Endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer is not a distinct clinical entity among young patients: A 12-year cohort study

Endometriosis in clear cell and endometrioid carcinoma ovary: its impact on clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes

Background

Malignant transformation in endometriosis was first described by Sampson in 1925. There is now sufficient evidence of its association specifically with endometrioid (EOC) and clear cell ovarian cancer (CCOC). Whether endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC) is a distinct clinicopathological entity from non-endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (NEAOC) remains uncertain.

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the impact of endometriosis on clinical characteristics and survival outcomes in EOC and CCOC.

Methods

This is a retrospective single-institution analysis of patients diagnosed with CCOC AND EOC between 2010 and 2021. Demographic and clinical presentation data were obtained from medical records. Patients were followed up till March 2023. Statistical analysis was done using the IBM SPSS Statistics 20 Windows.

Results

Of the 77 cases of CCOC and EOC ovary, 38 had histopathologically proven endometriosis. There was no difference in age (51.62 and 50.05 years, respectively), body mass index, parity, menopausal status and CA 125 levels at presentation. Ascites was more frequent in the absence of endometriosis (30% versus 8.1%, p = 0.015). However, this did not translate to a statistical difference in the stage, with the majority presenting in the early stage. (94% versus 83%). All 78 patients underwent primary cytoreduction with equal rates of optimal resection.There was no difference in the mean disease-free interval between EAOC and NEAOC (107.6 and 109.4 months, p 0.484). Recurrences were predominantly pelvic in both groups. The disease-specific survival was 111.7 and 120.1 months, respectively, with and without endometriosis. This was however not statistically significant (p 0.751).

Conclusion

In the Indian population, endometriosis did not have any impact on the age at presentation, CA 125 levels, stage of the disease and survival outcomes in EOC and CCOC ovary.

A comprehensive overview of exosome lncRNAs: emerging biomarkers and potential therapeutics in endometriosis

Endometriosis is a gynecological condition that significantly impacting women's daily lives. In recent years, the incidence of endometriosis has been rising yearly and is now an essential contributor to female infertility. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles (EVs) that carry long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and shield lncRNA from the outside environment thanks to their vesicle-like structure. The role of exosome-derived lncRNAs in endometriosis is also receiving more study as high-throughput sequencing technology develops. Several lncRNAs with variable expression may be crucial to the emergence and growth of endometriosis. The early diagnosis of endometriosis will be considerably improved by further high specificity and sensitivity Exosome lncRNA screening. Exosomes assist lncRNAs in carrying out their roles, offering a new target for creating endometriosis-specific medications. In order to serve as a reference for clinical research on the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment options of endometriosis, this paper covers the role of exosome lncRNAs in endometriosis and related molecular mechanisms.

Spotlight on oncologic outcomes and prognostic factors of pure endometrioid ovarian carcinoma

AIM

To determine the prognostic factors related to recurrence and survival, and to evaluate the need for adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with endometrioid type epithelial ovarian cancer (EEOC).

METHODS

This study included 63 EEOC patients who were surgically staged.

RESULTS

The FIGO 2014 stage was stage I in 41 (65 %) patients, stage II in 8 (12.5 %) patients, stage III in 14 (22.5 %) patients. 5-year failure-free survival (FFS) was 78 % in the entire cohort. 15 (23.8 %) patients had disease failure. In univariate analysis, advanced stage (II&III), high grade tumor, presence of ascites, bilateral tumor, presence of omental metastasis, positive peritoneal cytology were prognostic factors for poor FFS. Only the stage was determined to be an independent prognostic factor for disease-failure. According to multivariate analysis, stage II&III was related to a statistically significant hazard ratio for a disease failure of 3.49 (95 % confidence interval: 1.029-11.841; p = 0.045). The effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy was assessed for 41 patients with stage I. Eleven (26.8 %) patients with stage I did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy. Whereas 5-year FFS was 88 % in patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, that was 91 % in patients without adjuvant chemotherapy (p = 0.923).

CONCLUSION

The independent prognostic factor for recurrence in EEOC was stage only. Adjuvant chemotherapy was not related to improvement in FFS in the early stage EEOC that were completely staged.