Pathologic Staging of Endometrial Carcinomas: Selected Areas of Difficulty

DSFF-GAN: A novel stain transfer network for generating immunohistochemical image of endometrial cancer

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a commonly used histological examination technique. Compared to Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining, it enables the examination of protein expression and localization in tissues, which is valuable for cancer treatment and prognosis assessment, such as the detection and diagnosis of endometrial cancer. However, IHC involves multiple staining steps, is time-consuming and expensive. One potential solution is to utilize deep learning networks to generate corresponding virtual IHC images from H&E images. However, the similarity of the IHC image generated by the existing methods needs to be further improved. In this work, we propose a novel dual-scale feature fusion (DSFF) generative adversarial network named DSFF-GAN, which comprises a cycle structure-color similarity loss, and DSFF block to constrain the model's training process and enhance its stain transfer capability. In addition, our method incorporates labeling information of positive cell regions as prior knowledge into the network to further improve the evaluation metrics. We train and test our model using endometrial cancer and publicly available breast cancer IHC datasets, and compare it with state-of-the-art methods. Compared to previous methods, our model demonstrates significant improvements in most evaluation metrics on both datasets. The research results show that our method further improves the quality of image generation and has potential value for the future clinical application of virtual IHC images.

Number of Positive Lymph Nodes and Survival in Endometrial Carcinoma: A Proposal for a Modified Staging

Purpose

To construct a new clinical staging system including the number of lymph node metastases to supplement the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging for the prognosis of endometrial carcinoma patients.

Methods

This cohort study retrieved the data of 28,824 patients confirmed as endometrial carcinoma between 2010 and 2015 in the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) database. COX risk proportional model was established to evaluate the association between FIGO staging with the all-cause mortality of endometrial carcinoma. The diagnostic value of FIGO staging and the new staging for the mortality of patients were evaluated by receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC). Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were effect size.

Results

The 5-year survival rate of all participants was 77.21%. The median follow-up time was 60.00 (60.00,60.00) months. Patients at FIGO staging IB (HR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.62-1.90), FIGO staging II (HR=2.22, 95% CI: 2.00-2.47), FIGO staging IIIA (HR=2.74, 95% CI: 2.43-3.09), FIGO staging IIIB (HR=4.07, 95% CI: 3.48-4.76), FIGO staging IIIC1 (HR=3.84, 95% CI: 3.52-4.20), FIGO staging IIIC2 (HR=4.52, 95% CI: 4.09-4.99), FIGO staging IVA (HR=5.56, 95% CI: 4.58-6.74), and FIGO staging IVB (HR=7.62, 95% CI: 6.94-8.36) were associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality of endometrial carcinoma patients. After adding positive lymph nodes as another covariate in Model 3, the effect on of FIGO staging survival was reduced when the FIGO staging was higher than stage III/IV. The C-index of the new staging 0.781 (95% CI: 0.774-0.787) was higher than FIGO staging 0.776 (95% CI: 0.770-0.783).

Conclusion

Our new staging using the number of positive lymph nodes supplement to the FIGO staging was superior than the FIGO staging for predicting the prognosis of endometrial cancer patients, which might help more accurately identify endometrial carcinoma patients who were at high risk of mortality and offer timely treatments in these patients.

FIGO staging of endometrial cancer: 2023

INTRODUCTION

Many advances in the understanding of the pathologic and molecular features of endometrial cancer have occurred since the FIGO staging was last updated in 2009. Substantially more outcome and biological behavior data are now available regarding the several histological types. Molecular and genetic findings have accelerated since the publication of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data and provide improved clarity on the diverse biological nature of this collection of endometrial cancers and their differing prognostic outcomes. The goals of the new staging system are to better define these prognostic groups and create substages that indicate more appropriate surgical, radiation, and systemic therapies.

METHODS

The FIGO Women's Cancer Committee appointed a Subcommittee on Endometrial Cancer Staging in October 2021, represented by the authors. Since then, the committee members have met frequently and reviewed new and established evidence on the treatment, prognosis, and survival of endometrial cancer. Based on these data, opportunities for improvements in the categorization and stratification of these factors were identified in each of the four stages. Data and analyses from the molecular and histological classifications performed and published in the recently developed ESGO/ESTRO/ESP guidelines were used as a template for adding the new subclassifications to the proposed molecular and histological staging system.

RESULTS

Based on the existing evidence, the substages were defined as follows: Stage I (IA1): non-aggressive histological type of endometrial carcinoma limited to a polyp or confined to the endometrium; (IA2) non-aggressive histological types of endometrium involving less than 50% of the myometrium with no or focal lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) as defined by WHO criteria; (IA3) low-grade endometrioid carcinomas limited to the uterus with simultaneous low-grade endometrioid ovarian involvement; (IB) non-aggressive histological types involving 50% or more of the myometrium with no LVSI or focal LVSI; (IC) aggressive histological types, i.e. serous, high-grade endometrioid, clear cell, carcinosarcomas, undifferentiated, mixed, and other unusual types without any myometrial invasion. Stage II (IIA): non-aggressive histological types that infiltrate the cervical stroma; (IIB) non-aggressive histological types that have substantial LVSI; or (IIC) aggressive histological types with any myometrial invasion. Stage III (IIIA): differentiating between adnexal versus uterine serosa infiltration; (IIIB) infiltration of vagina/parametria and pelvic peritoneal metastasis; and (IIIC) refinements for lymph node metastasis to pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes, including micrometastasis and macrometastasis. Stage IV (IVA): locally advanced disease infiltrating the bladder or rectal mucosa; (IVB) extrapelvic peritoneal metastasis; and (IVC) distant metastasis. The performance of complete molecular classification (POLEmut, MMRd, NSMP, p53abn) is encouraged in all endometrial cancers. If the molecular subtype is known, this is recorded in the FIGO stage by the addition of "m" for molecular classification, and a subscript indicating the specific molecular subtype. When molecular classification reveals p53abn or POLEmut status in Stages I and II, this results in upstaging or downstaging of the disease (IICmp53abn or IAmPOLEmut).

SUMMARY

The updated 2023 staging of endometrial cancer includes the various histological types, tumor patterns, and molecular classification to better reflect the improved understanding of the complex nature of the several types of endometrial carcinoma and their underlying biologic behavior. The changes incorporated in the 2023 staging system should provide a more evidence-based context for treatment recommendations and for the more refined future collection of outcome and survival data.

FIGO staging of endometrial cancer: 2023

INTRODUCTION

Many advances in the understanding of the pathologic and molecular features of endometrial cancer have occurred since the FIGO staging was last updated in 2009. Substantially more outcome and biological behavior data are now available regarding the several histological types. Molecular and genetic findings have accelerated since the publication of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data and provide improved clarity on the diverse biological nature of this collection of endometrial cancers and their differing prognostic outcomes. The goals of the new staging system are to better define these prognostic groups and create substages that indicate more appropriate surgical, radiation, and systemic therapies.

METHODS

The FIGO Women's Cancer Committee appointed a Subcommittee on Endometrial Cancer Staging in October 2021, represented by the authors. Since then, the committee members have met frequently and reviewed new and established evidence on the treatment, prognosis, and survival of endometrial cancer. Based on these data, opportunities for improvements in the categorization and stratification of these factors were identified in each of the four stages. Data and analyses from the molecular and histological classifications performed and published in the recently developed ESGO/ESTRO/ESP guidelines were used as a template for adding the new subclassifications to the proposed molecular and histological staging system.

RESULTS

Based on the existing evidence, the substages were defined as follows: Stage I (IA1): non-aggressive histological type of endometrial carcinoma limited to a polyp or confined to the endometrium; (IA2) non-aggressive histological types of endometrium involving less than 50% of the myometrium with no or focal lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) as defined by WHO criteria; (IA3) low-grade endometrioid carcinomas limited to the uterus with simultaneous low-grade endometrioid ovarian involvement; (IB) non-aggressive histological types involving 50% or more of the myometrium with no LVSI or focal LVSI; (IC) aggressive histological types, i.e. serous, high-grade endometrioid, clear cell, carcinosarcomas, undifferentiated, mixed, and other unusual types without any myometrial invasion. Stage II (IIA): non-aggressive histological types that infiltrate the cervical stroma; (IIB) non-aggressive histological types that have substantial LVSI; or (IIC) aggressive histological types with any myometrial invasion. Stage III (IIIA): differentiating between adnexal versus uterine serosa infiltration; (IIIB) infiltration of vagina/parametria and pelvic peritoneal metastasis; and (IIIC) refinements for lymph node metastasis to pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes, including micrometastasis and macrometastasis. Stage IV (IVA): locally advanced disease infiltrating the bladder or rectal mucosa; (IVB) extrapelvic peritoneal metastasis; and (IVC) distant metastasis. The performance of complete molecular classification (POLEmut, MMRd, NSMP, p53abn) is encouraged in all endometrial cancers. If the molecular subtype is known, this is recorded in the FIGO stage by the addition of "m" for molecular classification, and a subscript indicating the specific molecular subtype. When molecular classification reveals p53abn or POLEmut status in Stages I and II, this results in upstaging or downstaging of the disease (IICmp53abn or IAmPOLEmut ).

SUMMARY

The updated 2023 staging of endometrial cancer includes the various histological types, tumor patterns, and molecular classification to better reflect the improved understanding of the complex nature of the several types of endometrial carcinoma and their underlying biologic behavior. The changes incorporated in the 2023 staging system should provide a more evidence-based context for treatment recommendations and for the more refined future collection of outcome and survival data.

Adenomyosis and Its Possible Malignancy: A Review of the Literature

Cancer arising from adenomyosis is very rare, with transformation occurring in only 1% of cases and in older individuals. Adenomyosis, endometriosis and cancers may share a common pathogenic mechanism that includes hormonal factors, genetic predisposition, growth factors, inflammation, immune system dysregulation, environmental factors and oxidative stress. Endometriosis and adenomyosis both exhibit malignant behaviour. The most common risk factor for malignant transformation is prolonged exposure to oestrogens. The golden standard for diagnosis is histopathology. Colman and Rosenthal emphasised the most important characteristics in adenomyosis-associated cancer. Kumar and Anderson emphasised the importance of demonstrating a transition between benign and malignant endometrial glands in cancer arising from adenomyosis. As it is very rare, it is difficult to standardize treatment. In this manuscript, we try to emphasize some aspects regarding the management strategy, as well as how heterogenous the studies from the literature are in terms of prognosis in both cancers that develop from adenomyosis or those that are only associated with adenomyosis. The pathogenic mechanisms of transformation remain unclear. As these types of cancer are so rare, there is no standardised treatment. A novel target in the diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological malignancies associated with adenomyosis is also being studied for the development of new therapeutic concepts.

Data Set for the Reporting of Endometrial Cancer: Recommendations From the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR)

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common cancers among women. The International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) developed a standardized endometrial cancer data set in 2011, which provided detailed recommendations for the reporting of resection specimens of these neoplasms. A new data set has been developed, which incorporates the updated 2020 World Health Organization Classification of Female Genital Tumors, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) molecular classification of endometrial cancers, and other major advances in endometrial cancer reporting, all of which necessitated a major revision of the data set. This updated data set has been produced by a panel of expert pathologists and an expert clinician and has been subject to international open consultation. The data set includes core elements which are unanimously agreed upon as essential for cancer diagnosis, clinical management, staging, or prognosis and noncore elements which are clinically important, but not essential. Explanatory notes are provided for each element. Adoption of this updated data set will result in improvements in endometrial cancer patient care.

Associations Between Intraluminal Tumor Cell Involvement in Serially Examined Fallopian Tubes and Endometrial Carcinoma Characteristics and Outcomes

Approximately 12% of routinely examined fallopian tubes of endometrial carcinoma (EC) cases have intraluminal tumor cells (ILTCs). ILTC associations with EC characteristics and outcomes are understudied, and unknown in serially examined and embedded tubal fimbriae. Glass slides of serially examined and embedded tubal fimbriae for 371 EC cases were independently reviewed by 2 pathologists who recorded ILTC presence and characterized them as mucosal if involved and floating if not. Disagreements were reviewed by a third pathologist, and agreement between any 2 determined final ILTC status. Clinico-pathologic associations and ILTC presence were tested for significance ( P <0.05) by univariable analysis, and stage and histotype determinants were included in a multivariable analysis. The Kaplan-Meier estimates and log-rank tests compared overall and EC-specific survival, and Cox proportional regression estimated hazard ratios. ILTCs were present in 56 (15.1%) cases: 30 mucosal and 26 floating. FIGO stage 3/4, lymph-vascular space invasion, deep myometrial invasion, nonendometrioid histotype, and adjunctive chemotherapy were significantly associated with ILTC presence, and only stage was significant in the multivariable analysis. Overall, 61 women died: 30 of whom died of EC. ILTCs were nonsignificantly associated with higher overall and EC-specific mortality and mucosal ILTCs had the highest hazard ratios (1.64 and 1.89, respectively). Serially examined and embedded tubal fimbriae have a higher prevalence of ILTCs than routinely examined tubes, and high FIGO stage is an independent determinant. A prognostic effect was not found, but the higher trending hazard ratios suggest additional study is needed to determine whether ILTCs and in particular mucosal ILTCs adversely affect prognosis.

Radiology-pathology correlation of endometrial carcinoma assessment on magnetic resonance imaging

Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynaecological cancer in developed countries. Most cases are low-volume/low-grade tumour at presentation; however, high-grade subtypes may present with locally advanced disease with higher propensity for spread outside of the pelvis. MRI has a role in local staging of the tumour and helping the clinicians in treatment decision making. This pictorial essay gives examples of endometrial carcinoma at different stages with histological correlation. It also explores the potential limitations and pitfalls of imaging in this context.

Ovarian metastasis risk factors in endometrial carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the incidence of ovarian metastasis in endometrial carcinoma (EC) and analyze its risk factors and provide a theoretical basis for whether retention of the ovary in patients with EC.

METHODS

A systematic search using synonyms of 'ovarian cancer' and 'metastasis' was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane database, Embase, Google Scholar, and WOS database. Meta-analysis was performed on 7 included studies, comprising 4281 clinical-stage I-IV EC patients. Studies were assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) criteria. Odds risks (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using an inverse variance weighted random-effects model.

RESULTS

The ovarian metastasis risk of EC was significantly higher for patients with myometrial invasion >1/2 (OR = 18.19, 95% CI 5.34 to 61.96 compared to myometrial invasion ≤1/2), any pelvic lymph node invasion (PLNI) (OR = 5.41, 95% CI 2.60-10.97 compared to without PLNI), G3 pathological grade (OR = 2.66, 95%CI 1.35-5.24 compared to G1-G2), non-endometrioid pathological type (OR = 6.46, 95% CI 3.25 to 12.83 compared to endometrioid), lymphatic vascular space invasion (LVSI) (OR = 6.46, 95% CI 3.25 to 12.83 compare to without LVSI), age >45 (OR = 2.01, 95% CI 0.29 to 14.11 compared to age ≤45), and cervical invasion (OR = 4.12, 95% CI 1.87 to 9.08 compared to without cervical invasion).

CONCLUSION

About 4.95% of EC patients develop ovarian metastasis. Age >45, myometrial invasion >1/2, cervical invasion, PLNI, pathological type, G3 pathological grade, and LVSI were the high-risk factors for ovarian metastasis of EC. Ovarian preservation should be carefully selected for patients with EC, and preoperative and intraoperative evaluations should be entirely performed.

Patterns of Myometrial Invasion in Endometrial Adenocarcinoma with Emphasizing on Microcystic, Elongated and Fragmented (MELF) Glands Pattern: A Narrative Review of the Literature

Endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma (EEC) is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract. According to the 2009 FIGO staging system, the depth of myometrial invasion (MI), and tumor spread to adjacent organs or tissues are the staging criteria for endometrial carcinoma (EC). Therefore, assessment of the depth of MI is of great importance. There is a spectrum of morphological patterns of MI. Still, their number and features vary according to the scientific literature, with a certain overlap that creates difficulties and controversies in the precise assessment of MI depth. The purpose of this review is to present and discuss the most important and recent information about patterns of MI, focusing on the more aggressive and the elongated and fragmented glands (MELF) pattern in particular. Assessment of MI depth and correct staging of EC is possible only after the precise recognition of each MI pattern.

[Endometriosis and adenomyosis]

Diffuse adenomyosis, focal adenomyosis, ovarian endometrioma, superficial endometriosis and deep infiltrating adenomyosis are all defined by the presence of an endometrioid tissue in an ectopic location that is at distance from the endometrium. Although frequently associated, these lesions represent different clinico-pathological entities that the pathologist should recognized. Herein, we review the clinical and pathological features of these entities, as well as related current physiopathological understandings and differential diagnoses that could be raised by some morphological variants. The statistical association between endometriosis and several ovarian tumors, mainly endometrioid and clear cell carcinomas and seromucinous borderline tumors is well established and we present some molecular and morphological features that support this transformation potential.

Keratin Granulomas in the Peritoneum on Frozen Section: A Case Report with Multiple Suspects and the Search for the Culprit

Keratin granulomas in the peritoneum are a rare finding with multiple etiologies and can be especially challenging for both the pathologist and the surgeon when these lesions are grossly visible. We report a case of a unique frozen section diagnostic scenario of evaluation of keratin granulomas in the peritoneum of a 47-year-old woman in the setting of multiple potential culprits: endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma following fertility sparing treatment, and a concurrent dermoid cyst. We discuss the various etiologies of keratin granulomas in the peritoneum, mechanism of their formation, diagnostic significance, as well as implications of fertility sparing treatments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only case of keratin granulomas in the peritoneum with multiple distinct potential pathologic culprits as well the only case following fertility sparing treatment.

Characterization of the Endometrial MSC Marker Ectonucleoside Triphosphate Diphosphohydrolase-2 (NTPDase2/CD39L1) in Low- and High-Grade Endometrial Carcinomas: Loss of Stromal Expression in the Invasive Phenotypes

Ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-2 (NTPDase2/CD39L1) has been described in human non-pathological endometrium in both epithelial and stromal components without changes along the cycle. It was identified as a stromal marker of basalis. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate NTPDase2 distribution, using immunolabeling and in situ enzyme activity approaches, in endometrial carcinoma (EC) at different tumor grades. NTPDase2 was present in tumor epithelial EC cells, as in the non-pathological endometria, but the expression underwent changes in subcellular distribution and also tended to decrease with the tumor grade. In stroma, NTPDase2 was identified exclusively at the tumor-myometrial junction but this expression was lost in tumors of invasive phenotype. We have also identified in EC samples the presence of the perivascular population of endometrial mesenchymal stem cells (eMSCs) positive for sushi domain containing 2 (SUSD2) and for NTPDase2, already described in non-tumoral endometrium. Our results point to NTPDase2 as a histopathological marker of tumor invasion in EC, with diagnostic relevance especially in cases of EC coexisting with other endometrial disorders, such as adenomyosis, which occasionally hampers the assessment of tumor invasion parameters.

A Lymph Node Count-Based AJCC Staging System Facilitates a More Accurate Prediction of the Prognosis of Patients With Endometrial Cancer

Purpose

Both the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for endometrial cancer (EC) defined the N category by the location of metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) rather than the metastatic LN count. We aimed to compare the accuracy of the AJCC staging system and the LN count-based staging system.

Patients and Methods

EC patients were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2016. Patients' characteristics were collected, including age, race, marital status, histological type, grade, therapeutic measures, the number of metastatic LNs, the number of dissected LNs, vital status, and survival in months. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier (KM) method and the concordance index (C-index) was used to compare the prognostic value of the AJCC staging system and the LN count-based staging system.

Results

We identified 4,276 EC cases from the SEER database, including 2,693 patients with stage IIIC1 and 1,583 patients with stage IIIC2. Multivariate analyses showed that independent prognostic factors for patients with stage IIIC1 included age, race, marital status, grade, histology, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Independent prognostic factors for patients with stage IIIC2 included age, marital status, grade, histology, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The C-index of the AJCC staging system and the LN count-based staging system were 0.483 and 0.617, respectively. At least six LNs should be dissected to ensure the accuracy of the LN count-based staging system.

Conclusion

A modified AJCC staging system based on the count of metastatic LNs might be superior to the current AJCC staging system, which still had room for improvement and further refinements were required. For accurate staging, we recommended that at least six LNs should be examined in the modified AJCC staging system.

Is It Possible to Develop a Prediction Model for Lymphovascular Space Invasion in Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer?

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this retrospective study was to define a risk index that would serve as a surrogate marker of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) in women with endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Final pathology reports of 498 women who underwent surgery with curative intent for endometrioid EC between January 2008 and June 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Logistic regression was used to investigate clinicopathologic factors associated with positive LVSI status. Independent risk factors for LVSI were used to build a risk model and "risk of LVSI index" was defined as "tumor grade×primary tumor diameter×percentage of myometrium involved." The scores used in the "risk of LVSI index" were weighted according to the odds ratios assigned for each variable. The risk of LVSI index was noted for each patient. The diagnostic performance of the model was expressed as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio.

RESULTS

According to the "risk of LVSI index," presence of LVSI was correctly estimated in 89 of 104 LVSI-positive women at a cutoff of 161.0 (sensitivity 85.5%, specificity 79.4%, negative predictive value 95.4%, positive predictive value 52.3%, positive likelihood ratio 4.15, negative likelihood ratio 0.18). The area under curve of the receiver-operating characteristics was 0.90 (95% confidence interval, 0.87-0.93) at this cutoff.

CONCLUSIONS

It seems possible to predict the presence of LVSI in women with endometrioid EC when the "risk of LVSI index" is calculated. However, external validation of this model is warranted.

Trends in hysterectomy-corrected uterine cancer mortality rates during 2002 to 2015: mortality of nonendometrioid cancer on the rise?

Corpus uteri cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy in most developed countries. The disease is typically diagnosed at an early stage, is of endometrioid histologic subtype, and has a fairly good prognosis. Here, we describe hysterectomy-corrected mortality rates of corpus uteri cancer, overall and stratified by age, stage and histologic subtype. Using data from nationwide Danish registries, we calculated uncorrected and hysterectomy-corrected age-standardized mortality rates of corpus uteri cancer among women ≥35 years during 2002 to 2015. Individual-level hysterectomy status was obtained from national registries; hysterectomy-corrected mortality rates were calculated by subtracting posthysterectomy person-years from the denominator, unless hysterectomy was performed due to corpus uteri cancer. Correction for hysterectomy resulted in a 25.5% higher mortality rate (12.3/100000 person-years vs 9.8/100000 person-years). Mortality rates were highest in women aged 70+, irrespective of year of death, histologic subtype and stage. A significant decline was observed in overall hysterectomy-corrected mortality rates from 2002 to 2015, particularly among women aged 70+. Mortality rates of endometrioid cancer declined significantly over time (annual percent change [APC]: -2.32, 95% CI -3.9, -0.7, P = .01), whereas rates of nonendometrioid cancer increased (APC: 5.90, 95% CI: 3.0, 8.9, P < .001). With respect to stage, mortality rates increased significantly over time for FIGOI-IIa (APC: 6.18 [95% CI: 1.9, 10.7] P = .01) but remained unchanged for FIGO IIb-IV. In conclusion, increasing mortality rates of nonendometrioid cancer paralleled the previously observed rise in incidence rates of this histologic subtype. Given the poor prognosis of nonendometrioid cancer, more studies are needed to clarify the underlying reason for these findings.

Decreased secretoglobin family 2A member 1expression is associated with poor outcomes in endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is the most common malignancies in developed countries. The present study aimed to identify the role of secretoglobin family 2A member 1 (SCGB2A1) expression in uteri corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and determine the SCGB2A1-associated downstream signaling pathways. The clinicopathological characteristics and gene expression data were downloaded from TCGA database. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox multivariate model were used for survival analysis. Logistic regression was used to analyze the association between the clinicopathological features and SCGB2A1 expression. For validation, data of SCGB2A1 mRNA expression and protein expression were obtained and then survival analysis was performed for 47 patients with endometrial cancer from the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC). In TCGA dataset, SCGB2A1 expression was significantly higher in tumor tissues (n=528) compared with normal tissues (n=23, P<0.001). The decrease in SCGB2A1 expression in UCEC was significantly associated with age at diagnosis, high tumor grade, residual tumor, positive peritoneal cytology, pelvic lymph node metastasis, para-aortic lymph node metastasis and advanced clinical stage with P<0.05. In the multivariate analysis, SCGB2A1 expression was identified as an independent prognostic factor. In the FUSCC validation set, low SCGB2A1 expression was also associated with worse survival compared with high expression in endometrial cancer (P<0.001). Gene Set Enrichment Analysis revealed that SCGB2A1 may be involved in tumor proliferation and cell cycle regulation. In conclusion, SCGB2A1 may have an important role in the prognosis of UCEC, and has value as a new target for novel therapeutic strategies.

Should endometrial biopsy under direct hysteroscopic visualization using the grasp technique become the new gold standard for the preoperative evaluation of the patient with endometrial cancer?

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of endometrial biopsy performed with hysteroscopic direct visualization using the "grasp technique" for the detection of endometrial carcinoma (EC) histology type and tumor grade.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study including the clinical and pathology records of patients with confirmed EC who underwent definitive surgery at University of Naples was performed. The preoperative diagnosis of endometrial tumor type and grade obtained using the hysteroscopy grasp technique was correlated with the final pathology specimens. Those results were compared to the diagnostic accuracy of the biopsies collected in a cohort of patients who underwent preoperative diagnostic hysteroscopy followed by blind endometrial biopsy using the Novak curette with subsequent surgical definitive treatment at University of Pisa. Statistical analysis was based on frequency data and diagnostic agreement of the pathology results.

RESULTS

A total of 129 patients were included in the final analysis. An agreement rate of 104/106 (98.1%) for endometrioid type and 15/23 (65.2%) for non-endometrioid type was obtained between preoperative hysteroscopic grasp endometrial biopsy specimens and the final pathology with a coefficient k for G1, G2 and G3 tumors of 0.928, 0.925 and 0.974, respectively. When compared to 121 patients undergoing preoperative blind Novak endometrial biopsy, the hysteroscopic grasp technique was superior in agreement rates for tumor histotype [diagnostic accuracy (0.922 vs 0.890); K value (0.705 vs 0.642)] and grade when in presence of endometrioid type EC (K Cohen 0.354 for G1, 0.263 for G2 and 0.488 for G3).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative hysteroscopic guided "grasp" endometrial biopsy provides a more accurate diagnosis of EC histology type and tumor grade when in presence of endometrioid type tumor compared to blind endometrial biopsy obtained using the Novak curette.

Lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) as a strong and independent predictor for non-locoregional recurrences in endometrial cancer: a Danish Gynecological Cancer Group Study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) on location of recurrences in Danish patients with endometrial cancer.

METHODS

This national cohort study (2005-2012) included 4,380 radically operated patients (no visual tumor, all distant metastasis removed). LVSI status was recorded in 3,377 (77.1%). In stage I patients, 2.6% received adjuvant radiotherapy and 1.4% adjuvant chemotherapy. Adjusted Cox regression was used to compare actuarial recurrence rates.

RESULTS

LVSI was present in 18.7% of 3,377 patients with known LVSI status. Of these, 7.6% stage I patients with LVSI experienced an isolated locoregional and 19.4% a non-locoregional recurrence. Compared to no LVSI, 5-year recurrence rate was higher (25.5% vs. 8.5%) in patients with LVSI and the frequency of distant recurrences was strikingly higher (stage I: 15.2% vs. 2.7%), the effect being similar across International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages and histological types. In intermediate-risk stage I patients with LVSI, 8.0% experienced an isolated locoregional recurrence compared to 20.1% with non-locoregional recurrence, giving these patients a seriously adverse risk of survival. A separate analysis in patients with recurrences demonstrated that those with LVSI had significantly more distant recurrences (55.4% vs. 29.9%) and fewer isolated vaginal recurrences (24.3% vs. 42.8%) than patients with no LVSI.

CONCLUSION

LVSI is a strong independent risk factor for the development of non-locoregional recurrences even in intermediate-risk stage I endometrial cancer. The non-locoregional recurrence pattern suggests a future focus for optimization of postoperative treatment in these patients.