0.97) or overall survival (85.6% versus 87.2%, P=0.10). Among tumors with concordant grades at the two cancer sites, survival was similar regardless of presence of synchronous ovarian tumors (grade 1 tumors, 10-year rate for overall survival, 88.2% versus 89.1%, P=0.40; and grade 2 tumors, 84.0% versus 85.8%, P=0.78).

CONCLUSION

Women with stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer with synchronous stage I endometrioid ovarian cancer have a survival outcome similar to those with stage I endometrioid endometrial cancer without synchronous ovarian cancer.

Clonality, Heterogeneity, and Evolution of Synchronous Bilateral Ovarian Cancer

Synchronous bilateral ovarian cancer (SBOC) represents a relatively frequent occurrence and clinically relevant diagnostic dilemma. Delineation of its clonal architecture, genetic heterogeneity, and evolutionary trajectories may have important implications for prognosis and management of patients with SBOC. Here, we describe the results of next-generation whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing of specimens from 12 SBOC cases and report that bilateral tumors from each individual display a comparable number of genomic abnormalities and similar mutational signatures of single-nucleotide variations. Clonality indices based on tumor-specific alterations supported monoclonal origins of SBOC. Each of the ovarian lesions was nevertheless oligoclonal, with inferred metastatic tumors harboring more subclones than their primary counterparts. The phylogenetic structure of SBOC indicated that most cancer cell dissemination occurred early, when the primary carcinoma was still relatively small (<100 million cells). Accordingly, the mutation spectra and mutational signatures of somatic variants exhibited pronounced spatiotemporal differences in each patient. Overall, these findings suggest that SBOCs are clonally related and form through pelvic spread rather than independent multifocal oncogenesis. Metastatic dissemination is often an early event, with dynamic mutational processes leading to divergent evolution and intratumor and intertumor heterogeneity, ultimately contributing substantially to phenotypic plasticity and diverse clinical course in SBOC. Cancer Res; 77(23); 6551-61. ©2017 AACR.

Making a Difference: Distinguishing Two Primaries From Metastasis in Synchronous Tumors of the Ovary and Uterus

For women with early-stage ovarian or endometrial cancers, prognosis is very good, with overall survival for both sites between 80% and 90%. This stands in stark contrast to metastatic disease (advanced stage), where the overall survival is less than 15%. We have long recognized that subtypes of disease also inform these statistics, with high-grade serous carcinomas conferring a far worse prognosis compared with others, including low-grade serous or endometrioid tumors. Yet even with our present understanding, a not uncommon finding is the diagnosis of women with carcinoma at both the ovary and the uterus (a situation that occurs in up to 10% of patients), raising the question of synchronous primaries or of metastatic disease. The implications of these clinical scenarios are very relevant: If a conclusion of synchronous primaries is made, then prognosis should be excellent and hence no further treatment beyond surgery is required for cure. However, the finding of metastatic disease (from the ovary to the uterus or vice versa) will substantially change the prognostic implications, with these patients having a higher risk of recurrence and death from metastatic disease. In addition, this differential diagnosis can change therapeutic recommendations, with metastatic disease requiring more aggressive adjuvant therapy. Thus, the issue is both a biologic and clinical one.

A rare case of synchronous right ovarian clear cell carcinoma and an incidental left ovarian endometrioid carcinoma with immunohistochemical study

Bilateral primary synchronous ovarian neoplasms are rarely encountered in clinical practice. Both ovaries harboring neoplasms is predominantly appreciated as, metastasis from a distant primary or secondary from an advanced primary ovarian neoplasm. However in both the above instances, the histomorphological evaluation is of paramount importance. We encountered an incidental left ovarian, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade 2, endometrioid carcinoma in a patient presenting with a right ovarian mass immunohistopathologically proven to be clear cell carcinoma. The documentation of such rare occurrence is of utmost importance for better understanding of histogenesis of ovarian cancers, which may impact management strategies.

Metastatic Neoplasms Involving the Ovary

In this review, ovarian metastatic carcinomas from various sites, as well as other neoplasms secondarily involving the ovary, are discussed. As well as describing the morphology, the value of immunohistochemistry in distinguishing between primary and metastatic neoplasms in the ovary is discussed. While immunohistochemistry has a valuable role to play and is paramount in some cases, the results should be interpreted with caution and with regard to the clinical picture and gross and microscopic pathologic findings.

Atypical Endometrial Hyperplasia and Well Differentiated Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma of the Uterine Corpus

The distinction between atypical endometrial hyperplasia and well differentiated adenocarcinoma of the endometrium is one of the more difficult differential diagnoses in gynecologic pathology. Different pathologists apply different histologic criteria, often with different individual thresholds for atypical endometrial hyperplasia and grade 1 adenocarcinoma. While some classifications are based on a series of molecular genetic alterations (which may or may not translate into biologically or clinically relevant risk lesions), almost all current diagnostic criteria use a series of histologic features - usually a combination of architecture and cytology - for diagnosing atypical hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma. This article presents evidence-based histologic criteria for atypical endometrial hyperplasia and low grade endometrial carcinoma (both FIGO grade 1 and 2) with emphasis on common and not so common histologic mimics. Grade 3 endometrioid carcinoma is discussed in the Oliva and Soslow article in this publication.

Separate and combined analysis of successive dependent outcomes after breast-conservation surgery: recurrence, metastases, second cancer and death

BACKGROUND

In the setting of recurrent events, research studies commonly count only the first occurrence of an outcome in a subject. However this approach does not correctly reflect the natural history of the disease. The objective is to jointly identify prognostic factors associated with locoregional recurrences (LRR), contralateral breast cancer, distant metastases (DM), other primary cancer than breast and breast cancer death and to evaluate the correlation between these events.

METHODS

Patients (n = 919) with a primary invasive breast cancer and treated in a cancer center in South-Western France with breast-conserving surgery from 1990 to 1994 and followed up to January 2006 were included. Several types of non-independent events could be observed for the same patient: a LRR, a contralateral breast cancer, DM, other primary cancer than breast and breast cancer death. Data were analyzed separately and together using a random-effects survival model.

RESULTS

LRR represent the most frequent type of first failure (14.6%). The risk of any event is higher for young women (less than 40 years old) and in the first 10 years of follow-up after the surgery. In the combined analysis histological tumor size, grade, number of positive nodes, progesterone receptor status and treatment combination are prognostic factors of any event. The results show a significant dependence between these events with a successively increasing risk of a new event after the first and second event. The risk of developing a new failure is greatly increased (RR = 4.25; 95%CI: 2.51-7.21) after developing a LRR, but also after developing DM (RR = 3.94; 95%CI: 2.23-6.96) as compared to patients who did not develop a first event.

CONCLUSION

We illustrated that the random effects survival model is a more satisfactory method to evaluate the natural history of a disease with multiple type of events.

Comparative mutational profiling in the assessment of lung lesions: should it be the standard of care?

BACKGROUND

Discerning primary versus metastatic lung lesions is problematic. Comparative mutational profiling (CMP) involves genetic and point mutation analysis of lesions to facilitate this. We sought to review our experience in cases of two lung lesions or head and neck cancer and lung lesions to determine whether a significantly clinical problem existed, what standard processes were in place to address it, and whether a new diagnostic standard was required.

METHODS

Between January 1, 2007, and October 31, 2008, CMP was used in 24 cases of two lung lesions or a head and neck cancer and lung lesion. Routine hematoxylin and eosin stain examination and immunohistochemistry were performed as appropriate. The CMP involved DNA sequencing for specific oncogene point mutations and a panel of allelic imbalance markers. Metastatic cancer required demonstration of concordant mutations affecting the same allele copy in different cancer deposits.

RESULTS

The patient mean age was 62 years; there were 13 men and 11 women. The cases involved two lung lesions (n = 13) or a head and neck cancer and a lung lesion (n = 11). Standard pathology examination was unable to discriminate the lesions, and they were subsequently differentiated by CMP. Fifteen discordant CMP results were interpreted as independent primaries; 9 cases were concordant, consistent with metastatic disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Discerning primary versus metastatic disease when dealing with lung lesions is a clinically significant problem. Comparative mutational profiling was found to be useful and reliable to assess the relatedness of multiple cancer lesions when routine pathology assessment was unable to.

The clonal evolution of metastases from primary serous epithelial ovarian cancers

Several models of evolution from primary cancers to metastases have been proposed; but the most widely accepted is the clonal evolution model proposed for colorectal cancer in which tumors develop by a process of linear clonal evolution driven by the accumulation of somatic genetic alterations. Various other models of cancer progression and metastasis have been proposed, including parallel evolution and the same gene model. The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of metastases from primary cancer in 22 patients diagnosed with high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer. We established somatic genetic profiles based on the pattern of loss of heterozygosity, in several different regions of tumor tissue within the primary tumor and metastatic deposits from each case. Maximum parsimony tree analysis was used to examine the evolutionary relationship between the primary and metastatic samples for each patient. In addition, we investigated the extent of genetic heterogeneity within and between metastatic tumors compared with primary ovarian tumors. Our data suggest that most, if not all, metastases are clonally related to the primary tumors. However, the data oppose a single model of linear-clonal evolution whereby a late stage clone within the primary tumor acquires additional genetic changes that enable metastatic progression. Instead, the data support a model in which primary ovarian cancers have a common clonal origin, but become polyclonal, with different clones at both early and late stages of genetic divergence acquiring the ability to progress to metastasis.

Predicting Clinical Outcome in Patients Diagnosed with Synchronous Ovarian and Endometrial Cancer

Purpose: Patients with synchronous ovarian and endometrial cancers may represent cases of a single primary tumor with metastasis (SPM) or dual primary tumors (DP). The diagnosis given will influence the patient's treatment and prognosis. Currently, a diagnosis of SPM or DP is made using histologic criteria, which are frequently unable to make a definitive diagnosis.

Experimental Design: In this study, we used genetic profiling to make a genetic diagnosis of SPM or DP in 90 patients with synchronous ovarian/endometrial cancers. We compared genetic diagnoses in these patients with the original histologic diagnoses and evaluated the clinical outcome in this series of patients based on their diagnoses.

Results: Combining genetic and histologic approaches, we were able make a diagnosis in 88 of 90 cases, whereas histology alone was able to make a diagnosis in only 64 cases. Patients diagnosed with SPM had a significantly worse survival than patients with DP (P = 0.002). Patients in which both tumors were of endometrioid histology survived longer than patients of other histologic subtypes (P = 0.025), and patients diagnosed with SPM had a worse survival if the mode of spread was from ovary to endometrium rather than from endometrium to ovary (P = 0.019).

Conclusions: Genetic analysis may represent a powerful tool for use in clinical practice for distinguishing between SPM and DP in patients with synchronous ovarian/endometrial cancer and predicting disease outcome. The data also suggest a hitherto uncharacterized level of heterogeneity in these cases, which, if accurately defined, could lead to improved treatment and survival.

Two sites of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: utility of loss of heterozygosity

OBJECTIVES

The prevalence of distant metastasis and second primary tumors is increasing with improved locoregional control in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Traditionally, clinicopathologic evidence has been the gold standard used to distinguish distant metastasis from second primary tumors. We report a case in which loss of heterozygosity testing was used to clarify the clonal relationship between the 2 sites of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODS

A patient with squamous cell carcinoma in the larynx and mandible underwent loss of heterozygosity testing.

RESULTS

The loss of heterozygosity testing confirmed that the mandibular cancer was a metastatic presentation of the laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that loss of heterozygosity testing can be useful in differentiating distant metastasis from second primary cancers in patients with 2 sites of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, consequently providing important prognostic and staging information.

Synchronous early-stage endometrial and ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To explore the clinicopathologic findings and oncological outcome of early-stage synchronous endometrial and ovarian malignancies.

METHODS

A retrospective study of 93 women with synchronous stage I ovarian and stage I-II endometrial cancer treated between December 1981 and August 2005 in the gynecologic oncology department of San Gerardo Hospital, Italy.

RESULTS

Fifty-one percent of the ovarian tumors were stage Ia and 71% of the endometrial cancers had minimal myometrial invasion. Endometrioid histology and grade 2 disease were prevalent in both sites. Hyperplasia and endometriosis coexisted in 71% and 22% of endometrial and ovarian cancers, respectively. The actuarial 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 83% and 96%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer is not negligible, especially among young women. Synchronous cancers show very favorable pathologic features and have an excellent oncologic outcome. Adjuvant therapy should be tailored according to surgical staging and histology.

Molecular Genetic Evidence of an Independent Origin of Serous Low Malignant Potential Implants and Lymph Node Inclusions

Patients with ovarian serous tumors of low malignant potential (LMP) are commonly found to have peritoneal implants. Less commonly, similar lesions are seen in lymph nodes, sometimes in association with endosalpingiosis. We compared these lesions to the coexisting ovarian LMP tumors to determine whether they are clonally related to the ovarian neoplasm. Seventeen patients with serous LMP tumors present at 2 or more sites were identified. Tissue samples were microdissected from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. Samples of normal tissue, the ovarian LMP tumors, peritoneal LMP implants, and LMP inclusions within lymph nodes were obtained. Genomic DNA was extracted from the samples, and polymerase chain reaction and X-chromosome inactivation (human androgen receptor assay) analysis were performed. The pattern of X-chromosome inactivation could be determined in 15 of the 17 cases, and nonrandom X-chromosome inactivation was observed in 13 of these cases. Twelve of these cases included both ovarian and extraovarian LMP tumors. In 9 of these 12 cases, the extraovarian LMP tumor shared a similar pattern of nonrandom X-chromosome inactivation with the ovarian tumor. In these cases, the shared inactivation pattern was seen at 1 extraovarian site (3 cases), 2 extraovarian sites (4 cases), 5 extraovarian sites (1 case), and 7 of 8 extraovarian sites (1 case). In the remaining 3 cases, opposite patterns of nonrandom X-chromosome inactivation were seen. These data suggest that, in most cases, serous LMP tumor implants and lymph node inclusions share a common clonal origin with the associated ovarian tumors. However, in at least some cases, the implants and inclusions seem to arise independently from the associated ovarian serous LMP tumors.

Statistical tests for clonality

Cancer investigators frequently conduct studies to examine tumor samples from pairs of apparently independent primary tumors with a view to determine whether they share a "clonal" origin. The genetic fingerprints of the tumors are compared using a panel of markers, often representing loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at distinct genetic loci. In this article we evaluate candidate significance tests for this purpose. The relevant information is derived from the observed correlation of the tumors with respect to the occurrence of LOH at individual loci, a phenomenon that can be evaluated using Fisher's exact test. Information is also available from the extent to which losses at the same locus occur on the same parental allele. Data from these combined sources of information can be evaluated using a simple adaptation of Fisher's exact test. The test statistic is the total number of loci at which concordant mutations occur on the same parental allele, with higher values providing more evidence in favor of a clonal origin for the two tumors. The test is shown to have high power for detecting clonality for plausible models of the alternative (clonal) hypothesis, and for reasonable numbers of informative loci, preferably located on distinct chromosomal arms. The method is illustrated using studies to identify clonality in contralateral breast cancer. Interpretation of the results of these tests requires caution due to simplifying assumptions regarding the possible variability in mutation probabilities between loci, and possible imbalances in the mutation probabilities between parental alleles. Nonetheless, we conclude that the method represents a simple, powerful strategy for distinguishing independent tumors from those of clonal origin.

Genetic intra-tumour heterogeneity in epithelial ovarian cancer and its implications for molecular diagnosis of tumours

Genetic analysis of solid tumours using DNA or cDNA expression microarrays may enable individualized treatment based on the profiles of genetic changes that are identified from each patient. This could result in better response to adjuvant chemotherapy and, consequently, improved clinical outcome. So far, most research studies that have tested the efficacy of such an approach have sampled only single areas of neoplastic tissue from tumours; this assumes that the genetic profile within solid tumours is homogeneous throughout. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of genetic intra-tumour heterogeneity (ITH) within a series of epithelial ovarian cancers. Several different regions (five to eight regions) of tumour tissue from 16 grade 3, serous epithelial ovarian cancers were analysed for genetic alterations using a combination of microsatellite analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, in order to establish the extent of ITH. Maximum parsimony tree analysis was applied to the genetic data from each tumour to evaluate the clonal relationship between different regions within tumours. Extensive ITH was identified within all ovarian cancers using both microsatellite and SNP analysis. Evolutionary analysis of microsatellite data suggested that the origin of all tumours was monoclonal, but that subsequent clonal divergence created mixed populations of genetically distinct cells within the tumour. SNP analysis suggested that ITH was not restricted to random genetic changes, but affected genes that have an important functional role in ovarian cancer development. The frequent occurrence of ITH within epithelial ovarian cancers may have implications for the interpretation of genetic data generated from emerging technologies such as DNA and mRNA expression microarrays, and their use in the clinical management of patients with ovarian cancer. The basis of genetic ITH and the possible implications for molecular approaches to clinical diagnosis of ovarian cancers may apply to other tumour types.

The emergence of a unique population in non-small cell lung cancer: systemic or loco-regional relapse following postoperative adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy

Surgical resection remains the foundation of curative therapy in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Recent evidence from several randomized trials has shown that adjuvant chemotherapy regimens of platinum-based agents plus third-generation cytotoxic agents improve survival rates in this population of patients. Despite the use of adjuvant chemotherapy, many patients will suffer a relapse, typically systemic, and be candidates for subsequent therapies. This represents a new population of patients with NSCLC. To date, there are no published trials that evaluate prognostic factors or therapeutic outcomes in these patients. Although therapeutic paradigms have been established in patients who present with de novo metastatic NSCLC, it is not clear whether these paradigms are successful for patients who relapse following platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy. The influence of time from the previous adjuvant exposure is likely to be as important as it seems to be in other solid tumors. However, dedicated clinical research has not yet established this paradigm in NSCLC and the influence this should have on the choice of subsequent therapy is unknown. The nature of the prior adjuvant exposure may also play a role in the choice of subsequent therapy. This has implications for the design of future trials in advanced NSCLC as these patients may or may not have the same natural history as the de novo metastatic NSCLC patient. Future clinical trials are required to address these issues as well as the biologic heterogeneity that likely exists between patients who are seemingly cured by surgery, relapse early (<1 year), or at later times following adjuvant therapy.

Coexisting ovarian malignancy in young women with endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

In premenopausal women with endometrial cancer, ovarian preservation may be a consideration. Our objective was to examine the occurrence of coexisting ovarian malignancy and to identify predictors of adnexal involvement.

METHODS

With institutional review board approval, a retrospective chart review was conducted of young women with endometrial cancer identified at 4 affiliated institutions from 1996 to 2004.

RESULTS

Among 102 young women (aged 24-45 years) who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial cancer, 26 (25%) were found to have coexisting epithelial ovarian tumors: 23 were classified as synchronous primaries, and 3 as metastases. Ovarian cancer histology was endometrioid in 92% of cases. Among the 26 cases of coexisting ovarian involvement, 12 (46%) had grade 1 endometrial cancer on preoperative biopsy, 4 (15%) had normal preoperative imaging of the adnexa, and 4 (15%) had benign-appearing ovaries at the time of intraoperative assessment. On final pathology, 18 of 26 cases (69%) occurred in patients with grade 1 endometrial cancers, and 15 (58%) occurred with inner myometrial invasion. Our study further highlights the risk of conservative management with 1 case of ovarian cancer diagnosed 9 months after hysterectomy with ovarian conservation for a stage IA, grade 1 endometrial cancer and a case of advanced endometrial cancer metastatic to the ovaries developing 3 years after successful resolution of a grade 1 endometrial cancer treated with megestrol acetate (Megace).

CONCLUSION

Careful preoperative and intraoperative assessment of the adnexa is mandatory in young women with endometrial cancer. Those who desire ovarian preservation should be counseled regarding the high rate of coexisting ovarian malignancy.

Metastatic neoplasms involving the ovary: a review with an emphasis on morphological and immunohistochemical features

The ovary is a common site of metastatic tumour. In many cases of ovarian metastasis there is a known history of malignancy but in other cases the ovarian tumour is the first manifestation of disease. In this review metastatic colorectal, appendiceal, gastric, breast, pancreatic and biliary tract, hepatocellular, renal, transitional and cervical carcinomas and metastatic malignant melanoma involving the ovary are discussed, as is the issue of synchronous ovarian and endometrial carcinomas. Peritoneal tumours, including primary peritoneal carcinoma, mesothelioma and intra-abdominal desmoplastic small round cell tumour, involving the ovary are also discussed, together with a variety of other rare, metastatic ovarian neoplasms. Many metastatic adenocarcinomas involving the ovary, especially those exhibiting mucinous differentiation, closely mimic primary ovarian adenocarcinomas with morphologically bland areas simulating benign and borderline cystadenoma. This is referred to as a maturation phenomenon. In recent years immunohistochemistry, especially but not exclusively differential cytokeratin (CK7 and CK20) staining, has been widely used as an aid to distinguish between a primary and secondary ovarian adenocarcinoma. While immunohistochemistry undoubtedly has a valuable role to play and is paramount in diagnosis in some cases, the results must be interepreted with caution, especially in mucinous tumours, and within the relevant clinical context. We feel the significance of differential cytokeratin staining is not always understood by histopathologists and this can result in erroneous interpretation. We critically discuss the value of immunohistochemistry and associated pitfalls with each tumour type described.

Endometrial cancer

Each year, endometrial cancer develops in about 142,000 women worldwide, and an estimated 42,000 women die from this cancer. The typical age-incidence curve for endometrial cancer shows that most cases are diagnosed after the menopause, with the highest incidence around the seventh decade of life. The appearance of symptoms early in the course explains why most women with endometrial cancer have early-stage disease at presentation. For all stages taken together, the overall 5-year survival is around 80%. There is a substantial prognostic difference between the histological types of endometrial cancers. The most common lesions (type 1) are typically hormone sensitive and low stage and have an excellent prognosis, whereas tumours of type 2 are high grade with a tendency to recur, even in early stage. The cornerstone of treatment for endometrial cancer is surgery, which not only is important for staging purposes but also enables appropriate tailoring of adjuvant treatment modalities that benefit high-risk patients only. We review current concepts about epidemiology, pathology, pathogenesis, risk factors and prevention, diagnosis, staging, prognostic factors, treatment, and follow-up of endometrial cancer.