International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification (IECC): correlation with adverse clinicopathological features and patient outcome

Immunohistochemical p16 overexpression and Rb loss correlate with high-risk human papillomavirus infection in endocervical adenocarcinomas

AIMS

p16 is a sensitive surrogate marker for transcriptionally active high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection in endocervical adenocarcinoma (ECA); however, its specificity is not perfect.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We examined p16 and Rb expressions by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the transcriptionally active HR-HPV infection by mRNA in-situ hybridisation (ISH) with histological review in 108 ECA cases. Thirteen adenocarcinomas of endometrial or equivocal origin (six endometrioid and seven serous carcinomas) were compared as the control group. HR-HPV was detected in 83 of 108 ECA cases (77%), including five HPV-associated adenocarcinomas in situ and 78 invasive HPV-associated adenocarcinomas. All 83 HPV-positive cases showed consistent morphology, p16 positivity and partial loss pattern of Rb. Among the 25 cases of HPV-independent adenocarcinoma, four (16%) were positive for p16, and of these four cases, three of 14 (21%) were gastric type adenocarcinomas and one of 10 (10%) was a clear cell type adenocarcinoma. All 25 HPV-independent adenocarcinomas showed preserved expression of Rb irrespective of the p16 status. Similarly, all 13 cases of the control group were negative for HR-HPV with preserved expression of Rb, even though six of 13 (46%) cases were positive for p16. Compared with p16 alone, the combination of p16 overexpression and Rb partial loss pattern showed equally excellent sensitivity (each 100%) and improved specificity (100 versus 73.6%) and positive predictive values (100 versus 89.2%) in the ECA and control groups. Furthermore, HR-HPV infection correlated with better prognosis among invasive ECAs.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that the combined use of p16 and Rb IHC could be a reliable method to predict HR-HPV infection in primary ECAs and mimics. This finding may contribute to prognostic prediction and therapeutic strategy.

The Silva pattern-based classification for HPV-associated endocervical adenocarcinoma: A single institution concordance study of trainees and gynecologic pathologists

The Silva pattern-based classification of HPV-associated endocervical adenocarcinoma has become an integral part of the histologic assessment of these tumors. Unfortunately, the Silva system reproducibility has had mixed results in past studies, and clinical practice still favors the FIGO stage assessment in directing therapeutic interventions for patients. In our study, we aimed to assess our institution's concordance including not only gynecologic pathologists, but also pathology trainees through a series of 69 cases. The grouped total kappa concordance from all participants was 0.439 (Moderate), with an overall trainee kappa of 0.417 (moderate) and an overall pathologist kappa of 0.460 (moderate). Perfect concordance among all 10 study participants was seen in 8/69 cases (11.6 %), corresponding to 5/22 Pattern A cases (22.7 %), 0/16 Pattern B cases (0 %), and 3/31 Pattern C cases (9.7 %), with similar findings between trainees and pathologists when compared within their own cohorts. Recurrence was identified in 2 Pattern A cases, indicating a potential issue with limited excisional specimens which may not fully appreciate the true biologic aggressiveness of the lesions.

Impact of histological subtypes on clinical outcome of endocervical adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This multicenter study aimed to investigate the disparity in clinical features and prognosis among different histopathologic subtypes of endocervical adenocarcinoma (EA) based on the 2014 World Health Organization (WHO) classification.

METHODS

We retrieved and analyzed data from the Chinese Four C Database between 2004 and 2018. 672EA patients with radical hysterectomies from 32 institutions were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathologic characteristics, five-year overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared based on histological subtypes.

RESULTS

The 5-year DFS and OS rates for usual, endometrioid, mucinous, gastric, villoglandular, clear cell/serous/mesonephric EAs were as follows: 81.3 %, 89.1 %, 63.0 %, 35.6 %, 88.6 %, 79.9 %, respectively (P < 0.0001); 87.4 %, 96.6 %, 74.7 %, 34.0 %, 96.7 %, 86.3 %, respectively (P < 0.0001). Gastric- and mucinous-type exhibited a higher frequency of lymph node metastasis, deep stromal invasion, uterine corpus invasion, and recurrence than the usual -type (recurrence rate:50.00 % vs 29.90 % vs 15.50 %, P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis revealed gastric-type was significantly associated with inferior DFS (HR,3.018; 95 % CI, 1.688-5.397; P < 0.0001) and OS(HR, 4.114; 95 % CI, 2.002-8.453; P < 0.0001). Furthermore, compared to the usual -type, mucinous-type demonstrated significantly worse DFS (HR, 1.773; 95 % CI,1.123-2.8; P = 0.014) and OS (HR, 2.168; 95 % CI,1.214-3.873; P = 0.009) whereas endometrioid-type was an identified as independent factor for better DFS (HR, 0.365; 95 % CI,0.143-0.928; P = 0.034). Villoglandular subtype displayed similar features and favorable prognosis as the usual type.

CONCLUSIONS

Relevant clinical features and prognosis varied significantly among histological subtypes of EA, thus offering valuable guidance for the development of subtype-specific treatment strategies to optimize EA management.

Diagnostic assessments and treatment results of well-differentiated gastric-type adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix (Adenoma malignum): A multicenter retrospective analysis of KROG 22-03 study

OBJECTIVE

Among cervical adenocarcinomas, well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix (WD-GAS), previously termed adenoma malignum (minimal deviation adenocarcinoma) is not well understood. Because of its rarity and difficulty in diagnosis, there is no standard care for WD-GAS. Thus, we conducted the first multicenter retrospective study on WD-GAS to clarify prognostic factors for long-term survival and recurrence.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with WD-GAS at eight hospitals participated in this multi-center study. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Additionally, OS between the early and advanced FIGO stage groups were compared with the log-rank test. Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify significant factors associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS).

RESULTS

A total of 73 patients from eight hospitals in South Korea were included in the analysis. The median follow-up period was 44.8 months, and all patients underwent curative surgical intervention as the primary treatment. Recurrence was observed in 17 patients (23.3%). Ten patients had locoregional recurrence, four patients had distant metastasis, and three patients presented with both locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis. The Cox regression analysis identified several statistically significant factors associated with RFS, including vaginal invasion (VI), parametrial invasion (PMI), resection margin (RM), and nodal and lymphovascular invasion (LVI). When considering these five factors together, patients without any of the factors exhibited recurrence-free survival (RFS) of 97.0% at three years and those with more than one of these factors had a 3-year RFS of 65.4% (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

WD-GAS showed relatively high locoregional recurrence rate. Positive PMI, VI, RM, nodal involvement, and LVI were associated with a significant increase in recurrence or distant metastasis rates.

PD-L1 Expression and Silva Invasion Pattern in Villoglandular Adenocarcinoma of the Uterine Cervix

Villoglandular adenocarcinoma (VGA) of the uterine cervix is a rare subtype of endocervical adenocarcinoma in young women. Between 2007 and 2020, all women with endocervical adenocarcinoma were retrospectively reviewed to find patients with VGA. Eight patients in whom pure VGA had been diagnosed were included. The mean age at initial diagnosis was 36.3 years (range 24-46). After surgical treatment, patients were followed up for 59 months (range 16-150). To date, all patients are alive with no evidence of disease. Neither lymph node involvement nor lymphovascular invasion was found. Furthermore, we examined the samples with a focus on morphological invasion pattern (Silva), stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs), and immunohistochemical programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression. PD-L1 expression was observed in 7/8 using the combined positive score (cutoff≥1%), 1/8 of VGAs using the tumor proportion score (cutoff≥1%), and 7/8 using the immune cell (cutoff≥1%). Using combined positive score and immune cell, PD-L1 expression was seen in 7/8 of pattern B and C tumors, with significantly higher expression in tumors with destructive-type patterns (P<0.05, A vs. B+C). Using tumor proportion score, no significant difference in PD-L1 expression was seen between VGAs with different invasion patterns. VGAs demonstrated twice higher sTILs in tumors with destructive-type invasion patterns. Our observations suggest that PD-L1 expression, tumor invasion patterns, and sTILs do not correlate with the excellent prognosis of pure VGA.

Invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma (ISMC) of the cervix: a clinicopathological and molecular analysis of 59 cases with special emphasis on histogenesis and potential therapeutic targets

AIMS

This study aimed to better characterize the clinical and molecular features in invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma (ISMC), an uncommon aggressive subtype of endocervical adenocarcinoma (EAC).

METHODS AND RESULTS

We recruited 59 ISMC for clinicopathological analysis, immunohistochemistry (n = 56), and targeted next-generation sequencing (n = 17). Our cases contained 29 pure and 30 mixed-type ISMC. Five patients developed local recurrence at 6-32 months (median: 13 months), and died of disease at 16-55 months (median: 16 months). Pure and mixed-type ISMC showed no significant difference in overall survival and tumour relapse (P > 0.05) except larger tumour size in the pure-type (P = 0.009). Compared to the usual-type EAC (n = 217), ISMsC were more frequently associated with large tumour size (P = 0.003), advanced FIGO stage (P = 0.017), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.022), Silva pattern C (P < 0.001), and poor overall survival and short tumour recurrence. SOX2 expression was observed in 82.1% (46/56) ISMC, substantially higher than p63 expression (P < 0.001), while positive SOX17 was present in 3.6% (2/56) cases. PD-L1 was positive in 41/56 ISMC (73.21%) (combined positive score: range: 1-92, median: 22). Three ISMC patients (17.65%) had PIK3CA mutations, while one each (5.88%) patient harboured an ERBB2, TP53, STK11, and PTEN mutation, respectively.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that ISMC is clinically more aggressive than the usual-type EAC. ISMC may originate from cervical reserve cells with bidirectional differentiation. PD-L1 overexpression and the molecular profiles raise the possibility that a subset of ISMC patients may benefit from anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy and other targeted therapy, such as mTOR inhibitor and T-DM1.

TP53 Mutation-driven Stratified Mucin-producing Carcinoma Coexisting With Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Vulva: A Case Study

Associated with high-risk human papillomavirus infection, invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma is a recently characterized adenocarcinoma of the cervix. It often occurs in association with adjacent stratified mucin-producing intraepithelial lesion. Differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and related invasive squamous cell carcinoma often arise in background vulvar lichen sclerosus with TP53 mutation as the underlying molecular signature. We present a unique case of vulvar invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma-like component coexisting with invasive squamous cell carcinoma in a 64-year-old woman. Both neoplastic components were proven TP53 -driven processes arising in the background of differentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and lichen sclerosus. The invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma-like component behaved aggressively in this case, evidenced by the presence of lymphovascular invasion and inguinal lymph node metastasis.

The Updated World Health Organization Classification Better Predicts Survival in Patients With Endocervical Adenocarcinoma (KROG 20-07)

PURPOSE

The 2020 World Health Organization classification divided endocervical adenocarcinoma (ADC) into human papillomavirus-associated (HPVA) and human papillomavirus-independent (HPVI) ADCs. This multi-institutional study aimed to investigate the clinical features and prognosis of patients with endocervical ADC based on the updated World Health Organization classification.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We retrospectively reviewed the 365 patients with endocervical ADC who underwent radical hysterectomy from 7 institutions. Tumor characteristics, patterns of failure, and survival outcomes were compared between HPVA and HPVI ADCs.

RESULTS

Two hundred seventy-five (75.3%) and 90 (24.7%) patients had HPVA and HPVI ADC diagnoses, respectively. In all cases, the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 58.2% and 71.3%, respectively. HPVI ADC showed higher rates of local recurrence (25.6% vs 10.9%) and distant metastasis (33.3% vs 17.5%) than HPVA ADC. Multivariate survival analysis revealed that HPVI ADC showed significantly worse DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.919; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.324-2.781; P < .001), distant metastasis-free survival (HR, 2.100; 95% CI, 1.397-3.156; P < .001), and OS (HR, 2.481; 95% CI, 1.586-3.881; P < .001) than HPVA ADC. Patients with gastric- and serous-type HPVI ADC had significantly worse OS than those with other HPVI ADCs (P = .020). Similarly, invasive stratified mucin-producing-type HPVA ADC showed significantly worse OS than other HPVA ADCs (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrated that HPVI ADC exhibited inferior DFS and OS and higher rates of local and distant recurrence compared with HPVA ADC. Gastric- and serous-type HPVI ADCs and invasive stratified mucin-producing-type HPVA ADC showed worse OS than other types of HPVI and HPVA ADCs, respectively. Our observation of significant differences in prognoses according to the histologic types needs to be validated in larger cohorts of patients with endocervical ADC.

Case Report: Pelvic mass and massive ascites as the first symptom in cervical adenocarcinoma: report of two cases and literature review

Cervical adenocarcinoma accounts for 10%-25% of total cases of cervical carcinoma. But in recent years, the incidence of adenocarcinoma has risen both proportionally and absolutely. Clinically, most cervical adenocarcinoma show no symptom or present with abnormal uterine bleeding or vaginal discharge, similar to squamous cell carcinoma. What different about it is that cervical cytological testing demonstrates a high false-negative rate of cervical adenocarcinoma, potentially leading to the failure in detecting in early stage. This report presents two cases both with pelvic masses, and massive ascites served as the initial symptom, which is similar to the clinical symptom of ovarian cancer, but ultimately diagnosed with cervical adenocarcinoma through surgical specimens. There are few literature reports on this situation. Hence, a literature review also has been performed to improve the recognition for cervical adenocarcinoma presenting with pelvic masses and massive ascites, and to avoid misdiagnosis.

Does Human Papillomavirus Play a Causative Role in Prostate Cancer? A Systematic Review Using Bradford Hill's Criteria

Globally, prostate cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death among men, and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer has a high cancer-related mortality rate. However, the aetiology of this disease is not yet fully understood. While human papillomavirus (HPV) has been associated with several types of cancer, including cervical, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers, studies investigating the relationship between HPV and prostate cancer have shown mixed results. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the causative association between HPV and prostate cancer using Bradford Hill's criteria. A comprehensive search of PubMed was conducted, and 60 out of 482 studies were included in the review. The included studies were evaluated based on nine Bradford Hill criteria, and information on the identification and transmission of the virus and potential oncogenic mechanisms was also extracted. The strength of association criterion was not met, and other criteria, such as consistency and coherence, were not fulfilled. However, biological plausibility was supported, and potential oncogenic mechanisms were identified. While some studies have reported the presence of HPV in prostate cancer tissues, the overall quality of evidence remains low, and the association between HPV and prostate cancer is weak. Nevertheless, the prostate is a potential reservoir for the transmission of HPV, and the HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins and inflammation are likely to be involved in any oncogenic mechanisms. Further studies with a higher level of evidence are needed to establish a definitive link between HPV and prostate cancer.

Pleural fluid cytology of metastatic invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma from the cervix: A case report

This study analyses the cytomorphological findings from a female patient with malignant pleural effusion resulting from invasive stratified mucin‐producing carcinoma (ISMC) metastasis. The clinical symptoms, immunocytochemical staining and differential diagnosis of ISMC are summarised.

Immunohistochemical and molecular analysis of an α-fetoprotein-producing cervical adenocarcinoma with clear cell morphology

Adenocarcinomas with clear cell morphology may be associated with elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein levels in various organs. We report the case of an alpha-fetoprotein-producing cervical adenocarcinoma with clear cell morphology and compare it immunohistochemically, molecularly, and virologically with cervical clear cell carcinoma, gastric-type mucinous carcinoma, and ovarian clear cell carcinoma. A 51-year-old Japanese woman was initially diagnosed with cervical clear cell carcinoma. The tumor was resistant to standard surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen and alpha-fetoprotein were elevated. The tumor was immunohistochemically positive for alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, cytokeratin 20, spalt-like transcription factor 4, glypican 3, MUC6, and HIK1083. Gene panel testing revealed CCNE1 amplification, CDKN2A loss, and TP53 R282W. We compared the present case with 120 ovarian clear cell carcinoma cases using a tissue microarray. Only one case (0.8%) showed very limited immunohistochemical positivity for alpha-fetoprotein. Of the 54 cases in which serum carcinoembryonic antigen was measured, only one (1.9%) was elevated (19.9 ng/mL). We diagnosed the case as alpha-fetoprotein-producing cervical gastric-type mucinous carcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation. In conclusion, alpha-fetoprotein-producing cervical adenocarcinoma is a rare but aggressive tumor. Clinicians and pathologists should be aware of this unfamiliar tumor, its diagnostic clues, prognostic markers, and treatment strategies.

Prognosis determination of endocervical adenocarcinomas morphologically reclassified as HPV associated or HPV independent

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prognosis of endocervical adenocarcinomas after reclassification according to the morphologic type based on the 2020 World Health Organization Classification.

METHODS

A retrospective longitudinal study with cases admitted at the University of Campinas, Brazil, from 2013 to 2020. The sample included 140 cases morphologically reclassified: 100 cases as adenocarcinoma HPV-associated (HPVA), 17 as HPV-independent (HPVI), and 23 non-HPVA/HPVI. Clinic and pathologic variables were evaluated. Analyses were performed by χ² , Fisher exact, and Mann-Whitney U tests, Kaplan-Meier curves, Log-rank test, and Cox regression.

RESULTS

Compared with the HPVA group, advanced stage (FIGO Stage II+) was more frequent in the HPVI group (P = 0.009), which also showed older patients (P = 0.032), and a higher proportion of deaths (P = 0.006). The median overall survival (OS) differed between groups: 73.3 months in HPVA and 42.4 months in HPVI (P = 0.005). At the multivariate analysis, the risk of death was 6.7 (95% confidence interval 1.9-23.0) times higher in patients diagnosed in advanced stages.

CONCLUSION

HPVI cases were more frequent in older patients, presenting at more advanced stages and with worse OS. The morphology-based approach of the new WHO classification appears to be prognostically valuable and applicable in lower- and middle-income settings.

Molecular correlates of invasion pattern in HPV-associated endocervical adenocarcinoma: emergence of two distinct risk-stratified tiers

BACKGROUND

The pattern-based (Silva) classification of invasive human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated endocervical adenocarcinomas (HPVA) is an established and reproducible method to predict outcomes for this otherwise stage-dependent group of tumours. Previous studies utilising targeted sequencing have shown a correlation between mutational profiles and an invasive pattern. However, such correlation has not been explored using comprehensive molecular testing.

DESIGN

Clinicopathologic data including invasive pattern (Silva groups A, B, and C) was collected for a cohort of invasive HPVA, which previously underwent massive parallel sequencing using a panel covering 447 genes. Pathogenic alterations, molecular signatures, tumour mutational burden (TMB), and copy number alterations (CNA) were correlated with pattern of invasion.

RESULTS

Forty five HPVA (11 pattern A, 17 pattern B, and 17 pattern C tumours) were included. Patients with pattern A presented at stage I with no involved lymph nodes or evidence of recurrence (in those with >2 months of follow-up). Patterns B and C patients also mostly presented at stage I with negative lymph nodes, but had a greater frequency of recurrence; 3/17 pattern B and 1/17 pattern C HPVAs harboured lymphovascular space invasion (LVI). An APOBEC mutational signature was detected only in Silva pattern C tumours (5/17), and pathogenic PIK3CA changes were detected only in destructively invasive HPVA (patterns B and C). When cases were grouped as low-risk (pattern A and pattern B without LVI) and high-risk (pattern B with LVI and pattern C), high-risk tumours were enriched in mutations in PIK3CA, ATRX, and ERBB2. There was a statistically significant difference in TMB between low-risk and high-risk pattern tumours (P = 0.006), as well as between Pattern C tumours with and without an APOBEC signature (P = 0.002). CNA burden increased from pattern A to C.

CONCLUSION

Our findings further indicate that key molecular events in HPVA correlate with the morphologic invasive properties of the tumour and their aggressiveness. Pattern B tumours with LVI clustered with pattern C tumours, whereas pattern B tumours without LVI approached pattern A genotypically. Our study provides a biologic foundation for consolidating the Silva system into low-risk (pattern A + B without LVI) and high-risk (pattern B with LVI and pattern C) categories.

Cervical cancer heterogeneity: a constant battle against viruses and drugs

Cervical cancer is the first identified human papillomavirus (HPV) associated cancer and the most promising malignancy to be eliminated. However, the ever-changing virus subtypes and acquired multiple drug resistance continue to induce failure of tumor prevention and treatment. The exploration of cervical cancer heterogeneity is the crucial way to achieve effective prevention and precise treatment. Tumor heterogeneity exists in various aspects including the immune clearance of viruses, tumorigenesis, neoplasm recurrence, metastasis and drug resistance. Tumor development and drug resistance are often driven by potential gene amplification and deletion, not only somatic genomic alterations, but also copy number amplifications, histone modification and DNA methylation. Genomic rearrangements may occur by selection effects from chemotherapy or radiotherapy which exhibits genetic intra-tumor heterogeneity in advanced cervical cancers. The combined application of cervical cancer therapeutic vaccine and immune checkpoint inhibitors has become an effective strategy to address the heterogeneity of treatment. In this review, we will integrate classic and recently updated epidemiological data on vaccination rates, screening rates, incidence and mortality of cervical cancer patients worldwide aiming to understand the current situation of disease prevention and control and identify the direction of urgent efforts. Additionally, we will focus on the tumor environment to summarize the conditions of immune clearance and gene integration after different HPV infections and to explore the genomic factors of tumor heterogeneity. Finally, we will make a thorough inquiry into completed and ongoing phase III clinical trials in cervical cancer and summarize molecular mechanisms of drug resistance among chemotherapy, radiotherapy, biotherapy, and immunotherapy.

Dataset for the Reporting of Carcinoma of the Cervix: Recommendations From the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR)

Cervical carcinoma remains one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide, despite effective screening programs being implemented in many countries for several decades. The International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) dataset for cervical carcinoma was first developed in 2017 with the aim of developing evidence-based standardized, consistent and comprehensive surgical pathology reports for resection specimens. This 4th edition update to the ICCR dataset on cervical cancer was undertaken to incorporate major changes based upon the updated International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (FIGO) staging for carcinoma of the cervix published in 2018 and the 5th Edition World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Female Genital Tumors published in 2020 and other significant developments in pathologic aspects of cervical cancer. This updated dataset was developed by a panel of expert gynecological pathologists and an expert gynecological oncologist, with a period of open consultation. The revised dataset includes "core" and "noncore" elements to be reported; these are accompanied by detailed explanatory notes and references providing the rationale for the updates. Standardized reporting using datasets such as this helps facilitate consistency and accuracy, data collection across different sites and comparison of epidemiological and pathologic parameters for quality and research purposes.

Reproducibility of Morphologic Parameters of the International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification System and Correlation With Clinicopathologic Parameters: A Multi-Institutional Study

Endocervical adenocarcinomas (ECAs) have been recently reclassified according to their morphologic features linked to etiology by the International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification (IECC) and this system is adopted by WHO 2020. This classification separates the ECAs as human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated (HPVA) and HPV-independent (HPVI) subtypes. According to WHO 2020, high risk (HR)-HPV association can be histologically recognized by the presence of luminal mitoses and apoptosis. Therefore, investigating the reproducibility of the morphologic criteria of this new classification will be important in observing the recognizability of tumor types. Full slide sets of 94 ECAs were collected from 4 institutions in Turkey and reclassified on the basis of IECC/WHO 2020 criteria and the presence or absence of HR-HPV. HR-HPV presence was confirmed by HPV DNA in situ hybridization, p16 immunohistochemistry and in conflicted cases with real time-polymerase chain reaction. The final diagnoses were given based on the combination of the histologic evaluation and ancillary test results. Our cohort consisted of 73.4% HPVA and 26.6% HPVI cases. According to the WHO 2020 criteria 92.7% of HPVAs and 88% of HPVIs were easily classified. HPV DNA in situ hybridization was positive in 91.3% of the HPVAs and p16 was positive in all HPVAs, and also positive in 8% of the HPVIs. In conclusion, most of the ECAs can be diagnosed by their characteristic morphologic features by the WHO 2020 criteria. However, we want to emphasize that mitosis/apoptosis criteria may not be helpful especially in mucinous ECAs and ancillary tests for HR-HPV should be used in challenging cases.

Infection status and survival impact of high-risk human papillomavirus in cervical adenocarcinomas: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Cervical adenocarcinoma (CAC) comprises a heterogeneous group of tumors that are not universally associated with HPV infection. As has been shown in other organs, it is becoming increasingly apparent that HPV status significantly affects the prognosis of adenocarcinoma. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the infection status of high-risk Human papillomavirus (hrHPV) in CAC and evaluate its impact on the survival of patients.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), and Clinical Trials.gov were searched from inception to May 1st, 2022. Data on HPV infection status and survival outcomes were evaluated using STATA 16.0.

RESULTS

Seventy-one studies with 11,278 participants were included in HPV infection analysis and eight studies with 1099 participants were included in prognosis analysis. The HPV infection rate (including high-risk and low-risk) and hrHPV infection rate in CAC were 75% (95% CI 0.70-0.80, 6978 participants) and 75% (95% CI 0.70-0.81, 4906 participants), respectively. HPV-16 and -18 were the most common HPVs in CAC, with pooled infection rates of 37% (95% CI 0.33-0.41, 7848 participants) and 34% (95% CI 0.30-0.38, 7730 participants), respectively. hrHPV infection was associated with better overall survival (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.11-0.47, 1013 participants), better disease-free survival (HR 0.18, 95% CI 0.07-0.43, 292 participants), better progression-free survival (HR 0.20, 95% CI 0.08-0.47, 271 participants) and less recurrence (RR 0.30, 95% CI 0.07-0.43, 181 participants).

CONCLUSION

HPV infection rates were high in CAC. HPV-16 and -18 had the highest infection rates in CAC. However, hrHPV infection was associated with better survival and less recurrence. Future studies should clarify the relationship between hrHPV infection and other prognostic factors and make reasonable treatment strategies for CAC with different HPV status.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

CRD42022319390.

Predicting prognosis according to the updated WHO classification in patients with endocervical adenocarcinoma treated with surgery and radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE

The recently updated World Health Organization classification divides endocervical adenocarcinomas (ADCs) into human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated (HPVA) and HPV-independent (HPVI) ADCs. This study aimed to investigate the differences in the clinical features and treatment outcomes between patients with HPVA and HPVI.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records and pathology slides of 123 patients with endocervical ADC who underwent radical hysterectomy and adjuvant radiation therapy. Tumor characteristics, patterns of failure, and survival outcomes were compared between HPVA and HPVI ADCs.

RESULTS

Eighty-one (65.9%) and 42 (34.1%) patients were diagnosed with HPVA and HPVI ADCs, respectively. HPVI ADC showed more frequent positive vaginal resection margin (VRM) and peritoneal seeding than HPVA ADC. After a median follow-up of 58.1 months, local recurrence and distant metastasis were more frequently observed in HPVI ADC than in HPVA ADC. Both local recurrence-free survival (77.3% vs. 91.8%) and distant metastasis-free survival (50.1% vs. 73.7%) rates of HPVI ADC were lower than those of HPVA ADC. Disease-free survival was not significantly different between HPVI and HPVA ADCs.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that HPVI ADC exhibited higher rates of VRM involvement and peritoneal seeding than those of HPVA ADC, resulting in higher rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis. Further studies with larger populations are warranted to explore optimal treatment strategies based on the histological subtypes of endocervical ADC.

Ciliated/tubal-type in-situ and invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma: Report of three cases with limited follow-up and review of the literature

•

Ciliated type adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), rare type of AIS insufficiently studied.

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Ciliated type endocervical carcinoma rare, not described in the WHO.

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Subtype of HPV associated endocervical AIS/carcinoma.

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Found in young females with good prognosis on limited follow up.

In situ (AIS) and invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma have two broad categories, HPV-associated (HPV) and HPV-independent groups. (1) These entities show various types of cell morphology. Tubal and tubo-endometrioid type metaplasia of the cervix is a benign finding (Suh and Silverberg, 1990). Tubal metaplasia is also encountered in benign and malignant endometrial lesions. During cervical biopsy interpretations, differentiating the site of origin of the tissue is often tricky. We intend to document three cases of the sparsely reported hrHPV-associated ciliated/tubal-type endocervical AIS and invasive adenocarcinoma and bring it to the attention of readers how to avoid any misinterpretation during routine sign-out. Only three of fifty-three cases of hrHPV-associated AIS and invasive adenocarcinoma were of ciliated/tubal type in our department over a 5-year time. The presence of tubal-type epithelium should not automatically trigger the assumption of endometrial origin of the lesion. These cases are red herrings as tubal/ciliated type dysplasia, and carcinoma is rare and have potential to escape accurate diagnosis.

Membranous and nuclear staining of CLDN18 in HPV-independent and HPV-associated endocervical adenocarcinomas

OBJECTIVES

A classification system for endocervical adenocarcinoma (ECA) based on high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) status has been established; however, the immunohistochemical markers distinguishing HPV-independent and HPV-associated ECAs have not been fully described. Here, we aimed to characterize ECA immunopathological features.

METHODS

We evaluated the immunohistochemical profile of CLDN18, CDX2, PAX8, p16, p53, and CEA in 60 ECAs comprising 10 HPV-independent ECAs and 50 HPV-associated ECAs. Both the membranous and nuclear expression levels of CLDN18 were analyzed.

RESULTS

Membranous CLDN18 (CLDN18 [M]) was found to be expressed in the mucinous epithelium of all HPV-independent ECAs, including eight gastric-type ECAs (G-ECAs), one endometrioid ECA, and one clear cell ECA, but no nuclear CLDN18 (CLDN18 [N]) expression was detected in HPV-independent ECAs. Among HPV-associated ECAs, CLDN18 (M) expression levels in intestinal-type (I-ECAs) and usual-type ECAs (U-ECAs) were significantly different from those in invasive stratified mucin-producing (iSMILE) carcinomas (p = 0.036). Positive CLDN18 (M) staining was present in 55.6% (5/9) of intestinal-type and 39.4% (13/33) of usual-type ECAs and was not present in iSMILE ECAs. Silva pattern C cancers expressed higher levels of CLDN18 (M) than Silva pattern A and B cancers (p = 0.004), whereas the CLDN18 (N) expression levels in cancers showing Silva pattern A were significantly higher than those in cancers exhibiting Silva patterns B and C (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Membranous CLDN18 is expressed in ECAs and is particularly frequently expressed in HPV-independent ECAs, and membranous CLDN18 expression has potential as a therapeutic target. Nuclear staining of CLDN18 is a new immunohistochemical marker for diagnosing Silva pattern A HPV-associated ECAs and is associated with a good prognosis. Further studies should investigate the therapeutic and prognostic significance of membranous and nuclear CLDN18 expression and develop a related test that can be implemented in the clinical evaluation of ECAs.

Clinical, Morphologic, and Molecular Features Associated With Ovarian Metastases From Pattern A Endocervical Adenocarcinomas

Ovarian metastases from endocervical adenocarcinomas (EAs) are rare but well-described. Silva Pattern A tumors have been reported to pose essentially no risk of lymph node metastases or recurrence. We describe a cohort of patients with Silva Pattern A EAs with ovarian metastases, as well as involvement of other sites. Eight pattern A EAs with ovarian metastases (4 synchronous, 4 metachronous) were identified from our institution's pathologic archives (2008-2021). Clinicopathologic and molecular features for each case were recorded. All patients were treated by hysterectomy; in each case, the entire tumor was submitted for histologic evaluation. The synchronous metastases were all clinically suspected to be ovarian primary tumors; EAs with metachronous ovarian involvement were confined to the uterus at initial diagnosis, with ovarian metastasis occurring 5 to 171 months after hysterectomy. Morphologically, all tumors were predominantly gland-forming, 5/8 (63%) displayed prominent mucinous differentiation, and 5/8 (63%) involved the corpus. All EAs were either noninvasive (exophytic/papillary/more complex than adenocarcinoma in situ) or showed nondestructive cervical stromal invasion to a depth of 5 mm or less. In the 5 tumors tested by next-generation sequencing, ARID1A, GNAS, and KRAS mutations were detected in 2 (40%), 3 (60%), and 4 (80%) cases, respectively. All 6 patients with follow-up (range, 32 to 181 mo; median, 99.5 mo) had at least 1 recurrence. All but one are without evident disease at last clinical assessment. In an otherwise typical Silva Pattern A EA, corpus involvement, mucinous differentiation, and certain gene mutations may be associated with risk for synchronous or metachronous ovarian metastases.

Clinical correlation of lymphovascular invasion and Silva pattern of invasion in early-stage endocervical adenocarcinoma: proposed binary Silva classification system

Silva invasion pattern can help predict lymph node metastasis risk in endocervical adenocarcinoma. We analysed Silva pattern of invasion and lymphovascular invasion to determine associations with clinical outcomes in stage IA and IB1 endocervical adenocarcinomas. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO; 2019 classification) stage IA-IB1 endocervical adenocarcinomas from 15 international institutions were examined for Silva pattern, presence of lymphovascular invasion, and other prognostic parameters. Lymph node metastasis status, local/distant recurrences, and survival data were compared using appropriate statistical tests. Of 399 tumours, 152 (38.1%) were stage IA [IA1, 77 (19.3%); IA2, 75 (18.8%)] and 247 (61.9%) were stage IB1. On multivariate analysis, lymphovascular invasion (p=0.008) and Silva pattern (p<0.001) were significant factors when comparing stage IA versus IB1 endocervical adenocarcinomas. Overall survival was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis (p=0.028); recurrence-free survival was significantly associated with lymphovascular invasion (p=0.002) and stage (1B1 versus 1A) (p=0.002). Five and 10 year overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates were similar among Silva pattern A cases and Silva pattern B cases without lymphovascular invasion (p=0.165 and p=0.171, respectively). Silva pattern and lymphovascular invasion are important prognostic factors in stage IA1-IB1 endocervical adenocarcinomas and can supplement 2019 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging. Our binary Silva classification system groups patients into low risk (patterns A and B without lymphovascular invasion) and high risk (pattern B with lymphovascular invasion and pattern C) categories.

Independent validation of distinct clinicopathological features and prognosis among usual-type, mucinous-type and gastric-type endocervical adenocarcinoma categorised by new WHO classification (2020)

The new World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumours of the female genital tract (2020) divides endocervical adenocarcinoma (EAC) into human papilloma virus (HPV)-related adenocarcinoma (HPVA) and HPV-independent adenocarcinoma (HPVI) to underscore the morphological and pathogenetic correlation. It may be potentially prognostic. In this study, we appraised the new WHO classification in an independent, single institution-based EAC cohort from China to assess the clinicopathological features and prognostic value among tumour types. Our study cohort contained 402 consecutive, surgically excised EACs consisting of 298 (74.1%) HPVA, 88 (21.9%) HPVI and 16 (4%) adenocarcinomas not otherwise specified (NOS). Usual-type (55.7%) and gastric-type adenocarcinoma (GAC) (18.2%) was the most common type in HPVA and HPVI, respectively. Block p16 staining (94.7% vs 24.4%) and HPV mRNA signal (89.4% vs 0) were more common in HPVA than in HPVI (p<0.001). HPVI or GAC were more frequently associated with prognostically adverse variables including old age, large tumour size, deep invasion of the cervical wall, high tumour stage, spread of the upper genital tract, lymphovascular invasion, and mutant-type p53 expression, compared to HPVA or mucinous/usual-type HPVA, respectively (all p<0.001). In univariate survival analysis, HPVI had a worse overall survival and higher tumour recurrence compared to HPVA (p<0.05). Mucinous-type HPVA showed a worse prognosis than usual-type HPVA, but better than GAC (p<0.001). Multivariate survival analysis demonstrated that HPVI was independently associated with a worse overall survival and tumour recurrence (p<0.05) while GAC was an adverse prognostic factor independently of FIGO stage (p<0.05). Our findings validate the value of the new WHO classification in prognostic stratification and pathogenetic correlation in EAC and its subtypes.

Camrelizumab for the treatment of advanced cervical adenocarcinoma: a case report and literature review

Cervical adenocarcinoma belongs to an invasive subtype of cervical carcinoma, presenting poorly prognostic status. Chemotherapy treatment for recurrent cervical carcinoma are thought to be limited and supposed to be noncurative. Because of the poor prognosis of patients with recurrent cervical carcinoma, however, the benefits of second-line chemotherapy have not yet reached a consensus. Immunotherapy is a split-new tactic of overwhelming carcinomas that relies on the instinct of the immune system to recognize and directly kill neoplasm cells. Here, we reported a 55-year-old female patient with clinical stage IVB cervical adenocarcinoma. The patient received four cycles of systematic therapy, with the regimen of docetaxel plus carboplatin in combined with bevacizumab anti-vascular therapy. The progressive disease (PD) was assessed by imaging evaluation and PD was confirmed once more after four cycles of chemotherapy of albumin paclitaxel plus cisplatin. The patient exhibited a good response during the twelve-cycle of immunotherapy of Camrelizumab, whereas PD was observed upon termination of her immunotherapy. This case with the treatment of PD-1 inhibitor Camrelizumab exhibits a good curative effect and tolerable adverse reactions. In addition, some clinical markers and biomarkers expression levels can be served as the predictors of the effect of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.

Gynaecological or gastrointestinal origin? Recognising Müllerian neoplasms with gastrointestinal phenotype and determining the primary site in selected entities

Recognising metastatic gastrointestinal and pancreatobiliary tumours to gynaecological sites may be challenging, as primary Müllerian tumours can demonstrate similar histological features. Endocervical adenocarcinomas can be of gastric and intestinal types, endometrial lesions may show gastrointestinal phenotype, and finally, mucinous tumours with secondary involvement of the ovaries may mimic primary neoplasms. The aim of this review is to address selected neoplastic entities of the gynaecological tract with gastric and intestinal differentiation and provide helpful clinical and pathological parameters for the diagnosis. A brief overview of metastatic tumours originating from the gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary tracts is also provided, including the most common pathological features.

Immunohistochemistry in gynecologic carcinomas: Practical update with diagnostic and clinical considerations based on the 2020 WHO classification of tumors

This review provides an update on immunohistochemistry applications-diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive-in the pathology evaluation of gynecologic carcinomas. The 5th edition of the WHO Classification of Female Genital Tumors introduced important changes in the diagnostic classification of lower genital tract, endometrial, and ovarian carcinomas, with major influence on the routine pathology practice. Lower genital tract carcinomas and their precursor lesions are now classified based on their human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated and HPV-independent pathogenesis, reflecting the clinically significant prognostic differences and impacting the therapeutic decision-making. Immunohistochemical markers have an increasing role in the pathology evaluation of endometrial carcinomas: in addition to their traditional use in the differential diagnosis and histologic subtyping, they have also been recently advocated for prognostic classification as surrogates for the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) molecular groups. New entities - mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma and gastric (gastrointestinal)-type mucinous adenocarcinoma of the endometrium - have also been added and often require immunostains for diagnostic confirmation. Ovarian carcinomas frequently show overlapping morphologic patterns and heterogeneous appearance within the same tumor, necessitating immunohistochemical work-up. Beyond diagnostic applications, there is increasing clinical demand for screening of inherited cancer syndromes, prediction of prognosis and guiding targeted therapy. Practical issues and pitfalls related to mismatch repair protein immunohistochemistry, HER2, and PD-L1 testing are also discussed.

International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification (IECC): An Independent Cohort With Clinical and Molecular Findings

Recently, the International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification (IECC) has reorganized the classification of endocervical adenocarcinomas (ECAs), separating them into human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated (HPVA) and HPVA independent (HPVI) categories. In this study, we sought to revalidate the IECC clinical findings in an independent cohort and assess the mutational differences between HPVA and HPVI ECAs using next generation sequencing. Consecutive cases of ECAs were reclassified under the IECC. Clinicopathologic information was collected and tissue was sent for targeted next-generation sequencing in 33 genes. Associations between HPV status, clinicopathologic parameters and mutation status, with survival were evaluated. The series comprised of 85/100 HPVA (63 HPVA-usual type, 4 villoglandular, 3 mucinous intestinal, 15 mucinous not otherwise specified) and 15/100 HPVI (9 gastric, 4 mesonephric, 1 clear cell, 1 not otherwise specified). HPVA ECAs presented at a lower age (P=0.001), smaller tumor sizes (P=0.011), less margin positivity (P=0.027), less Silva pattern C (P=0.002), and lower FIGO stages (P=0.020). HPVA had superior survival compared with HPVI ECA [overall survival (P=0.0026), disease-specific survival (P=0.0092), and progression-free survival (P=0.0041)]. Factors that correlated with worse prognosis irrespective of HPV status were FIGO stage, positive margins and lymphovascular invasion (P<0.05). TP53 mutations were detected in a significantly higher proportion of HPVIs than HPVAs (P<<0.001). The study revalidates the IECC system by reaffirming the clinical and prognostic differences between HPVA and HPVI ECAs in an independent dataset.

2020 WHO Classification of Female Genital Tumors

The 2020 WHO classification is focused on the distinction between HPV-associated and HPV-independent squamous cell carcinoma of the lower female genital organs. Differentiating according to HPV association does not replace the process of grading; however, the WHO classification does not recommend any specific grading system. VIN are also differentiated according to whether they are HPV(p16)-associated. HPV-independent adenocarcinoma (AC) of the cervix uteri has an unfavorable prognosis. Immunohistochemical p16 expression is considered to be a surrogate marker for HPV association. HPV-associated AC of the cervix uteri is determined using the prognostically relevant Silva pattern.

Immunohistochemical and genetic characteristics of HPV-associated endocervical carcinoma with an invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma (ISMC) component

Invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma (ISMC) is a recently described entity of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated endocervical adenocarcinoma with phenotypic plasticity and aggressive clinical behavior. To identify the cell of origin of ISMC, we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of cervical epithelial cell markers (CK7, PAX8, CK5/6, p63, and CK17), stemness markers (ALDH1 and Nanog), and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers (Snail, Twist, and E-cadherin) in 10 pure and mixed type ISMCs with at least 10% of ISMC component in the entire tumor, seven usual type endocervical adenocarcinomas (UEAs), and seven squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). In addition, targeted sequencing was performed in 10 ISMCs. ISMC was significantly associated with larger tumor size (p = 0.011), more frequent lymphovascular invasion and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001), higher FIGO stage (p = 0.022), and a tendency for worse clinical outcomes (p = 0.056) compared to other HPV-associated subtypes. ISMC showed negative or borderline positivity for PAX8, CK5/6, and p63, which were distinct from UEA and SCC (p < 0.01). Compared to UEA and SCC, ISMC showed higher expression for ALDH1 (p = 0.119 for UEA and p = 0.009 for SCC), Snail (p = 0.036), and Twist (p = 0.119), and tended to show decreased E-cadherin expression (p = 0.083). In next-generation sequencing analysis, ISMC exhibited frequent STK11, MET, FANCA, and PALB2 mutations compared to conventional cervical carcinomas, and genes related to EMT and stemness were frequently altered. EMT-prone and stemness characteristics and peripheral expression of reserve cell and EMT markers of ISMC suggest its cervical reserve cell origin. We recommend PAX8, CK5/6, and p63 as diagnostic triple biomarkers for ISMC. These findings highlight the distinct biological basis of ISMC.

Genomic Characterization of HPV-related and Gastric-type Endocervical Adenocarcinoma: Correlation With Subtype and Clinical Behavior

The majority of endocervical adenocarcinomas (EAs) are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). Gastric-type EA, the second most common EA and unrelated to HPV, is biologically different with a more aggressive clinical course. Our knowledge of the molecular fingerprint of these important EA types and its role in diagnosis, prognosis and management is still evolving. Thus, we sought to evaluate the genomic profile of HPV-related and gastric EA. Clinical information including patient outcome was gathered for 56 tumors (45 HPV-associated and 11 gastric-type) surveying evaluated by a targeted massively parallel sequencing assay (OncoPanel platform) which surveys exonic DNA sequences of 447 cancer genes and 191 regions across 60 genes for rearrangement detection. KRAS, TP53, and PIK3CA were the most commonly mutated genes (10, 10, and 9 cases, respectively). Alterations in TP53, STK11, CDKN2A, ATM, and NTRK3 were significantly more common in gastric-type EA (P<0.05, Fisher exact test). Disease recurrence and/or death occurred in 14/49 (29%) cases with clinical information available 7 HPV-related (18% of HPV-related cases with clinical information available) and 7 gastric-type (64% of gastric-type cases with clinical information available). Tumors associated with adverse outcome, regardless of histotype, more commonly had alterations in KRAS (2 HPV-related, 4 gastric-type), GNAS (3 HPV-related, 1 gastric-type), and CDKN2A (0 HPV-related, 3 gastric type) compared with indolent-behaving cases (P<0.05, Fisher exact test). A total of 8/56 (14%) tumors harbored at least one actionable mutation; of these, 6 (75%) were associated with recurrence and/or cancer-related death. Copy number variations were detected in 45/56 cases (80%). The most frequent were chromosome 20 gain and 16q loss, identified in 7 cases each (all HPV-associated EA). The mutational profile of EA is diverse and correlates with clinical behavior and EA subtype. Thus, targeted sequencing assays can potentially serve as a diagnostic and prognostic tool. It can also identify targetable alterations, which may benefit patients with recurrent/metastatic disease.

Villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Villoglandular adenocarcinoma (VGA) of the uterine cervix has been classified as a rare subtype of cervical adenocarcinoma with good prognosis. A conservative surgical approach is considered feasible. The main risk factor is the presence of other histologic types of cancer.

In this largest systematic review to date, we assess oncological outcomes associated with conservative therapy compared to those associated with invasive management in the treatment of stage Ia and Ib₁ VGA.

Methods

Case series and case reports identified by searching the PubMed database were eligible for inclusion in this review (stage Ia–Ib₁).

Results

A total of 271 patients were included in our literature review. 54 (20%) patients were treated by “conservative management” (conization, simple hysterectomy, and trachelectomy) and 217 (80%) by “invasive management” (radical hysterectomy ± radiation, hysterectomy, and radiation). Recurrences of disease (RODs) were found in the conservative group in two (4%) cases and in the invasive group in nine (4%) cases. There was no significant difference in disease-free survival (DFS) according to conservative or invasive treatment (p = 0.75). The histology of VGA may be complex with underlying usual adenocarcinoma (UAC) combined with VGA.

Conclusion

The excellent prognosis of pure VGA and the young age of the patients may justify the management of this tumor using a less radical procedure. The histological diagnosis of VGA is a challenge, and pretreatment should not be based solely on a simple punch biopsy but rather a conization with wide tumor-free margins.

Significance of serum CA125 level in surgically resected cervical adenocarcinoma with adverse features

OBJECTIVE

Unlike cervical squamous cell carcinoma, there are no consensus criteria for serum tumor markers in cervical adenocarcinoma. This study aimed to identify the prognostic value of preoperative carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) levels in cervical adenocarcinoma patients with adverse pathologic features.

METHODS

A total of 105 patients who underwent radical hysterectomy followed by adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiation therapy were included. Locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using the Cox proportional hazard regression model.

RESULTS

Using a cutoff value of 50 U/mL, 83 and 22 patients had low- and high-CA125, respectively. Patients with high-CA125 had a larger tumor size, more frequent parametrial extension, and more frequent lymph node metastasis than those with low-CA125. During a median follow-up of 59.3 (interquartile range, 32.7-97.8) months, patients with high-CA125 showed inferior 5-year LRFS, DMFS, and OS rates compared to those with low-CA125 (38.5% vs. 70.0%; 37.0% vs. 69.4%; 43.6% vs. 78.1%, respectively, all p<0.05). In multivariable analysis, the high-CA125 remained significant prognostic factor for LRFS, DMFS, and OS (all p<0.05). Furthermore, 12 patients with high-CA125 at recurrence exhibited lower 5-year OS rates than 21 patients with low-CA125 at recurrence (0.0% vs. 51.3%, p=0.003).

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective analysis, the serum CA125 level at diagnosis and recurrence was related to the extent of disease and prognosis of cervical adenocarcinoma with adverse pathologic features. A CA125 level of ≥50 U/mL may be a prognostic surrogate marker for cervical adenocarcinoma in patients with the presence of adverse factors.

[Current WHO classification of the female genitals : Many new things, but also some old]

The new WHO classification of tumors of the female genitalia entails some changes, especially those of prognostic and therapeutic relevance: there is a return to the term borderline tumor. Implants are again subdivided into noninvasive implants of the epithelial or desmoplastic type as before. Invasive extraovarian implants are classified as low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC). Former seromucinous carcinomas are now classified as endometrioid carcinomas (seromucinous subtype). New entities of ovarian carcinomas are mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma, undifferentiated and dedifferentiated carcinoma, and mixed carcinoma. The classification of neuroendocrine neoplasms is analogous to that of pulmonary and gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms, regardless of their location. Endometrioid endometrial carcinoma can be classified into four molecular subtypes, which have significant prognostic significance. New subtypes include mucinous carcinoma of the intestinal type and mesonephric-like adenocarcinoma. Stromasarcomas of the endometrium are further subclassified based on specific molecular alterations. Adenocarcinomas (ACs) and squamous cell carcinomas (PECs) of the lower female genital tract are distinguished from HPV-associated and HPV-independent carcinomas. Block-like staining for p16 is the accepted surrogate immunohistochemical marker. Grading has not been reported for PEC. For HPV-associated AC of the cervix uteri, prognostic assessment is based on the pattern of invasion (so-called Silva pattern). Serous carcinomas in the cervix uteri are endometrial carcinomas with cervical infiltration.

Tumor Necrotic Debris and High Nuclear Grade: Newly Identified High-risk Factors for Early-stage Endocervical Adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Invasive pattern of endocervical adenocarcinomas (EACs) is known to influence lymph node metastasis and cancer recurrence. In this study we describe the prognostic significance of necrotic tumor debris (NTD) and tumor nuclear grade on recurrence risk stratification of early-stage cervical adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

Patients who underwent surgery from 2007 to 2018 for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IA1-IB2 EAC, for whom pathology was available for review were included in this study. Clinico-pathologic variables and clinical recurrence risk stratification (low, intermediate, or high risk) were correlated to intraluminal NTD and tumor nuclear grade (N3).

RESULTS

Among 50 patients meeting inclusion criteria, all were managed surgically and clinically risk stratified as low (n=33), intermediate (n=13), and high risk (n=4). Twenty-three patients (46%) were NTD-N3 negative and 27 (54%) were NTD-N3 positive. NTD-N3 was significantly associated with higher stage, tumor grade, larger tumor size, positive lymphovascular space invasion, and recurrence of disease (P=0.025). Patients with stage IB1 EAC who were stratified as intermediate or high-risk for recurrence were positive for NTD-N3. Lack of NTD-N3 had 100% negative predictive value for disease recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

NTD-N3, a novel pathologic finding, may be used to further stratify overall recurrence risk, and may play a role in individualization of patient care in early-stage EAC.

Online Training and Self-assessment in the Histopathologic Classification of Endocervical Adenocarcinoma and Diagnosis of Pattern of Invasion: Evaluation of Participant Performance

Histopathologic classification of endocervical adenocarcinomas (EAC) has recently changed, with the new system based on human papillomavirus (HPV)-related morphologic features being incorporated into the 5th edition of the WHO Blue Book (Classification of Tumours of the Female Genital Tract). There has also been the introduction of a pattern-based classification system to assess invasion in HPV-associated (HPVA) endocervical adenocarcinomas that stratifies tumors into 3 groups with different prognoses. To facilitate the introduction of these changes into routine clinical practice, websites with training sets and test sets of scanned whole slide images were designed to improve diagnostic performance in histotype classification of endocervical adenocarcinoma based on the International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification (IECC) and assessment of Silva pattern of invasion in HPVA endocervical adenocarcinomas. We report on the diagnostic results of those who have participated thus far in these educational websites. Our goal was to identify areas where diagnostic performance was suboptimal and future educational efforts could be directed. There was very good ability to distinguish HPVA from HPV-independent adenocarcinomas within the WHO/IECC classification, with some challenges in the diagnosis of HPV-independent subtypes, especially mesonephric carcinoma. Diagnosis of HPVA subtypes was not consistent. For the Silva classification, the main challenge was related to distinction between pattern A and pattern B, with a tendency for participants to overdiagnose pattern B invasion. These observations can serve as the basis for more targeted efforts to improve diagnostic performance.

Grading of Endocervical Adenocarcinomas: Review of the Literature and Recommendations From the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists

There is a lack of consensus regarding the prognostic value of grading endocervical adenocarcinomas and currently, no universally applied, validated system for grading exists. Several grading schemes have been proposed, most incorporating an evaluation of tumor architecture and nuclear morphology and these are often based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) system for endometrial endometrioid carcinoma, although some schemes modify the proportion of solid tumor required to separate grades 1 and 2 from 5% to 10%. In the absence of a validated system, we endorse this approach for most human papillomavirus-associated endocervical adenocarcinomas and, based on the available evidence, recommend that tumors with ≤10% solid growth be designated grade 1, 11% to 50% solid growth grade 2 and >50% solid growth grade 3. Tumors should be upgraded in the presence of marked nuclear atypia involving the majority (>50%) of the tumor. Grading is not recommended for human papillomavirus-independent adenocarcinomas, since no validated system has been suggested and most of these neoplasms exhibit intrinsically aggressive behavior regardless of their morphologic appearance. Importantly, grading should not be performed for gastric-type adenocarcinomas, particularly as these tumors may appear deceptively "low-grade" yet still exhibit aggressive behavior. Recently devised, validated and reproducible etiology and pattern-based tumor classification systems for endocervical adenocarcinomas appear to offer more effective risk stratification than tumor grading and, in the future, these systems may render the provision of a tumor grade redundant.

The Silva Pattern-based Classification for HPV-associated Invasive Endocervical Adenocarcinoma and the Distinction Between In Situ and Invasive Adenocarcinoma: Relevant Issues and Recommendations From the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists

The Silva pattern-based classification for human papilloma virus-associated invasive adenocarcinoma has emerged as a reliable system to predict risk of lymph node metastasis and recurrences. Although not a part of any staging system yet, it has been incorporated in synoptic reports as established by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR). Moreover, the current National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines include this classification as an "emergent concept." In order to facilitate the understating and application of this new classification by all pathologists, the ISGyP Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Project Working Group presents herein all the current evidence on the Silva classification and aims to provide recommendations for its implementation in practice, including interpretation, reporting, and application to biopsy and resection specimens. In addition, this article addresses the distinction of human papilloma virus-associated adenocarcinoma in situ and gastric type adenocarcinoma in situ from their invasive counterparts.

Clinical features and prognostic factors of cervical villoglandular adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Villoglandular adenocarcinoma is a rare sub-type of cervical adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinicopathological features and evaluate the prognosis of patients with villoglandular adenocarcinoma of the cervix.

METHODS

Patient characteristics, procedure, pathology, and surgical outcomes were retrospectively reviewed in patients with villoglandular adenocarcinoma between November 2006 and June 2019 from multiple centers in China. In order to explore the difference between villoglandular adenocarcinoma and routine adenocarcinoma, patients (FIGO 2009 stage IA1-IB2) who had complete data during the same time period were included.

RESULTS

A total of 60 patients with villoglandular adenocarcinoma and 104 with standard adenocarcinoma were included. The median age of the patients with villoglandular adenocarcinoma was 42 years (range 27-68). The most common 2009 FIGO stage was IB1 in 39 (65%) patients with villoglandular adenocarcinoma. A total of 23 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery (two total hysterectomies, 21 radical hysterectomies) and the other 37 patients underwent laparotomy (three total hysterectomies, 34 radical hysterectomies). A total of 56 patients underwent lymphadenectomy and three (5.4%) had positive lymph nodes. Fifteen (25%) patients had one or both ovaries preserved. Seven patients were lost to follow-up. The median follow-up time for the entire group was 50.2 months (range 5.1-154.6). No deaths or recurrences occurred. Excluding six patients with FIGO 2009 stage II, the 5-year disease-free survival of the 47 patients with villoglandular adenocarcinoma with FIGO 2009 stage I for whom there was follow-up, was significantly higher than that of the 104 patients with standard cervical adenocarcinoma (100% vs 92.2%, log-rank p=0.039). However, the 5-year overall survival of the two groups did not differ (100% vs 95.7%, log-rank p=0.11).

CONCLUSION

Villoglandular adenocarcinoma has a favorable prognosis. Further studies are needed to provide more details of treatment strategies and prognosis.

Genomic alterations caused by HPV integration in a cohort of Chinese endocervical adenocarcinomas

The association between human papillomavirus (HPV) integration and relevant genomic changes in uterine cervical adenocarcinoma is poorly understood. This study is to depict the genomic mutational landscape in a cohort of 20 patients. HPV+ and HPV− groups were defined as patients with and without HPV integration in the host genome. The genetic changes between these two groups were described and compared by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and whole-exome sequencing (WES). WGS identified 2916 copy number variations and 743 structural variations. WES identified 6113 somatic mutations, with a mutational burden of 2.4 mutations/Mb. Six genes were predicted as driver genes: PIK3CA, KRAS, TRAPPC12, NDN, GOLGA6L4 and BAIAP3. PIK3CA, NDN, GOLGA6L4, and BAIAP3 were recognized as significantly mutated genes (SMGs). HPV was detected in 95% (19/20) of patients with cervical adenocarcinoma, 7 of whom (36.8%) had HPV integration (HPV+ group). In total, 1036 genes with somatic mutations were confirmed in the HPV+ group, while 289 genes with somatic mutations were confirmed in the group without HPV integration (HPV− group); only 2.1% were shared between the two groups. In the HPV+ group, GOLGA6L4 and BAIAP3 were confirmed as SMGs, while PIK3CA, NDN, KRAS, FUT1, and GOLGA6L64 were identified in the HPV− group. ZDHHC3, PKD1P1, and TGIF2 showed copy number amplifications after HPV integration. In addition, the HPV+ group had significantly more neoantigens. HPV integration rather than HPV infection results in different genomic changes in cervical adenocarcinoma.

Cervical carcinomas with serous-like papillary and micropapillary components: illustrating the heterogeneity of primary cervical carcinomas

Recent changes in the classification of cervical adenocarcinomas have re-categorized serous carcinoma as potentially nonexistent. However, clinical and pathological profiles of cervical adenocarcinomas with serous-like morphological features have not been systematically evaluated using the latest taxonomy and biomarkers. We studied 14 cases of primary cervical carcinomas with serous-like morphologies (papillary and micropapillary patterns). None of these cases exhibited evidence of serous carcinoma involving the upper tracts. Patient ages ranged between 34 and 86 years, most presented with abnormal uterine bleeding. Histologically, ten cases were classified as human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated carcinomas (eight usual-type endocervical adenocarcinomas and two adenosquamous carcinomas), of which six exhibited a papillary pattern and four had a micropapillary pattern. The four remaining cases were HPV-independent gastric-type adenocarcinomas, which displayed a papillary pattern in one case and a micropapillary pattern in three others. All ten HPV-associated carcinomas displayed block positive p16 and wild-type p53 by immunohistochemistry, with nine of them confirmed by HPV testing. Two of the four gastric-type adenocarcinomas had mutation-type p53, one of which also being p16 block positive. HER2 overexpression was demonstrated in 3/14 (21.4%) cases (2 HPV-associated and 1 HPV-independent). PD-L1 expression was identified in 4/10 (40%) cases, all HPV-associated. Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed in two cases with a micropapillary pattern, revealing a missense variant in ATM in an HPV-associated tumor and missense variants in TP53 and SMARCB1 in an HPV-independent tumor. The results demonstrated that primary endocervical adenocarcinomas can mimic the appearance of serous carcinoma, while not representing serous carcinoma. Serous-like papillary and micropapillary patterns may be present in both HPV-associated and HPV-independent cervical carcinomas, but none of the cases studied were unequivocally serous upon detailed analysis. Our findings support the exclusion of "cervical serous carcinoma" from existing classifications of cervical adenocarcinoma.

Invasive Stratified Mucinous Carcinoma (iSMC) of the Cervix Often Presents With High-risk Features That Are Determinants of Poor Outcome: An International Multicenter Study

Invasive stratified mucinous carcinoma (iSMC) has been suggested to represent an aggressive subtype of endocervical adenocarcinoma. We sought to investigate the outcomes of iSMC and determine which clinical and pathologic parameters may influence the prognosis. Slides from 52 cases of iSMC were collected and classified as follows: pure iSMC (>90% of the entire tumor) and iSMC mixed with other human papillomavirus-associated adenocarcinoma components (miSMC) (>10%, but <90% of the entire tumor). Clinical and pathologic parameters were evaluated and compared with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). One third of patients with iSMC presented with lymph node metastases (LNM) and 25% developed local recurrences, whereas 4 (7.7%) developed distant recurrences. 29 cases (55.8%) were pure iSMC, whereas 23 cases (44.23%) were miSMC. OS was 74.7% in pure iSMC versus 85.2% in miSMC (P=0.287). RFS was 56.5% in pure iSMC and 72.9% in miSMC (P=0.185). At 5 years, OS in stage I was 88.9% versus stage II to IV 30% (P=0.004), whereas RFS in stage I was 73.9% versus stage II to IV 38.1% (P=0.02). OS was influenced by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (P=0.013), tumor size (P=0.02), LNM (P=0.015), and local recurrence (P=0.022), whereas RFS was influenced by FIGO stage (P=0.031), tumor size (P=0.001), local recurrence (P=0.009), LNM (P=0.008), and type of surgical treatment (P=0.044). iSMC is an aggressive cervical tumor biologically different from other human papillomavirus-associated adenocarcinomas due to the propensity for LNM, local/distant recurrence. FIGO stage, tumor size, LNM, and presence of local/pelvic recurrences are determinants of outcome in iSMCs.

An analysis of HER2 amplification in cervical adenocarcinoma: correlation with clinical outcomes and the International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification

Few studies have explored HER2 status in cervical adenocarcinoma, particularly in the gastric-type adenocarcinoma (GAC), a nonhuman-papillomavirus-related subtype with poor clinical outcomes. In this study, we investigated HER2 expression and amplification by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in 209 well annotated cervical adenocarcinomas diagnosed using the International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification. IHC identified HER2 protein expression in 57.4% (123/209) of adenocarcinomas, of which 62 were IHC 1+ (negative), 38 2+ (equivocal) and 23 3+ (positive). HER2 amplification was found in 13 cases (6.2%) including 10 with IHC 3+ and 3 with IHC 2+. Among all the major histotypes of cervical adenocarcinoma, HER2 amplification was most common in GAC cases with a frequency of 14.7% (5/34). Moreover, HER2 amplification was more frequently associated with 2018 International Federation of Gynecology & Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III/IV, perineural involvement and ovarian spread (p < 0.05) while IHC 3+ was more common in patients with lymphovascular invasion and ovarian involvement (p < 0.05). Survival analysis indicated that FIGO stage III/IV, GAC, and p53 overexpression were associated with poor disease-specific survival and tumor recurrence (p < 0.05). In conclusion, HER2 amplification was present in a subset of adenocarcinomas, and more common in GAC, pointing to a potential benefit from trastuzumab treatment. HER2 overexpression does not identify gene amplification status in cervical adenocarcinoma; therefore, FISH is suggested for both IHC positive and equivocal cases. Further investigation on more cases with longer follow-up times is required to consolidate these findings.

Uncommon Cervical Lesions: A Review and Discussion of the Differential Diagnosis

CONTEXT.—

While the vast majority of cervical tumors consist of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma, a subset of rare tumor types, frequently unrelated to HPV, does occur in this location. These tumors vary widely in prognostic and therapeutic implications, and accurate recognition is crucial to providing appropriate treatment. Some are benign or portend a favorable prognosis (adenoid basal carcinoma, ectopic prostate tissue), while others are frankly malignant lesions with a less favorable prognosis (adenoid cystic carcinoma, HPV-negative endocervical adenocarcinoma, mesonephric adenocarcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and adenosquamous carcinoma).

OBJECTIVE.—

To review the morphologic features of uncommon cervical lesions, the utility of immunohistochemistry for distinction between these entities, and the clinical and prognostic implications of accurate diagnosis.

DATA SOURCES.—

University of Michigan cases and review of the pertinent literature regarding the entities described.

CONCLUSIONS.—

Key morphologic and immunohistochemical features detailed herein will allow for the accurate distinction between these uncommon cervical lesions. Morphology is most useful in discriminating between the entities, as there is frequent immunohistochemical overlap between them; however, in rare instances immunohistochemistry can be useful in resolving the diagnosis.

Invasive Stratified Mucin-producing Carcinoma (ISMC) of the Cervix: A Study on Morphologic Diversity

Invasive stratified mucin-producing carcinoma (ISMC) is a recently described tumor with similar morphology to the stratified mucin-producing intraepithelial lesion. Stratified mucin-producing intraepithelial lesion and ISMC likely arise from human papillomavirus (HPV)-infected reserve cells in the cervical transformation zone that retain their pluripotential ability to differentiate into various architectural and cytologic patterns. This is important, as small studies have suggested that ISMC may be a morphologic pattern associated with more aggressive behavior than usual HPV-associated adenocarcinoma. We sought to study the morphologic spectrum of this entity and its associations with other, more conventional patterns of HPV-associated carcinomas. Full slide sets from 52 cases of ISMC were reviewed by an international panel of gynecologic pathologists and classified according to the new International Endocervical Criteria and Classification system. Tumors were categorized as ISMC if they demonstrated stromal invasion by solid nests of neoplastic cells with at least focal areas of mucin stratified throughout the entire thickness, as opposed to conventional tall columnar cells with luminal gland formation. Tumors comprising pure ISMC, and those mixed with other morphologic patterns, were included in the analysis. Twenty-nine pure ISMCs (56%) and 23 ISMCs mixed with other components (44%) were identified. Other components included 13 cases of usual-type adenocarcinoma, 6 adenosquamous carcinoma, 3 mucinous-type adenocarcinoma, 1 high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma. ISMC displayed architectural diversity (insular, lumen-forming, solid, papillary, trabecular, micropapillary, single cells) and variable cytologic appearance (eosinophilic cytoplasm, cytoplasmic clearing, histiocytoid features, glassy cell-like features, signet ring-like features, bizarre nuclei, squamoid differentiation). Awareness of the spectrum of morphologies in ISMC is important for accurate and reproducible diagnosis so that future studies to determine the clinical significance of ISMC can be conducted.

Cervical adenocarcinoma: integration of HPV status, pattern of invasion, morphology and molecular markers into classification

Cervical adenocarcinoma is a heterogenous group of tumours with various aetiologies, molecular drivers, morphologies, response to treatment and prognosis. It has become evident that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection does not drive all adenocarcinomas, and appropriate classification is critical for patient management, especially in the era of the HPV vaccine and HPV-only screening. Identified as one of the most important developments in gynaecological pathology during the past 50 years, the separation of cervical adenocarcinomas into HPV-associated (HPVA) and HPV-independent has resulted in a transformation of the classification system for cervical adenocarcinomas. HPVA has been traditionally subclassified by morphology, such as usual type (UEA), mucinous and villoglandular, etc. However, it has become evident that cell type-based histomorphological classification is not clinically meaningful, and the newly proposed International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification (IECC) is a necessary and relevant break from this prior system. Non-HPV-associated adenocarcinomas can be divided by their distinct morphology and molecular genomics with very different responses to standard therapies and potential for future targeted therapies. These include gastric-type, clear-cell, mesonephric and endometrioid adenocarcinomas. So-called 'serous' carcinomas of the cervix probably represent morphological variants of UEA or drop metastases from uterine or adnexal serous carcinomas, and the existence of true cervical serous carcinomas is in question. This review will discuss the advances since WHO 2014, and how HPV status, pattern of invasion as described by Silva and colleagues, histological features and molecular markers can be used to refine diagnosis and prognostication for patients with cervical adenocarcinoma.

HPV nonrelated endocervical adenocarcinoma in hereditary cancer syndromes

INTRODUCTION

The relationship between endocervical cancer and cancer susceptibility syndromes is not yet fully understood. We present 2 cases of endocervical cancer: 1 arising in a patient carrier with a pathogenic BRCA1 variant and the second detected in a Lynch syndrome family carrying the MSH2 germline pathogenic variant.

CASE DESCRIPTION

Somatic analyses including loss of heterozygosity and fluorescent in situ hybridization demonstrated that the second hit in patient 1 is BRCA1-related. Mismatch repair somatic analyses in the second family demonstrated that the endocervical cancers of patient 2 and of her sister are MSH2-related. These data confirm the relationship between the pathogenesis of endocervical cancer and the presence of germline BRCA1 and MSH2 mutations.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirms that gynecologic cancers including rare entities such as non-human papillomavirus-related endocervical cancer (NHPVA) are sentinels for inherited cancer syndromes. Endocervical cancer NHPVAs might be considered for cancer genetic counseling in order to improve cancer prevention. For this reason, the role of pathologists is particularly important for the correct identification of the cervical tumor site.

Proposal of a Two-Tier System in Grouping Adenocarcinoma of the Uterine Cervix

(1) Background: This study examined the use of a two-tier system in grouping cervical adenocarcinoma for survival discrimination. (2) Methods: A nationwide retrospective observational cohort study was conducted using the Japan Society of Gynecologic Oncology tumor registry database from 2001 to 2015 (n = 86,754). Adenocarcinoma subtypes were grouped as type 1 (endocervical usual type and endometrioid) or type 2 (serous, clear, mucinous, and not otherwise specified), based on their relative survival compared with that of squamous tumors. (3) Results: The majority of the adenocarcinoma cases were type 1 (n = 10,121) versus type 2 tumors (n = 5157). Type 2 tumors were more likely to be old and have stage IV disease than those with squamous tumors. The number of type 2 tumors increased from 2001 to 2014 (106.1% relative increase, p < 0.001). Type 2 tumors had disproportionally poorer survival compared to other types (5-year survival rates: 68.9% for type 2, 75.4% for type 1, and 78.0% for squamous; p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, type 2 tumors remained an independent prognostic factor associated with decreased survival compared with squamous (adjusted hazard ratio 2.00, 95% CI 1.84–2.15, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusion: The survival of cervical adenocarcinoma varies largely across the histological subtypes, and the proposed two-tier grouping may be useful for survival discrimination.

Immunophenotype analysis using CLDN18, CDH17, and PAX8 for the subcategorization of endocervical adenocarcinomas in situ: gastric-type, intestinal-type, gastrointestinal-type, and Müllerian-type

A classification system for invasive endocervical adenocarcinoma (ECA) focusing on high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) detection has been recently developed. However, precursor lesions of each ECA subtype and immunohistochemical markers that effectively subcategorize ECAs with gastric and intestinal differentiation have not been fully described. Here, we aimed to subcategorize endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) by immunophenotype and to characterize the histopathology of each AIS subtype. We immunohistochemically analyzed 36 AIS and 25 lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH) samples using three cell lineage-specific markers (CLDN18, gastric epithelial cells; CDH17, intestinal epithelial cells; and PAX8, Müllerian epithelial cells). The AISs were immunophenotypically classified as gastric-type (G-AIS; n = 2), intestinal-type (I-AIS; n = 10), gastrointestinal-type (GI-AIS; n = 3), Müllerian-type (M-AIS; n = 18), and AIS, not otherwise specified (AIS-NOS; n = 3). All 25 LEGHs were categorized as gastric-type. G-AIS had pale eosinophilic or clear cytoplasm with a small amount of apical mucin and fewer mitotic bodies. I-AIS comprised various numbers of goblet cell-type tumor cells. GI-AIS showed intermediate or mixed features of G-AIS and I-AIS. M-AIS, as with the usual-type ECA, was typically characterized by mucin depletion; however, several lesions had abundant cytoplasmic mucin. High-risk HPV was detected in most AISs but was negative in 100% (2/2) of G-AIS, 10% (1/10) of I-AIS, and 6% (1/18) of M-AIS lesions. In summary, the AIS subtypes defined by immunophenotype had distinct histopathological and etiological characteristics. Thus, immunophenotyping with CLDN18, CDH17, and PAX8 might improve the diagnostic accuracy of histopathological classifications of ECAs.