In this issue of the Chinese Journal of Cancer, European, American, and Chinese experts review the current management and future perspectives of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), the leading cause of gynecological cancer deaths. Although major advances have been made in understanding the cellular and molecular biology of this highly heterogeneous malignancy, the survival rate of women with EOC has changed little since the introduction of platinum-based treatment as a front-line therapy. The papers describe the progress in deciphering the molecular complexity of this disease and the newly available molecular-driven therapies, which have been applied by shifting trial designs toward restricting eligibility to specific subgroups of patients rather than testing agents in unselected populations. These new trial designs provide potential opportunities for improved efficacy in targeted populations. Given the molecular complexity of this disease, patient survival may be increased by searching for new molecular prognostic/predictive signatures as well as by translating the recent insight of microRNA involvement in EOC progression into new, targeted therapies. Particular attention has been given to the issue of fertility sparing for women affected by curable diseases.
Female ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; physiology ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics

Based on the histopathologic findings of the lacrimal gland tumor, the lesion is classified as either epithelial or nonepithelial tumor. 22% of lacrimal gland lesions were primary epithelial neoplasm. 4%of epithelial tumor of lacrimal glands were primary malignant tumor. Squamous cell carcinoma arising from pleomorphic adenoma of lacrimal gland is a very rare(0.4%). Inspite of surgical intervention, postoperative radiation and chemotherapy, the mortality and recurrence rate of the carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma of lacrimal gland is very high. We report a case of squamous cell carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma of lacrimal gland, which was completely removed via lateral orbitotomy with bicoronal incision and had no major complication or recurrence.
Adenoma* ; Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Drug Therapy ; Lacrimal Apparatus* ; Mortality ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; Recurrence

Primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenocarinoma is extremely rare with only five case reported in the literature.Primary mucinous adenocarcinoma is apparent that a primary retroperitoneal process in development results in tissue susceptible to malignants degeneration. It is impossible to clarify the precise defect in embryologic growth that allows these tumors to develop. The theory of coelomic metaplasia has gained increasing support in recent years for origin of the epithelial neoplasms of the ovary, and an invagination of the same coelomic or pertioneal epithelial layer with concurrent or subsqeunt metaplasia account for retroperitoneal mucinous neoplasmsThe preoperative course of these cysts appears indolent, yet the eoveall prognosis is poor. The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of these tumors remains undrfined. colse follow-up and aggressive management based on histologic appearance are indicated to improve the outcome of the patients with retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenocarinoam.Recently, We repoorted one case of primary retroperitoneal nucinous cytadeno -carcioma. The patient was a 32 year-old female complaing a palpable mass and discomfort in the left flank. Laparotomy revealed a huge retroperitoneal mass in the presence of bilateral normal ovaries. Histologically, it was a mucinous cystic neoplasm with flankly malignat area. No ovarian issue was found din the mass.
Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Adult ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous* ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Metaplasia ; Mucins* ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; Ovary ; Prognosis

Ovarian cancer remains a major issue for gynecological oncologists, and most patients are diagnosed when the disease is already advanced with a poor chance of survival. Debulking surgery followed by platinum-taxane chemotherapy is the current standard of care, but based on several different strategies currently under evaluation, some encouraging data have been published in the last 4 to 5 years. This review provides a state-of-the-art overview of the available alternatives to conventional treatment and the most promising new combinations. For example, neoadjuvant chemotherapy does not seem to be inferior to primary debulking. Despite its outcome improvements, intraperitoneal chemotherapy struggles for acceptance due to the heavy toxicity. Dose-dense chemotherapy, after showing an impressive efficacy in Asian populations, has not produced equal results in a European cohort, and the results of alternative platinum doublets are not superior to those of carboplatin and paclitaxel. In this setting, adherence to a maintenance therapy after first-line treatment and multiple (primarily antiangiogenic) agents appears to be effective. Although many questions, including the duration of maintenance treatment and the use of bevacizumab beyond progression, remain unanswered, new biologic agents, such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, nintedanib, and mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) inhibitors, have emerged as potential therapeutic options in the very near future. Based on the multiplicity of available strategies, the histological and molecular features of the tumor, in addition to patient's clinical condition and disease state, continue to gain importance in guiding treatment choices.
Female ; Humans ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; drug therapy ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors ; Standard of Care

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of taxane and platinum-based chemotherapy guided by extreme drug resistance assay (EDRA) in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients were enrolled, who were diagnosed as epithelial ovarian cancer, tubal cancer or primary peritoneal carcinoma and received both debulking surgery and EDRA in Asan Medical Center between August 2004 and August 2006. Another thirty-nine patients were enrolled, who did not receive EDRA as control. Paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 and carboplatin AUC 5 were administered as primary combination chemotherapy to both EDRA group and the control group. In the EDRA group, paclitaxel was replaced by docetaxel 75 mg/m2 if a patient showed extreme drug resistance (EDR) to paclitaxel and not to docetaxel. Carboplatin was replaced by cisplatin 75 mg/m2 if a patient showed EDR to carboplatin and not to cisplatin. If only one drug showed low drug resistance (LDR), it was allowed to add another drug which showed LDR such as gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2. CT scan was performed every three cycles and CA-125 was checked at each cycle. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in overall response rate between EDRA group and the control group (84.5% vs. 71.8%, p=0.107). However, 93.8% of patients in EDRA group did not show EDR to at least one drug and its response rate was significantly higher than that of the control group (93.3% vs. 71.8%, p=0.023). CONCLUSION: we could choose a combination of taxane and platinum which did not show EDR and could obtain a good response in the patients with ovarian cancer.
Area Under Curve ; Biological Assay ; Bridged Compounds ; Carboplatin ; Cisplatin ; Deoxycytidine ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Humans ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Paclitaxel ; Platinum ; Taxoids

Four children with solid and papillary epithelial neoplasm of the pancreas are reported. Three were girls. Mean age at operation was 12 years and 7 months (10-13 years). Clinical presentation included nausea, vomiting, and apalpable mass. One had hemoperitoneum due to tumor rupture. In two cases, tumors were in the body of the pancreas, and one the body and tail, and in one,the tail. Mean diameter of the tumors was 10.8 cm (8-15cm). Surgical procedures were distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy in 2 cases, distal pancreatectomy in one, and subtotal pancreatectomy and splenectomy in one. Mean follow-up period was 61 months (6-121 months). Three patients are still alive without any recurrence. However, in the one case of ruptured tumor, portal vein thrombosis and liver metastasis developed after subtotal pancreatectomy and splenectomy during the course of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Child* ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemoperitoneum ; Humans ; Liver ; Nausea ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial* ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatectomy ; Recurrence ; Rupture ; Splenectomy ; Venous Thrombosis ; Vomiting

Four children with solid and papillary epithelial neoplasm of the pancreas are reported. Three were girls. Mean age at operation was 12 years and 7 months (10-13 years). Clinical presentation included nausea, vomiting, and apalpable mass. One had hemoperitoneum due to tumor rupture. In two cases, tumors were in the body of the pancreas, and one the body and tail, and in one,the tail. Mean diameter of the tumors was 10.8 cm (8-15cm). Surgical procedures were distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy in 2 cases, distal pancreatectomy in one, and subtotal pancreatectomy and splenectomy in one. Mean follow-up period was 61 months (6-121 months). Three patients are still alive without any recurrence. However, in the one case of ruptured tumor, portal vein thrombosis and liver metastasis developed after subtotal pancreatectomy and splenectomy during the course of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Child* ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemoperitoneum ; Humans ; Liver ; Nausea ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial* ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatectomy ; Recurrence ; Rupture ; Splenectomy ; Venous Thrombosis ; Vomiting

BACKGROUNDCombination paclitaxel and carboplatin is currently a first-line regimen for ovarian cancer. However, many patients develop tumor recurrence or drug resistance to this regimen. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness and safety of an oxaliplatin + epirubicin + ifosfamide regimen for the treatment of recurrent and drug-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODSA retrospective analysis of 73 patients with recurrent and drug-resistant ovarian cancer was performed; 38 cases of them received oxaliplatin + epirubicin + ifosfamide regimens (IAP group), 35 patients received non-oxaliplatinbased chemotherapy regimens (control group). The therapeutic effects and side effects of the oxaliplatin + epirubicin + ifosfamide regimen were analyzed and summarized. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to compare progression-free and overall survival between the two groups.

RESULTSOf the 38 patients in the IAP group, 14 patients (36.84%) achieved complete remission, 12 (31.58%) achieved partial remission, 2 (5.26%) achieved stable disease and 10 (26.32%) developed progressive disease. The overall effective rate (complete or partial remission) of the IAP regime was 68.42%. While, of the 35 patients in the control group, 12 patients (34.29%) achieved complete remission, 3 (8.57%) achieved partial remission, 5 (14.29%) achieved stable disease and 15 (42.86%) developed progressive disease. The overall effective rate was 42.86%, which was lower than that in the IAP group (P = 0.035, χ(2) = 4.836). Progression-free survival was 9.5 months (0-64 months) in the IAP group vs. 3 months (0-74 months) in the non-oxaliplatin group (P = 0.014 by Kaplan-Meier survival curves; HR = 2.260; 95%CI 1.117-4.573; P = 0.023 by Cox proportional hazards regression). Median overall survival was 46 months (9-124 months) in the IAP group vs. 35 months (9-108 months) in non-oxaliplatin group (P = 0.018 by Kaplan-Meier survival curves; HR = 2.272; 95%CI 1.123-4.598; P = 0.022 by Cox proportional hazards regression). In IAP group, 15.79% (6/38) of the patients suffered grade III-IV bone marrow arrest. The main non-hematological side effects of the IAP regimen included nausea and vomiting (21.05%, 8/38), peripheral neurotoxicity (15.79%, 6/38) and hepatic or renal lesions (2.63%, 1/38). The main side effects of the two chemotherapy regimens showed no statistical difference.

CONCLUSIONThe oxaliplatin-based IAP regimen is potentially effective for salvage chemotherapy in patients with recurrent and drug-resistant ovarian cancer, with a better therapeutic effect and tolerable side effects.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; drug therapy ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Platinum ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the anti-tumor effect and toxicity of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy on recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODSPhase II study of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy was carried out in 22 patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. Median age of patients was 50.5 years old. Seven patients were platinum-sensitive and 15 patients were platinum-resistant or -refractory. All patients received gemcitabine combined with carboplatin or oxaliplatin chemotherapy. Patients' response rate (RR) and toxicity of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy were evaluated.

RESULTSA total of 98 gemcitabine-based chemotherapy cycles were performed. Total RR was 36.4%, RR of platinum-sensitive patients was 4/7 and platinum-resistant and -refractory patients was 4/15. The estimated median survival time was 10.0 months (95% CI: 7.0-13.0) after initiation of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy. There was no significant difference in survival time between platinum-resistant/refractory group and platinum-sensitive group (P = 0.061). Side effects of gemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy were observed in 81.8% of patients. Grade II/III anemia (54.5%) and grade III/IV neutropenia (54.5%) were most common toxicities. Ten (45.5%) patients had to delay their chemotherapy cycles or reduce the dose of chemotherapeutic drugs because of the severe side effects. Fourteen (63.6%) patients received granulocyte colony-stimulating factor to relieve neutropenia, and 8 (36.4%) patients received component blood transfusion to treat anemia or thrombocytopenia. There was no treat-ment-associated death.

CONCLUSIONGemcitabine combined with platinum chemotherapy appears to be an effective and well-tolerant treatment for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer, including platinum-resistant or -refractory diseases.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Deoxycytidine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial ; drug therapy ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Platinum Compounds ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects

PURPOSE: To determine the most powerful cancer antigen 125 (CA125)-related prognostic factor for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and to identify cut-off values that distinguish patients with a poor prognosis from those with a good prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 223 patients who received staging laparotomy and were diagnosed with stage IIC-IV serous EOC. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the most significant prognostic factor among the following variables: serum CA125 before surgery and after the first, second, and sixth cycles of chemotherapy; the nadir CA125 value; the relative percentage change in CA125 levels after the first and second cycles of chemotherapy compared to baseline CA125; CA125 half-life; time to nadir; and time to normalization of the CA125 level. RESULTS: The CA125 level after the first chemotherapy cycle was the most significant independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS). Time to normalization (p=0.028) and relative percentage change between CA125 levels at baseline and after the first chemotherapy cycle (p=0.021) were additional independent prognostic factors in terms of OS. The CA125 level after the first chemotherapy cycle (p=0.001) and time to normalization (p<0.001) were identified as independent prognostic factors for progression free survival (PFS). CONCLUSION: Among well-established CA125-related prognostic factors, serum CA125 levels after the first cycle of chemotherapy and time to normalization were the most significant prognostic factors for both OS and PFS.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents/*therapeutic use ; CA-125 Antigen/*blood/metabolism ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial/*blood/*drug therapy/mortality ; Ovarian Neoplasms/*blood/*drug therapy/mortality ; Prognosis ; Regression Analysis