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Introduction: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer affecting women worldwide, following breast, colorectal and lung cancer. India contributes 28% of the cervical cancer mortality burden, with 87,090 deaths due to cervical cancer, making it the second most populous country in the world. Oestrogen Receptors (ER) are located not only in the tissues of the female reproductive tract and breast but also in diverse tissues such as bone, brain, liver, colon, skin and salivary glands. Ki-67 is a nuclear protein expressed during all active phases of the cell cycle and is absent in the G0 phase, making it a potent biomarker of cellular proliferation. Aim: To study the clinicopathological spectrum of cervical epithelial lesions and their association with cell proliferation (Ki-67) and ER and Progesterone Receptor (PR) status. Materials and Methods: This was a single-institution-based cross-sectional study in which a total of 202 cases of cervical epithelial lesions diagnosed from May 2022 to May 2024 at the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India were studied. Clinical and demographic data were associated with histological findings. Immunohistochemical staining with Ki-67, ER and PR antibodies was performed and the Ki-67 labelling index and ER and PR status were assessed respectively. Based on the assessment, a master chart was prepared for patients belonging to different age groups with certain medical complaints, and data were organised into tables. Statistical analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 software. Results: In this study, 202 patients were evaluated. The patient age ranged from 18 to 68 years, with a mean age of 40.78±10.13 years. Cervical epithelial lesions were most prevalent in the age group of 31 to 50 years (66.8%). Among the 202 cases, 108 (53.5%) were non neoplastic, 10 cases (5.0%) were benign neoplastic, and 84 cases (41.6%) were malignant neoplastic lesions. The difference in proliferative rates, as indicated by the Ki-67 labelling index, between benign neoplasms and malignant neoplasms was statistically significant (p-value

BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer is the most common cervical neoplasm, these tend to have a nodular and solid appearance on imaging; however, cystic components may occur in 2.5%-6%. Among the most frequent causes of cystic lesions are the anomalies of the branchial arches and thyroglossal cyst; however, these lesions can occur in the context of well-differentiated thyroid cancer. It is important to know the differential diagnoses in these atypical presentations for a correct approach and treatment. CLINICAL CASE: A 40-year-old male patient with a growing mass in the right neck for 6 months. On physical exam a 7 x 7 cm tumor was palpated with regular and smooth edges, mobile. Imaging studies revealed a right thyroid nodule and a hypodense mass with well-defined and regular borders, antero-medial to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. A total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection and resection of the right cervical cyst was performed. The histopathological results showed a papillary thyroid carcinoma and a thyroglossal cyst. CONCLUSIONS: The correct diagnosis of cystic masses of the neck is important due to its different implications in the therapeutic approach. Although these usually have a benign behavior, we always have to take into account the possibility of a metastasis or a relationship with some malignant component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the expressions of glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) and sex determining region Y 2 (Sox2) in the cervical cancer cells and their pathological significances, and to discuss the correlation between the expression of Gli1 and the stemness characteristics of the cervical cancer. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of Gli1, hypoxiainducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), Sox2, sex determining region Y 9 (Sox9), cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4), and lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) in 159 cases of cervical cancer tissues and their correlations were analyzed. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) was used to clarify the effect of Gli1 expression on the prognosis of the patients with cervical carcinoma and its correlation with the stem cell markers. The sphere-forming ability and the expression of stem cell markers in the SiHa cells under hypoxic status were detected. Results: The immunohistochemical staining results showed that the expression rate of Gli1 in cervical cancer tissue was positively correlated with the expression level of HIF-1α (r=0. 374, P<0. 001) and the expression level of Sox2 (r=0. 176, P<0. 05). The GEPIA Database analysis results showed that the cervical cancer patients with positive Gli1 expression had poor prognosis (P<0. 05). Under hypoxic status, the expression levels of Gli1, HIF-1α, and Sox2 mRNA and proteins in the SiHa cells were significantly increased (P< 0. 001), and the cells exhibited a strong sphere-formation ability. Conclusion: Hypoxia upregulates the expression levels of Gli1 and Sox2 mRNA and protein in the cervical cancer cells, and promotes the formation of stemness characteristics of the cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations have some of the lowest cancer screening rates compared to other racial/ethnic populations. Using community-based participatory research methods, we sought to characterize knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and approaches to enhance breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer screening. Methods: We conducted 12 focus groups between October 2018 and September 2019 with 96 eligible AI adults and healthcare providers, recruited using non-probability purposive sampling methods from the Zuni Pueblo in rural New Mexico. We used the Multi-level Health Outcomes Framework (MHOF) to conduct a qualitative content analysis identifying mutable systems- and individual- level constructs important for behavior change that we crosslinked with the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommended evidence-based interventions (EBIs) or approaches. Results: Salient systems-level factors that limited uptake of cancer screenings included inflexible clinic hours, transportation barriers, no on-demand service and reminder systems, and brief doctor–patient encounters. Individual-level barriers included variable cancer-specific knowledge that translated into fatalistic beliefs, fear, and denial. Interventions to enhance community demand and access for screening should include one-on-one and group education, small media, mailed screening tests, and home visitations by public health nurses. Interventions to enhance provider delivery of screening services should include translation and case management services. Conclusions: The MHOF constructs crosslinked with CPSTF recommended EBIs or approaches provided a unique perspective to frame barriers and promoters of screening utilization and insights for intervention development. Findings inform the development of culturally tailored, theoretically informed, multi-component interventions concordant with CPSTF recommended EBIs or approaches aimed at improving cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective To assess the association between two colposcopic indices, the Swede score and the 2011 International Federation of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (IFCPC) Nomenclature as well as to determine the efficacy of the Swede score with cutoffs of 7 and 8. Methods In the present cross-sectional pilot study, 34 women who had at least 1 colposcopy-directed biopsy due to abnormal cytology were enrolled. The colposcopic findings were scored by both the Swede score and the 2011 IFCPC Nomenclature and were compared with each other. The Kappa coefficient and the McNemar test were used. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (NPV and PPV, respectively) were calculated, as well as the effectiveness with cutoffs of 7 and 8 in identifying cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN) 2+ when using the Swede score. Results The correlation between the 2 colposcopic indices was 79.41%. The Kappa coefficient and the McNemar p-value were 0.55 and 0.37, respectively. The IFCPC Nomenclature had sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of 85.71, 55.00, 67.64, 57.14, and 84.61%, respectively. The Swede score had sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV of 100, 63.15, 79.41, 68.18, and 100%, respectively. A Swede score cutoff of 7 for CIN 2+ detection had a specificity of 94.73%, while with a cutoff of 8 it increased to 100%. The sensitivity for both values was 60%. The PPV and NPV for cutoffs of 7 and 8 were 90 and 75 and 100 and 76%, respectively. Conclusion Although both colposcopic indices have good reproducibility, the Swede score showed greater accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity in identifying CIN 2 + , especially when using a cutoff of 8.

Abstract Background This paper attempts to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of deep learning (DLs) models for cervical cancer CT image segmentation. Methods Relevant studies were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Web of science. The literature on DLs for cervical cancer CT image segmentation were included, a meta-analysis was performed on the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of the segmentation results of the included DLs models. We also did subgroup analyses according to the size of the sample, type of segmentation (i.e., two dimensions and three dimensions), and three organs at risk (i.e., bladder, rectum, and femur). This study was registered in PROSPERO prior to initiation (CRD42022307071). Results A total of 1893 articles were retrieved and 14 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled effect of DSC score of clinical target volume (CTV), bladder, rectum, femoral head were 0.86(95%CI 0.84 to 0.87), 0.91(95%CI 0.89 to 0.93), 0.83(95%CI 0.79 to 0.88), and 0.92(95%CI 0.91to 0.94), respectively. For the performance of segmented CTV by two dimensions (2D) and three dimensions (3D) model, the DSC score value for 2D model was 0.87 (95%CI 0.85 to 0.90), while the DSC score for 3D model was 0.85 (95%CI 0.82 to 0.87). As for the effect of the capacity of sample on segmentation performance, no matter whether the sample size is divided into two groups: greater than 100 and less than 100, or greater than 150 and less than 150, the results show no difference (P > 0.05). Four papers reported the time for segmentation from 15 s to 2 min. Conclusion DLs have good accuracy in automatic segmentation of CT images of cervical cancer with a less time consuming and have good prospects for future radiotherapy applications, but still need public high-quality databases and large-scale research verification.

Objective：To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Casitas B-lineage lymphoma(Cbl)protein family in cervical squamous cell carcinoma(CSCC). Methods：Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of c-Cbl, Cbl-b, and Cbl-c in 114 cases of CSCC. The correlations between c-Cbl, Cbl-b, and Cbl-c expression and clinicopathological characteristics, disease free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)were analyzed. Results：Of the 114 CSCC patients, 87 had high c-Cbl expression and 27 had low c-Cbl expression；69 had high Cbl-b expression and 45 had low Cbl-b expression；55 had high Cbl-c expression and 59 had low Cbl-c expression. The histochemistry score(H - score)of c -Cbl in CSCC tissues and the adjacent normal tissues was 143.80 ± 8.76 and 95.13 ± 6.54, respectively. c-Cbl expression was increased in CSCC compared with the adjacent normal tissues(P ＜ 0.001). The H-score of Cbl-b in CSCC tissues and the adjacent normal tissues was 83.95 ± 5.28 and 93.54 ± 3.91, respectively. There was no significant difference in Cbl-b expression between CSCC tissues and the adjacent normal tissues(P=0.146). The H-score of Cbl-c in CSCC tissues and the adjacent normal tissues was 83.62 ± 6.34 and 36.54 ± 4.64, respectively. Cbl-c expression was increased in CSCC compared with the adjacent normal tissues(P ＜ 0.001). c-Cbl expression was higher in highly to moderately differentiated tumors and tumors with a maximum diameter less than 4 cm(both P ＜ 0.05), but it was not related to the patient’s age, vascular invasion, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and FIGO stage(all P ＞0.05). Cbl - b expression was higher in patients with invasion depth ＞ 2/3 of fibromuscular layer(P=0.045), but it was not related to patient’s age, vascular invasion, tumor differentiation, maximum tumor diameter, lymph node metastasis and FIGO stage(all P ＞ 0.05). Cbl-c expression was higher in poorly differentiated tumors(P=0.012), but it was not related to patient’s age, vascular invasion, depth of invasion, maximum tumor diameter, lymph node metastasis and FIGO stage(all P ＞ 0.05). Kaplan - Meier survival analysis showed that patients with high c - Cbl expression had prolonged DFS and OS compared with those with low c-Cbl protein expression(both P ＜ 0.05). However, the expression levels of Cbl-b and Cbl-c were not related to DFS and OS(P ＞ 0.05). Cox univariate and multivariate analysis showed that c -Cbl expression was an independent prognostic factor for DFS(P=0.042). c -Cbl was a factor affecting OS, but not an independent prognostic factor for OS in CSCC(P= 0.096). Conclusion：Patients with high c -Cbl expression have prolonged DFS and OS compared with those with low c -Cbl protein expression. c-Cbl expression is an independent prognostic factor for DFS, but not an independent prognostic factor for OS in CSCC. The expression levels of Cbl-b and Cbl-c are not related to DFS and OS in CSCC. Detection of the expression status of c-Cbl may provide a reference for predicting the prognosis of CSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is relevant in the development of cervical cancer, a situation that has led to screening with cervical-uterine cytology and DNA-HPV molecular test that allows the early detection of a risk of developing this pathology in women. Although the incidence and mortality have decreased, science could not eradicate this disease. Objective. Identified HPV in different samples of patients diagnosed with preneoplastic lesions and cervical-uterine cancer. Methodology. Patients with high-grade lesions (LEI-AG) and/or carcinoma on cervical cytology and/or biopsy were included. A blood sample was taken from all of them, the availability of paraffin tissue (FFPE) was evaluated, and PCR genotyping for HPV was performed. Results. 27% (3) LEI-AG were between 30-39 years old and 9% (1) were under 29; 50% (6) were positive for HR-HPV other than 16-18 in liquid-based cytology (CBL) and 16% (1) negative. DNA was obtained from 100% of the FFPE, with positivity in 67% (6), 2 (33%) for HPV-16 and 4 (67%) for others (56, 58 and 68). 1 (11%) presented coinfection with HPV-56 and 58. 67% (4) showed concordance between CBL and FFPE; 1 was CBL negative and HPV-56 positive on FFPE and 1 was CBL HPV-18 positive and FFPE negative. No HPV positivity was obtained in the plasma samples tested. Conclusion. The relationship HPV and cervical-uterine cancer requires to work out in regional studies that allow to understand and to reassess the policies that are currently implemented in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: To analyse the impact of screening actions on the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer (CC) in the city of Belém, Brazil. Methods: Based on the cancer registry data from 1998 to 2017, collected from the Belém Population-Based Cancer Registry, combined with local population data for the interval 1998--2017, CC incidence and mortality were calculated. The Segi world population 1960 was used for age-standardised incidence/mortality rates. Results: In the period analysed, there were 4,469 new cases and 1,660 deaths from CC. The median age at diagnosis of invasive cases was 51 years. The age-adjusted incidence rate decreased from 18.65/100,000 in 1998 to 11.79/100,000 in 2017, despite the increase observed in the first 5 years of the historical series, while there was stability in mortality rates in the same time lapse. Conclusion: CC is still one of the most common malignant tumours that threaten public health in northern Brazil. The trend of the disease depends on comprehensive prevention and control strategies regarding the local situation and age groups, with emphasis on the organisation of the screening programme and vaccination against human papillomavirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cervical cancer continues to show a high burden among young women worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Limited data is available describing cervical cancer mortality among young women in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The purpose of this study was to examine the mortality trends of cervical cancer among young women in LAC and predict mortality rates to 2030. Methods: Deaths from cervical cancer were obtained from the World Health Organization mortality database. Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 women-years were estimated in women aged 20–44 years using the world standard population for 16 countries (and territories) in LAC from 1997 to 2017. We estimated the average mortality rates for the last 4 years (2014–2017). Joinpoint regression models were used to identify significant changes in mortality trends. Nordpred method was used for the prediction of the mortality rates to 2030. Results: Between 2014 and 2017, Paraguay and Venezuela had the highest mortality rates of cervical cancer, whereas Puerto Rico had the lowest rates. Overall, most of the LAC countries showed downward trends of cervical cancer mortality over the entire period. Significant decreases were observed in Chile (Average annual percent change [AAPC]: − 2.4%), Colombia (AAPC: − 2.0%), Cuba (AAPC: − 3.6%), El Salvador (AAPC: − 3.1%), Mexico (AAPC: − 3.9%), Nicaragua (AAPC: − 1.7%), Panama (AAPC: − 1.7%), and Peru (AAPC: − 2.2%). In contrast, Brazil (AAPC: + 0.8%) and Paraguay (AAPC: + 3.7%) showed significant upward trends. By 2030, mortality rates are not predicted to further decrease in some LAC countries, including Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela. Conclusions: Mortality trends of cervical cancer among young women have large variability in LAC countries. Cervical cancer screening programs have a high priority for the region. Primary and secondary prevention in the community are necessary to accelerate a reduction of cervical cancer mortality by 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper attempts to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of deep learning (DLs) models for cervical cancer CT image segmentation.Methods: Relevant studies were systematically searched in PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and Web of science. The literature on DLs for cervical cancer CT image segmentation were included, a meta-analysis was performed on the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of the segmentation results of the included DLs models. We also did subgroup analyses according to the size of the sample, type of segmentation (i.e., two dimensions and three dimensions), and three organs at risk (i.e., bladder, rectum, and femur). This study was registered in PROSPERO prior to initiation (CRD42022307071).Results: A total of 1893 articles were retrieved and 14 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled effect of DSC score of clinical target volume (CTV), bladder, rectum, femoral head were 0.86(95%CI 0.84 to 0.87), 0.91(95%CI 0.89 to 0.93), 0.83(95%CI 0.79 to 0.88), and 0.92(95%CI 0.91to 0.94), respectively. For the performance of segmented CTV by two dimensions (2D) and three dimensions (3D) model, the DSC score value for 2D model was 0.87 (95%CI 0.85 to 0.90), while the DSC score for 3D model was 0.85 (95%CI 0.82 to 0.87). As for the effect of the capacity of sample on segmentation performance, no matter whether the sample size is divided into two groups: greater than 100 and less than 100, or greater than 150 and less than 150, the results show no difference (P > 0.05). Four papers reported the time for segmentation from 15 s to 2 min.Conclusion: DLs have good accuracy in automatic segmentation of CT images of cervical cancer with a less time consuming and have good prospects for future radiotherapy applications, but still need public high-quality databases and large-scale research verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective：To investigate the risk factors for progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia Ⅰ (CIN Ⅰ ) patients, and to provide more appropriate treatment plans for the CIN Ⅰ patients. Methods：The clinical data of 210 patients with CINⅠ confirmed by initial cervical pathological biopsy and conservative treatment were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were followed up for 24 months to observe the disease progression. Univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic stepwise regression anslysis were used to analyze the influence of patients’age, human papillomavirus (HPV), liquid based thin layer cytology (TCT), menopausal status, and transformation zone (TZ) types and image features under colposcope (abnormal vessels, hyperplasia, lesion area, and lesion boundary) on disease progression of the CINⅠ patient at the time of initial diagnosis of CINI disease. Results：A total of 40 patients had progressive disease, 170 patients had no progressive disease. The univariate analysis results showed that there were statistically significant differences in age (χ² =25. 94, P<0. 01), TCT stuation (χ² =10. 97, P<0. 01), HPV (16/18) infection or not (χ² =4. 10, P=0. 043), hyperplasia (χ² =8. 18, P=0. 004) and menopause status (χ² =25. 56, P<0. 01) of the pateints between two groups. The multivariate Logistic stepwise regression analysis results showed that age≥45 years old (OR=5. 95, P=0. 005, 95%CI：1. 70－20. 84), TCT≥ASC-H (OR=3. 319, P=0. 007, 95%CI：1. 38－7. 97), atypia (OR=9. 91, P<0. 01, 95%CI： 2. 95－33. 34) and hyperplasia (OR=8. 51, P<0. 01, 95%CI：2. 60－27. 84) were the risk factors for disease progression of the CINⅠ patients. Conclusion：Age≥45 years old, TCT≥ASC-H, abnormal blood vessels under colposcope and hyperplasia in the lesion area are the independent risk factors for the disease progression of the CIN Ⅰ patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite many efforts to treat HPV infection, cervical cancer survival is still poor for several reasons, including resistance to chemotherapy and relapse. Numerous treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, immune cell-based therapies, siRNA combined with various drugs, and immunotherapy are being studied and performed to provide the best treatment. Depending on the stage and size of the tumor, methods such as radical hysterectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy, or chemotherapy can be utilized to treat cervical cancer. While accepted, these treatments lead to interruptions in cellular pathways and immune system homeostasis. In addition to a low survival rate, cervical neoplasm incidence has been rising significantly. However, new strategies have been proposed to increase patient survival while reducing the toxicity of chemotherapy, including targeted therapy and monoclonal antibodies. In this article, we discuss the types and potential therapeutic roles of monoclonal antibodies in cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synopsis: There are cultural and institutional barriers to HPV vaccine uptake in Peruvian indigenous adolescents, highlighting the presence of myths and distrust towards vaccines and health personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite many efforts to treat HPV infection, cervical cancer survival is still poor for several reasons, including resistance to chemotherapy and relapse. Numerous treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, immune cell-based therapies, siRNA combined with various drugs, and immunotherapy are being studied and performed to provide the best treatment. Depending on the stage and size of the tumor, methods such as radical hysterectomy, pelvic lymphadenectomy, or chemotherapy can be utilized to treat cervical cancer. While accepted, these treatments lead to interruptions in cellular pathways and immune system homeostasis. In addition to a low survival rate, cervical neoplasm incidence has been rising significantly. However, new strategies have been proposed to increase patient survival while reducing the toxicity of chemotherapy, including targeted therapy and monoclonal antibodies. In this article, we discuss the types and potential therapeutic roles of monoclonal antibodies in cervical cancer.

Purpose: Underserved Black and Hispanic/Latinx women show low rates of follow-up care after an abnormal Pap test, despite the fact that cervical cancer is one of the few preventable cancers if detected early. However, extant literature falls short on efficacious interventions to increase follow-up for this population. A concurrent mixed methods study was completed to evaluate the acceptability of a text message-based intervention and identify perceived barriers and facilitators to follow-up after an abnormal Pap test among underserved predominantly Black and Hispanic/Latinx women. Methods: Patients who completed follow-up for an abnormal Pap test were recruited to complete a cross-sectional survey, qualitative interview assessing barriers and facilitators to follow-up, and text message content evaluation (N = 28). Descriptive statistics were performed to describe background variables and to evaluate the acceptability of text messages. A directed content analysis was completed for the qualitative interviews. Results: Participants expressed interest in a text message-based intervention to increase abnormal Pap test follow-up. In the qualitative interviews, low knowledge about cervical risk and negative affect toward colposcopy/test results were identified as barriers to follow-up. Facilitators of follow-up included feeling relieved after the colposcopy and adequate social support. Participants rated the text messages as understandable, personally relevant, and culturally appropriate. Conclusion: The findings suggest that underserved Black and Hispanic/Latinx women experience cognitive and emotional barriers that undermine their ability to obtain follow-up care and a text message-based intervention may help women overcome these barriers. Future research should develop and evaluate text message-based interventions to enhance follow-up after an abnormal Pap test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The assessment of retroperitoneal lymph node status in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer is still a problem. This study aimed to explore the choice of these assessment methods. Methods Laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy was performed in 96 patients with advanced cervical cancer. The positive rates of lymph node metastasis were analyzed. The values of computed tomography lymph node minimum axial diameter (MAD) and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag), and their combination in predicting retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis were compared. High-risk factors for common iliac lymph node (CILN) and/or para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis were analyzed. Results The lymph node metastasis rate was 62.50% and the CILN and/or PALN metastasis rate was 31.25%. Overall, 96 patients had 172 visible lymph nodes. The positive rate of lymph node metastasis was significantly higher in the MAD ≥1.0 cm group (83.33%) than in the 0.5 cm ≤ MAD

Background: There are many different variants of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and verrucous carcinoma (VC) is a rare and highly differentiated SCC. Due to its preference of local invasion, regional lymphatic involvement rarely occurs. VC is difficult to diagnose using conventional pap smear or cervical punch biopsy, in which adequate stroma including bulbous rete pegs is required for a definitive diagnosis. Surgical management is recommended as the first-line treatment with radiotherapy forbidden due to the risk of anaplastic transformation. Case report: We presented a 59-year-old Taiwanese female who had postmenopausal bleeding for three months with two consecutive normal pap smear and biopsy at other hospital. Pelvic examination showed a necrotic fungating cervical mass with upper 1/3 vaginal involvement. Colposcopic guided cervical biopsy and fractional dilatation and curettage revealed verrucous hyperplasia (VH) with negative high-risk HPV typing. Pelvic 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was arranged, and a 3.7 × 3.6 × 4.0 cm necrotic mass at the cervix with an enlarged left pelvic lymph node was found. Positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) demonstrated avid uptake at the cervix and left pelvic lymph node. Surgical intervention was performed due to highly suspicious of cervical verrucous carcinoma with positive pelvic lymph node. The final pathologic report was a well-differentiated verrucous carcinoma, IIA2 by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) classification. Conclusion: VC is difficult to diagnose preoperatively, and surgical excision is recommended as the first-line treatment.

Neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix portends a dismal prognosis with limited treatment options. Rarely, tumors of mixed-lineage appear in gynecologic malignancies. Here, we report a 77-year-old woman who presented with complete uterine prolapse and 4-month history of vaginal bleeding. Histopathologic evaluation revealed a mixed adenoid cystic carcinoma and neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The tumor was PD-L1 and HPV 35 positive. The patient was treated with up-front surgery and adjuvant radiation. Independent, histology-specific alterations in FGFR2 and a FGFR2-TACC2 fusion were identified. Progression of disease occurred within 6 months for which she received chemotherapy and immunotherapy. However, the patient expired within a year. We comprehensively review how screening for and targeting of FGFR alterations in recurrent and metastatic cervical cancer might serve as a touchstone for future treatment regimens.

Objectives: It is very rare to find nerve sheath tumors that originate from the sympathetic chain. Imaging play important role to help surgeon to make a diagnosis. In this case, computed tomography (CT) scan used to establish the pre-operative diagnosis. Methods: This can be demonstrated through a case of a 52-year-old man presented with a swelling on the right side of his neck for 2 years. CT scan show a mass lying behind the right internal jugular vein and deep to the sternomastoid. Result: The patient was successfully treated by surgery and has not shown evidence of recurrence. Histopathology examination (HPE) confirmed the diagnosis of schwannoma. Conclusion: Diagnostic imaging gives essential pre-operative information which is useful to plan optimal surgical procedure. Complete surgical excision should carry out and biopsy must be performed for histology examination to confirm the diagnosis.

Objective: Describe the process of construction and validation of an instrument for the evaluation of care for women with physical disabilities, regarding the prevention of cervical cancer, in health services of different levels of care. Methods: A research instrument based on guidelines from the Ministry of Health related to CCS prevention wase laborated, with 34 items addressed to professional nurses working in primary health care (target population of the instrument). For validation, pretest (53 professionals) and reliability (Cronbach's alpha) and validity analyzes were performed. Results: The validated version has 34 questions distributed in 4 domains: human resources; physical resources; organization of services and assistance; and health education, which identify and evaluate the organization of physical structure, accessibility, instruments/equipment adapted to perform cytopathological examination in women with disabilities, as well as the prevention and control of CCS in these women in health services. Was obtained Cronbach's alpha> 0.6. Conclusion: The instrument has satisfactory values of validity/reliability, encompasses relevant aspects to appreciate the care in health services, and also enables a viable strategy in the evaluation of health services in the care of women with physical disabilities in the prevention of CCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The cervical and uterine neoplasms involve standardized treatments, decided by a multidisciplinary team, according to disease staging. Performed whenever possible, surgeries involve, in the first place, the dissection of the obturator fossa, common iliac and interaortocaval lymph nodes. The postoperative (pT) histopathological (HP) examination may indicate tumor aggressivity through the presence or absence of neoplastic cells on the surgical specimen and in the obturator lymph nodes. Materials and method. Our clinic has recorded 123 patients (2019-2020), subjected to surgery for cervical and uterine neoplasms, and their obturator lymph nodes HP exams were correlated with the stage of the disease. Results. 7.31% of the patients had tumor cells in the obturator lymph nodes. Conclusions. The tumor cells present in the obturator lymph nodes are correlated with advanced disease stages and an aggressive histopathologic type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancerrelated deaths in the female population. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes 16 and 18 accounts for 70% of cervical cancer cases. HPV infection is associated with the development of cervical carcinoma and its precancerous lesions, and early intervention can effectively prevent cervical cancer. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the prevalence of HPV types. Aim: To evaluate the incidence of HPV infection in a university hospital in Cheonan, Korea over 5 years and its changes over time. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study. HPV detection and genotyping were performed on 7,874 consecutive cervical swab specimens between 2013 and 2018. Cervical swab specimens were obtained from women aged 21-81 years using a cervical brush and specimen transport medium. HPV DNA was detected by multiplex real-time PCR. The detected HPV types were classified according to risk. HPV data were analysed using R. (version 3.3.3, Comprehensive R Archive Network; https://www.r-project.org) The chi-square test was performed to analyse categorical data. The prevalence and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for the overall HPV genotypes and each individual genotype. Statistical significance was considered at p

Purpose: Cancer-related inflammation plays an important role in tumor development and progression. Platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) has been studied as a biomarker for prognosis in gynecologic cancers. But, the results of previous studies were controversial, so we performed this meta-analysis.Methods: We searched the scientific database of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Wanfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) using free text and MeSH keywords. Crude HR (hazard ratio) with 95% confidence interval was used to evaluate the risk association between PLR and overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) in gynecologic neoplasms.Results: There totally 23 studies, including 6869 patients who were eligible, most of which are published after 2015 or later. PLR greater than the cut-off was associated with poorer survival prognosis in ovarian cancer [OS: HR 1.80 (95% CI 1.37-2.37), p = 0.000; PFS: HR 1.63 (95% CI 1.38-1.91), p = 0.000] and cervical cancer [OS: HR 1.36 (95% CI 1.10-1.68), p = 0.005; PFS: HR 1.40 (95% CI 1.16-1.70), p = 0.002], but not in endometrial cancer [OS: HR 1.95 (95% CI 0.65-5.84), p = 0.234].Conclusions: The current meta-analysis revealed that pretreatment PLR was a simple, promising prognostic indicator for OS and PFS in ovarian and cervical cancers. But, its significance of prognosis did not agree with endometrial neoplasm. However, due to the limited number of original studies, future large-scale studies with more well-designed, high-quality studies are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Human papillomavirus testing by self-sampling and urine sampling might be alternatives to Papanicolaou test (Pap test) for cervical cancer screening (CCS), and may increase compliance and adherence thereto. The present study aimed to explore satisfaction and preferences for cervical screening modalities among Korean women. Methods: In total, 732 women aged between 20 and 69 years responded to a questionnaire designed to survey the women's perceived satisfaction for the 3 CCS modalities: cliniciancollected Pap test, self-collected vaginal sampling (self-sampling) and urine sampling. Results: Overall satisfaction was significantly higher with both the self-sampling and urine sampling than the clinician-collected Pap test (odds ratio [OR]=2.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.48-3.00 and OR=2.47; 95% CI=1.75-3.48, respectively). Psychological distress, including embarrassment, pain, anxiety, discomfort, and stress, with self-sampling and urine sampling were significantly lower than that with the Pap test. 52% of participants reported preferences for self-sampling in the next screening round. Conclusions: Korean women were more likely to report satisfaction with alternative modalities (self-sampling and urine sampling) for CCS in comparison to the Pap test. This suggests that self-collected modalities may help with improving CCS uptake rates by eliminating burden related with the Pap test. However, further studies for test accuracy and cost-effective analysis of the alternative modalities should be conducted in order to apply CCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the genesis, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment progress of cervical primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET), also called Ewing sarcoma, improve the understandings of this special type of cervical malignancies. A case of cervical PNET, at the Second Hospital of Jilin University in January 2016, was analyzed retrospectively. The tumor was found accidently in a routine examination with no clinical manifestations. The patient was finally confirmed by surgical pathologic examination and immunohistochemical staining. Immunohistochemistry was positive for CD99 and vimentin. Cervix PNET is a extremely rare and aggressively invasive tumor with high malignancy and mortality. The diagnosis depends on pathology, immunohistology and cytogenetics and there is no consensus on treatment so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aimed to compare pelvic lymph nodes coverage in Digital Reconstructed Radiography (DRR) based on bony landmarks and 3D planning based on contouring in external beam radiation of cervical cancer patients. Material and Methods: The study was carried out on 43 cervical cancer patients who were referred to Cancer Institute of Iran. We used RT Dose Plan software available in our department to define the treatment plan and field sizes. Images of patients were transported to RT dose plan software for planning. The Box treatment field (4 perpendicular fields) with or without additional brachytherapy was considered. The Dose Volume Histogram (DVH) and isodose curves were surveyed for acceptable tumour coverage. The study participants were assigned to two types of planning including planning based on anatomical markers (Conventional, DRR) and planning by considering the actual position of lymph nodes based on CT simulation images (CT). Results: The mean age of participants was 51 years. In the AP/PA field, the mean difference of superior, right, and left lateral borders was -2.31, -0.29, and -0.029, respectively. On the other hand, the mean difference of inferior border was estimated 1.87. Further, in the lateral field, the mean difference of DDR and CT approaches for anterior and posterior borders was 0.89 and 0.164, respectively. Conclusion: It seems CT simulation and use of contouring provide a better vision to pelvic lymph nodes and leads to wider coverage through reducing the possibility of ignoring treated areas. Nevertheless, more studies are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poland has one of the highest cervical cancer mortality rates in Europe. It is related to the problem of late diagnosis and low attendance rate in screening programs. The objective of the study has been to assess the annual production loss due to the cervical cancer morbidity and mortality in Poland in 2012. The outcomes have been to provide comprehensive information on cervical cancer’s influence on population’s ability to work and its overall economic burden for the society. The study has also provided the methodological framework for disease-related production losses in Polish settings. Material and Methods: The human capital method was used. The production losses were calculated in both monetary and quantitative terms (working days lost) due to 4 following reasons: 1) temporary disability to work, 2) permanent disability, 3) informal care, and 4) mortality. Results: Cervical cancer resulted in approx. 702 964 working days lost in 2012 due to absence at work for both patients and care givers and a total number of 957 678 working days lost due to patients’ mortality. The total value of production lost was assessed at 111.4 million euros. More than 66% of this value was attributed to women’s mortality. Conclusions: The calculation of production lost due to cervical cancer burden provides strong evidence to support adequate health promotion and disease prevention actions. Actions promoting cervical cancer screening should be intensified including workplace health promotion activities. Med Pr 2016;67(3):289–299

Objective To explore the value of daltonbio hybrid capture 3(DH3) in ASCUS shunt by comparing the second generation of hybrid capture(HC2) and DH3 detection results．Methods The high-risk HPV subtypes were detected by DH3 and HC2 respectively from ASCUS population at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University hospital with 198 cases．Cervical biopsy under colposcope，The coincidence rate of DH3 and HC2 test results and the triage of ASCUS were analyzed. Results (1) The total coincidence rate of high-risk HPV detected by DH3 and HC2 was 96.43%， 96.67% positive and 96.30% negative. (2) The pathological results were as follows: CIN1， CIN2， CIN3，cervical cancer was respectively 23 cases， 30 cases， 3 cases， 1cases，.The detection rate of CIN2+ was 17.17%. (3) CIN2+ were 34 cases ， all of which were positive for HPV infection， of which 29 cases were positive for hpv16/18. Conclusions The coincidence rate between DH3 and HC2 is high.The two high-risk subtypes of DH3 have more important guiding significance for the triage of ASCUS patients， and can be used as an effective method for clinical triage of ASCUS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: According to recent statistics, there is a high percentage of refusal of cervical cancer screening using the Pap smear test by women in rural communities in developing countries such as Peru. There are few studies on the reasons to explain said refusal in this country. The objective of this study was to determine the barriers related to the non-acceptance of cervical cancer screening using the Pap smear test in women of childbearing age from a rural Peruvian community. Methods: Cross-sectional study, with a total of 892 women of childbearing age from the rural Peruvian community of Marián, Huaraz province, Ancash region, who did not accept screening for cervical cancer using the Pap smear test during their care at the Marián Health Centre. A questionnaire given from September 2017 to April 2018 was used. The information was processed with the statistics programme for social science 22.0 programme, using the Chi-square statistical test. Results: For 4-6 years, 52.5% of women refused cervical cancer screening using the Pap smear test. The barriers that showed a statistically significant relationship to the non-acceptance of cervical cancer screening using the Pap test were socio-demographic (age, marital status, education level, occupation and home income) and institutional barriers (counselling for cervical cancer screening, importance of the gender of health personnel administering the screening, history of mistreatment by health personnel, fear or embarrassment of the screening procedure and a delay in sending the results) (p < 0.05); while a history of sexually transmitted infections and a feeling of physical well-being in sexual and reproductive health were the only related reproductive barriers (p <0.05), this was not demonstrated with the age of first sexual activity, number of sexual partners, age of first pregnancy and total number of pregnancies (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Socio-demographic and institutional barriers are related to the non-acceptance of cervical cancer screening using the Pap test in women of childbearing age in the rural Peruvian community of Marián, with a lesser emphasis on reproductive barriers. With this in mind, we recommend undertaking broader studies in populations of different age groups, which should be oriented towards the design and application of preventive/promotional programmes by health institutions to promote the participation of community workers with the goal of aiding the identification and control of said barriers, reducing the refusal of cervical cancer screenings by women from rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast and cervical cancer are the first and fourth cancer types with the highest prevalence in women, respectively. The developmental profiles of cancer in women can vary by genetic markers and cellular events. In turn, age and lifestyle influence in the cellular response and also on the cancer progression and relapse. The human DEK protein, a histone chaperone, belongs to a specific subclass of chromatin topology modulators, being involved in the regulation of DNA-dependent processes. These epigenetic mechanisms have dynamic and reversible nature, have been proposed as targets for different treatment approaches, especially in tumor therapy. The expression patterns of DEK vary between healthy and cancer cells. High expression of DEK is associated with poor prognosis in many cancer types, suggesting that DEK takes part in oncogenic activities via different molecular pathways, including inhibition of senescence and apoptosis. The focus of this review was to highlight the role of the DEK protein in these two female cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice among medical students regarding cervical cancer risk factors, common symptoms and preventive measures. Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Foundation Medical University, Rawalpindi from 1st Jul 2016 to 30th Jun 2017. Material and Methods: A total of 173 pre clinical female student of MBBS who give consent were enrolled in the study by non-probability consecutive sampling technique. With informed written consent, data were collected on pretested questionnaire. Data were presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: Total 173 students were enrolled with response rate of 98%. Age ranged from 18-21 years. Fifty three (31%) students had family history of cervical cancer. Majority of the students 101 (59%) had heard about cervical cancer. Knowledge about etiological agent (38, 22%), HPV vaccine available for infection prevention (11, 6%) and its Pap smear screening (61, 36%) was poor. Abnormal vaginal discharge was the most common symptom (98, 57%). Overall response of symptoms was poor. An attitude towards diagnostic measures for cervical cancer was positive. A total of 127 (74%) students responded that every adult girl should be vaccinated against cervical cancer, 137 (73%) voted for regular cytological examination however 88 (56%) were not in opinion of doing pap testing as OPD procedure. Conclusion: Our study revealed poor knowledge about cervical cancer risk factors and symptoms among female students. Awareness programs are required for early detection and treatment of this fatal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To establish a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) method to detect p16INK4a. Methods: 119 cases of exfoliative cells following Thinprep cytologic test (TCT) test were selected for TRFIA and biopsy tissues of these patients according to TCT results were collected for immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Results: There were 40 cases with cervicitis, 16 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1), 15 cases of CIN2, 26 cases of CIN3, and 22 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). For each group, TCT results displaying above ASC-US were 7, 6, 12, 23, and 21 cases. IHC results were positive for 2, 13, 14, 26, and 21 cases, while the TRFIA results were positive for 5, 12, 13, 25, and 21 cases, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were not significantly different between TCT and TRFIA test due to the limited cases. Significantly more CIN1 cases were positive by TRFIA, as compared with cervicitis (75.00% vs. 12.50%, χ 2 = 21.116, p < 0.001). Most (93.65%) CIN2/3 and SCC cases were positive for p16INK4a (higher than CIN1, χ 2 = 4.877 and p = 0.027). Conclusion: Detecting p16INK4a protein by TRFIA is suitable to discriminate cervical dysplastic/neoplastic lesions from cervicitis. A commercial kit which created in the future might be a rapid, simple, and low-cost method to obtain objective results with an instrument automatically on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are approximately 3,000 new UK diagnoses of cervical cancer annually, with many women presenting symptomatically. We aimed to identify and quantify features of cervical cancer in primary care in a case-control study in the UK. Putative features of cervical cancer were identified, and odd ratios and positive predictive values (PPVs) were calculated. About 1,006 women aged ≥40 years diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,992 age-, sex- and practice-matched controls were selected from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Median age at diagnosis was 61 years (interquartile range 51-75). Seven symptoms and two abnormal investigations were associated with cervical cancer: post-menopausal bleeding, odds ratio 43 (95% confidence interval 25, 75); vaginal discharge or vaginitis 8.8 (5.2, 15), intermenstrual bleeding 4.7 (1.6, 14); haematuria 4.6 (2.1, 10); irregular menstruation 3.8 (1.6, 9.0); urinary tract infection 1.9 (1.3, 2.8); abdominal pain 1.8 (1.4, 2.5); high white cell count 5.1 (2.9, 8.8) and low haemoglobin 2.6 (1.8, 3.8): all p < .005. The PPV of cervical cancer in women aged ≥55 with post-menopausal bleeding was 4.6% (2.5, 8.3). Other than for post-menopausal bleeding no symptom is high risk. Some symptoms, particularly haematuria, may be helpful. The primary care clinician must consider the unlikely diagnosis when the likely diagnosis does not settle with treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified preferences toward Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF)-recommended intervention approaches among screen-eligible Zuni Pueblo members in New Mexico, USA and assessed if there were significant differences in those preferences, with the goal of informing the selection of intervention approaches for use in the Zuni Pueblo. We utilize data from a population-based survey (n = 280) focused on 15 CPSTF-recommended intervention approaches designed to improve screening for cervical, breast, and/or colorectal cancer screening. Model-adjusted results suggest some intervention approaches garnered significantly higher support than others. We offer six, data-driven recommendations for consideration by public health practitioners as they endeavor to improve cancer prevention in the Zuni Pueblo. This study provides a replicable model for other public health practitioners and health services researchers to incorporate community preferences in community-level intervention approach selection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Cervical sarcomas are extremely rare neoplasms associated with younger age, advanced stage, and poorer prognosis relative to cervical carcinomas. Carcinosarcoma is the most frequently observed cervical sarcoma subtype, while leiomyosarcomas are exceedingly rare subtypes, with only a small number of cases reported in the English language literature. Cervical leiomyosarcoma patients present most commonly with abnormal vaginal bleeding, discharge, and/or abdominal and pelvic pain. Due to their rarity, data regarding these tumors typically come from case reports and small case series, and treatment strategies are often adapted from data for uterine sarcomas. Here the authors report the clinical findings from a case of unusual asymptomatic leiomyosarcoma arising in the uterine cervix and treated with a laparoscopic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of minimal deviation adenocarcinoma (MDA) of cervix, and improve the diagnostic accuracy of MDA. Methods The imaging data of eight cases of MDA was retrospectively collected, including tumor size, tumor location, tumor components, signal characteristics, enhancement characteristics and invasive extent. Results The maximum diameter of tumor was (4.36±1.46) cm. Six tumors were mixed solid and cystic and two were predominantly solid. Six were diffusion limited on diffusion-weighted imaging, and two were not diffusion limited. On multi-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced scan, the enhancement curve of solid components of the tumor showed a plateau-like pattern in three cases and a slow-rising pattern in five cases. Tumors were confined to the cervical canal in three cases, infiltrated to cervical stroma > 1/2 depth in seven cases, and ≤ 1/2 depth in one case. There were four cases of uterine invasion, four cases of vaginal fornix invasion, four cases of bilateral ovarian metastasis and one case of lymph node metastasis. Conclusions Patients suffering from large amount of vaginal discharge had cervical lesions on MRI showing polycystic and solid component enhancement should be alert to MDA. Deep-seated cervical biopsy and even conization is conducive to early diagnosis, treatment and improvement of prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo investigate the significance of pretreatment peripheral blood HPV16E6m RNA andCK19m RNA in diagnosis and their correlations to the clinicopathologic features of cervical carcinoma MethodsOne hundred cervical carcinoma patients underwent pretreatment peripheral blood HPV16E6m RNA and CK19mRNA evaluation；40 healthy women were subjected as controlThe specificity and sensitivity of HPV16E6m RNAand CK19m RNA as diagnostic indexes were analyzed； their correlations to clinicopathologic features wereinvestigated ResultsThe specificity of HPV16E6m RNA and CK19m RNA in the diagnosis of cervical cancerwere 97.5%The sensitivity of HPV16E6m RNA and CK19m RNA in the diagnosis of pre treatment were 15% and39% ， respectively and the difference was statistically significant （P＜0.05）HPV16E6m RNA elevation wasassociated with clinical stage （P＝ 0.012） and pelvic lymph node metastasis （P＝0.026） CK19m RNA wasassociated with deep muscular invasion （P＝0.031） and pelvic lymph node metastasis （P＝0.027）Conclusion Peripheral blood HPV16E6m RNA and CK19m RNA are the valuable tumor markers of cervical cancer The value of CK19mRNA in the diagnosis of cervical cancer is better than that of HPV16E6m RNA [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alterations in the host cellular immune response allow persistent infections with High-Risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and development of premalignant cervical lesions and cervical cancer (CC). Variations of immunosuppressive cytokine levels in cervix are associated with the natural history of CC. To assess the potential role of genetic host immunity and cytokines serum levels in the risk of developing CC, we conducted a case-control study paired by age.Methods: Peripheral blood samples from patients with CC (n = 200) and hospital controls (n = 200), were used to evaluate nine biallelic SNPs of six cytokine genes of the adaptive immune system by allelic discrimination and cytokines serum levels by ELISA.Results: After analyzing the SNP association by multivariate logistic regression adjusted by age, CC history and smoking history, three Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10) and one Th3 (TGFB1) cytokine were significantly associated with CC. Individuals with at least one copy of the following risk alleles: T of SNP (-590C > T IL-4), C of SNP (-573G > C IL-6), A of SNP (-592C > A IL-10), T of SNP (-819C > T IL-10) and T of SNP (-509C > T TGFB1), had an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.08 (95 % CI 1.475-2.934, p = 0.0001), an OR of 1.70 (95 % CI 1.208-2.404, p = 0.002), an OR of 1.87 (95 % CI 1.332-2.630, p = 0.0001), an OR of 1.67 (95 % CI 1.192-2.353, p = 0.003) and an OR of 1.91 (95 % CI 1.354-2.701, p = 0.0001), respectively, for CC. The burden of carrying two or more of these risk alleles was found to have an additive effect on the risk of CC (p trend = 0.0001). Finally, the serum levels of Th2 and Th3 cytokines were higher in CC cases than the controls; whereas IFNG levels, a Th1 cytokine, were higher in controls than CC cases.Conclusion: The significant associations of five SNPs with CC indicate that these polymorphisms are potential candidates for predicting the risk of development of CC, representing a risk allelic load for CC and can be used as a biomarker of susceptibility to this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the level of sexual function, depression, and quality of life in cervical cancer patients.Methods: This descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study was conducted at E Hospital, Seoul. A total of 137 women diagnosed with cervical cancer completed a structured questionnaire. Sexual function was measured with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), depression with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and quality of life with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General version 4 (FACT-G). Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Scheffé's tests, and Pearson correlations were computed with SPSS Win 21.0.Results: The participants experienced sexual dysfunction (4.83 ± 4.16) and moderate to severe depression (11.08 ± 5.06). The mean score of quality of life was 57.33 ± 8.47. Sexual function had a negative relationship with depression, while having a positive one with quality of life (p < .001). Also, in relation with subcategories of quality of life, sexual function was positively correlated with physical well-being, social well-being, and functional well-being (p = .001), but not with psychological well-being (p = .223).Conclusion: This study showed that cervical cancer patients with lower sexual function tended to have lower quality of life and higher levels of depression. Thus, clinical nurses should develop and implement interventions to enhance sexual function for patients diagnosed with cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]