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Simple Summary: Magnetic resonance imaging plays a key role in preoperative staging and the evaluation of treatment responses of patients affected by cervical cancer. This is due to the ability to identify the involvement of adjacent structures such as the vagina and parametrium as well as lymph nodes. In those patients eligible for neoadjuvant treatment, the assessment of treatment response could help to plan a proper strategy to improve survival outcomes while minimizing side effects. This study aims to compare the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging for cervical cancer staging in subjects who underwent neoadjuvant treatment plus surgery with those who underwent direct surgery. Secondary objectives include accuracy comparison between magnetic resonance imaging and physical examination for detecting parametrium and vaginal involvement, and the accuracy in the evaluation of lymph node status. Our results show that the overall accuracy rate of magnetic resonance imaging in preoperative staging of cervical cancer does not seem to be satisfactory, especially when it is applied to pretreated patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been proven to ensure high diagnostic accuracy in the identification of vaginal, parametrial, and lymph node involvement in patients affected by cervical cancer (CC), thus playing a crucial role in the preoperative staging of the disease. This study aims to compare the accuracy of MRI for the preoperative staging of patients with CC who underwent neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) or direct surgery. Retrospective data analysis of 126 patients with primary CC International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB3-IIB who underwent NAT before radical surgery (NAT group = 94) or received surgical treatment alone (control arm = 32) was prospectively performed. All enrolled patients were clinically assessed with both a pelvic examination and MRI before surgical treatment. Data from the clinical examination were compared with the histopathological findings to assess the accuracy of MRI for staging purposes after NAT or before direct surgery. MRI showed an overall accuracy of 46.1%, proving it to be not superior to pelvic and physical examination. The overall MRI accuracy for the evaluation of parametrial, vaginal, and lymph node status was 65.8%, 79.4%, and 79.4%, respectively. In the NAT group, the accuracy for the detection of parametrial, lymph node, and vaginal involvement was lower than the control group; however, the difference was not significant (p ≥ 0.05). The overall accuracy of MRI for the preoperative staging of CC after NAT is shown to be not unsatisfactory. The limits of MRI staging are especially evident when dealing with pre-treated patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (eEOC) patients have a generally favorable prognosis but unpredictable recurrence. Accurate prediction of risk of relapse is still a major concern, essentially to avoid overtreatment. Our robust tissue-based miRNA signature named MiROvaR, predicting early EOC recurrence in mostly advanced-stage EOC patients, is here challenged in an independent cohort to extend its classifying ability in the early-stage EOC setting. We retrospectively selected patients who underwent comprehensive surgical staging at our institution including stages from IA to IIB. miRNA expression profile was analysed in 89 cases and MiROvaR algorithm was applied using the previously validated cut-off for patients' classification. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) at 5 years. Complete follow-up time (median = 112 months) was also considered as secondary analysis. MiROvaR was assessable on 87 cases (19 events of disease progression) and classified 68 (78%) low-risk and 19 (22%) high-risk patients. Recurrence rate at primary end-point was 39% for high-risk patients as compared to 9.5% for low-risk ones. Accordingly, their Kaplan–Meier PFS curves were significantly different at both primary and secondary analysis (p = 0.0006 and p = 0.03, respectively). While none of the prominent clinical variables had prognostic relevance, MiROvaR significantly predicted disease recurrence at the 5-year assessment (primary endpoint analysis; HR:5.43, 95%CI:1.82–16.1, p = 0.0024; AUC = 0.78, 95%CI:0.53–0.82) and at complete follow-up time (HR:2.67, 95%CI:1.04–6.8, p = 0.041; AUC:0.68, 95%CI:0.52–0.82). We validated MiROvaR performance in identifying at diagnosis eEOC patients' at higher risk of early relapse thus enabling selection of the most effective therapeutic approach. • Early stages EOC (eEOC) have a general good prognosis but unpredictable relapse. • Clinical variables do not completely recapitulate the possible recurrence of disease. • In this eEOC cohort none of the clinical variables showed prognostic relevance. • MiROvaR significantly predicted at diagnosis eEOC patients' risk of recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last years, the role of sentinel lymph node mapping (SLNM) for endometrial cancer (EC) surgical treatment has increased in popularity. However, several controversies remain about different technical steps of SLNM. Thus, a randomised control trial was designed to compare cervical (CI) and hysteroscopic (HI) indocyanine green (ICG) injection for SLNM of newly diagnosed EC undergoing surgical staging. The primary end-point of the study was to compare these two techniques in terms of para-aortic detection rate. Patients with apparent stage I or II histologically confirmed EC undergoing surgery were included in the study. This randomised trial distinguished patients in two study groups according to two different techniques of ICG SLNM: CI versus HI injection. Patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to CI or HI injection in a 1:1 ratio. The central randomisation system allocated patient randomisation numbers sequentially in the order in which the patients were enrolled. This randomised trial was not blinded for either patients or the surgeons. From March 2017 until April 2019, a total of 165 patients were randomised in this study: 85 (51.5%) in the CI group and 80 (48.5%) in the HI group. After randomisation, 14 (8.5%) patients were excluded from the study. Finally, 151 patients were included in the analysis: 82 (54.3%) in the CI group and 69 (45.7%) in the HI group. Hysteroscopy injection shows an ability to detect Sentinel nodes (SNLs) in the para-aortic area of about 10% greater compared with CI injection, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. The HI technique was superior in detecting isolated para-aortic SLNs (5.8% Versus 0%). The CI injection was correlated with higher SLN detection rates at the pelvic level compared with HI injection. Pelvic and overall detection was higher in the CI group. The present study supports the adoption of CI instead of HI injection because the former allows better identification of sentinel nodes (especially in the pelvic area). Detection of SLN in the para-aortic area was slightly higher in patients receiving a HI injection, but the difference with the CI route was not statistically significant. • Sentinel node mapping allows identification of extrauterine (i.e. lymphatic) disease. • Cervical (CI) and hysteroscopic (HI) injections are to perform sentinel node mapping. • CI and HI injections provide a similar detection rate in the para-aortic area. • In comparison with HI injection, CI injection correlates with a higher pelvic sentinel node detection rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether primary conization might overcome the risk of local dissemination in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical hysterectomy.Methods: Consecutive data of 262 patients with early stage cervical cancer were retrieved: 88 women had conization followed by radical hysterectomy. A propensity-matched comparison (1:1) was carried out in order to compare laparoscopy and open surgery. Accumulating data highlighted that minimally invasive surgery has been associated with higher recurrence rates and worse overall survival than open surgery in women with early stage cervical cancer.Results: Data of 35 paired patients (total 70 patients) were analyzed. No between-group differences in baseline, disease, and pathological variables were observed. Patients undergoing laparoscopy correlated with lower blood loss (50 [range 30-100] vs 150 [range 50-500] mL; P<0.001) and shorter length of stay (3 ± 0.8 vs 5.4 ± 1.4 days; P<0.001) compared to open surgery. One local recurrence was observed per group (P=1.00). Type of surgical approach did not influence site of recurrence (P=1.00) or survival outcomes, in terms of 10-year disease-free (P=0.549, log-rank test) and overall survivals (P=0.615, log-rank test).Conclusions: The data show that primary conization might overcome the risk of local recurrence after laparoscopic radical hysterectomy in early stage cervical cancer. Further prospective evidence is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate long-term outcomes after surgery for apparent early-stage ovarian cancer (OC).Methods: Retrospective analysis of women who underwent staging surgery for apparent early-stage OC at a single center in Milan, Italy, from 1990 to 2008, and had a follow-up longer than 10 years (living women with no recurrence). Univariate and multivariate analyses and propensity score matching were carried out.Results: Overall, 182 women underwent radical (n=148, 81.3%) or conservative (n=34, 18.7%) procedures for early-stage OC. Ten-year disease-free and overall survival were 82.9% (n=151) and 87.9% (n=160), respectively. Conservative or radical surgery had similar disease-free (log-rank test, P=0.783) and overall (log-rank test, P=0.783) survival. These data were confirmed after the application of propensity score matching. High-risk features correlated with non-significant worse disease-free survival (P=0.080). In the high-risk group (≥Grade 3 or ≥ Stage IC), type of surgical approach (conservative vs radical) did not affect survival (hazard ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.18-3.56; P=0.781).Conclusion: Women with early-stage OC had encouraging long-term survival. The presence of high-risk disease had detrimental effects on survival, regardless of surgical approach. High-risk disease should not be considered a contraindication to conservative surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is continuing to spread. There are growing concerns on the impact of COVID-19 in cancer patients. Several papers reporting recommendations and guidelines are published. But few data on cancer patients affected by COVID-19 are available. This is a retrospective study including all consecutive patients affected by gynecological cancer who developed COVID-19. All patients were treated in an academic setting (in Milan, Lombardy, Italy) between February and March 2020. Overall, 355 patients had active treatment during the study period due to newly diagnosed or recurrent gynecological disease. Among those, 19 (5.3%) patients affected developed COVID-19. All patients were asymptomatic at the time of COVID-19 detection. Six patients were diagnosed before starting planned treatments; while the remaining 13 were diagnosed for COVID-19 after their started their treatments. Considering the first group of six patients, one patient died due to COVID-19 3 days after the diagnosis; while the other patients recovered from COVID-19 after a median of three weeks. The latter group of 13 patients (treatments started) included five patients who underwent surgery and eight patients who underwent chemotherapy. Focusing on five patients who were diagnosed after surgery, we observed that two patients died during postoperative course, while in other two cases prolonged hospitalization was needed. One patient had no issues. Chemotherapy was delayed for the remaining patents without sequelae. Our report highlights that COVID-19 impacts the quality of treatments for cancer patients. Mortality rate is high, especially after surgery. More important, patients under active treatment for cancer are at high risk of developing severe evolution of COVID-19. Prioritizing patients journey during COVID-19 is of paramount importance. • There are growing concerns on the impact of COVID-19 in cancer patients. • COVID-19 is impacting oncologic practice directly and indirectly. • Prioritizing patients journey during COVID-19 is of paramount importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in surgically staged stage I clear cell ovarian cancer (OCCC) is unclear. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to evaluate the role of chemotherapy vs. observation in stage I OCCC. This systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; ID: #129628). A protocol was defined prior to the search include the population criteria, description of interventions, comparisons, and the outcomes of interest, according to the PRIMA guidelines. Overall, the study population included 5073 women. Stage I OCCC experienced a 5-year disease-free survival and a 5-year overall survival of 83.7% and 86.9%, respectively. Pooled data suggested that in the overall population adjuvant chemotherapy did not impact on 5-year disease free survival (test for overall effect, Z = 0.18; p = 0.86) and 5-year overall survival (test for overall effect, Z = 0.62; p = 0.53). Focusing on 2264 stage IC OCCC we observed that adjuvant correlated with an improvement in overall survival (OR: 0.70 (95%CI: 0.52 to 0.93); Z = 2.44; p = 0.01). In conclusion our study underlines that adjuvant chemotherapy could be reserved for patients with stage IC OCCC; while in stage IA and IB it could be safely omitted. Owing to the inherent biases of the studies included in the meta-analysis further prospective evidences are needed. • Patients with stage IC OCCC experience good oncologic outcomes regardless the use of adjuvant chemotherapy. • More than 70% of patients with OCCC have adjuvant chemotherapy. • Adjuvant chemotherapy does not improve outcomes in stage IA and IB OCCC. • Adjuvant chemotherapy improves overall survival in stage IC OCCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify predictive factors of recurrence and survival in patients with early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (eEOC).Methods: We retrospectively searched the medical records of all women undergoing optimal surgical staging for eEOC (stage I-II) at the National Cancer Institute of Milan, Italy, between January 1, 1974, and December 31, 2014.Results: During the study period, 429 patients underwent primary surgery followed by either adjuvant chemotherapy or observation alone for apparent eEOC. In multivariable analysis, International Federation for Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage greater than 1 (hazard ratio [HR] 2.49, 95% CI 1.24-4.99) was the only prognostic factor for lower disease-free survival. Multivariate analysis showed that age at diagnosis (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.14-2.47) and stage (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.01-6.39) were independent predictive factors for poorer overall survival (OS).Conclusions: FIGO stage is the most important prognostic factor for recurrence and survival in patients with eEOC. Furthermore, age at diagnosis was identified as a factor that negatively influenced OS. Our data for oncologic outcomes are similar to those reported in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We have investigated outcomes of women presenting with recurrent high-grade vaginal intra-epithelial neoplasia. Methods: Data of consecutive women diagnosed with recurrent high-grade vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia after primary treatment(s) were retrieved. Risk of developing new recurrence over the time was assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox models. Results: Data of 117 women were available for the analysis. At primary diagnosis, 41 (35%), 4 (3.4%) and 72 (61.6%) patients had had laser, pure surgical and medical treatments, respectively. Secondary treatments included: laser ablation and medical treatment in 95 (81.2%) and 22 (18.8%) cases, respectively. After a mean (standard deviation) follow-up of 72.3 (±39.5) months, 37 (31.6%) out of the entire cohort of 117 patients developed a second recurrence. Median time to recurrence was 20 (range, 5-42) months. Patients with recurrent high-grade vaginal intra-epithelial neoplasia undergoing medical treatments were at higher risk of developing a second recurrence in comparison to women having laser treatment (p=0.013, log-rank test). After we corrected our results for type of treatment used for recurrent disease, we observed that the execution of primary laser treatment was independently associated with a lower risk of developing new recurrences (hazard ratio [HR]=0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.21-0.99; p=0.050). The other variable that is independently associated with a new recurrence is the persistent infection from HPV16 or 18 (HR=3.87; 95% CI=1.15-13.0; p=0.028). Conclusion: Patients with recurrent high-grade vaginal intra-epithelial neoplasia are at high risk of developing new recurrences. Our data underline that the choice of primary treatment might have an impact of further outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent years, angiogenetic inhibitors have emerged for the treatment of several malignancies. In particular, bevacizumab has proved to be effective in many types of cancers (including sarcoma), but the limitations of antiangiogenic therapy have been shown in practice. Here, we sought to review the current evidence on the role and efficacy of bevacizumab in patients affected by uterine leiomyosarcoma. On April 2017, Literature was searched in order to identify studies reporting outcomes of patients affected either by early stage or advanced/recurred uterine leiomyosarcoma undergoing treatment with bevacizumab, alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic regimens. Searching the literature data of 69 patients affected by metastatic, unresectable uterine leiomyosarcoma were retrieved; on the contrary, no data regarding the use of bevacizumab in patients with early-stage uterine leiomyosarcoma was published. Current evidence suggested that the addiction of bevacizumab to standard treatment modality does not increase grade 3 or worse toxicity (assessed by CTCAE). Pooled data regarding response rate suggested that 35%, 28%, 26% and 11% of patients experienced objective cure (complete + partial response), stable disease, progressive disease and unknown response, respectively. Data from the only one randomized controlled trial suggested that objective cure rate does not differ from standard chemotherapy treatment, thus limiting the indication to add bevacizumab in patients affected by metastatic, unresectable uterine leiomyosarcoma. The current evidence does not justify the use of bevacizumab into clinical practice. Further randomized studies testing the role of bevacizumab are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy (NSRH) was introduced with the aim to reduce pelvic dysfunctions related to conventional radical hysterectomy (RH). Here, we sought to assess the effectiveness and safety of NSRH in a relatively large number of the patients of cervical cancer (CC) patients undergoing either primary surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by surgery. Methods: Outcomes of consecutive patients undergoing NSRH and of a historical cohort of patients undergoing conventional RH were retrospectively reviewed. Results: This study included 325 (49.8%) and 327 (50.2%) undergoing NSRH and RH, respectively. Via a multivariable model, nodal status was the only factor predicting for DFS (hazard ratio [HR]=2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.17-3.73; p=0.01). A trend towards high risk of recurrence was observed for patients affected by locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) undergoing NACT followed by surgery (HR=2.57; 95% CI=0.95-6.96; p=0.06). Type of surgical procedures (NSRH vs. RH) did not influence risk of recurrence (p=0.47). Similarly, we observed that the execution of NSRH rather than RH had not a detrimental effect on OS (HR=1.19; 95% CI=0.16-9.01; p=0.87). Via multivariable model, no factor directly correlated with OS. No difference in early complication rates was observed between the study groups. Conversely, a significant higher number of late complications was reported in RH versus NSRH groups (p=0.02). Conclusion: Our data suggested that NSRH upholds effectiveness of conventional RH, without increasing recurrence and complication rates but improving pelvic dysfunction rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To analyze detection-rate(DR) and diagnostic-accuracy (A) of sentinel-nodes(SLNs) mapping following hysteroscopic-injection of tracer. To compare DR and A between tracers: ICG and Tc99m. Methods Evaluation of endometrial-cancer patients who underwent SLNs mapping after hysteroscopic-peritumoral-injection of tracer ± lymphadenectomy. Analysis of DR (overall-bilateral-aortic) and A in the entire cohort and comparison between tracers. Results 202 procedures were performed from January/2005 to February/2017. Mean age:60 years (28–82); mean BMI: 26.8 kg/m 2 (15–47). In 133 cases (65.8%) hysterectomy and mapping procedure were performed laparoscopically. The overall-DR of the technique was 93.2% (179/192) (10 cases were excluded: 9 for technical-equipment failure; 1 for vagal reaction). Bilateral pelvic mapping was found in 59.7% of cases (107/179) and was more frequent in the ICG group (72.8% vs 53.3%; p: 0.012). In 50.8% of cases (91/179) SLNs were mapped both in pelvic and aortic nodes, and in 5 cases (2.8%) only in the aortic area. The mean number of detected SLNs was 3.7 (1–8). 22 patients (12.3%) had nodal involvement: 10-(45.5%)-macrometastases; 5-(22.7%)-micrometastases; 7-(31.8%)-ITCs. In 6 cases (27.3%) only aortic nodes were positive; in 5 cases (22.7%) both pelvic and aortic nodes and in 11 cases (50%) only pelvic nodes were involved. Three false-negative results were found, all in the Tc99m group. All had isolated aortic metastases with negative pelvic nodes. Overall-sensitivity was 86.4% (95%CI: 68.4–100) and overall-negative-predictive-value (NPV) was 96.4% (95%CI 86.7–100). No differences in terms of overall-DR, overall-sensitivity and overall-NPV were found between the two tracers. Conclusions Hysteroscopic-injection of tracer for SLNs mapping in endometrial cancer is as accurate as cervical injection with a higher DR in the aortic area. ICG improves bilateral-DR. Further investigation is warranted on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate concordance (C) between pre-operative hysteroscopic-directed sampling and final pathology in uterine cancers. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional evaluation of prospectively collected data of women who underwent hysterectomy for uterine malignancies and a previous hysteroscopic-guided biopsy was performed. Diagnostic concordance between pre-operative (hysteroscopic biopsy) and postoperative (uterine specimen) histology was evaluated. In endometrioid-endometrial cancers cases Kappa ( k) statistics was applied to evaluate agreement for grading (G) between the preoperative and final pathology. Results: A total 101 hysterectomies for uterine malignancies were evaluated. There were 23 non-endometrioid cancers: 7 serous (C:5/7, 71.4%); 10 carcinosarcomas (C:7/10, 70%, remaining 3 cases only epithelial component diagnosed); 3 clear cell (C:3/3, 100%); 3 sarcomas (C:3/3, 100%). In 78 cases an endometrioid endometrial cancer was found. In 63 cases there was a histological C (63/78, 80.8%) between hysteroscopic-guided biopsy and final pathology, while in 15 cases (19.2%) only hyperplasia (with/without atypia) was found preoperatively. Overall accuracy to detect endometrial cancer was 80.2%. In 50 out of 63 endometrial cancers (79.4%) grading was concordant. The overall level of agreement between preoperative and postoperative grading was 'substantial' according to Kappa ( k) statistics ( k 0.64; 95% CI: 0.449-0.83; p < 0.001), as well as for G1 (0.679; 95% CI: 0.432-0.926; p < 0.001) and G3 (0.774; 94% CI: 0.534-1; p < 0.001), while for G2 (0.531; 95% CI: 0.286-0.777; p < 0.001) it was moderate. Conclusions: In our series we found an 80% C between pre-operative hysteroscopic-guided biopsy and final pathology, in uterine malignancies. Moreover, hysteroscopic biopsy accurately predicted endometrial cancer in 80% of cases and 'substantially' predicted histological grading. Hysteroscopic-guided uterine sampling could be a useful tool to tailor treatment in patients with uterine malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of adopting PET/CT and its cost-effectiveness in the context of sentinel node mapping have to be further validated into prospective trials. As observed for CT scan [[8]], in high-risk patients PET/CT would be useful in identify gross intra-abdominal disease and suspected nodes, thus tailoring surgical plans. Accumulating data suggested that sentinel node mapping improves detection rate of positive nodes in comparison to lymphadenectomy, thanks to the application of ultrastaging on sentinel nodes harvested. [Extracted from the article]

Objective Fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) is a strategy often considered in young patients with low-grade (G1-2) early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (eEOC), while is still controversial in high-risk patients. We investigated the role of FSS in low and high-risk eEOC patients undergoing comprehensive surgical staging. Methods We analyzed data from patients operated for an eEOC from 1975 to 2011, focusing on patients submitted to FSS. Seventy patients out of 307 with eEOC were identified. Patients underwent FSS were compared with 237 patients underwent radical-comprehensive-staging (RCS) in the same period. Disease free (DFS) and overall (OS) survivals were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox models. Results Overall, 307 patients had surgery for eEOC: 70 (22.8%) and 237 (77.2%) women had FSS and RCS, respectively. At univariate analysis, the execution of FSS not influenced DFS (HR:1.06 (95%CI: 0.56,2.02); p = 0.84) and OS (HR:1.94 (95%CI: 0.75,4.98); p = 0.16). Stage of disease was the only factor correlating with DFS (HR:4.73; 95%CI: 2.01,11.11; p < 0.001). Independently, increased age (HR per 1-unit of age:1.06 (95%CI: 1.03,1.11); p < 0.001) and high risk disease (HR:3.26; 95%CI: 1.23,8.62; p = 0.01) remained associated with worse OS. Focusing on the high risk group (stage IAG3 or more) we observed that type of surgery (FSS v. RCS) did not influence DFS (p = 0.77, log-rank test) and OS (p = 0.08, log-rank test). Conclusions FSS upholds oncologic effectiveness of RCS, preserving reproductive and endocrine functions. FSS does not increase risk of recurrence among high risk eEOC patients. Further prospective studies on this issue are warranted to improve patients' care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Fertility sparing surgery (FSS) is a strategy often considered in young patients with early epithelial ovarian cancer. We investigated the role and the outcomes of FSS in eEOC patients who underwent comprehensive surgery. Methods: From January 2003 to January 2011, 24 patients underwent fertility sparing surgery. Eighteen were one-to-one matched and balanced for stage, histologic type and grading with a group of patients who underwent radical comprehensive staging (n=18). Demographics, surgical procedures, morbidities, pathologic findings, recurrence-rate, pregnancy-rate and correlations with disease-free survival were assessed. Results: A total of 36 patients had a complete surgical staging including lymphadenectomy and were therefore analyzed. Seven patients experienced a recurrence: four (22%) in the fertility sparing surgery group and three (16%) in the control group (p=not significant). Sites of recurrence were: residual ovary (two), abdominal wall and peritoneal carcinomatosis in the fertility sparing surgery group; pelvic (two) and abdominal wall in the control group. Recurrences in the fertility sparing surgery group appeared earlier (mean, 10.3 months) than in radical comprehensive staging group (mean, 53.3 months) p<0.001. Disease-free survival were comparable between the two groups (p=0.422). No deaths were reported. All the patients in fertility sparing surgery group recovered a regular period. Thirteen out of 18 (72.2%) attempted to have a pregnancy. Five (38%) achieved a spontaneous pregnancy with a full term delivery. Conclusion: Fertility sparing surgery in early epithelial ovarian cancer submitted to a comprehensive surgical staging could be considered safe with oncological results comparable to radical surgery group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: We evaluated the role of omental bursa (OB), surface of the pancreas, lesser omentum, caudate lobe, celiac nodes (CNs), portal nodes and triad nodes spread in advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). We investigated if the exploration and cleaning up of these areas can lead to a more complete cytoreduction and to a more realistic assessment of residual tumor in AOC. Methods: We prospectively recruited patients diagnosed with AOC, who underwent a complete cytoreduction. Demographics, surgical procedures, morbidities, pathologic findings and correlations with OB spread were assessed. Results: A total of 37 patients had an optimal debulking including OB evaluation and peritonectomy. The OB area procedure required in mean 65min with an estimated blood loss of 250ml. OB involvement was found in 67% (25/37) of cases. Peritoneal disease was found in 22 cases including 18 supragastric lesser sac and 4 porta hepatis peritoneum. CNs metastases were found in 5 cases, of which 3 cases are with bulky nodes, all presented also bulky nodes in the para-aortic area. Only in the case of a macroscopic involvement of the diaphragm OB was positive for disease. When adhesions occluding the Winslow foramen were present, no OB peritoneum involvement was found. OB resection related complications were low (2 out 25). Conclusions: The data of this prospective study demonstrate the high rate of OB, surface of the pancreas, lesser omentum, caudate lobe, CNs, portal and triad nodes involvement and the value of investigating the dissemination and cytoreduction in these sites to obtain a real optimal debulking. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To analyze local recurrence rate (LRR), morbidities and oncologic outcome of class III nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy. Patients and methods: 170 consecutive class III NSRH cases were performed. Nineteen patients were addressed directly to surgery whilst neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 151 patients. The majority of patients had SCC (75%). The median follow-up was 31months. Results: The mean age was 50 [27–78] years. Mean post-operative hospital stay was 7 [3–16] days. 2 intraoperative complications occurred. Operating time and blood loss was similar to the state-of-the-art of conventional radical hysterectomy. Overall G3-4 complication rate was 8.2 % (14/170). Early G3-4 complication rate was 3.5% (6/170). Late G3-4 complication rate was: 4.7%. (8/170). Positive pelvic nodes were noted in 31 patients (18.2%). Vagina and parametrial involvement were present in 38 (22%) and 27 (15.8%) patients, respectively. LRR was 10% (17/170). The sites of relapse were: 12 pelvic, 5 vaginal. There were 9 patients DOD. The 2-year and 5-year DFS rates were 89% and 81%, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analysis identified vagina involvement and postoperative treatment as significant prognostic factors. Conclusions: The oncologic results of NSRH were similar to the state-of-the-art of conventional radical hysterectomy. Two years DFS in relation to FIGO stage of disease was 92.3, 89.2 and 86.1 % respectively for IB1, IB2, IIB comparable to literature data. The early and late complications rate related to autonomic injury was significantly lower. The nerve-sparing technique should be considered in all cervical cancer patients addressed to surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the developed countries. Although the high incidence of this occurrence no consensus, about the role of retroperitoneal staging, still exists. Growing evidence support the safety and efficacy of sentinel lymph node mapping. This technique is emerging as a new standard for endometrial cancer staging procedures. In the present paper, we discuss the role of sentinel lymph node mapping in endometrial cancer, highlighting the most controversies features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Then, minimally invasive nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy improves both peri-operative outcomes and pelvic floor dysfunctions, thus representing a win-win scenario for cervical cancer patients [[8]]. Although minimally invasive nerve sparing radical hysterectomy is associated with improved preoperative outcomes in comparison with open surgery, the potential detrimental oncologic results related to the execution of a minimally invasive procedure limited the adoption of laparoscopic and robotic assisted procedures in this setting. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: Objectives : According to our previous experience, Type III Nerve-sparing Radical hysterectomy (NSRH) for cervical cancer presented an acceptable urologic morbidity, without compromising radicality. The aim of this study was to compare Type NSRH with other types of RH in terms of incidence of early bladder dysfunctions and perioperative complications. Methods : One hundred and ten patients with cervical cancer were submitted to Type II RH (group 1), Type III NSRH (group 2) and Type III RH (group 3). We assessed the postoperative early bladder function and complications. The follow-up period was 3 months. Results : Group 1 had a significantly shorter duration of the surgery, minor mean blood loss and shorter mean length of postoperative stay when compared to groups 2 and 3. No intraoperative complications were reported in either of the groups. The groups did not differ significantly in terms of GIII/IV morbidity (group 1 = 10%, group 2 = 10% and group 3 = 15%, χ 2, P value: 0.65). Not even they differed in terms of urologic GI–IV morbidity (group 1 = 13%, group 2 = 15% and group 3 = 10%, χ 2, P value = 0.88). Groups 1 and 2 presented a prompt recover of bladder function, significantly different from that of group 3. There was a significant difference between the groups regarding the number of patients discharged with self-catheterism (group 1 = 0; group 2 and group 3 = 11; χ 2, P value ≪ 0.05). Conclusions : The Type III NSRH seems to be comparable to Type II RH and superior to Type III RH in terms of early bladder dysfunctions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives. Recently, a nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy has been proposed for cervical cancer to reduce morbidity. The aim of this study is (i) to describe the surgical anatomy of the autonomic nervous system, (ii) to describe a new nerve-sparing technique for Piver III radical hysterectomy (RH) using the CUSA®, in which greater attention was paid to the autonomic nervous pathway, and (iii) to assess the feasibility and the impact of this nerve-sparing technique on the incidence of early bladder dysfunctions.Methods. Twenty-three patients with cervical cancer were submitted to nerve-sparing Piver III RH with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Postoperative assessment of bladder function consisted draining the bladder for 3 days using Foley catheterization. Then, we started draining the bladder every 3 h with a no. 10 French catheter to register the onset of spontaneous voiding and to assess the postvoid residual urine volume (PVR).Results. The nerve-sparing technique were performed satisfactorily in all cases. The mean operating time was 219 min (range: 150–270). The mean blood loss was 489 ml (range: 200–800). The average period of hospitalization was 10 days (range: 5–16). Two (9%) patients were discharged with self-catheterization, and one of them recovered the ability to void her bladder spontaneously by the time of her first visit to the outpatient clinic.Conclusions. This nerve-sparing RH technique using the CUSA® proved feasible, with promising results in terms of preventing early bladder dysfunction. The average time between surgery and the onset of spontaneous voiding was acceptable. Further prospective controlled studies are needed to confirm our data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Several histologic tumor-related features are the key factors for further treatment planning in microinvasive cervical cancer (MIC) after conization. To better define the indications for conservative treatment of MIC we conducted a literature review for prognostic factors for MIC and we carried out a prospective observational study evaluating most important pathologic factors and the relationships between tumor and edges of the cone and incidence of recurrences. In our experience seven recurrences were observed. Two distinct groups of patients were identified with a clearance lower or higher of 10 and 8 mm for apical and lateral margin respectively. Depth of infiltration and even lymph-vascular involvement have been confirmed as the most important histologic parameters to be evaluated. Apical and lateral clearance of the tumor are significantly correlated with the recurrence rate. If an adequate lateral border of healthy tissue is present on the specimen, conization may be considered as definitive treatment of MIC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the laparotomy as it debulked ovarian cancer with laparoscopy after chemotherapy.

A letter to the editor discussing ovarian cancer as one of the most lethal gynecological malignancy is presented.

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused rapid and drastic changes in cancer management. The Italian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SIGO), and the Multicenter Italian Trials in Ovarian cancer and gynecologic malignancies (MITO) promoted a national survey aiming to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on clinical activity of gynecologist oncologists and to assess the implementation of containment measures against COVID-19 diffusion. Methods: The survey consisted of a self-administered, anonymous, online questionnaire. The survey was sent via email to all the members of the SIGO, and MITO groups on April 7, 2020, and was closed on April 20, 2020. Results: Overall, 604 participants completed the questionnaire with a response-rate of 70%. The results of this survey suggest that gynecologic oncology units had set a proactive approach to COVID-19 outbreak. Triage methods were adopted in order to minimize in-hospital diffusion of COVID-19. Only 38% of gynecologic surgeons were concerned about COVID-19 outbreak. Although 73% of the participants stated that COVID-19 has not significantly modified their everyday practice, 21% declared a decrease of the use of laparoscopy in favor of open surgery (19%). However, less than 50% of surgeons adopted specific protection against COVID-19. Additionally, responders suggested to delay cancer treatment (10%-15%), and to perform less radical surgical procedures (20%-25%) during COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: National guidelines should be implemented to further promote the safety of patients and health care providers. International cooperation is of paramount importance, as heavily affected nations can serve as an example to find out ways to safely preserve clinical activity during the COVID-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sentinel node mapping is increasingly being utilized for endometrial cancer staging. However, only limited evidence supporting the adoption of sentinel node mapping instead of conventional lymphadenectomy is still available. Here, we aimed to review the current evidence comparing sentinel node mapping and lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer staging. This systematic review was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. Six comparative studies were included. Overall, 3536 patients were included: 1249 (35.3%) and 2287 (64.7%), undergoing sentinel node mapping and lymphadenectomy, respectively. Pooled data suggested that positive pelvic nodes were detected in 184 out of 1249 (14.7%) patients having sentinel node mapping and 228 out of 2287 (9.9%) patients having lymphadenectomy (OR: 2.03; (95%CI: 1.30 to 3.18); p = 0.002). No difference in detection of positive nodes located in the paraaortic was observed (OR: 93 (95%CI: 0.39 to 2.18); p = 0.86). Overall recurrence rate was 4.3% and 7.3% after sentinel node mapping and lymphadenectomy, respectively (OR: 0.90 (95%CI: 0.58 to 1.38); p = 0.63). Similarly, nodal recurrences were statistically similar between groups (1.2% vs. 1.7%; OR: 1.51 (95%CI: 0.70 to 3.29); p = 0.29). In conclusion, our meta-analysis underlines that sentinel node mapping is non-inferior to standard lymphadenectomy in term of detection of paraaortic nodal involvement and recurrence rates (any site and nodal recurrence); while, focusing on the ability to detect positive pelvic nodes, sentinel node mapping could be consider superior to lymphadenectomy. Further randomized studies are needed to asses long term effectiveness of sentinel node mapping. • Sentinel node mapping allows an accurate identification of nodal disease in the pelvic area in comparison to lymphadenectomy. • Sentinel node mapping is non inferior to lymphadenectomy in terms of para-aortic detection rate. • Sentinel node mapping does not increase nodal-specific recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy has been implemented in order to reduce pelvic floor dysfunctions in women undergoing radical surgery for cervical cancer. Here, we aimed to investigate if the adoption of laparoscopic surgery impacts on patients' outcomes. Methods: Data of consecutive patients affected by cervical cancer who had laparoscopic nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy were matched 1:1 with an historical cohort of patients undergoing open procedure. A propensity-score matched algorithm was applied. Results: Thirty-five patients' pairs (70 patients: 35 undergoing laparoscopic vs. 35 undergoing open abdominal nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy) were included. Demographic and baseline oncologic characteristics were balanced between groups. Patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery had similar operative time than patients undergoing open abdominal procedures (249 [±91.5] vs. 223 [±65.0] minutes; p=0.066). Laparoscopic approach correlated with lower blood loss (30.5 [±11.0] vs. 190 [90.4] mL; p<0.001) and shorter hospital stay (3.2 [±1.2] vs. 5.4 [2.0] days; p=0.023). Patients undergoing laparoscopy experienced a lower 30-day pelvic floor dysfunction rate than patients having open surgery. Moreover, they experienced shorter recovery of bladder function than patients having open procedures (median, 7 vs. 9 days; p=0.004, log-rank test). Conclusion: Laparoscopic approach resulted in a faster recovery of bladder function in comparison to open surgery for patients undergoing nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Accumulating evidence support that complete cytoreduction (CC) at the time of secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) improves survival in patients affected by recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC). Here, we aimed to determine whether artificial intelligence (AI) might be useful in weighting the importance of clinical variables predicting CC and survival. Methods: This is a retrospective study evaluating 194 patients having SCS for ROC. Using artificial neuronal network (ANN) analysis was estimated the importance of different variables, used in predicting CC and survival. ANN simulates a biological neuronal system. Like neurons, ANN acquires knowledge through a learning-phase process and allows weighting the importance of covariates, thus establishing how much a variable influences a multifactor phenomenon. Results: Overall, 82.9% of patients had CC at the time of SCS. Using ANN, we observed that the 3 main factors driving the ability of achieve CC included: disease-free interval (DFI) (importance: 0.231), retroperitoneal recurrence (importance: 0.178), residual disease at primary surgical treatment (importance: 0.138), and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage at presentation (importance: 0.088). Looking at connections between different covariates and overall survival (OS), we observed that DFI is the most important variable influencing OS (importance: 0.306). Other important variables included: CC (importance: 0.217), and FIGO stage at presentation (importance: 0.100). Conclusion: According to our results, DFI should be considered as the most important factor predicting both CC and OS. Further studies are needed to estimate the clinical utility of AI in providing help in decision making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence suggested the detrimental effects of adopting minimally invasive surgery in the management of early-stage cervical cancer. However, long-term evidence on the role of minimally invasive radical hysterectomy in "low-risk" patients exists. This is multi-institutional retrospective study comparing minimally invasive and open radical hysterectomy in low-risk early-stage cervical cancer patients. A propensity-score matching algorithm (1:2) was used to allocate patients into the study groups. Kaplan-Meir model was used to estimate 10-year progression-free and overall survival. Charts of 224 "low-risk" patients were retrieved. Overall, 50 patients undergoing radical hysterectomy were matched with 100 patients undergoing open radical hysterectomy. Minimally invasive radical hysterectomy was associated with a longer median operative time (224 (range, 100–310) vs. 184 (range, 150–240) minutes; p < 0.001), lower estimated blood loss (10 (10-100) vs. 200 (100−1000) ml, p < 0.001), and shorter length of hospital stay (3.8 (3-6) vs. 5.1 (4-12); p < 0.001). Surgical approach did not influence the risk of having intra-operative (4% vs. 1%; p = 0.257) and 90-day severe (grade 3+) postoperative complication rates (4% vs. 8%; p = 0.497). Ten-year disease-free survival was similar between groups (94% vs. 95%; p = 0.812; HR:1.195; 95%CI:0.275, 5.18). Ten-year overall survival was similar between groups (98% vs. 96%; p = 0.995; HR:0.994; 95%CI:0.182, 5.424). Our study appears to support emerging evidence suggesting that, for low-risk patients, laparoscopic radical hysterectomy does not result in worse 10-year outcomes compared to the open approach. However, further research is needed and open abdominal radical hysterectomy remains the standard treatment for cervical cancer patients. • 10-year overall survival in low-risk cervical cancer patients is higher than 95%. • Surgical approach does not influence survival outcomes in the low-risk population. • Minimally invasive radical hysterectomy does not reduce morbidity in the low-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To estimate the prevalence of lymph node involvement in early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer in order to assess the prognostic value of lymph node dissection. Methods Data of consecutive patients undergoing staging for early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer were retrospectively evaluated. Logistic regression and a nomogram-based analysis were used to assess the risk of lymph node involvement. Results Overall, 290 patients were included. All patients had lymph node dissection including pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy. Forty-two (14.5%) patients were upstaged due to lymph node metastatic disease. Pelvic and para-aortic nodal metastases were observed in 22 (7.6%) and 42 (14.5%) patients. Lymph node involvement was observed in 18/95 (18.9%), 1/37 (2.7%), 4/29 (13.8%), 11/63 (17.4%), 3/41 (7.3%) and 5/24 (20.8%) patients with high-grade serous, low-grade-serous, endometrioid G1, endometrioid G2&3, clear cell and undifferentiated, histology, respectively ( p = 0.12, Chi-square test). We observed that high-grade serous histology was associated with an increased risk of pelvic node involvement; while, histology rather than low-grade serous and bilateral tumors were independently associated with para-aortic lymph node involvement ( p < 0.05). Nomograms displaying the risk of nodal involvement in the pelvic and para-aortic areas were built. High-grade serous histology and bilateral tumors are the main characteristics suggesting lymph node positivity. Conclusions Our data suggested that high-grade serous and bilateral early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer are at high risk of having disease harboring in the lymphatic tissues of both pelvic and para-aortic area. After receiving external validation, our data will help to identify patients deserving comprehensive retroperitoneal staging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This multicenter study aimed to investigate the role of preoperative lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy (SNB) as well as the impact of negative SNB on loco-regional control and survival in vulvar melanoma patients with clinically negative nodes (cN0). Methods. Patients who had a proven vulvar melanoma with a Breslow thickness of 1–4 mm, cN0 and underwent a preoperative lymphatic mapping followed by SNB between July 2013 and March 2021 were retrospectively included. Groin recurrence and mortality rate were calculated as absolute and relative frequency. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. We provided a systematic review, searching among PubMed/Medline and Embase libraries. A total of 6 studies were identified (48 patients). Results. A total of 18 women were included. Preoperative planar images showed 51 SNs in 28 groins. Additional SPECT/CT images were acquired in 5/18 cases; SNs were identified pre- and intra-operatively in all cases. A total of 65 SNs were excised from 28 groins. A total of 13/18 (72.2%) patients (21/28 groins, 75%) had negative SNs with no groin recurrences and 12/13 (92.3%) were still alive at last follow-up. Five out of the 18 (27.8%) patients (7/28 groins, 25%) had positive SNs, 2/5 (40%) patients died of cancer after 26.2 and 33.8 months, respectively. The median DFS and OS for the entire cohort were 17.9 months (95% CI, 10.3–19.9) and 65.0 months (95% CI, 26.2-infinite), respectively. The probability of DFS and OS at 3 years were 15.5% (95% CI, 2.6–38.7) and 64.3% (95% CI, 15.5–90.2), respectively. Conclusions. The use of preoperative lymphatic mapping followed by SNB permits a precise and minimally invasive surgical approach in cN0 vulvar melanoma patients. Negative SNB is associated with low risk of groin relapse and good survival. • Lymphoscintigraphy and sentinel node biopsy allow a personalized surgical approach in cN0 vulvar melanoma patients. • This technique could be a valid alternative to radical surgery, thus avoiding post-operative complications. • A negative sentinel node biopsy is associated with low risk of groin relapse and good survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess whether pre-treatment HPV types are associated with recurrence of high-grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN2+). Study design Data of consecutive patients with pretreatment HPV DNA test undergoing treatment for VIN2+ were retrospectively collected. Risk factors promoting the risk of VIN2+ persistence and recurrence were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox hazard proportional models. Results 64 patients had pretreatment vulvar-vaginal HPV DNA test. Two were excluded due to the presence of synchronous vulvar cancer, thus leaving 62 patients for the final analysis. HPV16, HPV18, HPV31 and HPV33 were the most common HPV genotype detected, occurring in 15 (24.2%), 4 (6.5%), 8 (12.9%) and 5 (8.0%) patients, respectively. HPV was not detected in 19 (30.6%) patients. During a mean (SD) follow up of 56.7 (±26.7) months, 10 (16.1%) patients had VIN2+ persistence/recurrence. Mean (SD) lesion-free interval was 51.7 (±31.4) months. Via multivariate analysis, pretreatment infection from HPV31 (HR:46.7(95%CI:4.21,518.4); p = 0.02) and HPV33 (HR:77.0(95%CI:6.73,881.9); p < 0.001) correlated with an increased risk of VIN2+ persistence/recurrence. Additionally, we observed that patients undergoing surgical excision followed by LASER ablation experienced a trend towards lower recurrence rate than patients undergoing other surgical or medical treatments (HR:0.20(95%CI:0.03,1.09); p = 0.05). Two (3.2%) patients developed progression to vulvar cancer. Conclusions Owing to the inherent biases of the retrospective study design and the small sample size, our data have to be corroborated by larger and prospective studies. HPV31 and HPV33 have a potential role in predicting VIN2+ persistence/recurrence. These findings will be paramount, owing to the implementation of new immunization programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: High-grade vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (vaginal HSIL) represents an uncommon entity. Here, we sought to identify predictors for recurrence and risk factor for developing genital cancers after primary treatment for vaginal HSIL.Methods: Data of consecutive 5104 women who had human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA test were searched for identify women with histological confirmed vaginal HSIL. Disease-free interval and the risk of developing HPV-related gynecological cancers were assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard models.Results: Overall, 77 patients were included. After a mean (SD) follow-up of 69.3 (33.0) months, 11 (14%) and 4 (5%) patients experienced vaginal HSIL recurrence and the occurrence of HPV-related gynecological cancers, respectively. Via multivariate analysis factors predicting for vaginal HSIL recurrence were infection from HPV31 at diagnosis (HR: 5.0 (95%CI:1.17, 21.3); p=0.03) and persistence of HPV infection after treatment (HR: 7.0 (95%CI:1.54, 31.6); p=0.01). Additionally, patients who had LASER ablation experienced a trend toward a lower risk of recurrence in comparison to medical treatment (HR: 0.20 (95%CI:0.03, 1.09); p=0.06). Considering the occurrence of HPV-related gynecological cancers, we observed that no factors independently correlated with this risk; while, a trend towards higher risk was observed for women with HIV infection (HR:16.4 (95%CI:0.90, 300.1); p=0.06) and persistence of HPV infection (HR: 13.3 (95%CI:0.76, 230.2); p=0.07).Conclusions: Patients affected by vaginal HSIL experienced a relatively high risk of recurrence. Persistence of HPV after treatment and pretreatment HPV-31 infection predicts for high-grade vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia recurrence. Further investigations are warranted in order to corroborate our data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess whether pre-treatment HPV types are associated with recurrence of high-grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN2+).Study Design: Data of consecutive patients with pretreatment HPV DNA test undergoing treatment for VIN2+ were retrospectively collected. Risk factors promoting the risk of VIN2+ persistence and recurrence were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox hazard proportional models.Results: 64 patients had pretreatment vulvar-vaginal HPV DNA test. Two were excluded due to the presence of synchronous vulvar cancer, thus leaving 62 patients for the final analysis. HPV16, HPV18, HPV31 and HPV33 were the most common HPV genotype detected, occurring in 15 (24.2%), 4 (6.5%), 8 (12.9%) and 5 (8.0%) patients, respectively. HPV was not detected in 19 (30.6%) patients. During a mean (SD) follow up of 56.7 (±26.7) months, 10 (16.1%) patients had VIN2+ persistence/recurrence. Mean (SD) lesion-free interval was 51.7 (±31.4) months. Via multivariate analysis, pretreatment infection from HPV31 (HR:46.7(95%CI:4.21,518.4); p=0.02) and HPV33 (HR:77.0(95%CI:6.73,881.9); p<0.001) correlated with an increased risk of VIN2+ persistence/recurrence. Additionally, we observed that patients undergoing surgical excision followed by LASER ablation experienced a trend towards lower recurrence rate than patients undergoing other surgical or medical treatments (HR:0.20(95%CI:0.03,1.09); p=0.05). Two (3.2%) patients developed progression to vulvar cancer.Conclusions: Owing to the inherent biases of the retrospective study design and the small sample size, our data have to be corroborated by larger and prospective studies. HPV31 and HPV33 have a potential role in predicting VIN2+ persistence/recurrence. These findings will be paramount, owing to the implementation of new immunization programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives. : This paper reviews the evolution of concepts concerning the nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy (NSRH) in cervical cancer. Methods. : Research studies published between 1991 and 2006 were reviewed. Results. : Significant progress has been made in understanding the neuroanatomy and the neurophysiology of autonomic pelvic plexus. The ideal surgical management of cervical cancer patients should be tailored on the basis of prognostic factors and quality of life. Within the discussion concerning the optimal level of radicality of hysterectomy, which is still controversial, the new concept of NSRH has to be considered in order to reduce morbidity without compromising the oncological disease control. Surgical strategies have been developed to spare the autonomic functions with promising results. Conclusions. : To date, there is a growing body of data about NSRH in cervical cancer. However, there is not yet a consensus concerning to which part of uterine support ligaments a NS approach should be directed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the SLN detection rate in presumed early stage, low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancers, the incidence of SLN metastases, and the negative predictive value of SLN mapping performed with indocyanine green (ICG). Methods: A systematic review with meta-analyses was conducted. Study inclusion criteria were A) low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancer, B) the use of ICG per cervical injection; C) a minimum of twenty included patients per study. To assess the negative predictive value of SLN mapping, D) a subsequent lymphadenectomy was an additional inclusion criterion. Results: Fourteen studies were selected, involving 2,117 patients. The overall and bilateral SLN detection rates were 95.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]=92.4%-97.9%) and 76.5% (95% CI=68.1%-84.0%), respectively. The incidence of SLN metastases was 9.6% (95% CI=5.1%-15.2%) in patients with grade 1-2 endometrial cancer and 11.8% (95% CI=8.1%-16.1%) in patients with grade 1-3 endometrial cancer. The negative predictive value of SLN mapping was 100% (95% CI=98.8%-100%) in studies that included grade 1-2 endometrial cancer and 99.2% (95% CI=97.9%-99.9%) in studies that also included grade 3. Conclusion: SLN mapping with ICG is feasible with a high detection rate and negative predictive value in low- and intermediate-risk endometrial cancers. Given the incidence of SLN metastases is approximately 10% in those patients, SLN mapping may lead to stage shifting with potential therapeutic consequences. Given the high negative predictive value with SLN mapping, routine lymphadenectomy should be omitted in low- and intermediaterisk endometrial cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence suggests that the level of pneumoperitoneal pressure is directly correlated with postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic procedures. However, only limited evidence is available in the field of gynaecologic surgery. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the effects of low (8mmHg), standard (12mmHg) and high (15mmHg) pneumoperitoneal pressures (LPP

Introduction: About 5% of endometrial cancers (ECs) are attributed to an inherited predisposition, for which Lynch syndrome (LS) accounts for the majority of cases. Women with LS have a 40–60% predicted lifetime risk of developing EC, in addition to a 40–80% lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer and other cancers. In this population, the lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer (OC) is 10–12%. Object: to compare the histopathological features of LS-associated EC and OC with sporadic cancers in order to evaluate whether there are differences in terms of age at diagnosis, site of occurrence in the uterus, histological type, stage at diagnosis, and tumor grading. Materials and methods: we compared data obtained from 96 patients with LS-associated gynecological cancers (82 with EC and 14 with OC) to a control group (CG) of 209 patients who developed sporadic EC, and a CG of 187 patients with sporadic OC. Results: The mean age at diagnosis of LS-associated EC and OC was much lower than in the control groups. In both groups with EC, the endometrioid histotype was the most frequently occurring histotype. However, among LS women there was a significantly higher incidence of clear cell tumors (11% versus 2.4% in the CG, p = 0.0001). Similar to the sporadic cancer cases, most of the LS-associated ECs presented at an early stage (89% of cases at FIGO I-II stage). In the LS group, the tumor frequently involved only the inner half of the endometrium (77% of cases, p < 0.01). In the LS group, 7.3% of ECs were localized to the lower uterine segment (LUS), whereas no cancer developed in the LUS in the CG. No serous OCs were diagnosed in the LS group (versus 45.5% in the CG, p = 0.0009). Most of the LS-associated OCs presented at an early stage (85% of cases at FIGO I-II stages, p < 0.01). Conclusion: LS-associated EC and OC seem to have peculiar features, occurring at a younger age and at an earlier stage. In LS, EC less frequently involves the outer half of the endometrium, with a more frequent occurrence in the LUS. The presence of clear cell EC was more frequently observed, whereas in OC, the predominant histotype was endometrioid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) represent 10-20% of all epithelial ovarian malignancies. Most of them are comparable to benign cysts but a high-risk group has been recognized. The aim of the study was to analyze different follow-up strategies in high-risk patients. Method: Patients with BOT treated at our institution from 1992 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathological features influencing prognosis were analyzed and two different follow-up strategies compared [6-month laparoscopic look (LPS-look): group A vs. ultrasound/CA-125 evaluation: group B]. Results: 70 patients with high-risk BOTs were identified. After a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 43 months, 27% of patients experienced recurrences. Six months after diagnosis, 26 high-risk patients were submitted to LPS-look: at surgery, 6 out of 10 patients presenting evidence of disease were optimally debulked while in the remaining 4, only biopsies were performed. No difference in PFS was registered between group A and B patients, nevertheless a significant increase in PFS was registered among completely versus incompletely debulked patients with evidence of disease at laparoscopy. Conclusion: Clinical follow-up remains the gold standard for BOTs. These very preliminary data seem to suggest that LPS-look may have an impact on the secondary PFS in a subgroup of high-risk patients. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Retrospective and perspective series have shown the feasibility of sentinel lymph-node (SLN) identification of pelvic nodes in endometrial cancer using a cervical injection of tracers. We designed a perspective study to assess the detection rate and diagnostic accuracy of the SLN procedure by means of hysteroscopic injection of a radiolabeled tracer in endometrial cancer patients. Methods: Patients with endometrial cancer underwent hysteroscopic technetium injection. SLN assessment was performed intraoperatively. A systematic pelvic and paraaortic dissection was carried out thereafter. SLNs were examined by standard and immunochemistry methods. The primary endpoint was estimation of sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) of sentinel-node biopsy. Results: From 2005 to 2010, 80 consecutive patients entered the study. No severe complications occurred during or after the injection or during surgical SLN biopsy. At least one SLN was detected in 76 of the 80 eligible patients. Fifty nine patients were evaluable according to the study protocol. Ten of these patients (17%) had node metastases. Thirty-three patients (56%) had SLN in the para-aortic area. NPV was 98% (95% CI 89.4–100) and sensitivity 90% (55.5–99.8). Conclusions: SLN detection for endometrial cancer patients has a high sensitivity and NPV when injection is carried out by hysteroscopy. The occurrence of a 56% of sentinel node in paraaortic area may suggest a better sensitivity in this area using hysteroscopic injection compared to cervical injection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on the "Morcellation of apparent benign uterine myoma: assessing risk to benefit ratio." Topics discussed include use of power morcellation during minimally invasive operations, analysis of all gynecologic surgical cases, and treatment of patients affected by uterine leiomyosarcoma.

The article examines the effectiveness of cervical injection for detection of the most representative lymphatic ways of the uterus. Information about the use of an intracorporeal injection technique in detecting the first nodes draining the tumor, is provided. Also mentioned is the high risk of pelvic confined disease in developing endometrial cancer.

Abstract: Objective : The objective of this study was the prognostic analysis of clinicopathologic variables related to primary tumor and to lymph node metastases. Methods : We retrospectively analyzed 389 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. The following variables were studied: patients'' age, diameter and location of the tumor, clinical tumor characteristics, depth of invasion, grade, lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI) and lymph node status. In the subset of 110 node positive patients, we evaluated number of positive nodes, laterality, extension of node dissection, lymph node chains involved, presence of extracapsular spread and rate of lymph node replacement. All variables with P value < 0.2 by the univariate analysis were successively subjected to multivariate analysis (Cox proportional hazard model). Results : Among all the tumor-related variables age, clinical tumor characteristics, LVSI and lymph node status were found to be statistically significant predictors of survival for the log-rank test. On the basis of multivariate analysis, the nodal status was the most significant independent prognostic factor (hazard rate [HR]: 2.06; confidence interval [CI] 95%: 1.57–12.07) followed by LVSI (HR: 3.47; CI95%: 1.85–7.85). The independent prognostic factors among the variables relative to positive nodes were the percentage of nodal replacement (HR: 6.99; CI95%: 3.51–16.14) and the extracapsular spread (HR: 4.88; CI95%: 2.96–10.14). Conclusions : Lymph node status and nodal features, such as extracapsular spread and nodal replacement rate, were shown to be independent factors. These factors should be considered to identify high risk patients and in planning further adjuvant therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sentinel node mapping (SLN) has replaced lymphadenectomy for staging surgery in apparent early-stage low and intermediate risk endometrial cancer (EC). Only limited data about the adoption of SNM in high risk EC is still available. Here, we evaluate the outcomes of high-risk EC undergoing SNM (with or without back-up lymphadenectomy). This is a multi-institutional international retrospective study, evaluating data of high-risk (FIGO grade 3 endometrioid EC with myometrial invasion >50% and non-endometrioid histology) EC patients undergoing SNM followed by back-up lymphadenectomy and SNM alone. Chart of consecutive 196 patients were evaluated. The study population included 83 and 113 patients with endometrioid and non-endometrioid EC, respectively. SNM alone and SNM followed by back-up lymphadenectomy were performed in 50 and 146 patients, respectively. Among patients having SNM alone, 14 (28%) were diagnosed with nodal disease. In the group of patients undergoing SNM plus back-up lymphadenectomy 34 (23.2%) were diagnosed with nodal disease via SNM. Back-up lymphadenectomy identified 2 (1%) additional patients with nodal disease (in the para-aortic area). Back-up lymphadenectomy allowed to remove adjunctive positive nodes in 16 (11%) patients. After the adoption of propensity-matched algorithm, we observed that patients undergoing SNM plus back-up lymphadenectomy experienced similar disease-free survival (p = 0.416, log-rank test) and overall survival (p = 0.940, log-rank test) than patients undergoing SLN alone. Although the small sample size, and the retrospective study design this study highlighted that type of nodal assessment did not impact survival outcomes in high-risk EC. Theoretically, back-up lymphadenectomy would be useful in improving the removal of positive nodes, but its therapeutic value remains controversial. Further prospective evidence is needed. • Back-up lymphadectomy does not improve disease-free survival of high-risk EC undergoing SNM. • Back-up lymphadectomy does not improve overall survival of high-risk EC undergoing SNM. • Back-up lymphadenectomy increases positive node detection rate by 1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate oncological outcomes and patterns of recurrence of patients undergoing adjuvant "sandwich" chemo-radio-chemotherapy for locally advanced endometrial cancer. Methods: This is a multi-institutional retrospective study evaluating chart of consecutive patients undergoing chemo-radio-chemotherapy for FIGO stage III–IVA endometrial caner. Results: The study population included 45 patients who had adjuvant sandwich regimen. Median age of the study population was 66 years. The majority of patients were diagnosed with endometrioid histology and with stage III disease. After a median follow-up of 35 months, 15 patients developed recurrent disease. Three-year disease-free and overall survivals was 45% and 81%, respectively. Three-years site-specific disease-free survival was 85%, 92% and 48% for local, loco-regional, and distant recurrence, respectively. All patients included in the study had nodal dissection. Nodal assessment included: sentinel node mapping, sentinel node mapping plus backup lymphadenectomy and lymphadenectomy in 15, 6 and 24 patients, respectively. The latter group included four patients detected by suspected enlarged nodes, intraoperatively. Even after the exclusion of patients with enlarged nodes, the type of nodal assessment did not impact on survival outcomes (p > 0.2). Positive peritoneal cytology was the only factor associated with an increased risk of developing (any site) recurrence and distant-specific recurrence, independently. No factor predicted for overall survival. Conclusion: Adjuvant "sandwich" chemo-radio-chemotherapy for locally advanced endometrial cancer guarantee promising local and loco-regional controls, but distant failure rate is high, thus suggesting the need for applying other systemic treatment strategies for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high income setting, the massive implementation of screening programs has reduced the incidence of cervical cancer, dramatically. However, cervical cancer still remains a major health concern, being one of the most common cause of death for cancer among women. The adoption of primary prevention through vaccination against HPV aims to reduce the prevalence of HPV-related lesions and cervical cancer. Accumulating data highlighted the cost-effectiveness of introducing HPV vaccination for adolescent and young adults. In the present review, we critically evaluated the role of vaccination against HPV, focusing much more on the role of vaccination in specific cluster of subjects (eg, post-treatment and older adults). Additionally, we evaluated the available evidence on the role of vaccination in HIV-positive subjects and in women receiving solid organs transplantation. We observed that although vaccination might be considered effective in those cluster of subjects; further evidence is needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of vaccination in these settings. • The implementation of vaccination against HPV reduced the burden of cervical cancer. • Vaccination against HPV might have a role in patients undergoing conization. • Cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccination in HIV positive individuals deserves to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to identify predictors of recurrence/persistence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2+ (CIN2+) lesion (r-CIN2+) after primary conization. Methods: Retrospective analysis involving all consecutive women having conization for CIN2+ between 1998 and 2018. The risk of r-CIN2+ was assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox models. Results: Data of 3,212 women were retrospectively identified. After a mean follow-up of 47 (±22.2) months, 112 (3.5%) patients developed r-CIN2+. Mean time interval between prior conization and diagnosis of r-CIN2+ was 26.2 (±13.2) months. Via multivariate analysis, presence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types at the time of CIN2+ diagnosis, hazard ratio (HR)=3.40 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.66-6.95) for HPV16/18 and HR=2.59 (95% CI=1.21-5.55) for HPV types other than 16/18, positive margins at primary conization, HR=4.11 (95% CI=2.04-8.26) and HPV persistence after conization, HR=16.69 (95% CI=8.20-33.9), correlated with r-CIN2+, independently. Considering age-specific HPV types distribution, we observed that HPV16/18 infection correlated to an increased risk of r-CIN2+ only in young women (aged ≤25 years; p=0.031, log-rank test); while in the older population (>25 years) HPV type(s) involved had not impact on r-CIN2+ risk (p>0.200, log-rank test). Conclusion: HPV persistence is the main factor predicting r-CIN2+. Infection from HPV16/18 has a detrimental effect in young women, thus highlighting the need of implementing vaccination against HPV in this population. Further prospective studies are warranted for tailoring clinical decision-making for post-conization follow-up on the basis of risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]