OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) using daily low-dose cisplatin for cervical cancer. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (FIGO stage IB2, bulky IIA, IIB-IVA) who were treated with CCRT as primary therapy at Kurume University Hospital between 2000 and 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. CCRT consisted of 5 mg/m2/day of cisplatin 5 days per week, and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) administrated to whole pelvis to 45-50.6 Gy. High-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy was delivered in a single dose of 4-5 Gy at point A, once a week after 20-30 Gy of EBRT. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 42 months (range, 5 to 116 months). The overall response rate was 94.1%. Five year overall survival rate was 71.5% and 46.2% in stage I or II, and stage III or IVA, respectively. During follow-up period, 30 recurrences (58.8%) were found, the local failure rate was 39%, and distant failure rate was 35.2%, and both (local and distant) were 15.7%. Hematological toxicities were the most frequent acute toxicities. Grade 3 and 4 neutropenia was observed in 37.3%. Late intestinal toxicities appeared in 7 cases (13.7%), which occurred between 6 and 114 months after treatment. Four cases required bowel surgery. CONCLUSION: CCRT using daily low-dose cisplatin was tolerable and showed favorable initial response as the primary therapy for locally advanced uterine cervical cancer. But there was no remarkable long-term benefit for patients' survival or local disease control in this study. The incidence of late intestinal toxicity still requires further investigation.
Brachytherapy ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Cisplatin ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Neutropenia ; Pelvis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: A number of new techniques have been developed to prevent lymphocele formation after pelvic lymphadenectomy in gynecologic cancers. We assessed whether the electrothermal bipolar vessel sealing device (EBVSD) could decrease the incidence of postoperative lymphocele secondary to pelvic lymphadenectomy. METHODS: A total of 321 patients with gynecologic cancer underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy from 2005 to 2011. Pelvic lymphadenectomy without EBVSD was performed in 134 patients, and pelvic lymphadenectomy with EBVSD was performed in 187 patients. We retrospectively compared the incidence of lymphocele and symptoms between both groups. RESULTS: Four to 8 weeks after operation, 108 cases of lymphocele (34%) were detected by computed tomography scan examination. The incidence of lymphocele after pelvic lymphadenectomy was 56% (75/134) in the tie ligation group, and 18% (33/187) in the EBVSD group. We found a statistically significant difference in the incidence of lymphocele between both groups (p<0.01). To detect the independent risk factor for lymphocele development, we performed multivariate analysis with logistic regression for three variables (device, number of dissected lymph nodes, and operation time). Among these variables, we found a significant difference (p<0.001) for only one device. CONCLUSION: Use of the EBVSD during gynecological cancer operation is useful for preventing the development of lymphocele secondary to pelvic lymphadenectomy.
Adult ; Electrocoagulation/instrumentation/*methods ; Female ; Genital Neoplasms, Female/pathology/*surgery ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision/adverse effects/*methods ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Lymphocele/etiology/*prevention & control ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Pelvis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Epithelial borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) are distinctive from benign tumors and carcinoma. They occur in younger women more often than carcinoma, and there is some difficulty making correct diagnosis of BOT. Two subtypes of BOT, serous and mucinous borderline tumor have different characteristics and very different clinical behavior. Serous borderline tumor (SBT) with micropapillary pattern shows more incidence of extra ovarian disease and often coexists with invasive implant. SBT with micropapillary pattern in advanced stage has showed a worse prognosis than typical SBT. Huge mucinous borderline tumors have histologic heterogeneity, and the accuracy of frozen section diagnosis is relatively low. Extensive sampling is required to reach a correct pathological diagnosis. Mucinous adenoma (intestinal type) also runs the risk of recurrence after cystectomy, or intraoperative rupture of cyst. Laparoscopic procedure for BOT has not increased the risk of recurrence. Fertility preserving procedures are generally accepted, except in advanced stage SBT with invasive implants. Only cystectomy shows a significant risk of recurrence. Re-staging surgery and full staging surgery is not necessary for all BOT. We should not attempt to treat them uniformly, by the single diagnosis of "borderline tumor". It depends on histologic type. Close communication with the pathologist is necessary to gain more detail and ask more pathological samples in order to make the optimal treatment strategy for each individual patients.
Adenoma ; Cystectomy ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Fertility ; Frozen Sections ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy ; Mucins ; Ovarian Diseases ; Population Characteristics ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Rupture

Epithelial borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) are distinctive from benign tumors and carcinoma. They occur in younger women more often than carcinoma, and there is some difficulty making correct diagnosis of BOT. Two subtypes of BOT, serous and mucinous borderline tumor have different characteristics and very different clinical behavior. Serous borderline tumor (SBT) with micropapillary pattern shows more incidence of extra ovarian disease and often coexists with invasive implant. SBT with micropapillary pattern in advanced stage has showed a worse prognosis than typical SBT. Huge mucinous borderline tumors have histologic heterogeneity, and the accuracy of frozen section diagnosis is relatively low. Extensive sampling is required to reach a correct pathological diagnosis. Mucinous adenoma (intestinal type) also runs the risk of recurrence after cystectomy, or intraoperative rupture of cyst. Laparoscopic procedure for BOT has not increased the risk of recurrence. Fertility preserving procedures are generally accepted, except in advanced stage SBT with invasive implants. Only cystectomy shows a significant risk of recurrence. Re-staging surgery and full staging surgery is not necessary for all BOT. We should not attempt to treat them uniformly, by the single diagnosis of "borderline tumor". It depends on histologic type. Close communication with the pathologist is necessary to gain more detail and ask more pathological samples in order to make the optimal treatment strategy for each individual patients.
Adenoma ; Cystectomy ; Diagnosis* ; Female ; Fertility ; Frozen Sections ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy ; Mucins ; Ovarian Diseases ; Population Characteristics ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Rupture

A 61-year old woman underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection under the diagnosis of endometrial cancer. Although pelvic lymph nodes were positive for adenocarcinoma with psamomma bodies, no other lesion that was a primary lesion was verified. A postoperative study revealed the existence of para-aortic lymph node and supraclavicular lymph node metastases. Therefore, the endometrial biopsy specimen was reviewed. With the findings of p53 positivity by immunohistochemistry in the papillary part, the final histopathological diagnosis was changed to endometrial serous adenocarcinoma. Postoperative chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy for supraclavicular lymph node metastasis achieved complete response. This type of tumor must be considered in a differential diagnosis when metastatic papillary serous carcinoma is detected, but the primary site remains unknown.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis

OBJECTIVE: To identify key factors for predicting positive cone margin and appropriate cone length. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the margin status of patients who received conization with high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, along with other factors such as patient age, parity, preoperative cytology, size of disease, type of transformation zone, and cone length from patient records. Cut-off value of cone length was analyzed in women younger than 40 years old because we design conization with minimum length especially for women who wish for future pregnancy. Cut-off value of cone length was defined as length corresponds to estimated probability of positive cone margin equal to 0.1 by logistic regression analysis with variables selected by stepwise methods. RESULTS: Among 300 patients, 75 patients had positive cone margin. Multivariable analysis revealed that squamous cell carcinoma at preoperative cytology (p=0.001), 2 or more quadrant disease (p=0.011), and shorter cone length (p<0.001) were risk factors for positive cone margin. Stepwise methods identified cone length and size of lesion as important variables. With this condition, cut-off value of cone length was estimated as 15 mm in single quadrant disease and 20 mm in 2 or more quadrant disease, respectively. CONCLUSION: We identified the independent risk factors of positive cone margin and identified the cut-off value of cone length to avoid positive cone margin in women younger than 40 years old. Conization should be performed not only according to colposcopic findings including type of transformation zone but size of disease and cone length.
Adult ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia/*pathology ; Cervix Uteri/*pathology ; *Conization ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/*pathology