Rita Abi‐Raad

Prognostic significance of pelvic washing cytology in early stage endometrial cancer: A 10‐year matched cohort analysis from a large single institute

Abstract Background Pelvic washing (PW) cytology has been excluded from endometrial cancer staging by the 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) criteria, and its prognostic significance in early stage disease remains controversial. In this study, the authors evaluated the clinicopathologic correlates and prognostic impact of positive PW cytology in a large institutional cohort using a matched case–control design. Methods A retrospective case–control cohort was created by reviewing PWs for endometrial cancer from 2013 to 2023 in the authors' pathology database. Cases with positive PW were retrieved from consecutive patients who had FIGO 2009 stage I or II endometrial cancer. The control group was comprised of randomly selected patients with negative PWs who were matched to patients in the positive PW group on patient age, tumor histologic subtype, FIGO grade, and disease stage. Cox proportional hazards models and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to correlate survival outcomes and to identify predictors of cytologic positivity. Results The cohort included 88 patients who had positive PW cytology and 223 matched controls. Positive PW cytology was independently associated with significantly worse disease‐free survival (hazard ratio, 4.33; p  < .001) and demonstrated borderline significance for overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.67; p  = .05). The presence of free‐floating tumor cells in the fallopian tubes was an independent predictor of positive PW cytology ( p  < .001). Conclusions The current study demonstrates that positive PW cytology is an independent adverse prognostic factor in patients with stage I/II endometrial cancer and suggests that PW cytology status should be considered for accurate risk stratification of patients who have early stage endometrial cancer although it is not part of the current FIGO staging criteria.

Human papillomavirus genotype distribution and its correlation with intraepithelial neoplasia, vaccination, and ethnicity

Cervical cancer is primarily attributed to high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), specifically genotypes 16 and 18. The introduction of HPV vaccines aimed to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. This study reviewed cases of High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (HSIL) and Atypical Squamous Cells Cannot Exclude HSIL (ASC-H) with positive high-risk HPV and HPV genotyping data. The prevalence of HPV genotypes 16/18 and non-16/18 was compared in cases with high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (IN2+), across different ethnicities and with HPV vaccination status. A total of 274 patients (94 HSIL and 180 ASC-H) were evaluated. HPV non-16/18 was significantly more prevalent in ASC-H (68%) than in HSIL patients (50%); (P = 0.003). HPV non-16/18 was more common in cases without -IN2+ (69%), but a significant proportion of IN2+ cases were also positive for non-16/18 HPV genotypes (56%); (P = 0.04). Overall, HPV non-16/18 was more prevalent in all ethnic groups. There was a trend to a higher prevalence in non-white and vaccinated compared with white and nonvaccinated women respectively, but the difference was not significant. HPV non-16/18 genotypes are more prevalent than HPV 16/18, even in women with high-grade lesions with a greater shift towards non-16/18 genotypes in non-white and in vaccinated women. The study suggests the need for extended HPV genotyping and vaccines targeting a broader range of HPV types to include HPV non-16/18 to improve prevention, particularly in certain ethnic groups.

High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Testing, Genotyping, and Histopathologic Follow-up in Women With Abnormal Glandular Cells on Papanicolaou Tests

Abstract Objectives This study examined the association of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) status and HPV genotype with histopathologic follow-ups in women with an atypical glandular cell (AGC) interpretation. Methods Cases with AGC interpretation on a Papanicolaou (Pap) test were retrieved along with hrHPV testing, genotyping, and histologic follow-up results if available. Results A total of 561 AGC cases were identified, with histologic follow-up available for 471 cases (84%). The follow-up diagnoses included benign or reactive changes (60% of cases), low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (18%), high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2-3; 7%), cervical carcinoma (5%), and other malignancies (10%). Tests for hrHPV were positive in 128 of 426 (30%) cases, including HPV16 (30%), HPV18 (14%) and other HPV subtypes (56%). A positive hrHPV result significantly increased the risk of developing CIN2-3 or cervical carcinoma (odds ratio, 24.6; 95% CI, 9.9-58.9) and HPV16 or HPV18 further increased the risk (odds ratio, 49.5; 95% CI, 17.7-123.7). Conclusions Our data demonstrate that in women with an AGC Pap interpretation, a positive hrHPV result, especially type 16 or 18, is associated with an increased risk of developing cervical CIN2-3 or higher lesions, suggesting potential implications of hrHPV testing for the management of patients with an AGC result on a Pap test.