Giampiero Capobianco

Robotic single-port (da Vinci SP) versus multiport (da Vinci Xi) for the treatment of atypical endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer: A multi-institutional comparison of surgical outcomes

The da Vinci SP robotic platform offers a novel single-port approach for minimally invasive surgery. Despite its potential, data on its safety and performance in gynecologic oncology remain limited. We aimed to compare surgical outcomes of da Vinci SP versus da Vinci Xi systems in the staging of endometrial cancer (EC). This is a multi-institutional study. Data of consecutive patients with apparent early-stage EC or atypical endometrial hyperplasia who underwent robotic surgery between January 2023-March 2025 were collected. The primary outcome was to compare the surgical outcomes between da Vinci SP and da Vinci Xi. A total of 189 patients were included: 97 (51.3 %) underwent SP surgery and 92 (48.7 %) Xi. The median (range) of operative time, estimated blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay were comparable for SP and Xi groups (140 [70-296] vs. 143 [60-297] min, p = 0.66, 40 [0-250] vs. 64 [0-1300] mL, p = 0.12, 3 [1-11] vs. 3[1-10] days, p = 1). Docking time was significantly shorter in the SP group (10 [4-31] vs. 12 [7-30] min for SP and Xi, respectively, p = 0.004). Intraoperative or post-operative complications rates were comparable (p = 0.30 and p = 0.14,respectively). The patient-reported pain score was significantly lower at 12h and 24h in the Xi group (p = 0.001), while was comparable at 48h after surgery (p = 1). The da Vinci SP system appears to be non-inferior to the multiport da Vinci Xi for surgical staging of early-stage EC. Comparable perioperative outcomes support its clinical use, although patient selection criteria and long-term results require further investigation.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Surgical Staging for High-Risk Groups of Endometrial Carcinoma Patients

Background: In endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients, sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has shown the potential to reduce post-operative morbidity and long-term complications, and to improve the detection of low-volume metastasis through ultrastaging. However, while it has shown high sensitivity and feasibility in low-risk EC patient groups, its role in high-risk groups is still unclear. Aim: To assess the role of SLN biopsy through the cervical injection of indocyanine green (ICG) in high-risk groups of early-stage EC patients. Materials and methods: Seven electronic databases were searched from their inception to February 2021 for studies that allowed data extraction about detection rate and accuracy of SLN biopsy through the cervical injection of ICG in high-risk groups of early-stage EC patients. We calculated pooled sensitivity, false negative (FN) rate, detection rate of SLN per hemipelvis (DRh), detection rate of SLN per patients (DRp), and bilateral detection rate of SLN (DRb), with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Five observational cohort studies (three prospective and two retrospective) assessing 578 high risk EC patients were included. SLN biopsy sensitivity in detecting EC metastasis was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.03–0.95). FN rate was 2.8% (95% CI: 0.6–11.6%). DRh was 88.4% (95% CI: 86–90.5%), DRp was 96.6% (95% CI: 94.7–97.8%), and DRb was 80% (95% CI: 75.4–83.9). Conclusion: SLN biopsy through ICG cervical injection may be routinely adopted instead of systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy in surgical staging for high-risk groups of early-stage EC patients, as well as in low-risk groups.

The role of surgery in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: A call to the scientific community

In the last decade, a growing attention has been focused on identifying effective therapeutic strategies also in the orphan clinical setting of women with platinum-resistant disease. In this context, secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) remains a potential approach only in women with platinum sensitive relapse, but experimental data have been published supporting the role of SCS also in patients with platinum-resistant recurrence. In particular, surgery is emerging as a potential option in specific subgroups of women, such as those patients with low-grade serous histology, or low-volume relapse with disease located in the so-called pharmacological sanctuaries. Furthermore, contrasting evidences have suggested a potential role in this clinical setting of SCS combined with intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy. In this complex scenario we review here the available evidences regarding the role surgery in ovarian cancer patients with platinum resistant disease, trying also to understand which patients may benefit from this challenging, experimental approach.