OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of young patients with stage I clear-cell carcinoma (CCC) and evaluate the prognostic factors and effects of fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) using propensity score (PS) adjustment. METHODS: We conducted a regional multi-institutional study between 1986 and 2017. Among 4,277 patients with ovarian tumor, clinical and pathological data of 103 fertile women with stage I unilateral CCC were collected. We evaluated survival and reproductive outcomes in these patients. Additionally, to analyze the effects of FSS, baseline imbalance between patients with and those without FSS was adjusted with an inverse probability of treatment weighting using PSs involving independent clinical variables. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 39.4 years, and the median follow-up period for surviving patients was 55.6 months. In multivariate analysis, stage IC2/IC3 (vs. IA/IC1) was the only independent prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). FSS was not associated with poorer prognosis when compared to the prognosis with non-preserving surgery with regard to both RFS and OS. No statistical difference in survival outcomes between FSS and other approaches was confirmed after PS adjustment. Among patients who underwent FSS, four deliveries with healthy neonates were noted without any gestational complications. CONCLUSION: FSS can be considered in stage I CCC, specifically in stage IA and IC1 patients who strongly desire to have children in the future. Further clinical research is needed to clarify the optimal application of FSS for CCC.
Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; Child ; Female ; Fertility Preservation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Multivariate Analysis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Pregnancy ; Prognosis ; Propensity Score

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of incomplete surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy on the prognosis of patients with intraoperative rupture of capsulated stage I epithelial ovarian cancer (OvCa). Methods: A regional retrospective study was conducted between 1986 and 2019. Among 4,730 patients with malignant ovarian tumors, 534 women with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IA and IC1 epithelial OvCa were eligible. Differences in survival outcomes were examined between patients with stage IA and IC1 tumors and the effects of uterine preservation, complete-staging lymphadenectomy, and adjuvant chemotherapy were investigated by an in-depth subgroup analysis. To analyze therapeutic effects, baseline imbalances were adjusted using propensity score (PS). Results: The prognosis of patients with stage IC1 tumors was worse than those with stage IA. Surgical spill did not affect the site of recurrence. In the PS-adjusted subgroup analysis, uterine preservation (hazard ratio [HR]=1.669; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.052–2.744), incomplete-staging lymphadenectomy (HR=1.689; 95% CI=1.211–2.355), and the omission of adjuvant chemotherapy (HR=3.729; 95% CI=2.090–6.653) significantly increased the HR of recurrence for patients with stage IC1 tumors compared to those with stage IA tumors. Adjuvant chemotherapy decreased the impact of rupture with uterine preservation (HR=0.159; 95% CI=0.230–1.168) or incomplete-staging lymphadenectomy (HR=0.987; 95% CI=0.638–1.527). Conclusion The present results suggest intraoperative rupture of capsulated stage I epithelial OvCa is associated with a poor prognosis. When chemotherapy is given for patients receiving incomplete surgery, there is no longer an increased risk of recurrence observed with the rupture.

Objective: The survival benefits of retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy (RLNA) for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remain controversial because clinical behaviors differ among subtypes. The purpose of the present study was to clarify whether RLNA increases the survival rate of advanced high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC). Methods: This was a retrospective cohort analysis of 3,227 patients with EOC treated between 1986 and 2017 at 14 institutions. Among them, 335 patients with stage IIB-IV HGSC who underwent optimal cytoreduction (residual tumor of <1 cm) were included. Patients were divided into the RLNA group (n=170) and non-RLNA group (n=165). All pathological slides were assessed based on a central pathological review. Oncologic outcomes were compared between the two groups in the original and weighted cohorts adjusted with the inverse probability of treatment weighting. Results: The median observation period was 49.8 (0.5–241.5) months. Overall, 219 (65%) out of 335 patients had recurrence or progression, while 146 (44%) died of the disease. In the original cohort, RLNA was a significant prognostic factor for longer progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio [HR]=0.741; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.558–0.985) and overall survival (OS) (HR=0.652; 95% CI=0.459–0.927). In the weighted cohort in which all variables were well balanced as standardized differences decreased, RLNA was also a significant prognostic factor for more favorable oncologic outcomes (PFS, adjusted HR=0.742; 95% CI=0.613–0.899) and OS, adjusted HR=0.620; 95% CI=0.488–0.787). Conclusion The present study demonstrated that RLNA for stage III-IV HGSC with no residual tumor after primary debulking surgery contributed to better oncologic outcomes.

Background/Aims: Natural history of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO), a rare disease characterized by episodes of non-mechanical obstruction, is unclear in adults. This study evaluates the clinical course of CIPO and palliative care needs of patients. Methods: From October 2010 to September 2021, 74 patients who underwent cine MRI and had a definitive diagnosis of CIPO were prospectively included. We investigated disease etiology and outcomes, age at onset, nutritional status at consultation (body mass index and serum albumin), hydrogen breath test results, and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) during the disease course. Results: Forty-seven patients (64%) were women, with a mean age of 44 years at onset and 49 years at diagnosis. Primary CIPO was observed in 48 patients (65%). Secondary CIPO was observed in 26 cases (35%), of whom 18 (69%) had scleroderma. The mean body mass index, serum albumin level, and hydrogen breath test positivity rate were 17 kg/m2 , 3.8 mg/dL, and 60%, respectively. TPN and invasive decompression therapy were required by 23 (31%) and 18 (24%) patients, respectively. Intestinal sterilization was performed in 51 (69%) patients and was effective in 33 (65%); of these, 28 (85%) were taking metronidazole. Seven (9%) patients used opioids. There were 9 deaths (12%), including 5 (56%) from infection and 2 (22%) from suicide. Of the deaths, 6 (67%) and 4 (44%) underwent TPN management and decompression therapy, respectively. Fifty-one patients (69%) wanted palliative care. Conclusion CIPO is a rare, severe, and under-recognized disease. Standardization of treatment strategies, including palliative care and psychiatric interventions, is desired.

Background/Aims: The precise incidence of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) and its effects on the quality of life (QOL) remain unclear, particularly in Asian patients with right-sided SUDD. We assess the prevalence of SUDD and its impact on QOL in a real-world population. Methods: Five institutional cohorts of patients who received outpatient treatment for unexplained abdominal symptoms from January 15, 2020 to March 31, 2022, were included. All patients underwent colonoscopy. SUDD was defined as the presence of recurrent abdominal symptoms, particularly pain in the lower right or left quadrant lasting > 24 hours in patients with diverticulosis at the site of pain. The 36-item short-form health survey was used to assess QOL. Results: Diverticula were identified in 108 of 361 patients. Among these 108 patients, 31% had SUDD, which was right-sided in 39% of cases.Of the 50 patients with right-sided diverticula, 36% had SUDD, as did 15 of 35 patients with left-sided diverticula (43%). Among the 33 patients with SUDD, diverticula were right-sided, left-sided, and bilateral in 39%, 45%, and 15% of patients, respectively. Diarrhea was more frequent in the SUDD group than in the non-SUDD group. Patients with SUDD had significantly lower physical, mental, and role/social component scores than those without SUDD. Conclusions It is important to recognize that patients with SUDD account for as high as 31% of outpatients with unexplained abdominal symptoms; these patients have diarrhea and a low QOL. The presence of right-sided SUDD was characteristic of Asian patients.