Nodal distribution and its significance in FIGO stage IIIc endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the distribution of nodal disease in FIGO Stage IIIc endometrial cancer (EC) and to evaluate whether nodal distribution is related to recurrence and survival. METHODS: Charts from EC patients with FIGO Stage IIIc disease from 1989 to 1998 were abstracted for clinicopathologic data, pelvic (PLN) and para-aortic (PALN) nodal involvement, number of positive/removed nodes, and extranodal disease spread. Patterns of nodal distribution were evaluated for site of first recurrence and survival. Associations between variables were tested by chi(2) and Wilcoxon rank sums. Survival analyses were performed by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Of 607 EC patients evaluated, 47 were identified with FIGO Stage IIIc disease. All 47 patients underwent hysterectomy and PLN sampling, and 42/47 had PALN sampling. The median number of PLN removed was 16 (range 2-35), and the median number of PALN was 7 (0-18). Stage IIIc disease was defined by positive PLN alone in 43%, positive PLN and PALN in 40%, and positive PALN alone in 17%. Positive peritoneal cytology and/or adnexal metastasis were present in 12 patients. Only 1/12 of these patients had isolated positive PLN whereas 11/12 had positive PALN (P = 0.007). An increasing number of positive PLN was associated with PALN metastasis (P = 0.0001), and of the 10 patients with bilateral PLN involvement, 9/10 also had positive PALN (P = 0.001). Sites of first recurrence were similar regardless of whether PALN were positive. At a median follow-up of 37 months, the 3-year survival estimate was 70% for patients with positive PALN versus 87% for those with isolated PLN disease (P = 0.22). For all patients neither the total number of positive PLN nor the total number of PLN or PALN removed was associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: PALN involvement is common in patients with FIGO Stage IIIc endometrial cancer, suggesting that PLN sampling alone may result in underdiagnosis of disease. Patients with positive PALN had more extensive disease, but survival and patterns of failure were not significantly different from those with disease confined to PLN, suggesting that lymph node dissection may have a therapeutic role.     

Influence of diabetes mellitus and nodal distribution in endometrial cancer and correlation to clinico-pathological prognostic factors

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the relationships between the distribution of nodal disease, clinico-pathological patterns and recurrence and survival in surgically staged cases of endometrial cancer. METHODS: Charts were abstracted from patients with endometrial carcinoma from 1985 to 1995. Data on clinicopathologic variables, adjuvant treatment, site of recurrence and survival were collected. The chi square test was used to test associations between variables. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis and Cox's proportional hazards model for multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Sixty-nine out of 181 patients underwent lymph node dissection. Twenty-three had pelvic lymph node dissection, 23 underwent pelvic and paraaortic lymph node dissection and 20 patients had lymph node sampling. The median count of removed lymph nodes was 22.4. Fifty-four lymph node dissections showed negative lymph nodes and in 15 cases there was a minimum of one positive lymph node. Overall survival was in correlation to nodal involvement with a p value of 0.0017. Patients with lymph node involvement showed significantly more recurrence than patients with negative lymph nodes (p = 0.003). The depth of myometrial invasion correlated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.01) and patients with additional diabetes mellitus showed significantly more nodal involvement (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Endometrial cancer showed pelvic lymph node (PLN) and paraaortic lymph node (PALN) involvement. Under-diagnosis of the disease might result if there was only a PLN, but with or without PALN involvement there was no significant difference in overall survival or recurrence. There was an univariate correlation between lymph node involvement and diabetes.     

Is it possible to predict para-aortic lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer?

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine the histopathologic risk factors for pelvic lymph node (PLN) and para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis in endometrial cancer (EC) and to identify in which patients PALN dissection should be performed.

Study design

A total of 204 consecutive patients, with EC and underwent systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy extending to the renal vessels, were studied retrospectively. Statistical significance between risk factors was examined using multivariant logistic regression analysis.

Results

Cell type, depth of myometrial invasion and tumor size were found to be independently related to PLN metastasis. PLN metastasis in any site and lymphovascular invasion (LVSI) were independent prognostic factors for predicting PALN metastasis. The sensitivity, specificity and the NPV of PLN metastasis for detecting PALN metastasis were 80.8%, 89.3% and 97%, respectively. Furthermore, the 204 patients were divided into two groups according to the presence of one of these following factors: (1) non-endometrioid cell type, (2) PLN metastasis, (3) LVSI, (4) adnexal metastasis and (5) serosal involvement. Among these 204 patients, 104 had one or more of these factors (group A), and 100 patients had none of these factors (group B). PALN metastasis was significantly greater in group A, compared to group B. The sensitivity and the NPV of these combined prognostic factors for predicting PALN metastasis were 96.2% and 99%, respectively.

Conclusions

Presence of non-endometrioid cell type, PLN metastasis, LVSI, adnexal metastasis or serosal involvement diagnosed by frozen section (FS) seem to be poor prognostic factor for PALN metastasis in EC. Also, PALN dissection should be extended to the level of the renal vessels in all patients who will undergo PALN dissection, due to frequent involvement of the supramesenterial region.     

冰冻病理诊断预测子宫内膜癌淋巴转移的临床价值研究

目的:研究影响子宫内膜癌患者淋巴结转移的因素,评价术中冰冻病理预测淋巴结转移的作用。方法:回顾分析1996年7月至2008年1月在上海交通大学医学院附属仁济医院和2008年9月至2011年9月在同济大学附属第一妇婴保健院收治的共389例子宫内膜癌患者的临床资料,195例患者实施了盆腔淋巴结切除,其中43例同时行腹主动脉旁淋巴结切除。分析患者淋巴结转移的临床相关因素,评价冰冻病理结果在预测淋巴结转移中的价值。结果:盆腔淋巴结转移率为12.8%(25/195),腹主动脉旁淋巴结转移率为11.6%(5/43)。深肌层浸润(P<0.001)、宫颈累及(P<0.001)、ER阴性(P=0.001)与盆腔淋巴结转移显著相关。肿瘤细胞级别升高、病理类型(Ⅰ型、Ⅱ型)与盆腔淋巴结转移无显著相关性。低风险子宫内膜癌(排除G3和肌层深度≥1/2)患者的盆腔淋巴转移率为4.5%(3/67)。按冰冻结果制定4种预测模型,G1+限于内膜组,淋巴结阳性率为0;G1+<1/2肌层组,盆腔和腹主淋巴结阳性率均为2.4%;G2+<1/2肌层组,盆腔和腹主淋巴结阳性率分别为4.8%、0;未发现G2+限于内膜的病例。淋巴结切除组的生存率高于未切除组(79.5%vs 75.9%),但无统计学差异(P=0.086)。结论:冰冻病理用于预测淋巴结转移的作用有限,建议对除G1限于内膜的子宫内膜样腺癌患者,其余均应实施全面的分期手术。     

盆腔淋巴清扫术对子宫内膜癌预后的影响

目的　探讨子宫内膜癌盆腔淋巴转移的相关因素及盆腔淋巴清扫术对子宫内膜癌预后的影响。方法　选择 1981年 1月至 2 0 0 2年 12月行子宫内膜癌盆腔淋巴清扫术患者 90例 ,淋巴结取样活检术患者 12例 ,分析这 10 2例患者淋巴转移与各临床病理指标的关系。随机选取同期未行淋巴清扫术的 90例患者作为对照与行淋巴清扫术的 90例患者进行比较 ,寿命表法计算两者的生存率。结果　 10 2例患者中 ,低分化、深肌层浸润、宫颈浸润、腹腔冲洗液细胞学检查阳性、附件浸润、远处转移者 ,盆腔淋巴转移的发生率升高 ,分别为 46%、42 %、44%、52 %、75%、10 0 %。盆腔淋巴转移患者的 5年累计生存率 (3 7% )低于无淋巴转移者 (89% ,P <0 0 1)。 90例行盆腔淋巴清扫术患者与对照者的 5年累计生存率分别为 78%和 72 % ,两者比较 ,差异无显著性 (P >0 0 5)。COX逐步回归分析显示 ,盆腔淋巴清扫术不是影响患者预后的独立因素。结论　低分化、深肌层浸润、宫颈浸润、腹腔冲洗液细胞学检查阳性、附件浸润、远处转移是子宫内膜癌盆腔淋巴转移的高危因素 ,有盆腔淋巴转移的患者预后差 ,但盆腔淋巴清扫术并不改善患者预后     

子宫内膜癌腹膜后淋巴结转移相关因素分析

目的:探讨预测子宫内膜癌腹膜后淋巴结转移的指标,以期为确定子宫内膜癌手术范围提供参考。方法:回顾分析1997年1月至2006年12月初治为手术治疗的641例子宫内膜癌患者的临床与病理资料,单因素分析用χ2检验和Fish确切概率法,多因素分析用Logistic回归模型。结果:经多因素分析显示,病理分级G3、深肌层浸润、附件转移对预测子宫内膜癌盆腔淋巴结(pelvic lymph node,PLN)转移具有统计学意义;盆腔淋巴结转移与腹主动脉旁淋巴结(para-aortic lymph node,PALN)转移显著相关。结论:病理分级G3、深肌层浸润、附件转移是子宫内膜癌盆腔淋巴结转移的重要预测因素;盆腔淋巴结转移对预测腹主动脉旁淋巴结转移具有重要意义。病理分级G3、深肌层浸润、附件转移的子宫内膜癌患者应行盆腔淋巴结清扫术,并根据术中患者的盆腔淋巴结状况决定是否行腹主动脉旁淋巴结清扫术。     

Lymph-vascular space invasion and number of positive para-aortic node groups predict survival in node-positive patients with endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine pathologic variables associated with disease-specific survival of node-positive patients with endometrial carcinoma treated with combination of surgery including pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: Survival of 55 node-positive endometrial carcinoma patients prospectively treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy between 1982 and 2002 at Hokkaido University Hospital was compared to various histopathologic variables. All patients underwent primary surgical treatment including pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of intravenous cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide. Survival analyses were performed by the Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test. Independent prognostic factors were determined by multivariate Cox regression analysis using a forward stepwise selection. RESULTS: Among 303 consecutive endometrial cancer patients treated during the period of this study, 55 patients (18.2%), including 44 without peritoneal metastasis (FIGO stage IIIc) and 11 with peritoneal metastasis (FIGO stage IV), were found to have retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that peritoneal metastasis and lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) were independently related to poor survival in node-positive endometrial carcinoma. The estimated 5-year survival rate of stage IIIc patients with or without moderate/prominent LVSI was 50.9% and 93.3%, respectively with statistically significant difference (P=0.0024). The estimated 5-year survival rate of stage IV patients was 20.0%. Prognosis of stage IIIc patients could be stratified into three groups by the number of positive para-aortic node (PAN) with an estimated 5-year survival rate of 86.4% for no positive PAN (n = 23), 60.4% for one positive PAN (n = 13), and 20.0% for > or = 2 positive PAN (n = 8). The difference of survival rate between no or one positive PAN and > or = 2 positive PAN was statistically significant (P = 0.0007 for no positive PAN vs > or = 2 positive PAN, P = 0.0319 for one positive PAN vs > or = 2 positive PAN). Multivariate analysis including number of positive PAN groups showed that LVSI, number of positive PAN groups were independent prognostic factors for survival. Survival of patients with stage IIIc disease could be stratified into three groups by combination of LVSI and number of positive PAN groups with an estimated 5-year survival rate of 93.3% for no or one positive PAN group with nil or minimal LVSI, 62.6% for no or one positive PAN group with intermediate or prominent LVSI, and 20.0% for > or = 2 positive PAN groups irrespective of LVSI (P = 0.0002 for no or one positive PAN group with nil or minimal LVSI vs > or = 2 positive PAN groups, P = 0.0223 for no or one positive PAN group with nil or minimal LVSI vs no or one positive PAN group with intermediate or prominent LVSI, P = 0.0388 for no or one positive PAN group with intermediate or prominent LVSI vs > or = 2 positive PAN groups). CONCLUSIONS: LVSI and number of positive PAN groups were independent prognostic factors for stage IIIc endometrial cancer patients. Postoperative therapy and follow-up modality need to be individualized according to LVSI and the number of positive PAN for stage IIIc patients. New molecular markers to predict the prognosis of endometrial cancer patients preoperatively should be found for individualization of treatment. New chemotherapy regimen including taxane needs to be considered as an adjuvant therapy for patients with node-positive endometrial cancer.     

Surgical pathologic factors in patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection: association with administration of adjuvant radiotherapy and effect on survival

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To identify surgical pathologic factors that best correlate with administration of adjuvant radiotherapy and best predict survival in early-stage cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection (RHND). METHODS: Data from the files of 126 patients with cervical carcinoma treated by RHND at the Soroka Medical Center from 1962 through 2005 were analyzed. RESULTS: Fifty-four percent of the patients received postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy. In a univariate analysis, each of the following factors: positive pelvic lymph nodes, lower uterine segment involvement, lymph vascular space involvement, penetration > or = 50% of the cervical wall, grade 2+3, parametrial and/or paracervical involvement, vaginal margin involvement, non-squamous histologic type, tumor size > or = 3 cm and Stage IB2 + IIA was significantly associated with administration of radiotherapy. In a multivariate analysis, positiviy of pelvic lymph nodes was persistently the most significant factor associated with administration of radiotherapy. The 5-year survival rate was 82.6% overall. In a univariate analysis, a significant worsening in survival was demonstrated with positivity of pelvic lymph nodes and positivity of lymph vascular space involvement. In a "better fit" model of multivariate analysis, pelvic lymph node status was the strongest and the only significant predictor of survival. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection, pelvic lymph node status is the strongest factor affecting administration of adjuvant radiotherapy and the most significant predictor of survival.     

Heterogeneity of stage IIIA endometrial carcinomas: implications for adjuvant therapy

The purpose of this study was to evaluate overall survival (OS) and determine prognostic subclassifications for stage IIIA endometrial cancer. Stage IIIA endometrial cancer patients treated at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1989 to 2002 were reviewed. Clinical information was obtained from the medical record. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association of pathologic criteria and OS. Patients were divided into four groups based on this analysis: E1, endometrioid/pelvic cytology only; E2, endometrioid/adnexa +/- serosal spread; NE1, nonendometrioid/pelvic cytology only; and NE2, nonendometrioid/adenexa +/- serosal spread. Forty-nine patients were identified. By multivariate analysis, histology and extent of disease were the only factors associated with OS. Five-year OS in the four subgroups based on histology and extent of disease were: E1, 79%, E2, 65%, NE1, 64%, and NE2, 13%. Histologic subtype and extent of pelvic disease are the only prognostic factors associated with OS. Patients with endometrioid tumors and extent of pelvic disease limited to positive cytology had a favorable outcome, with or without adjuvant therapy. Future prospective clinical trials should consider subclassifying patients with stage IIIA disease to better evaluate the role of adjuvant therapy.     

Peritoneal cytology in patients with endometrial carcinoma

Peritoneal cytology was obtained in 61 patients with carcinoma of the endometrium at the time of laparotomy. The incidence of positive peritoneal cytology was 23.0%. It increased as the clinical stage advanced. The incidence of positive peritoneal cytology in patients with well-differentiated carcinoma or superficial myometrial invasion was low. The rate of paraaortic lymph node metastasis was higher in patients with positive peritoneal cytology than in patients with negative peritoneal cytology. However, this trend was not recognized in pelvic lymph node metastasis. In the positive peritoneal cytology group, 64.3% had disease outside of the uterus, while in the negative group only 12.8%. The 2-year survival rate in patients with positive peritoneal cytology was 57.1% and it was 86.4% in patients with negative peritoneal cytology. It is concluded that the findings of positive peritoneal cytology is an important prognostic factor and routine peritoneal cytology should be obtained at the time of laparotomy in patients with carcinoma of the endometrium.     

子宫内膜癌患者血清CP2、CA125、唾液酸和癌胚抗原检测的临床意义

目的探讨肿瘤标志物CP2、CA125、唾液酸（SA）和癌胚抗原（CEA）检测对子宫内膜癌患者的临床意义。方法选取154例具有肿瘤标志物检测结果的子宫内膜癌患者的临床病理资料进行回顾性分析。结果子宫内膜癌患者血清CP2、SA、CA125和CEA水平升高的百分率分别为23．4％、36．8％、19．0％和30．3％。血清CP2水平升高与手术病理分期、病理分化程度、附件受累、腹腔细胞学检查阳性及盆腔淋巴结转移相关（P值分别为0．002、0．040、0．019、0．019、0．005）;血清SA水平升高与附件受累、腹腔细胞学检查阳性相关（P值分别为0．021、0．000）;血清CA125水平升高与病理分化程度、宫颈受累和盆腔淋巴结转移相关（P值分别为0．014、0．006、0．018）;CEA与各临床病理特征间均无相关性（P均〉0．05）。血清CP2、CA125和CEA水平升高与患者预后相关（P值分别为0．016、0．000、0．016）,其中CA125水平与预后关系最为密切。结论子宫内膜癌缺乏特异性肿瘤标志物,CP2与子宫内膜癌临床病理特征相关性较强,CP2、CA125和CEA对患者预后有提示作用。     

FIGO stage IIIC endometrial carcinoma with metastases confined to pelvic lymph nodes: analysis of treatment outcomes, prognostic variables, and failure patterns following adjuvant radiation therapy.

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to evaluate the prognostic significance of isolated positive pelvic lymph nodes on survival and to analyze other prognostic variables, overall survival, and failure patterns in surgically staged endometrial carcinoma patients with positive pelvic lymph nodes and negative para-aortic lymph nodes following radiation therapy (RT). METHODS: Between January 1, 1987, and December 31, 1997, 782 women underwent primary treatment for uterine cancer at Indiana University Medical Center. Through a review of the medical records, we identified 58 patients with pathologic stage IIIA, 27 patients with pathologic stage IIIB, and 77 patients with pathologic stage IIIC endometrial carcinoma. Patients with pathologically positive or unsampled para-aortic lymph nodes and patients who received preoperative radiation therapy were excluded, leaving a study group of 17 patients with nodal metastases confined to pelvic lymph nodes. Thirteen patients received adjuvant pelvic RT using AP-PA or four-field technique. A median dose of 5040 cGy was delivered. Four patients received whole abdominal irradiation (WAI) delivering a median dose of 3000 cGy. Two patients received vaginal cuff boosts of 1000 and 3560 cGy to 0.5 cm from the vaginal surface mucosa via Cs-137 brachytherapy. Two patients also received adjuvant chemotherapy (cis-platinum and doxorubicin) and/or hormonal therapy (megestrol acetate). Disease-free and overall survivals were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method of statistical analysis and prognostic variables were analyzed using the log-rank test. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 51 months the actuarial 5-year disease-free survival was 81% and the actuarial 2-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 81 and 72%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that positive peritoneal cytology in conjunction with positive pelvic lymph nodes imparts a greater risk of recurrence and decreased overall survival. There were no pelvic and/or upper abdominal failures, but there were recurrences in the para-aortic lymph nodes (two patients) and distantly (two patients). CONCLUSION: Surgery followed by postoperative pelvic RT is a viable treatment option for pathologically staged stage IIIC endometrial carcinoma with disease confined to the pelvic lymph nodes. Failures in the para-aortic region suggest a possible role for extended-field RT. Patients with positive peritoneal cytology in conjunction with nodal metastasis fared poorly with pelvic RT. Studies evaluating the efficacy of WAI are ongoing. Finally, substages within FIGO stage IIIC are recommended in an effort to better understand and define treatment strategies which might be appropriate for these patients.     

卵巢癌腹主动脉旁淋巴结清除术与生存率的关系

目的:探讨上皮性卵巢癌患者行腹主动脉旁淋巴结清除术与其生存预后的关系。方法:回顾分析卵巢癌肿瘤细胞减灭术的80例患者,将其中行腹主动脉旁淋巴结(PAN)+盆腔淋巴结(PLN)清除术分为A组(30例),仅行PLN清除术者分为B组(50例),分析PAN清除与患者生存预后的相关性。结果:行卵巢肿瘤细胞减灭术的80例患者中,32例(40.0%)发生淋巴结转移。A组中19例发生淋巴结转移,其中仅PAN阳性7例,仅PLN阳性3例,PAN和PLN均阳性9例;B组中13例发生PLN转移。A与B组患者的淋巴结转移与临床分期、肿瘤细胞分化程度和组织学类型显著相关(P0.05)。A组中淋巴结转移部位以PAN最多16例,其余依次为髂内、闭孔、髂总、腹股沟及髂外淋巴结。A组患者的3年、5年生存率分别为77.9%和46.7%,均高于B组(69.0%和39.2%),但无显著差异(P0.05)。A与B组患者中转移至PLN者的3年生存率分别是68.5%和41.4%,5年生存率是49.7%和26.4%,两组比较差异显著(P=0.044)。A组患者中淋巴结阳性与阴性患者3年生存率分别为43.5%和72.7%,5年生存率是27.2%和58.5%,差异显著(P=0.048)。Cox模型单因素分析提示,淋巴结状态对患者的生存率有影响(P0.01),而且是死亡风险因素。结论:腹主动脉旁淋巴结的清除对改善卵巢癌患者预后起着重要作用。     

淋巴结转移的Ⅰb 1～Ⅱb期子宫颈癌患者手术后的综合治疗及预后分析

目的研究淋巴结转移的Ⅰb1～Ⅱb期宫颈癌患者广泛性子宫切除加盆腔淋巴结切除术后综合治疗的方式和预后。方法选取1990年1月至2003年6月复旦大学附属肿瘤医院接受手术治疗的Ⅰb1～Ⅱb期淋巴结转移的宫颈癌患者215例。所有患者均接受了广泛性子宫切除加盆腔淋巴结切除术。根据术后治疗情况将患者分为4组：放疗加化疗组（107例）、放疗组（45例）、化疗组（22例）和无辅助治疗组（41例）。通过比较4组患者的临床病理资料,对患者预后及可能影响预后的有关因素进行分析。结果放疗加化疗组、化疗组、放疗组和无辅助治疗组患者的3年无瘤生存率分别为60．7％、53．5％、47．4％和36．0％,放疗加化疗组患者的3年无瘤生存率显著高于无辅助治疗组,两组比较,差异有统计学意义（P=0．001）,而化疗组、放疗组的3年无瘤生存率分别与无辅助治疗组比较,差异无统计学意义（P值分别为0．060和0．159）。放疗加化疗组、化疗组、放疗组和无辅助治疗组患者的盆腔复发率分别为7．5％、22．7％、26．7％和34．1％,远处转移率分别为16．8％、18．2％、15．6％和22．0％,复发合并转移率分别为4．7％、0、4．4％和7．3％。放疗加化疗组盆腔复发率显著低于其余3组,与其余3组比较,差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）,而远处转移率、复发合并转移率与其余3组比较,差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。多因素分析显示,肿瘤直径、病理类型、淋巴结转移数目和术后辅助治疗是影响淋巴结转移的宫颈癌患者预后的重要因素（P〈0．05）。结论淋巴结转移的宫颈癌患者根治性手术后辅助放、化疗能提高3年无瘤生存率,降低盆腔复发率。     

Peritoneal cytology in patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix

Peritoneal cytology was obtained in 125 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix at the time of laparotomy. The incidence of positive peritoneal cytology was 11.2%. Positive peritoneal cytology was found four times more frequently in adenocarcinoma than in squamous cell carcinoma. The incidence of pelvic lymph node and paraaortic lymph node metastasis was higher in patients with positive peritoneal cytology than in patients with negative peritoneal cytology. The 2-year survival rate in patients with positive peritoneal cytology was 30.0% and it was 82.7% in patients with negative peritoneal cytology. Some patients (28.6%) with positive peritoneal cytology developed peritonitis carcinomatosa. It was concluded that it is very important to obtain peritoneal cytology routinely at the time of laparotomy in patients with carcinoma of the cervix.     

Positive peritoneal cytology is an adverse factor in endometrial carcinoma only if there is other evidence of extrauterine disease.

The prognostic significance of peritoneal cytology among 269 women with clinical stage I and II carcinoma of the endometrium was studied. All patients were surgically staged and had undergone selective pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomies. Patients with clear cell and papillary serous carcinomas were excluded from the analysis. Thirty-four (12.6%) patients had malignant cells in the peritoneal washings (positive peritoneal cytology). The effect of positive peritoneal cytology on survival depended upon the extent of disease present. If the disease was confined to the uterus, positive peritoneal cytology did not influence survival; if the disease had spread to the adnexa, lymph nodes, or peritoneum, positive peritoneal cytology had a significant adverse effect on survival, decreasing it at 5 years from 73 to 13%, all recurrences being at distant sites. These findings suggest that treatment specifically directed at positive peritoneal cytology is not warranted unless extrauterine disease is present, and when it is, systemic rather than intra-abdominal treatment will be required to affect survival.     

Survival following extended field irradiation in carcinoma of cervix metastatic to para-aortic lymph nodes

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to determine survival after extended-field treatment of para-aortic lymph node (PALN) metastasis. METHODS: Thirty-five patients were treated from 1975-1989 for PALN metastasis. The FIGO stages were IB 10, 2A 3, IIB 9, IIIA 1, IIIB 10, 4A 1, and unstaged 1. The diagnosis in 34 patients was by operative staging and in 1 by CT scan and fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Twelve patients had microscopic PALN metastasis (PALN1) and 23 had grossly enlarged lymph nodes (PALN2). Thirty-four patients had extended-field radiotherapy (RT) plus brachytherapy or pelvic boost. Kaplan-Meier estimates were computer calculated for the entire population. Late radiation morbidity was classified by RTOG/EORTC criteria. RESULTS: The 5-year overall survival rate was approximately 29%. Four patients (3 stage IB, 1 stage IIIA) survived without recurrence. All four had extended field RT. The 5-year survival rate was 41.7% for PALN1 cases and 26.1% for PALN2 cases. Three patients (8.6%) had Grade 4 morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: PALN metastasis in stage IB is curable in approximately 30% of cases. The management approach in this series in stage IB was as follows: If PALN metastasis was identified at exploration for radical hysterectomy, the procedure was aborted and extended-field RT administered. In stages IIB through IVA, operative staging or CT scanning with FNA biopsy of suspicious PALN was performed. If PALN metastasis was confirmed, extended-field RT was administered. A 35% 5-year survival rate was observed in the advanced group. The value of chemotherapy for PALN metastasis remains to be defined but results from clinical trials suggest that cisplatin-based chemotherapy may be beneficial.     

Surgical stage III endometrial cancer: analysis of treatment outcomes,prognostic factors and failure patterns

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival estimates of stage III endometrial cancer patients, and also to detect the prognostic factors and failure patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-eight surgical Stage III endometrial cancer patients treated at Hacettepe University Hospital were included. All patients underwent surgical staging procedures consisting of peritoneal cytology, infracolic omentectomy, total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and complete pelvic-paraaortic lymphadenectomy. By surgical staging 26 (38%) patients had Stage IIIA and 42 (62%) patients had Stage IIIC disease. The mean resected lymph node number was 26 (median, 25; range, 15-58). RESULTS: The median age was 60 years (range, 38-77), and the median follow-up period was 62 months (range, 36-90 months). The 5-year disease free survival rate was 58% and the 5-year overall survival rate was 64%. These figures for Stage IIIA were 60% and 68%, respectively; and for Stage IIIC they were 57% and 62%, respectively. No significant survival difference was detected between Stage IIIA and IIIC (p = 0.60 for disease-free survival and p = 0.48 for overall survival). High grade and positive peritoneal cytology predicted poor survival in both univariate (p = 0.004 and p = 0.006, respectively) and multivariate (p = 0.05 and p = 0.04, respectively) analysis. Twenty-eight patients (41%) had recurrence with a median time of 23 months (range, 10-54 months). Nine patients (13%) had only local, 13 patients (19%) had only distant and six patients (9%) had both local and distant relapse. CONCLUSION: Surgical staging is important in the management of Stage III endometrial cancer, and the main problem is still distant failure. In multivariate analysis high grade and positive peritoneal cytology predicted poor survival significantly.     

Patterns of pelvic and paraaortic lymph node involvement in ovarian cancer

One hundred eighty patients with ovarian cancer underwent complete pelvic lymphadenectomy (n = 75) or pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy (n = 105). Twenty-one patients underwent a preoperative biopsy of the scalene lymph nodes. The incidence of positive lymph nodes was 24% in stage I (n = 37), 50% in stage II (n = 14), 74% in stage III (n = 114), and 73% in stage IV (n = 15). Of the 105 patients who underwent pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy, 13 (12%) had positive pelvic and negative paraaortic nodes and 10 (9%) had positive paraaortic and negative pelvic nodes. Positive scalene nodes were found in four patients (19%) later shown to have stage IV disease. One hundred forty patients were studied for number of involved nodes and node groups, size of nodal metastases, residual tumor, and survival. Of the 81 patients with positive nodes, most had only one or two positive node groups or one to three positive individual nodes. A few patients had seven to eight involved node groups with up to 44 positive nodes. Greater numbers of positive nodes were found in stage III than stage IV. The size of the largest nodal metastasis was not related to the clinical stage or survival, but did correlate with the number of positive nodes. Stage III patients with no residual tumor had a significantly lower rate of lymph node involvement than those with tumor residual (P less than 0.01). Actuarial 5-year survival rates of patients with stage III disease and no, one, or more than one positive nodes were 69, 58, and 28%, respectively.     

Indispensability of Pelvic and Paraaortic Lymphadenectomy in Endometrial Cancers

The purposes of this study were to analyze the relationship between retroperitoneal lymph node (RLN) metastasis and clinical and pathologic risk factors in endometrial cancers, and to clarify the correlation between RLN metastasis and survival of patients with the disease. This analysis included 63 patients with endometrial cancer who underwent simultaneous pelvic lymph node (PLN) and paraaortic lymph node (PAN) dissection between April 1988 and December 1995. Patients with stage Ia grade 1 and stage IV disease were excluded from this analysis. Both PLN and PAN metastases were found in 10.0% (4/40) of patients with stage I (FIGO, 1988) disease. Of 14 cases with PLN metastases, 8 (57.1%) had PAN metastases simultaneously, whereas 4 (8.2%) of 49 cases without PLN metastases had PAN metastases. There was no significant relationship between the sites or numbers of positive PLN and PAN metastases. Multivariate analysis revealed that poor grade and deep myometrial invasion had an independent relationship with PAN metastases, whereas vascular space invasion and cervical invasion were independently associated with PLN metastases. When divided into the groups of stage I–II and stage III, the prognosis of patients with RLN metastases was significantly poorer than that of patients without RLN metastases in each stage. Furthermore, survival of patients with PAN metastases was significantly worse compared with that of patients with only PLN metastases (44.4 and 80.0%, respectively,P< 0.05). These results reveal that PLN and PAN metastases occur frequently even in early-stage endometrial cancer, and that RLN metastases, especially PAN metastases, have a serious impact on patient survival. In conclusion, systemically simultaneous pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy is essential for all the patients with endometrial cancer except those with stage Ia grade 1 and stage IV to provide prognostic information and select suitable postoperative treatment as well as to perform accurate FIGO staging, provided the condition of the patient permits.