Preoperative transvaginal ultrasound guided needle biopsy for primary squamous cell carcinoma of the endometrium

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the endometrium (PSCCE) is an extremely rare tumor and little information is available about its treatment and prognosis. We report a case of PSCCE diagnosed with preoperative transvaginal ultrasound guided needle biopsy. A 73-year-old woman presented with prolonged abdominal pain. Her endometrium was found to be slightly thickened, and endometrial biopsy showed no carcinoma tissues. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a uterine tumor and transvaginal ultrasound guided needle biopsy specimens of the tumor showed squamous cell carcinoma. The patient underwent laparotomy and was given a diagnosis of PSCCE in International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIa. After the operation, the patient was treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) using cisplatin. She remains free of disease at 6 months after CCRT. Preoperative needle biopsy may be helpful to make a diagnosis of PSCCE.     

Adjuvant radiation in early stage,unfavorable histology endometrial carcinoma is associated with improved local control and survival

Objective

Unfavorable histology endometrial carcinomas confer worse prognosis. We determined the association of adjuvant radiation on local recurrence and survival for unfavorable, early stage endometrial cancer.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 125 patients who had a hysterectomy for early stage (FIGO IA), unfavorable histology (clear cell, papillary serous or grade 3 endometrioid), endometrial carcinoma treated between 1992 and 2011. Patients were restaged according to current FIGO 2009 guidelines. Primary endpoint was local control and secondary endpoints were distant recurrence and overall survival.

Results

The median age of the cohort was 67 years old with a mean follow up 152 months. Adjuvant radiation was delivered in 60 patients (48%). There were a total of 24 recurrences; 5 had local–regional recurrences, 4 local and distant recurrence, 12 distant only recurrences, and 3 had unspecified recurrences. The 5-year local–regional control was 97.8% in patients who received radiation and 80.1% in patients who did not receive radiation (p = 0.018). The 5-year overall survival rate was 68.1% if patients did not receive radiation and 84.9% if they did receive radiation (p = 0.0062). On univariate analysis, only radiation (HR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.49, p-value = 0.018) was associated with a significant increase in local relapse free survival.

Conclusions

Adjuvant radiation therapy was significantly associated with an improvement in local–regional control and overall survival in patients with unfavorable histology, early stage endometrial cancer.     

External pelvic radiation therapy in stage IC endometrial carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate outcomes of patients with stage IC endometrial carcinoma treated with external whole pelvic radiation but not vaginal brachytherapy. METHODS: Sixty-one women with stage IC endometrial carcinoma had postoperative pelvic radiation without vaginal brachytherapy. The median age was 69 years (range 44-87 years). Most subjects had histologic findings of adenocarcinoma (71%) and grade 2 or 3 disease (74%). The median pelvic irradiation dose was 48.6 Gy (range 43.2-50.4 Gy). No patients received adjuvant chemotherapy or hormonal therapy. The median follow-up time was 69.5 months (range 7-196 months). RESULTS: The 5-year actuarial disease-free and overall survivals of the entire group were 86.7% and 97.6%, respectively. No patient developed local (vaginal) recurrence. One patient had recurrent disease in the lateral pelvis. Ten patients (16.4%) had distant (extrapelvic) metastases. No serious sequelae were noted, including vaginal necrosis, small bowel obstruction, proctitis, or fistulae. CONCLUSION: Local control was excellent in stage IC endometrial carcinoma treated with adjuvant radiation therapy alone. Attention needs to be focused on efforts to control extrapelvic recurrence in patients with this disease.     

Carcinoma of the cervix, FIGO Stage IB: treatment failures

All patients with carcinoma of the cervix, FIGO Stage IB, treated at the University of Minnesota Hospitals during a 10-year period were reviewed. Of the 220 patients 31 (14.0%) developed recurrent disease and did not survive. Thirteen patients had pelvic wall recurrences, with concurrent cervical involvement. No patient had a resectable pelvic recurrence. Hysterectomy was subsequently performed on 10 of the 172 patients who received radiation therapy. Carcinoma was not present in any of the operative specimens although two patients with adenocarcinoma later died of metastatic cancer. Median time of recurrence was 9 months, with median survival following recurrence of 6 months. Cervical cytology was not of value in the early diagnosis of recurrent disease. The 5-year adjusted actuarial survival rate for patients with adenosquamous carcinoma was significantly lower than that for patients with squamous cell carcinoma. The median age of patients not surviving with adenosquamous carcinoma was significantly lower than that for patients not surviving with squamous cell carcinoma. Patients with invasive carcinoma presumably confined to the cervix may have disseminated disease. It is essential such selected patients receive primary treatment that includes systemic therapy.     

Small cell carcinoma of the endometrium: a report of two cases

Primary small cell carcinoma of the endometrium is rare and has an extremely poor prognosis. This report describes two cases of small cell carcinoma of the endometrium diagnosed as stage III. Case 1 was diagnosed as stage IIIc. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy. For a locally recurrent tumor, she received radiotherapy. She has been well with no evidence of disease for 4?years. Case 2 was diagnosed as stage IIIa. She underwent surgery. The tumor recurred soon after the surgery, and she died 33?days after the surgery. In the literature, the median survival reported for patients with stage III and IV is only 5?months. Case 1 is the 4th case showing long-term survival with advanced-stage disease. The optimal treatment for this rare tumor has not been established. Considering its rarity and variability, it is difficult to establish an evidence-based therapeutic regimen.     

Interstitial Brachytherapy for Vaginal Recurrences of Endometrial Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of interstitial brachytherapy in the management of vaginal recurrences of endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: Thirty patients received interstitial irradiation, with or without external beam radiotherapy. They were followed for a minimum of 5 years or until death. RESULTS: The median age was 66 years at initial diagnosis of endometrial cancer. FIGO stages included Stage I (n = 18), Stage II (n = 7), and Stage III (n = 5). All patients were treated originally by total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with or without lymphadenectomy, and 13 (43%) also received postoperative adjuvant whole pelvis radiotherapy as part of their primary treatment. Vaginal recurrences were diagnosed at a mean interval of 29 months after hysterectomy (range, 3-119 months). No patient had clinical evidence of pelvic sidewall extension or of distant metastatic disease. All patients were treated with interstitial brachytherapy; each implant delivered a mean maximal tumor dose of 25.5 Gy. Eighteen patients (60%) also received external beam radiotherapy (mean dose, 48 Gy) as part of their treatment for vaginal recurrence. Twenty-eight patients (93%) experienced a complete clinical response. Ten patients relapsed in the vagina (n = 5) or at distant sites (n = 5). Eleven patients are dead of disease. From the time of vaginal recurrence, the median overall survival was 60 months and the cause of death adjusted 5-year survival rate was 65%. Major morbidity included radiation proctitis (n = 2), fistula (n = 2), and radiation stricture (n = 1). CONCLUSION: Interstitial irradiation resulted in favorable local control as well as a 5-year survival rate and morbidity comparable to that reported previously for conventional brachytherapy.     

Does Radical Hysterectomy for Clinically Apparent Stage II Endometrial Cancer Affect Risk of Local Recurrence?

ObjectiveCompare recurrence-free survival (RFS) and morbidity between radical hysterectomy (RH) and simple hysterectomy (SH) for clinically diagnosed stage II endometrial cancer.MethodsA multicentre, retrospective study, from 2000 to 2015, involving patients with endometrial cancer with cervical involvement preoperatively and stromal invasion on final pathology. Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Fisher exact test, Kaplan-Meier survival functions, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for analysis.ResultsNinety of 1613 patients had clinical stage II endometrial cancer; 57 underwent RH and 33 underwent SH, with no difference in adjuvant treatment or morbidity. About half of patients (51%) had pathologic stage III–IV disease. Mean follow-up was 3.3 and 3.8 years for SH and RH, respectively. Thirty-three percent of patients with RH and SH experienced a recurrence. Most recurrences were distant: 90% with SH and 79% with RH. There was no difference in RFS between groups (2-year: SH 65% vs. RH 75%; 5-year: SH 54% vs. RH 63%; P = 0.72). Controlling for stage, adjuvant treatment, and margin status, RH was not associated with RFS (HR 0.62; 95% CI 0.28–1.35). Among 44 patients with pathologic stage II disease, 7 had a recurrence (4 SH and 3 RH); 6 of 7 had distant recurrences.ConclusionsFifty-one percent of patients with clinical stage II endometrial cancer had advanced disease on final pathology, highlighting the importance of surgical staging. RH was not associated with RFS or reduced morbidity. Most recurrences were distant. Although RH could be performed to achieve negative surgical margins, SH may be sufficient for central, small tumours given the high risk of advanced disease and distant recurrence. Research efforts should further elucidate the ideal management of these patients.     

Recurrent adenocarcinoma of the endometrium: A clinical and histopathological study of 379 patients

Three hundred and seventy-nine patients with recurrent endometrial cancer were seen in the Norwegian Radium Hospital from 1960 to 1976. Local recurrence was found in 190 patients (50%), distant metastases in 108 patients (28%), and in 81 patients (21%) local recurrence and distant metastases were found simultaneously. Thirty-two percent of all patients had no symptoms at the time of diagnosis of the recurrence. The median time interval between primary treatment and detection of recurrence was 14 months for patients with local recurrence and 19 months for those with distant metastases. Thirty-four percent of all recurrences was detected within 1 year and 76% within three years of primary treatment. In 10% recurrence was diagnosed more than 5 years after primary treatment. Twenty-two of the 190 patients (12%) with local recurrence, 5 of the 108 patients (5%) with distant metastases, and 2 of the 81 patients (2%) with local recurrence together with distant metastases survived and were without evidence of disease at the end of the observation period (3–19 years). Radiotherapy alone or in combination with surgery was given in 24 of the 29 “cured” patients; 16 of them received progestagens in addition. Three of the survivors were treated with progestagens alone. The median survival time for patients with lung metastases only, who were treated with progestagens, was considerably longer when compared to those without treatment (9 vs 2 months). The need for nonhormonal cytotoxic chemotherapy in the treatment of recurrent endometrial carcinoma is stressed.     

FIGO Stage I endometrial carcinoma: evaluation of lung metastases and follow-up

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence of lung metastases in the follow-up of women submitted to surgery for endometrial carcinoma, in particular for FIGO Stage I which is the lowest risk stage for this metastatic site. METHODS: The study was conducted on 210 patients affected by FIGO Stage I endometrial cancer in the years 1990 to 2005 distributed as follows: 35 patients with Stage IA (limited to the endometrium), 150 patients with Stage IB (invasion up to and including half the myometrial thickness), 25 patients with Stage IC (invasion greater than half the myometrial thickness). They underwent follow-up. RESULTS: Only one patient out of the group studied has developed lung metastasis six years after surgery. She was staged as FIGO IB (T1b Mx G1). CONCLUSION: We are still following the cases and evaluating the biological behavior of this specific endometrial carcinoma and its reaction to further therapies. We are also looking for possible clinical characteristics in disagreement with those reported in the literature, which would thus make it necessary to reconsider the prognosis and therapy of this stage of disease.     

Relapse patterns in FIGO stage IB carcinoma of the cervix

Site of recurrence and survival data were reviewed for 96 patients with FIGO stage IB cervical carcinoma treated between July 1978 and December 1986 with radical surgery (N = 55), radiation therapy (N = 30), or combination therapy (N = 11). There were 21 patients (21.8%) who suffered recurrences. After radiation 10 of 30 (33.3%) patients recurred versus 11 of 55 (20%) after radical surgery alone. Recurrences were observed in 6 of 14 (42.8%) patients with positive nodes, 11 of 61 (18%) patients with negative nodes, and 4 of 21 (19%) patients with unknown nodal status. The first manifestation of recurrence was central in 3, locoregional in 9, and distant in 9. The median disease-free interval (DFI) was 11 months for surgical and 10.5 months for irradiated patients. The 2-year disease-free survival was 83.6% for surgical patients and 73.3% for irradiated patients. The risk of distant metastases was 3 of 55 (5.4%) following radical surgery and 6 of 30 (20%) after radiation (P = 0.04). The median time to pelvic recurrence was 10 months and that for distant recurrence was 20 months (P less than 0.05). The median time to pelvic relapse was 9.5 months for radical surgery patients and 10 months for irradiated patients. The median time to distant recurrence was 20 months for radical surgery patients and 16.5 months for irradiated patients. Median survival in those who died of disease after a recurrence confined to the pelvis was 15 months versus 8 months for those with a distant recurrence (P less than 0.05). Our data confirm that (1) site of relapse is influenced by primary therapeutic modality and (2) pelvic recurrence manifests before distant recurrence; however, median DFI for all recurrences as well as for the subsets of pelvic and distant relapses is independent of primary modality. We suggest that an understanding of the natural history of cervical cancer recurrence will allow optimal use of resources in the follow-up of patients to detect recurrence.     

Postoperative vaginal brachytherapy alone is the treatment of choice for grade 1–2, stage IC endometrial cancer

The aim was to determine outcome and toxicity in grade 1-2, FIGO stage IC endometrial cancer patients treated with external beam radiotherapy plus vaginal cuff brachytherapy or vaginal cuff brachytherapy alone. Between 1986 and 1999, a total of 132 patients were diagnosed with FIGO stage IC endometrial carcinoma. The median age was 67.5 years (range, 36-88). Median follow-up was 54 months (range, 6-157). Grade 1 disease was present in 64 patients, grade 2 in 45 patients, and grade 3 in 23 patients. Patients with grade 3 disease usually received external radiotherapy and were excluded from this analysis. Of the patients with grade 1-2 disease, 31 received brachytherapy alone and 78 received both external radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Ten (8%) patients experienced failure. Isolated pelvic relapse occurred in five patients. Three patients experienced both distant and local relapse. Two patients had isolated distant relapse. Nine failures occurred in patients treated with both external radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Only one failure occurred in those treated with brachytherapy alone. Overall survival and disease-free survival at 5 years were 85% and 92%, respectively. For those treated with both external radiotherapy and brachytherapy, 5-year locoregional control was 95%. For those treated with brachytherapy alone, 5-year locoregional control was 96.4%. There was no significant survival or local control difference between the two groups. Nine patients (9%) treated with both external radiotherapy and brachytherapy developed Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade 3-4 toxicity. No patient treated with vaginal cuff brachytherapy alone developed grade 3-4 toxicity (P < 0.001). In patients with well-differentiated (grade 1-2) stage IC endometrial cancer, external beam radiotherapy plus brachytherapy versus vaginal cuff brachytherapy alone achieved equivalent local control and survival. However, vaginal cuff brachytherapy alone produced significantly less toxicity.     

Sarcoma of the uterus

Records of 42 patients with a diagnosis of uterine sarcoma treated between 1974 and 1995 at the Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gda′nsk have been reviewed. There were 15 cases of leiomyosarcoma, 14 cases of carcinosarcoma (malignant mixed mesodermal tumor) and 13 cases of endometrial stromal sarcoma. There were 24 FIGO stage I patients, 3 stage II patients, 7 stage III patients and 8 stage IV patients. Thirty seven patients had previously been operated on, of whom 33 had undergone total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoophorectomy. Adjuvant postoperative treatment was administered in 19 patients and included radiotherapy in 16 patients, chemotherapy in two and chemotherapy and irradiation in one. Out of 31 radically operated patients, 19 (61%) had recurrences, within 2–42 months of primary treatment (median 10 months); nine patients had distant metasases, six patients had local recurrence and four had both local and distant failure. Treatment failure occurred in seven out of 14 patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy and in 12 out of 17 treated without irradiation. Median survival time in both groups was 26 months. The survival for the whole series ranged from 2 months to 19+ years (median 26 months) and was not related to tumor type. Two and five year actuarial survival rates were 54% and 30%, respectively. Received: 26 July 1995 / Accepted: 27 December 1995     

Extended surgical staging for uterine papillary serous carcinoma: survival outcome of locoregional (Stage I-III) disease

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate survival outcome in patients with locoregional uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) after extended surgical staging (ESS). METHODS: All patients diagnosed with FIGO Stage I-III UPSC undergoing ESS (vertical incision, peritoneal cytology, TAH/BSO, omental biopsy, lymph node sampling, peritoneal biopsy) between 1/1/89 and 12/31/98 were identified retrospectively from the tumor registry database. Pathologic features predictive of regional extrauterine spread were evaluated using the log-rank test. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to generate survival curves, and median survival determinations were compared using the log-rank test or the proportional hazards regression model. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients with locoregional UPSC were identified: FIGO Stage I (n = 11), Stage II (n = 7), and Stage III (n = 8). The median age at diagnosis was 66 years. Preoperative endometrial pathology correctly identified the presence of UPSC in 76.9% of cases. The only pathologic feature found to be predictive of regional extrauterine spread (Stage III) was myometrial invasion > or =50% (P = 0.028). Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) was administered to 6/18 patients with Stage I/II disease and 5/8 patients with Stage III disease. Platinum-based chemotherapy was administered to 5 patients with Stage III disease. All recurrences of Stage I/II disease were located within the pelvis (16.7%). For Stage III disease, all recurrences occurred at distant sites (42.9%). The median follow-up time for surviving patients was 39.0 months (mean = 45.0 months). For all patients, the overall 5-year survival rate was 61.2%. According to FIGO stage, the overall 5-year survival rates were Stage I, 81.8%; Stage II, 64.3%; and Stage III, 31.3%. No significant differences were detected in the risk of death by stage, although there was a trend toward worse survival with Stage III disease: Stage I hazard ratio [HR] = 1.00, Stage II HR = 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.23-12.03, Stage III HR = 3.63, 95% CI = 0.65-20.12. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with locoregional UPSC following ESS have a more favorable prognosis than previously thought. The additional information provided by ESS facilitates the selection of adjuvant therapy. Whole pelvic RT is recommended for patients with Stage I/II disease. Pathologic Stage III disease portends a significant risk of distant recurrence. For these patients, administration of adjuvant chemotherapy should be considered in addition to directed RT.     

A study of heat shock protein 27 in endometrial carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: Heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) is a relatively small protein produced in response to pathophysiologic stress. The purpose of this study was to determine prospectively whether HSP27 was associated with known prognostic factors in patients with endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: One hundred fifty-three consecutive patients with endometrial carcinoma were studied. Slides were prepared from fresh tissue. HSP27 was analyzed using a semiquantitative measurement. Patient records were examined for FIGO stage, grade, depth of myometrial invasion, histology, lymphovascular space invasion, time to recurrence, and survival. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 53 months (median 56 months, range 30-68 months). Endometrioid tumors showed significantly higher HSP27 staining than nonendometrioid tumors (P = 0.005). Patients alive at the conclusion of this study had significantly higher mean HSP27 staining than patients who were deceased (P < 0.001). Logistic regression revealed HSP27 staining (P = 0.02), FIGO stage (P = 0. 014), and lymphovascular space invasion (P = 0.046) to be independently predictive of survival. CONCLUSION: HSP27 staining is significantly higher in endometrioid than nonendometrioid tumors. HSP27 staining is an independent prognostic indicator in patients with endometrial carcinoma, the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States.     

Scalp and cranial bone metastasis of endometrial carcinoma: a case report and literature review

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to report a rare case of scalp and cranial bone metastasis of endometrial carcinoma and review the literature. METHOD: We report a 45-year-old multiparous woman with FIGO Stage 1A Grade II endometrial adenocarcinoma who presented 3 years following total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with scalp and cranial bone metastasis. Similar cases in the literature are reviewed. RESULTS: The patient metastatic workup revealed local, distant, scalp, and cranial bone metastasis. She died within 6 months. The poor prognosis is similar to that of six other cases reviewed. CONCLUSION: Scalp and cranial bone metastasis following endometrial carcinoma is extremely rare. It is a reflection of a widely disseminated disease and poor prognosis. However, single bone metastasis has a better postmetastatic survival with the help of local radiotherapy than scalp and multiple bone metastasis.     

Combined local and systemic therapy for small cell carcinoma of the endometrium

Britten C, Hoskins P, Swenerton K, Pike J, Wong F. Combined local andsystemic therapy for small cell carcinoma of the endometrium. Int J Gynecol Cancer 1997; 7 : 480–485.
Our objective of this study was to determine the survival after, and the toxicity of, combined hysterectomy, radiation, and cisplatin/etoposide chemotherapy in patients with small cell carcinoma of the endometrium. Patients diagnosed between January 1987 and September 1995 were treated with the combined modality therapy. Eight patients with this diagnosis were seen. One was not treated with this protocol. The remaining seven were treated with hysterectomy and cisplatin/etoposide chemotherapy. Of these, four without evidence of distant metastases also received local radiation concurrently with the chemotherapy. The median failure free survival was five months and the median overall survival was seven months. Two patients died of their disease and two patients died as a result of treatment. Three patients, all with locoregional disease, are still alive without evidence of disease 53 to113 months after diagnosis. None of the three patients with distant disease survived beyond seven months. Toxicity was severe. Grade 3/4 hematotoxicity was universal. Two patients developed staphylococcal sepsis. Two other patients died as a result of treatment. When compared with reports in the literature, this combined modality treatment appears to be more effective than local treatment alone for patients without overt distant metastases. In patients with disease spread to distant organs, the regimen is ineffective.     

The Relationship of Local and Distant Failure from Endometrial Cancer: Defining a Clinical Paradigm

Purpose.Recently, statistical methods have been developed to rigorously assess the relationship between local and distant failures. Such methodology has successfully been applied to a variety of tumors including those arising in the prostate, breast, and cervix. To date, no published data are available to generate a hypothesis to characterize the relationship between local and distant failure for endometrial cancer. The present analysis was undertaken to determine the effect of locoregional control on subsequent metastatic dissemination among women with pathologically staged endometrial cancer treated by hysterectomy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy.Methods.The series consisted of 394 patients with FIGO stages I–III endometrial cancer who were surgically staged prior to irradiation [median external beam dose 45 Gy ± brachytherapy (median vaginal surface dose, 30 Gy)]. The duration of follow-up ranged from 2 to 151 months, with a median of 62 months. Multiple factors were evaluated to determine the associations with distant relapse including FIGO pathological stage, grade, histopathologic subtype (adeno vs papillary/papillary–serous/clear cell), depth of myometrial penetration, age, and local disease status. Time-dependent survival models were generated to assess the influence of local failure on distant metastases.Results.For the entire series, the 5-year actuarial rates of local and distant failures were 9 and 20%, respectively. Women who failed locally had nearly a fourfold risk of failing distantly compared to those who remained locally controlled (P= 0.02). Moreover, the earlier a local failure developed (e.g., within 1 year vs within 3 years), the more likely it was to be associated with distant metastases (P< 0.05). The univariate correlations of other factors with the 5-year rate of freedom from distant relapse also disclosed significant associations for grade, histology (adenoca vs papillary/papillary–serous/clear cell), and FIGO path stage. In multivariate analysis, only local control, low grade (grade 1 and 2), and early pathological stage were independently related to the likelihood of achieving freedom from distant relapse.Conclusions.Distant dissemination of endometrial cancer may develop secondary to local failure. Optimization of local control is therefore necessary if long-term cure is to be achieved. The limits of the current database cannot establish whether local failure is a cause of distant spread or a high-risk marker for metastases; however, ongoing national cooperative trials may resolve this controversy.     

A pilot study of chemo-radiotherapy in advanced carcinoma of the vulva

Summary. Advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva (FIGO stages III and IV) has a poor cure rate even with exenterative surgery. We report a pilot study of combined pre-operative chemo-radiotherapy (CHT/RT) in all patients with advanced vulval carcinoma presenting to St Bartholomew's Hospital between July 1987 and March 1989. Twelve patients have been treated, of whom nine had primary lesions (four FIGO stage III and five stage IV) and three had recurrent disease after simple or radical vulvectomy. Seven patients were treated with an initial split course of CHT/RT: there was one treatment-related death and the others have all died following recurrence with a median disease-free survival of 5 months (range 3–12) and a median survival of 7 months (range 3-16). Five patients have received a continuous course of CHT/RT: one died before operation with pulmonary metastases, three patients are disease free at 6 to 9 months, and another patient has been treated with only palliative intent. Toxicity was acceptable in the continuous regimen and this treatment seems to have a promising role in the management of advanced carcinoma of the vulva. A review of the literature on combined therapy is presented.     

Treatment results in women with clinical stage I and pathologic stage II endometrial carcinoma

Abstract. Jobsen JJ, Schutter EMJ, Meerwaldt JH, van der Palen J, van der Sijde R, Naudin ten Cate L. Treatment results in women with clinical stage I and pathologic stage II endometrial carcinoma.
The aim of this study is to report survival and results of therapy and possible prognostic factors in women with pathologic stage II endometrial carcinoma. Forty-two patients with pathologic stage II endometrial carcinoma were treated at the department of Radiation Oncology of the Medisch Spectrum Twente between 1987 and 1998. All patients received external radiotherapy following standard surgical procedures and no adjuvant systemic therapy was given. From the 42 patients 21 had a pathologic stage IIA and 21 stage IIB. The median follow-up was 62 months. The overall recurrence rate was 21.5% (9/42). Seven patients had distant metastasis, of which three also had locoregional recurrence, vaginal vault and/or pelvic. The presence of myometrial invasion (> ½) and/or lymph-angioinvasion showed a significant relation with distant metastasis ( P = 0.017). Stage IIB showed more recurrences, 33% (7/21). There was a significant different 5-year disease specific survival for stage IIA and IIB, respectively, 95% and 74% ( P = 0.0311). Patients with a differentiation grade 3 and stage IIB showed a significantly poorer ( P = 0.003) 5-year survival of 48.6% ( P = 0.003). Results obtained in the present series of patients are in accordance with the literature. The present treatment policy seems justified, except for patients with pathologic stage IIB and grade 3, in which a more aggressive treatment should be considered.     

Old versus new FIGO staging systems in predicting overall survival in patients with uterine leiomyosarcoma: A study of 86 cases

ObjectivesUterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) was staged using the FIGO system for endometrial cancers. The new FIGO system takes into consideration tumor size disregarding myometrial and cervical involvement. We aimed to compare the two systems and see which more accurately predicts overall survival (OS).Methods86 patients with uLMS (1984–2010) were retrospectively staged using both FIGO systems. Mean OS rates were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method.ResultsMore patients had stage-I disease by the new FIGO system (42 versus 33). Five versus 18 and 27 versus 5 had old and new stage-II and III diseases respectively. Five and 4 patients with old stage II and III uLMS respectively were downstaged to stage I while 18 with old stage III were downstaged to stage II. Median follow-up was 23.5 months with a median OS of 114 (95% CI, 61–166) months. Although patients with stage I tumors had a higher mean OS rate compared to those with higher stage disease by either system, patients with old stage II–IV disease showed similar mean OS rates, with stage III–IV patients having a slightly better mean OS and a similar trend was observed with the new system. Patients with new FIGO stage III had a higher mean OS rate than those with stage II or IV disease (37.6 versus 28.1 and 34.3 months). Nonetheless, no statistical significant differences were seen in OS according to stage using either system (p = 0.786 and p = 0.400 respectively).ConclusionNeither FIGO staging system is ideal in classifying patients into four clinically significant stages.