Imiquimod therapy for extramammary Paget's disease of the vulva: a viable non-surgical alternative

Anatomic Subtype Differences in Extramammary Paget Disease: A Meta-Analysis

Importance

Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare, highly recurrent cutaneous malignant neoplasm of unclear origin. EMPD arises most commonly on the vulvar and penoscrotal skin. It is not presently known how anatomic subtype of EMPD affects disease presentation and management.

Objective

To compare demographic and tumor characteristics and treatment approaches for different EMPD subtypes. Recommendations for diagnosis and treatment are presented.

Data Sources

MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cochrane Reviews CENTRAL from December 1, 1990, to October 24, 2022.

Study Selection

Articles were excluded if they were not in English, reported fewer than 3 patients, did not specify information by anatomic subtype, or contained no case-level data. Metastatic cases on presentation were also excluded.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Abstracts of 1295 eligible articles were independently reviewed by 5 coauthors, and 135 articles retained. Reporting was in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. The analysis was cunducted in August 2019 and updated in November 2022.

Findings

Most vulvar EMPD cases were asymptomatic, and diagnosis was relatively delayed (mean, 25.1 months). Although most vulvar EMPD cases were intraepidermal (1247/1773 [70.3%]), radical surgeries were still performed in almost one-third of cases. Despite this aggressive surgical approach, 481 of 1423 (34%) recurred, commonly confined to the skin and mucosa (177/198 [89.4%]). By contrast, 152 of 1101 penoscrotal EMPD cases (14%) recurred, but more than one-third of these recurrences were regional or associated with distant metastases (54 of 152 [35.5%]). Perianal EMPD cases recurred in one-third of cases (74/218 [33.9%]), with one-third of these recurrences being regional or associated with distant metastasis (20 of 74 [27.0%]). Perianal EMPD also had the highest rate of invasive disease (50% of cases).

Conclusions and Relevance

The diagnosis and treatment of EMPD should differ based on anatomic subtypes. Considerations for updated practice may include less morbid treatments for vulvar EMPD, which is primarily epidermal, and close surveillance for local recurrence in vulvar EMPD and metastatic recurrence in perianal EMPD. Recurrences in penoscrotal subtype were less common, and selective surveillance in this subtype may be considered. Limitations of this study include the lack of replication cohorts and the exclusion of studies that did not stratify outcomes by anatomic subtype.

Vulvar Paget’s Disease: A Systematic Review of the MITO Rare Cancer Group

Vulvar Paget’s disease (VPD) is a rare form of cutaneous adenocarcinoma of the vulva, which accounts for about 1–2% of all vulvar neoplasms and mainly affects post-menopausal women. The clinical presentation is usually non-specific and mimics chronic erythematous skin lesions; therefore, the diagnosis is often difficult and delayed. Although VPD is typically diagnosed at a locally advanced stage and has a high recurrence rate, the prognosis is overall favorable with a 5-year survival of nearly 90%. Due to the limited and poor-quality evidence, there is no global consensus on optimal management. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of the literature through the main electronic databases to deepen the current knowledge of this rare disease and discuss the available treatment strategies. Wide surgical excision is recommended as the standard-of-care treatment and should be tailored to the tumor position/extension and the patient’s performance status. The goal is to completely remove the tumor and achieve clear margins, thus reducing the rate of local recurrences. Non-surgical treatments, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and topical approaches, can be considered, especially in the case of unresectable and recurrent disease. In the absence of clear recommendations, the decision-making process should be individualized, also considering the new emerging molecular targets, such as HER2 and PD-L1, which might pave the way for future targeted therapies. The current review aims to raise awareness of this rare disease and encourage international collaboration to collect larger-scale, high-quality evidence and standardize treatment.

Medical and Surgical Strategies in Vulvar Paget Disease: Let's Throw Some Light!

BACKGROUND

Vulvar Paget's disease (VPD) is defined as a neoplasm of epithelial origin, mostly in postmenopausal women. Due to the extreme rarity of VPD, limited data about recommended treatment options are available. Surgical excision has been the treatment of choice although in the recent decade medical treatments have been proposed.

METHODS

A systematic computerized search of the literature was performed in the main electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library), from 2003 to September 2022, in order to analyze all medical and surgical strategies used for the treatment of VPD.

RESULTS

Thirty-four articles were included in this review with findings as follows: 390 patients were treated with medical or other conservative treatment while 2802 patients were treated surgically; 235/434 (54%) patients had a complete response, 67/434 (15%) a partial response, 10/434 (2.3%) a stable disease, 3/434 (0.7%) disease progress, 3/434 (0.7%) died of the disease, 55/434 (13%) died of other causes during follow up while 7/434 (1.6%) had to stop topical treatments with 5% imiquimod cream because of side effects; 239/434 patients (55%) had a recurrence and 11/434 (2.5%) were lost to follow-up. The length of follow-up was variable, according to the different studies analyzed.

CONCLUSION

VPD is a chronic disease with a high recurrence rate and low mortality. There are no significant differences in recurrence rates in patients who undergo surgery and those who do not and the margin status at the time of primary surgery and recurrence. Several surgical and medical approaches providing both local control of the disease and minimal tissue damage have been developed. Clock mapping, a recent preoperative vulvo-vaginal workup tool, can predict the invasiveness and the extension of VPD. However, to date, due to the different treatment options available and in the absence of a global consensus, it is critical to tailor treatments to individual patient characteristics and biopsy histopathologic findings, to ensure the best type of therapy.

Vulval extra-mammary Paget's disease: the master of disguise revealed

Extra-mammary Paget's disease is a rare cancer affecting the anogenital region and can present with a myriad of symptoms. In women, the diagnosis of Paget's disease can be challenging as it mimics several other vulval conditions. It is important to promptly recognise this disease because of its potential association with synchronous tumours, such as colorectal adenocarcinoma. The mainstay of treatment is with immunomodulating therapies or surgery, but unfortunately the risk of recurrence is high and appears to be independent of treatment choice and tissue margin status. There is growing evidence to move away from traditional surgical excision to using topical therapy, such as imiquimod, as surgery can often be extensive and disfiguring with a prolonged recovery time. There is considerable psychosexual and physical morbidity associated with Paget's disease, largely owing to multiple surgical recurrences. As recurrences can occur several years after the initial presentation, long-term follow up of patients is recommended.

Efficacy and safety of HpD-PDT for Extramammary Paget's Disease refractory to conventional therapy: A prospective, open-label and single arm pilot study

BACKGROUND

Extramammary Paget's Disease (EMPD) is an intraepithelial cancer that is prone to recurrence and sometimes refractory to therapy. A few EMPD cases have been treated with Photodynamic therapy (PDT), which reported high complete remission (CR) rates and low recurrence with hematoporphyrin derivatives (HpD) The aim of this study was to further explore the efficacy and safety of HpD-PDT for EMPD patients.

METHODS

Open-label, single arm, pilot study was designed to investigate the role of HpD-PDT in EMPD. The HpD sensitizer was given intravenously at a dose of 3 or 5 mg/kg 48 h before light irradiation with a laser 630 nm red light at a dose level of 150-200 J/cm². Clinical parameters involving gender, age, disease course, previous treatment, tumor thickness, long diameter of lesion, TNM staging, EMPD staging, HpD dosage, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, 1st month visit result, subsequent treatment, follow up period and endpoint outcomes were collected to evaluate efficacy and safety of the intervention.

RESULTS

Eleven patients with pathologic confirmed EMPD were treated with HpD-PDT. The thickness of skin lesions which were located in vulva, penis, scrotum, and perianal area is 0.8∼6.7 mm (mean thickness 2.9 mm). All patients were followed up for an average of 17.4 months (12∼27 months). Complete remission (CR) rate and partial remission (PR) rate at the 1st month were 90.1% (10/11) and 9.1% (1/11) respectively. At the end of follow-up, 72.7% of the subjects (8/11) showed CR. Pain, infection, photosensitivity and uroschesis are recorded as adverse events (AEs) in this population, and no event of hepatic impairment was reported. After treatment, all the eleven patients showed different degrees of scar in the treatment site, but none of them had any structural or functional abnormalities.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our study, HpD-PDT in EMPD is able to offer acceptable disease outcomes including relatively high CR rate, with good cosmetic and functional outcomes, and could be considered a potential recommended therapy for patients with EMPD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Register (ChiCTR-1900024965).

Treatment of Cutaneous Melanoma Harboring SMO p.Gln216Arg Mutation with Imiquimod: An Old Drug with New Results

Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer and its incidence is growing worldwide. In the last ten years, the therapeutic scenario of this disease has been revolutionized by the introduction of targeted therapies and immune-checkpoint inhibitors. However, in patients with many lesions and bulky tumors, in which surgery is no longer feasible, there is a need for new treatment options. Here we report, for the first time to our knowledge, a clinical case where a melanoma patient harboring the SMO p.Gln216Arg mutation has been treated with imiquimod, showing a complete and durable response. To better explain this outstanding response to the treatment, we transfected a melanoma cell line (MeWo) with the SMO p.Gln216Arg mutation in order to evaluate its role in response to the imiquimod treatment. Moreover, to better demonstrate that the antitumor activity of imiquimod was due to its role in suppressing the oncogenic SMO signaling pathway, independently of its immune modulating function, an in vivo experiment has been performed. This clinical case opens up a new scenario for the treatment of melanoma patients identifying a new potentially druggable target.

Nonsurgical Treatments for Extramammary Paget Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Surgery is commonly regarded as the mainstay of treatment of extramammary Paget disease (EMPD); however, nonsurgical approaches have gained popularity in recent years.

OBJECTIVES

To review the published evidence for the efficacy and safety of nonsurgical modes of therapy for EMPD.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of nonsurgical EMPD treatments was performed. The primary outcome was complete response (CR); secondary outcomes were clinical regression by ≥50%, adverse events, and recurrence rate.

RESULTS

The systematic review included 43 observational studies (341 patients; 7 prospective cohort studies, 19 retrospective cohort studies, and 17 cases series) evaluating 5 treatment modalities. Imiquimod (13 studies, 110 patients) administered at variable doses ranging from daily to twice weekly for 2-56 weeks demonstrated CR of 54% (95% CI, 40-67%; I2 = 37%) and had a satisfactory safety profile. In 14 heterogeneous studies (122 patients) evaluating photodynamic therapy (PDT), only 36% (95% CI, 22-53%; I2 = 52%) of patients achieved CR. Radiotherapy (12 studies, 67 patients) showed CR of 97%, but was associated with local and systemic side effects. Ablative lasers and topical fluorouracil and calcipotriene lacked adequate evidence of efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

Imiquimod and radiotherapy are the most appropriate nonsurgical modalities for EMPD treatment given their good efficacy and safety profile. PDT has limited efficacy but may be appropriate in selected clinical settings.

A primer on extramammary Paget's disease for the urologist

Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is a rare and lethal intraepithelial malignancy that remains poorly understood. No standardized guidelines or consensus statements exist with regards to the diagnostic evaluation, therapeutic approaches and follow-up management. Complete surgical excision with negative margins has been accepted as the mainstay of treatment for EMPD to decrease the risk of local recurrence and to maximize durable cure. Non-invasive therapies, such as laser therapy, photodynamic therapy, radiotherapy and topical chemotherapy have been utilized, but are best reserved for non-surgical candidates. While the debate on the surgical approach between wide local excision (WLE) and Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) continues, several studies have demonstrated the ability of WLE to be performed safely and effectively and to yield equally satisfactory outcomes with similar rates of recurrence to MMS. Patients undergoing surgical excision often require complex closures with skin grafting or local flaps to close genital defects. We aim to provide an up-to-date review of the current knowledge of EMPD. In addition to discussing the clinical presentation and prognostic outcomes, we focus and elaborate on the diagnostic approaches and treatment alternatives available. This information may serve as a primer for the urologist who may be called upon to treat this malignancy primarily or to provide wound coverage secondarily.

Exploratory Assessment of Oxygen Flow-Assisted Cutaneous Administration of Methotrexate for Superficial Basal Cell Carcinoma, Mycosis Fungoides, and Extramammary Paget Disease

The molecular weight of methotrexate (MTX) makes cutaneous penetration difficult. Oxygen flow could enhance the skin permeation of MTX diluted in the proprietary LP3 carrier system. This pilot study aims to assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerance of oxygen flow-assisted LP3-MTX3% for treating superficial skin cancers. Patients with superficial basal cell carcinoma (n = 12), extramammary Paget disease (n = 5), classic mycosis fungoides (MF; n = 10), and folliculotropic MF (n = 6) were included in the study and were treated with four weekly applications of oxygen flow-assisted LP3-MTX3%. Photographs and biopsies were performed before and one month after treatment. At one month after treatment, the mean superficial basal cell carcinoma erythema-crusting-thickness clinical score, the extramammary Paget disease erythema-oozing-scaling/hyperkeratosis-pain/pruritus clinical score, and the modified composite assessment of index lesion severity classic MF and folliculotropic MF scores were improved by 77.5% ± 17.1% (P < 0.0001), 66.7% ± 22.9% (P = 0.011), 51.3% ± 32.2% (P = 0.0007), and 27.8% ± 32.0% (P = 0.086), respectively. At one month after treatment, histology revealed partial and total clearances for superficial basal cell carcinoma (1/12, 11/12), extramammary Paget disease (4/5, 1/5), classic MF (8/10, 2/10), and folliculotropic MF (6/6, 0/6). Tolerance was excellent and no pain was observed. MTX was never detectable in serum at baseline and 1, 2, 3, 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours post-treatment. In conclusion, the interesting therapeutic efficacy of oxygen flow-assisted LP3-MTX3% for treating superficial basal cell carcinoma, extramammary Paget disease, and MF lesions prompts further studies on a larger scale.

Cutaneous Metastasis of Internal Tumors

Cutaneous metastasis portends a poor prognosis. Therefore, a high clinical index of suspicion is necessary so that a clinician knows how to recognize the presentation of a cutaneous metastasis, while the pathologist must know the appropriate stains to order. In this review, the authors summarize the common and uncommon ways that these tumors will present. Frequently a metastatic cancer will present as a firm red nodule or as a plaque, ulcer, or papule. Less commonly they will present with a clinical clue that can alert a clinician to a likely diagnosis; these manifestations include alopecic, vesicular, blue color, sclerodermoid, acrochordon-, or pellagra-like.

Paget’s Disease of the Vulva: A Review of 20 Years’ Experience

Background

Extramammary Paget’s disease is a rare condition, and the vulva is a common site for it to occur. Despite this, there is a paucity of literature on Paget’s disease of the vulva (VPD). A Cochrane meta-analysis could not draw any conclusions on interventions in VPD. Our aim was to review our practice and improve further management of VPD in our center.

Methods

We reviewed all the cases presented to Leeds Gynaecological Oncology Centre between 1988 and 2016. All cases identified in this interval were followed up until April 2016. All case notes and electronic patient data were retrieved to collate the data.

Results

We identified 18 cases of VPD. The median age at presentation was 76.9 years. Primary surgery was used in 18 cases. Eight patients had wide local excision with graft reconstruction. Ten women had wide local excision with primary reconstruction. Margins were negative in 27% of the excisions. Sixty percent of patients with clear surgical margins had a recurrence, and 69% of patients with positive margins had a recurrence; there was no statistical difference between the 2 groups for recurrence (P > 0.05). Fifty-eight percent of patients who had recurrence had coexisting malignancy. Logistic regression showed no correlation of recurrence rates due to either age, margin status, or coexisting malignancies.

Conclusions

Paget’s disease of the vulva is a rare condition. Our experience indicates that most cases may be amenable to surgical treatment at first presentation. Negative margin status does not reduce the chance of recurrence, and hence patients should be under follow-up for life. The benefit of radical surgery in the absence of reduced recurrences, based on margin status, is questionable. Radiotherapy and imiquimod are options for extensive lesions or recurrent settings. Coexisting malignancies are associated with VPD.

Imiquimod - Its role in the treatment of cutaneous malignancies

Imiquimod is a synthetic imidazoquinolone amine, which has potent immune response modifier activity, when topically used. This characteristic property of imiquimod has led to its use in a number of applications in dermatology, particularly in cutaneous malignancies, where it has been found to be effective and safe. Currently, additional mechanisms for its activity in actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, and invasive squamous cell carcinoma have been elucidated. Its usage for cutaneous metastasis in breast cancer has been a further addition to its therapeutic armamentarium recently.

Effects of imiquimod on vulvar Paget's disease: a systematic review of literature

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effectiveness of topical imiquimod therapy for vulvar Paget's disease.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using three public search engines with entry keywords "Paget's disease" and "imiquimod". Case reports describing imiquimod treatment for vulvar Paget's disease were examined for demographics, treatment patterns, and outcome (63 cases).

RESULTS

Median age was 68, and nearly a half of cases were recurrent disease (50.8%) with surgical resection being the most common prior treatment modality (62.5%). All cases used 5% imiquimod and the median treatment duration was 4months. The most common initial treatment frequency was 3-4times/week (68.3%) followed by 5-7 (17.4%) and 1-2times/week (14.3%). Frequency-reduction due to adverse effects was seen in 9.5% with the initial 5-7times/week regimen being associated with the highest reduction rate (1-2, 3-4, and 5-7times/week: 0%, 2.3%, and 81.8%, p<0.01). In 46 (73.0%) cases, a complete remission (CR) to imiquimod therapy was reported, with 2, 4, and 6-month cumulative CR rates being 9.8%, 31.1%, and 71.6%, respectively. With median follow-up duration of 12months after the completion of imiquimod treatment, 2 (5.7%) of the 35 women who had a CR developed disease recurrence. Age, disease status (primary versus recurrent), and treatment frequency after dose reduction were not associated with CR rates (all, p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that imiquimod therapy may be an effective possible treatment option for vulvar Paget's disease, especially for women who have experienced recurrence after multiple surgical resections or who are with poor surgical candidates.

Treatment of primary vulvar paget disease with 5% imiquimod cream

INTRODUCTION

Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of conservative treatment with imiquimod in Paget vulvar disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We describe a case series that includes 10 patients with histopathologic diagnosis of extramammary Paget disease of the vulva, who were treated with 5% imiquimod cream. Of these patients, 3 were treated for recurrent disease and 7 were treated for initial primary disease. The patients applied the cream every other day until the lesions were no longer clinically detected.They were previously instructed on how and where to apply the cream by making them use a mirror while following the physician's directions.

RESULTS

Complete clinical and histologic remission of the disease was achieved in 9 patients. The remaining patient had partial histologic response and is still under treatment. The treatment was well tolerated despite moderate irritation. No recurrences were observed during a mean follow-up of 18 months.

CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of the results, the authors consider that 5% imiquimod cream could be considered a safe and effective therapeutic option for the treatment of primary vulvar Paget disease. Further studies are needed to determine the real efficacy and safety of 5% imiquimod cream for the treatment of this infrequent disease.

Vulvar skin disorders throughout lifetime: about some representative dermatoses

The objective of this paper is to present general considerations which should be kept in mind by clinicians in charge of women with vulvar diseases. Four representative vulvar dermatoses are described. Lichen simplex chronicus is a pathological condition related to chemical and mechanical irritant agents. Detrimental effects of these irritants, in the presence of other dermatoses, have to be considered when therapeutic responses are unsatisfactory. Lichen sclerosus is the most common vulvar dermatosis in elderly. However, it should be kept in mind that it may be diagnosed at any age. Lichen planus, in spite of sharing a similar range of etiological factors with lichen sclerosus, is a very distinct entity. Finally, Paget's disease, although rare, is also described especially because of the challenge it represents both clinically and therapeutically.