Does small volume metastatic lymph node disease affect long-term prognosis in early cervical cancer?

Controversies and Advances in the Personalized Surgical Treatment of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer represents a global health issue as it is mostly encountered in women of reproductive age, while at the same time, survival outcomes seem to have remained constant during the last two decades. The need to implement fertility-sparing strategies as well as to decrease the morbidity that accompanies radical treatment has been extensively studied. During the last decade, several randomized clinical trials have been released, resulting in significant advances in the surgical treatment of early-stage disease. At the same time, evidence about the surgical treatment of advanced-stage disease as well as recurrent disease has gradually appeared and seems to be promising, thus leading the point forward towards personalized medicine that will remove the surgical barriers that seem concrete in our era. Nevertheless, the discrepancies in perioperative morbidity and survival outcomes that were observed among published studies raise several questions. In the present article, we chose to review the gray fields in the surgical treatment of early-stage and advanced-stage cervical cancer. Studies that are based on strong evidence that support current clinical practice are compared to smaller cohorts that present novel data that may form the basis for future research, and issues that remain poorly explored are discussed in an effort to help establish a consensus for future research development.

Tertiary prevention strategies for micrometastatic lymph node cervical cancer: A systematic review and a prototype of an adapted model of care

PURPOSE

We found a need for balancing the application of clinical guidelines and tailored approaches to follow-up of cervical cancer (CC) patients in the lymph node micrometastatic (MICs) setting. This review aimed to determine the current knowledge of management of MIC-positive CC cases.

METHODOLOGY

We addressed prognostic and risk of recurrence monitoring impacts associated with MIC+ cases. The electronic databases for literature and relevant articles were analysed.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies, (4882 patients), were included in our systematic review. While the results show that MICs significantly worsen prognosis in early CC. A tertiary prevention algorithm for low volume lymph node disease may stratify follow-up according to the burden of nodal disease and provide data that helps improve follow-up performance.

CONCLUSION

MICs worsen prognosis and should be managed as suggested by the algorithm. However, this algorithm must be externally validated. The clinical impact of isolated tumor cells (ITC) remains unclear.

MILACC study: could undetected lymph node micrometastases have impacted recurrence rate in the LACC trial?

OBJECTIVE

The etiology of inferior oncologic outcomes associated with minimally invasive surgery for early-stage cervical cancer remains unknown. Manipulation of lymph nodes with previously unrecognized low-volume disease might explain this finding. We re-analyzed lymph nodes by pathologic ultrastaging in node-negative patients who recurred in the LACC (Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer) trial.

METHODS

Included patients were drawn from the LACC trial database, had negative lymph nodes on routine pathologic evaluation, and recurred to the abdomen and/or pelvis. Patients without recurrence or without available lymph node tissue were excluded. Paraffin tissue blocks and slides from all lymph nodes removed by lymphadenectomy were re-analyzed per standard ultrastaging protocol aimed at the detection of micrometastases (>0.2 mm and ≤2 mm) and isolated tumor cells (clusters up to 0.2 mm or <200 cells).

RESULTS

The study included 20 patients with median age of 42 (range 30-68) years. Most patients were randomized to minimally invasive surgery (90%), had squamous cell carcinoma (65%), FIGO 2009 stage 1B1 (95%), grade 2 (60%) disease, had no adjuvant treatment (75%), and had a single site of recurrence (55%), most commonly at the vaginal cuff (45%). Only one patient had pelvic sidewall recurrence in the absence of other disease sites. The median number of lymph nodes analyzed per patient was 18.5 (range 4-32) for a total of 412 lymph nodes. A total of 621 series and 1242 slides were reviewed centrally by the ultrastaging protocol. No metastatic disease of any size was found in any lymph node.

CONCLUSIONS

There were no lymph node low-volume metastases among patients with initially negative lymph nodes who recurred in the LACC trial. Therefore, it is unlikely that manipulation of lymph nodes containing clinically undetected metastases is the underlying cause of the higher local recurrence risk in the minimally invasive arm of the LACC trial.

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

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

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

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

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

Indocyanine green-guided sentinel lymph node mapping during laparoscopic surgery with vaginal cuff closure but no uterine manipulator for cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

Lymph node metastasis is a critical prognostic factor in cervical cancer. Considering the potential complications of lymphadenectomy and desirability of avoiding systemic lymphadenectomy, accurate intraoperative prediction of the existence of lymph node metastasis is important in patients undergoing surgery for cervical cancer. We evaluated the feasibility and value of indocyanine green (ICG) use for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping during laparoscopic surgery performed for cervical cancer.

METHODS

This single-center cohort study included 77 patients undergoing a new laparoscopic radical surgery method with pelvic lymphadenectomy for early-stage cervical cancer. The surgery, performed without using a uterine manipulator, included creation of a vaginal cuff. Bilateral ICG-guided SLN mapping and rapid histopathological examination were performed, and results were analyzed in relation to final histopathologic diagnoses.

RESULTS

The SLN pelvic side-specific detection rate was 93.5%, sensitivity (SLN-positive cases/SLN-detected pelvic lymph node-positive cases) was 100%, intraoperative negative predictive value (NPV) was 97.8%, and final pathological NPV was 100%. The detection rate was significantly lower for tumors ≥ 2 cm in diameter than for tumors < 2 cm in diameter. Micrometastases were missed by intraoperative examination in 3 cases.

CONCLUSION

The high NPV suggests the feasibility and usefulness of ICG-based SLN mapping plus rapid intraoperative examination for identification of metastatic SLNs. Use of ICG-based mapping for intraoperative identification of SLNs in patients undergoing this new laparoscopic surgery method for early-stage cervical cancer was particularly effective for tumors < 2 cm in diameter. However, incorporating a search for micrometastases into rapid intraoperative histopathologic examination may be necessary.

Lymph Node Involvement in Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: Is Lymphangiogenesis a Risk Factor? Results from the MICROCOL Study

Simple Summary

The prognosis of cervical cancer is significantly influenced by lymph node involvement. The lymphatic system is the primary way of metastasis for cervical carcinoma, and lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) is considered the most important risk factor for pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM). Previous studies have not clarified the correlation between lymphangiogenesis and an increased risk of metastasis and tumor recurrence. The evaluation and identification of several markers of lymphangiogenesis may identify patients with high risk of PLNM. Our findings suggest that the lymphatic spread does not required the proliferation of new lymphatic endothelial cells. These results emphasize the importance of pre-existing peritumoral lymphatic vessels in the metastatic process in early cervical cancer.

Abstract

Background: In patients with cervical cancer, the presence of tumoral lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) is the main risk factor for pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM). The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of several markers of lymphangiogenesis in early-stage cervical cancer and their correlation with PLNM and tumoral recurrence. Materials and Methods: Seventy-five patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma underwent sentinel lymph node (SLN) sampling in association with complete pelvic lymph node dissection. Primary tumors were stained with the following markers: Ki67, D2-40, CD31 and VEGF-C. A 3-year follow-up was performed to evaluate the disease-free survival. Results: Overall, 14 patients (18.6%) had PLNM. Positive LVSI was seen in 29 patients (38.6%). There was a significant correlation between LVSI evidenced by H/E staining and PLNM (p < 0.001). There was no correlation between high Ki67, CD31, D2-40, and VEGF-C staining with PLNM or tumor recurrence. Conclusions: Our data support that lymphatic spread does not require the proliferation of new lymphatic endothelial cells in early-stage cervical cancer. These results emphasize the importance of pre-existing peritumoral lymphatic vessels in the metastatic process in early cervical cancer. None of the markers of lymphangiogenesis and proliferation assessed in this study were predictive of PLNM or recurrence.

Clinical impact of low-volume lymph node metastases in early-stage cervical cancer: A comprehensive meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

In order to define the clinical significance of low-volume metastasis, a comprehensive meta-analysis of published data and individual data obtained from articles mentioning micrometastases (MIC) and isolated tumor cells (ITC) in cervical cancer was performed, with a follow up of at least 3 years.

METHODS

We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, following Cochrane's review methods guide and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The primary outcome was the disease-free survival (DFS), and the secondary outcome was the overall survival (OS). The hazard ratio (HR) was taken as the measure of the association between the low-volume metastases (MIC+ITC and MIC alone) and DFS or OS; it quantified the hazard of an event in the MIC (+/- ITC) group compared to the hazard in node-negative (N0) patients. A random-effect meta-analysis model using the inverse variance method was selected for pooling. Forest plots were used to display the HRs and risk differences within individual trials and overall.

RESULTS

Eleven articles were finally retained for the meta-analysis. In the analysis of DFS in patients with low-volume metastasis (MIC + ITC), the HR was increased to 2.60 (1.55-4.34) in the case of low-volume metastasis vs. N0. The presence of MICs had a negative prognostic impact, with an HR of 4.10 (2.71-6.20) compared to N0. Moreover, this impact was worse than that of MIC pooled with ITCs. Concerning OS, the meta-analysis shows an HR of 5.65 (2.81-11.39) in the case of low-volume metastases vs. N0. The presence of MICs alone had a negative effect, with an HR of 6.94 (2.56-18.81).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the presence of MIC seems to be associated with a negative impact on both the DFS and OS and should be treated as MAC.

The accuracy of intraoperative frozen section examination of sentinel lymph nodes in squamous cell cancer of the vulva

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative pathologic examination of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) and patient outcomes in vulva cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients with unifocal, <4 cm, invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma and clinically negative groin nodes treated with SLN biopsy from January 2008-March 2020. Intraoperative SLN frozen section and final pathology were compared. If the SLN was negative, inguinal femoral lymphadenectomy (IFLD) was omitted. Recurrence location and groin recurrence free survival (RFS) were assessed.

RESULTS

The SLN cohort included 173 patients, with 258 groins. On frozen section, there were 36/258 positive and 222 negative groins. On final pathology, there were 39/258 positive: 31 macrometastases, 6 micrometastases, 2 isolated tumor cells (ITCs) and 219 negative groins. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for intraoperative detection of metastatic disease, was 89.7% and 99.5%, 97.2% and 98.2%, respectively. There was 1 false positive and 4 false negative frozen section results where final pathology revealed 2 ITCs, 1 micrometastasis and 1 macrometastasis. Based on intraoperative results, thirty patients (17.3%) underwent immediate IFLD. Median follow up was 38.0 (1-137.8) months. The 3-year groin RFS was 91.6% (95% CI 86.2-97.4%) for negative SLNs and 64.6% (95% CI 46.5-89.7%) for positive SLNs on frozen section. Similarly, the 3-year groin RFS was 91.7% (95% CI 86.3-97.4%) for negative, 58.4% (95% CI 38.5-87.7%) for macrometastases and 100% for micrometastases/ITCs on final pathology.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative assessment of SLNs is accurate to determine need for IFLD and does not compromise patient outcomes in vulvar cancer.

Cervical conization and lymph node assessment for early stage low-risk cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

There has been a contemporary shift in clinical practice towards tailoring treatment in patients with early cervical cancer and low-risk features to non-radical surgery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the oncologic, fertility, and obstetric outcomes after cervical conization and sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in patients with early stage low-risk cervical cancer.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review in patients with early cervical cancer treated with cervical conization and lymph node assessment between November 2008 and February 2020. Eligibility criteria included patients with a histologic diagnosis of invasive squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2009 stage IA1 with positive lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), stage IA2, or stage IB1 (≤2 cm) with less than two-thirds (<10 mm) cervical stromal invasion.

RESULTS

A total of 44 patients were included in the analysis. The median age was 31 years (range 19-61) and 20 patients (45%) were nulliparous. One patient had a 25 mm tumor while the remaining patients had tumors smaller than 20 mm. Eighteen (41%) patients had LVSI. Median follow-up was 44 months (range 6-137). A total of 17 (39%) patients had negative margins on the diagnostic excisional procedure, and none had residual disease on the repeat cone biopsy. Three (6.8%) patients had micrometastases detected in the SLNs and underwent ipsilateral lymphadenectomy; all remaining non-SLN lymph nodes were negative. Six (13.6%) patients required more definitive surgical or adjuvant treatment due to high-risk pathologic features. There were no recurrences documented. Three patients developed cervical stenosis. The live birth rate was 85% and 16 (94%) of 17 patients had live births at term.

CONCLUSION

Cervical conization with SLN biopsy appears to be a safe treatment option in selected patients with early cervical cancer. Future results of prospective trials may shed definitive light on fertility-sparing options in this group of patients.

Controversies in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy for Gynecologic Malignancies

OBJECTIVE

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy represents an evolution in the advancement of minimally invasive surgical techniques for gynecologic cancers. Prospective and retrospective studies have consistently shown its accuracy in the detection of lymph node metastases for endometrial and cervical cancers. However, consistent with any emerging surgical technique in the early phases of adoption, new questions have arisen regarding its application and impact. This paper served as a scoping review to identify the key controversies that have arisen in the field of SLN biopsy for endometrial and cervical cancers.

DATA SOURCES

Several key controversies were identified, and PubMed, the Cochrane Library (cochranelibrary.com) advanced search function, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines were searched for supporting evidence. These included search terms such as "the accuracy of SLN biopsy for high grade endometrial cancer or cervical cancers >2-cm," "cost effectiveness of SLN biopsy for gynecologic cancers," "clinical significance of low volume metastases in endometrial cancer," "morbidity of SLN biopsy for endometrial and cervical cancer," and "impact on cancer survival of SLN biopsy for endometrial and cervical cancer."

METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION

Studies were selected for review if they included significant numbers of patients, were level I evidence, or were prospective trials. Where this level of evidence failed to exist, seminal observational series that were published in high-quality journals were included.

TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS

Similar studies were listed and subcategorized and cross-compared, excluding those that included repeated analyses of the same patient populations. The relevant clinical trials or observational studies were clustered and reviewed for each chosen controversy. Adequate evidence supports the accuracy of SLN biopsy in the staging of high-grade endometrial cancer and cervical cancer, and it seems to be a cost-effective strategy for invasive endometrial cancer. Conclusive evidence was lacking with respect to the oncologic outcomes related to SLN biopsy, the impact on patient morbidity, and whether clinicians should treat isolated tumor cells in SLNs with adjuvant therapy.

CONCLUSION

SLN biopsy is an accepted staging strategy for cervical and endometrial cancer surgery; however, controversies remain in how it can be applied with the most safety and efficacy. These ultimately need to be resolved with further clinical trials and observations of larger series of patients.

Histopathologic Validation of the Sentinel Node Technique for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

The sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy may be an alternative to systematic lymphadenectomy in early cervical cancer. The SLN biopsy is less morbid and has been shown to have high sensitivity for metastasis detection. However, the sensitivity of the SLN technique might be overevaluated because SLNs are examined with ultra-staging, and non-sentinel nodes usually are examined only with routine techniques. This study aimed to validate the negative predictive value (NPV) of the SLN technique by the ultra-staging of SLNs and non-sentinel nodes (NSLNs).

METHODS

The SENTICOL 1 study data published in 2011 were used. All nodes (i.e., SLNs and NSLNs) were secondarily subjected to ultra-staging. The ultra-staging consisted of sectioning every 200 µm, in addition to immunohistochemistry. Moreover, the positive slides and 10% of the negative slides were reviewed.

RESULTS

The study enrolled 139 patients, and SLNs were detected in 136 (97.8%) of these patiets. Bilateral SLNs were detected in 104 (76.5%) of the 136 patients. A total of 2056 NSLNs were identified (median, 13 NSLNs per patient; range 1-54). Of the 136 patients with SLNs, 23 were shown to have positive SLNs after serial sectioning and immunohistochemical staining. The NSLNs were metastatic in six patients. In the case of bilateral SLN detection, the NPV was 100%, with no false-negatives (FNs).

CONCLUSIONS

The pelvic SLN technique is safe and trustworthy for determining the nodal status of patients with early-stage cervical cancer. In the case of optimal mapping with bilateral detection, the NPV was found to be 100%.

The impact of low-volume metastasis on disease-free survival of women with early-stage cervical cancer

PURPOSE

We aimed to assess the impact of low-volume metastasis (micrometastasis and isolated tumor cells) on disease-free survival (DFS) of women with early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

Women with clinically suspected stage 1A-IB2 (FIGO 2018 classification) disease who underwent retroperitoneal nodal staging between October 2010 and April 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. The group of women who had undergone lymphadenectomy and standard node pathologic analysis (H&E group), were compared to the group undergoing sentinel node mapping (SLN) and ultrastaging with or without lymphadenectomy (ultrastaging group). At a median follow-up of 45 months, the DFS curves were analyzed.

RESULTS

Overall, 573 patients were revised (272 in the H&E group and 302 in the ultrastaging group). Eighty-five patients presented lymph node metastasis (32 in H&E, 53 in ultrastaging). Ultrastaging protocol increased the rate of low-volume metastasis by 5.6%. Twenty patients showed exclusive micrometastasis or ITC's. Seventy-three recurrences occurred (35 in H&E, 38 in ultrastaging). Only 1 out of 53 patients in the ultrastaging group (1.9%) presented with micrometastasis recurred. The 3-year disease-free survival was 89% for the H&E group, and 88% for the ultrastaging group, respectively (p = 0.175).

CONCLUSION

Ultrastaging analysis allowed increasing the detection of low volume metastasis in women with early-stage cervical cancer. However, the type of nodal staging did not have an impact on patients' 3-year disease-free survival.

Two ultrastaging protocols for the detection of lymph node metastases in early-stage cervical and endometrial cancers

OBJECTIVE

To date, there is no universal consensus on which is the optimal ultrastaging protocol for sentinel lymph node (SLN) evaluation in gynecologic malignancies. To estimate the impact of different ultrastaging methods of SLNs on the detection of patients with nodal metastases in early-stage cervical and endometrial cancers and to describe the incidence of low-volume metastases between two ultrastaging protocols.

METHODS

We retrospectively compared two ultrastaging protocols (ultrastaging-A vs ultrastaging-B) in patients with clinical stage I endometrial cancer or FIGO stage IA-IB1 cervical cancer who underwent primary surgery including SLN biopsy from October 2010 to December 2017 in our institution. The histologic subtypes and grades of the tumors were evaluated according to WHO criteria. Only SLNs underwent ultrastaging, while other lymph nodes were sectioned and examined by routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E).

RESULTS

Overall 224 patients were reviewed (159 endometrial cancer and 65 cervical cancer). Lymph node involvement was noted in 15% of patients with endometrial cancer (24/159): 24% of patients (9/38) with the ultrastaging protocol A and 12% (15/121) with the ultrastaging protocol B (p=0.08); while for cervical cancer, SLN metastasis was detected in 14% of patients (9/65): 22% (4/18) in ultrastaging-A and 11% (5/47) in ultrastaging-B (p=0.20). Overall, macrometastasis and low-volume metastases were 50% and 50% for endometrial cancer and 78% and 22% for cervical cancer. Median size of nodal metastasis was 2 (range 0.9-8.5) mm for the ultrastaging-A and 1.2 (range 0.4-2.6) mm for the ultrastaging-B protocol in endometrial cancer (p=0.25); 4 (range 2.5-9.8) mm for ultrastaging-A and 4.4 (range 0.3-7.8) mm for ultrastaging-B protocol in cervical cancer (p=0.64).

CONCLUSION

In endometrial or cervical cancer patients, the incidence of SLN metastasis was not different between the two different types of ultrastaging protocol.

The Clinical Impact of Low-Volume Lymph Nodal Metastases in Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: The Senticol 1 and Senticol 2 Trials

Background: With the development of the sentinel node technique in early-stage cervical cancer, it is imperative to define the clinical significance of micrometastases (MICs) and isolated tumor cells (ITCs). Methods: We included all patients who participated in the Senticol 1 and Senticol 2 studies. We analyzed the factors associated with the presence of low-volume metastasis, the oncological outcomes of patients with MIC and ITC and the correlation of recurrences and risk factors. Results: Twenty-four patients (7.5%) had low-volume metastasis. The risk factors associated with the presence of low-volume metastasis were a higher stage (p = 0.02) and major stromal invasion (p = 0.01) in the univariate analysis. The maximum specificity and sensitivity were found at a cutoff of 8 mm of stromal invasion. In multivariate analysis, the higher stage (p = 0.02) and the positive lymphovascular space invasion (p = 0.02) were significantly associated with the MIC and ITC. Patients with low-volume metastasis had similar disease-free survival (DFS) (92.7%) to node-negative patients (93.6%). The addition of adjuvant treatment in presence of low-volume metastasis did not modify the DFS. Conclusions: These results confirm our previous analysis of Senticol 1: the presence of low-volume metastasis did not decrease the DFS in early-stage cervical cancer patients.