Joo-Hyuk Son

Clinical practice guidelines for ovarian cancer: an update to the Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology guidelines

We updated the Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology (KSGO) practice guideline for the management of ovarian cancer as version 5.1. The ovarian cancer guideline team of the KSGO published announced the fifth version (version 5.0) of its clinical practice guidelines for the management of ovarian cancer in December 2023. In version 5.0, the selection of the key questions and the systematic reviews were based on the data available up to December 2022. Therefore, we updated the guidelines version 5.0 with newly accumulated clinical data and added 5 new key questions reflecting the latest insights in the field of ovarian cancer between 2023 and 2024. For each question, recommendation was provided together with corresponding level of evidence and grade of recommendation, all established through expert consensus.

Major clinical research advances in gynecologic cancer in 2023: a tumultuous year for endometrial cancer

In the 2023 series, we summarized the major clinical research advances in gynecologic oncology based on communications at the conference of Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology Review Course. The review consisted of 1) Endometrial cancer: immune checkpoint inhibitor, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), selective inhibitor of nuclear export, CDK4/6 inhibitors WEE1 inhibitor, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. 2) Cervical cancer: surgery in low-risk early-stage cervical cancer, therapy for locally advanced stage and advanced, metastatic, or recurrent setting; and 3) Ovarian cancer: immunotherapy, triplet therapies using immune checkpoint inhibitors along with antiangiogenic agents and PARP inhibitors, and ADCs. In 2023, the field of endometrial cancer treatment witnessed a landmark year, marked by several practice-changing outcomes with immune checkpoint inhibitors and the reliable efficacy of PARP inhibitors and ADCs.

A predictive model for lymph node metastasis using tumor location in presumed early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer patients

The aim of this study was to identify high- and low-risk subgroups of patients with lymph node (LN) metastasis in presumed early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer (EC) patients. Clinicopathologic data of presumed early-stage endometrioid EC patients (n=361) treated with lymphadenectomy between March 2000 and July 2022 were analyzed. None of the patient had definite evidence of LN metastasis in a preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A received operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to define the sensitivity and specificity for the combined preoperative risk factors for LN metastasis, which was determined by multivariate analysis. Nineteen patients (5.3%) had LN metastasis. Multivariate analysis identified cervical stromal invasion on MRI (odds ratio [OR]=4.386; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.020-18.852; p=0.047), cornual location of tumor on MRI (OR=36.208; 95% CI=7.902-165.913; p<0.001), and lower uterine segment/isthmic location of tumor on MRI (OR=8.454; 95% CI=1.567-45.610; p=0.013) as independent prognostic factors associated with LN metastasis. Patients were categorized into low- and high-risk groups according to risk criteria. Significant differences in the rates of LN metastasis were observed between the two groups (0.4% vs. 22.2%, p<0.001). Approximately 95% of presumed early-stage endometrioid EC patients did not have LN metastasis. A model using tumor location was significantly correlated with the risk of LN metastasis. Even in presumed early-stage endometrioid EC patients, therefore, tumor location should be investigated to determine whether to perform LN assessment.

Clinical guidelines for ovarian cancer: the Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology guidelines

Since the latest practice guidelines for ovarian cancer were developed by the Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology (KSGO) in 2021, many studies have examined the efficacy and safety of various treatments for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Therefore, the need to develop recommendations for EOC treatments has been raised. This study searched the literature using 4 key items and the Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome: the efficacy and safety of poly-ADP ribose polymerase inhibitors in newly diagnosed advanced EOC; the efficacy and safety of intraperitoneal plus intravenous chemotherapy in optimally debulked advanced EOC; the efficacy and safety of secondary cytoreductive surgery in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer; and the efficacy and safety of the addition of bevacizumab to platinum-based chemotherapy in first platinum-sensitive recurrent EOC patients who received prior bevacizumab. The evidence for these recommendations, according to each key question, was evaluated using a systematic review and meta-analysis. The committee of ovarian cancer of the KSGO developed updated guidelines for treatments of EOC.

Minimally invasive surgery versus open surgery in advanced stage endometrial cancer

AbstractAimStaging surgery in early stage endometrial cancer has been shown to be feasible and safe with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in many previous studies. However, there is limited literature on MIS's safety in advanced stages. This study aims to identify factors associated with survival in stage III endometrial cancer and investigate survival differences based on surgical approach.MethodsPatients with stage III endometrial cancer who underwent staging surgery from March 2002 to March 2023 were included in this study. Various clinicopathological features, disease‐free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated.ResultsAmong the 79 patients included in this study, 20 patients underwent MIS (25.3%) and 59 patients underwent open surgery (74.7%). The open surgery group had a higher prevalence of aggressive histology, a higher median pretreatment CA‐125 level, and a greater number of harvested lymph nodes compared to the MIS group. Five‐year OS and DFS was higher in the open surgery group than in the MIS group (DFS: 67.9% vs. 59.9%, p = 0.046; OS: 74.3 vs. 50.6%, p = 0.008). In multivariate analysis, younger than 55 years old (OR, 2.778; 95% CI, 1.078–7.156; p = 0.034), and open surgery (OR, 3.671; 95% CI, 1.581–8.522; p = 0.002) was related to improved OS.ConclusionsOpen staging surgery showed better survival outcomes when compared to MIS in stage III endometrial cancer patients in our study. For patients who are older than 55 years old and have aggressive histology in endometrial biopsy, considering open surgery may help improve their prognosis, even if preoperative MRI suggests early‐stage endometrial cancer.

Is restaging surgery quintessential in suspected early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer? An ancillary study of the Gynecologic Oncology Research Investigators coLLaborAtion study (GORILLA-3002)

To assess the necessity of restaging surgery for patients with suspected International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I-II epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) following incomplete surgical staging. This multicenter retrospective study evaluated patients with early-stage EOC referred for restaging. These patients were diagnosed with suspected FIGO stage I-II EOC between January 2007 and November 2022 after incomplete surgical staging, and no residual region was confirmed by radiological evaluation. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were examined. Among the 173 patients included in the study, 56 were assigned to the no restaging surgery group, and 117 to the restaging surgery group. After restaging, 23 were upstaged to other main stage. However, PFS and OS were not significantly different between the groups, also, dividing the groups into 4 groups who underwent chemotherapy and those who did not also did not show significant differences. In multivariate analysis, histologic grade independently influenced PFS outcomes. While restaging surgery resulted in upstaging in some patients, it was not associated with significant differences in PFS or OS in this retrospective analysis. However, the omission of any additional treatment warrants careful consideration and further discussion. Nevertheless, the observation that patients who did not undergo restaging surgery but received adjuvant chemotherapy did not show significantly different prognoses highlights the need for further research to establish appropriate treatment strategies tailored to diverse patient contexts.

Lymphadenectomy in clinically early epithelial ovarian cancer and survival analysis (LILAC): a Gynecologic Oncology Research Investigators Collaboration (GORILLA-3002) retrospective study

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic role of lymphadenectomy in patients surgically treated for clinically early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). This retrospective, multicenter study included patients with clinically early-stage EOC based on preoperative abdominal-pelvic computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging findings between 2007 and 2021. Oncologic outcomes and perioperative complications were compared between the lymphadenectomy and non-lymphadenectomy groups. Independent prognostic factors were determined using Cox regression analysis. Disease-free survival (DFS) was the primary outcome. Overall survival (OS) and perioperative outcomes were the secondary outcomes. In total, 586 patients (lymphadenectomy group, n=453 [77.3%]; non-lymphadenectomy groups, n=133 [22.7%]) were eligible. After surgical staging, upstaging was identified based on the presence of lymph node metastasis in 14 (3.1%) of 453 patients. No significant difference was found in the 5-year DFS (88.9% vs. 83.4%, p=0.203) and 5-year OS (97.2% vs. 97.7%, p=0.895) between the two groups. Using multivariable analysis, lymphadenectomy was not significantly associated with DFS or OS. However, using subgroup analysis, the lymphadenectomy group with serous histology had higher 5-year DFS rates than did the non-lymphadenectomy group (86.5% vs. 74.4%, p=0.048; adjusted hazard ratio=0.281; 95% confidence interval=0.107-0.735; p=0.010). The lymphadenectomy group had longer operating time (p<0.001), higher estimated blood loss (p<0.001), and higher perioperative complication rate (p=0.004) than did the non-lymphadenectomy group. In patients with clinically early-stage EOC with serous histology, lymphadenectomy was associated with survival benefits. Considering its potential harm, lymphadenectomy should be performed according to histologic subtype and subsequent chemotherapy in patients with clinically early-stage EOC. Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0007309.

Optimum selection criteria for secondary cytoreductive surgery in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer: A multicenter study from the Gynecologic Oncology Research Investigators coLLaborAtion group (GORILLA‐3001)

AbstractBackgroundTo identify those most likely to benefit from secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS), we evaluated the survival outcomes and factors predictive of prognosis in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer treated at five high‐volume Korean hospitals between 2010 and 2021. Recurrence characteristics, treatment methods, and potential predictors of survival were compared between the chemotherapy and surgery groups.ResultsAmong all 670 patients, 88.1% had initial stage III/IV disease, and 215 (32.1%) underwent SCS. Among patients who underwent SCS, only those who achieved complete resection exhibited improved survival. Even in patients with residual disease &lt; 1 cm after SCS, we observed no significant survival benefit (p = 0.942). In the multivariate Cox analysis, residual disease at primary surgery, progression‐free interval, recurrence sites (≤3 regions or limited carcinomatosis), ascites, and SCS were significant predictors of survival. Meanwhile, the only factor predictive of complete resection after SCS was recurrence sites (p &lt; 0.001).ConclusionsThe benefits of SCS appear to be exclusive to cases of complete resection. We propose limited regional platinum‐sensitive recurrence (≤3 regions or limited carcinomatosis) without ascites as the optimum selection criteria for SCS.

Selection criteria and colpotomic approach for safe minimally invasive radical hysterectomy in early-stage cervical cancer

To evaluate oncologic outcomes of minimally invasive radical hysterectomy (RH) in early cervical cancer before and after the application of parametrial invasion (PMI) criterion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and vaginal colpotomy (VC). A total of 216 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB-IIA cervical cancer patients who underwent minimally invasive RH was identified between April 2006 and October 2018. Patients were classified into the pre-PMI intracorporeal or VC (IVC) (n=117) and post-PMI VC groups (n=99). In the pre-PMI IVC group, PMI criterion (intact stromal ring) on MRI was not applied and the patients received IVC. In the post-PMI VC group, surgical candidates were selected using the PMI criterion on MRI and all patients received VC only. Oncologic outcomes and prognostic factors associated with disease recurrence were analyzed. The rate of positive vaginal cuff margins in the pre-PMI IVC group was higher than that in the post-PMI VC group (11.1% vs. 1.0%, p=0.003). Two-year disease-free survival was different between the 2 groups (84.5% in pre-PMI IVC vs. 98.0% in post-PMI VC groups, p=0.005). Disrupted stromal ring on MRI (hazard ratio [HR]=20.321; 95% confidence interval [CI]=4.903-84.218; p<0.001) and intracorporeal colpotomy (HR=3.059; 95% CI=1.176-7.958; p=0.022) were associated with recurrence. The intact cervical stromal ring on MRI might identify the low-risk group of patients in terms of PMI and lymphovascular/stromal invasion in early cervical cancer. Minimally invasive RH should be performed in optimal candidates with an intact stromal ring on MRI, using VC.