Adjuvant gemcitabine plus docetaxel for completely resected stages I-IV high grade uterine leiomyosarcoma: Results of a prospective study

UK guidelines for the management of soft tissue sarcomas

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare tumours arising in mesenchymal tissues and can occur almost anywhere in the body. Their rarity, and the heterogeneity of subtype and location, means that developing evidence-based guidelines is complicated by the limitations of the data available. This makes it more important that STS are managed by expert multidisciplinary teams, to ensure consistent and optimal treatment, recruitment to clinical trials, and the ongoing accumulation of further data and knowledge. The development of appropriate guidance, by an experienced panel referring to the evidence available, is therefore a useful foundation on which to build progress in the field. These guidelines are an update of the previous versions published in 2010 and 2016 [1, 2]. The original guidelines were drawn up by a panel of UK sarcoma specialists convened under the auspices of the British Sarcoma Group (BSG) and were intended to provide a framework for the multidisciplinary care of patients with soft tissue sarcomas. This iteration of the guidance, as well as updating the general multidisciplinary management of soft tissue sarcoma, includes specific sections relating to the management of sarcomas at defined anatomical sites: gynaecological sarcomas, retroperitoneal sarcomas, breast sarcomas, and skin sarcomas. These are generally managed collaboratively by site specific multidisciplinary teams linked to the regional sarcoma specialist team, as stipulated in the recently published sarcoma service specification [3]. In the UK, any patient with a suspected soft tissue sarcoma should be referred to a specialist regional soft tissues sarcoma service, to be managed by a specialist sarcoma multidisciplinary team. Once the diagnosis has been confirmed using appropriate imaging and a tissue biopsy, the main modality of management is usually surgical excision performed by a specialist surgeon, combined with pre- or post-operative radiotherapy for tumours at higher risk for local recurrence. Systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) may be utilised in cases where the histological subtype is considered more sensitive to systemic treatment. Regular follow-up is recommended to assess local control, development of metastatic disease, and any late effects of treatment.

Prognostic factors, oncological treatment and outcomes of uterine sarcoma: 10 years' clinical experience from a tertiary care center in Pakistan

BACKGROUND

Uterine sarcoma is an uncommon aggressive malignancy. Optimal management and prognostic factors have yet to be well recognized due to their rarity and various histological subtypes. This study aims to investigate these patients' prognostic factors, treatment modalities, and oncological outcomes.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted on all patients diagnosed with uterine sarcoma and treated from January 2010 to December 2019 in a tertiary-care hospital in Pakistan. The data were analyzed using STATA software and stratified on the histological subtype. Survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Crude and adjusted hazard ratios with 95% CI were estimated using univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 40 patients, 16(40%) had uterine leiomyosarcoma (u-LMS), 10(25%) had high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HGESS), 8(20%) had low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS) and 6(15%) had other histological subtypes. The median age of all patients was 49 (40-55.5). Thirty-seven (92.5%) patients underwent primary surgical resection, and 24 (60%) patients received adjuvant systemic chemotherapy. The survival plots showed the overall population's DFS of 64 months and the OS of 88 months (p-value = 0.001). The median DFS in all patients was 12 months, and the median OS was 14 months (p-value = 0.001). A small but significant DFS benefit was found in patients who received adjuvant systemic chemotherapy, 13.5 versus 11 months (p-value = 0.001). Multivariate Cox-regression analysis revealed that large tumor size and advanced FIGO stage were substantial factors associated with decreased survival.

CONCLUSION

Uterine sarcomas are rare malignancies with poor prognosis. Multiple factors, including tumor size, mitotic count, stage of the disease, and myometrial invasion, impact survival outcomes. Adjuvant treatment may decrease the recurrence rate and improve DFS but do not affect OS.

Uterine sarcomas: clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up, by Spanish group for research on sarcomas (GEIS)

Uterine sarcomas are very infrequent and heterogeneous entities. Due to its rarity, pathological diagnosis, surgical management, and systemic treatment are challenging. Treatment decision process in these tumors should be taken in a multidisciplinary tumor board. Available evidence is low and, in many cases, based on case series or clinical trials in which these tumors have been included with other soft tissue sarcoma. In these guidelines, we have tried to summarize the most relevant evidence in the diagnosis, staging, pathological disparities, surgical management, systemic treatment, and follow-up of uterine sarcomas.

An Extremely Rare Case of Disseminated Peritoneal Leiomyomatosis with a Pelvic Leiomyosarcoma and Omental Metastasis after Laparoscopic Morcellation: Systematic Review of the Literature

Minimally invasive treatment of uterine fibroids usually requires a power morcellation, which could be associated with several complications. A rare sequela is disseminated peritoneal leiomyomatosis. Indeed, recurrence or metastasis in these cases could be attributed to iatrogenic or under-evaluation of primary tumors, although a subset of cases is a sporadic sample of biological progression. We present an extremely rare case of a patient who underwent laparoscopic morcellation and after 12 years developed a pelvic leiomyosarcoma with two omental metastases, disseminated peritoneal leiomyomatosis with a parasite leiomyoma with bizarre nuclei and a parasite cellular leiomyoma simultaneously. The diagnosis was predicted preoperatively by an expert sonographer who recognized the ultrasound characteristics of uterine sarcoma and the localization of some of the masses, so the patient was referred to the gynaecological oncologists who could appropriately treat her. We present here a case report and a systematic review that could be a useful tool for further discussion and future clinical practice guidelines.

Sarcoma of the Uterus. Guideline of the DGGG, OEGGG and SGGG (S2k-Level, AWMF Registry No. 015/074, April 2021)

Purpose This is an official guideline, published and coordinated by the Germany Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, DGGG). Because of their rarity and heterogeneous histopathology, uterine sarcomas are challenging in terms of their clinical management and therefore require a multidisciplinary approach. To our knowledge, there are currently no binding evidence-based recommendations for the appropriate management of this heterogeneous group of tumors. Methods This S2k guideline was first published in 2015. The update published here is once again the result of the consensus of a representative interdisciplinary committee of experts who were commissioned by the Guidelines Committee of the DGGG to carry out a systematic search of the literature on uterine sarcomas. Members of the participating professional societies achieved a formal consensus after a structured consensus process. Recommendations 1.1 Epidemiology, classification, staging of uterine sarcomas. 1.2 Symptoms, general diagnostic workup, general pathology or genetic predisposition to uterine sarcomas. 2. Management of leiomyosarcomas. 3. Management of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas. 4. Management of high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma and undifferentiated uterine sarcomas. 5. Management of adenosarcomas. 6. Rhabdomyosarcomas of the uterus in children and adolescents. 7. Follow-up of uterine sarcomas. 8. Management of morcellated uterine sarcomas. 9. Information provided to patients.

Hormone receptor status and the role of oophorectomy in uterine leiomyosarcoma

OBJECTIVE

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is an aggressive malignancy for which hysterectomy is often the primary treatment approach. Due to the rarity of these tumors, the role of oophorectomy in the management of ULMS is not clearly established. This study aimed to describe the impact of oophorectomy and estrogen/progesterone (ER/PR) receptor status on clinical outcomes and survival.

METHODS

Women with ULMS treated between 1/2013 and 1/2018 were retrospectively identified. Clinical data was collected; descriptive statistics were performed and predictors of overall survival (OS) and event free survival (EFS) were analyzed using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier methodology.

RESULTS

189 patients were included. Median age was 53 years (20-84 years). The majority of patients had stage IB (58%) and grade 3 (94%) tumors. On pathologic analysis, ER/PR expression was positive in 41% and 33%, respectively. The majority of patients (179, 94.7%) underwent surgery as their primary treatment approach, of which 51 (28.5%) had ovarian conservation. 59.0% were treated with chemotherapy, while 9.9% received radiation therapy. 84.6% of patients experienced a recurrence, but there was no difference in EFS or OS by oophorectomy status, including among those with uterine confined disease. Additionally, ER/PR status was not independently associated with EFS/OS (p = 0.14, p = 0.07) nor did it impact survival among those with ovaries left in situ.

CONCLUSIONS

Oophorectomy did not influence OS, even though many tumors were hormone receptor positive. ER/PR status was not independently associated with survival, including in the subset of women with uterine confined disease and those who had undergone oophorectomy.

Utilization and outcomes of adjuvant therapy for stage II and III uterine leiomyosarcoma

OBJECTIVES

The optimal adjuvant therapy for uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) remains uncertain. We analyzed the utilization of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy for stage II and III uLMS and explored the association between use of adjuvant therapy and survival.

METHODS

Patients with stage II or III uLMS treated from 2004 to 2016 and recorded in the National Cancer Database were identified. Multivariable regression models were fit to estimate predictors of use of either adjuvant radiation therapy or chemotherapy. To analyze the impact of chemotherapy on all-cause mortality, an inverse probability of treatment weighted (IPTW) propensity score method was used to account for measured confounders, and the receipt of radiation therapy was adjusted in the outcome model. The process was repeated to analyze the impact of radiation therapy on all-cause mortality by using an IPTW propensity score method and adjusting for the receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS

A total of 890 patients were identified. Adjuvant chemotherapy use increased from 62.2% in 2010 to 70.4% in 2016, whereas radiation usage decreased from 26.7% in 2010 to 10.4% in 2016. Patients with stage III (vs. stage II) disease were less likely to receive radiation therapy. After propensity score weighting, chemotherapy was associated with a 30% decreased risk of all-cause mortality in stage III patients (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.45-0.98) but had no effect on mortality for stage II patients (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.70-1.20). Radiation therapy was associated with a 26% decreased risk of mortality for stage II tumors (HR 0.74; 95% CI, 0.53-0.99) and a 57% decrease in mortality for stage III disease (HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.18-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Among women with stage II-III uLMS, use of chemotherapy is increasing while use of radiation therapy is decreasing. Radiation therapy is associated with improved survival in both stage II and III disease, while there was no association between use of adjuvant chemotherapy and survival in stage II patients.

A novel morphology-based risk stratification model for stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma: an analysis of 203 cases

Uterine leiomyosarcoma is the most common uterine mesenchymal malignancy. The majority present at stage I, and clinical outcomes vary widely. However, no widely accepted risk stratification system for stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma is currently available. We studied 17 routinely evaluated clinicopathologic parameters in 203 stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma from three institutions to generate a novel risk stratification model for these tumors. Mitoses >25 per 2.4 mm2 (10 high-power fields), atypical mitoses, coagulative necrosis, lymphovascular invasion, and serosal abutment were significantly associated with disease-free and disease-specific survival in univariate and multivariate analyses. These prognostic parameters were each scored as binary ("yes" or "no") variables and fitted to a single optimized algebraic risk model:Risk score = (coagulative necrosis)(1) + (mitoses > 25 per 2.4 mm2)(2) + (atypical mitoses)(2) + (lymphovascular invasion)(3) + (serosal abutment)(5)By logistic regression, the risk model was significantly associated with 5-year disease-free (AUC = 0.9270) and 5-year disease-specific survival (AUC = 0.8517). Internal and external validation substantiated the model. The continuous score (range, 0-13) was optimally divided into 3 risk groups with distinct 5-year disease-free and disease-specific survival: low risk (0-2 points), intermediate risk (3-5 points), and high risk (6-13 points) groups. Our novel risk model performed significantly better than alternative uterine leiomyosarcoma risk stratification systems in predicting 5-year disease-free and disease-specific survival in stage I tumors. A simplified risk model, omitting terms for serosal abutment and lymphovascular invasion, can be accurately applied to myomectomy or morcellated specimens. We advocate routine application of this novel risk model in stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma to facilitate patient counseling and proper risk stratification for clinical trials.

A novel nomogram for predicting cancer-specific survival in women with uterine sarcoma: a large population-based study

Background

Uterine sarcoma (US) is a rare malignant uterine tumor with aggressive behavior and rapid progression. The purpose of this study was to constructa comprehensive nomogram to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) of patients with US-based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Methods

A retrospective population-based study was conducted using data from patients with US between 2010 and 2015 from the SEER database. They were randomly divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort ata 7-to-3 ratio. Multivariate Cox analysis was performed to identify independent prognostic factors. Subsequently, a nomogram was established to predict patient CSS. The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were evaluated by the concordance index (C-index) and the area under the curve (AUC). Finally, net reclassification improvement (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), calibration plotting, and decision-curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the benefits of the new prediction model.

Results

A total of 3861 patients with US were included in our study. As revealed in multivariate Cox analysis, age at diagnosis, race, marital status, insurance record, tumor size, pathology grade, histological type, SEER stage, AJCC stage, surgery status, radiotherapy status, and chemotherapy status were found to be independent prognostic factors. In our nomogram, pathology grade had strongest correlation with CSS, followed by age at diagnosis and surgery status. Compared to the AJCC staging system, the new nomogram showed better predictive discrimination with a higher C-index in the training and validation cohorts (0.796 and 0.767 vs. 0.706 and 0.713, respectively). Furthermore, the AUC value, calibration plotting, NRI, IDI, and DCA also demonstrated better performance than the traditional system.

Conclusion

Our study validated the first comprehensive nomogram for US, which could provide more accurate and individualized survival predictions for US patients in clinical practice.

Retrospective analysis of adjuvant treatment for localized, operable uterine leiomyosarcoma

OBJECTIVE

Currently, there is no standard adjuvant treatment protocol for localized uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) as clinical trials to address this question have been retrospective, underpowered, or undermined by slow accrual rates. The aim of this study is to determine the benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy for uLMS.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of localized uLMS patients who had underwent adjuvant therapy after upfront surgery between 2000 and 2020. The cases were blinded for review. We evaluated the influence of various clinical characteristics and different types of adjuvant therapies on specific outcomes.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight patients (median age: 50 years) were included for analysis. Forty of 68 (58.8%) patients received adjuvant chemotherapy +/- radiation therapy and 25 patients (38.6%) did not receive any adjuvant therapy. At a median follow-up time of 43.3 months, 45 patients (66.1%) had relapsed disease. The median disease-free survival (mDFS) for all patients was 23.1 months. Patients who received any adjuvant treatment (chemotherapy and/or radiation) trended toward a longer mDFS compared with those who did not receive any adjuvant therapy (29.7 vs. 14.1 months, p = 0.26). Patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy alone had a longer, but nonstatistically significant mDFS compared with those who did not receive any adjuvant treatment (22.2 vs. 14.1 months, p = 0.18). Additionally, univariate analysis found that tumor size large than 10 cm, and a mitotic rate >10/10hpf were independent prognostic factors for worse DFS.

CONCLUSIONS

Though DFS was more favorable among those who received adjuvant therapy, it was not statistically significant, and thus based on this data adjuvant therapy for resected uLMS is still in question.

A case of metastatic endobronchial tumor from uterine leiomyosarcoma

A 54-year-old woman presented with persistent productive cough, found to have an endobronchial tumor which obstructed the left upper lobe bronchus. Histopathological examination of a transbronchial biopsy of the endobronchial tumor suggested leiomyosarcoma. A positron emission tomography (PET)-CT revealed uterus tumor with moderate uptake of ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose, suggesting uterine malignancies. From the results of histological findings of the resected uterus and the biopsied bronchial specimen, she was diagnosed with uterine leiomyosarcoma and endobronchial metastasis. The systematic use of PET-CT could be useful for patients presenting with tumors that cause endobronchial metastasis of leiomyosarcomas.

Fourteen-Day Gemcitabine-Docetaxel Chemotherapy Is Effective and Safer Compared to 21-Day Regimen in Patients with Advanced Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma

Simple Summary

Gemcitabine-docetaxel chemotherapy is an important regimen for the treatment of soft tissue and bone sarcomas. We aimed to determine if gemcitabine-docetaxel when administered every 14-day would be as effective and less toxic compared to the 21-day schedule. Our study shows that indeed when administered in 14-day schedule gemcitabine-docetaxel chemotherapy results in similar chance of tumor shrinkage and survival yet fewer febrile neutropenia and discontinuation of chemotherapy due to intolerance, compared to 21-day schedule. Therefore, 14-day gemcitabine-docetaxel chemotherapy is safer and can be broadly adopted for the treatment of advanced soft tissue and bone sarcomas.

Abstract

Gemcitabine-docetaxel (G-D) combination is an effective chemotherapy for patients with advanced soft tissue and bone sarcoma, first developed with G administered on days 1 and 8, and D on day 8 every 21 days and later modified to be administered every 14 days in 2012. The 14-day regimen has become increasingly adopted. However, its efficacy and toxicities have not been compared. We identified 161 patients with metastatic or locally advanced soft tissue and bone sarcoma treated with either a 14-day or 21-day regimen within Northern California Kaiser Permanente from 1 January 2017 to 30 July 2020 and compared the outcomes and toxicity profiles of patients treated with the either regimen. Seventy-nine (49%) and 82 (51%) patients received the 14-day and the 21-day regimen, respectively, with similar response rate (22.8% and 15.8%, p = 0.26), median progression-free survival (PFS, 4.0 and 3.2 months, p = 0.15), and median overall survival (OS, 12.6 and 14.7 months, p = 0.55). Subset analysis of the untreated patients (approximately 60% of the entire cohort) as well as the patients with leiomyosarcoma only (approximately 50% of the entire cohort) showed that OS was not significantly different between the two regimens. Febrile neutropenia requiring hospitalization occurred in 10 and one patients (p = 0.006) and intolerance leading to discontinuation of chemotherapy occurred in 12 and two patients (p = 0.006) treated with the 21-day and the 14-day regimens, respectively. CDKN2A deletion/mutation or CDK4 amplification was associated with worse median OS (p = 0.06), while a RB1 deletion/mutation was associated with better median PFS (p = 0.05), and these two genomic alterations were mutually exclusive. Our data demonstrate that, compared to the traditional 21-day G-D regimen, the 14-day G-D regimen is equally effective but safer. In addition, CDKN2A and RB1 pathways play significant role on the outcomes of the patients.

The systemic treatment of uterine leiomyosarcomas: A systematic review. No news is good news?

BACKGROUND

Uterine leiomyosarcomas are rare malignant mesenchymal tumors. The systemic treatment of these tumors includes chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding the ideal therapeutic approach.

METHODS

We have conducted a systematic review of the treatment strategies of uterine leiomyosarcomas for the last ten years.

RESULTS

Adjuvant chemotherapy is still a matter of dilemma. Doxorubicin based chemotherapy or the combination of Gemcitabine-Docetaxel are the regimens of choice for the first line setting. Beyond the first line, there are several options;, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and recently efforts of introducing immunotherapy to the therapeutic armamentarium of clinicians treating uterine leiomyosarcomas.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the efforts of the clinicians dealing with uterine leiomyosarcomas, the optimal therapeutic algorithm is yet to be described.

Unmet Medical Needs and Future Perspectives for Leiomyosarcoma Patients-A Position Paper from the National LeioMyoSarcoma Foundation (NLMSF) and Sarcoma Patients EuroNet (SPAEN)

As leiomyosarcoma patients are challenged by the development of metastatic disease, effective systemic therapies are the cornerstone of outcome. However, the overall activity of the currently available conventional systemic treatments and the prognosis of patients with advanced or metastatic disease are still poor, making the treatment of this patient group challenging. Therefore, in a joint effort together with patient networks and organizations, namely Sarcoma Patients EuroNet (SPAEN), the international network of sarcoma patients organizations, and the National LeioMyoSarcoma Foundation (NLMSF) in the United States, we aim to summarize state-of-the-art treatments for leiomyosarcoma patients in order to identify knowledge gaps and current unmet needs, thereby guiding the community to design innovative clinical trials and basic research and close these research gaps. This position paper arose from a leiomyosarcoma research meeting in October 2020 hosted by the NLMSF and SPAEN.

Proposing the 3-tier staging system for improving prognostication in Stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To examine the utility of a 3-tier schema (≤5 cm, 5.1-10 cm, and > 10 cm) in determining characteristics and survival in Stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study queried the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result Program from 1988 to 2016. Surgically treated stage I uterine leiomyosarcomas with known tumor size were examined (N = 2217). Trends, characteristics, and survival were assessed based on tumor size.

RESULTS

The most common tumor size was 5.1-10 cm (45.7%) followed by >10 cm (35.0%) and ≤5 cm (19.4%). Tumor size-shift occurred during the study period; the percentage of tumor size >10 cm increased from 12.9% to 44.5% and the groups with smaller tumor sizes decreased (p < .001). In weighted models, 5-year overall survival rates ranged from 49.9% to 71.6% in the 3-tier system and 55.2%-70.6% in the 2-tier system: the absolute difference was larger in the 3-tier system (21.7% vs. 15.4%). In the 3-tier system, all-cause mortality risk of tumor size >10 cm versus ≤5 cm nearly doubled (hazard ratio 1.96, 95% confidence interval 1.78-2.16).

CONCLUSION

In the past decades, tumors of stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma have become larger. Our study suggests that a tumor size-based 3-tier staging system may be useful to differentiate survival in stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Italian consensus conference on management of uterine sarcomas on behalf of S.I.G.O. (Societa' italiana di Ginecologia E Ostetricia)

BACKGROUND

Uterine sarcomas are very rare tumours with different histotypes, molecular features and clinical outcomes; therefore, it is difficult to carry out prospective clinical trials, and this often results in heterogeneous management of patients in the clinical practice.

AIM

We planned to set up an Italian consensus conference on these diseases in order to provide recommendations on treatments and quality of care in our country.

RESULTS

Early-stage uterine sarcomas are managed by hysterectomy + bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy according to menopausal status and histology; lymphadenectomy is not indicated in patients without bulky nodes, and morcellation must be avoided. The postoperative management is represented by observation, even though chemotherapy can be considered in some high-risk patients. In early-stage low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma and adenosarcomas without sarcomatous overgrowth, hormonal adjuvant treatment can be offered based on hormone receptor expression. In selected cases, external beam radiotherapy ± brachytherapy can be considered to increase local control only. Patients with advanced disease involving the abdomen can be offered primary chemotherapy (or hormonal therapy in the case of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma and adenosarcoma without sarcomatous overgrowth), even if potentially resectable in the absence of residual disease in order to test the chemosensitivity (or hormonosensitivity); debulking surgery can be considered in patients with clinical and radiological response. Chemotherapy is based on anthracyclines ± ifosfamide or dacarbazine. Palliative radiotherapy can be offered for symptom control, and stereotactic radiotherapy can be used for up to five isolated metastatic lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of uterine sarcoma should be centralised at referral centres and managed in a multidisciplinary setting.

Gynecological Sarcomas: Molecular Characteristics, Behavior, and Histology-Driven Therapy

Gynecological sarcomas represent 3% to 4% of all gynecological malignancies and 13% of all sarcomas. The uterus is the most frequent primary site (83%); less frequently sarcomas are diagnosed originating from the ovary (8%), vulva and vagina (5%), and other gynecologic organs (2%). As the classification of gynecologic sarcomas continues to diversify, so does the management. Accurate histopathologic diagnosis, utilizing appropriate ancillary immunohistochemical and molecular analysis, could lead to a more personalized approach. However, there are subtypes that require further definition, with regard to putative predictive markers and optimal management. The aim of this review is to highlight the importance of accurate diagnosis and classification of gynecologic sarcoma subtypes by the surgical pathologist in order to provide more tailored systemic treatment, and to highlight the increasing importance of close collaboration between the pathologist and the oncologist.

Anthracycline-based and gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting for stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma: a retrospective analysis at two reference centers

Background

Radically resected early uterine leiomyosarcoma (eULMS) is still marked by a poor prognosis. Adjuvant strategies investigated up to now have not been corroborated by controlled studies. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcome of eULMS patients treated with adjuvant anthracycline-based or gemcitabine-based chemotherapy at two Italian reference centers.

Methods

In this explorative, retrospective, cohort analysis, we included all the consecutive patients with radically resected eULMS treated at two centers between 1997 and 2017.

Results

A total of 109 consecutive patients were included. Sixty-six (60%) received an anthracycline-based regimen, whereas 43 (40%) received a gemcitabine-based regimen. Median disease-free survival (DFS) was 41.3 months with anthracycline-based regimens compared to 20.9 months with gemcitabine-based regimens (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.30–0.80; P = 0.004). In the multivariable model, anthracycline-based regimens were independently associated with a better DFS. No difference in terms of overall survival was observed.

Conclusions

DFS was not the same by using an anthracycline-based or a gemcitabine-based adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with radically resected eULMS. The results of our study are in line with recent prospective controlled evidence in limb and superficial trunk soft tissue sarcomas. The role of anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy should still be viewed as a research issue in eULMS.

Impact of Chemotherapy in the Adjuvant Setting of Early Stage Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: A Systematic Review and Updated Meta-Analysis

Background: Although the use of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) appears to be increasing over the past few years, several clinical trials and previous meta-analyses failed to determine whether AC could improve clinical outcomes in uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare AC (with or without radiotherapy) versus observation (obs) after primary surgery in early stage uLMS. Materials and Methods: Randomized controlled (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (NRSs) were retrieved. Outcomes of interest were as follows: distant recurrence rate, locoregional recurrence rate and overall recurrence rate. Results about distant recurrence rate, locoregional recurrence rate and overall recurrence rate were compared by calculating odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs); ORs were combined with Mantel–Haenszel method. Results: Nine studies were included in the analysis, involving 545 patients (AC: 252, obs: 293). Compared with obs, AC did not reduce locoregional and distant recurrence rate, with a pooled OR of 1.36 and 0.63, respectively. Similarly, administration of AC did not decrease overall recurrence rate in comparison to obs. Conclusion: According to our results, AC (with or without radiotherapy) did not decrease recurrence rate in early stage uLMS; thus, the role of AC in this setting remains unclear.

Anti-cancer therapy and clinical trial considerations for gynecologic oncology patients during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis

OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic has consumed considerable resources and has impacted the delivery of cancer care. Patients with cancer may have factors which place them at high risk for COVID 19 morbidity or mortality. Highly immunosuppressive chemotherapy regimens and possible exposure to COVID-19 during treatment may put patients at additional risk. The Society of Gynecologic Oncology convened an expert panel to address recommendations for best practices during this crisis to minimize risk to patients from deviations in cancer care and from COVID-19 morbidity.

METHODS

An expert panel convened to develop initial consensus guidelines regarding anti-neoplastic therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic with respect to gynecologic cancer care and clinical trials.

RESULTS

COVID-19 poses special risks to patients who are older, have medical co-morbidities, and cancer. In addition, this pandemic will likely strain resources, making delivery of cancer care or conduct of clinical trials unpredictable. Recommendations are to limit visits and contact with health care facilities by using telemedicine when appropriate, and choosing regimens which require less frequent visits and which are less immunosuppressive. Deviations will occur in clinical trials as a result of limited resources, and it is important to understand regulatory obligations to trial sponsors as well as to the IRB to ensure that clinical trial and patient safety oversight are maintained.

CONCLUSIONS

The ongoing crisis will strain resources needed to deliver cancer care. When alterations to the delivery of care are mandated, efforts should be taken to minimize risks and maximize safety while approximating standard practice.

Administration sequence for multi-agent oncolytic regimens

Purpose

The existence of a multitude of oncolytics regimens containing two or more agents (combination) outlines the need to define their most adequate sequence of administration. However, limited resources are currently available to specify a particular sequence, presenting challenges potentially impacting on patient safety, and Pharmacy & Infusion Nursing workflows.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was performed leading to the compilation of a document containing drug administration sequencing instructions for our Nursing, Pharmacy, and Oncology providers to follow. Regimens prioritized in our literature review represented regimens selected as part of our approved Clinical Pathways, regimens inquiries from Pharmacy or Nursing, as well as less frequently used regimens. We stratified the regimens by tumor type and arranged them alphabetically by indication.

Results

A table was compiled containing all the supporting literature for the recommended drug administration sequences. If, in certain instances, no literature support was identified outlining rationale such as enhanced management of adverse effects, a specific institutional decision was made by our enterprise Medical Oncology Committee with recommendations from Pharmacy experts. The primary guiding principles for outlining our recommendations were the following: administration of vesicant agents first; administration of biologic agents first; administration of taxanes prior to platinum agents; and duration of infusion (shorter infusions prioritized).

Conclusion

This guideline is not exhaustive. The compilation provided here is intended to be utilized as guidance for oncolytics administration sequence. We will continue to review and incorporate treatment sequencing recommendations for additional regimens.

Upregulated MELK Leads to Doxorubicin Chemoresistance and M2 Macrophage Polarization via the miR-34a/JAK2/STAT3 Pathway in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy with few therapeutic options. Chemoresistance prevails as a major hurdle in treating this malignancy, yet the mechanism of chemoresistance remains largely unclear. In this study, we certified MELK as a poor prognostic marker through bioinformatic analysis of the GEO database. Cellular experiments in vitro revealed that MELK played an essential role in ULMS cells' chemoresistance and that a high expression of MELK could lead to doxorubicin resistance. mRNA profiling uncovered the pathways that MELK was involved in which led to doxorubicin resistance. MELK was found to affect ULMS cells' chemoresistance through an anti-apoptotic mechanism via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. miRNA profiling also revealed that upregulated MELK could induce the decrease of miRNA-34a (regulated by JAK2/STAT3 pathway). We detected that MELK overexpression could induce M2 macrophage polarization via the miR-34a/JAK2/STAT3 pathway, contributing to doxorubicin chemoresistance in the tumor microenvironment. OTSSP167, a MELK inhibitor, may increase ULMS sensitivity to doxorubicin. Our investigation could propose novel targets for early diagnosis and precision therapy in ULMS patients.

Construction and Validation of Nomograms for Predicting the Prognosis of Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: A Population-Based Study

BACKGROUND Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is a rare female malignancy with poor survival rates. The objective of this study was to construct prognostic nomograms for predicting the prognosis of women with uLMS. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients with uLMS diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The essential clinical predictors were identified via univariate and multivariate Cox analysis models. Nomograms were constructed to predict the 3- and 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) rates. Concordance index (C-index) and calibration plots were constructed to validate the predictive performance of nomograms. RESULTS We enrolled 1448 patients with uLMS from the SEER database, with 1016 categorized into a training set and 432 categorized into a validation set. In multivariate analysis of the training set, predictors including age, disease stage, histological grade, tumor size, and surgery type were found to be associated with OS and CSS. Race and chemotherapy were only associated with OS. Construction of nomograms based on these predictors was performed to evaluate the prognosis of uLMS patients. The C-index and calibration curves also showed the satisfactory performance of these nomograms for prediction of prognosis. CONCLUSIONS The developed nomograms are useful tools for precisely analyzing the prognosis of uLMS patients, which could help clinicians in making personalized survival predictions and assessing individualized clinical options.

Efficacy and Safety of Nanosomal Docetaxel Lipid Suspension-Based Chemotherapy in Sarcoma: A Multicenter, Retrospective Study

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nanosomal docetaxel lipid suspension (NDLS, DoceAqualip) based chemotherapy in patients with sarcoma.

Methods

In this retrospective, multicenter (6 centers), observational study, we analyzed the medical charts of adult patients of either sex, who were treated with NDLS (75 mg/m² in 3-weekly cycles) based chemotherapy for the treatment of sarcoma. The efficacy outcomes were overall response rate (ORR: complete response (CR) + partial response (PR)) and disease control rate (DCR: CR + PR + stable disease (SD)) in patients who received NDLS-based chemotherapy in neoadjuvant and metastatic settings. Overall survival (OS) and safety were evaluated for all settings.

Results

Of 11 patients (neoadjuvant: 1, adjuvant: 3, and metastatic: 7) in this study, majority had leiomyosarcoma (63.6%, 7/11) followed by extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma (EMC), high grade pleomorphic sarcoma of mandible, malignant fibrous histiocytoma of right thigh, and osteosarcoma of femur (9.1% each, 1/11 each). NDLS plus gemcitabine combination was used in 10 patients (90.9%), and NDLS plus cyclophosphamide was used in one patient with EMC (9.1%). Efficacy evaluation was performed for 7 patients (neoadjuvant: 1/1; metastatic: 6/7). Complete response was reported in one patient (soft tissue sarcoma of mandible) treated in neoadjuvant setting. In metastatic setting, ORR was 50% and DCR was 66.7% (CR: 16.7% (1/6), PR: 33.3% (2/6), SD: 16.7% (1/6)). At a median follow-up of 6.5 months (range: 0.06–20.2 months), median OS was not reached in neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings, but it was 15.8 months in metastatic setting. At least 1 AE was reported in 7 (63.6%) patients. Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, and anemia were the hematological AEs, whereas nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea were the most common nonhematological AEs. NDLS treatment was well tolerated without any new safety concerns.

Conclusion

Nanosomal docetaxel lipid suspension-based chemotherapy was efficacious and well tolerated in the treatment of sarcoma. Further prospective trials are needed to confirm the data.

Retrospective analysis of treatment and prognosis for uterine leiomyosarcoma: 10-year experience of a single institute

AIM

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS) is a highly aggressive and lethal disease. This malignancy remains the most common type of uterine sarcoma, affecting approximately 0.4/100 000 women each year. Our aim was to assess the treatment and prognosis of ULMS patients.

METHODS

A total of 14 patients were treated at our institution between January 2008 and July 2017. We retrospectively analyzed their clinicopathological variables, treatment and prognosis.

RESULTS

The median patient age was 63 years (range, 35-83 years). The largest group of patients had stage IB disease (stage IB, n = 8; IIB, n = 2; IIIB, n = 1; IVB, n = 3) and the largest group by histological subtype was ordinary (ordinary, n = 11; myxoid, n = 2; epithelioid, n = 1). Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed for all patients, with additional surgical procedures (e.g., tumor resection, lymphadenectomy) performed if necessary. Twelve patients received adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) consisting of gemcitabine and docetaxel. Ten patients experienced recurrence and received multidisciplinary therapies, including tumor resection, chemotherapy, radiation and targeted therapies. The median observation period was 17 months (range, 5-75 months), and 11 patients were alive (without disease, n = 5; with disease, n = 6). Intriguingly, five of eight stage IB patients who received postoperative ACT were alive without disease.

CONCLUSION

ULMS is rare but is associated with a poor prognosis, even if multidisciplinary therapies are administered. However, ACT appears to be effective in improving the prognosis of patients with stage IB disease.

Sarcoma of the Uterus. Guideline of the DGGG and OEGGG (S2k Level, AWMF Register Number 015/074, February 2019)

Aims This is an official guideline published and coordinated by the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) and the Austrian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (OEGGG). Because of their rarity and heterogeneous histopathology, uterine sarcomas are challenging in terms of how they should be managed clinically, and treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach. To our knowledge, there are currently no binding evidence-based recommendations for the appropriate management of this heterogeneous group of tumors. Methods This S2k guideline was first published in 2015. The update published here is the result of the consensus of a representative interdisciplinary group of experts who carried out a systematic search of the literature on uterine sarcomas in the context of the guidelines program of the DGGG, OEGGG and SGGG. Members of the participating professional societies achieved a formal consensus after a moderated structured consensus process. Recommendations The consensus-based recommendations and statements include the epidemiology, classification, staging, symptoms, general diagnostic work-up and general pathology of uterine sarcomas as well as the genetic predisposition to develop uterine sarcomas. Also included are statements on the management of leiomyosarcomas, (low and high-grade) endometrial stromal sarcomas and undifferentiated uterine sarcomas and adenosarcomas. Finally, the guideline considers the follow-up and morcellation of uterine sarcomas and the information provided to patients.

EP4 and Class III β-Tubulin Expression in Uterine Smooth Muscle Tumors: Implications for Prognosis and Treatment

The microtubule-stabilizing agent docetaxel in combination with gemcitabine represents one of the most effective regimens against the aggressive gynecologic tumor leiomyosarcoma (LMS). Upregulation of class III β-tubulin has previously been shown to confer taxane resistance in a variety of human cancers. Prostaglandin E₂ receptor EP4 is linked to progression of a variety of human cancers and may represent a novel target for tumor inhibition in LMS. We evaluated the hypotheses that EP4 and class III β-tubulin have increased expression in LMS in comparison to normal myometrium or benign tumors and that expression of class III β-tubulin correlates with resistance to taxanes and poor clinical outcome. Gene expression was examined using TCGA data and correlated with clinicopathologic outcome which demonstrated that class III β-tubulin is more highly expressed in more aggressive sarcomas with EP4 being widely expressed in all subtypes of sarcoma. Immunohistochemistry for EP4 and class III β-tubulin was performed on patients with LMS, leiomyomatosis/STUMP, leiomyoma, and normal myometrium. Expression of EP4 and class III β-tubulin were characterized for cell lines SK-UT-1, SK-UT-1B, and PHM-41 and these cell lines were treated with docetaxel alone and in combination with EP4 inhibitors. In taxane-resistant cell lines that overexpress class III β-tubulin and EP4, treatment with EP4 inhibitor resulted in at least 2-fold sensitization to docetaxel. Expression of class III β-tubulin and EP4 in LMS may identify patients at risk of resistance to standard chemotherapies and candidates for augmentation of therapy through EP4 inhibition.

Current status of the adjuvant therapy in uterine sarcoma: A literature review

Uterine sarcomas (US) are rare mesenchymal tumours accounting approximately for 3%–7% of all uterine cancers. Histologically, US are classified into mesenchymal tumours or mixed epithelial and mesenchymal tumours. The group of mesenchymal tumours includes uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS, 65% of cases), endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS, 21%) – traditionally divided into low grade (LG-ESS) and high grade–undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (5%) and other rare subtypes such as alveolar or embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Despite the fact that several drugs demonstrated clinical activity in advanced or metastatic settings, the role of postoperative therapy in US remains controversial. In this review, we have summarised the current state of the art, including the chief trials on adjuvant treatment modalities in US, especially focusing on uLMS, LG-ESS and other rare histotypes.

Uterine sarcomas

Uterine sarcomas comprise a small percentage of uterine malignancies. The most common uterine sarcoma is leiomyosarcoma (LMS). Early stage uterine LMS is curable with complete hysterectomy with removal of an intact uterus. Patients with metastatic disease may achieve tumor responses with improvements in quality of life, but long-term remissions are rare. In this review article, I outline adjuvant therapies for early stage resected uterine LMS, as well as treatment of metastatic disease.

A patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) nude-mouse model precisely identifies effective and ineffective therapies for recurrent leiomyosarcoma

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare and recalcitrant disease. Doxorubicin (DOX) is usually considered first-line treatment for this disease, but frequently is ineffective. In order to individualize therapy for this and other cancers, we have developed the patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) mouse model. In the present study, we implanted a recurrent leiomyosarcoma from a resected tumor from the patient's thigh into the femoral muscle of nude mice. The following drugs were tested on the leiomyosarcoma PDOX model: DOX, the combination of gemcitabine (GEM) and docetaxel (DOC), trabectedin (TRA), temozolomide (TEM), pazopanib (PAZ) and olaratumab (OLA). Of these agents GEM/DOC, TRA and TEM were highly effective in the leiomyosarcoma PDOX model, the other agents, including first-line therapy DOX, were ineffective. Thus the leiomyosarcoma PDOX model could precisely distinguish effective and ineffective drugs, demonstrating the potential of the PDOX model for leiomyosarcoma treatment.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: Trends and Factors Impacting Usage

Objectives

The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with localized uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) remains unclear due to a lack of randomized studies and data only from small retrospective series to rely on. We sought to identify factors associated with the administration of chemotherapy and to determine the trends in the usage of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with nonmetastatic uterine LMS.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic uterine LMS between 2004 and 2014 were identified from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Multiple regression was used to determine factors with a significant impact on patient receipt of chemotherapy. Kaplan–Meier curves and the Cox model were used to determine the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on overall survival (OS).

Results

2,732 uterine LMS patients were identified. Patients older than 65 were less likely to receive chemotherapy than their younger counterparts. Patients with stage I or stage II cancer were less likely to receive chemotherapy, whereas individuals with positive regional lymph nodes and those who had received radiation were more likely. In this cohort, adjuvant chemotherapy had no significant impact on OS (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.90–1.22; P=0.5768). However, administration of chemotherapy significantly increased from 2004 to 2014 (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Expected tumor characteristics such as higher stage of tumor were associated with receipt of chemotherapy. Although adjuvant chemotherapy demonstrated no benefit over observation on OS in patients with nonmetastatic LMS, the number of patients being treated with chemotherapy continued to increase from 2004 to 2014.

Detection of Circulating Tumor DNA in Patients With Leiomyosarcoma With Progressive Disease

Purpose

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a soft tissue sarcoma characterized by multiple copy number alterations (CNAs) and without common recurrent single nucleotide variants. We evaluated the feasibility of detecting circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) with next-generation sequencing in a cohort of patients with LMS whose tumor burden ranged from no evidence of disease to metastatic progressive disease.

Patients and Methods

Cell-free DNA in plasma samples and paired genomic DNA from resected tumors were evaluated from patients with LMS by ultra-low passage whole genome sequencing (ULP-WGS). Sequencing reads were aligned to the human genome and CNAs identified in cell-free DNA and tumor DNA by ichorCNA software to determine the presence of ctDNA. Clinical data were reviewed to assess disease burden and clinicopathologic features.

Results

We identified LMS ctDNA in eleven of sixteen patients (69%) with disease progression and total tumor burden over 5 cm. Sixteen patients with stable disease or low disease burden at the time of blood draw were found to have no detectable ctDNA. Higher ctDNA fraction of total cell-free DNA was associated with increasing tumor size and disease progression. Conserved CNAs were found between primary tumors and ctDNA in each case, and recurrent CNAs were found across LMS samples. ctDNA levels declined following resection of progressive disease in one case and became detectable upon disease relapse in another individual patient.

Conclusion

These results suggest that ctDNA, assayed by a widely available sequencing approach, may be useful as a biomarker for a subset of uterine and extrauterine LMS. Higher levels of ctDNA correlate with tumor size and disease progression. Liquid biopsies may assist in guiding treatment decisions, monitoring response to systemic therapy, surveying for disease recurrence and differentiating benign and malignant smooth muscle tumors.

Uterine Sarcomas: Experience from a Tertiary Cancer Care Center from India

Uterine sarcomas are uncommon and aggressive tumors comprising 3-7% of all uterine malignancies. The aim is to evaluate clinical presentation, histopathologic pattern, recurrence pattern, and outcome of patients with uterine sarcomas presenting to a tertiary care cancer center over an 8-year period. A total of 11 cases of uterine sarcoma were diagnosed. The median age of patients at presentation was 51 years (range 30-67 years). Six patients had leiomyosarcoma (54.5%), 4 had endometrial stromal sarcoma (36%), and 1 had adenosarcoma (9%). The main presenting symptoms were abnormal vaginal bleeding, low abdominal pain, and white discharge. Median follow-up was 11 months ranging from 3 to 200 months. Median survivals for leiomyosarcoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma, and adenosarcoma were 6.5, 18, and 56 months. The 3- and 5-year survival by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of the entire cohort was 30 and 20%. The mitotic index, age, adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy, radiotherapy), and performance of pelvic nodal dissection did not impact survival significantly in the patient with leiomyosarcoma. Stage and histology had the strongest bearing on survival and leiomyosarcoma has the worst survival, whereas adenosarcoma had the best prognosis. Adequately powered prospective studies are required to define the role of radiation therapy and chemotherapy in this rare disease.

Uterine sarcomas

Uterine sarcomas account for approximately 3%-7% of all uterine cancers. Since carcinosarcomas are currently classified as metaplastic carcinomas, leiomyosarcomas remain the most common subtype. Exclusion of several histologic variants of leiomyoma, as well as atypical smooth muscle tumors (so-called "smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential"), has highlighted that the vast majority of leiomyosarcomas are high-grade tumors associated with poor prognosis even when apparently confined to the uterus. Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas are indolent tumors associated with long-term survival. High-grade endometrial stromal sarcomas and undifferentiated endometrial sarcomas behave more aggressively than tumors showing nuclear uniformity. Adenosarcomas have a favorable prognosis except for tumors showing myometrial invasion or sarcomatous overgrowth. The prognosis for carcinosarcomas (which are considered here in a postscript fashion) is usually worse than that for grade 3 endometrial carcinomas. Tumor stage is the single most important prognostic factor for uterine sarcomas.

A randomized phase II study of letrozole vs. observation in patients with newly diagnosed uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS)

Objective

Up to 87% of uterine leiomyosarcomas have estrogen receptor positivity. There are no effective adjuvant therapies for LMS. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of letrozole in patients with newly diagnosed uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS). The primary endpoint of this study was a reduction in the recurrence rate for patients with this disease.

Methods

We performed a randomized, open-label, phase II study of letrozole (experimental arm) administered orally on a daily basis vs. observation (control) in patients with newly diagnosed early stage uLMS. Patient enrollment was to be open to any individual with newly diagnosed uLMS seen in the Gynecologic Oncology Center at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Hormone receptor positivity using CLIA approved lab testing was an eligibility requirement. No prior therapy was allowed.

Results

Nine patients were randomized. Four patients were in the experimental arm and five patients were in the observation arm. No patients had prior therapy. The median duration of protocol treatment was 43.9 months (range, 6.5–70.2). The median PFS for the experimental arm was not reached (NR) compared to 17.3 months. The percent progression free at 12 and 24 months was 100% for patients receiving letrozole compared to 80% at 12 months and 40% at 24 months for patients in the observation arm.

Conclusions

While no definitive conclusions can be made due to early study closure, these early observations warrant further investigation. We desperately need an effective adjuvant therapy for women with early stage uLMS.

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Adjuvant therapy for patients with early stage uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) represents an unmet medical need.

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We hypothesized that hormonal manipulation can positively impact survival in this group of patients.

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Results suggest aromatase inhibitor therapy may be an active agent in early stage uterine leiomyosarcoma.

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Low accrual due to rare disease type resulted in early study closure.

Systemic Treatment of Metastatic/Recurrent Uterine Leiomyosarcoma: A Changing Paradigm

The treatment of metastatic and recurrent uterine leoimyosarcoma (uLMS) has evolved rapidly in the past several years. Leoimyosarcoma is extremely aggressive and responds poorly to traditional chemotherapeutics. Recent regulatory approval of novel treatment options has significantly expanded the therapeutic armamentarium, and the addition of these therapies has challenged clinicians to select and optimally sequence these new compounds. Additionally, the potential role of immunotherapy is being assessed in current uLMS clinical trials. Given the increasing number of agents available both in the U.S. and globally, a treatment template that addresses optimal sequencing based upon expert consensus would be useful. Current guidelines, although listing various options, lack granularity by line of therapy. Most patients with leiomyosarcoma, even in early stage, are treated with surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy despite uLMS being relatively chemoresistant. Adjuvant chemotherapy often includes the combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel with or without doxorubicin in first-line systemic therapy, but these cytotoxic agents only provide patients with advanced disease a 5-year survival <30%. This review will focus on examination of current guidelines and consensus building for optimal sequencing of systemic therapies for advanced or recurrent uLMS. Critical ongoing studies investigating novel approaches including immunotherapeutics and genetic alterations also will be discussed. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Recent regulatory approval of novel treatment options has significantly expanded the therapeutic armamentarium, and the addition of these therapies has challenged clinicians to select and optimally sequence these compounds. This review will focus on examination of current guidelines and consensus building for optimal sequencing of systemic therapies for advanced or recurrent uterine leoimyosarcoma.

Genome profiling is an efficient tool to avoid the STUMP classification of uterine smooth muscle lesions: a comprehensive array-genomic hybridization analysis of 77 tumors

The diagnosis of a uterine smooth muscle lesion is, in the majority of cases, straightforward. However, in a small number of cases, the morphological criteria used in such lesions cannot differentiate with certainty a benign from a malignant lesion and a diagnosis of smooth muscle tumor with uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) is made. Uterine leiomyosarcomas are often easy to diagnose but it is difficult or even impossible to identify a prognostic factor at the moment of the diagnosis with the exception of the stage. We hypothesize, for uterine smooth muscle lesions, that there is a gradient of genomic complexity that correlates to outcome. We first tested this hypothesis on STUMP lesions in a previous study and demonstrated that this 'gray category' could be split according to genomic index into two groups. A benign group, with a low to moderate alteration rate without recurrence and a malignant group, with a highly rearranged profile akin to uterine leiomyosarcomas. Here, we analyzed a large series of 77 uterine smooth muscle lesions (from 76 patients) morphologically classified as 19 leiomyomas, 14 STUMP and 44 leiomyosarcomas with clinicopathological and genomic correlations. We confirmed that genomic index with a cut-off=10 is a predictor of recurrence (P<0.0001) and with a cut-off=35 is a marker for poor overall survival (P=0.035). For the tumors confined to the uterus, stage as a prognostic factor was not useful in survival prediction. At stage I, among the tumors reclassified as molecular leiomyosarcomas (ie, genomic index ≥10), the poor prognostic markers were: 5p gain (overall survival P=0.0008), genomic index at cut-off=35 (overall survival P=0.0193), 13p loss including RB1 (overall survival P=0.0096) and 17p gain including MYOCD gain (overall survival P=0.0425). Based on these findings (and the feasibility of genomic profiling by array-comparative genomic hybridization), genomic index, 5p and 17p gains prognostic value could be evaluated in future prospective chemotherapy trials.

Options for Adjuvant Therapy for Uterine Leiomyosarcoma

OPINION STATEMENT

Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is a rare disease; in the data from the SEER database, 3165 cases of uLMS were diagnosed between January 2000 and December 2012. While a majority of patients (60%) are diagnosed with early stage disease, recurrence rates are high. Five-year disease-specific survival is 76% for patients with FIGO stage I and 60% for patients with FIGO stage II disease. Adjuvant treatments, including radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and combined modality approaches, have been explored with the goal of demonstrating improved survival. However, heterogeneous patient populations, small sample sizes, and lack of no-treatment control arms have limited the interpretation and reliability of the results from these studies. A randomized trial of adjuvant pelvic radiation compared to no additional treatment showed that adjuvant radiation did not improve recurrence or survival outcomes for early-stage uterine LMS. To date, no prospective, randomized trial has been completed comparing adjuvant chemotherapy to observation. A recent well-designed retrospective study showed that women treated with adjuvant gemcitabine-docetaxel had no improvement in progression-free or overall survival compared to women who received no additional treatment. Thus, current data support our recommendation against adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy treatment for patients with non-morcellated, completely resected, and uterine-confined leiomyosarcoma. We recommend that these patients be observed with periodic surveillance imaging and physical examinations.

Soft Tissue and Uterine Leiomyosarcoma

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is one of the most common subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma in adults and can occur in almost any part of the body. Uterine leiomyosarcoma is the most common subtype of uterine sarcoma. Increased awareness of this unique histology has allowed for the development of drugs that are specific to LMS and has begun to shed light on the similarities and possible unique aspects of soft tissue and uterine LMS. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the epidemiology, diagnosis, genomics, and treatment options for LMS.

Spontaneous rupture of uterine smooth muscle tumour presenting acute abdominal pain and haemoperitoneum

Uterine smooth muscle tumours are histologically categorised into benign leiomyoma, malignant leiomyosarcoma or smooth muscle tumours of uncertain malignant potentials (STUMPs).¹ Common symptoms of uterine tumours are hypermenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, lumbago or irregular genital bleeding. We experienced a case of uterine tumour with atypical clinical behaviour. A 40-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with leiomyoma presented with severe abdominal pain and intraperitoneal haemorrhage. By emergent surgery, we found that the uterine tumour had ruptured spontaneously. The pathological diagnosis was STUMPs. 14 months later, she underwent a second surgery for a tumour recurrence. Pathological diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma. 20 months later, she underwent a third surgery for a re-recurrent tumour. After the third surgery, massive fluid containing haemorrhage accumulated inside the tumour. Percutaneous drainage of intratumour fluid was successfully performed. Chemotherapy was also taken, but it ended without significant efficacy. 3 years after the first surgery, she died because of intestinal perforation and peritonitis.

Systemic treatment in adult uterine sarcomas

Uterine sarcomas (US) are rare mesenchymal tumours of the uterus and are divided mainly into uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS), low grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LG-ESS), high grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (HG-ESS), adenosarcomas and high grade undifferentiated sarcoma (HGUS). US are often high-grade tumours with a high local recurrence rate and metastatic risk. We here discuss the current standard of care and knowledge of systemic therapy for adult uterine sarcomas, in particular uLMS, LG-ESS, HG-ESS and HGUS, in both the adjuvant as well as the metastatic setting.

Managing sarcoma: where have we come from and where are we going?

Sarcomas are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms of mesenchymal origin. Approximately 80% arise from soft tissue and 20% originate from bone. To date more than 100 sarcoma subtypes have been identified and they vary in molecular characteristics, pathology, clinical presentation and response to treatment. While sarcomas represent <1% of adult cancers, they account for approximately 21% of paediatric malignancies and thus pose some of the greatest risks of mortality and morbidity in children and young adults. Metastases occur in one-third of all patients and approximately 10-20% of sarcomas recur locally. Surgery in combination with preoperative and postoperative therapies is the primary treatment for localized sarcoma tumours and is the most promising curative possibility. Metastasized sarcomas, on the other hand, are treated primarily with single-agent or combination chemotherapy, but this rarely leads to a complete and robust response and often becomes a palliative form of treatment. The heterogeneity of sarcomas results in variable responses to current generalized treatment strategies. In light of this and the lack of curative strategies for metastatic and unresectable sarcomas, there is a need for novel subtype-specific treatment strategies. With the more recent understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of some of these tumours, the treatment of sarcoma subtypes with targeted therapies is a rapidly evolving field. This review discusses the current management of sarcomas as well as promising new therapies that are currently underway in clinical trials.

Uterine Adenosarcoma: a Review

Adenosarcomas are rare malignancies of the female genital tract, accounting for approximately 5 % of uterine sarcomas. Occasionally, adenosarcoma occurs in the ovaries or in extra-uterine tissue, which may be related to endometriosis. These tumors are characterized by benign epithelial elements and a malignant mesenchymal component. Pathologic diagnosis is dependent on the identification of the characteristic morphologic features. The most common immunohistochemical markers for adenosarcoma are CD10 and WT1, but these are not specific. The most frequent presenting symptom is abnormal uterine bleeding. The majority of patients present with stage I disease, with a 5-year overall survival of 60 to 80 %. Survival is influenced by the presence of myometrial invasion, sarcomatous overgrowth, lymphovascular invasion, necrosis, and the presence of heterologous elements including rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. Patients with sarcomatous overgrowth have significantly increased risk of recurrence 23 versus 77 % and decreased 5-year overall survival 50 to 60 %. Standard of care treatment is total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy without lymphadenectomy, as the incidence of lymph node metastasis is rare. Retrospective data does not support the use of adjuvant pelvic radiotherapy in uterine adenosarcomas as no survival benefit is seen. Insufficient data exists to recommend routinely neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy for uterine adenosarcomas. Limited evidence exists for the role of hormonal therapy in uterine adenosarcomas. The PIK3/AKT/PTEN pathway is mutated in ∼70 % of adenosarcomas, and this may represent a possible therapeutic target. This article reviews the current state of knowledge concerning uterine adenosarcoma and discusses the management of this rare tumor.

Adjuvant gemcitabine-docetaxel chemotherapy for stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma: Trends and survival outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To assess recent trends of administering adjuvant gemcitabine-docetaxel (GD) chemotherapy for Stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma, and to compare disease-free and overall survival between women who received and did not receive adjuvant GD chemotherapy.

METHODS

All patients diagnosed with Stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma in a California-Colorado population-based health plan inclusive of 2006-2013 were included in a retrospective cohort. Adjuvant GD chemotherapy rates, clinico-pathologic characteristics and survival estimates were assessed.

RESULTS

Of 111 women with Stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma, 33 received adjuvant GD (median 4cycles), 77 received no chemotherapy, and 1 patient excluded for non-GD chemotherapy. GD-chemotherapy and no-chemotherapy groups were similar with respect to age, stage (IA/IB), uterine weight, mitotic index, body mass index, and Charlson comorbidity score. Non-Hispanic white women were twice as likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy as non-white or Hispanic women (37.7 vs. 17.1%, P=0.02). The proportion of women receiving adjuvant GD chemotherapy increased from 6.5% in 2006-2008 to 46.9% in 2009-2013 (P<0.001). There was no significance difference in unadjusted Kaplan-Meyer estimated disease-free (P=0.95) or overall survival (P=0.43) between GD-chemotherapy and no-chemotherapy cohorts. Corresponding adjusted Cox proportional hazard ratios for adjuvant GD chemotherapy compared to no chemotherapy were 1.01 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-1.80, P=0.97) for recurrence and 1.28 (95% CI 0.69-2.36, P-0.48) for mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of adjuvant GD chemotherapy for Stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma has increased significantly in the last decade, despite unclear benefit. Compared to no chemotherapy, 4-6cycles of adjuvant GD chemotherapy does not appear to alter survival outcomes.

Unusual indolent behavior of leiomyosarcoma of the vagina: Is observation a viable option?

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Primary leiomyosarcoma of the vagina is a rare disease.

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We identified a case of unanticipated indolent behavior of vaginal leiomyosarcoma.

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Observation or hormonal therapy may be viable option for select patients.