Muzaffer Sancı

Analysis of vanishing endometrial cancer by pathological types

AbstractPurposeWe asked why endometrial cancer sometimes vanishes.MethodsA total of 454 patients diagnosed with endometrioid‐type endometrial cancer (EC) (via endometrial sampling) and treated in our clinic over the past 5 years were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: vanishing and residual, depending on whether a tumor was detected in the postoperative hysterectomy specimen. Patient age, numbers of pregnancies and deliveries, menopausal status, systemic disease status, hemogram parameters, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) grade, and invasion status (evident on magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) were compared between the groups.ResultsECs vanished in 42 (9.25%) patients. The vanishing rates were 19.7% (37/187) in FIGO grade 1 patients, 2.1% (5/238) in grade 2 patients, and 0% (0/29) in grade 3 patients. The average age was lower in the vanishing than the residual group, but the premenopausal status and grade 1 tumor rates were higher (both p < 0.001). An absence of invasion (as revealed by MRI) was more common in the vanishing group (p < 0.001). No recurrence developed in the vanishing group, but recurrences were noted in 3.3% (14/412) of the residual group. There were no significant between‐group differences in any of the numbers of pregnancies or births, systemic disease status, or hemogram parameters (all p > 0.05).ConclusionVanishing EC is more likely in premenopausal women with endometrioid grade 1 EC (as revealed by endometrial biopsy) who lack myometrial invasion on MRI.

Perspectives from Hysterectomy Specimens on the Hidden Malignancy Risk in HSIL Patients with Surgical Margin Continuity

Background and Objectives: We aim to examine the histopathological results following hysterectomy performed due to insufficient cervical tissue in patients diagnosed with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) who underwent the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and cold-knife conisation (CKC) and exhibited continuity at the surgical margin and residual disease. Materials and Methods: Thirty-four patients who underwent hysterectomy due to insufficient cervical tissue and had HSILs at the surgical margin were included in this study. The following information was analysed: age, body mass index (BMI), parity, menopausal status (premenopausal/postmenopausal), smoking history, smear result, HPV result, colposcopic cervical biopsy result, transformation zone information, LEEP+Endocervical Curettage (ECC) histopathological result, CKC+ECC histopathological result, hysterectomy material histopathological result, presence or absence of cervical glandular involvement, and presence or absence of residual lesions in the hysterectomy material. Results: The mean (±SD) age of the study cohort was 46.7 ± 8.3 years, the mean BMI was 27.4 ± 2.3 kg/m2, and the mean parity was 2.5 ± 0.7. According to the results of the hysterectomy performed on these 34 patients, in whom Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia 3 (CIN3) continuity at the surgical margin and the inability to perform re-excision were determined, 8 patients (23.5%) had CIN2, 19 patients (55.9%) had CIN3, 3 patients (8.8%) had adenocarcinoma in situ, and 4 patients (11.8%) had squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Histopathological examinations of the hysterectomy specimens revealed negative surgical margins in all patients, while glandular involvement was present in 13 patients (34.2%). Conclusions: It should be borne in mind that patients with HSILs showing continuity at the surgical margin may have an underlying squamous cell carcinoma. These patients should be carefully evaluated for hysterectomy if they do not have sufficient cervical tissue for repeat excisional procedures.

Assessment of magnetic resonance imaging findings in ovarian granulosa cell tumors along with clinical prognostic factors

AbstractAimTo determine the role of preoperative MRI in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with granulosa cell tumors (GCTs) of the ovary.Materials and MethodsTwenty‐four patients who were operated on between 2018 and 2022 and who were pathologically diagnosed with GHT and met the inclusion criteria were retrospectively examined. The findings were compared with the patients' demographic data, symptoms, surgical findings (laterality, stage, lymph node involvement, endometrial pathology, tumor size), and CA‐125 levels.ResultsThe final cohort included 24 patients with a mean age of 54.71 ± 16.52. All the patients had the pathological diagnosis of adult type GCT. In the morphological evaluation, the most common finding was a solid‐cystic mixed type (14 patients, 58.3%), while intratumoral hemorrhage signal was observed in 10 patients (41.7%). In the majority of cases (91.7%), the mass showed regular contours. The honeycomb/Swiss cheese sign was detected in 54.2% of the cases. When the T1 and T2 signal of the solid component of the mass were examined relative to the myometrium, the majority of GCTs appeared isointense on both sequences (83.3% and 62.5%, respectively). The mean ADC value of the solid component obtained from diffusion‐weighted imaging was 0.78 ± 0.15 × 10−3. Pelvic fluid was observed in 41.7% of the cases. The average endometrial thickness was 9.74 ± 6.43 mm. Thickened endometrium more than 9 mm was observed in 9 out of the remaining 21 patients (42.9%).ConclusionUnderstanding the key imaging features for GCTs plays an essential role in the diagnosis and guiding the treatment effectively.

The relationship between imaging‐based body composition parameters and disease prognosis in patients with endometrial cancer

Abstract Background Obesity is known as a risk factor for endometrial cancer (EC). Only a few studies investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity and EC. In this study, our aim was to investigate the relationship between the cross‐sectional imaging‐based body composition parameters and the disease prognosis in low‐grade (LG) and high‐grade (HG) EC. Materials and Methods We conducted a retrospective study in women diagnosed with low and high‐grade EC between January 2014 and May 2022 who had abdominal MRI and thorax CT as a part of routine staging workup. We used the skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the level of the third lumbar vertebra to assess sarcopenia on CT. The T2‐weighted sequence at the level of the L2–L3 intervertebral disc is used for visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), and total fat area (TFA). Two radiologists in consensus, calculated the parameters. Results A total of 250 EC patients (144 low‐grade EC, 106 high‐grade EC).Sarcopenia was observed in 122 (48.8%) patients, and sarcopenic obesity was found in 82 (32.8%) patients. Although there was an increase in VFA in cases with high‐grade EC, there was no significant difference in terms of SFA. Additionally, the frequency of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity was higher in cases with high‐grade EC. There was no association between sarcopenia and age, histological type, FIGO staging, or comorbidity in the univariate analysis. However, BMI was found to be associated with sarcopenia. Conclusions Quantitative radiological measurement of sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, and body fat composition can be used as novel parameters in the prediction of disease prognosis in endometrial cancer.

Endometroid type endometrial cancer after surgery: unravelling the interplay of sleep, fatigue, and psychological well‐being

Abstract Background Endometrioid carcinoma, originating in the endometrium glandular cells, is often detected early and treated by surgery. However, post‐treatment life quality remains poorly studied, explicitly focusing on sleep quality, fatigue, and depression. Methods In this cross‐sectional, observational study, 147 female patients with endometrioid‐type endometrial carcinoma were evaluated using standardised tools—Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Patients were categorised based on sleep quality and depression levels. The study employed correlation and regression analyses to examine the relationships among these variables. Results No correlations were found between sociodemographic or lifestyle variables and sleep quality, fatigue, or depression ( P > 0.05). A strong correlation was identified between PSQI and FAS ( r = 0.623; P  < 0.001), PSQI and BDI ( r = 0.291; P  < 0.001), and FAS and BDI ( r = 0.413; P  < 0.001). Fatigue and tumour grade were potential predictors of poor sleep. Sleep quality and depression predicted fatigue, while only fatigue was a predictor for depression. Radiotherapy and external radiation rates were notably higher in the mild depression group. Conclusions Our study suggests an imperative for integrated multi‐disciplinary approaches that focus on medical and psychological aspects of patient care to enhance long‐term well‐being and quality of life.

Defining the relationship between ovarian adult granulosa cell tumors and synchronous endometrial pathology: Does ovarian tumor size correlate with endometrial cancer?

Abstract Objective The main feature of adult granulosa cell tumors (AGCT) is their capacity to secrete hormones, with nearly all of them capable of synthesizing oestradiol. The primary goal of this study is to identify synchronized endometrial pathologies, particularly endometrial cancer, in AGCT patients who had undergone a hysterectomy. Materials and Methods The study cohort comprised retrospectively of 316 AGCT patients from 10 tertiary gynecological oncology centers. AGCT surgery consisted of bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy, hysterectomy, peritoneal cytology, omentectomy, and the excision of any suspicious lesion. The median tumor size value was used to define the relationship between tumor size and endometrial cancer. The relationship between each value and endometrial cancer was evaluated. Results Endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia, or hyperplasia with complex atypia, was detected in 7.3% of patients, and endometrial cancer in 3.1% of patients. Age, menopausal status, tumor size, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, ascites, and CA‐125 level were not statistically significant factors to predict endometrial cancer. There was no endometrial cancer under the age of 40, and 97.8% of women diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia were over the age of 40. During the menopausal period, the endometrial cancer risk was 4.5%. Developing endometrial cancer increased to 12.1% from 3.2% when the size of the tumor was >150 mm in menopausal patients ( p  = 0.036). Conclusion Endometrial hyperplasia, or cancer, occurs in approximately 30% of AGCT patients. Patients diagnosed with AGCT, especially those older than 40 years, should be evaluated for endometrial pathologies. There may be a relationship between tumor size and endometrial cancer, especially in menopausal patients.

Prognostic factors of adult granulosa cell tumors of the ovary: a Turkish retrospective multicenter study

To define the clinical, histopathological features and the prognostic factors affecting survival in patients with adult granulosa cell tumors of the ovary (AGCT). A 322 patients whose final pathologic outcome was AGCT treated at nine tertiary oncology centers between 1988 and 2021 participated in the study. The mean age of the patients was 51.3±11.8 years and ranged from 21 to 82 years. According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics 2014, 250 (77.6%) patients were stage I, 24 (7.5%) patients were stage II, 20 (6.2%) patients were stage III, and 3 (7.8%) were stage IV. Lymphadenectomy was added to the surgical procedure in 210 (65.2%) patients. Lymph node involvement was noted in seven (3.3%) patients. Peritoneal cytology was positive in 19 (5.9%) patients, and 13 (4%) had metastases in the omentum. Of 285 patients who underwent hysterectomy, 19 (6.7%) had complex hyperplasia with atypia/endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia, and 8 (2.8%) had grade 1 endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. It was found that 93 (28.9%) patients in the study group received adjuvant treatment. Bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin was the most commonly used chemotherapy protocol. The median follow-up time of the study group was 41 months (range, 1-276 months). It was noted that 34 (10.6%) patients relapsed during this period, and 9 (2.8%) patients died because of the disease. The entire cohort had a 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) of 86% and a 5-year disease-specific survival of 98%. Recurrences were observed only in the pelvis in 13 patients and the extra-abdominal region in 7 patients. The recurrence rate increased 6.168-fold in patients with positive peritoneal cytology (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.914-19.878; p=0.002), 3.755-fold in stage II-IV (95% CI=1.275-11.063; p=0.016), and 2.517-fold in postmenopausal women (95% CI=1.017-6.233; p=0.046) increased. In this study, lymph node involvement was detected in 3.3% of patients with AGCT. Therefore, it was concluded that lymphadenectomy can be avoided in primary surgical treatment. Positive peritoneal cytology, stage, and menopausal status were independent prognostic predictors of DFS.