-
Frontiers in Oncology 2022Observational studies suggested that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) might be associated with increased cancer incidence and cancer-related death, however, the...
BACKGROUND
Observational studies suggested that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) might be associated with increased cancer incidence and cancer-related death, however, the results are inconsistent. We aim to comprehensively estimate the causal relationships between SLE and cancer morbidity and mortality using a meta-analysis of cohort studies and Mendelian randomization.
METHODS
A systematic search was conducted using PubMed to identify cohort studies published before January 21, 2021. Meta-analysis was performed to calculate relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). In addition, we further evaluated the potentially causal relationships identified by cohort studies using two-sample Mendelian randomization.
RESULTS
A total of 48 cohort studies involving 247,575 patients were included. We performed 31 main meta-analysis to assess the cancer risk and three meta-analyses to evaluate cancer mortality in SLE patients. Through meta-analyses, we observed an increased risk of overall cancer (RR=1.62, 95%CI, 1.47-1.79, <0.001) and cancer-related death (RR=1.52, 95%CI, 1.36-1.70, <0.001) in patients with SLE. Subgroup analysis by site-specific cancer showed that SLE was a risk factor for 17 site-specific cancers, including six digestive cancers (esophagus, colon, anus, hepatobiliary, liver, pancreatic), five hematologic cancers (lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma), as well as cancer in lung, larynx, cervical, vagina/vulva, renal, bladder, skin, and thyroid. In addition, further mendelian randomization analysis verified a weakly association between genetically predisposed SLE and lymphoma risk (odds ratio=1.0004, =0.0035).
CONCLUSIONS
Findings from our study suggest an important role of SLE in carcinogenesis, especially for lymphoma.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, CRD42021243635.
PubMed: 35600353
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.860794 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Mar 2014This is an updated version of an original Cochrane review published in The Cochrane Library, 2011, Issue 1.Vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) is a pre-malignant... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
This is an updated version of an original Cochrane review published in The Cochrane Library, 2011, Issue 1.Vulval intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) is a pre-malignant condition of the vulval skin. This uncommon chronic skin condition of the vulva is associated with a high risk of recurrence and the potential to progress to vulval cancer. The condition is complicated by its multicentric and multifocal nature. The incidence of this condition appears to be rising, particularly in the younger age group. There is a lack of consensus on the optimal surgical treatment method. However, the rationale for the surgical treatment of VIN has been to treat the symptoms and exclude any underlying malignancy, with the continued aim of preserving the vulval anatomy and function. Repeated treatments affect local cosmesis and cause psychosexual morbidity, thus impacting he individual's quality of life.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of surgical interventions in women with high-grade VIN.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Group Trials Register and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) Issue 11,2013 and MEDLINE and EMBASE up to December 2013. We also searched registers of clinical trials, abstracts of scientific meetings and reference lists of included studies, and contacted experts in the field.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared surgical interventions in adult women diagnosed with high-grade VIN.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently abstracted data and assessed risk of bias.
MAIN RESULTS
We identified one RCT, including 30 women, that met our inclusion criteria; this trial reported data on carbon dioxide (CO2) laser surgery versus cavitational ultrasonic surgical aspiration (CUSA). There were no statistically significant differences in the risks of disease recurrence after one year of follow-up, pain, scarring, dysuria or burning, adhesions, infection, abnormal discharge or eschar between women who underwent CO2 laser surgery and those who received CUSA. The trial lacked statistical power due to the small number of women in each group and the low number of observed events, but was at low risk of bias.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The included trial lacked statistical power due to the small number of women in each group and the low number of observed events. The absence of reliable evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of the two surgical techniques for the management of VIN therefore precludes any definitive guidance or recommendations for clinical practice.
Topics: Adult; Carcinoma in Situ; Female; Humans; Lasers, Gas; Precancerous Conditions; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Suction; Ultrasonic Therapy; Vulvar Neoplasms
PubMed: 24596022
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007928.pub3 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2024Vulvar cancer carries a favourable prognosis in early stages. However, therapeutic options for advanced or recurrent cases are limited despite a variety of therapeutic...
INTRODUCTION
Vulvar cancer carries a favourable prognosis in early stages. However, therapeutic options for advanced or recurrent cases are limited despite a variety of therapeutic modalities, such as extensive surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The most important emerging treatment modalities are immune checkpoint inhibitors. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, in women with advanced vulvar cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Following a comprehensive search, review, and appraisal, two relevant single-arm studies were included. Meta-analysis was conducted using R4.3.0 software and RStudio 2023.03.0, presenting the overall effect size with a 95% confidence interval. Heterogeneity was assessed using I and the Cochrane Q χ2 statistics.
RESULTS
Out of 154 studies screened for eligibility, two single-arm studies involving 119 patients receiving pembrolizumab for advanced vulvar cancer were included. The pooled objective response rate (ORR) was overall 10% (95% CI: 0.00-0.84) and 9% (95% CI: 0.00-0.89) in the PD-L1 positive subgroup. In the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, 31% (95% CI: 0.04-0.85) exhibited any clinical benefit (complete response, partial response, or stable disease). In the ITT population at six months, progression-free survival (PFS) was 19% (95% CI: 0.01-0.82), and overall survival (OS) was 48% (95% CI: 0.08-0.90). At 12 months, PFS decreased to 9% (95% CI: 0.00-0.85), and OS was 33% (95% CI: 0.04-0.85). No statistically significant heterogeneity was observed in PFS and OS analyses.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
This study suggests that one-third of women with advanced or recurrent vulvar cancer may, without the influence of PD-L1 status, benefit from pembrolizumab treatment despite a decline in both PFS and OS at 12 months. These findings provide support for considering pembrolizumab in the treatment paradigm for this specific subset of cancer patients.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42023391888.
PubMed: 38440225
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1352975 -
Gynecologic Oncology Research and... 2017Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive neoplasm originating from mechanoreceptor Merkel cells of the stratum basale of the epidermis. Cases affecting the vulva... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive neoplasm originating from mechanoreceptor Merkel cells of the stratum basale of the epidermis. Cases affecting the vulva are exceedingly rare, with the currently available literature primarily in case report form.
BODY
Systematic review of the PubMed database returned 17 cases of Merkel cell carcinoma affecting the vulva. Patients presented at a mean age of 59.6 years with a firm, mobile vulvar mass. Symptoms of pain, erythema, pruritus, edema, and ulceration have been reported. Tumor histology is consistent with that of neuroendocrine tumors and typical Merkel cell carcinomas. Neuroendocrine and cytokeratin immunostains are frequently utilized in histopathological workup. Surgical management was the unanimous first-line therapy with adjuvant radiation in most cases. Recurrence occurred in 70.6% of patients at a mean follow-up of 6.3 months. Mortality was at 47.0% at a mean of 7.8 months after initial operation.
CONCLUSION
Merkel cell carcinoma affecting the vulva is an extremely rare and highly aggressive neoplasm. The present review of published cases serves to comprehensively describe the clinical course and treatment approaches for vulvar Merkel cell carcinoma.
PubMed: 28138393
DOI: 10.1186/s40661-017-0037-x -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Apr 2011Vulval cancer is a rare gynaecological cancer. There is no standard approach for treating locally advanced primary vulval cancer (FIGO stage III and IV). Combined... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Vulval cancer is a rare gynaecological cancer. There is no standard approach for treating locally advanced primary vulval cancer (FIGO stage III and IV). Combined treatment modalities have been developed using radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. The advantages and disadvantages of such treatment is not well evaluated.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of neoadjuvant and primary chemoradiation for women with locally advanced primary vulval cancer compared to other primary modalities of treatment such as primary surgery or primary radiation.
SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2009, Issue 3), Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Group Trials Register, MEDLINE and EMBASE (to July 2009). We also searched registers of clinical trials, abstracts of scientific meetings, reference lists of included studies and contacted experts in the field.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or non-randomised studies that included multivariate analyses of chemoradiation in women with locally advanced, primary squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently abstracted data and assessed risk of bias. An adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival was calculated for one non-randomised study and risk ratios (RRs) were used in an RCT to compare five-year death rates and adverse events in women who received neoadjuvant, primary chemoradiation or primary surgery. Adverse events were also reported more extensively in a further non-randomised study. All results were displayed in single study analyses.
MAIN RESULTS
One RCT and two non-randomised studies that allowed for multivariate analyses met the inclusion criteria and included a total of 141 women.One RCT found that neoadjuvant chemoradiation did not appear to offer longer survival compared to primary surgery in advanced vulval tumours (RR = 1.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87 to 1.91). There was also no statistically significant difference in survival between primary chemoradiation and primary surgery in a study that included 63 women (pooled adjusted HR= 1.09, 95% CI 0.37 to 3.17) and in another study that only included 12 eligible women and compared the same interventions (HR was non-informative when statistical adjustment was made).Adverse events were extensively reported in only one study, which found no statistically significant difference in risk of adverse events between primary chemoradiation and primary surgery due to the very small numbers in each group. In the RCT there was no observed statistically significant difference between neoadjuvant chemoradiation and primary surgery. Adverse events were not reported in the largest study of 63 women. Quality of life (QoL) was not reported in any of the included studies. All studies were at high risk of bias.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Women with advanced vulval tumours showed no significant difference in overall survival or treatment-related adverse events when chemoradiation (primary or neoadjuvant) was compared with primary surgery.The retrospective studies had a high risk of bias as the entry criteria for primary chemoradiation was based on inoperability or tumour requiring exenteration.The radiochemotherapy regimens varied widely. There was no data on QoL.There is no standard terminology for 'operable and inoperable vulval cancer', and for 'primary and neoadjuvant chemoradiation'. Stratification according to unresectability of the primary tumour and/or lymph nodes is needed, for good quality comparison.
Topics: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Female; Humans; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Vulvar Neoplasms
PubMed: 21491387
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003752.pub3 -
Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation 2017Extramammary Paget's disease of the vulva (EPDV) is a rare adenocarcinoma in situ of the vulvar skin and is often resected with involved margins due to its reticular... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Extramammary Paget's disease of the vulva (EPDV) is a rare adenocarcinoma in situ of the vulvar skin and is often resected with involved margins due to its reticular growth pattern. Adjuvant treatment with the immunomodulator imiquimod may be suitable to avoid repeated and mutilating surgery.
CASE PRESENTATION
We present the case of a 73-year-old woman with EPDV, initially treated with surgical resection and re-resection for involved margins. Final histology revealed Paget's disease of the left vulva with 8 cm in the largest diameter and again involved margins. Subsequently, topical therapy with imiquimod 5% cream twice weekly was applied for 3 months. Vulvoscopy and local biopsies confirmed complete remission (CR). Based on a literature search using PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, 21 reports on the therapeutic efficacy of imiquimod in 70 women with EPDV have been published. Pooled rates of CR and partial remission were 71% (50/70) and 16% (11/70), respectively. There were 4 cases of disease progression under imiquimod and the therapy was generally well tolerated with mild to moderate local reactions in >50% of cases.
CONCLUSION
EPDV is a rare genital neoplasia and may be successfully treated with the topical immunomodulator imiquimod. Specifically, adjuvant imiquimod is a feasible and efficacious treatment option for women with involved resection margins after surgery.
Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Administration, Topical; Aminoquinolines; Antineoplastic Agents; Female; Humans; Imiquimod; Paget Disease, Extramammary; Skin Cream; Vulvar Neoplasms
PubMed: 27655036
DOI: 10.1159/000449158 -
Cancers Apr 2023Medical use of (non-)thermal plasmas is an emerging field in gynaecology. However, data on plasma energy dispersion remain limited. This systematic review presents an... (Review)
Review
Medical use of (non-)thermal plasmas is an emerging field in gynaecology. However, data on plasma energy dispersion remain limited. This systematic review presents an overview of plasma devices, fields of effective application, and impact of use factors and device settings on tissues in the female pelvis, including the uterus, ovaries, cervix, vagina, vulva, colon, omentum, mesenterium, and peritoneum. A search of the literature was performed on 4 January 2023 in the Medline Ovid, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Devices were classified as plasma-assisted electrosurgery (ES) using electrothermal energy, neutral argon plasma (NAP) using kinetic particle energy, or cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) using non-thermal biochemical reactions. In total, 8958 articles were identified, of which 310 were scanned, and 14 were included due to containing quantitative data on depths or volumes of tissues reached. Plasma-assisted ES devices produce a thermal effects depth of <2.4 mm. In turn, NAP effects remained superficial, <1.0 mm. So far, the depth and uniformity of CAP effects are insufficiently understood. These data are crucial to achieve complete treatment, reduce recurrence, and limit damage to healthy tissues (e.g., prevent perforations or preserve parenchyma). Upcoming and potentially high-gain applications are discussed, and deficits in current evidence are identified.
PubMed: 37190314
DOI: 10.3390/cancers15082386 -
Journal of the European Academy of... Jul 2020The case report literature on ulcus vulvae acutum Lipschütz (UVAL) is scant, and specific guidelines on its diagnosis and treatment are lacking. Our study's aim was to...
The case report literature on ulcus vulvae acutum Lipschütz (UVAL) is scant, and specific guidelines on its diagnosis and treatment are lacking. Our study's aim was to perform a systematic literature review of UVAL in order to formulate a diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm. Using the PRISMA criteria, we searched PubMed and MEDLINE for the terms 'ulcus vulvae acutum', 'Lipschütz ulcer' and 'acute genital ulcer AND vulva'. We extracted relevant data on 'type of article', 'patients' age', 'amount and localization of ulcers', 'presence of flu-like symptoms', 'prior sexual contacts', 'diagnostic workup' (including histology, blood count and serology such as Epstein-Barr virus testing) and 'treatment/outcome'. Data were meta-analysed and comparative analyses were discussed in order to create a diagnostic algorithm and recommendations for management. Twenty-one publications reporting a total of 60 cases of UVAL were included for analysis. On this basis, we formulated a diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm defined by two major and four minor criteria. The major criteria were (i) acute onset of one or more painful ulcerous lesions in the vulvar region and (ii) exclusion of infectious and non-infectious causes for the ulcer. The minor criteria were (i) localization of ulcer at vestibule or labia minora, (ii) no sexual intercourse ever (i.e. patient was a virgin) or within the last 3 months, (iii) flu-like symptoms and/or (iv) systemic infection within 2-4 weeks prior to onset of vulvar ulcer. Use of a symptom-based treatment algorithm based on our proposed major and minor criteria will improve the diagnosis and management of UVAL.
Topics: Algorithms; Epstein-Barr Virus Infections; Female; Herpesvirus 4, Human; Humans; Ulcer; Vulvar Diseases
PubMed: 31855308
DOI: 10.1111/jdv.16161 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2022Gynecological cancers seriously affect the reproductive system of females; diseases include ovarian tumors, uterine tumors, endometrial cancers, cervical cancers, and...
Gynecological cancers seriously affect the reproductive system of females; diseases include ovarian tumors, uterine tumors, endometrial cancers, cervical cancers, and vulva and vaginal tumors. At present, the diagnosis methods of gynecological cancer are insufficiently sensitive and specific, leading to failure of early disease detection. N-methyladenosine (mA) plays various biological functions in RNA modification and is currently studied extensively. mA modification controls the fate of transcripts and regulates RNA metabolism and biological processes through the interaction of mA methyltransferase ("writer") and demethylase ("erasers") and the binding protein decoding mA methylation ("readers"). In the field of epigenetics, mA modification is a dynamic process of reversible regulation of target RNA through its regulatory factors. It plays an important role in many diseases, especially cancer. However, its role in gynecologic cancers has not been fully investigated. Thus, we review the regulatory mechanism, biological functions, and therapeutic prospects of mA RNA methylation regulators in gynecological cancers.
PubMed: 35155260
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.827956 -
Clinical Hematology International Sep 2019Female recipients of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) may develop lower genital tract (LGT) dysplasia or new malignancies. A comprehensive systematic review to... (Review)
Review
Female recipients of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) may develop lower genital tract (LGT) dysplasia or new malignancies. A comprehensive systematic review to delineate the occurrence and risk factors for post-HCT LGT precancer and cancer in women was conducted via electronic search of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Wiley Online Library, from 1990 to 2018. All studies on the risk, presentation, or incidence of LGT (cervix, vulva, vagina) precancer or cancer post-HCT were included. Reviews, case reports, meta-analysis, book chapters, and studies without the relevant clinical outcomes were excluded. Post-HCT incidence and risk factors for developing LGT precancer or cancer were assessed and determined. Twenty-two out of the original 344 studies met the selection criteria. The risk of LGT cancers in allo-HCT recipients was found to be significantly higher than in the general population, with the standardized incidence ratios of 1.5-48 for cervical cancer and from 19 to 287 for dysplasia. Our review portrays an increased risk of premalignant and malignant neoplasms of female LGT, which have an incompletely described epidemiology and outcomes. Similar to other immunocompromised states, HCT recipients require specific cervical screening guidelines and can greatly benefit from HPV vaccinations. However, there is a lack of prospective data regarding optimum cervical screening in HCT recipients and limited programs offer HPV vaccinations worldwide.
PubMed: 34595424
DOI: 10.2991/chi.d.190519.001