The role of omentectomy during the surgical staging in patients with clinical stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma

Risk factors for omental metastasis and the effect of omentectomy on survival in type 2 endometrial cancer patients

To investigate the risk factors for occult omental metastasis and the effect of omentectomy on the survival of type 2 endometrial cancer (EC) patients. This study enrolled patients who were diagnosed with high-risk (grade 3, serous, clear cell, undifferentiated, carcinosarcoma, or mixed type) EC between 2000 and 2021 and underwent surgery in our center. Data from 482 patients were analyzed retrospectively. Omentectomy was performed in 405 (84.0%) patients. Omental metastases were detected in 61 (12.7%) patients. Eighteen (29.5%) of these metastases were occult. Adnexal involvement, malignant cytology, and peritoneal spread were independent risk factors for omental metastasis. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 59.5% in patients who underwent omentectomy and 64.7% in those who did not (P = 0.558). In patients with and without omental metastases, the overall 5-year OS rates were 34.9% and 63.5%, respectively (P < 0.001). The 5-year OS rates of patients with a normal omentum, gross tumors, and occult metastases were 63.5%, 26.9%, and 52.5%, respectively (P < 0.001). Omental metastases is not uncommon in type II endometrial cancer; approximately one third of patients have occult metastases. Factors - positive cytology, adnexal involvement, and peritoneal involvement are associated with higher probability of omental metastases.

Significance of positive peritoneal cytology for recurrence and survival in patients with endometrial cancer

AIM

This study aims to examine the association between malignant peritoneal cytology and prognosis in women with endometrial cancer.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the records of patients with endometrial cancer who underwent surgery with intraoperative peritoneal cytology at our hospital between January 1988 and December 2012. All results were reclassified according to the 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) system, and the relation between intraoperative peritoneal cytology results and recurrence and prognosis was examined.

RESULTS

Of the 908 patients analyzed, 205 (22.6%) had positive peritoneal cytology. Patients with positive peritoneal cytology had significantly lower rates of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) than those in the negative cytology group (both p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis of patients with FIGO stage I/II showed significantly lower RFS in the positive-cytology group (p = 0.005), but there was no significant difference in OS (p = 0.637). In the patients with FIGO stage III/IV or patients classified as "high risk," the RFS and OS were significantly lower in the positive-cytology group (both p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis identified positive peritoneal cytology as a significant predictor of recurrence in patients with FIGO stage I/II disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with positive peritoneal cytology for endometrial cancer have a high risk of recurrence, regardless of histopathologic type or FIGO stage. Peritoneal cytology has already been removed from the 2009 FIGO classification of endometrial cancer, but it may deserve reconsideration.

Suspicious Positive Peritoneal Cytology (Class III) in Endometrial Cancer Does Not Affect Prognosis

Positive peritoneal cytology is a poor prognostic factor in patients with advanced endometrial cancer. Suspicious positive peritoneal cytology (class III) is commonly encountered in clinical practice. However, no standard treatment protocol exists for its management. Here, we investigated a possible relationship between suspicious positive peritoneal cytology, disease stage, risk factors, and endometrial cancer prognosis. We included patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer who underwent total hysterectomy and peritoneal cytology at the University of Tokyo Hospital between 2008 and 2022. Overall, 670 patients were included in the analyses; both demographic and clinical data of the patients were collected. The proportion of patients with lymph node metastasis was significantly different between peritoneal cytology groups, showing lymph node metastasis to be more extensive in patients with positive or suspicious positive peritoneal cytology than in patients with negative peritoneal cytology (p < 0.05). Thirty-nine patients had suspicious positive peritoneal cytology. Omental resection and biopsy were performed in 16 cases. No case of omental metastasis was found. Among patients with suspected ascites cytology, no patient experienced symptom recurrence or death. Therefore, monitoring lymph node metastasis in suspicious positive cases is essential. Moreover, a change of treatment method based on the finding of suspected positive peritoneal cytology is not necessary.

Endometrial cancer

Although endometrial cancer management remains challenging, a deeper understanding of the genetic diversity as well as the drivers of the various pathogenic states of this disease has led to development of divergent management approaches in an effort to improve therapeutic precision in this complex malignancy. This comprehensive review provides an update on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and molecular classification, recent advancements in disease management, as well as important patient quality-of-life considerations and emerging developments in the rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape of endometrial cancers.

European Society of Gynaecological Oncology quality indicators for the surgical treatment of endometrial carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Quality of surgical care as a crucial component of a comprehensive multi-disciplinary management improves outcomes in patients with endometrial carcinoma, notably helping to avoid suboptimal surgical treatment. Quality indicators (QIs) enable healthcare professionals to measure their clinical management with regard to ideal standards of care.

OBJECTIVE

In order to complete its set of QIs for the surgical management of gynecological cancers, the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) initiated the development of QIs for the surgical treatment of endometrial carcinoma.

METHODS

QIs were based on scientific evidence and/or expert consensus. The development process included a systematic literature search for the identification of potential QIs and documentation of the scientific evidence, two consensus meetings of a group of international experts, an internal validation process, and external review by a large international panel of clinicians and patient representatives. QIs were defined using a structured format comprising metrics specifications, and targets. A scoring system was then developed to ensure applicability and feasibility of a future ESGO accreditation process based on these QIs for endometrial carcinoma surgery and support any institutional or governmental quality assurance programs.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine structural, process and outcome indicators were defined. QIs 1-5 are general indicators related to center case load, training, experience of the surgeon, structured multi-disciplinarity of the team and active participation in clinical research. QIs 6 and 7 are related to the adequate pre-operative investigations. QIs 8-22 are related to peri-operative standards of care. QI 23 is related to molecular markers for endometrial carcinoma diagnosis and as determinants for treatment decisions. QI 24 addresses the compliance of management of patients after primary surgical treatment with the standards of care. QIs 25-29 highlight the need for a systematic assessment of surgical morbidity and oncologic outcome as well as standardized and comprehensive documentation of surgical and pathological elements. Each QI was associated with a score. An assessment form including a scoring system was built as basis for ESGO accreditation of centers for endometrial cancer surgery.

Is there a benefit of performing an omentectomy for clinical stage I high-grade endometrial carcinoma?

OBJECTIVES

Routine omentectomy is generally not performed in patients with endometrial cancer unless there is evidence of gross omental metastases. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the role of omentectomy in the staging of clinical stage I high-grade endometrial carcinoma and its impact on overall survival.

METHODS

Patients in the National Cancer Database who presented between 2010 and 2015 with clinical stage I serous, clear cell, carcinosarcoma, or grade 3 endometrioid carcinoma and underwent hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy were selected. Patients who did and did not receive an omentectomy were identified and clinico-pathological characteristics were compared. Overall survival was evaluated for patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 who had at least one month of follow-up following generation of Kaplan-Meier curves and comparison with the log-rank test. A Cox model was constructed to control for confounders.

RESULTS

A total of 9097 patients were identified, and 36.3% underwent an omentectomy. Patients who underwent omentectomy were more likely to be managed in academic institutions (50% vs. 44%, p < 0.001). They were also more likely to have an open surgery (48.2% vs. 27.2%, p < 0.001) and receive adjuvant chemotherapy (54.7% vs. 38.2%, p < 0.001). There was no difference in overall survival between patients who did and did not undergo omentectomy, p = 0.61; the 3-year OS rates were 82.3% and 82.2%, respectively. After controlling for confounders, the performance of an omentectomy was not associated with better survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.94, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.84, 1.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Routine omentectomy may not be associated with a survival benefit for patients with clinical stage I high-grade endometrial carcinoma.

Current recommendations and recent progress in endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, and its incidence is rising. Although there have been significant recent advances in our understanding of endometrial cancer biology, many aspects of treatment remain mired in controversy, including the role of surgical lymph node assessment and the selection of patients for adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy. For the subset of women with microsatellite-instable, metastatic disease, anti- programmed cell death protein 1 immunotherapy (pembrolizumab) is now approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and numerous trials are attempting to build on this early success.

Histologic grade and peritoneal cytology as prognostic factors in type 1 endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

Prognostic clinicopathological factors for type 1 endometrial cancer are unknown and the purpose of the current study was to determine the independent prognostic variables for type 1 endometrial cancer.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of 168 patients with type 1 endometrial cancer primarily treated with comprehensive staging surgery. The median follow-up time was 68 (12-100) months. Independent risk factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were determined using multivariate Cox regression models. Sub-group analysis of stage I was also performed. We also assessed the patterns of failure among patients with recurrences and investigated the associations with the prognostic variables determined by multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty patients (11.9%) had recurrence and 13 patients (7.7%) died of the disease overall. Multivariate analysis revealed that grade 2 (G2) histology (p = 0.008) and positive peritoneal cytology (p = 0.001) predicted the recurrent event in type 1 endometrial cancer. G2 histology (p = 0.007) and positive peritoneal cytology (p = 0.003) were also found to be independent risk factors for tumor-related deaths. Among stage I patients, G2 histology and positive peritoneal cytology were also independent prognostic variables for DFS and OS. Patients with G2 histology and/or positive peritoneal cytology were more likely to have recurrence at distant sites.

CONCLUSIONS

G2 histology and positive peritoneal cytology were independent prognostic factors for DFS and OS in type 1 endometrial cancer.

Optimal sampling of grossly normal omentum in staging of gynecologic malignancies

The pathologic detection of microscopic omental metastases is important for the staging and treatment of ovarian and endometrial cancer. The question of how to sample grossly negative omentectomy specimens has not been adequately answered. We reviewed our institutional experience by retrieving a series of gynecologic cancer cases from 1998 to 2013 in which the omentum was grossly negative, but microscopically positive. There were 21 patients with ovarian carcinoma, 7 with ovarian borderline tumors, and 16 with endometrial carcinoma (44 patients in total). Cases in which the omentum was grossly abnormal or suspicious were excluded. A mean of 5.2 blocks were submitted per case (range, 4-15), of which a mean of 2.7 were positive for metastatic disease (range, 1-5). The distribution of cases by percentage of blocks positive was bimodal: some cases showed only 1 or 2 foci of disease in the entire sampled omentum, whereas in other cases nearly every block was positive. Only 3 cases had been sampled with >5 blocks. We used a series of simulated cases, bootstrapped on the retrospective series, to determine the additional sensitivity conferred by submitting >5 blocks. This model indicated that 5 blocks will, in fact, be insufficient to capture microscopic metastases in some cases. Examination of 5 blocks has an estimated sensitivity of 82%, whereas submission of 10 blocks raises the sensitivity to 95%. These results suggest that submission of 10 blocks should be considered for grossly negative omentectomy specimens when other staging is negative.

Microscopic Omental Metastasis in Clinical Stage I Endometrial Cancer: A Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

A patient with early-stage endometrial cancer may possibly have microscopic metastasis in the omentum, which is associated with a poor prognosis. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for microscopic omental metastasis in patients with clinical stage I endometrial cancer to establish the indications for selective omentectomy.

METHODS

We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases for published studies from inception to August 2014, using terms such as 'endometrial cancer' or 'uterine cancer' for disease, 'omentectomy' or 'omental biopsy' for intervention, and 'metastasis' for outcome. Two reviewers independently identified the studies that matched the selection criteria. We calculated the pooled risk ratios (RRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) of each surgicopathologic finding for microscopic omental metastases in clinical stage I endometrial cancer. We also calculated the prevalence of microscopic omental metastases.

RESULTS

Among 1163 patients from ten studies, 22 cases (1.9 %) of microscopic omental metastases were found, which accounted for 26.5 % of all omental metastases. Positive lymph nodes (RR 8.71, 95 % CI 1.38-54.95), adnexal metastases (RR 16.76, 95 % CI 2.60-107.97), and appendiceal implants (RR 161.67, 95 % CI 5.16-5061.03) were highly associated with microscopic omental metastases.

CONCLUSIONS

Microscopic omental metastases were not negligible in patients with clinical stage I endometrial cancer. Those with a risk factor of microscopic omental metastases were recommended for selective omentectomy.

What is the importance of omental metastasis in patients with endometrial cancer?

OBJECTIVE

To identify surgico-pathologic factors, survival, and the factors determining survival in patients with omental metastasis from endometrial cancer.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Patients with endometrial cancer operated on between 1993-2012 in our hospital and who had omental metastases were included. Patients with either uterine sarcoma or synchronous tumors were excluded.

RESULTS

Omentectomy was performed in 811 patients with endometrial cancer, and omental metastasis was found in 48 (5.9%) patients. Tumor type was endometrioid cancer in 26 patients. Omental metastasis was macroscopic and microscopic in 60% and 40% of the patients, respectively. Total omentectomy increased the chance of detection of the microscopic metastases. Among the patients with omental metastasis, 68.8% had positive peritoneal cytology, 66.7% had adnexal involvement, 60.5% had metastases in the lymph nodes, 47.9% had cervical involvement, and 29.2% had serosal involvement; 43.8% of these patients had intra-abdominal spread beyond the omentum, adnexa, and peritoneal cytology. Two-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 28.2%, and 2-y overall survival (OS) was 40%. The depth of myometrial invasion, grade, cytology, and status of pelvic lymph nodes affected 2-y DFS, while cervical invasion and cytology affected 2-y OS.

CONCLUSION

Omental metastasis in endometrial cancer means poor prognosis, and two-thirds of these patients are lost at the end of the second year. Although total omentectomy increases the chance of the detection of micrometastases, its effect on survival is controversial. New treatment modalities are necessary in this patient group.

Should omentectomy be a part of surgical staging in patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the uterine corpus?

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of omental metastasis in endometrioid adenocarcinoma and to correlate risk variables with this spread.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma who underwent omentectomy in addition to staging laparotomy was performed.

RESULTS

Omental metastases were noted in 11 of the 322 patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma (3.4%). Multivariate analyses showed that there was a significant correlation between omental metastasis and positive peritoneal cytology, adnexal involvement, and grade 3 tumor (p = 0.028, p = 0.001, and p = 0.01, respectively). There was no statistical relationship between omental metastasis and lymphovascular space involvement, deep myometrial invasion, and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.087, p = 0.97, and p = 0.92, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Grade 3 endometrioid adenocarcinomas, especially those that are complicated by deep myometrial invasion, have a pattern of intra-abdominal spread similar to more aggressive endometrial cancers, with frequent involvement of the omentum. Overall, we conclude that 37.5% (3/8) of patients who had a grade 3 tumor and omental metastasis stage IV disease would have been missed if a staging operation similar to that employed for ovarian cancer had not been performed.