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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment for ovarian cysts, which are developed during tamoxifen use due to breast cancer. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study including the patients who were under tamoxifen treatment due to stage I-III breast cancer and who were administered leuprolide acetate for ovarian cysts with low malignancy risk between 2012-2020. RESULTS: Leuprolide acetate was administered to a total of 16 patients with ovarian cysts. The median age was 39.5 (33-52), the median size of the ovarian cyst was 42.5 (39-79) mm, and the median duration of tamoxifen use was 22 (7-36) months. Leuprolide acetate was administered at doses of 3.75 mg for 1 month at 10 (62.5%) patients, 7.5 mg in two months at 3 (18.75%) patients, and 11.25 mg in three months at 3 (18.75%) patients. Ovarian cysts were regressed after treatment at 13 patients, while 3 patients underwent surgery. CONCLUSION: Leuprolide acetate can be used as an option in the treatment of ovarian cysts that develop in breast cancer patients under tamoxifen therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to investigate the prognostic factors of the elderly group and their effects on survival by examining the histopathological features, surgical treatment protocols, and treatment modalities of patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS: The records of 397 EC patients who completed their treatment and follow-up at a single center between 2012 and 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were evaluated in two groups as <70 years old (n: 301; 75.8%) and >70 years old (n: 96; 24.2%). Following the evaluation of histopathological features and treatment protocols, independent risk factors influencing survival were investigated with the Cox regression model. RESULTS: The incidence of non-endometrioid histology (16.3% vs. 32.3%, p: 0.001), high-grade tumors (50.5% vs. 69.8%; p: 0.001), and >50 myometrial invasion (19.6% vs. 36.5%, p: 0.003) in the >70 age group was more frequent than that in the <70 age group. The independent risk factors on overall survival in the >70 age group were determined as non-endometrioid histology (HR: 5.9; 95% CI: 1.4-24.7) and lymph node metastasis (HR: 6.4; 95% CI: 1.6-25.0). In the <70 age group, non-endometrioid histology (HR: 11.3; 95% CI: 4.0-32.0) was identified as the only independent risk factor affecting 5-year survival. CONCLUSION: EC, with non-endometrioid histology, which is observed at a higher rate in elderly patients despite equal surgery and adjuvant therapy, is the primary factor that affects survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Although it does not have a long history of sentinel node evaluation (SLN) in female genital system cancers, there is a growing number of promising study results, despite the presence of some aspects that need to be considered and developed. It has been most commonly used in vulvar and uterine cervivcal cancer in gynecological oncology. According to these studies, almost all of which are prospective, particularly in cases where Technetium-labeled nanocolloid is used, sentinel node detection rate sensitivity and specificity has been reported to be 100%, except for a few cases. In the studies on cervical cancer, sentinel node detection rates have been reported around 80–86%, a little lower than those in vulva cancer, and negative predictive value has been reported about 99%. It is relatively new in endometrial cancer, where its detection rate varies between 50 and 80%. Studies about vulvar melanoma and vaginal cancers are generally case reports. Although it has not been supported with multicenter randomized and controlled studies including larger case series, study results reported by various centers around the world are harmonious and mutually supportive particularly in vulva cancer, and cervix cancer. Even though it does not seem possible to replace the traditional approaches in these two cancers, it is still a serious alternative for the future. We believe that it is important to increase and support the studies that will strengthen the weaknesses of the method, among which there are detection of micrometastases and increasing detection rates, and render it usable in routine clinical practice.

Objective: To determine factors influencing overall survival following recurrence (OSFR) in women with low-risk endometrial cancer (EC) treated with surgery alone. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective department database review was performed to identify patients with recurrent "low-risk EC" (patients having less than 50% myometrial invasion [MMI] with grade 1 or 2 endometrioid EC) at 10 gynecologic oncology centers in Turkey. Demographic, clinicopathological, and survival data were collected. Results: We identified 67 patients who developed recurrence of their EC after initially being diagnosed and treated for low-risk EC. For the entire study cohort, the median time to recurrence (TTR) was 23 months (95% confidence interval [CI]=11.5-34.5; standard error [SE]=5.8) and the median OSFR was 59 months (95% CI=12.7-105.2; SE=23.5). We observed 32 (47.8%) isolated vaginal recurrences, 6 (9%) nodal failures, 19 (28.4%) peritoneal failures, and 10 (14.9%) hematogenous disseminations. Overall, 45 relapses (67.2%) were locoregional whereas 22 (32.8%) were extrapelvic. According to the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) Trial-99, 7 (10.4%) out of 67 women with recurrent low-risk EC were qualified as highintermediate risk (HIR). The 5-year OSFR rate was significantly higher for patients with TTR ≥36 months compared to those with TTR <36 months (74.3% compared to 33%, p=0.001). On multivariate analysis for OSFR, TTR <36 months (hazard ratio [HR]=8.46; 95% CI=1.65- 43.36; p=0.010) and presence of HIR criteria (HR=4.62; 95% CI=1.69-12.58; p=0.003) were significant predictors. Conclusion: Low-risk EC patients recurring earlier than 36 months and those carrying HIR criteria seem more likely to succumb to their tumors after recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented which discusses a medical case study of a 72-year-old woman who has a basal cell carcinoma and its treatment.

Purpose: Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer related death in women. Platin-based doublet regimens plus bevacizumab is standard treatment in relapse. Due to formal regulation of Turkish Ministry of Health, adjuvant bevacizumab has not been reimbursed and clinicians can use bevacizumab at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg/3wk in platin-resistant and sensitive relapse settings. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate 7.5 mg/kg/3wk bevacizumab dosing in platin-resistant and sensitive relapse ovarian cancer and compare these findings with the current literature., Methods: A total of 106 patients with relapsed ovarian cancer and treated with bevacizumab (bevacizumab is not reimbursed as a part of adjuvant treatment in Turkey) on their first relapse were included., Results: At a median follow-up of 32.1 months (5.3-110.8), 56 (52.8%) patients died. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated at 18.8 months (14.4-23.3) vs 29.7 months (24.3-35.1) of the whole group overall survival. We observed that 78.4% of patients treated with primary surgery without neoadjuvant treatment and 59 (57.8%) out of the 102 patients with debulking surgery relapsed. A significant number of patients (81%) treated with primary surgery without neoadjuvant treatment and 59 (76.6 %) had secondary debulking surgery at relapse. In relapse, 38 patients were treated with single agent liposomal doxorubicin (LPD) plus bevacizumab. On the other hand, 68 patients were treated with carboplatin and LPD plus bevacizumab. Multivariate analysis failed to show any clinicopathological characteristics with significant effect on PFS. However, cytoreductive surgery at relapse showed significant effect on OS. Bevacizumab-related toxicities were detected in 23 (21.7%) patients; hypertension, pulmonary embolism, perforation, and other toxicities (nephrotic syndrome in 2, osteonecrosis in 2, cerebrovascular and cardiac ischemia in 3 patients) were seen in 12 (11.3%), 3 (2.8%), 1 (0.9%) and 7 (6.6%) patients, respectively., Conclusions: In conclusion, our findings showed that 7.5 mg/kg/3week dosing of bevacizumab in relapsed ovarian cancer could have similar effectiveness compared to standard 15 mg/kg/3week dosing. Increase of OS and PFS in patients treated with primary and secondary debulking surgery with no-visible disease was more pronounced. No new safety information was observed but lower rate of grade 3 or above hypertension with similar rate of severe vascular and intestinal complications were detected.

Recent studies have suggested association between the elevated homocysteine levels and pregnancy complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of homocysteine on spontaneous contractions of myometrium isolated from pregnant guinea pig. Full-thickness myometrial strips were obtained from late-pregnant guinea pigs following decapitation, and suspended in an organ bath which was filled with physiological saline solution (pH 7.4), maintained at 37 degrees C and continuously bubbled with 95% O2 and 5% CO2. After the observation of spontaneous contractions under one gram of resting tension, homocysteine (0.2, 0.5 and 1 mM) was added to the organ bath and effects of this agent on frequency and amplitude of contractions were evaluated in 20-min periods. One-way analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis of the data. Homocysteine caused increase in both frequency and amplitude of spontaneous contractions in a dose-dependent manner. The results from this in vitro study indicate that cardiovascular risk factor homocysteine has contracting pharmacological effects on guinea pig myometrium.