OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to confirm the incidence and implications of a lymphatic spread pattern involving para-aortic lymph node (PAN) metastasis in the absence of pelvic lymph node (PLN) metastasis in patients with endometrial cancer. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective chart review of 380 patients with endometrial cancer treated by surgery including PLN dissection and PAN dissection at Hokkaido Cancer Center between 2003 and 2016. We determined the probability of PAN metastasis in patients without PLN metastasis and investigated survival outcomes of PLN−PAN+ patients. RESULTS: The median numbers of PLN and PAN removed at surgery were 41 (range: 11–107) and 16 (range: 1–65), respectively. Sixty-four patients (16.8%) had lymph node metastasis, including 39 (10.3%) with PAN metastasis. The most frequent lymphatic spread pattern was PLN+PAN+ (7.9%), followed by PLN+PAN− (6.6%), and PLN−PAN+ (2.4%). The probability of PAN metastasis in patients without PLN metastasis was 2.8% (9/325). The 5-year overall survival rates were 96.5% in PLN−PAN−, 77.6% in PLN+PAN−, 63.4% in PLN+PAN+, and 53.6% in PLN−PAN+ patients. CONCLUSION: The likelihood of PAN metastasis in endometrial cancer patients without PLN metastasis is not negligible, and the prognosis of PLN−PAN+ is likely to be poor. The implications of a PLN−PAN+ lymphatic spread pattern should thus be taken into consideration when determining patient management strategies.
Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes* ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVE: All patients with stage IB1 cervical cancer do not need to undergo parametrectomy. Some low-risk criteria for parametrial involvement (PI) have been proposed based on pathological findings. The aim of this study was to determine pretreatment risk factors for PI in stage IB1 cervical cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 115 patients with stage IB1 cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy or radical trachelectomy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed and serum concentrations of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) were determined in all patients before initial treatment. The following pretreatment factors were investigated: histological variant, maximum tumor diameter, tumor volume (volume index), pelvic lymph node enlargement, and serum tumor markers. Logistic regression analysis was used to select the independent risk factors for PI. RESULTS: Eighteen of the 115 patients (15.7%) were pathologically diagnosed with PI. Multivariate analysis confirmed the following independent risk factors for PI: MRI-based tumor diameter > or =25 mm (odds ratio [OR], 9.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1 to 48.1), MRI-based volume index > or =5,000 mm3 (OR, 13.3; 95% CI, 1.4 to 125.0), and positive serum tumor markers SCC-Ag > or =1.5 ng/mL or CA-125 > or =35 U/mL (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 1.3 to 25.1). Of 53 patients with no risk factors for PI, none had PI. CONCLUSION: Less radical surgery may become one of the treatment options for stage IB1 cervical cancer patients with MRI-based tumor diameter <25 mm, MRI-based volume index <5,000 mm3, and negativity for SCC-Ag and CA-125.
Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, Neoplasm/metabolism ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy/methods ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Observer Variation ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Serpins/metabolism ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/metabolism/*pathology/surgery ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical significance of isolated tumor cells (ITCs) or micrometastasis (MM) in regional lymph nodes in patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I to II endometrial cancer. METHODS: In this study, a series of 63 patients with FIGO stage I to II were included, who had at least one of the following risk factors for recurrence: G3 endometrioid/serous/clear cell adenocarcinomas, deep myometrial invasion, cervical involvement, lympho-vascular space invasion, and positive peritoneal cytology. These cases were classified as intermediate-risk endometrial cancer. Ultrastaging by multiple slicing, staining with hematoxylin and eosin and cytokeratin, and microscopic examination was performed on regional lymph nodes that had been diagnosed as negative for metastases. RESULTS: Among 61 patients in whom paraffin-embedded block was available, ITC/MM was identified in nine patients (14.8%). Deep myometrial invasion was significantly associated with ITC/MM (p=0.028). ITC/MM was an independent risk factor for extrapelvic recurrence (hazard ratio, 17.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 232.2). The 8-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were more than 20% lower in the ITC/MM group than in the node-negative group (OS, 71.4% vs. 91.9%; RFS, 55.6% vs. 84.0%), which were statistically not significant (OS, p=0.074; RFS, p=0.066). Time to recurrence tended to be longer in the ITC/MM group than in the node-negative group (median, 49 months vs. 16.5 months; p=0.080). CONCLUSIONS: It remains unclear whether ITC/MM have an adverse influence on prognosis of intermediate-risk endometrial cancer. A multicenter cooperative study is needed to clarify the clinical significance of ITC/MM.
Adenocarcinoma/pathology/*secondary ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Endometrial Neoplasms/*pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Myometrium/pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Micrometastasis/*pathology ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: A causal relationship between removal of circumflex iliac nodes distal to the external iliac nodes (CINDEIN) and lower leg edema has been recently suggested. The aim of this study was to elucidate the incidence of CINDEIN metastasis in cervical cancer. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was carried out for 531 patients with cervical cancer who underwent lymph node dissection between 1993 and 2014. CINDEIN metastasis was pathologically identified by microscopic investigation. After 2007, sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed selectively in patients with non-bulky cervical cancer. The sentinel node was identified using 99mTc-phytate and by scanning the pelvic cavity with a γ probe. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-seven patients (55.9%) underwent CINDEIN dissection and 234 (44.1%) did not. The percentage of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIb to IV (42.4% vs. 23.5%, p<0.001) was significantly higher in patients who underwent CINDEIN dissection than those who did not. CINDEIN metastasis was identified in 1.9% overall and in 3.4% of patients who underwent CINDEIN dissection. For patients with stage Ia to IIa disease, CINDEIN metastasis was identified in 0.6% overall and in 1.2% of patients who underwent CINDEIN dissection. Of 115 patients with sentinel node mapping, only one (0.9%) had CINDEIN detected as a sentinel node. In this case, the other three lymph nodes were concurrently detected as sentinel lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: CINDEIN dissection can be eliminated in patients with stage Ia to IIa disease. CINDEIN might not be regional lymph nodes in cervical cancer.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Iliac Artery/*pathology ; Incidence ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*pathology

OBJECTIVE: A causal relationship between removal of circumflex iliac nodes distal to the external iliac nodes (CINDEIN) and lower leg edema has been recently suggested. The aim of this study was to elucidate the incidence of CINDEIN metastasis in cervical cancer. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was carried out for 531 patients with cervical cancer who underwent lymph node dissection between 1993 and 2014. CINDEIN metastasis was pathologically identified by microscopic investigation. After 2007, sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed selectively in patients with non-bulky cervical cancer. The sentinel node was identified using 99mTc-phytate and by scanning the pelvic cavity with a γ probe. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-seven patients (55.9%) underwent CINDEIN dissection and 234 (44.1%) did not. The percentage of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIb to IV (42.4% vs. 23.5%, p<0.001) was significantly higher in patients who underwent CINDEIN dissection than those who did not. CINDEIN metastasis was identified in 1.9% overall and in 3.4% of patients who underwent CINDEIN dissection. For patients with stage Ia to IIa disease, CINDEIN metastasis was identified in 0.6% overall and in 1.2% of patients who underwent CINDEIN dissection. Of 115 patients with sentinel node mapping, only one (0.9%) had CINDEIN detected as a sentinel node. In this case, the other three lymph nodes were concurrently detected as sentinel lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: CINDEIN dissection can be eliminated in patients with stage Ia to IIa disease. CINDEIN might not be regional lymph nodes in cervical cancer.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Iliac Artery/*pathology ; Incidence ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*pathology

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical behavior and management outcome of recurrent endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS). METHODS: A retrospective review of charts of 10 patients with recurrent ESS was performed and relapse-free interval, relapse site, treatment, response to treatment, duration of follow-up and clinical outcome extracted. Survival outcome measures used were post-relapse survival which was defined as the time from first evidence of relapse to death from any cause. Living patients were censored at the date of last follow-up. RESULTS: The median age and median relapse-free interval at the time of initial relapse were 51.5 years and 66.5 months, respectively. The number of relapses ranged from one to five. Sixteen surgical procedures for recurrent disease included nine (56.0%) complete resections. There was no statistically significant difference between initial recurrent tumors and second/subsequent recurrent tumors in the rate of complete surgery (44.4% vs. 71.4%, respectively, p=0.36). Of the eleven evaluable occasions when hormonal therapy was used for recurrent disease, disease control was achieved in eight (72.7%). There was no difference between initial recurrent tumors and second/subsequent recurrent tumors in disease control rate by hormonal therapy (85.7% vs. 50.0%, respectively, p=0.49). The 10-year post-relapse survival rate was 90.0% and the overall median post-relapse survival 119 months (range, 7 to 216 months). CONCLUSION: Post-relapse survival of patients with ESS can be expected to be >10 years when treated by repeated surgical resection and hormonal therapy or both.
Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal/therapeutic use ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant/mortality ; Disease-Free Survival ; Endometrial Neoplasms/drug therapy/*mortality/surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/*mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; Sarcoma, Endometrial Stromal/drug therapy/*mortality/surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to establish a predictive model of survival period after bone metastasis from cervical cancer. METHODS: A total of 54 patients with bone metastasis from cervical cancer were included in the study. Data at the time of bone metastasis diagnosis, which included presence of extraskeletal metastasis, performance status, history of any previous radiation or chemotherapy, the number of bone metastases, onset period, and treatment were collected. Survival data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The median survival period after diagnosis of bone metastasis was 22 weeks (5 months). The 26- and 52-week survival rates after bone metastasis were 36.5% and 15.4%, respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that extraskeletal metastasis (hazard ratio [HR], 6.1; 95% CI, 2.2 to 16.6), performance status of 3 to 4 (HR, 7.8; 95% CI, 3.3 to 18.2), previous radiation or chemotherapy (HR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.4 to 7.8), multiple bone metastases (HR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0 to 3.5), and a bone metastasis-free interval of <12 months (HR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.2 to 5.3) were significantly and independently related to poor survival. A prognostic score was calculated by adding the number of each significant factor. The 26-week survival rates after diagnosis of bone metastasis were 70.1% in the group with a score ≤2, 46.7% in the group with a score of 3, and 12.5% in the group with a score ≥4 (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: This scoring system provided useful prognostic information on survival of patients with bone metastasis of cervical cancer.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Neoplasms/*mortality/*secondary/therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Survival Rate ; United States/epidemiology ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*pathology/therapy

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the therapeutic significance of full lymphadenectomy in early-stage ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed records of 127 consecutive patients with pT1/pT2 and M0 OCCC who were treated between January 1995 and December 2015. We compared survival outcomes between those who did and did not undergo para-aortic lymph node dissection (PAND), and analyzed independent prognostic factors (Cox proportional hazards model with backward stepwise elimination). RESULTS: Of the 127 patients, 36 (28%) did not undergo lymphadenectomy; 12 (10%) patients underwent pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) only; and 79 (62%) patients underwent both PLND and PAND. Of the 91 patients with lymphadenectomy, 11 (12%) had lymph node metastasis (LNM). The PAND− and PAND+ groups did not significantly differ in age, distribution of pT status, radiologically enlarged lymph nodes, positive peritoneal cytology, capsule rupture, peritoneal involvement, and combined chemotherapy. Cox regression multivariate analysis confirmed that older age (hazard ratio [HR]=2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.0–4.3), LNM (HR=4.4; 95% CI=1.7–11.6), and positive peritoneal cytology (HR=4.2; 95% CI=2.1–8.4) were significantly and independently related to poor disease-specific survival (DSS), but implementation of both PLND and PAND (HR=0.4; 95% CI=0.2–0.8) were significantly and independently related to longer DSS. CONCLUSION: Although few in number, there are some patients with early-stage OCCC who can benefit from full lymphadenectomy. Its therapeutic role should be continuously investigated in OCCC patients at potential risk of LNM.
Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision* ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Rupture

Objective: To clarify the frequency of deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) in Japanese ovarian cancer patients, we examined microsatellite instability (MSI) status and immunohistochemistry (IHC) subtypes, including endometrioid carcinoma (EMC), clear cell carcinoma (CCC), or a mixture of both (Mix). Methods: We registered 390 patients who were diagnosed with EMC/CCC/Mix between 2006 and 2015 and treated at seven participating facilities. For 339 patients confirmed eligible by the Central Pathological Review Board, MSI, IHC, and MutL homolog 1 methylation analyses were conducted. The tissues of patients with Lynch syndrome (LS)-related cancer histories, such as colorectal and endometrial cancer, were also investigated. Results: MSI-high (MSI-H) status was observed in 2/217 CCC (0.9%), 10/115 EMC (8.7%), and 1/4 Mix (25%). Additionally, loss of MMR protein expression (LoE-MMR) was observed in 5/219 (2.3%), 16/115 (14.0%), and 1/4 (25%) patients with CCC, EMC, and Mix, respectively. Both MSI-H and LoE-MMR were found significantly more often in EMC (p<0.001). The median (range) ages of patients with MMR expression and LoE-MMR were 54 (30–90) and 46 (22–76) (p=0.002), respectively. In the multivariate analysis, advanced stage and histological type were identified as prognostic factors. Conclusion The dMMR rate for EMC/CCC was similar to that reported in Western countries. In Japan, it is assumed that the dMMR frequency is higher because of the increased proportion of CCC.