Alexandra Bercow

Survival outcomes in patients with recurrent mixed sex cord-stromal tumors of the ovary

Mixed sex cord-stromal tumors of the ovary contain combinations of granulosa cell tumor components-either adult or juvenile subtypes-and/or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor elements. The objective of this study is to evaluate survival outcomes in recurrent mixed sex cord-stromal tumors. This is a retrospective cohort study of recurrent mixed ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors identified through the MD Anderson Rare Gynecologic Malignancy Registry between 2000 and 2025. Comparative cohorts with recurrent, histologically uniform adult granulosa cell tumors, juvenile granulosa cell tumors, and Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors were included. Demographic and clinical characteristics were compared using descriptive statistics. Progression-free survival after first recurrence and overall survival from first recurrence were assessed using Kaplan-Meier methods and compared using log-rank tests. Sixteen patients with recurrent mixed ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors were identified: 6 (37.5%) with adult granulosa cell plus Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, 4 (25%) with juvenile granulosa cell plus Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, and 6 (37.5%) with adult plus juvenile granulosa cell tumors. When comparing adult granulosa cell tumors to adult plus juvenile granulosa cell tumors, significant differences in median progression-free survival-2 (21.2 vs 8.7 months, p = .03) and overall survival (181.9 vs 83.8 months, p = .001) were observed. No significant differences in progression-free survival-2 (p = .7) or overall survival (p = .8) were noted between juvenile granulosa cell tumors and adult plus juvenile granulosa cell tumors. Among tumors with molecular testing results, 25% (1 of 4) of adult plus juvenile granulosa cell tumors, 25% (1 of 4) of adult granulosa cell plus Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors, and 33% (1 of 3) of juvenile granulosa cell plus Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors were positive for the c.C402G FOXL2 mutation. Recurrent adult plus juvenile granulosa cell tumors may exhibit more aggressive clinical behavior than uniform adult granulosa cell tumors, aligning more closely with juvenile granulosa cell tumors in recurrence outcomes.

Patterns of spread and genetic alterations of primary endometrioid carcinomas of the ovary

The primary objective was to characterize the rate of lymph node involvement in a cohort of patients with primary ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Additionally, we sought to quantify the recurrence rate, genetic alterations, and impact of lymphadenectomy on survival in this group of patients. Patients diagnosed with primary endometrioid adenocarcinoma of the ovary without synchronous carcinomas of the female genital tract between 2012 and 2021 were identified. Demographic and disease-related data were collected from pathology reports and clinical records. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using log rank test and Cox regression was performed. Sixty-three patients met inclusion criteria. Median age was 60 (range 22-90) years. Histologic grade was 1 in 20 (32%), 2 in 27 (43%), and 3 in 16 (25%) tumors. International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage after surgery included IA/B (n=20, 32%), IC (n=23, 37%), II (n=16, 25%), and III (n=4, 6%). Forty-one (65%) patients had pelvic and 33 (52%) had both pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy. All assessed lymph nodes were negative for metastatic carcinoma. No patients with clinically pelvis-confined disease had tumors upstaged by either lymphadenectomy or omentectomy. Twenty-eight patients (44%) had germline mutational status documented; two had a germline BRCA mutation, confirmed to be pathogenic by molecular studies. Complete staging did not significantly impact progression free or overall survival, after adjusting for age and histologic grade in a Cox proportional hazards model. The recurrence rate was 15% for patients with grade 1 endometrioid carcinoma, 7% for grade 2, and 31% for grade 3, respectively. There were no lymph node metastases in patients with comprehensively staged primary endometrioid ovarian carcinoma. Staging did not impact survival and may be omitted, regardless of grade. Germline BRCA mutations are rare in ovarian endometrioid carcinoma compared with reported rates in high-grade serous carcinomas.

Role of Minimally Invasive Techniques in the Management of Early-Stage Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors’ suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in Journal of Clinical Oncology , to patients seen in their own clinical practice.

Palliative care referral patterns and measures of aggressive care at the end of life in patients with cervical cancer

Fifteen per cent of women with cervical cancer are diagnosed with advanced disease and carry a 5 year survival rate of only 17%. Cervical cancer may lead to particularly severe symptoms that interfere with quality of life, yet few studies have examined the rate of palliative care referral in this population. This study aims to examine the impact of palliative care referral on women who have died from cervical cancer in two tertiary care centers. We conducted a retrospective review of cervical cancer decedents at two tertiary institutions from January 2000 to February 2017. We examined how aggressive measures of care at the end of life, metrics defined by the National Quality Forum, interacted with clinical variables to understand if end-of-life care was affected. Univariate and multivariate parametric and non-parametric testing was used, and linear regression models were generated to determine unadjusted and adjusted associations between aggressive measures of care at the end of life with receipt of palliative care as the main exposure. Of 153 cervical cancer decedents, 73 (47%) received a palliative care referral and the majority (57%) of referrals occurred during an inpatient admission. The median time from palliative care consultation to death was 2.3 months and 34% were referred to palliative care in the last 30 days of life. Palliative care referral was associated with fewer emergency department visits (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.56), inpatient stays (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.61), and intensive care unit admissions (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.93) in the last 30 days of life. Palliative care did not affect chemotherapy or radiation administration within 14 days of death (p=0.36). Women evaluated by palliative care providers were less likely to die in the acute care setting (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.51). In two tertiary care centers, less than half of cervical cancer decedents received palliative care consultations, and those referred to palliative care were often evaluated late in their disease course. Palliative care utilization was also associated with a lower incidence of poor-quality end-of-life care.

Minimally invasive interval cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer

AbstractWith the increasing use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, it has also become apparent that some patients will require a less extensive interval cytoreductive surgery which could be performed as a minimally invasive procedure. This observation, and expertise with minimally invasive surgery for other indications in gynecologic oncology, has driven surgeons in the United States and other countries to perform an increasing portion of interval cytoreductive surgery using minimally invasive techniques. Further observational and trial data will continue to inform which patients are best suited for this approach.