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European Journal of Surgical Oncology :... Oct 2023In early-stage vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) a sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure is regarded successful if at least one SLN is removed with minimal residual...
INTRODUCTION
In early-stage vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) a sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedure is regarded successful if at least one SLN is removed with minimal residual radioactivity. An inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy is considered if not all SLNs visualized on lymphoscintigraphy can be found, with subsequent increased morbidity. We correlated lymphoscintigraphy findings with surgical outcome and groin recurrence with focus on number of SLNs found.
METHODS
This study concerns a retrospective cohort of 171 women treated for early-stage VSCC who underwent a SLN procedure between 2000 and 2020. The risk of groin recurrence was compared after either a successful or complete SLN procedure, i.e. removal of all SLNs that were visualized on lymphoscintigraphy.
RESULTS
In 13 (7.6%) groins of 171 patients SLN visualization on lymphoscintigraphy failed. In 230 of the 246 (93.5%) groins in which a SLN was visualized, at least one SLN was found during surgery. In 224 of the 246 (91.1%) groins the SLN procedure was regarded either successful (n = 14) or complete (n = 210). An isolated groin recurrence was documented in 5 out of 192 (2.6%, 95%-CI; 0.34 to 4.9) SLN-negative groins after a median follow-up of 47.0 months. All recurrences were noted in the complete SLN group (5/180 groins). The difference with the successful SLN group (0/12 groins) was not significant.
CONCLUSION
Risk of groin recurrence was 2.6% after SLN negative biopsy in early-stage VSCC. The risk appeared not increased if at least one SLN was found with minimal residual radioactivity, in case more SLNs were visualized on lymphoscintigraphy.
Topics: Humans; Female; Sentinel Lymph Node; Groin; Vulvar Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies; Lymphoscintigraphy; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; Lymph Node Excision; Lymph Nodes; Lymphadenopathy; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 37572588
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2023.107006 -
The Journal of International Medical... Aug 2023Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare benign tumor with diverse clinical and radiologic presentations, making its differential diagnosis challenging. Here we report the...
Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare benign tumor with diverse clinical and radiologic presentations, making its differential diagnosis challenging. Here we report the second recurrence of an aggressive angiomyxoma of the vulva in a 33-year-old woman who presented with pain and swelling. Clinical examination revealed a well-circumscribed large palpable mass extending from the inferior part of the right labia major into the right side of the gluteus. A second recurrence of aggressive angiomyxoma was suspected based on the patient's history, clinical examination, and magnetic resonance imaging report, and the patient underwent surgical resection with a negative margin. Histological evaluation of the extracted lesion confirmed the diagnosis of aggressive angiomyxoma. At the 1-year follow-up, the patient was recurrence-free. The present report urges more awareness regarding the aggressiveness of angiomyxoma of the vulva. Closer attention should be given to margin-free removal of such tumors, and patients should be routinely followed up for at least 2 years postoperatively for early diagnosis of recurrence, thereby reducing the risk of morbidity.
Topics: Female; Humans; Adult; Vulvar Neoplasms; Vulva; Myxoma; Diagnosis, Differential
PubMed: 37551697
DOI: 10.1177/03000605231189366 -
Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Nov 2023To elucidate clinical characteristics and build a prognostic nomogram for patients with vulvar cancer.
Epidemiologic characteristics and a prognostic nomogram for patients with vulvar cancer: results from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program in the United States, 1975 to 2016.
OBJECTIVE
To elucidate clinical characteristics and build a prognostic nomogram for patients with vulvar cancer.
METHODS
The study population was drawn from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patients were randomly assigned to training and validation sets. Cox proportional hazards model and competing risk model were used to identify the prognostic parameters of overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) to construct a nomogram. The nomogram was assessed by concordance index (C-index), area under the curve (AUC), calibration plot, and decision curve analysis (DCA).
RESULTS
A total of 20,716 patients were included in epidemiological analysis, of whom 7,025 patients were selected in survival analysis, including 4,215 and 2,810 in training and validation sets, respectively. The multivariate Cox model showed that the predictors for OS were age, marital status, histopathology, differentiation and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stages, whether to undergo surgery and chemotherapy. However, the predictors for CSS were age, race, differentiation and TNM stages, whether to undergo surgery and radiation. The C-index for OS and CSS in the training set were 0.76 and 0.80. The AUC in the training set for 1-, 3- and 5-year OS and CSS were 0.84, 0.81, 0.80 and 0.88, 0.85, 0.83, respectively, which was similar in the validation set. The calibration curves showed good agreement between prediction and actual observations. DCA revealed that the nomogram had a better discrimination than TNM stages.
CONCLUSIONS
The nomogram showed accurate prognostic prediction in OS and CSS for vulvar cancer, which could provide guidance to clinical practice.
Topics: Female; Humans; Area Under Curve; Databases, Factual; Nomograms; Prognosis; SEER Program; United States; Vulvar Neoplasms
PubMed: 37477104
DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2023.34.e81 -
Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Nov 2023Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) of the vulva is a rare disease which predominantly presents in postmenopausal Caucasian women. As yet, no studies on Asian female...
OBJECTIVE
Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) of the vulva is a rare disease which predominantly presents in postmenopausal Caucasian women. As yet, no studies on Asian female patients with EMPD have been performed. This study aimed to identify the clinical features of patients with vulvar EMPD in Korea, and to evaluate the risk factors of recurrence and postoperative complications in surgically treated EMPD.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 47 patients with vulvar EMPD who underwent wide local excision or radical vulvectomy. The clinical data and surgical and oncological outcomes following surgery were extracted from medical records and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses for predicting recurrence and postoperative complications were performed.
RESULTS
21.3% of patients had complications after surgery, and wound dehiscence was the most common. 14.9% of patients experienced recurrence, and the median interval to recurrence from initial treatment was 69 (range 33-169) months. Vulvar lesions larger than 40 mm was the independent risk factor of postoperative complications (odds ratio [OR]=7.259; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.545-34.100; p=0.012). Surgical margin status was not associated with recurrence in surgically treated vulvar EMPD patients (OR=0.83; 95% CI=0.16-4.19; p=1.000).
CONCLUSION
Positive surgical margin is a frequent finding in the patients with vulvar EMPD, but disease recurrence is not related with surgical margin status. Since EMPD is a slow growing tumor, a surveillance period longer than 5 years is required.
Topics: Humans; Female; Paget Disease, Extramammary; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Margins of Excision; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Vulva; Vulvar Neoplasms; Postoperative Complications
PubMed: 37477099
DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2023.34.e76 -
Current Oncology Reports Oct 2023Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare entity which is more frequently localized at the vulva, though it only accounts for 1-2% of vulvar neoplasms. It is a primary... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare entity which is more frequently localized at the vulva, though it only accounts for 1-2% of vulvar neoplasms. It is a primary cutaneous adenocarcinoma whose cell of origin is still a matter of controversy: it can either arise from apocrine/eccrine glands or from stem cells. The diagnosis demands a biopsy and entails a histopathological analysis by which cells show similar characteristics as breast Paget disease.
RECENT FINDINGS
Treatment approach can entail surgery, radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy, systemic chemotherapy, and topical chemotherapy. For metastatic disease, many different chemotherapy regimens have been explored and even targeted therapy can play an important role in this disease. Since almost 30-40% of patients overexpress HER-2, trastuzumab and anti-HER-2 therapies can be employed in this setting. Due to its low incidence, there is almost no specific evidence on therapeutic interventions for this disease. Thus, there is a neat unmet need for molecular characterization of EMPD and diagnostic tools that allow clinicians to guide treatment both in the early and in the advanced disease settings. In this review, we aim to summarize available evidence about diagnosis and treatment of EMPD, both localized and metastatic, and to provide a comprehensive analysis that may help clinicians for therapeutic decisions.
PubMed: 37421583
DOI: 10.1007/s11912-023-01434-0 -
BMC Women's Health Jul 2023The role of postoperative radiotherapy in treating squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva remains controversial. This study evaluated the effect of radiotherapy on the...
INTRODUCTION
The role of postoperative radiotherapy in treating squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva remains controversial. This study evaluated the effect of radiotherapy on the survival of patients with postoperative squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.
METHODS
Clinical and prognostic information on patients diagnosed with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma from 2010 to 2015 was collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Prognosis (SEER) database. A propensity score matching (PSM) approach was used to balance the differences in clinicopathological characteristics between groups. The impact of postoperative radiotherapy on overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) was assessed.
RESULTS
The study included 3571 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva, of whom 732 (21.1%) received postoperative radiotherapy. After propensity score matching, multivariate analysis showed that age, race, N stage, and tumor size were independent influences on overall survival and disease-specific survival of patients. Postoperative radiotherapy did not improve patients' overall survival or disease-specific survival. Further subgroup survival analysis showed that in patients with AJCC stage III, N1 stage, lymph node metastasis, and large tumor diameter (> 3.5 cm), postoperative radiotherapy resulted in a significant improvement in overall patient survival.
CONCLUSION
Postoperative radiotherapy is not indicated for all patients with postoperative vulvar cancer and has improved survival outcomes only for patients with AJCC stage III, N1, lymph node metastases and large tumor diameter (> 3.5 cm).
Topics: Female; Humans; Prognosis; Vulvar Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Survival Analysis; Lymphatic Metastasis; Neoplasm Staging
PubMed: 37420200
DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02522-w -
Clinical & Translational Oncology :... Jan 2024To examine the relation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family peptides with inflammatory processes and oncogenesis, emphasizing in vulvar inflammatory,...
OBJECTIVES
To examine the relation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family peptides with inflammatory processes and oncogenesis, emphasizing in vulvar inflammatory, premalignant and malignant lesions, as well as to investigate the possibility of lesion cells immunoescaping, utilizing FAS/FAS-L complex.
METHODS
Immunohistochemical expression of CRH, urocortin (UCN), FasL and their receptors CRHR1, CRHR2 and Fas was studied in vulvar tissue sections obtained from patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of lichen, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) and vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC). The patient cohort was selected from a tertiary teaching Hospital in Greece, between 2005 and 2015. For each of the disease categories, immunohistochemical staining was evaluated and the results were statistically compared.
RESULTS
A progressive increase of the cytoplasmic immunohistochemical expression of CRH and UCN, from precancerous lesions to VSCC was observed. A similar increase was detected for Fas and FasL expression. Nuclear localization of UCN was demonstrated in both premalignant and VSCC lesions, with staining being significantly intensified in carcinomas, particularly in the less differentiated tumor areas or in the areas at invasive tumor front.
CONCLUSIONS
Stress response system and CRH family peptides seem to have a role in inflammation maintenance and progression of vulvar premalignant lesions to malignancy. It seems that stress peptides may locally modulate the stroma through Fas/FasL upregulation, possibly contributing to vulvar cancer development.
Topics: Female; Humans; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; Precancerous Conditions; Vulvar Neoplasms; Up-Regulation; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Urocortins
PubMed: 37382757
DOI: 10.1007/s12094-023-03249-8 -
Cancer Epidemiology Aug 2023To study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown on the number of diagnoses of gynaecological malignancies in the Netherlands.
OBJECTIVE
To study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown on the number of diagnoses of gynaecological malignancies in the Netherlands.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (NCR) on women of 18 years and older diagnosed with invasive endometrial, ovarian, cervical or vulvar cancer in the period 2017-2021. Analyses were stratified for age, socioeconomical status (SES) and region.
RESULTS
The incidence rate of gynaecological cancer was 67/100.000 (n = 4832) before (2017-2019) and 68/100.000 (n = 4833) during (2020) the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparing the number of diagnoses of the two periods for the four types of cancer separately showed no significant difference. During the first wave of COVID-19 (March-June 2020), a clear decrease in number of gynaecological cancer diagnoses was visible (20-34 %). Subsequently, large increases in number of diagnoses were visible (11-29 %). No significant differences in incidence were found between different age groups, SES and regions. In 2021 an increase of 5.9 % in number of diagnoses was seen.
CONCLUSION
In the Netherlands, a clear drop in number of diagnoses was visible for all four types of gynaecological cancers during the first wave, with a subsequent increase in number of diagnoses in the second part of 2020 and in 2021. No differences between SES groups were found. This illustrates good organisation of and access to health care in the Netherlands.
Topics: Female; Humans; Genital Neoplasms, Female; Incidence; Netherlands; Retrospective Studies; Pandemics; COVID-19; Communicable Disease Control
PubMed: 37356263
DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2023.102405 -
European Journal of Surgical Oncology :... Sep 2023Pelvic exenteration may be the only curative treatment for some patients with primary advanced or recurrent vulvar cancer but is associated with high morbidity. This...
BACKGROUND
Pelvic exenteration may be the only curative treatment for some patients with primary advanced or recurrent vulvar cancer but is associated with high morbidity. This study evaluated the clinical outcome of patients treated at a centralized service in Norway.
METHODOLOGY
This retrospective study included patients treated with pelvic exenteration for primary locally advanced or recurrent vulvar cancer between 1996 and 2019 at Oslo University Hospital, Norway. Complications were coded according to the contracted Accordion classification. Relapse free survival (RFS), cancer specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated with the Kaplan Meier method.
RESULTS
The 30 patients were followed for a median of 4.94 years (95%CI: 3.37-NR). Exenteration due to primary vulvar cancer was carried out in 16 (53%) patients, 14 (47%) had recurrent vulvar cancer. Free histopathological margins were achieved in 28 (93%) patients. The 90 days morbidity for grade 3 complications was 63%, predominantly wound/surgical flap infections, 7% had no complications. 90 days mortality was 3%. Five-year RFS was 26% (95% CI 8-48%), OS was 50% (95%CI: 29-69%) and CSS was 64% (95% CI 43-79%). There was no significant difference in survival between patients with primary vs recurrent disease. The 3-year CSS for patients with negative lymph nodes and positive lymph nodes was 70% (95% CI 47-84%) and 30% (95% CI 1-72%), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Acceptable oncologic outcomes after pelvic exenteration for primary and recurrent vulvar cancer can be achieved if surgery is centralized. Careful patient selection is imperative due to significant postoperative morbidity and considerable risk of relapse.
Topics: Female; Humans; Vulvar Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies; Pelvic Exenteration; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Morbidity; Postoperative Complications; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 37349160
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejso.2023.06.010 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Oct 2023
Topics: Female; Humans; Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus; Vitiligo; Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus; Vulva; Hypopigmentation; Vulvar Neoplasms; Vulvar Diseases
PubMed: 37328003
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2023.06.016