Quality indicators for advanced ovarian cancer surgery from the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO): 2020 update

Clinical characteristics, HPV involvement, and demographic risk factors in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia complicated by vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) when coexisting with vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VAIN).

METHODS

We analyzed the clinical data of 212 patients diagnosed with CIN, including 50 patients with concurrent VAIN. The groups were compared to identify distinct clinical features and independent risk factors for the co-occurrence of CIN and VAIN, using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Patients with both CIN and VAIN had a median age of 57, significantly older than the 41-year median age of patients with CIN only (P < 0.05). A higher prevalence of HPV infection (98.0%) was observed in the CIN and VAIN group, with a notable rate of multiple HPV infections (67.3%) compared to the CIN-only group (P < 0.05). Educational levels were significantly lower in the combined CIN and VAIN group (P < 0.05). HPV16, 33, and 52 were identified as significant types for single and multiple infections. Multivariate analysis confirmed age as an independent risk factor for CIN with VAIN (P < 0.05). VAIN3 patients were more likely to exhibit HSIL and ASC-H, whereas VAIN1 cases tended to correspond with ASCUS and LSIL diagnoses.

CONCLUSION

The co-occurrence of CIN and VAIN is significantly influenced by patient age and educational level. The findings advocate for more diligent vaginal examination during colposcopy in older patients, particularly those with multiple HPV infections and cytological abnormalities, to enhance the early detection of vaginal lesions and prevent missed diagnoses and treatments. Additionally, the high prevalence of HPV infection, especially with certain types, underscores the importance of HPV monitoring in this patient population.

A computer synoptic operative report versus a report dictated by a surgeon in advanced ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the role of a computer synoptic operative report in enhancing the quality and completeness of surgical reporting for advanced ovarian cancer surgeries.

METHODS

The study was conducted at a tertiary cancer center between January 2016 and September 2021, and the computer synoptic operative report was implemented in May 2019. The study compared two cohorts: the first consisted of the 'before computer synoptic operative report (P1)' period, during which the operative reports were dictated freely by the surgeons, and the second consisted of the 'after computer synoptic operative report (P2)' period, during which all surgeons used the computer synoptic operative report.

RESULTS

The study analyzed 227 operative reports, with 104 during period 1 (P1) and 123 during period 2 (P2). In the P1 group, more than half of the patients (54 out of 104, 52%) underwent interval surgery after completing six cycles of chemotherapy; In contrast, in the P2 group, all interval debulking surgeries were performed after fewer than six chemotherapy cycles (p<0.001). Although interval debulking surgery after fewer than six chemotherapy cycles was more frequent in P2, the rate of primary debulking surgery was similar between the groups. The median intra-operative peritoneal carcinomatosis index was higher in P2 (2 in P1 vs 4 in P2, p<0.001), and mean blood loss was higher in P1 (308 mL vs 151 mL, p<0.001). The rate of complete cytoreduction was similar between P1 and P2 (97% vs 87%, respectively, p=0.6). The median length of hospital stay was 12 days in the P1 group and 16 days in the P2 group (p=0.5). Compliance with all eight significant items was higher in the P2 group, with all items present in 66% of the operative reports in the P2 group compared with none of the reports in the P1 group. Compliance for the following items was: International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology stage (24% vs 100%), histology (76% vs 97%), CA125 (63% vs 89%), type of surgery (38% vs 100%), peritoneal carcinomatosis index (21% vs 100%), complete cytoreduction score 36% vs 99%), Aletti score (0% vs 89%), and blood loss (32% vs 98%) for P1 and P2; respectively.

CONCLUSION

The use of the computer synoptic operative report improved the completeness and quality of the surgical information documented in advanced ovarian cancer surgeries.

Medicolegal, infrastructural, and financial aspects in gynecologic cancer surgery and their implications in decision making processes: Quo Vadis?

Surgical decision making is complex and involves a combination of analytic, intuitive, and cognitive processes. Medicolegal, infrastructural, and financial factors may influence these processes depending on the context and setting, but to what extent can they influence surgical decision making in gynecologic oncology? This scoping review evaluates existing literature related to medicolegal, infrastructural, and financial aspects of gynecologic cancer surgery and their implications in surgical decision making. Our objective was to summarize the findings and limitations of published research, identify gaps in the literature, and make recommendations for future research to inform policy.

Regionalizing ovarian cancer cytoreduction to high-volume centers and the impact on patient travel in New York State

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the theoretical impact of regionalizing cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer (OC) to high-volume facilities on patient travel.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified patients with OC who underwent cytoreduction between 1/1/2004-12/31/2018 from the New York State Cancer Registry and Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. Hospitals were stratified by low-volume (<21 cytoreductive surgical procedures for OC annually) and high-volume centers (≥21 procedures annually). A simulation was performed; outcomes of interest were driving distance and time between the centroid of the patient's residence zip code and the treating facility zip code.

RESULTS

Overall, 60,493 patients met inclusion criteria. Between 2004 and 2018, 210 facilities were performing cytoreductive surgery for OC in New York; 159 facilities (75.7%) met low-volume and 51 (24.3%) met high-volume criteria. Overall, 10,514 patients (17.4%) were treated at low-volume and 49,979 (82.6%) at high-volume facilities. In 2004, 78.2% of patients were treated at high-volume facilities, which increased to 84.6% in 2018 (P < .0001). Median travel distance and time for patients treated at high-volume centers was 12.2 miles (IQR, 5.6-25.5) and 23.0 min (IQR, 15.2-37.0), and 8.2 miles (IQR, 3.7-15.9) and 16.8 min (IQR, 12.4-26.0) for patients treated at low-volume centers. If cytoreductive surgery was centralized to high-volume centers, median distance and time traveled for patients originally treated at low-volume centers would be 11.2 miles (IQR, 3.8-32.3; P < .001) and 20.2 min (IQR, 13.6-43.0; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Centralizing cytoreductive surgery for OC to high-volume centers in New York would increase patient travel burden by negligible amounts of distance and time for most patients.

Quality of surgery and treatment and its association with hospital volume: A population-based study in more than 5000 Belgian ovarian cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Different sets of quality indicators are used to identify areas for improvement in ovarian cancer care. This study reports transparently on how (surgical) indicators were measured and on the association between hospital volume and indicator results in Belgium, a country setting without any centralisation of ovarian cancer care.

METHODS

From the population-based Belgian Cancer Registry, patients with a borderline malignant or invasive epithelial ovarian tumour diagnosed between 2014 and 2018 were selected and linked to health insurance and vital status data (n = 5119). Thirteen quality indicators on diagnosis and treatment were assessed and the association with hospital volume was analysed using logistic regression adjusted for case-mix.

RESULTS

The national results for most quality indicators on diagnosis and systemic therapy were around the predefined target value. Other indicators showed results below the benchmark: genetic testing, completeness of staging surgery, lymphadenectomy with at least 20 pelvic/para-aortic lymph nodes removed, and timely start of chemotherapy after surgery (within 42 days). Ovarian cancer care in Belgium is dispersed over 100 hospitals. Lower volume hospitals showed poorer indicator results compared to higher volume hospitals for lymphadenectomy, staging, timely start of chemotherapy and genetic testing. In addition, surgery for advanced stage tumours was performed less often in lower volume hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS

The indicators that showed poorer results on a national level were also those with poorer results in lower-volume hospitals compared to higher-volume hospitals, consequently supporting centralisation. International benchmarking is hampered by different (surgical) definitions between countries and studies.

ESGO-ESMO-ESP consensus conference recommendations on ovarian cancer: pathology and molecular biology and early, advanced and recurrent disease

The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the European Society of Pathology held a consensus conference (CC) on ovarian cancer on 15-16 June 2022 in Valencia, Spain. The CC panel included 44 experts in the management of ovarian cancer and pathology, an ESMO scientific advisor and a methodologist. The aim was to discuss new or contentious topics and develop recommendations to improve and harmonise the management of patients with ovarian cancer. Eighteen questions were identified for discussion under four main topics: (i) pathology and molecular biology, (ii) early-stage disease and pelvic mass in pregnancy, (iii) advanced stage (including older/frail patients) and (iv) recurrent disease. The panel was divided into four working groups (WGs) to each address questions relating to one of the four topics outlined above, based on their expertise. Relevant scientific literature was reviewed in advance. Recommendations were developed by the WGs and then presented to the entire panel for further discussion and amendment before voting. This manuscript focuses on the recommendation statements that reached a consensus, their voting results and a summary of evidence supporting each recommendation.

Neglected Anatomical Areas in Ovarian Cancer: Significance for Optimal Debulking Surgery

Ovarian cancer (OC), the most lethal gynecological malignancy, usually presents in advanced stages. Characterized by peritoneal and lymphatic dissemination, OC necessitates a complex surgical approach usually involving the upper abdomen with the aim of achieving optimal cytoreduction without visible macroscopic disease (R0). Failures in optimal cytoreduction, essential for prognosis, often stem from overlooking anatomical neglected sites that harbor residual tumor. Concealed OC metastases may be found in anatomical locations such as the omental bursa; Morison's pouch; the base of the round ligament and hepatic bridge; the splenic hilum; and suprarenal, retrocrural, cardiophrenic and inguinal lymph nodes. Hence, mastery of anatomy is crucial, given the necessity for maneuvers like liver mobilization, diaphragmatic peritonectomy and splenectomy, as well as dissection of suprarenal, celiac, and cardiophrenic lymph nodes in most cases. This article provides a meticulous anatomical description of neglected anatomical areas during OC surgery and describes surgical steps essential for the dissection of these "neglected" areas. This knowledge should equip clinicians with the tools needed for safe and complete cytoreduction in OC patients.

Association between hospital volume and outcomes in invasive ovarian cancer in Belgium: A population-based study

OBJECTIVES

To study the association between hospital volume and outcomes in patients with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

METHODS

This study included 3988 patients diagnosed with invasive EOC between 2014 and 2018, selected from the population-based database of the Belgian Cancer Registry (BCR), and coupled with health insurance and vital status data. The associations between hospital volume and observed survival since diagnosis were assessed with Cox proportional hazard models, while volume associations with 30-day post-operative mortality and complicated recovery were evaluated using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Treatment for EOC was very dispersed with half of the 100 centres treating fewer than six patients per year. The median survival of patients treated in centres with the highest-volume quartile was 2.5 years longer than in those with the lowest-volume quartile (4.2 years versus 1.7 years). When taking the case-mix of hospitals into account, patients treated in the lowest volume centres had a 47% higher hazard to die than patients treated in the highest volume centres (HR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.11-1.93, p = 0.006) over the first five years after incidence. A similar association was found when focussing on the surgical volume of the hospitals and considering only operated patients with invasive EOC. Lastly, the 30-day post-operative mortality decreased significantly with increasing surgical volume.

CONCLUSIONS

The large dispersion of care and expertise within Belgium and the volume-outcome associations observed in this study support the implementation of the concentration of care for patients with invasive EOC in reference centres.

Exploring the Potential Role of Upper Abdominal Peritonectomy in Advanced Ovarian Cancer Cytoreductive Surgery Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence

The Surgical Complexity Score (SCS) has been widely used to describe the surgical effort during advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cytoreduction. Referring to a variety of multi-visceral resections, it best combines the numbers with the complexity of the sub-procedures. Nevertheless, not all potential surgical procedures are described by this score. Lately, the European Society for Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) has established standard outcome quality indicators pertinent to achieving complete cytoreduction (CC0). There is a need to define what weight all these surgical sub-procedures comprising CC0 would be given. Prospectively collected data from 560 surgically cytoreduced advanced stage EOC patients were analysed at a UK tertiary referral centre.We adapted the structured ESGO ovarian cancer report template. We employed the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm to model a long list of surgical sub-procedures. We applied the Shapley Additive explanations (SHAP) framework to provide global (cohort) explainability. We used Cox regression for survival analysis and constructed Kaplan-Meier curves. The XGBoost model predicted CC0 with an acceptable accuracy (area under curve [AUC] = 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63-0.76). Visual quantification of the feature importance for the prediction of CC0 identified upper abdominal peritonectomy (UAP) as the most important feature, followed by regional lymphadenectomies. The UAP best correlated with bladder peritonectomy and diaphragmatic stripping (Pearson's correlations > 0.5). Clear inflection points were shown by pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection and ileocecal resection/right hemicolectomy, which increased the probability for CC0. When UAP was solely added to a composite model comprising of engineered features, it substantially enhanced its predictive value (AUC = 0.80, CI = 0.75-0.84). The UAP was predictive of poorer progression-free survival (HR = 1.76, CI 1.14-2.70, P: 0.01) but not overall survival (HR = 1.06, CI 0.56-1.99, P: 0.86). The SCS did not have significant survival impact. Machine Learning allows for operational feature selection by weighting the relative importance of those surgical sub-procedures that appear to be more predictive of CC0. Our study identifies UAP as the most important procedural predictor of CC0 in surgically cytoreduced advanced-stage EOC women. The classification model presented here can potentially be trained with a larger number of samples to generate a robust digital surgical reference in high output tertiary centres. The upper abdominal quadrants should be thoroughly inspected to ensure that CC0 is achievable.

Prerequisites to improve surgical cytoreduction in FIGO stage III/IV epithelial ovarian cancer and subsequent clinical ramifications

BACKGROUND

No residual disease (CC 0) following cytoreductive surgery is pivotal for the prognosis of women with advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Improving CC 0 resection rates without increasing morbidity and no delay in subsequent chemotherapy favors a better outcome in these women. Prerequisites to facilitate this surgical paradigm shift and subsequent ramifications need to be addressed. This quality improvement study assessed 559 women with advanced EOC who had cytoreductive surgery between January 2014 and December 2019 in our tertiary referral centre. Following implementation of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway and prehabilitation protocols, the surgical management paradigm in advanced EOC patients shifted towards maximal surgical effort cytoreduction in 2016. Surgical outcome parameters before, during, and after this paradigm shift were compared. The primary outcome measure was residual disease (RD). The secondary outcome parameters were postoperative morbidity, operative time (OT), length of stay (LOS) and progression-free-survival (PFS).

RESULTS

R0 resection rate in patients with advanced EOC increased from 57.3% to 74.4% after the paradigm shift in surgical management whilst peri-operative morbidity and delays in adjuvant chemotherapy were unchanged. The mean OT increased from 133 + 55 min to 197 + 85 min, and postoperative high dependency/intensive care unit (HDU/ICU) admissions increased from 8.1% to 33.1%. The subsequent mean LOS increased from 7.0 + 2.6 to 8.4 + 4.9 days. The median PFS was 33 months. There was no difference for PFS in the three time frames but a trend towards improvement was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Improved CC 0 surgical cytoreduction rates without compromising morbidity in advanced EOC is achievable owing to the right conditions. Maximal effort cytoreductive surgery should solely be carried out in high output tertiary referral centres due to the associated substantial prerequisites and ramifications.

Impact of Hospital Case Volume on Uterine Sarcoma Prognosis: SARCUT Study Subanalysis

BACKGROUND

High-complexity and low-prevalence procedures benefit from treatment by referral centers. The volume of cases necessary to maintain high training in the treatment of gynecologic sarcoma is currently unknown. This study aimed to determine differences in survival and recurrence as a function of the volume of patients treated per center.

METHODS

The multicentric cross-sectional SARComa of the Uterus (SARCUT) study retrospectively collected cases of uterine sarcomas from 44 centers in Europe from January 2001 to December 2007. The survival of patients treated in high case-volume (HighCV) centers was compared with the survival of patients treated in low case-volume (LowCV) centers.

RESULTS

The study enrolled 966 patients: 753 in the LowCV group and 213 in the HighCV. Overall survival (OS) was 117 months, and cancer-specific survival (CSS) was 126 months. The difference was significant (respectively p = 0.0003 and 0.0004, log rank). After adjustment for other confounding factors, the remaining significant factors were age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.05), histology (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.06-1.34), extrauterine involvement (HR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.24-2.10) and persistent disease after treatment (HR, 3.22; 95% CI, 2.49-4.18). The cytoreduction performed was significantly associated with the CSS and OS in both groups. The log rank for surgical cytoreduction was a p value lower than 0.0001 for OS, lower than 0.0001 for the LowCV centers, and 0.0032 for the HighCV centers.

CONCLUSIONS

The prognosis for patients with uterine sarcoma is directly related to complete tumor cytoreduction, histologic type, and FIGO stage, with significant differences between low and high case-volume centers. Patients with uterine sarcomas should be centralized in HighCV centers to improve their oncologic outcomes.

Impact of 2 years of COVID-19 pandemic on ovarian cancer treatment in IRCCS-AUSL of Reggio Emilia

OBJECTIVE

To assess compliance with the 2019 regional recommendation to centralize epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients and to assess whether the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the quality of care for EOC patients.

METHODS

We compared data from EOC patients treated before the introduction of the 2019 regional recommendation (2018-2019) with data obtained from EOC patients treated after the regional recommendation was adopted during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). Data were retrieved from the Optimal Ovarian Cancer Pathway records. R software version 4.1.2 (the R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) was used for the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

251 EOC patients were centralized. The number of EOC patients centralized increased from 2% to 49% despite the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval debulking surgery. There was an improvement in the percentage of Stage III patients without gross residual disease following both primary and interval debulking surgery. The percentage of EOC cases discussed by the multidisciplinary tumor board (MTB) increased from 66% to 89% of cases.

CONCLUSION

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, centralization has increased and the quality of care has been preserved thanks to the MTB.

Factors associated with emergency room readmission after elective surgery for ovarian carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hospital readmission is a quality metric of hospital care and has been studied in ovarian carcinoma, but its evaluation has several limitations. Also, emergency room (ER) readmission is considered an adverse effect because it represents patient costs. Therefore, our objective was to determine the rate of ER readmission, its causes, and associated factors.

METHODS

A retrospective study of 592 patients with ovarian carcinoma who underwent upfront surgery, neoadjuvant therapy, or surgery for recurrent disease. An analysis of factors associated with ER readmission, hospital readmission, and surgical complications was performed, including multivariate analysis to assess for case-mix factors.

RESULTS

Of 592 patients, the median age was 51 years, and the predominant type of treatment was the neoadjuvant approach (52.9%); 46% underwent upfront surgeries and six surgeries for recurrence. The ratio to ER readmission was 11.8% (70 patients), of whom 12 patients were admitted more than once. The factors associated with ER readmission were prolonged surgery, intraoperative bleeding, extended hospital stay, the time of the day when the surgery was performed, and post-surgical complications. The hospital readmissions were 4.2%, and the overall morbidity was 17.6%. In the multivariate analysis, the only factor associated with ER readmission was the presence of surgical complications (OR = 39.01). The factors independently associated with hospital readmission were the entrance to the intensive care unit (OR = 1.37), the presence of surgical complications (OR = 2.85), and ER readmission (OR = 1.45).

CONCLUSION

ER readmission is an adverse event representing the presence of symptoms/complications in patients. Evaluating the ER readmission independently of the readmission to the hospital is critical because it will allow modifying medical care behaviors to prevent patients from unnecessarily returning to the hospital after a hospital discharge to manage preventable medical problems.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

researchregistry7882.

Post-operative residual disease and number of cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The optimal number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles in patients with advanced ovarian cancer is still disputed.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of the number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles and role of optimal cytoreduction on the prognosis of patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Clinical and pathological details were examined. Patients were evaluated combining the number of cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy-namely, 'interval debulking surgery' after up to four neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles, and 'delayed debulking surgery' after more than four cycles of therapy.

RESULTS

A total of 286 patients were included in the study. Complete cytoreduction with no residual peritoneal disease (CC0) was achieved in 74 (74%) patients with interval debulking surgery and 124 (66.7%) patients with delayed interval debulking. Of those with residual disease, there were 26/88 (29.5%) patients in the interval debulking surgery group and 62/88 (70.5%) patients in the delayed debulking surgery group. Comparison of patients with delayed debulking-CC0 and interval debulking-CC0 showed no difference in progression-free survival (p=0.3) or overall survival (p=0.4), while significantly worse outcomes were observed in patients with interval debulking-CC1 (p=0.02 and p=0.04, respectively). Specifically, patients with interval debulking-CC1 had an approximately 67% increased risk of disease progression (p=0.04; HR=2.01 (95% CI 1.04 to 4.18)) and a 69% higher risk of death than patients with delayed debulking-CC0 (p=0.03; HR=2.34 (95% CI 1.11 to 4.67)).

CONCLUSION

Increasing the number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles does not worsen patient outcomes if complete resection is achieved. Nevertheless, additional prospective trials are necessary to establish the optimum number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles.

Surgery in Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background: The second cytoreductive surgery performed for a patient who has recurrent ovarian cancer remains controversial. Our study analyzes overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for cytoreductive surgery in addition to chemotherapy in recurrent ovarian cancer instead of chemotherapy alone. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted using PubMed and the Cochrane database of systematic reviews to select randomized controlled studies. In total, three randomized studies were used, employing a total of 1249 patients. Results: The results of our meta-analysis of these randomized controlled trials identified significant differences in OS (HR = 0.83, IC 95% 0.70-0.99, p < 0.04) and DFS (HR = 0.63, IC 95% 0.55-0.72, p < 0.000001). A subgroup analysis comparing complete cytoreductive surgery and surgery with residual tumor achieved better results for both OS (HR = 0.65, IC 95% 0.49-0.86, p = 0.002) and DFS (HR = 0.67, IC 95% 0.53-0.82, p = 0.0008), with statistical significance. Conclusions: A complete secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) in recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) demonstrates an improvement in the OS and DFS, and this benefit is most evident in cases where complete cytoreductive surgery is achieved. The challenge is the correct patient selection for secondary cytoreductive surgery to improve the results of this approach.

Spatial and temporal intra-tumoral heterogeneity in advanced HGSOC: Implications for surgical and clinical outcomes

Limited evidence exists on the impact of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) on tumor evolution, clinical outcomes, and surgical operability. We perform systematic multi-site tumor mapping at presentation and matched relapse from 49 high-tumor-burden patients, operated up front. From SNP array-derived copy-number data, we categorize dendrograms representing tumor clonal evolution as sympodial or dichotomous, noting most chemo-resistant patients favor simpler sympodial evolution. Three distinct tumor evolutionary patterns from primary to relapse are identified, demonstrating recurrent disease may emerge from pre-existing or newly detected clones. Crucially, we identify spatial heterogeneity for clinically actionable homologous recombination deficiency scores and for poor prognosis biomarkers CCNE1 and MYC. Copy-number signature, phenotypic, proteomic, and proliferative-index heterogeneity further highlight HGSOC complexity. This study explores HGSOC evolution and dissemination across space and time, its impact on optimal surgical cytoreductive effort and clinical outcomes, and its consequences for clinical decision-making.

Prediction of Surgical Outcome in Advanced Ovarian Cancer by Imaging and Laparoscopy: A Narrative Review

Maximal-effort upfront or interval debulking surgery is the recommended approach for advanced-stage ovarian cancer. The role of diagnostic imaging is to provide a systematic and structured report on tumour dissemination with emphasis on key sites for resectability. Imaging methods, such as pelvic and abdominal ultrasound, contrast-enhanced computed tomography, whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography, yield high diagnostic performance for diagnosing bulky disease, but they are less accurate for depicting small-volume carcinomatosis, which may lead to unnecessary explorative laparotomies. Diagnostic laparoscopy, on the other hand, may directly visualize intraperitoneal involvement but has limitations in detecting tumours beyond the gastrosplenic ligament, in the lesser sac, mesenteric root or in the retroperitoneum. Laparoscopy has its place in combination with imaging in cases where ima-ging results regarding resectability are unclear. Different imaging models predicting tumour resectability have been developed as an adjunctional objective tool. Incorporating results from tumour quantitative analyses (e.g., radiomics), preoperative biopsies and biomarkers into predictive models may allow for more precise selection of patients eligible for extensive surgery. This review will discuss the ability of imaging and laparoscopy to predict non-resectable disease in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

British Gynaecological Cancer Society Recommendations for Evidence Based, Population Data Derived Quality Performance Indicators for Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer survival in the UK lags behind comparable countries. Results from the ongoing National Ovarian Cancer Audit feasibility pilot (OCAFP) show that approximately 1 in 4 women with advanced ovarian cancer (Stage 2, 3, 4 and unstaged cancer) do not receive any anticancer treatment and only 51% in England receive international standard of care treatment, i.e., the combination of surgery and chemotherapy. The audit has also demonstrated wide variation in the percentage of women receiving anticancer treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, be it surgery or chemotherapy across the 19 geographical regions for organisation of cancer delivery (Cancer Alliances). Receipt of treatment also correlates with survival: 5 year Cancer survival varies from 28.6% to 49.6% across England. Here, we take a systems wide approach encompassing both diagnostic pathways and cancer treatment, derived from the whole cohort of women with ovarian cancer to set out recommendations and quality performance indicators (QPI). A multidisciplinary panel established by the British Gynaecological Cancer Society carefully identified QPI against criteria: metrics selected were those easily evaluable nationally using routinely available data and where there was a clear evidence base to support interventions. These QPI will be valuable to other taxpayer funded systems with national data collection mechanisms and are to our knowledge the only population level data derived standards in ovarian cancer. We also identify interventions for Best practice and Research recommendations.

Anastomotic Leakage after Colorectal Surgery in Ovarian Cancer: Drainage, Stoma Utility and Risk Factors

Objective: to evaluate the incidence of anastomotic leakage (AL), risk factors and utility of drainage and stoma in patients undergoing intestinal surgery for ovarian cancer in a single institution and in a review of the literature. Methods: retrospective study that includes consecutive patients undergoing debulking surgery with en bloc pelvic resection with rectosigmoid colectomy for ovarian cancer between 1 November 2011 and 31 December 2021. Data regarding patient and tumour characteristics, surgical procedure, hospitalisation, complications and follow-up were recorded and analysed. The PubMed database was explored for recent publications on this topic. Results: Seventy-five patients were enrolled in the study. All anastomoses were performed at a distance of >6 cm from the anal margin, with negative leak tests and tension-free anastomosis. Diverting stoma were performed in just three patients (4%). At least one perianastomotic pelvic drain was positioned in 71 patients (94.7%) and was removed on average on postoperative day 7. Four patients (5.3%) experienced AL. In all cases, the drain content was not the only sign of complication, as the clinical signs were also highly suggestive. Just one patient received conservative treatment. Average postoperative hospitalisation was 14.6 days (SD: ±9.7). There were no deaths at 30 and 60 days after surgery. Between the AL and non-AL groups, statistically significant differences were observed for age, Charlson Comorbidity Index, length of the intestinal resection and fitness for chemotherapy at 30 days. In ovarian cancer, rectosigmoid resection is a standardised procedure with comparable results for AL, and risk factors for AL are discretely homogeneous. What is neither homogeneous nor standardised according to the literature is the use of stomas and/or drains. Conclusion: use in the future of protective stoma and/or intra-abdominal drains is to be explored in selected and standardised situations to verify their preventive role.

Patient outcomes following interval and delayed cytoreductive surgery in advanced ovarian cancer: protocol for a multicenter, international, cohort study (Global Gynaecological Oncology Surgical Outcomes Collaborative)

BACKGROUND

The Global Gynecological Oncology Surgical Outcomes Collaborative (GO SOAR) has developed a network of gynecological oncology surgeons, surgical departments, and other interested parties that have the long-term ability to collaborate on outcome studies. Presented is the protocol for the GO SOAR2 study.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES

To compare survival following interval and delayed cytoreductive surgery, between delayed cytoreductive surgery and no surgery (chemotherapy alone); and international variations in access to cytoreductive surgery for women with stage III-IV epithelial ovarian cancer.

STUDY HYPOTHESES

There is no difference in survival following interval and delayed cytoreductive surgery; there is poorer survival with no surgery compared with delayed cytoreductive surgery; and there are international disparities in prevalent practice and access to cytoreductive surgery in women with stage III-IV epithelial ovarian cancer.

TRIAL DESIGN

International, multicenter, mixed-methods cohort study. Participating centers, will review medical charts/electronic records of patients who had been consecutively diagnosed with stage III-IV ovarian cancer between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2021. Qualitative interviews will be conducted to identify factors determining international variations in prevalent practice and access to cytoreductive surgery.

MAJOR INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Inclusion criteria include women with stage III-IV epithelial ovarian cancer, undergoing interval (after 3-4 cycles of chemotherapy) or delayed (≥5 cycles of chemotherapy) cytoreductive surgeries or no cytoreductive surgery (≥5 cycles of chemotherapy alone).

PRIMARY ENDPOINTS

Overall survival (defined from date of diagnosis to date of death); progression-free survival (defined from date of diagnosis to date of first recurrence); facilitator/barriers to prevalent practice and access to cytoreductive surgery.

SAMPLE SIZE

In order to determine whether there is a difference in survival following interval and delayed cytoreductive surgery and no surgery, data will be abstracted from 1000 patients.

ESTIMATED DATES FOR COMPLETING ACCRUAL AND PRESENTING RESULTS

It is estimated that recruitment will be completed by 2023, and results published by 2024.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT05523804.

Cost analysis of the enhanced recovery after surgery protocol applied in advanced ovarian cancer: A secondary outcome of the PROFAST trial

INTRODUCTION

A randomised trial implementing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) for high complexity advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) surgery (PROFAST) demonstrated a reduction of median length of stay and hospital readmissions when compared to patients managed conventionally. One secondary objective was to determine if an ERAS pathway in the perioperative management of advanced ovarian cancer patients led to cost savings.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Secondary objective of a prospective randomised trial of patients with suspected or diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer allocated to conventional or ERAS perioperative management, carried out at a referral centre from June 2014 to March 2018. Treatment was determined by a computer-generated random allocation system.

METHODS

Gross counting was employed to estimate the cost of hospitalisation in wards, intensive care unit (ICU) and surgical care, while micro-costing was used to obtain image and laboratory test costs. Mean costs between trial arms were considered. Sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Ninety-nine patients (n = 50 ERAS group, n = 49 Conventional group) were included. Mean costs per patient were 10,719€ in the ERAS group and 11,028€ in the conventional group, leading to an average saving of 309€ per patient. These results were based on 96 patients, excluding 3 extreme outliers mainly related with very high ICU costs. Savings, which were significant for hospital ward costs (-33% total; 759€ per patient in first hospitalisation, and 914€ per partient/day of readmission) were found as robust in the sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of an ERAS pathway leads to cost savings when compared to conventional management after AOC surgery.

SUCCOR quality: validation of ESGO quality indicators for surgical treatment of cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether compliance with European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) surgery quality indicators impacts disease-free survival in patients undergoing radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, 15 ESGO quality indicators were assessed in the SUCCOR database (patients who underwent radical hysterectomy for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage 2009 IB1, FIGO 2018 IB1, and IB2 cervical cancer between January 2013 and December 2014), and the final score ranged between 0 and 16 points. Centers with more than 13 points were classified as high-quality indicator compliance centers. We constructed a weighted cohort using inverse probability weighting to adjust for the variables. We compared disease-free survival and overall survival using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis in the weighted cohort.

RESULTS

A total of 838 patients were included in the study. The mean number of quality indicators compliance in this cohort was 13.6 (SD 1.45). A total of 479 (57.2%) patients were operated on at high compliance centers and 359 (42.8%) patients at low compliance centers. High compliance centers performed more open surgeries (58.4% vs 36.7%, p<0.01). Women who were operated on at centers with high compliance with quality indicators had a significantly lower risk of relapse (HR=0.39; 95% CI 0.25 to 0.61; p<0.001). The association was reduced, but remained significant, after further adjustment for conization, surgical approach, and use of manipulator surgery (HR=0.48; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.75; p=0.001) and adjustment for adjuvant therapy (HR=0.47; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.74; p=0.001). Risk of death from disease was significantly lower in women operated on at centers with high adherence to quality indicators (HR=0.43; 95% CI 0.19 to 0.97; p=0.041). However, the association was not significant after adjustment for conization, surgical approach, use of manipulator surgery, and adjuvant therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with early cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy in centers with high compliance with ESGO quality indicators had a lower risk of recurrence and death.

Primary Treatment Results in Patients with Ovarian, Fallopian or Peritoneal Cancer-Results of a Clinical Cancer Registry Database Analysis in Germany

Background: The current therapy of ovarian cancer is based on the so-called “Three-Pillar-Model”, consisting of surgery, chemotherapy and maintenance therapy. This study represents the first major analysis of a federal cancer database of OC patients from the states Berlin/Brandenburg in Germany. The primary objective was to evaluate the prevailing established quality indicators surgical outcome, adjuvant chemotherapy and integrity of surgical staging in early stages. Methods: Data from the Clinical Cancer Registry for Brandenburg and Berlin of the years 2009−2019 were analyzed. Objectives were defined by a working group of selected physicians. Descriptive statistics were performed, as well as survival analysis. Results: A total of 2771 primary OC cases were included. Results regarding histological subtype met the suspected allocation with predominantly high-grade serous OC in advanced stage. The rate of complete surgical staging in FIGO stages I−IIA was 57%, and the rate of macroscopic complete resection in >FIGO III was 53%. Five-year survival rate varied from 79% (FIGO I) to 40% (FIGO III). Rate of adjuvant chemotherapy was above 50%. Conclusion: The results elucidate quality measurements and treatment results and show good treatment outcomes in patients with primary diagnosis. However, they also indicate deficits and can help to establish new quality indicators to further improve the treatment.

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) predictive score for complete resection in primary cytoreductive surgery

OBJECTIVE

To assess the value of preoperative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) scan, combined with clinical variables, in predicting complete cytoreduction in selected patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

METHODS

We carried out a multicenter, observational, retrospective study evaluating patients who underwent primary cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer in two Spanish centers between January 2017 and January 2022. Inclusion criteria were histological confirmation of invasive epithelial ovarian carcinoma; preoperative International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III or IV; upfront cytoreductive surgery; and 18F-FDG PET/CT performed 1 month prior to surgery. A modified 18F-FDG PET/CT peritoneal cancer index score was calculated for all patients. Clinical variables and preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT findings were analyzed and a multivariate model was constructed. A predictive score based on the odds ratio of the variables was calculated to determine patient selection.

RESULTS

A total of 45 patients underwent primary cytoreductive surgery. Complete resection was achieved in 36 (80%) patients. On multivariate analysis, two clinical variables (age ≥58 years and American Society of Anesthesiology score ≥3) and two preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT scan findings (presence of extra-abdominal lymph node involvement and modified peritoneal cancer index value of 6 or more) were associated with gross residual disease. For this multivariate model predictive of non-complete cytoreduction, the area under the curve was 0.881. A predictive value of ≥5 was the most predictive cut-off for gross residual disease. Complete resection rate was 91.7% in patients with a score of ≤4 and 33.3% in patients with a score of ≥5 points on the predictive score.

CONCLUSIONS

In selected patients, a predictive score value ≥5 may be consider as a cut-off point for triaging patients to diagnostic laparoscopy before the primary surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Investigating the Impact of Ultra-Radical Surgery on Survival in Advanced Ovarian Cancer Using Population-Based Data in a Multicentre UK Study

We investigated URS and impact on survival in whole patient cohorts with AOC treated within gynaecological cancer centres that participated in the previously presented SOCQER 2 study. National cancer registry datasets were used to identify FIGO Stage 3,4 and unknown stage patients from 11 cancer centres that had previously participated in the SOCQER2 study. Patient outcomes’ association with surgical ethos were evaluated using logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards. Centres were classified into three groups based on their surgical complexity scores (SCS); those practicing mainly low complexity, (5/11 centres with >70% low SCS procedures, 759 patients), mainly intermediate (3/11, 35−50% low SCS, 356 patients), or mainly high complexity surgery (3/11, >35% high SCS, 356 patients). Surgery rates were 43.2% vs. 58.4% vs. 60.9%. across mainly low, intermediate and high SCS centres, respectively, p < 0.001. Combined surgery and chemotherapy rates were 39.2% vs. 51.8% vs. 38.3% p < 0.000 across mainly low, intermediate and high complexity groups, respectively. Median survival was 23.1 (95% CI 19.0 to 27.2) vs. 22.0 (95% CI 17.6 to 26.3) vs. 17.9 months (95% CI 15.7 to 20.1), p = 0.043 in mainly high SCS, intermediate, and low SCS centres, respectively. In an age and deprivation adjusted model, compared to patients in the high SCS centres, patients in the low SCS group had an HR of 1.21 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.40) for death. Mainly high/intermediate SCS centres have significantly higher surgery rates and better survival at a population level. Centres that practice mainly low complexity surgery should change practice. This study provides support for the utilization of URS for patients with advanced OC.

Collaborative centralization of gynaecological cancer care

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To discuss the benefits of centralization of gynaecological cancer care on patients and the healthcare system and how to overcome its barriers.

RECENT FINDINGS

Evidence demonstrates that adherence to clinical practice management guidelines is more likely; the risk of adverse events is lower; survival is improved; in young women fertility preservation is higher; and cost effectiveness is higher; in systems that employ centralized care for women with gynaecological cancer. Barriers to the uptake of centralized models include knowledge, attitude as well as deficient systems and processes, including a lack of governance and leadership. Collaborative centralization refers to a model that sees both elements (centralization and treatment closer to home) utilized at the patient level that addresses some of the barriers of centralized gynaecological cancer care.

SUMMARY

Evidence supports centralized gynaecological cancer care, as it results in reduced risks of adverse events, improved survival and higher fertility rates at lower cost to funders. Collaborative centralization is a process that considers both the value of centralization and collaboration amongst healthcare professionals at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of healthcare to benefit patient outcomes.

Factors Predicting Surgical Effort Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence in Advanced Stage Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

(1) Background: Surgical cytoreduction for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a complex procedure. Encompassed within the performance skills to achieve surgical precision, intra-operative surgical decision-making remains a core feature. The use of eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) could potentially interpret the influence of human factors on the surgical effort for the cytoreductive outcome in question; (2) Methods: The retrospective cohort study evaluated 560 consecutive EOC patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery between January 2014 and December 2019 in a single public institution. The eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Deep Neural Network (DNN) algorithms were employed to develop the predictive model, including patient- and operation-specific features, and novel features reflecting human factors in surgical heuristics. The precision, recall, F1 score, and area under curve (AUC) were compared between both training algorithms. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) framework was used to provide global and local explainability for the predictive model; (3) Results: A surgical complexity score (SCS) cut-off value of five was calculated using a Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve, above which the probability of incomplete cytoreduction was more likely (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.644; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.598−0.69; sensitivity and specificity 34.1%, 86.5%, respectively; p = 0.000). The XGBoost outperformed the DNN assessment for the prediction of the above threshold surgical effort outcome (AUC = 0.77; 95% [CI] 0.69−0.85; p < 0.05 vs. AUC 0.739; 95% [CI] 0.655−0.823; p < 0.95). We identified “turning points” that demonstrated a clear preference towards above the given cut-off level of surgical effort; in consultant surgeons with <12 years of experience, age <53 years old, who, when attempting primary cytoreductive surgery, recorded the presence of ascites, an Intraoperative Mapping of Ovarian Cancer score >4, and a Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Index >7, in a surgical environment with the optimization of infrastructural support. (4) Conclusions: Using XAI, we explain how intra-operative decisions may consider human factors during EOC cytoreduction alongside factual knowledge, to maximize the magnitude of the selected trade-off in effort. XAI techniques are critical for a better understanding of Artificial Intelligence frameworks, and to enhance their incorporation in medical applications.

Predictive biomarker for surgical outcome in patients with advanced primary high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Are we there yet? An analysis of the prospective biobank for ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common subtype of ovarian cancer and is associated with high mortality rates. Surgical outcome is one of the most important prognostic factors. There are no valid biomarkers to identify which patients may benefit from a primary debulking approach.

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to discover and validate a predictive panel for surgical outcome of residual tumor mass after first-line debulking surgery.

STUDY DESIGN

Firstly, "In silico" analysis of publicly available datasets identified 200 genes as predictors for surgical outcome. The top selected genes were then validated using the novel Nanostring method, which was applied for the first time for this particular research objective. 225 primary ovarian cancer patients with well annotated clinical data and a complete debulking rate of 60% were compiled for a clinical cohort. The 14 best rated genes were then validated through the cohort, using immunohistochemistry testing. Lastly, we used our biomarker expression data to predict the presence of miliary carcinomatosis patterns.

RESULTS

The Nanostring analysis identified 37 genes differentially expressed between optimal and suboptimal debulked patients (p < 0.05). The immunohistochemistry validated the top 14 genes, reaching an AUC Ø0.650. The analysis for the prediction of miliary carcinomatosis patterns reached an AUC of Ø0.797.

CONCLUSION

The tissue-based biomarkers in our analysis could not reliably predict post-operative residual tumor. Patient and non-patient-associated co-factors, surgical skills, and center experience remain the main determining factors when considering the surgical outcome at primary debulking in high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients.

Evaluation of perioperative management of advanced ovarian (tubal/peritoneal) cancer patients: a survey from MITO-MaNGO Groups

OBJECTIVE

The European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO)-quality indicators (QIs) for advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) have been assessed only by few Italian centers, and data are not available on the proportion of centers reaching the score considered for a satisfactory surgical management. There is great consensus that the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) approach is beneficial, but there is paucity of data concerning its application in AOC. This survey was aimed at gathering detailed information on perioperative management of AOC patients within MITO-MaNGO Groups.

METHODS

A 66-item questionnaire, covering ESGO-QIs for AOC and ERAS items, was sent to MITO/MaNGO centers reporting to operate >20 AOC/year.

RESULTS

Thirty/34 questionnaires were analyzed. The median ESGO-QIs score was 31.5, with 50% of centers resulting with a score ≥32 which provides satisfactory surgical management. The rates of concordance with ERAS guidelines were 46.6%, 74.1%, and 60.7%, respectively, for pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative items. The proportion of overall agreement was 61.3%, and with strong recommendations was 63.1%. Pre-operative diet, fasting/bowel preparation, correction of anaemia, post-operative feeding and early mobilization were the most controversial. A significant positive correlation was found between ESGO-QIs score and adherence to ERAS recommendations.

CONCLUSION

This survey reveals a satisfactory surgical management in only half of the centers, and an at least sufficient adherence to ERAS recommendations. Higher the ESGO-QIs score stronger the adherence to ERAS recommendations, underlining the correlations between case volume, appropriate peri-operative management and quality of surgery. The present study is a first step to build a structured platform for harmonization within MITO-MaNGO networks.

Novel Ex Vivo Models of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: The Future of Biomarker and Therapeutic Research

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a heterogenous disease associated with variations in presentation, pathology and prognosis. Advanced EOC is typified by frequent relapse and a historical 5-year survival of less than 30% despite improvements in surgical and systemic treatment. The advent of next generation sequencing has led to notable advances in the field of personalised medicine for many cancer types. Success in achieving cure in advanced EOC has however been limited, although significant prolongation of survival has been demonstrated. Development of novel research platforms is therefore necessary to address the rapidly advancing field of early diagnostics and therapeutics, whilst also acknowledging the significant tumour heterogeneity associated with EOC. Within available tumour models, patient-derived organoids (PDO) and explant tumour slices have demonstrated particular promise as novel ex vivo systems to model different cancer types including ovarian cancer. PDOs are organ specific 3D tumour cultures that can accurately represent the histology and genomics of their native tumour, as well as offer the possibility as models for pharmaceutical drug testing platforms, offering timing advantages and potential use as prospective personalised models to guide clinical decision-making. Such applications could maximise the benefit of drug treatments to patients on an individual level whilst minimising use of less effective, yet toxic, therapies. PDOs are likely to play a greater role in both academic research and drug development in the future and have the potential to revolutionise future patient treatment and clinical trial pathways. Similarly, ex vivo tumour slices or explants have also shown recent renewed promise in their ability to provide a fast, specific, platform for drug testing that accurately represents in vivo tumour response. Tumour explants retain tissue architecture, and thus incorporate the majority of tumour microenvironment making them an attractive method to re-capitulate in vivo conditions, again with significant timing and personalisation of treatment advantages for patients. This review will discuss the current treatment landscape and research models for EOC, their development and new advances towards the discovery of novel biomarkers or combinational therapeutic strategies to increase treatment options for women with ovarian cancer.

Explainable Artificial Intelligence for Prediction of Complete Surgical Cytoreduction in Advanced-Stage Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Complete surgical cytoreduction (R0 resection) is the single most important prognosticator in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) could clarify the influence of static and real-time features in the R0 resection prediction. We aimed to develop an AI-based predictive model for the R0 resection outcome, apply a methodology to explain the prediction, and evaluate the interpretability by analysing feature interactions. The retrospective cohort finally assessed 571 consecutive advanced-stage EOC patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery. An eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm was employed to develop the predictive model including mostly patient- and surgery-specific variables. The Shapley Additive explanations (SHAP) framework was used to provide global and local explainability for the predictive model. The XGBoost accurately predicted R0 resection (area under curve [AUC] = 0.866; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.8−0.93). We identified “turning points” that increased the probability of complete cytoreduction including Intraoperative Mapping of Ovarian Cancer Score and Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Index < 4 and <5, respectively, followed by Surgical Complexity Score > 4, patient’s age < 60 years, and largest tumour bulk < 5 cm in a surgical environment of optimized infrastructural support. We demonstrated high model accuracy for the R0 resection prediction in EOC patients and provided novel global and local feature explainability that can be used for quality control and internal audit.

Assessment of ESGO Quality Indicators in Cervical Cancer Surgery: A Real-World Study in a High-Volume Chinese Hospital

The ESGO developed a list of fifteen quality indicators for cervical cancer surgery in order to audit and improve clinical practice in 2020. However, data from the developing countries with high incidence rates of cervical cancer is still lacking. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study of 7081 cases diagnosed as cervical cancer between 2014 and 2019 in a Chinese single center according to the quality indicators proposed by ESGO. A total of 5952 patients underwent radical procedures, with an average of 992.0 per year. All surgeries were performed or supervised by a certified gynecologic oncologist as surgical qualification grading system has been established. Compared with the low-volume group, patients in the high-volume group (≥15 cases/year) had a shorter hospital stay (P<0.001), more free surgical margins (P=0.031), and less complications (P<0.001), but the 5-year recurrence-free survival and overall survival rates were similar (P>0.05). Treatment was not planned at a multidisciplinary team meeting but with the consultation system. The required preoperative workup was incomplete in 19.7% of patients with pelvic MRI and 45.7% of patients with PET-CT. A total of 1459 (20.6%) patients experienced at least one complication after surgery. The CDC grade IIIb or higher complications occurred in 80 patients, accounting for 5.5% complications. The urological fistula rate within 30 postoperative days were 0.3%. After primary surgical treatment, 97.4% patients had clear vaginal and parametrial margins. After restaging FIGO 2009 to FIGO 2018 system, 14.7% patients with a stage T1b disease were T-upstaged. After a median follow-up of 42 months, recurrence occurred in 448 patients, and 82.1% patients recurred within 2 years. The 2-year RFS rate of patients with pT1b1N0 was 97.3% in 2009 FIGO staging system. Lymph node staging was performed in 99.0% patients with a stage T1 disease. After a primary surgical treatment for a stage pT1b1N0 disease, 28.3% patients received adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Above all, most of quality indicators reached the targets, except four quality indicators. The quality indicators of ESGO should be popularized and applied in China to guarantee quality of surgery.

Preoperative staging of ovarian cancer: comparison between ultrasound, CT and whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI (ISAAC study)

OBJECTIVES

To compare the performance of transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound with that of the first-line staging method (contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT)) and a novel technique, whole-body magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion-weighted sequence (WB-DWI/MRI), in the assessment of peritoneal involvement (carcinomatosis), lymph-node staging and prediction of non-resectability in patients with suspected ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Between March 2016 and October 2017, all consecutive patients with suspicion of ovarian cancer and surgery planned at a gynecological oncology center underwent preoperative staging and prediction of non-resectability with ultrasound, CT and WB-DWI/MRI. The evaluation followed a single, predefined protocol, assessing peritoneal spread at 19 sites and lymph-node metastasis at eight sites. The prediction of non-resectability was based on abdominal markers. Findings were compared to the reference standard (surgical findings and outcome and histopathological evaluation).

RESULTS

Sixty-seven patients with confirmed ovarian cancer were analyzed. Among them, 51 (76%) had advanced-stage and 16 (24%) had early-stage ovarian cancer. Diagnostic laparoscopy only was performed in 16% (11/67) of the cases and laparotomy in 84% (56/67), with no residual disease at the end of surgery in 68% (38/56), residual disease ≤ 1 cm in 16% (9/56) and residual disease > 1 cm in 16% (9/56). Ultrasound and WB-DWI/MRI performed better than did CT in the assessment of overall peritoneal carcinomatosis (area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve (AUC), 0.87, 0.86 and 0.77, respectively). Ultrasound was not inferior to CT (P = 0.002). For assessment of retroperitoneal lymph-node staging (AUC, 0.72-0.76) and prediction of non-resectability in the abdomen (AUC, 0.74-0.80), all three methods performed similarly. In general, ultrasound had higher or identical specificity to WB-DWI/MRI and CT at each of the 19 peritoneal sites evaluated, but lower or equal sensitivity in the abdomen. Compared with WB-DWI/MRI and CT, transvaginal ultrasound had higher accuracy (94% vs 91% and 85%, respectively) and sensitivity (94% vs 91% and 89%, respectively) in the detection of carcinomatosis in the pelvis. Better accuracy and sensitivity of ultrasound (93% and 100%) than WB-DWI/MRI (83% and 75%) and CT (84% and 88%) in the evaluation of deep rectosigmoid wall infiltration, in particular, supports the potential role of ultrasound in planning rectosigmoid resection. In contrast, for the bowel serosal and mesenterial assessment, abdominal ultrasound had the lowest accuracy (70%, 78% and 79%, respectively) and sensitivity (42%, 65% and 65%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first prospective study to document that, in experienced hands, ultrasound may be an alternative to WB-DWI/MRI and CT in ovarian cancer staging, including peritoneal and lymph-node evaluation and prediction of non-resectability based on abdominal markers of non-resectability. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Machine Learning-Based Risk Prediction of Critical Care Unit Admission for Advanced Stage High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery: The Leeds-Natal Score

Achieving complete surgical cytoreduction in advanced stage high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients warrants an availability of Critical Care Unit (CCU) beds. Machine Learning (ML) could be helpful in monitoring CCU admissions to improve standards of care. We aimed to improve the accuracy of predicting CCU admission in HGSOC patients by ML algorithms and developed an ML-based predictive score. A cohort of 291 advanced stage HGSOC patients with fully curated data was selected. Several linear and non-linear distances, and quadratic discriminant ML methods, were employed to derive prediction information for CCU admission. When all the variables were included in the model, the prediction accuracies were higher for linear discriminant (0.90) and quadratic discriminant (0.93) methods compared with conventional logistic regression (0.84). Feature selection identified pre-treatment albumin, surgical complexity score, estimated blood loss, operative time, and bowel resection with stoma as the most significant prediction features. The real-time prediction accuracy of the Graphical User Interface CCU calculator reached 95%. Limited, potentially modifiable, mostly intra-operative factors contributing to CCU admission were identified and suggest areas for targeted interventions. The accurate quantification of CCU admission patterns is critical information when counseling patients about peri-operative risks related to their cytoreductive surgery.

Efficacy of maintenance olaparib plus bevacizumab according to clinical risk in patients with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer in the phase III PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial

OBJECTIVES

Adding maintenance olaparib to bevacizumab provided a significant progression-free survival (PFS) benefit in patients with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer in the randomized, double-blind PAOLA-1/ENGOT-ov25 trial (NCT02477644). We analyzed PFS by clinical risk and biomarker status.

METHODS

Patients received olaparib 300 mg twice daily for up to 24 months plus bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks for up to 15 months in total, or placebo plus bevacizumab. This post hoc exploratory analysis evaluated PFS in patients classified as higher risk (stage III with upfront surgery and residual disease or neoadjuvant chemotherapy; stage IV) or lower risk (stage III with upfront surgery and no residual disease), and by biomarker status.

RESULTS

Of 806 randomized patients, 74% were higher risk and 26% were lower risk. After a median 22.9 months of follow-up, PFS favored olaparib plus bevacizumab versus placebo plus bevacizumab in higher-risk patients (hazard ratio [HR] 0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.49-0.74) and lower-risk patients (0.46; 0.30-0.72). Olaparib plus bevacizumab provided a substantial PFS benefit versus bevacizumab alone in the homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-positive subgroup (higher risk: HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.28-0.54 and lower risk: 0.15; 0.07-0.30), with 24-month PFS rates in lower-risk patients of 90% versus 43%, respectively (Kaplan-Meier estimates).

CONCLUSIONS

In PAOLA-1, maintenance olaparib plus bevacizumab provided a substantial PFS benefit in HRD-positive patients with a reduction of risk of progression or death of 61% in the higher-risk group and of 85% in the lower-risk group compared with bevacizumab alone.

Validation analysis of the novel imaging-based prognostic radiomic signature in patients undergoing primary surgery for advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC)

BACKGROUND

Predictive models based on radiomics features are novel, highly promising approaches for gynaecological oncology. Here, we wish to assess the prognostic value of the newly discovered Radiomic Prognostic Vector (RPV) in an independent cohort of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients, treated within a Centre of Excellence, thus avoiding any bias in treatment quality.

METHODS

RPV was calculated using standardised algorithms following segmentation of routine preoperative imaging of patients (n = 323) who underwent upfront debulking surgery (01/2011-07/2018). RPV was correlated with operability, survival and adjusted for well-established prognostic factors (age, postoperative residual disease, stage), and compared to previous validation models.

RESULTS

The distribution of low, medium and high RPV scores was 54.2% (n = 175), 33.4% (n = 108) and 12.4% (n = 40) across the cohort, respectively. High RPV scores independently associated with significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.69; 95% CI:1.06-2.71; P = 0.038), even after adjusting for stage, age, performance status and residual disease. Moreover, lower RPV was significantly associated with total macroscopic tumour clearance (OR = 2.02; 95% CI:1.56-2.62; P = 0.00647).

CONCLUSIONS

RPV was validated to independently identify those HGSOC patients who will not be operated tumour-free in an optimal setting, and those who will relapse early despite complete tumour clearance upfront. Further prospective, multicentre trials with a translational aspect are warranted for the incorporation of this radiomics approach into clinical routine.

Insights into ovarian cancer care: report from the ANZGOG Ovarian Cancer Webinar Series 2020

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is among the top ten causes of cancer deaths worldwide, and is one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies in high income countries, with incidence and death rates expected to rise particularly in Asian countries where ovarian cancer is among the 5 most common cancers. Despite the plethora of randomised clinical trials investigating various systemic treatment options in EOC over the last few decades, both progression-free and overall survival have remained at approximately 16 and 40 months respectively. To date the greatest impact on treatment has been made by the use of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in women with advanced EOC and a BRCA1/2 mutation. Inhibition of PARP, the key enzyme in base excision repair, is based on synthetic lethality whereby alternative DNA repair pathways in tumor cells that are deficient in homologous recombination is blocked, rendering them unviable and leading to cell death. The Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) is the national gynecological cancer clinical trials organization for Australia and New Zealand. ANZGOG's purpose is to improve outcomes and quality of life for women with gynecological cancer through cooperative clinical trials and undertaking multidisciplinary research into the causes, prevention and treatments of gynecological cancer. This review summarizes current ovarian cancer research and treatment approaches presented by Australian and New Zealand experts in the field at the 2020 ANZGOG webinar series entitled “Ovarian Cancer systems of Care”.

Feature Selection is Critical for 2-Year Prognosis in Advanced Stage High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer by Using Machine Learning

Introduction

Accurate prediction of patient prognosis can be especially useful for the selection of best treatment protocols. Machine Learning can serve this purpose by making predictions based upon generalizable clinical patterns embedded within learning datasets. We designed a study to support the feature selection for the 2-year prognostic period and compared the performance of several Machine Learning prediction algorithms for accurate 2-year prognosis estimation in advanced-stage high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) patients.

Methods

The prognosis estimation was formulated as a binary classification problem. Dataset was split into training and test cohorts with repeated random sampling until there was no significant difference (p = 0.20) between the two cohorts. A ten-fold cross-validation was applied. Various state-of-the-art supervised classifiers were used. For feature selection, in addition to the exhaustive search for the best combination of features, we used the-chi square test of independence and the MRMR method.

Results

Two hundred nine patients were identified. The model's mean prediction accuracy reached 73%. We demonstrated that Support-Vector-Machine and Ensemble Subspace Discriminant algorithms outperformed Logistic Regression in accuracy indices. The probability of achieving a cancer-free state was maximised with a combination of primary cytoreduction, good performance status and maximal surgical effort (AUC 0.63). Standard chemotherapy, performance status, tumour load and residual disease were consistently predictive of the mid-term overall survival (AUC 0.63–0.66). The model recall and precision were greater than 80%.

Conclusion

Machine Learning appears to be promising for accurate prognosis estimation. Appropriate feature selection is required when building an HGSOC model for 2-year prognosis prediction. We provide evidence as to what combination of prognosticators leads to the largest impact on the HGSOC 2-year prognosis.