Molecular and pathologic data to guide selection of patients with endometrioid endometrial cancer for ovarian preservation

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association of molecular and pathologic factors with concurrent or recurrent ovarian disease to guide ovarian preservation in endometrioid endometrial cancer.

METHODS

Patients with endometrial cancer ≤50 years of age at diagnosis were grouped by elective oophorectomy versus ovarian preservation at staging (January 2010 to June 2021). Tumors were stratified by molecular sub-type and CTNNB1 mutational status with next generation sequencing and immunohistochemistry. Germline data identified patients with Lynch syndrome. Associations between molecular/pathologic features and concurrent ovarian disease in patients electing oophorectomy were compared with the Wilcoxon rank-sum and Fisher's exact tests. Associations with isolated ovarian recurrences in patients who chose ovarian preservation were examined using survival analyses.

RESULTS

Among 317 patients with endometrial cancer who underwent bilateral oophorectomy, 27 (9%) had malignant ovarian tumors, of whom 11 (41%) had no gross ovarian involvement on intra-operative survey. For patients with sequencing, concurrent malignant ovarian tumors were diagnosed in 0/14 (0%) POLE, 2/48 (4%) copy number-low/no specific molecular profile, 10/22 (45%) microsatellite instability-high, and 3/6 (50%) copy number-high/TP53abnormal patients (p<0.001). Concurrent malignant ovarian tumors were present in 1/30 (3%) hotspot CTNNB1-mutated versus 10/60 (17%) wildtype/CTNNB1 non-hotspot mutated endometrial cancer patients (p=0.11) and 7/28 (25%) Lynch versus 7/74 (9%) non-Lynch syndrome patients (p=0.06). Concurrent malignant ovarian tumors were present in patients with higher grade endometrial cancer (5% grade 1 vs 20% grade 2 and 24% grade 3; p<0.001), present versus absent lymphovascular space invasion (20% vs 6%; p=0.004), positive versus negative pelvic washings (28% vs 7%; p=0.016), and ≥50% versus <50% myoinvasion (24% vs 7%; p=0.004). Of 103 patients who chose ovarian preservation, four had isolated ovarian recurrences (two had high-risk pathologic features and two had high-risk molecular features).

CONCLUSIONS

The integration of molecular and pathologic data may improve risk stratification of pre-menopausal patients with endometrial cancer and enhance candidate selection for ovarian preservation.

Pathogenic germline variants in patients with endometrial cancer of diverse ancestry

BACKGROUND

Racial disparities in outcomes exist in endometrial cancer (EC). The contribution of ancestry-based variations in germline pathogenic variants (gPVs) is unknown.

METHODS

Germline assessment of ≥76 cancer predisposition genes was performed in patients with EC undergoing tumor-normal Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets sequencing from January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2021. Self-reported race/ethnicity and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry data classified patients into groups. Genetic ancestry was inferred from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets. Rates of gPV and genetic counseling were compared by ancestry.

RESULTS

Among 1625 patients with EC, 216 (13%) had gPVs; 15 had >1 gPV. Rates of gPV varied by self-reported ancestry (Ashkenazi Jewish, 40/202 [20%]; Asian, 15/124 [12%]; Black/African American (AA), 12/171 [7.0%]; Hispanic, 15/124 [12%]; non-Hispanic (NH) White, 129/927 [14%]; missing, 5/77 [6.5%]; p = .009], with similar findings by genetic ancestry (p < .001). We observed a lower likelihood of gPVs in patients of Black/AA (odds ratio [OR], 0.44; 95% CI, 0.22-0.81) and African (AFR) ancestry (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.18-0.85) and a higher likelihood in patients of Ashkenazi Jewish genetic ancestry (OR, 1.62; 95% CI; 1.11-2.34) compared with patients of non-Hispanic White/European ancestry, even after adjustment for age and molecular subtype. Somatic landscape influenced gPVs with lower rates of microsatellite instability-high tumors in patients of Black/AA and AFR ancestry. Among those with newly identified gPVs (n = 114), 102 (89%) were seen for genetic counseling, with lowest rates among Black/AA (75%) and AFR patients (67%).

CONCLUSIONS

In those with EC, gPV and genetic counseling varied by ancestry, with lowest rates among Black/AA and AFR patients, potentially contributing to disparities in outcomes given implications for treatment and cancer prevention.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Black women with endometrial cancer do worse than White women, and there are many reasons for this disparity. Certain genetic changes from birth (mutations) can increase the risk of cancer, and it is unknown if rates of these changes are different between different ancestry groups. Genetic mutations in 1625 diverse women with endometrial cancer were studied and the lowest rates of mutations and genetic counseling were found in Black and African ancestry women. This could affect their treatment options as well as their families and may make disparities worse.

TERT promoter mutations and gene amplification in endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

To assess the clinicopathologic, molecular profiles, and survival outcomes of patients with endometrial carcinomas (ECs) harboring telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) hotspot mutations or gene amplification.

METHODS

ECs harboring somatic TERT promoter hotspot mutations or gene amplification (TERT-altered) were identified from 1944 ECs that underwent clinical tumor-normal sequencing from 08/2016-12/2021. Clinicopathologic variables, somatic mutation profiles, and survival outcomes of TERT-alt and TERT-wild-type EC were assessed.

RESULTS

We identified 66 TERT-altered ECs (43 TERT-mutated and 23 TERT-amplified), representing 3% of the unselected ECs across histologic subtypes. Most TERT-altered ECs were of copy number (CN)-high/TP53abn molecular subtype (n = 40, 60%), followed by microsatellite-unstable (MSI-H) or CN-low/no specific molecular profile (NSMP)(n = 13, 20% each). TERT-amplified and TERT-mutated ECs were molecularly distinct, with TERT-amplified ECs being more genomically instable and more frequently harboring TP53 and PPP2R1A alterations (q < 0.1). Compared to TERT-wild-type ECs, TERT-altered ECs were more commonly of CN-H/TP53abn molecular subtype (31% vs 57%, p = 0.001), serous histology (10% vs 26%, p = 0.004), and were significantly enriched for TP53, CDKN2A/B, and DROSHA somatic genetic alterations (q < 0.1). Median progression-free survival was 18.7 months (95% CI 11.8-not estimable [NE]) for patients with TERT-altered EC and 80.9 months (65.8-NE) for patients with TERT-wild-type EC (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.21-0.51, p < 0.001). Similarly, median overall survival was 46.7 months (95% CI 30-NE) for TERT-altered EC patients and not reached for TERT-wild-type EC patients (HR 0.24, 95% CI 0.13-0.44, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

TERT-altered ECs, although rare, are enriched for CN-high/TP53abn tumors, TP53, CDKN2A/B and DROSHA somatic mutations, and independently predict worse survival outcomes.

Isolated vaginal recurrence in women with stage I endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

To compare clinical and pathologic characteristics of women with surgical stage I endometrial carcinoma by location of first recurrence and describe characteristics of isolated vaginal recurrence.

METHODS

Patients with 2009 International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) stage I endometrial carcinoma treated at two large cancer centers from 1/1/2009-12/31/2017 were identified. Sarcoma histology was excluded. Recurrences were grouped into isolated vaginal or extravaginal. Isolated vaginal recurrences were localized by anatomic location within the vaginal vault. Clinical and pathologic variables were compared with chi-square analysis, and Kaplan-Meier curves with log-rank tests.

RESULTS

Of 2815 women identified, 278 (10%) experienced a recurrence. Sixty-one patients (2%) had an isolated vaginal recurrence, including 42 (69%) at the vaginal apex; 217 (8%) had an extravaginal recurrence, including 18 with a vaginal component. Median time to recurrence was 11 months (range, 1-68) for isolated vaginal recurrence and 20 months (range, 1-98) for extravaginal recurrence (P < .004). Of 960 patients (34%) treated with adjuvant vaginal brachytherapy (VBT), 156 (16%) recurred; 19 (2%) had an isolated vaginal recurrence, including 16 (84%) at the vaginal apex. Three-year PFS rates for isolated vaginal recurrence were 97.6% (SE ± 0.4%) with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) versus 96.9% (SE ± 1.1%) with open (P = .8), and for extravaginal recurrence were 91.8% (SE ± 0.7%) with MIS versus 90.8% (SE ± 1.8%) with open (P = .8).

CONCLUSIONS

Isolated vaginal recurrences in stage I endometrial cancer are detected earlier than non-vaginal recurrences. Surgical approach does not appear to impact recurrence. Adjuvant VBT after primary surgery carries a 1%-2% risk of isolated vaginal apex recurrence.

Molecular subtyping in endometrial cancer: A promising strategy to guide fertility preservation

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association of molecular subtype with progesterone response in patients with endometrial cancer (EC) or atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH).

METHODS

Premenopausal patients aged ≤48 years with tumor-normal sequencing data who received progesterone for EC/AEH from 1/1/2010-6/30/2021 were identified. Tumors were classified as POLE-ultramutated, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H), copy number-high (CN-H), or copy number-low (CN-L) molecular subtype. Best response to progesterone was compared by subtype. Appropriate statistical tests were performed.

RESULTS

Of 20 patients, 7 (35%) had AEH and 13 (65%) had EC. Sixteen tumors (80%) were CN-L, 3 (15%) were MSI-H, and 1 (5%) was POLE-ultramutated. Median time on progesterone was 22 months (range, 3-115). Ten patients (50%) had complete response (CR); median time to CR was 9 months (range, 3-32). Four patients (20%) had stable disease (SD) and 6 (30%) had progressive disease (PD). For CN-L tumors, 10 patients (62%) had CR, 3 (19%) had SD, and 3 (19%) had PD. For MSI-H tumors, 1 patient (33%) had SD and 2 (66%) had PD. For POLE-ultramutated tumors, 1 patient had PD. Median follow-up was 48 months (range, 12-123). Four of 10 patients (40%) with CR recurred; median time from CR to recurrence was 16 months (range, 5-102).

CONCLUSION

Molecular subtype may be associated with progesterone response in patients with EC/AEH. CN-L tumors had the best response, and MSI-H tumors had the poorest. Recurrence after CR is common, and close surveillance is warranted. Larger studies investigating the role of molecular classification in medical management of EC/AEH are needed.

Molecular Characterization of Endometrial Carcinomas in Black and White Patients Reveals Disparate Drivers with Therapeutic Implications

Although the incidence of endometrial carcinoma (EC) is similar in Black and White women, racial disparities are stark, with the highest mortality rates observed among Black patients. Here, analysis of 1,882 prospectively sequenced ECs using a clinical FDA-authorized tumor-normal panel revealed a significantly higher prevalence of high-risk histologic and molecular EC subtypes in self-identified Black (n = 259) compared with White (n = 1,623) patients. Clinically actionable alterations, including high tumor mutational burden/microsatellite instability, which confer benefit from immunotherapy, were less frequent in ECs from Black than from White patients. Ultramutated POLE molecular subtype ECs associated with favorable outcomes were rare in Black patients. Results were confirmed by genetic ancestry analysis. CCNE1 gene amplification, which is associated with aggressive clinical behavior, was more prevalent in carcinosarcomas occurring in Black than in White patients. ECs from Black and White patients display important differences in their histologic types, molecular subtypes, driver genetic alterations, and therapeutic targets.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our comprehensive analysis of prospectively clinically sequenced ECs revealed significant differences in their histologic and molecular composition and in the presence of therapeutic targets in Black versus White patients. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating diverse populations into molecular studies and clinical trials to address EC disparities. This article is featured in Selected Articles from This Issue, p. 2293.

The Significance of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Grading in Microsatellite Instability-High and POLE-Mutant Endometrioid Endometrial Carcinoma

With the advancement of diagnostic molecular technology and the molecular classification of endometrial endometrioid carcinoma (EEC), it remains to be seen whether conventional International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) grading retains clinical significance in certain molecular subtypes of EECs. In this study, we explored the clinical significance of FIGO grading in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) and POLE-mutant EECs. A total of 162 cases of MSI-H EECs and 50 cases of POLE-mutant EECs were included in the analysis. Significant differences in tumor mutation burden (TMB), progression-free survival, and disease-specific survival were seen between the MSI-H and POLE-mutant cohorts. Within the MSI-H cohort, there were statistically significant differences in TMB and stage at presentation across FIGO grades, but not survival. Within the POLE-mutant cohort, there was significantly greater TMB with increasing FIGO grade, but there were no significant differences in stage or survival. In both the MSI-H and POLE-mutant cohorts, log-rank survival analysis showed no statistically significant difference in progression-free and disease-specific survival across FIGO grades. Similar findings were also seen when a binary grading system was utilized. Since FIGO grade was not associated with survival, we conclude that the intrinsic biology of these tumors, characterized by their molecular profile, may override the significance of FIGO grading.

Integration of clinical sequencing and immunohistochemistry for the molecular classification of endometrial carcinoma

PURPOSE

Using next generation sequencing (NGS), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) found that endometrial carcinomas (ECs) fall under one of four molecular subtypes, and a POLE mutation status, mismatch repair (MMR) and p53 immunohistochemistry (IHC)-based surrogate has been developed. We sought to retrospectively classify and characterize a large series of unselected ECs that were prospectively subjected to clinical sequencing by utilizing clinical molecular and IHC data.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

All patients with EC with clinical tumor-normal MSK-IMPACT NGS from 2014 to 2020 (n = 2115) were classified by integrating molecular data (i.e., POLE mutation, TP53 mutation, MSIsensor score) and MMR and p53 IHC results. Survival analysis was performed for primary EC patients with upfront surgery at our institution.

RESULTS

Utilizing our integrated approach, significantly more ECs were molecularly classified (1834/2115, 87%) as compared to the surrogate (1387/2115, 66%, p < 0.001), with an almost perfect agreement for classifiable cases (Kappa 0.962, 95% CI 0.949-0.975). Discrepancies were primarily due to TP53 mutations in p53-IHC-normal ECs. Of the 1834 ECs, most were of copy number (CN)-high molecular subtype (40%), followed by CN-low (32%), MSI-high (23%) and POLE (5%). Histologic and genomic variability was present amongst all molecular subtypes. Molecular classification was prognostic in early- and advanced-stage disease, including early-stage endometrioid EC.

CONCLUSIONS

The integration of clinical NGS and IHC data allows for an algorithmic approach to molecularly classifying newly diagnosed EC, while overcoming issues of IHC-based genetic alteration detection. Such integrated approach will be important moving forward given the prognostic and potentially predictive information afforded by this classification.

Comprehensive analysis of germline drivers in endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

We sought to determine the prevalence of germline pathogenic variants (gPVs) in unselected patients with endometrial cancer (EC), define biallelic gPVs within tumors, and describe their associations with clinicopathologic features.

METHODS

Germline assessment of at least 76 cancer predisposition genes was performed in patients with EC undergoing clinical tumor-normal Memorial Sloan Kettering-Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets (MSK-IMPACT) sequencing from January 1, 2015, to June 30, 2021. In patients with gPVs, biallelic alterations in ECs were identified through analysis of loss of heterozygosity and somatic PVs. Clinicopathologic variables were compared using nonparametric tests.

RESULTS

Of 1625 patients with EC, 216 (13%) had gPVs, and 15 patients had 2 gPVs. There were 231 gPVs in 35 genes (75 [32%] high penetrance; 39 [17%] moderate penetrance; and 117 [51%] low, recessive, or uncertain penetrance). Compared with those without gPVs, patients with gPVs were younger (P = .002), more often White (P = .009), and less obese (P = .025) and had differences in distribution of tumor histology (P = .017) and molecular subtype (P < .001). Among 231 gPVs, 74 (32%) exhibited biallelic inactivation within tumors. For high-penetrance gPVs, 63% (47 of 75) of ECs had biallelic alterations, primarily affecting mismatch repair (MMR) and homologous recombination related genes, including BRCA1,BRCA2, RAD51D, and PALB2. Biallelic inactivation varied across molecular subtypes with highest rates in microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or copy-number (CN)-high subtypes (3 of 12 [25%] POLE, 30 of 77 [39%] MSI-H, 27 of 60 [45%] CN-high, 9 of 57 [16%] CN-low; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Of unselected patients with EC, 13% had gPVs, with 63% of gPVs in high-penetrance genes (MMR and homologous recombination) exhibiting biallelic inactivation, potentially driving cancer development. This supports germline assessment in EC given implications for treatment and cancer prevention.

Sentinel lymph node mapping in patients with endometrial hyperplasia: A practice to preserve or abandon?

OBJECTIVES

To compare outcomes of patients with premalignant endometrial pathology undergoing hysterectomy with or without sentinel lymph node (SLN) removal. Outcomes of interest included surgical adverse events (AEs), cancer status on final pathology, postoperative treatment, and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) molecular risk profiles.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified patients with premalignant pathology on preoperative endometrial biopsy who underwent hysterectomy with or without SLN mapping/excision at our institution from 01/01/2017-12/31/2021. Clinical, pathologic, surgical, and TCGA profiling data were abstracted. Appropriate statistical tests were used.

RESULTS

Of 221 patients identified, 161 (73%) underwent hysterectomy with SLN excision and 60 (27%) underwent hysterectomy without SLN excision. Median age and body mass index were similar between groups. Median operative time was 130 min for those who underwent SLN mapping/excision versus 136 min for those who did not (p = 0.6). Thirty-day postoperative AE rates were 9% (n = 15/161) and 13% (n = 8/60), respectively (p = 0.9). Ninety-eight (44%) of 221 patients had grade 1-2 endometrioid endometrial cancer on final pathology (4 [4%] were stage IB or higher). Ten (10%) of 98 patients, all within the SLN group, received adjuvant treatment. Among all patients, of 33 (15%) with TCGA molecular classification data, 27 (82%) had copy number-low, 3 (9%) microsatellite instability-high, 2 (6%) POLE-ultramutated, and 1 (3%) copy number-high disease.

CONCLUSIONS

SLN assessment appears safe, detects a small number of occult nodal metastases for those upstaged, and provides additional staging information that can guide adjuvant treatment. SLN mapping should be discussed in preoperative counseling and offered using a shared decision-making approach.

A modern-day experience with Brunschwig's operation: Outcomes associated with pelvic exenteration

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate postoperative and oncologic outcomes associated with pelvic exenteration for non-ovarian gynecologic malignancies.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of patients who underwent pelvic exenteration for non-ovarian gynecologic malignancies at our institution from 1/1/2010-12/31/2019. Palliative exenteration cases were excluded from survival analysis. Postoperative complications were early (≤30 days) or late (31-180 days). Complications were graded using a validated institutional scale. Major complications were considered grade ≥ 3. Categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.

RESULTS

Of 100 patients identified, 89 underwent pelvic exenteration for recurrent disease, 5 for palliation, 5 for primary disease, and 1 for persistent disease. Thirty percent had cervical, 27% vulvar, 24% uterine, and 19% vaginal cancer. Sixty-two percent underwent total, 30% anterior, and 8% posterior exenteration. No deaths occurred intraoperatively or within 30 days of surgery. Six patients died after 30 days. Ninety-seven experienced a perioperative complication-49 early, 1 late, and 47 both. Fifty experienced a major complication-22 (44%) early, 19 (38%) late, and 9 (18%) both. No variables were statistically associated with complication development. The 3-year progression-free survival rate was 61.0%; the 3-year overall survival rate was 61.6%. Of 58 surviving patients, 16 (28%) and 4 (7%) were alive after 5 and 10 years, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The overall complication rate for pelvic exenteration remains high. No variables demonstrated association with complication development as the rate was nearly 100%. The low rate of perioperative mortality is likely due to improved perioperative care.

Demographic shifts associated with implementation of evidence-based guidelines for ovarian conservation in patients with endometrioid endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

In 2018, evidence-based surgical guidelines were introduced to identify appropriate patients with low-grade endometrioid endometrial cancer for ovarian conservation. We sought to identify trends and demographic shifts associated with guideline implementation.

METHODS

We identified women treated for endometrioid endometrial cancer at our institution from January 2010 to June 2021. Eligibility criteria included age ≤50 years, normal-appearing ovaries on preoperative imaging, no family history of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome or Lynch syndrome, and no hormone receptor-positive malignancy. Trends in ovarian conservation were examined with the Cochran-Armitage trend test or in a logistic regression model. Associations between ovarian conservation and clinicodemographic factors before and after guideline implementation were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

Of 420 women ≤50 years of age undergoing surgery for endometrioid endometrial cancer, 355 (85%) met the criteria for ovarian conservation-267 (75%) before and 88 (25%) after guideline implementation. Median patient age was 45 years (range 25-50); 62% were non-Hispanic White, 10% Hispanic White, 8% non-Hispanic Black, 0% Hispanic Black, and 20% Asian. Patients were significantly more likely to choose ovarian conservation after (48%) compared with before guideline implementation (21%) (p<0.001). Pre-guidelines, non-Hispanic White women were less likely to elect for ovarian conservation (12%) compared with non-Hispanic Black, Asian, or Hispanic White women (28%) (p=0.002). Similarly, older women were less likely to elect for ovarian conservation compared with younger women (p<0.001). There were no differences by obesity (p=0.68), marital status (p=0.86), or insurance (p=0.89). Post-guidelines, there were no differences in ovarian conservation between non-Hispanic White women (36%) and non-Hispanic Black, Asian, or Hispanic White women (50%) (p=0.56). Older women were still less likely to elect for ovarian conservationcompared with younger women (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

After guideline implementation, ovarian conservation increased and uptake disparities across demographic groups decreased.

Genomic characterization of metastatic patterns from prospective clinical sequencing of 25,000 patients

Metastatic progression is the main cause of death in cancer patients, whereas the underlying genomic mechanisms driving metastasis remain largely unknown. Here, we assembled MSK-MET, a pan-cancer cohort of over 25,000 patients with metastatic diseases. By analyzing genomic and clinical data from this cohort, we identified associations between genomic alterations and patterns of metastatic dissemination across 50 tumor types. We found that chromosomal instability is strongly correlated with metastatic burden in some tumor types, including prostate adenocarcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and HR+/HER2+ breast ductal carcinoma, but not in others, including colorectal cancer and high-grade serous ovarian cancer, where copy-number alteration patterns may be established early in tumor development. We also identified somatic alterations associated with metastatic burden and specific target organs. Our data offer a valuable resource for the investigation of the biological basis for metastatic spread and highlight the complex role of chromosomal instability in cancer progression.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy alone compared to systematic lymphadenectomy in patients with uterine carcinosarcoma

OBJECTIVE

To assess survival among patients diagnosed with uterine carcinosarcoma (CS) who underwent sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy alone vs. systematic lymph node dissection (LND).

METHODS

We identified newly diagnosed CS patients who underwent primary surgical management from January 1996-December 2019. The SLN cohort underwent SLN biopsy alone with bilateral SLNs identified. The systematic LND cohort did not undergo SLN biopsy.

RESULTS

Ninety-nine patients underwent SLN biopsy, and 100 patients underwent systematic LND. There was no difference by age, stage, body mass index, myoinvasion (<50%, ≥50%), lymphovascular space invasion, or positive washings. Eighty-five SLN (85.9%) and 15 LND (15%) underwent minimally invasive surgery (P < 0.001). The median total node count was four (range, 1-13) for SLN and 19 (range, 2-50) for LND (P < 0.001). Nodal metastasis occurred in 23 (23.2%) SLN and in 22 (22%) LND (P = 0.4). Postoperative therapy was administered to 85 (85.9%) SLN and 71 (71%) LND (P = 0.02). Median follow-up was 33 months (range, 1-205) for SLN and 55.3 months (range, 1-269) for LND (P = 0.001). The three-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 62.9% (SE 5.2%) for SLN and 52.3% (SE 5.3%) for LND (P = 0.13). The three-year overall survival (OS) was 72.1% (SE 5.1%) for SLN and 71.6% (SE 4.6%) for LND (P = 0.68). An isolated nodal recurrence occurred in two (2%) SLN and four (4%) LND (P = 0.26).

CONCLUSIONS

There is no difference in PFS or OS among CS patients who undergo SLN biopsy vs. systematic LND. SLN biopsy detects nodal metastasis without compromising oncologic outcomes.

The role of imaging in pelvic exenteration for gynecological cancers

Pelvic exenteration (PE) is one of the most challenging gynecologic oncologic surgeries and is an overriding term for different procedures that entail radical en bloc resection of the female reproductive organs and removal of additional adjacent affected pelvic organs (bladder, rectum, anus, etc.) with concomitant surgical reconstruction to restore bodily functions. Multimodality cross-sectional imaging with MRI, PET/CT, and CT plays an integral part in treatment decision-making, not only for the appropriate patient selection but also for surveillance after surgery. The purpose of this review is to provide a brief background on pelvic exenteration in gynecologic cancers and to familiarize the reader with the critical radiological aspects in the evaluation of patients for this complex procedure. The focus of this review will be on how imaging can aid in treatment planning and guide management.

Ubiquitin tagged dominant negative induces degradation of B-ZIP proteins

B-ZIP transcription factors heterodimerize with dominant negative designs, termed A-ZIPs, in a dimerization specific manner and inhibit its ability to bind DNA. Different A-ZIPs produce unique phenotypes in vivo suggesting that they have distinct B-ZIP heterodimerization partners. However, the identification of the in vivo heterodimerization partners of different A-ZIPs remains problematic. To identify the in vivo heterodimerization partners, a chimeric protein containing two ubiquitin motifs at the N-terminal of the A-ZIP domain was designed. The presence of ubiquitin reduced the concentration of specific co-transfected B-ZIP proteins. The ubiquitin enhanced degradation of the B-ZIP heterodimeric partner is inhibited by the proteasome inhibitor MG-132. These ubiquitin tagged A-ZIP dominant negatives may be more active in vivo because their endogenous heterodimerization partners are degraded more efficiently. This may be a general strategy to identify protein interaction partners.