The Association between Primary Endometrioid Carcinoma of the Ovary and Synchronous Malignancy of the Endometrium

The research progress on synchronous endometrial and ovarian carcinoma

Synchronous endometrial and ovarian carcinoma (SEOC) is the most common combination of primary double cancer in the female reproductive system. The etiology and pathogenesis of SEOC remain unclear, and clinically, it is often misdiagnosed as metastatic cancer, affecting the formulation of treatment plans and prognosis for patients. This article provides a review of its epidemiology, pathological and clinical characteristics, risk factors, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

Uterine involvement in epithelial ovarian cancer and its risk factors

Background

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is an extremely aggressive and lethal carcinoma. Specific data that identify high-risk groups with uterine involvement are not available. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate a gross number of women with EOC to obtain the frequency of uterine involvement and its risk factors.

Methods

This retrospective observational study was conducted on 1900 histologically confirmed EOC women, diagnosed and treated in our tertiary hospital from March 2009 to September 2020. Data including their demographic, medical and pathological findings were collected.

Results

From 1900 histologically confirmed EOC women, 347 patients were eligible for participations. The mean age of study patients was 51.31 ± 11.37 years with the age range of 25 to 87 years. Uterine involvement was detected in 49.6% (173) of the patients either macroscopic (47.4%) or microscopic (52.6%) types.

Uterine involvement was significantly associated with having AUB (P-value = 0.002), histological type of ovary tumor (P-value < 0.001), ovarian cancer stage (P-value < 0.001), and abnormal CA-125 concentration (P-value = 0.004).

Compared to the other study patient, the patients with metastatic uterine involvement had significantly higher stage (p-value< 0.001), higher grade of ovary tumor (p-value = 0.008), serous histological type (p-value< 0.001), and a higher level of CA-125 concentration (p-value< 0.001).

on the other hand, the patients with synchronous uterine cancer were significantly younger (p-value = 0.013), nulliparous (p-value< 0.001), suffered from AUB symptoms (p-value< 0.001) and had endometroid histological type (p-value = 0.010) of ovary cancer in comparison to other study patients.

Conclusion

Considering the high prevalence of uterine involvement in EOC patients, ultrasound evaluation and/or endometrium biopsy assessment should be done before planning any treatment.

Multimodality Imaging Approach to Ovarian Neoplasms with Pathologic Correlation

Ovarian neoplasms can be categorized on the basis of histopathologic features into epithelial surface cell tumors, germ cell tumors, sex cord-stromal tumors, and metastases. While their imaging appearance is often nonspecific, it closely parallels the gross pathologic appearance, and radiologic-pathologic correlation is helpful to aid in a deeper understanding of the subtypes. Epithelial cell neoplasms are the most common category, and they can be benign, borderline, or malignant. Specific subtypes include serous (most common), mucinous, seromucinous, endometrioid, clear cell, Brenner, and undifferentiated. High-grade serous cystadenocarcinoma accounts for the majority of malignant ovarian tumors and the most ovarian cancer deaths. While serous neoplasms are often unilocular and bilateral, mucinous neoplasms are larger, unilateral, and multilocular. Solid components, thickened septa, and papillary projections, particularly with vascularity, indicate borderline or malignant varieties. Endometrioid and clear cell carcinomas can arise within endometriomas. Fibrous tumors (cystadenofibroma, adenofibroma, fibroma or fibrothecoma, and Brenner tumors) demonstrate low T2-weighted signal intensity of their solid components, while teratomas contain lipid. The nonspecific imaging appearance of additional malignant ovarian germ cell tumors can be narrowed with tumor marker profiles. Sex cord-stromal tumors are often solid, and secondary signs from their hormonal secretion can be a clue to their diagnosis. The authors review the anatomy of the ovary and distal fallopian tube, the proposed origins of the histologic subtypes of tumors, the clinical features and epidemiology of ovarian neoplasms, and the applications of US, CT, and MRI in imaging ovarian neoplasms. The main focus is on the radiologic and pathologic features of the multiple ovarian neoplasm subtypes. An algorithmic approach to the diagnosis of ovarian neoplasms is presented. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ^©RSNA, 2020.

Risk-based stratification of carcinomas concurrently involving the endometrium and ovary

OBJECTIVE

Determining whether carcinomas concurrently involving endometrium and ovary are independent primary tumors (IPTs) or endometrial carcinomas with ovarian metastases (at least stage IIIA endometrial cancers, IIIA-EC) using clinicopathologic criteria is often challenging. Recent genomic studies showed that most such tumors are clonally related. We sought to identify clinicopathologic features associated with clinical outcomes, and to separate women with these tumors into clinically low-risk and high-risk groups.

METHODS

We reviewed clinical and pathologic data from 74 women who, between 1993 and 2014, underwent primary surgery for endometrial cancer and had concurrent ovarian involvement.

RESULTS

The endometrial carcinomas were endometrioid (EECs, n = 41) or non-endometrioid (ENECs, n = 33). Nineteen (26%) cases were originally classified as IPTs using clinicopathologic criteria. Multivariate analysis revealed that lymph node involvement (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.38, 95% CI 1.13-5.02, p = 0.023) and non-endometrioid endometrial tumor histology (HR = 6.27, 95% CI 2.6-15.13, p < 0.001) were associated with poorer progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariate analysis of 65 women with known lymph node status revealed two prognostically distinct groups: a high-risk group comprising ENECs with ≥50% myometrial invasion irrespective of lymph node status (n = 21; median PFS 12.7 months, 95% CI, 9.24-19.8); and a low-risk group consisting of all EECs, as well as lymph node-negative ENECs with <50% myometrial invasion (n = 44, median PFS not reached). The risk-based classification was superior to the original classification of endometrial cancers as IPTs vs. IIIA-EC for predicting PFS (log-rank test, p < 0.001 vs. p = 0.07).

CONCLUSION

Our proposed risk-based stratification enables categorization of women with concurrent endometrial and ovarian tumors according to their likely clinical outcomes.

Endometriosis-associated Ovarian Cancers

Endometriosis-associated cancers include clear cell and endometrioid ovarian carcinoma. A history of endometriosis has long been considered to be a risk factor for later development of these malignancies; however, recent molecular genetic evidence has provided unequivocal evidence that these lesions are in fact the precursors for endometriosis-associated cancers. Herein, we will explore the relationship between endometriosis and ovarian carcinomas, similarities between the premalignant lesions and their cancerous counterparts, and the potential role of mutations and the ovarian microenvironment that may contribute to malignant transformation.

Comparison of clinicopathologic variables in coexistence cancers of the endometrium and ovary: A review of 55 cases in an academic center in Iran

Background:

The coexistence primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary are relatively uncommon. The purpose of this study was to characterize patients diagnosed primary synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer (SEOC), endometrial cancer (EC) with ovarian metastasis, and ovarian cancer (OC) with endometrial metastasis and compare clinicopathologic variables and prognosis.

Materials and Methods:

All the patients with diagnosis of both endometrium and OC, who hospitalized between 2002 and 2012 in an academic center affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, were evaluated with respect to different clinicopathologic variables, follow-up times, and outcomes.

Results:

Fifty-five patients had been diagnosed with both endometrium and OC. 17, 26, and 12 patients were diagnosed as SEOC, EC, and OC, respectively. The frequency of abnormal uterine bleeding was significantly lower in OC (16.7%) compared to others (58.8% in SEOC and 53.8% in EC). However, the abdominal/pelvic pain was significantly higher in OC (50%) compared to others (35.3% in SEOC and 34.6% in EC) (P < 0.05). Complex atypical hyperplasia (87.5%), endometriosis (88.8%), and endometrioid carcinoma (54.5%) was observed most in SEOC group. The duration of follow-up time was between 3 and 171 months with a mean of 16 months. There was no death in SEOC who followed. Survivals of patients between three group were statistically significant (P = 0.032).

Conclusion:

Our results showed that overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of SEOC patients is better than those with EC and OC (P = 0.032).

Differential vimentin expression in ovarian and uterine corpus endometrioid adenocarcinomas: diagnostic utility in distinguishing double primaries from metastatic tumors

This study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of vimentin expression in differentiating endometrioid adenocarcinoma of primary uterine corpus and ovarian origin. Immunohistochemical analyses for the expression of vimentin in tumoral epithelial cells were performed on 149 endometrioid adenocarcinomas wherein the primary sites were not in question, including whole tissue sections of 27 carcinomas of uterine corpus origin (and no synchronous ovarian tumor), 7 carcinomas of ovarian origin (and no synchronous uterine corpus tumor) and a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 91 primary uterine corpus and 24 primary ovarian carcinomas. We also assessed 15 cases that synchronously involved the uterine corpus and ovary, 15 cases of metastasis to organs/tissues other than uterine corpus or ovary as well as 7 lymph node metastases. Vimentin was negative in 97% (30/31) of primary ovarian carcinomas. In contrast, 82% (97/118) of primary uterine corpus carcinomas were vimentin-positive. Vimentin expression was discordant in 53% of synchronous tumors. The sensitivity and specificity of negative vimentin staining in predicting an ovarian primary were 97% and 82%, respectively, whereas parallel values for positive vimentin staining in predicting a primary uterine tumor were 82% and 97%, respectively. The pattern of vimentin expression in all cases was maintained in their respective regional lymph nodes and distant metastases. In conclusion, ovarian and uterine corpus endometrioid adenocarcinomas have different patterns of vimentin expression. If validated in larger and/or different data sets, these findings may have diagnostic value in distinguishing metastatic lesions from double primary tumors involving both sites.

A gene expression profile test for the differential diagnosis of ovarian versus endometrial cancers

We have developed a gene expression profile test (Pathwork Tissue of Origin Endometrial Test) that distinguishes primary epithelial ovarian and endometrial cancers in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens using a 316–gene classification model. The test was validated in a blinded study using a pre-specified algorithm and microarray files for 75 metastatic, poorly differentiated or undifferentiated specimens with a known ovarian or endometrial cancer diagnosis. Measures of test performance include a 94.7% overall agreement with the known diagnosis, an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.997 and a diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of 406. Ovarian cancers (n=30) gave an agreement of 96.7% with the known diagnosis while endometrial cancers (n=45) gave an agreement of 93.3%. In a precision study, concordance in test results was 100%. Reproducibility in test results between three laboratories was 94.3%. The Tissue of Origin Endometrial Test can aid in resolving important differential diagnostic questions in gynecologic oncology.

Incidence and factors associated with synchronous ovarian and endometrial cancer: a population-based case-control study

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the incidence of synchronous endometrial cancer (EC) and ovarian cancer (OC) in the female population, among all women with EC, and in women under 50 years of age with EC, and to identify factors associated with synchronous EC/OC.

METHODS

All cases of synchronous EC/OC and EC diagnosed in women residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota between 1/1/1945 and 12/31/2008 were identified. Incidence was estimated using the population denominator from decennial census data, corrected for hysterectomy prevalence. A case-control study using 15 identified cases (EC/OC) and 45 controls (EC alone) was performed.

RESULTS

The incidence of synchronous EC/OC and EC (age-adjusted to the 2000 US female total and corrected for hysterectomy prevalence) in 1945-2008 was 0.88 and 30.3 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. Among women under 50 years of age, the corrected incidence of EC/OC and EC was 0.51 and 5.1 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. Among all women with EC, 3.1% had a synchronous OC compared to 9.4% of women under 50 years of age with EC. Patients with synchronous EC/OC were more likely than those with EC alone to present with a pelvic mass (57.1% vs. 8.9%, p<0.001). Patients with EC alone were more likely to have used oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) than synchronous EC/OC cases (22.7% vs 0%; Odds ratio, 0.10; 95% CI, <0.01-0.87).

CONCLUSION

Although the incidence of synchronous EC/OC in the general population is lower than previously reported, nearly 1 in 10 women diagnosed with EC under 50 years of age will have a synchronous OC.

Differential analysis of ovarian and endometrial cancers identifies a methylator phenotype

Despite improved outcomes in the past 30 years, less than half of all women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer live five years beyond their diagnosis. Although typically treated as a single disease, epithelial ovarian cancer includes several distinct histological subtypes, such as papillary serous and endometrioid carcinomas. To address whether the morphological differences seen in these carcinomas represent distinct characteristics at the molecular level we analyzed DNA methylation patterns in 11 papillary serous tumors, 9 endometrioid ovarian tumors, 4 normal fallopian tube samples and 6 normal endometrial tissues, plus 8 normal fallopian tube and 4 serous samples from TCGA. For comparison within the endometrioid subtype we added 6 primary uterine endometrioid tumors and 5 endometrioid metastases from uterus to ovary. Data was obtained from 27,578 CpG dinucleotides occurring in or near promoter regions of 14,495 genes. We identified 36 locations with significant increases or decreases in methylation in comparisons of serous tumors and normal fallopian tube samples. Moreover, unsupervised clustering techniques applied to all samples showed three major profiles comprising mostly normal samples, serous tumors, and endometrioid tumors including ovarian, uterine and metastatic origins. The clustering analysis identified 60 differentially methylated sites between the serous group and the normal group. An unrelated set of 25 serous tumors validated the reproducibility of the methylation patterns. In contrast, >1,000 genes were differentially methylated between endometrioid tumors and normal samples. This finding is consistent with a generalized regulatory disruption caused by a methylator phenotype. Through DNA methylation analyses we have identified genes with known roles in ovarian carcinoma etiology, whereas pathway analyses provided biological insight to the role of novel genes. Our finding of differences between serous and endometrioid ovarian tumors indicates that intervention strategies could be developed to specifically address subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Routine Hysterectomy in the Surgical Management of Ovarian Cancer: A Retrospective Case Series, Physician Opinion Survey, and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Current international guidelines recommend routine hysterectomy in the initial surgical management of epithelial ovarian cancer. However, there seems to be limited evidence to support these recommendations. We examined the data for a series of women undergoing hysterectomy as part of surgical management of ovarian cancer. Most of the women who underwent hysterectomy had no macroscopic uterine involvement in the ovarian cancer. However, almost half of them had macroscopic residual disease at completion of cytoreductive surgery. The incidence of synchronous primary endometrial cancers was 5%, and preoperative ultrasound had a sensitivity of 82% for predicting endometrial pathology. We also surveyed the members of the Australian Society of Gynaecological Oncologists (ASGO) regarding the role of hysterectomy in the management of ovarian cancer. Most of the respondents indicated that they believe hysterectomy should be routinely performed in the management of ovarian cancer but acknowledge that there is a lack of evidence to support the practice.

Endometrial carcinomas: a review emphasizing overlapping and distinctive morphological and immunohistochemical features

This review focuses on the most common diagnostic pitfalls and helpful morphologic and immunohistochemical markers in the differential diagnosis between the different subtypes of endometrial carcinomas, including: (1) endometrioid versus serous glandular carcinoma, (2) papillary endometrioid (not otherwise specified, villoglandular and nonvillous variants) versus serous carcinoma, (3) endometrioid carcinoma with spindle cells, hyalinization, and heterologous components versus malignant mixed müllerian tumor, (4) high-grade endometrioid versus serous carcinoma, (5) high-grade endometrioid carcinoma versus dedifferentiated or undifferentiated carcinoma, (6) endometrioid carcinoma with clear cells versus clear cell carcinoma, (7) clear cell versus serous carcinoma, (8) undifferentiated versus neuroendocrine carcinoma, (9) carcinoma of mixed cell types versus carcinoma with ambiguous features or variant morphology, (10) Lynch syndrome-related endometrial carcinomas, (11) high-grade or undifferentiated carcinoma versus nonepithelial uterine tumors. As carcinomas in the endometrium are not always primary, this review also discusses the differential diagnosis between endometrial carcinomas and other gynecological malignancies such as endocervical (glandular) and ovarian/peritoneal serous carcinoma, as well as with extra-gynecologic metastases (mainly breast and colon).

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma types and the coexistence of ovarian tumor conditions

Objective. Ovarian carcinomas are presumed to arise within ovarian inclusion cysts or from a coexisting epithelial lesion in the ovary. Insight may be gained by relating different subtypes of ovarian cancer with the presence of coexisting tumor-like conditions. Methods. The Dutch nation-wide pathology database PALGA (Pathologisch Anatomisch Landelijk Geautomatiseerd Archief) identified the various histopathological subtypes of ovarian cancer in 824 patients diagnosed in 1996–2003, and recorded the presence of epithelial tumor conditions around the ovarian tumors. In addition, a PALGA database of all 153 consecutive patients referred to the Nijmegen University Medical Centre in 2007 for histopathological work-up was analyzed. Results. The prevalence of coexisting ovarian tumor conditions was 16.4% (135 out of 824 patients, (95% CI: 8.4%–24.4%)). The coexistence was highest for endometrioid, mucinous, clear cell, and borderline malignancies. The referral group revealed 35% (54 out of 153 patients, (95% CI: 28%–42%)) of coexisting epithelial ovarian tumor conditions. Conclusion. One in six patients with a malignant ovarian tumor has a coexisting epithelial tumor condition in the ovary, which is also rather frequently observed in the diagnostic work-up practice.

Epithelial ovarian cancer and the occurrence of skin cancer in the Netherlands: histological type connotations

Background. Patients with epithelial ovarian cancer have a high risk of (non-)melanoma skin cancer. The association between histological variants of primary ovarian cancer and skin cancer is poorly documented. Objectives. To further evaluate the risk of skin cancer based on the histology of the epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods. A cross-sectional study within a large population-based dataset. Results. Skin cancer was found in 2.7% (95% CI: 2.3–3.1) of the 5366 individuals forming our dataset. The odds ratio (OR) for endometrioid cancer in the ovary to skin cancer in the under 50 age group was 8.9 (95% CI: 3.2–25.0). The OR decreased in older patients to 1.2. Conclusions. Patients with epithelial ovarian malignancies show an increased risk of skin cancer. A significantly increased risk (4.3%) for endometrioid ovarian cancer was found in the group aged under 50.