Sentinel lymph node (SLN) concept in cervical cancer: Current limitations and unanswered questions

A gene-based predictive model for lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer: superior performance over imaging techniques

OBJECTIVE

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) critically impacts the prognosis and treatment decisions of cervical cancer patients. The accuracy and sensitivity of current imaging techniques, such as CT and MRI, are limited in assessing lymph node status. This study aims to develop a more accurate and efficient method for predicting LNM.

METHODS

Three independent cohorts were merged and divided into training and internal validation groups, with our cohort and those from other centers serving as external validation. A predictive model for LNM in cervical cancer was established using the LASSO regression and multivariate logistic regression. The diagnostic performance of the predictive model was compared with that of CT/MRI in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and AUC.

RESULTS

Using RNA-seq data, four independent predictive genes (MAPT, EPB41L1, ACSL5, and PRPF4B) were identified through LASSO regression and multivariate logistic regression, and a predictive model was constructed to calculate the LNM risk score. Compared with CT/MRI, the model demonstrated higher diagnostic efficiency, with an accuracy of 0.840 and sensitivity of 0.804, compared to CT/MRI's accuracy of 0.713 and sensitivity of 0.587. The predictive model corrected 81% of misdiagnoses by CT/MRI, demonstrating significant improvements in accuracy and sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

The predictive model developed in this study, based on gene expression data, significantly improves the preoperative assessment accuracy of LNM in cervical cancer. Compared to traditional imaging techniques, this model shows superior sensitivity and accuracy. This study provides a robust foundation for developing precise diagnostic tools, paving the way for future clinical applications in individualized treatment planning.

Comparison of clinical outcomes in women with surgically treated early primary cervical cancer: Lymphadenectomy vs sentinel lymph node biopsy

BACKGROUND

The primary objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping and biopsy techniques on the clinical outcomes of women with early primary cervical cancer.

METHODS

All consecutive women with clinically determined stage I-IIA cervical cancer who underwent lymph node assessment with either SLN mapping or conventional pelvic/para-aortic lymphadenectomy were reviewed.

RESULTS

Women in the SLN group (n = 33) had fewer total dissected pelvic nodes (8.3 ± 5.9 vs 17.4 ± 7.7, p < 0.001), less intraoperative blood loss (513 ± 332 vs 1228 ± 1170 mL, p < 0.001), a shorter length of hospital stay (7.1 ± 2.4 vs 10.2 ± 6.1 days, p = 0.004) than women in the conventional lymphadenectomy group (n = 74). The rates of recurrence-free survival (3-year: 87.6% vs 82.9%) and overall survival (3-year: 100% vs 91.0%) did not differ between the SLN group and the conventional lymphadenectomy group ( p = 0.846 and p = 0.254, respectively).

CONCLUSION

SLN biopsy does not seem to be associated with an inferior survival outcome compared with conventional lymphadenectomy in women with early primary cervical cancer. In addition, it is associated with less blood loss and a shorter length of hospital stay.

Evaluation of One Step Nucleic Acid Amplification for detection of lymph node metastases compared to histopathological ultrastaging in women with endometrial cancer: a protocol for a diagnostic accuracy study

BACKGROUND

This is a multicentre, European, prospective trial evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of One Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) compared to sentinel lymph nodes histopathological ultrastaging in endometrial cancer patients.

METHODS

Centres with expertise in sentinel lymph node mapping in endometrial cancer patients in Europe will be invited to participate in the study. Participating units will be trained on the correct usage of the OSNA RD-210 analyser and nucleic acid amplification reagent kit LYNOAMP CK19 E for rapid detection of metastatic nodal involvement, based on the cytokeratin 19 (CK19) mRNA detection. Endometrial cancer patients ≥ 18 years listed for surgical treatment with sentinel lymph node mapping, with no history of other types of cancer and who provide a valid written consent will be considered potentially eligible for the study. However, they will only be enrolled if a successful sentinel lymph node mapping is retrieved. Each node will be processed according to the study protocol and assessed by both OSNA and ultrastaging.

DISCUSSION

The accuracy of OSNA (index test) will be assessed against sentinel lymph node histopathological ultrastaging (reference test). This European study has the potential to be the largest study on the use of OSNA in endometrial cancer to date. OSNA could represent a modern diagnostic alternative to sentinel lymph node ultrastaging with the added benefits of standardisation and fast results.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was registered in the German Clinical Trial Register - Nr. DRKS00021520, registration date 25th of May 2020, URL of the trial registry record: https://drks.de/search/en/trial/DRKS00021520 .

Artificial Intelligence-Based Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis Detection in Cervical Cancer

Background/objectives: Pathological ultrastaging, an essential part of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping, involves serial sectioning and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in order to reliably detect clinically relevant metastases. However, ultrastaging is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and costly. Deep learning algorithms offer a potential solution by assisting pathologists in efficiently assessing serial sections for metastases, reducing workload and costs while enhancing accuracy. This proof-of-principle study evaluated the effectiveness of a deep learning algorithm for SLN metastasis detection in early-stage cervical cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed whole slide images (WSIs) of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained SLNs from early-stage cervical cancer patients diagnosed with an SLN metastasis with either H&E or IHC. A CE-IVD certified commercially available deep learning algorithm, initially developed for detection of breast and colon cancer lymph node metastases, was employed off-label to assess its sensitivity in cervical cancer. Results: This study included 21 patients with early-stage cervical cancer, comprising 15 with squamous cell carcinoma, five with adenocarcinoma, and one with clear cell carcinoma. Among these patients, 10 had macrometastases and 11 had micrometastases in at least one SLN. The algorithm was applied to evaluate H&E WSIs of 47 SLN specimens, including 22 that were negative for metastasis, 13 with macrometastases, and 12 with micrometastases in the H&E slides. The algorithm detected all H&E macro- and micrometastases with 100% sensitivity. Conclusions: This proof-of-principle study demonstrated high sensitivity of a deep learning algorithm for detection of clinically relevant SLN metastasis in early-stage cervical cancer, despite being originally developed for adenocarcinomas of the breast and colon. Our findings highlight the potential of leveraging an existing algorithm for use in cervical cancer, warranting further prospective validation in a larger population.

Sentinel lymph node pathological ultrastaging: Final outcome of the Sentix prospective international study in patients with early-stage cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

To report the outcome of SLN staging in the SENTIX international prospective trial of SLN biopsy in patients with cervical cancer with an intensive ultrastaging protocol and central quality control and to evaluate how the intensity of pathological assessment correlates with metastatic detection rate in SLNs.

METHODS

Eligible were patients with stages T1a1/LVSI+ to T1b2 (<4 cm, ≤2 cm for fertility sparing), common tumor types, no suspicious lymph nodes on imaging, and bilateral SLN detection. SLNs were examined intraoperatively and processed by an intensive protocol for ultrastaging (paraffin blocks sectioned completely in 150-μm intervals/levels). SLNs from each site were submitted for central quality control.

RESULTS

In the SENTIX SLN study, 647 out of 733 enrolled patients underwent SLN ultrastaging, identifying 12.5% (81/647) with node positive, N1 cases. Intraoperative detection revealed metastases in 56.8% (46/81) of these cases, categorized into macrometastases (83.7%), micrometastases (26.3%), and isolated tumor cells (9.1%). Ultrastaging identified additional metastatic involvement in 43.2% (35/81) of patients, with detailed sectioning revealing metastases (MAC/MIC) at first level in 20 cases (24.7%), at levels 2-4 in 9 cases (11.1%), and at level ≥5 in 6 cases (7.4%).

CONCLUSION

SLN ultrastaging detects additional 43% of N1 (MAC/MIC) in patients with negative LNs by imaging and intraoperative pathological assessment. The detection rate of positive SLN correlates with the intensity (number of levels) of ultrastaging. Examination of four levels from paraffin blocks, which detects >90% of patients with N1, is a reasonable compromise for an international standard for ultrastaging.

STUDY REGISTRATION

NCT02494063 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Value of sentinel node ultrastaging and pathologic techniques in tumoral detection

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Sentinel lymph node assessment is an option for patients with clinically early-stage vulvar cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, and, more recently, ovarian cancer. However, although ultrastaging is mandatory as part of the node evaluation, universally accepted pathology protocols are lacking. This review focuses on the current evidence for the most relevant aspects of sentinel lymph node evaluation, as well as some controversial topics like frozen section or one-step nucleic acid amplification.

RECENT FINDINGS

The diagnostic accuracy of sentinel lymph node detection algorithms for patients with gynecologic neoplasms is high. However, the heterogeneity among the published studies and the absence of clear recommendations from most guidelines make it challenging to recommend one protocol over another. The minimum requirement from ultrastaging protocols (regarding the number of levels to be assessed, among others) to get the highest accuracy with a minor cost is unknown.

SUMMARY

Sentinel lymph node evaluation is now part of the surgical management for most early-stage gynecologic neoplasms. However, a universally accepted ultrastaging pathology protocol is lacking in literature and clinical practice. This gap requires significant effort from the gynecologic oncology and pathology community to be closed and then to allow advancements in surgical management for early-stage gynecologic tumors to go forward.

Efficacy and Diagnostic Reliability of Intraoperative Frozen Section in the Surgical Management of Early-Stage Cervical Cancer

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study of this study was to evaluate preoperative radiology and histopathology findings in cervical cancer lymphadenopathy detection, allowing targeted frozen section examination (FSE).

DESIGN

A retrospective analysis was conducted of 203 early-stage cervical cancer patients between 2010 and 2019 in a tertiary centre.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, AND METHODS

All patients had histologically confirmed cervical cancer and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to intraoperative FSE. The primary objectives of the study were to determine the diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative FSE in the identification of lymph node metastases (LNM) in early-stage cervical cancer by correlation with final results obtained using standard histopathology techniques and to examine different preoperative, intraoperative, demographic, radiological, and histopathological factors that could identify those at greatest risk of nodal disease and hence predict those most likely to benefit from FSE, enabling more selective and targeted use.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients were found to have LNM (9.36%) at FSE. Patients were at increased risk of LNM by 6-fold with positive LVSI, 3-fold with MRI lymphadenopathy, and 3.5-fold with MRI-visible disease. The presence of lymphadenopathy on MRI and positive LVSI in combination increased the risk of LNM by 19-fold.

LIMITATIONS

We acknowledge that FSE is expensive and time intensive, exposing patients to increased surgery duration and associated risk. We also recognize that it may not be feasible for all patients. Finally, the analysis is limited by retrospective nature of the study.

CONCLUSIONS

By application of the preoperative risk stratification algorithm, we may suggest that FSE can be a useful tool in high-risk patients.

Assessing the implications of sentinel lymph node removal in cervical cancer: an immunogenetic perspective - a SENTICOL ancillary study

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer's lymphatic spread primarily begins from the sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), underlining their pivotal role in disease metastasis. However, these nodes' immune gene expression profiles and immunoregulation mechanisms have yet to be explored.

METHODS

Our study aimed to elucidate the immune cell populations and their roles in the immune gene expression profile of negative SLNs compared with positive SLNs and non-SLNs using Nanostring RNA seq analysis. We performed a principal component analysis on the log2 normalized expression of 685 endogenous genes in the nCounter PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel, followed by an assessment of the differential expression of genes and immune cell type abundance.

RESULTS

We found significant variations in gene expression among the groups, with negative SLNs displaying overexpression of genes related to tumor-infiltrating immune cells, specifically innate cell populations. They also demonstrated the upregulation of genes involved in antigen presentation and T-cell priming. In contrast, positive SLNs were enriched in regulatory networks, suggesting their potential role in immune evasion. A comparison of negative SLNs and non-SLNs revealed increased innate and adaptive immune cell types, underscoring the ongoing T cell response to tumor antigens.

CONCLUSION

Our findings underscore a specific immunogenetic phenotype profile in negative SLNs, emphasizing their crucial role in the initial anticancer response, immunosurveillance, and the propagation of immune tolerance from the primary cervical tumor. These results highlight the potential of SLNs as a novel target for immunotherapy strategies and underscore the importance of new imaging methods for accurately identifying SLN status without removal. Future investigations are needed to understand further the immunological interplay within SLNs and their influence on cervical cancer progression.

Mexican consensus about surgical treatment in early-stage cervicouterine cancer

Introduction

Cervical cancer is a public health problem in our country and worldwide. Less than 25% of cases are diagnosed in the early stages, where survival is more remarkable than 90% at five years. Here, we review surgical treatment in the early stages of cervical cancer.

Methodology

A literature review was carried out in the MEDLINE database. The search was mainly limited to the English language, with priority given to systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis and randomized studies. However, only retrospective or observational evidence was found for some topics.

Results

The standard treatment for early-stage cervical cancer is hysterectomy, and its radical nature will depend on the tumor size, lymphovascular permeation, and tumor-specific prognostic factors. Furthermore, the type of surgery (hysterectomy or trachelectomy) will rely on the patient's desire to preserve fertility. Nodal evaluation is indicated as part of the treatment from stage IAI with PLV. However, the sentinel lymph node is more relevant in the treatment. The incidental finding of cervical cancer after a hysterectomy requires a multidisciplinary evaluation to determine the therapeutic approach. Less radical surgery has been described as oncologically safe in low-risk groups.

Conclusion

Surgical treatment in its early stages has evolved in recent decades, making it more individualized and seeking less morbidity in patients without compromising their survival.

Reproductive Outcomes in Young Women with Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Greater than 2 cm Undergoing Fertility-Sparing Treatment: A Systematic Review

Background and Objectives: Despite advancements in detection and treatment, cervical cancer remains a significant health concern, particularly among young women of reproductive age. Limited data exists in the literature regarding fertility-sparing treatment (FST) of cervical cancers with tumor sizes greater than 2 cm. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the reproductive outcomes of women diagnosed with cervical cancer greater than 2 cm who underwent FST. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature was carried out on the following databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, The Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Methodology Register), the Health Technology Assessment Database, and Web of Science. Only original studies (retrospective or prospective) that reported reproductive outcomes of patients with cervical cancer >2 cm were considered eligible for inclusion in this systematic review (CRD42024521964). Studies describing only the oncologic outcomes, involving FST for cervical cancers less than 2 cm in size, and case reports were excluded. Results: Seventeen papers that met the abovementioned inclusion criteria were included in the present systematic review. In total, 443 patients with a cervical cancer larger than 2 cm were included in this systematic review. Eighty pregnancies occurred, with 24 miscarriages and 54 live births. Conclusions: FST appears to be a viable option for women of childbearing age diagnosed with cervical cancer larger than 2 cm. However, careful consideration is advised in interpreting these encouraging results, as they are subject to limitations, such as variability in study designs and potential biases. In addition, reproductive outcomes should be further cross-referenced with oncologic outcomes to clarify the potential risk-benefit ratio. It is critical to conduct further research using standardized approaches and larger participant groups to strengthen the validity of the conclusions drawn.

DHCR7 promotes lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer through cholesterol reprogramming-mediated activation of the KANK4/PI3K/AKT axis and VEGF-C secretion

Cervical cancer (CC) patients with lymph node metastasis (LNM) have a poor prognosis. However, the molecular mechanism of LNM in CC is unclear, and there is no effective clinical treatment. Here, we found that 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7), an enzyme that catalyzes the last step of cholesterol synthesis, was upregulated in CC and closely related to LNM. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments proved that DHCR7 promoted the invasion ability of CC cells and lymphangiogenesis in vitro and induced LNM in vivo. The LNM-promoting effect of DHCR7 was partly mediated by upregulating KN motif and ankyrin repeat domains 4 (KANK4) expression and subsequently activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Alternatively, DHCR7 promoted the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), and thereby lymphangiogenesis. Interestingly, cholesterol reprogramming was needed for the DHCR7-mediated promotion of activation of the KANK4/PI3K/AKT axis, VEGF-C secretion, and subsequent LNM. Importantly, treatment with the DHCR7 inhibitors AY9944 and tamoxifen (TAM) significantly inhibited LNM of CC, suggesting the clinical application potential of DHCR7 inhibitors in CC. Collectively, our results uncover a novel molecular mechanism of LNM in CC and identify DHCR7 as a new potential therapeutic target.

Sentinel lymph node mapping with indocyanine green using SPY-PHI in open radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the detection rate of at least one sentinel lymph node (SLN) in patients with early cervical cancer who underwent open radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy using indocyanine green (ICG) with the SPY Portable Handler Imager (SPY-PHI) system.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients with cervical cancer FIGO 2018 stage IA1 with lymphovascular invasion up to stage IIIC1p who underwent SLN mapping and open radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy from March 2018 through August 2022 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. ICG was the only tracer used with the SPY-PHI system. Patient demographics, surgical approach, and tumor factors were analyzed. Overall detection, bilateral detection, and empty lymph node packet rates were determined.

RESULTS

A total of 106 patients were included. Ninety-four (88.7%) patients underwent open radical hysterectomy and 12 (11.3%) open radical trachelectomy. Median age was 40 years (range, 23-71). Median body mass index was 28.8 kg/m2 (range, 17.6-48.4). The most common FIGO 2018 stages were IB1 (35%) and IB2 (30%). The most common histologic subtypes were squamous cell carcinoma (45%) and adenocarcinoma (45%). Most patients had grade 2 disease (61%) and no lymphovascular invasion (58%). Median tumor size was 1.8 cm (range, 0.3-4). Median number of detected SLN was 4 (range, 0-12). An SLN was identified during surgery in 104 patients (98%), with bilateral mapping in 94 (89%) and unilateral mapping in 10 (9%). The empty lymph node packet rate was 4 (3.8%). The external iliac (73%) was the most common site of SLN detection. Fourteen patients had positive lymph nodes (13.5%); 3 (21.4%) had macrometastases, 9 (64.3%) had micrometastases, and 2 (14.3%) had isolated tumor cells.

CONCLUSION

SLN mapping using ICG with the SPY-PHI system in open radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy is reliable and results in high overall and bilateral detection rates in patients with early cervical cancer.

Survival after sentinel lymph node biopsy for early cervical cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Sentinel lymph node biopsy represents an alternative to pelvic lymphadenectomy for lymph node staging of early-stage cervical carcinoma, but prospective evidence on long-term oncological safety of sentinel lymph node biopsy alone versus pelvic lymphadenectomy is missing.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate, with this meta-analysis, the impact of sentinel lymph node biopsy alone versus pelvic lymphadenectomy on survival for patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was performed. We excluded studies in which pelvic lymphadenectomy was systematically performed after every sentinel lymph node biopsy, including only articles where pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed because sentinel lymph node biopsy was not conclusive. A meta-analysis was carried out combining 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates with a random and fixed effect model. Heterogeneity was tested using the Cochran Χ2 test and quantified with Higgins information I2.

RESULTS

The search of databases and registers found 927 items and six articles (two retrospective and four prospective). The median time of follow-up was 34.8 months (range 13-53). Overall common effect disease-free survival was 98% while random effect disease-free survival was 94%. Overall heterogeneity was 77%. A subgroup analysis was applied, dividing studies into one group including sentinel lymph node biopsy negative data only (common effect disease-free survival 91%; random effect disease-free survival 90%), and one group with a negative and positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (common effect disease-free survival 98%; random effect disease-free survival 96%). In the analysis of overall survival, positive and negative sentinel lymph node biopsy cases were examined together (common and random effect overall survival 99%). Ultrastaging did not affect disease-free survival (common and random effect disease-free survival 92% in the ultrastaging group vs common effect disease-free survival 99% and random effect disease-free survival 96% in the non-ultrastaging group).

CONCLUSIONS

Both 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rate after sentinel lymph node biopsy alone are higher than 90% and do not differ from pelvic lymphadenectomy survival data. Ultrastaging did not impact survival.

A preoperative nomogram predicting risk of lymph node metastasis for early-stage cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop a preoperative nomogram based on clinical and pathological characteristics to provide a more individualized and accurate estimation of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

A total of 7,349 early-stage cervical cancer patients with pathologically confirmed between 1988 and 2015 were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. All the patients were divided into training (n = 5,500) and validation (n = 1,849) cohorts randomly. A cohort of 455 patients from multicenter was used for the external validation. We established a multivariate logistic regression model based on preoperative clinicopathological data, from which a nomogram was developed and validated. A predicted probability of LNM < 5% was defined as low risk.

RESULTS

From multivariate logistic regression analysis, age at diagnosis, histologic subtype, tumor grade, tumor size and FIGO stage were identified as preoperative independent risk factors of LNM. The nomogram incorporating these factors demonstrated good discrimination and calibration (concordance index = 0.723; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.707-0.738). In the validation cohort, the discrimination accuracy was 0.745 (95% CI, 0.720-0.770) and 0.747 (95% CI, 0.690-0.804), respectively. The nomogram was well calibrated with a high concordance probability. We also established an R-enabled Internet browser for LNM risk assessment, which tool may be convenient for physicians.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed an effective preoperative nomogram based on clinical and pathological characteristics to predict LNM for early-stage cervical cancer. This model could improve clinical trial design and help physicians to decide whether to perform lymphadenectomy or not.

Identification of miRNAs and target genes associated with lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer using bioinformatics analysis

This study was designed to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and genes (DEGs) in metastatic cervical cancer using bioinformatic tools. In this study, fifty-seven DEMs (48 downregulated and 9 upregulated) were identified, among which miR-4459 and miR-3195 expression was negatively associated with overall survival of cervical cancer patients. Then, 476 target DEGs were determined, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Seventeen hub genes (LONRF2, CCNE2, AURKA, SYT1, NEGR1, PPP1R12B, GABRP, RAD51, CDK1, FBLN5, PRKG1, CDC6, CACNA1C, MEOX2, ANLN, MYLK, and EDNRB) were finally selected to construct the miRNA-hub gene network. Overall, our study discovered the key miRNAs and mRNAs related to lymph node metastasis (LNM) in cervical cancer, which helps discover candidate therapeutic targets for cervical cancer.

Predictors of Non-Sentinel Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Positive Sentinel Lymph Node in Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A SENTICOL GROUP Study

BACKGROUND

The goal of this study was to identify the risk factors for metastasis in the remaining non-sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) in the case of positive SLN in early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

An ancillary analysis of two prospective multicentric databases on SLN biopsy for cervical cancer (SENTICOL I and II) was performed. Patients with early-stage cervical cancer (FIGO 2018 IA to IIA1), with bilateral SLN detection and at least one positive SLN after ultrastaging, were included.

RESULTS

405 patients were included in SENTICOL I and Il. Fifty-two patients had bilateral SLN detection and were found to have SLN metastasis. After pelvic lymphadenectomy, metastatic involvement of non-SLN was diagnosed in 7 patients (13.5%). Patients with metastatic non-SLN were older (51.9 vs. 40.8 years, p = 0.01), had more often lympho-vascular space invasion (LVSI) (85.7% vs. 35.6%, p = 0.03), and had more often parametrial involvement (42.9% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis retained age (OR = 1.16, 95% IC = [1.01-1.32], p = 0.03) and LVSI (OR = 25.97, 95% IC = [1.16-582.1], p = 0.04) as independently associated with non-SLN involvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Age and LVSI seemed to be predictive of non-SLN metastasis in patients with SLN metastasis in early-stage cervical cancer. Larger cohorts are needed to confirm the results and clinical usefulness of such findings.

Survival after sentinel node biopsy alone in early-stage cervical cancer: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To assess the oncologic outcomes of sentinel lymph node biopsy alone as part of surgical management in patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

A systematic search of the literature was performed following the PRISMA checklist. MEDLINE (through PubMed), EMBASE, and Scopus databases were searched from June 1991 to May 2023. Studies of women with early-stage cervical cancer International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 stage IA-IIA, of any age or histology, and articles only in English language were included. After the removal of duplicates, only articles including sentinel node mapping alone compared with full pelvic lymphadenectomy were retained.

RESULTS

Four studies with a total of 2226 patients were included. Among these, 354 (15.9%) underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy alone. A total of 2210 (99.2%) patients had FIGO 2009 stage I disease and 1514 (68%) patients had squamous cell carcinoma. Median body mass index was 25.5 kg/m2 (range 23.5-27). Lymph vascular space invasion was present in 633 patients (34%) who underwent full lymphadenectomy and in 78 patients (22%) who underwent sentinel node biopsy alone. The results of the survival analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the 3-year progression-free survival rates of patients who underwent either sentinel biopsy alone or lymphadenectomy. Three-year recurrence-free survival was 93.1% (95% CI 28.3% to 64.7%) for patients who underwent sentinel node biopsy alone and 92.5% (95% CI 39.0% to 53.4%) for patients who underwent sentinel node biopsy and lymphadenectomy (p=0.773).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with early-stage cervical cancer, performing sentinel lymph node biopsy alone compared with pelvic lymphadenectomy does not appear to independently confer a higher risk or recurrence.

Developing a nomogram for preoperative prediction of cervical cancer lymph node metastasis by multiplex immunofluorescence

BACKGROUND

Most traditional procedures can destroy tissue natural structure, and the information on spatial distribution and temporal distribution of immune milieu in situ would be lost. We aimed to explore the potential mechanism of pelvic lymph node (pLN) metastasis of cervical cancer (CC) by multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) and construct a nomogram for preoperative prediction of pLN metastasis in patients with CC.

METHODS

Patients (180 IB1-IIA2 CC patients of 2009 FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics)) were divided into two groups based on pLN status. Tissue microarray (TMA) was prepared and tumor-infiltrating immune markers were assessed by mIF. Multivariable logistic regression analysis and nomogram were used to develop the predicting model.

RESULTS

Multivariable logistic regression analysis constructs a predictive model and the area under the curve (AUC) can reach 0.843. By internal validation with the remaining 40% of cases, a new ROC curve has emerged and the AUC reached 0.888.

CONCLUSIONS

This study presents an immune nomogram, which can be conveniently used to facilitate the preoperative individualized prediction of LN metastasis in patients with CC.

The Sentinel Lymph Node in Treatment Planning: A Narrative Review of Lymph-Flow-Guided Radiotherapy

The sentinel lymph node technique is minimally invasive and used routinely by surgeons, reducing the need for morbid extensive lymph node dissections, which is a significant advantage for cancer staging and treatment decisions. The sentinel lymph node could also help radiation oncologists to identify tumor drainage for each of their patients, leading to a more personalized radiotherapy, instead of a probabilistic irradiation based on delineation atlases. The aim is both to avoid recurrence in unexpected areas and to limit the volume of irradiated healthy tissues. The aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of sentinel lymph node mapping for radiation oncologists. This concept, relying on sentinel lymph node mapping for treatment planning, is known as lymph-flow-guided radiotherapy. We present an up-to-date narrative literature review showing the potential applications of the sentinel lymph node technique for radiotherapy, as well as the limits that need to be addressed before its routine usage.

Stratification of lymph node metastases as macrometastases, micrometastases, or isolated tumor cells has no clinical implication in patients with cervical cancer: Subgroup analysis of the SCCAN project

BACKGROUND

In cervical cancer, presence of lymph-node macrometastases (MAC) is a major prognostic factor and an indication for adjuvant treatment. However, since clinical impact of micrometastases (MIC) and isolated tumor-cells (ITC) remains controversial, we sought to identify a cut-off value for the metastasis size not associated with negative prognosis.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 967 cervical cancer patients (T1a1L1-T2b) registered in the SCCAN (Surveillance in Cervical CANcer) database, who underwent primary surgical treatment, including sentinel lymph-node (SLN) biopsy with pathological ultrastaging. The size of SLN metastasis was considered a continuous variable and multiple testing was performed for cut-off values of 0.01-1.0 mm. Disease-free survival (DFS) was compared between N0 and subgroups of N1 patients defined by cut-off ranges.

RESULTS

LN metastases were found in 172 (18%) patients, classified as MAC, MIC, and ITC in 79, 54, and 39 patients, respectively. DFS was shorter in patients with MAC (HR 2.20, P = 0.003) and MIC (HR 2.87, P < 0.001), while not differing between MAC/MIC (P = 0.484). DFS in the ITC subgroup was neither different from N0 (P = 0.127) nor from MIC/MAC subgroups (P = 0.449). Cut-off analysis revealed significantly shorter DFS compared to N0 in all subgroups with metastases ≥0.4 mm (HR 2.311, P = 0.04). The significance of metastases <0.4 mm could not be assessed due to limited statistical power (<80%). We did not identify any cut-off for the size of metastasis with significantly better prognosis than the rest of N1 group.

CONCLUSIONS

In cervical cancer patients, the presence of LN metastases ≥0.4 mm was associated with a significant negative impact on DFS and no cut-off value for the size of metastasis with better prognosis than N1 was found. Traditional metastasis stratification based on size has no clinical implication.

Fertility-Sparing Treatment for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer ≥ 2 cm: A Problem with a Thousand Nuances-A Systematic Review of Oncological Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Fertility-sparing treatments (FSTs) have played a crucial role in the management of early-stage cervical cancer (ECC). The guidelines have recognized various approaches, depending on the tumor stage and other risk factors such as histotype and lymphovascular positivity. Much more debate has centered around the boundary within which these treatments should be considered. Indeed, these are methods to be reserved for ECC, but tumor size may represent the most significant limitation. In particular, there is no consensus on the strategy to be adopted in the case of ECC ≥ 2 cm. Therefore, this systematic review was to collect the literature evidence regarding the management of these patients.

METHODS

Following the recommendations in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, we systematically searched the Pubmed and Scopus databases was conducted in April 2022, from the date of the first publication. We made no limitation on the country. We included all studies containing data on disease-free survival, overall survival, recurrence rate (RR), or complete response rate (CRR) to chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Twenty-six studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, and 691 patients were analyzed regarding FST. Surgery-based FST showed an RR of between 0 and 42.9%, which drops to 12.9% after excluding the vaginal or minimally invasive approaches. Furthermore, papers regarding FST based on the neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) approach showed a CRR of between 21.4 and 84.5%, and an RR of between 0 and 22.2% CONCLUSION: This paper focused on the significant heterogeneity present in the clinical management of FST of ECC ≥ 2 cm. Nevertheless, from an oncological point of view, approaches limited to the minimally invasive or vaginal techniques showed the highest RR. Vice versa, the lack of standardization of NACT schemes and the wealth of confounders to be attributed to the histological features of the tumor make it difficult, if not impossible, to set a standard of treatment.

Use of Nomogram to Predict the Risk of Lymph Node Metastasis among Patients with Cervical Adenocarcinoma

Background

The objective of this study was to develop a nomogram that can predict lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with cervical adenocarcinoma (cervical AC).

Methods

A total of 219 patients with cervical AC who had undergone radical hysterectomy and lymphadenopathy between 2005 and 2021 were selected for this study. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the selected key clinicopathologic features and develop a nomogram and underwent internal validation to predict the probability of LNM.

Results

Lymphovascular invasion (LVI), tumor size ≥ 4 cm, and depth of cervical stromal infiltration were independent predictors of LNM in cervical AC. However, the Silva pattern was not found to be a significant predictor in the multivariate model. The Silva pattern was still included in the model based on the improved predictive performance of the model observed in the previous studies. The concordance index (C-index) of the model increased from 0.786 to 0.794 after the inclusion of the Silva pattern. The Silva pattern was found to be the strongest predictor of LNM among all the pathological factors investigated, with an OR of 4.37 in the nomogram model. The nomogram developed by incorporation of these four predictors performed well in terms of discrimination and calibration capabilities (C - index = 0.794; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.727-0.862; Brier score = 0.127). Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the nomogram was clinically effective in the prediction of LNM.

Conclusion

In this study, a nomogram was developed based on the pathologic features, which helped to screen individuals with a higher risk of occult LNM. As a result, this tool may be specifically useful in the management of individuals with cervical AC and help gynecologists to guide clinical individualized treatment plan.

Does completion of radical hysterectomy improve oncological outcomes of women with clinical early-stage cervical cancer and intraoperative detection of nodal involvement?: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

The management of women with clinical early-stage cervical cancer and lymph node involvement detected intraoperatively is heterogeneous and controversial. This paper presents the protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the management of this specific population of patients. This proposed study aims to answer the question: does completion of radical hysterectomy improve the oncological outcomes of women with clinical early-stage cervical cancer and intraoperatively detected nodal involvement?

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This protocol is drafted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols guidelines, and the proposed study will be conducted in accordance with the standard guidelines of 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses' and 'Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology reporting guideline'. Comprehensive literature searches will be performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. The screening of the eligible studies, the extraction of data of interest, and the quality assessment of the included studies will all be independently performed by different members of our team. The primary outcome of this proposed study will be comparing the risk of recurrence or death from cervical cancer and the risk of all-cause death in patients with two different treatments (completion of radical hysterectomy or abandonment of radical hysterectomy); the secondary outcome of this proposed study will be comparing the risk of the grade 3/4 toxicities associated with the two types of management. Given the clinical heterogeneity among the included studies, data on outcomes will be pooled by random-effects models. Heterogeneity will be evaluated using the I² statistic. The risk of bias for the included studies will be evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale or the Cochrane collaboration's tool. The grade of evidence will be evaluated by two independent members of our team using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations approach.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not required because there will no primary data collected. The findings of this proposed study will be published in an international peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021273527.

Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping: Current Applications and Future Perspectives in Gynecology Malignant Tumors

The sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) is a group of lymph nodes initially involved in the metastatic spread of cancer cells. SLN mapping refers to intraoperative localization and biopsy of SLNs with specific tracers to assess lymph node metastases. It is widely used in a variety of tumor surgeries for its high sensitivity and high negative predictive value. In the evaluation of the status of lymph node metastases in gynecological malignancies, it has received increasingly more attention due to its minor invasiveness, few complications, and high diagnosis rate. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines provide an excellent introduction to the indications and methods of SLN techniques in vulvar, cervical, and endometrial cancers, but they provide little explanation about some specific issues. In this review, we summarize different dyes and injection methods and discuss the indications of application and the clinical trials of SLN mapping in gynecological malignant tumors, aiming to provide a reference for the rational application of sentinel techniques in gynecology malignant tumors before relevant guidelines are updated.

Squamous and Glandular Epithelial Tumors of the Cervix: A Pragmatical Review Emphasizing Emerging Issues in Classification, Diagnosis, and Staging

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequent epithelial malignant tumor of the cervix and among the most frequent neoplasm in women worldwide. Endocervical adenocarcinoma is the second most common malignancy. Both tumors and their precursors are currently classified based on human papillomavirus status, with prognostic and predictive value. Various prognostic biomarkers and alternative morphologic parameters have been recently described and could be used in the management of these patients. This pragmatical review highlights recent developments, emerging issues as well as controversial areas regarding the cause-based classification, diagnosis, staging, and prognostic parameters of epithelial malignant tumors of the cervix.

Predicting the rate of adjuvant postoperative chemo/radiation in cervical cancer with tumor size ≥2 cm and <4 cm: An Israeli Gynecologic Oncology Group study

OBJECTIVE

Women with cervical cancer who undergo radical hysterectomy are often treated postoperatively with chemoradiation. Patient selection that minimizes adjuvant treatment is valuable. We compared two methods for predicting postoperative adjuvant treatment of women with tumor size ≥2 cm and <4 cm.

STUDY DESIGN

This multicenter retrospective study included 272 women with tumor size ≥2 cm and <4 cm. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was used to determine the optimal tumor cutoff size to predict adjuvant treatment. A second analysis compared the rate of adjuvant treatment between women with and without lymph vascular space involvement (LVSI).

RESULTS

According to the ROC, the optimal cutoff value of tumor size for predicting adjuvant treatment was 2.95 cm (sensitivity 0.70, specificity 0.67). Tumors were ≥3.0 cm in 166 (61.0%) women. The rate of adjuvant treatment was higher in women with larger tumor diameter (73.8% vs. 47.9%, p < 0.0001). Of the 241 women with a LVSI record, LVSI was present in 81 (34%) women. Among women with LVSI, rates were higher of positive lymph nodes (41.0% vs 14.5%, p < 0.0001) and postoperative adjuvant treatment (83.3% vs. 53.7%, p < 0.001). Among women with tumor size ≥3.0 cm and LVSI, the rate of adjuvant treatment was 90.0%. In the multivariate analysis, both tumor size ≥3.0 cm and the presence of LVSI were independently associated with adjuvant treatment (OR 3.9, 95% CI 2.1-7.1; p < 0.0001 and OR 4.9, 95% CI 2.4-10.0; p < 0.0001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

In women with cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy, tumors ≥3 cm were associated with a >70% rate of adjuvant treatment, and LVSI was associated with a >80% rate. These data should be weighed in multidisciplinary consultation with radiation oncologists when deciding treatment strategy.

SENTIREC - The sentinel node mapping in women with cervical cancer study - Patient-reported early lymphedema and its impact on quality of life

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate patient-reported incidence and severity of early lymphedema and its impact on quality of life (QoL) after sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping only and after SLN and pelvic lymphadenectomy (PL) in women undergoing surgery for early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

In a national prospective multicenter study, we included women with early-stage cervical cancer from March 2017-January 2021 to undergo radical surgery including SLN mapping. Women with tumors >20 mm underwent completion PL. The incidence and severity of early lymphedema and its influence on QoL were evaluated using validated patient-reported outcome measures before surgery and three months postoperative. We investigated changes over time using linear regression.

RESULTS

Two hundred of 245 (81.6%) included women completed questionnaires at baseline and three months postoperatively. The incidence of early lymphedema was 5.6% (95% CI 2.1-11.8%) and 32.3% (95% CI 22.9-42.7%) in women who underwent SLN mapping only and SLN + PL, respectively. Lymphedema symptoms in the legs, genitals, and groins increased in both groups postoperatively but three times more in women who underwent PL. Lymphedema symptoms after SLN + PL significantly impaired physical performance (p = 0.001) and appearance (p = 0.007). Reporting lymphedema was significantly associated with impaired body image, physical-, role-, and social functioning, and a high level of fatigue.

CONCLUSIONS

SLN mapping alone carries a low risk of lymphedema in women undergoing surgery for early-stage cervical cancer. In contrast, completion PL is associated with a high incidence of early lymphedema. Reporting lymphedema is associated with significant impairment of several physical, psychological, and social aspects of QoL.

Management of Early-Stage Cervical Cancer: A Literature Review

Simple Summary

Despite being a preventable disease, cervical cancer still causes morbidity and deaths worldwide. In the early stages (FIGO IA1 with lymph-vascular space invasion-IIA1), the disease is highly curable. The primary treatment for early-stage cervical cancer is radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. This surgical treatment has changed during the past decades, and we aimed to review and discuss the advances in the literature. We performed a literature review through PubMed focusing on English articles about the topic of surgical management of early-stage cervical cancer. The emergent topics considered here are the FIGO 2018 staging system update, conservative management for selected patients, sentinel lymph node mapping, fertility preservation, surgical approach, and management of tumors up to 2 cm. These topics show an evolvement to a more tailored treatment to prevent morbidity and assure oncologic safety.

Abstract

Cervical cancer (CC) remains a public health issue worldwide despite preventive measures. Surgical treatment in the early-stage CC has evolved during the last decades. Our aim was to review the advances in the literature and summarize the ongoing studies on this topic. To this end, we conducted a literature review through PubMed focusing on English-language articles on the surgical management of early-stage CC. The emergent topics considered here are the FIGO 2018 staging system update, conservative management with less radical procedures for selected patients, lymph node staging, fertility preservation, preferred surgical approach, management of tumors up to 2 cm, and prognosis. In terms of updating FIGO, we highlight the inclusion of lymph node status on staging and the possibility of imaging. Regarding the preferred surgical approach, we emphasize the LACC trial impact worldwide in favor of open surgery; however, we discuss the controversial application of this for tumors < 2 cm. In summary, all topics show a tendency to provide patients with tailored treatment that avoids morbidity while maintaining oncologic safety, which is already possible in high-income countries. We believe that efforts should focus on making this a reality for low-income countries as well.

Transvaginal lymphatic embolization of the fistula between a pelvic lymphocele and the vaginal stump following radical hysterectomy and sentinel pelvic lymph node biopsy in a patient with cervical cancer: A case report

A lymphocele is a common complication that occurs following pelvic lymph node dissection. However, the complication of lymphoceles following sentinel pelvic lymph node biopsy has not been previously reported, to the best of our knowledge. A 49-year-old female patient had undergone radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node biopsy for stage IB1 cervical cancer 5 months previously and presented with a profuse watery vaginal discharge of ~2 liters per day. A fistula connecting the lymphocele and the vaginal stump was identified using lymphoscintigraphy and single photon emission CT/CT. Transvaginal lymphatic embolization was successfully performed through the vaginal fistulous tract, resulting in immediate reduction of the vaginal discharge. In conclusion, the case of fistula formation between pelvic lymphocele and vaginal stump was encountered at our department and was reported with a literature review. To the best of our knowledge, there are no previous reports on lymphoceles with direct communication to the vaginal mucosa, particularly following sentinel pelvic lymph node biopsy. The present study reported the case of a patient who was successfully treated for a pelvic lymphocele with direct communication to the vaginal mucosa.

MRI-derived radiomics analysis improves the noninvasive pretreatment identification of multimodality therapy candidates with early-stage cervical cancer

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate a clinical-radiomics model that incorporates radiomics signatures and pretreatment clinicopathological parameters to identify multimodality therapy candidates among patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

Between January 2017 and February 2021, 235 patients with IB1-IIA1 cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy were enrolled and divided into training (n = 194, training:validation = 8:2) and testing (n = 41) sets according to surgical time. The radiomics features of each patient were extracted from preoperative sagittal T2-weighted images. Significance testing, Pearson correlation analysis, and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator were used to select radiomic features associated with multimodality therapy administration. A clinical-radiomics model incorporating radiomics signature, age, 2018 Federation International of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, menopausal status, and preoperative biopsy histological type was developed to identify multimodality therapy candidates. A clinical model and a clinical-conventional radiological model were also constructed. A nomogram and decision curve analysis were developed to facilitate clinical application.

RESULTS

The clinical-radiomics model showed good predictive performance, with an area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity in the testing set of 0.885 (95% confidence interval: 0.781-0.989), 78.9%, and 81.8%, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of the clinical model and clinical-conventional radiological model were 0.751 (0.603-0.900), 63.2%, and 63.6%, 0.801 (0.661-0.942), 73.7%, and 68.2%, respectively. A decision curve analysis demonstrated that when the threshold probability was > 20%, the clinical-radiomics model or nomogram may be more advantageous than the treat all or treat-none strategy.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical-radiomics model and nomogram can potentially identify multimodality therapy candidates in patients with early-stage cervical cancer.

KEY POINTS

• Pretreatment identification of multimodality therapy candidates among patients with early-stage cervical cancer helped to select the optimal primary treatment and reduce severe complication risk and costs. • The clinical-radiomics model achieved a better prediction performance compared with the clinical model and the clinical-conventional radiological model. • An easy-to-use nomogram exhibited good performance for individual preoperative prediction.

PET-CT versus MRI in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis of cervical cancer: A meta-analysis

To compare the clinical application value of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of cervical cancer lymph node metastasis. We searched PubMed and other databases for the studies comparing the use of PET-CT and MRI for the diagnosis of cervical cancer lymph node metastasis up to January 20, 2021. We strictly followed the inclusion and exclusion criteria to screen the literature and extract the data. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS)-2 tool was used for quality evaluation of included studies, and Revman 5.3 and Stata 15.0 software were used for evaluating heterogeneity, synthesize sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and the area under the curve (AUC) and comparing the pretest and posttest probabilities. Finally, 11 studies were included for meta-analysis. The synthesized results indicated that the SEN value of PET-CT was 0.65 (0.60 ~ 0.69) and SPE was 0.93 (0.91 ~ 0.94), and the SEN value of MRI was 0.58 (0.54 ~ 0.63) and SPE was 0.91 (0.90 ~ 0.92). AUC of PET-CT was 0.824, which was significantly higher than that of MRI (AUC = 0.702; p < .05). The subgroup analysis showed that the AUC value of the study based on study design and use of blinding methods was not statistically significant (all p > .05). There was no obvious publication bias in the synthesized analysis of the diagnostic value of PET-CT and MRI (all p > .05). HIGHLIGHTS: To compare positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosis of cervical cancer lymph node metastasis. Synthesize sensitivity value of PET-CT was comparable with that of MRI. Area under the curve of PET-CT was significantly higher than that of MRI. There was no obvious publication bias in synthesized analysis.

Less extensive surgery for patients with FIGO stage IA2 cervical cancer: A population-based study

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study were to study the feasibility of less extensive surgeries for stage IA2 cervical cancer and to examine the incidence of positive nodes in stage IA2 cervical cancer.

METHODS

Patients with stage IA2 cervical cancer treated surgically between 1998 and 2015 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Overall survival (OS) and cervical cancer-specific survival (CCSS) were compared among patients who underwent different types of surgery (simple hysterectomy VS radical hysterectomy, lymphadenectomy VS without lymphadenectomy). The Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to evaluate multiple prognostic factors.

RESULTS

1343 patients were included in this study. The overall incidence of positive nodes in stage IA2 was 2.53%. For well-differentiated IA2 cervical cancer, the incidence of regional lymph node involvement was as low as 1.42%. Compared with patients who underwent lymphadenectomy, the patients who did not undergo lymphadenectomy had the same OS (HR, 1.336; 95% CI, 0.923 to 1.933; P = 0.149) and CCSS (HR, 1.038; 95% CI, 0.504 to 2.140; P = 0.920). The log-rank test also indicated that simple hysterectomy was not associated with decreased OS (HR, 1.048; 95% CI, 0.750 to 1.466; P = 0.781) and CCSS (HR, 1.259; 95% CI, 0.655 to 2.420; P = 0.490). Multivariable analyses showed that lymphadenectomy and type of hysterectomy were not independent predictors of survival for patients with stage IA2 cervical cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of nodal involvement in well-differentiated stage IA2 cervical cancer was fairly low, lymphadenectomy may be omitted in these patients. The excision range of parametrial tissue was not associated with the oncological survival of women with stage IA2 cervical cancer, simple hysterectomy may be an appropriate alternative for this group of patients.

The accuracy of intraoperative frozen section examination of sentinel lymph nodes in squamous cell cancer of the vulva

OBJECTIVE

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative pathologic examination of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) and patient outcomes in vulva cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study included patients with unifocal, <4 cm, invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma and clinically negative groin nodes treated with SLN biopsy from January 2008-March 2020. Intraoperative SLN frozen section and final pathology were compared. If the SLN was negative, inguinal femoral lymphadenectomy (IFLD) was omitted. Recurrence location and groin recurrence free survival (RFS) were assessed.

RESULTS

The SLN cohort included 173 patients, with 258 groins. On frozen section, there were 36/258 positive and 222 negative groins. On final pathology, there were 39/258 positive: 31 macrometastases, 6 micrometastases, 2 isolated tumor cells (ITCs) and 219 negative groins. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for intraoperative detection of metastatic disease, was 89.7% and 99.5%, 97.2% and 98.2%, respectively. There was 1 false positive and 4 false negative frozen section results where final pathology revealed 2 ITCs, 1 micrometastasis and 1 macrometastasis. Based on intraoperative results, thirty patients (17.3%) underwent immediate IFLD. Median follow up was 38.0 (1-137.8) months. The 3-year groin RFS was 91.6% (95% CI 86.2-97.4%) for negative SLNs and 64.6% (95% CI 46.5-89.7%) for positive SLNs on frozen section. Similarly, the 3-year groin RFS was 91.7% (95% CI 86.3-97.4%) for negative, 58.4% (95% CI 38.5-87.7%) for macrometastases and 100% for micrometastases/ITCs on final pathology.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative assessment of SLNs is accurate to determine need for IFLD and does not compromise patient outcomes in vulvar cancer.

Predictive value of sentinel lymph node imaging and biopsy in early cervical cancers: correlation with scintigraphic uptake patterns and histology

AIM

This study was designed to 1) assess the feasibility, standardization of sentinel lymph node imaging (SLNI) and biopsy in early cervical cancers and also to determine the detection rates. 2) To analyze the SLN uptake pattern and correlate the findings with the histological grades of tumor.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

52 early cervical cancer patients underwent same-day Tc sulfur colloid (filtered) SLNI and biopsy with gamma probing. Patients underwent radical hysterectomy, para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy irrespective of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) findings. We analyzed the colloid transit times, uptake pattern, lymphatic groups involved and histology.

RESULTS

A total of 203 hot nodes (100% detection rate) were detected and harvested. Study showed 100% sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value. Internal iliac nodes were predominantly involved. Lymphatic uptake patterns were graded and correlated with tumor histology (Ki index). Transit time was relatively prolonged in patients with aggressive tumors.

CONCLUSION

SLNI and biopsy in early cervical malignancies are feasible with high detection rate. Scintigraphic patterns of nodal uptake were relevant and found to correlate with the tumor histological grades. We found that nonfocal nodal uptake patterns were mainly encountered in patients with tumors having higher Ki index. Immunohistochemistry further facilitated identification of lymph nodal metastases. The visual grading system, implemented in this study provides a good indication of the degree of impairment of lymphatic drainage. Higher visual scintigraphic grade denotes greater lymphatic tumor burden.

Sentinel lymph node mapping in early-stage cervical cancer - A national prospective multicenter study (SENTIREC trial)

OBJECTIVES

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping may replace staging radical pelvic lymphadenectomy in women with early-stage cervical cancer. In a national multicenter setting, we evaluated SLN mapping in women with early-stage cervical cancer and investigated the accuracy of SLN mapping and FDG-PET/CT in tumors >20 mm.

METHODS

We prospectively included women with early-stage cervical cancer from March 2017-January 2021 to undergo SLN mapping. Women with tumors >20 mm underwent completion pelvic lymphadenectomy and removal of FDG-PET/CT positive nodes. We determined SLN detection rates, incidence of nodal disease, sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) of SLN mapping, and the sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and positive predictive value (PPV) of FDG-PET/CT.

RESULTS

We included 245 women, and 38 (15.5%) had nodal metastasis. The SLN detection rate was 96.3% (236/245), with 82.0% (201/245) bilateral detection. In a stratified analysis of 103 women with tumors >20 mm, 27 (26.2%) had nodal metastases. The sensitivity of SLN mapping adhering to the algorithm was 96.3% (95% CI 81.0-99.9%) and the NPV 98.7% (95% CI 93.0-100%). For FDG-PET/CT imaging the sensitivity was 14.8% (95% CI 4.2-33.7%), the specificity 85.5% (95% CI 75.6-92.5%), the NPV 73.9% (95% CI 63.4-82.7%), and the PPV 26.7% (95% CI 7.8-55.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

SLN mapping seems to be an adequate staging procedure in early-stage cervical cancer tumors ≤20 mm. In tumors >20 mm, SLN mapping is highly sensitive but demands full adherence to the SLN algorithm. We recommend completion pelvic lymphadenectomy in tumors >20 mm until the oncological safety is established. FDG-PET/CT for nodal staging of women with early-stage cervical cancer seems limited.

Results of a German wide survey towards current surgical approach in early stage cervical cancer NOGGO MONITOR 11

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has become the standard approach in early stage cervical cancer (ECC). However, the recently published “LACC” trial and even others could show inferior PFS and OS of MIS compared to open radical hysterectomy. The results led to a widespread debate about the best surgical approach in ECC. The present survey aimed to get first insights after publication. NOGGO and AGE conducted a nationwide digital survey among 186 Gynecological Cancer Centers. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were performed using SPSS. A majority of the centers were of high expertise and/or experience in treatment of ECC and were highly aware of the LACC trial results. Trial quality and scientific value were rated as very good/good. However, still 40% would not change the standard of care to open surgery. Centers with higher volume and participating in clinical trials were more likely to change. This survey represents insights after the surprising results of recently published trials towards the surgical approach of ECC. There still seems to be a high need of future trials and possible explanations for the unexpected worse outcomes in the MIS group.

The Cervical Cancer Research Network (Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup) roadmap to expand research in low- and middle-income countries

Cervical cancer is a global health problem which disproportionally affects women in low- and middle- income countries. The World Health Organization recently launched its global strategy to eliminate this disease in the next two decades. For those women diagnosed today with cervical cancer better strategies are needed to improve outcome and reduce treatment-related morbidity. Clinical trials are critical to shaping future treatment, and much has been achieved already. However, such opportunities are limited in low resource settings, and the Cervical Cancer Research Network is dedicated to expanding access to new technologies in surgery, radiation, and medical oncology. In this article we review the status of the trials portfolio and outline future objectives, including the launch of a number of research grants for aspiring or established researchers in low- and middle-income settings.

Tumour-free distance: a novel prognostic marker in patients with early-stage cervical cancer treated by primary surgery

BACKGROUND

Models predicting recurrence risk (RR) of cervical cancer are used to tailor adjuvant treatment after radical surgery. The goal of our study was to compare available prognostic factors and to develop a prognostic model that would be easy to standardise and use in routine clinical practice.

METHODS

All consecutive patients with early-stage cervical cancer treated by primary surgery in a single referral centre (01/2007-12/2016) were eligible if assessed by standardised protocols for pre-operative imaging and pathology. Fifteen prognostic markers were evaluated in 379 patients, out of which 320 lymph node (LN)-negative.

RESULTS

The best predictive model for the whole cohort entailed a combination of tumour-free distance (TFD) ≤ 3.5 mm and LN positivity, which separated two subgroups with a substantially distinct RR 36% and 6.5%, respectively. In LN-negative patients, a combination of TFD ≤ 3.5 mm and adenosquamous tumour type separated a group of nine patients with RR 33% from the rest of the group with 6% RR.

CONCLUSIONS

A newly identified prognostic marker, TFD, surpassed all traditional tumour-related markers in the RR assessment. Predictive models combining TFD, which can be easily accessed on pre-operative imaging, with LN status or tumour type can be used in daily practice and can help to identify patients with the highest RR.

Quantitative kinetic parameters of primary tumor can be used to predict pelvic lymph node metastasis in early-stage cervical cancer

PURPOSE

To investigate the role of kinetic parameters of primary tumor derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in predicting pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM) in patients with cervical cancer.

METHODS

66 women with newly diagnosed cervical cancer were included between July 2017 and August 2019. All patients had a FIGO stage IB-IIA cancer and treated with hysterectomy and bilateral lymphadenectomy. Kinetic parameters of the primary tumor were derived from DCE-MRI data. The tumor diameter, ADC value, kinetic parameters, and nodal short-axis diameter were compared between patients with or without PLNM. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent predictors for PLNM and receiver operator characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance.

RESULTS

There were 20 patients with PLNM and 46 patients without PLNM. Tumor diameter, the efflux rate constant (Kep), and nodal short-axis diameter were significantly higher in patients with PLNM (P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Kep and short-axis diameter were independent predictors for PLNM. Combining Kep and nodal short-axis diameter yielded the highest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.839. Combined with Kep, the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value of nodal short-axis diameter increased from 0.500, 0.957, 0.815, and 0.833 to 0.600, 0.978, 0.923, and 0.849, respectively. With 1.113 min-1 as threshold, the sensitivity and specificity values of Kep in predicting PLNM in patients with normal-sized lymph nodes were 0.909 and 0.667, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Kep of primary tumor can be used as a surrogate marker to predict PLNM in cervical cancer.

Sentinel lymph node mapping with indocyanine green in cervical cancer patients undergoing open radical hysterectomy: a single-institution series

PURPOSE

To assess the rate of bilateral sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection with indocyanine green (ICG), to evaluate the sensitivity and the negative predictive value of cervical cancer patients undergoing open radical hysterectomy; to compare open versus minimally invasive SLN biopsy performance and to assess factors related to no/unilateral SLN mapping.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with FIGO 2018 stage IA1 with lymph-vascular space involvement to IIB and IIIC1p cervical carcinoma who underwent SLN mapping with ICG followed by systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy between 05/2017 and 06/2020. Patients were divided according to surgical approach for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Eighty-five patients met inclusion criteria. Twenty-seven (31.8%) underwent open and 58 (68.2%) underwent minimally invasive SLN mapping. No difference in any SLN mapping (laparotomy 92.6% and minimally invasive 91.4%) or in SLN bilateral detection (laparotomy 72.0% and minimally invasive 84.9%) (p = 0.850 and p = 0.222, respectively), in median number of SLNs mapped and retrieved (2 in both groups, p = 0.165) and in site of SLN mapping per hemi-pelvis (right side, p = 0273 and left side, p = 0.618) was evident between open and minimally invasive approach. Per-patient sensitivity of SLN biopsy in laparotomy was 83.3% (95% CI 35.9-99.6%) and the negative predictive value was 95.0% (95% CI 76.0-99.1%). No difference in per-patient sensitivity was noted between two approaches (p = 0.300). None of the analyzed variables was associated with no/unilateral SLN mapping.

CONCLUSION

The use of ICG to detect SLN in cervical cancer treated with open surgery allows a bilateral detection, sensitivity and negative predictive value comparable to minimally invasive surgery with potential advantages of ICG compared to other tracers.

Endocervical Adenocarcinoma, Gross Examination, and Processing, Including Intraoperative Evaluation: Recommendations From the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists

The International Society of Gynecological Pathologists (ISGyP) Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Project aims to provide evidence-based guidance for the pathologic evaluation, classification, and reporting of endocervical adenocarcinoma. This review presents the recommendations pertaining to gross evaluation and intraoperative consultation of specimens obtained from patients in the setting of cervical cancer. The recommendations are the product of review of published peer-reviewed evidence, international guidelines and institutional grossing manuals, as well as deliberation within this working group. The discussion presented herein details the approach to the different specimen types encountered in practice: loop electrosurgical excision procedure, cone, trachelectomy, radical hysterectomy, pelvic exenteration, and lymphadenectomy specimens. Guidelines for intraoperative evaluation of trachelectomy and sentinel lymph node specimens are also addressed. Correlation with ISGyP recommendations on cancer staging, which appear as a separate review in this issue, is also included when appropriate. While conceived in the framework of endocervical adenocarcinoma, most of the discussion and recommendations can also be applied to other cervical malignancies.

Tumor Staging of Endocervical Adenocarcinoma: Recommendations From the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) updated its staging system for cervical cancer in 2018 with changes that affect size criteria for early stage disease, as well as including pathology and radiology in addition to clinical assessment to be used in staging. Lymph node involvement was also included in the staging system. In early stage disease, pathologic findings are crucial in determining stage, which in turn determine treatment and prognosis for the patient. Therefore, it is imperative that there are unified and consistent methods and recommendations for assessing and reporting pathologic parameters for accurate staging. We describe the changes in the revised FIGO staging scheme and discuss controversial issues in cervical cancer staging from a pathologic perspective. We also provide practical recommendations regarding these parameters based on literature review and/or expert opinion/consensus.

Feasibility of T2WI-MRI-based radiomics nomogram for predicting normal-sized pelvic lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the feasibility of T₂WI-based radiomics nomogram analysis to non-invasively predict normal-sized pelvic lymph node (LN) metastasis (LNM) in cervical cancer patients.

METHODS

Preoperative images of 219 normal-sized pathologically confirmed LNs from 132 cervical cancer patients admitted to our hospital between January 2013 and March 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Regions of interests (ROIs) were separately delineated on whole LNs and tumors. The maximum-relevance and minimum-redundancy (mRMR) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) methods were used for the construction of radiomics signature. Logistic regression modeling was employed to build models based on clinical features on LN T₂WI (model 1), model 1 combined with LN radiomics features (model 2), and model 2 combined with tumor score (model 3). Diagnostic performance was assessed and compared.

RESULTS

Both model 2 and model 3 showed higher diagnostic accuracy (training: model 2 0.75, model 3 0.78, model 1 0.72; validation: model 2 0.77, model 3 0.69, model 1 0.66) and AUC (training: model 2 0.77, model 3 0.82, model 1 0.74; validation: model 2 0.75, model 3 0.74, model 1 0.70) than clinical model 1. Diagnostic performance of model 3 was improved compared with model 2 in primary cohort, but reduced in validation cohort. However, the differences did not show obvious statistical difference (p = 0.05 and p = 0.15).

CONCLUSIONS

T₂WI-based radiomics nomogram incorporating the LN radiomics signature with the clinical morphological LN features is promising for predicting the normal-sized pelvic LNM in cervical cancer patients. The original tumor radiomics analysis did not significantly improve the differential diagnosis of LNM.

KEY POINTS

• The combination of LN radiomics signature with LN clinical morphological features on T₂WI could discriminate LNM relatively well. • The tumor radiomics analysis did not significantly improve the differential diagnosis of LNM.

Pathological factors associated with non-sentinel lymph node metastasis in early stage cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the predictive factors for non-sentinel lymph node (non-SLN) metastasis in early-stage cervical cancer.

METHODS

We analyzed a series of 113 patients who underwent sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping for cervical cancer. The SLNs were examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) when the hematoxylin-eosin stain was negative.

RESULTS

The overall bilateral detection rate was 81.5%, with a median of two SLNs resected. The study ultimately included 92 patients with SLNs that were mapped who had also undergone systematic pelvic lymph node dissection. Thirteen (14.1%) patients had positive SLNs, with a median of one positive SLN. Regarding the size of SLN metastasis, one (1.1%) had isolated tumor cells (ITC), seven (7.6%) had micrometastases, and five (5.4%) had macrometastases. Notably, 46.1% (6/13) had lymph node metastases detected only after IHC. Five (38.5%) cases had positive non-SLNs, with a median count of one positive lymph node. Parametrial invasion was the only risk factor for positive non-SLN (p = .045). Regarding the size of SLN metastasis, non-SLN involvement was present in the only case with ITC (1/1), 42.9% (3/7) of cases with micrometastases, and in 20% (1/5) with macrometastases.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that parametrial invasion correlates with the risk of non-SLN metastasis in cervical cancer.

Status of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Vulvar and Cervical Cancer

Assessment of lymphatic metastasis is an essential component of solid tumour staging. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows regional lymph node involvement by tumour to be estimated by selectively examining the sentinel lymph node while minimising the morbidity of systematic lymph node dissection. Within the group of genital cancers, the diagnostic value of SLN biopsy is rated differently. For selected patients with early-stage vulvar cancer (unifocal primary tumour < 4 cm, clinically negative inguinal lymph nodes) the SLN technique is already an established procedure in the guidelines of the German Society for Gynaecology and Obstetrics (DGGG)/German Cancer Society (DKG) and the recommendations of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO). For cervical cancer, SLN biopsy has not yet been sufficiently standardised but can be considered for patients without risk factors with a primary tumour size < 2 cm. The SLN is identified by combined use of radioactive ^99m technetium nanocolloid and patent blue. The use of indocyanine green offers an alternative for SLN identification with few side effects. Recent studies aim to increase the diagnostic reliability of intraoperative frozen section analysis as this continues to show limited sensitivity in both vulvar and cervical cancer. The rate of detection of micrometastases can be increased by additional ultrastaging, the prognostic significance of which for both diseases is still unclear. The prognostic value of SLN biopsy compared with systematic lymph node dissection is being investigated in current studies (GROINSS-V-II for vulvar cancer and SENTIX-, SENTICOL-3 for cervical cancer). For this review article, a guideline-based literature search was performed in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed/MEDLINE) database with a particular focus on recent cohort studies and conference contributions.

Standard ultrastaging compared to one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) for the detection of sentinel lymph node metastases in early stage cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

We compared ultrastaging and one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) examination of sentinel lymph nodes in two homogeneous patient populations diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer. The primary aim of our study was to evaluate the rate and type of sentinel lymph node metastases detected by ultrastaging and OSNA assay. Secondary aims were to define the sensitivity and the negative predictive value of sentinel lymph node biopsy assessed with OSNA and ultrastaging and to define the role of sentinel lymph node assessment in predicting non-sentinel lymph node status.

METHODS

Consecutive patients who underwent surgery (radical hysterectomy or trachelectomy or cervical conization) at our institution, between January 2018 and March 2020, were enrolled. All patients had a preoperative diagnosis of early-stage cervical carcinoma (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2018 stages IA-IIB) and underwent sentinel lymph node assessment with ultrastaging or OSNA. Patients with advanced FIGO stages and special histology subtypes (other than squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma) or patients with sentinel lymph nodes analyzed only with hematoxylin and eosin were excluded. Clinical data were compared using the χ2 test and Fisher's exact test. A κ coefficient was determined with respect to lymph node assessment. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

A total of 116 patients were included in this retrospective analysis (53 ultrastaging, 63 OSNA). Overall, 531 and 605 lymph nodes were removed in the ultrastaging and OSNA groups, respectively, and 140 and 129 sentinel lymph nodes were analyzed in the ultrastaging and OSNA groups, respectively. 22 patients had metastatic sentinel lymph nodes: 6 (11.3%) of 53 patients in the ultrastaging group and 16 (25.4%) of 63 patients in the OSNA group. The total amount of positive SLNs was 7 (5%) of 140 in the ultrastaging group and 21 (16.3%) of 129 in the OSNA group, respectively (p=0.0047). Pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed in 26 (49.1%) of 53 patients in the ultrastaging group and in 34 (54%) of 63 patients in the OSNA group due to comorbidities. Metastatic non-sentinel lymph nodes were found in 4 patients: 2 (7.7%) of 26 patients in the ultrastaging group and 2 (5.9%) of 34 patients in the OSNA group, respectively. The total amount of positive pelvic lymph nodes was 3 (0.6%) of 531 in the ultrastaging group and 4 (0.7%) of 605 in the OSNA group (p=0.61). In the OSNA group, only 2 patients with negative sentinel lymph nodes had metastatic disease in the pelvic lymph nodes. By contrast, no patients with OSNA-positive sentinel lymph nodes had metastases in the pelvic lymph nodes. In the ultrastaging group, all patients with negative sentinel lymph nodes did not have metastatic disease in other pelvic lymph nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

OSNA assessment of sentinel lymph nodes was associated with a negative predictive value of 91% but poor reliability in detecting node metastases in non-sentinel pelvic lymph nodes. Of note, the ultrastaging protocol revealed higher sensitivity and more reliability in predicting pelvic non-sentinel lymph node status.