Survival rates of patients who undergo minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer with cervical involvement

Comparison of laparoscopy and vNOTES in early-stage endometrial cancer

AIM

To compare the demographic, clinical, surgical, histopathological, and oncological outcomes of vNOTES and conventional laparoscopy (CL)for early-stage endometrial cancer.

METHODS

A retrospective study was carried out in the Gynecologic Clinic of a tertiary hospital from January 2019 to November 2020. Patient demographic characteristics, surgical outcomes, histopathological characteristics, visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at postoperative 6th, 12th, and 24th, intra- and postoperative complications, and follow-up results were noted.

RESULTS

A total of 45 patients enrolled, of which 16 underwent CL and 29 were vNOTES. The operative time and decrease in hemoglobin levels were similar for both groups (p = 0.202, p = 0.699). Postoperative hospital stay did not differ between the vNOTES group and the CL group (p = 0.549). VAS pain scores at postoperative 6th, 12th, and 24th h were significantly lower in vNOTES group than in the CL group (p < 0.001). The requirement for additional opioid/narcotic analgesic was lower in the vNOTES group than in the CL group (p = 0.037).

CONCLUSION

vNOTES may be a safe and feasible option in early-stage endometrial cancer, having less postoperative pain and less requirement of opioid/narcotic analgesic compared with laparoscopy.

Endometrial Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Analysis of Clinical Parameters, Treatment Modalities, and Prognostic Outcomes at a Tertiary Oncology Center in the UAE

Background Endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains a pressing global health issue, with a discernible upsurge in incidence, especially in developed countries. Notably, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has witnessed a surge in EC cases, demanding an in-depth, region-specific exploration into the disease's clinical, treatment, and prognostic facets against the backdrop of its unique socio-genetic and environmental contours. Aim This study aimed to profess a comprehensive understanding of EC by examining clinical parameters, treatment modalities, and prognostic outcomes in the UAE context, thereby seeking to delineate potential correlations between varied therapeutic combinations, patient demographics, and tumor characteristics in affecting prognostic outcomes. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study involving 93 patients diagnosed with EC from January 2011 to March 2023 at a leading oncology center in the UAE was conducted. Data, including demographic information, clinical presentation, treatment modalities, and prognostic outcomes, were meticulously extracted and analyzed. The R software (version 4.2.2) facilitated exhaustive statistical analyses, involving descriptive statistics, correlation analyses with the polycor package, and survival analyses utilizing the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis via the survival and survminer packages, respectively. Results Although the correlation matrix revealed a noticeable relationship between "Family history" and "Age," most parameters displayed independence, offering a robust platform for ensuing multivariate analyses. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, stratified by therapeutic modalities, exhibited no statistically significant survival differences across therapeutic cohorts (p-values: 0.44, 0.86, and 0.83). Conversely, the composite Cox regression model underscored "non-national" demographic, Diabetes Mellitus II, and stromal invasion as pivotal prognostic factors, indicating the multifactorial nature of survival in EC patients and emphasizing demographic and tumor characteristics over therapeutic modalities as influential prognostic determinants. Conclusion In conclusion, while therapy types were not directly correlated with survival, demographic and tumor traits prominently impacted prognostic outcomes, advocating for an intricate, multidimensional approach to managing EC in the UAE. This study hopes to sow seeds for subsequent research, shaping clinically and culturally apt practices and policies in the region's healthcare landscape.

Comparison of the effects of laparoscopic and open hysterectomy on surgical site wound infections in patients with endometrial cancer: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis aimed to compare laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) and open hysterectomy (OH) in terms of surgical site wound infection, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications in patients with endometrial cancer (EC). PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, and Wanfang databases were comprehensively searched for studies on OH and LH for EC published between 2008 and July 2023, in any language. The literature was screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the quality of the included case-control studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data were collated and analysed using Stata 17.0 software. A total of 1245 articles were screened according to the search strategy, and ultimately 15 studies were included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 1606 patients with EC, of which 751 were treated with LH and 855 with OH. The results showed that the rate of postoperative wound infection was significantly higher (OR: 0.290; 95% CI: 0.169-0.496, p < 0.001), the length of hospital stay was significantly longer (SMD: -1.976, 95% CI: -2.669 to -1.283, p < 0.001), and the incidence of postoperative complications was significantly higher (OR: 0.366; 95% CI: 0.280-0.478, p < 0.001) in the OH group than in the LH group. This study showed that LH was superior to OH for the treatment of EC and is associated with a lower rate of wound infection, shorter length of hospitalisation, and a reduced risk of complications. Thus, our findings support the choice of LH over OH for EC.

Laparoscopic vs. open procedure for intermediate‑ and high‑risk endometrial cancer: a minimum 4-year follow-up analysis

BACKGROUND

The long-term oncologic outcomes after laparoscopic and open procedures for patients with intermediate‑ and high‑risk endometrial cancer (EC) remain unclear. Accordingly, laparoscopy cannot still be recommended as the standard choice for intermediate‑ and high‑risk EC. This retrospective study aimed to assess the perioperative and long-term oncologic outcomes of laparoscopy and open surgery in patients with intermediate- and high‑risk ECs within a minimum 4-year follow-up.

METHODS

We included 201 patients who underwent laparoscopic or open procedures for intermediate‑ and high‑risk EC between 2010 and 2017. Between-procedure comparisons of perioperative and oncological outcomes were performed using the independent t-test or Pearson's chi-squared test and the Kaplan-Meier method, respectively.

RESULTS

Finally, there were 136 intermediate‑ and 65 high‑risk endometrial tumors in the laparoscopic and open groups, respectively. There were no between-group differences in all baseline characteristics. Compared with the open group, the laparoscopic group had a significantly longer mean operating time (p = 0.005) and a lower mean estimated blood loss (EBL) (p = 0.031). There was a higher possibility of postoperative complication in the open group than in the laparoscopic group (p = 0.048). There were no significant between-group differences in pathological outcomes as well as the recurrence-free survival and overall survival rates (p = 0.626 and p = 0.148, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with intermediate‑ and high‑risk EC, laparoscopic surgery has an advantage over the open surgery in reducing EBL and the rate of postoperative complications without weakening the oncological control. There were no between-procedure differences in the recurrence-free and overall survival rates.

Therapeutic Benefit of Systematic Lymphadenectomy in Node-Negative Uterine-Confined Endometrioid Endometrial Carcinoma: Omission of Adjuvant Therapy

Simple Summary

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological tract malignancy in developed countries. Extrauterine disease, in particular lymph node metastasis, is an important prognostic factor. Nevertheless, pelvic lymphadenectomy is not considered to have a therapeutic benefit, as it did not improve survival in randomized studies. However, lymphadenectomy may have a therapeutic benefit if adjuvant therapy can be omitted without decreasing oncological outcomes, as the long-term quality of life is maintained by avoiding morbidities associated with adjuvant therapy. In intermediate- and high-risk endometrioid endometrial carcinomas, adjuvant therapy may be safely omitted without decreasing long-term survival by open surgery including systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy when patients are node-negative. Systematic lymphadenectomy may remove undetectable low-volume lymph node metastasis in both pelvic and para-aortic regions, and open surgery may reduce vaginal recurrence even without vaginal brachytherapy. However, lymphadenectomy may not improve survival in elderly patients and patients with p53-mutant tumors.

Abstract

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological tract malignancy in developed countries, and its incidence has been increasing globally with rising obesity rates and longer life expectancy. In endometrial cancer, extrauterine disease, in particular lymph node metastasis, is an important prognostic factor. Nevertheless, pelvic lymphadenectomy is not considered to have a therapeutic benefit, as it did not improve survival in randomized studies. However, lymphadenectomy may have a therapeutic benefit if adjuvant therapy can be omitted without decreasing oncological outcomes, as the long-term quality of life is maintained by avoiding morbidities associated with adjuvant therapy. In intermediate- and high-risk endometrioid endometrial carcinomas, adjuvant therapy may be safely omitted without decreasing long-term survival by open surgery including systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy when patients are node-negative. Systematic lymphadenectomy may remove undetectable low-volume lymph node metastasis in both pelvic and para-aortic regions, and open surgery may reduce vaginal recurrence even without vaginal brachytherapy. However, lymphadenectomy may not improve survival in elderly patients and patients with p53-mutant tumors. In this review, I discuss the characteristics of lymph node metastasis, the methods of lymph node assessment, and the therapeutic benefits of systematic lymphadenectomy in patients with intermediate- and high-risk endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.

Open Surgery including Lymphadenectomy without Adjuvant Therapy for Uterine-Confined Intermediate- and High-Risk Endometrioid Endometrial Carcinoma

Minimally invasive surgery may not be an appropriate surgical approach in intermediate- and high-risk endometrial carcinoma, even though adjuvant therapy is given. The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of open surgery including lymphadenectomy without adjuvant therapy in patients with uterine-confined intermediate- and high-risk endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. Two hundred fifty-six patients with uterine-confined endometrioid endometrial carcinoma were treated with open surgery, including pelvic with or without para-aortic lymphadenectomy. Of the 81 patients with uterine-confined intermediate- or high-risk disease, 77 were treated with systematic lymphadenectomy without adjuvant therapy. Seven patients developed recurrence, comprising 5.5% (3/55) and 18.2% (4/22) of the intermediate- and high-risk patients, respectively. The time to recurrence was 1–66 months. The sites of recurrence were the vaginal apex (n = 2), lung (n = 2), vaginal sidewall (n = 1), pelvic lymph nodes (n = 1), and para-aortic to supraclavicular nodes (n = 1). Of these, five patients were alive without disease after salvage treatment, but two understaged high-risk patients died of disease. The five-year disease-specific survival rates of intermediate- and high-risk patients were 100% and 90%, respectively. The present study indicated that patients with uterine-confined intermediate- and high-risk endometrioid endometrial carcinoma had excellent survival when treated with open surgery, including lymphadenectomy alone. The safety of omitting adjuvant therapy should be evaluated in prospective randomized trials comparing open surgery with minimally invasive surgery.

Oncologic safety of laparoscopic surgery for women with apparent early-stage uterine serous carcinoma: A multi-institutional retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To compare the long-term survival outcomes of patients with apparent early-stage uterine serous carcinoma (USC) who underwent laparoscopic staging surgery with those who underwent open surgical staging.

METHODS

A total of 295 patients from four Chinese teaching hospitals were included. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were estimated and compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test among patients after laparoscopic surgery or open surgery. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to adjust for potential confounding factors.

RESULTS

For patients with apparent early-stage USC, laparoscopic surgery was associated with deteriorated DFS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-2.93, P = 0.012), and there was no significant difference in OS between the two groups (HR 1.74, 95% CI 0.99-3.08, P = 0.056). However, after adjusting for confounding factors, the surgical approach was not an independent prognostic factor for DFS (adjusted HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.63-2.12, P = 0.636) and OS (adjusted HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.52-2.38, P = 0.794) in apparent early-stage USC.

CONCLUSION

For apparent early-stage USC, laparoscopic surgery is safe. This needs to be confirmed by future prospective clinical trials.