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Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate surgical outcomes and complications of hysterectomy for benign conditions other than prolapse in elderly patients and to define predictors of prolonged hospitalization. Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Setting: This study was conducted in an academic research center. Patients: We utilized our institution surgical database to identify patients aged 60 years or more (“elderly”) who underwent hysterectomy for benign conditions other than pelvic organ prolapse during a 20-year period (January 2000–December 2019). Methods: Length of stay (LOS) of more than 2 days (90th percentile of LOS) was defined as prolonged hospitalization. Patient demographics, comorbid conditions, and surgical approach (vaginal hysterectomy (VH), laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH), and abdominal hysterectomy (AH)) were identified. Patients treated via LH or VH were also grouped as minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with prolonged LOS. Results: Overall, 334 patients were included in this study, 262 (78.4%) of whom underwent LH, 42 (12.6%) VH, and 30 (9.0%) AH. Median LOS was 2 days (1–8), and 63 (18.8%) patients required prolonged LOS. Compared to AH, median hospital stay was shorter in MIS group (2 days vs. 3 days, p < 0.001). No admission variables were associated with prolonged LOS. The only independent predictors of prolonged LOS were AH (odds ratio 24.82, 95% CI 4.84–127.16) and operative time (odds ratio for 30 mins increased 11.34, 95% CI 1.63–78.78). Compared to those who underwent VH, patients having LH had a higher rate of concomitant salpingo-oophorectomy (96.6% vs. 61.9%, p < 0.001). Limitations: Retrospective single-center study design, number of patients with prolonged hospitalization, and the setting (tertiary minimally invasive gynecology referral center), which might have reduced the generalizability of our results are the limitations of this study. Conclusions: The abdominal route of hysterectomy was found as the main driver of prolonged hospitalization, reinforcing the benefits of MIS for benign hysterectomy in elderly patients with non-prolapsed uteri; the higher chance of performing concomitant salpingo-oophorectomy supports the laparoscopic approach as the first option for these patients.

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment in the management of early-stage cervical cancer. Until the publication of the Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) trial, minimally invasive radical hysterectomy was the recommended approach to treat patients with early-stage disease. The results of the LACC trial questioned the adoption of minimally invasive surgery in cervical cancer. In comparison with the open approach, minimally invasive surgery correlated with worse disease-free and cancer-specific survival. Similarly, other retrospective studies highlighted this correlation, thus corroborating the results of the LACC trials. In the present review, we evaluated current evidence and further prospective of the adoption of minimally invasive radical hysterectomy in cervical cancer. Moreover, we sought to assess some unsolved issues regarding the role of minimally invasive surgery in early-stage cervical cancer patients.

To compare scar quality associated with metal staples or tissue adhesive for closure of the skin incision at repeat cesarean delivery (CD).Single-center Randomized Controlled Trial (ClinicalTrial.gov ID: NCT04302597), including women undergoing repeat CD using metal staples or 2- octylcyanoacrylate for closure of the skin incision. Patients were randomized to have skin closure following CD with either staples or tissue adhesive. Scar quality was evaluated 2 and 6 months postoperatively using the Vancouver Scar Scale, the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS), and a visual analog scale.Of the 66 patients who were recruited, 55 successfully completed the study. The duration of surgery was comparable in both groups. A partial wound dehiscence occurred in one patient who had tissue adhesive closure. No difference in subjective and objective scar cosmesis rating was found between tissue adhesive and staples groups at either 2 months or 6 months.In women undergoing CD, stapled wounds and those closed with tissue adhesive result in equivalent cosmetic appearance of the scar.

Tranexamic acid (TA) has been proposed for preventing or treating primary postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), which is the leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. We conducted a systematic literature search to the TA role in managing PPH in vaginal and caesarean delivery. Twenty-seven randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (33,302 women) were identified. Three RCTs investigated TA for preventing PPH after vaginal delivery and 22 after caesarean section. None demonstrated a preventive effect on secondary clinical outcomes related to blood loss. Two trials evaluated TA for treating PPH after vaginal and caesarean delivery. Only the WOMAN trial showed that 1 g of TA is effective. In conclusion, TA is considered useful and is recommended or advised for treating PPH. Conversely, available evidence on the prophylactic role is still limited, and this use is not supported. Further investigation is recommended. In this regard, stronger and more reliable outcomes than blood loss should be considered.

Study objective: There is great consensus that the implementation of ERAS approach is beneficial for surgical patients, but there is paucity of data concerning its application in women with deep endometriosis (DE) who are candidates for bowel surgery. The present survey was aimed at gathering detailed information on perioperative management of DE patients undergoing sigmoid/rectal (discoid or segmental) resection within SEGI group. Design: Baseline survey. Setting: National survey conducted within the main Italian cooperative group in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (SEGI). Patients: The study did not involve patients. Interventions: A 63-item questionnaire, covering ERAS items for gynecologic/elective colorectal surgery, was sent to SEGI centres. Only questionnaires from centres reporting to perform ≥10 sigmoid/rectal resections per year were considered for the present analysis. Measurements and main results: Thirty-three/38 (86.8%) questionnaireswere analysed. The rates of concordance with the ERAS guidelines were 40.4%, 64.4%, and 62.6%, respectively, for pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative items. The proportion of overall agreement was 56.6%. Pre-operative diet, fasting and bowel preparation, correction of anaemia, avoidance of peritoneal drains, post-operative feeding and early mobilization were the most controversial. Comparative analysis revealed that the referred rates of complete disease removal and conversion to open surgery were significantly different depending on case volume (p=0.044 and p=0.003, respectively) and gynecologist's/surgeon's experience (p=0.042 and p=0.022, respectively), with higher chances of obtaining a complete laparoscopic/robotic excision of endometriosis in centres reporting ≥30 DE surgeries performed per year and/or ≥90% of bowel resections performed by a gynecologist/general surgeon specifically dedicated to DE management. In contrast, the rates of concordance with the ERAS guidelines were not significantly different according to case volume (p=0.081) and gynecologist's/surgeon's experience (p=0.294). Conclusion: This is the first study conducted on a national scale for DE. The present survey reveals a sub-optimal compliance to the ERAS recommendations, and underline the need for improving the quality of peri-operative care in DE patients undergoing sigmoid/rectal resection. The present study is a first step to build a consistent structured reporting platform for the SEGI units and facilitate a wide implementation and standardization of ERAS protocol for DE patients in Italy.

Objectives: Laparoscopic subtotal hysterectomy (LSH) is a possible treatment for patients with benign uterine disease. Once the hysterectomy has been completed, morcellation and extraction of the corpus uteri is a crucial step of the procedure. We here present a case series to evaluate the feasibility of the in-bag transvaginal specimen retrieval following LSH. Study design: We report a case series of consecutive patients who underwent LSH followed by in-bag transvaginal specimen retrieval. LSH was accomplished in a standard fashion. Once the uterus was detached from the cervix, a 2cm posterior colpotomy was performed laparoscopically with a monopolar hook under direct view to insert a specimen retrieval bag into the abdomen. The corpus uteri was placed into the bag and transvaginal contained manual morcellation was performed. The colpotomy was then sutured transvaginally. Baseline patients' characteristics and surgical data were collected. Postoperative complications, same-hospital readmissions, and reoperations were registered if occurred within 30days from surgery. Results: Patients' median age and BMI were 45,5 and 22,7, respectively. Median operative time was 71.5min (range 34-143) and uterus weight ranged from 60g to 470g (median 210g). The estimated blood loss was 100mL (median) and no blood transfusion was required. No conversions to open surgery, nor intraoperative complications occurred. Median hospital stay was 2days (1-3) and no postoperative complications within 30days from surgery were recorded. Conclusions: LSH followed by in-bag transvaginal specimen extraction is a promising technique and might be considered a reliable and safe option to further reduce the invasiveness of the procedure.

OBJECTIVE To compare outcomes after hysterectomy and hysterectomy plus sentinel node mapping (SNM) in endometrial cancer (EC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective study, collecting data of EC patients treated between 2006 and 2016 in nine referral centers. RESULTS The study population included 398 (69.5%) and 174 (30.5%) patients having hysterectomy and hysterectomy plus SNM. As the results of the adoption of a propensity-score matched analysis, we selected two homogeneous cohort of patients (150 having hysterectomy only vs. 150 having hysterectomy plus SNM). The SNM group had a longer operative time, but did not correlate with length of hospital stay and estimated blood loss. Overall severe complication rates were similar between groups (0.7% in the hysterectomy group vs. 1.3% in the hysterectomy plus SNM group; p = 0.561). No lymphatic-specific complication occurred. Overall, 12.6% of patients having SNM were diagnosed with disease harboring in their lymph nodes. Adjuvant therapy administration rate was similar between groups. Considering patients having SNM, 4% of patients received adjuvant therapy on the basis of nodal status alone; all the other patients received adjuvant therapy also on the basis of uterine risk factors. Five-year disease-free (p = 0.720) and overall (p = 0.632) survival was not influenced by surgical approach. CONCLUSIONS Hysterectomy (with or without SNM) is a safe and effective method for managing EC patients. Potentially, these data support the omission of side specific lymphadenectomy in case of unsuccessful mapping. Further evidence is warranted in to confirm the role SNM in the era of molecular/genomic profiling.

Background: The aim of our study was to compare the number of lymph nodes removed during indocyanine green (ICG)-guided laparoscopic/robotic pelvic lymphadenectomy with standard systematic lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer (EC) and cervical cancer (CC). Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective comparative study (Clinical Trial ID: NCT04246580; updated on 31 January 2023). Women affected by EC and CC who underwent laparoscopic/robotic systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy, with (cases) or without (controls) the use of ICG tracer injection within the uterine cervix, were included in the study. Results: The two groups were homogeneous for age (p = 0.08), Body Mass Index, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages (p = 0.41 for EC; p = 0.17 for CC), median estimated blood loss (p = 0.76), median operative time (p = 0.59), and perioperative complications (p = 0.66). Nevertheless, the number of lymph nodes retrieved during surgery was significantly higher (p = 0.005) in the ICG group (n = 18) compared with controls (n = 16). Conclusions: The accurate and precise dissection achieved with the use of the ICG-guided procedure was associated with a higher number of lymph nodes removed in the case of systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy for EC and CC.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To investigate the postoperative morbidity of laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) for endometriosis/adenomyosis in terms of operative outcomes and complications. DESIGN Retrospective multicentric cohort study. SETTING Eight European minimally invasive referral centers. PATIENTS Data from 995 patients with pathologically confirmed endometriosis and/or adenomyosis who underwent LH without concomitant urological and/or gastroenterological procedures from January 2010 to December 2020. INTERVENTIONS Total laparoscopic hysterectomy. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Demographic patients' characteristics, surgical outcomes, and intraoperative and postoperative complications were evaluated. We considered major postoperative surgical-related complications any grade 2 or more events (Clavien-Dindo score) that occurred within 30 days from surgery. Univariate analysis and multivariable models fit with logistic regression were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% CI for major complications. Median age at surgery was 44 years (28-54) and about half of them (505, 50.7%) were on medical treatment (estro-progestins, progestin or GnRh-analogues) at the time of surgery. In association with LH, posterior adhesiolysis was performed in 387 (38,9%) cases and deep nodule resection in 302 (30,0%). Intraoperative complications occurred in 3% of the patients and major postoperative complications were registered in 93 (9.3%). The multivariable analysis showed an inverse correlation between the occurrence of Clavien-Dindo >2 complications and age (OR 0.94, 95%CI 0.90-0.99), while previous surgery for endometriosis (OR 1.62, 95%CI 1.01-2.60) and intraoperative complications (OR 6.49, 95%CI 2.65-16.87) were found as predictors of major events. Medical treatment at the time of surgery has emerged as a protective factor (OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.31-0.81). CONCLUSION LH for endometriosis/adenomyosis is associated with non-negligible morbidity. Knowing the factors associated with higher risks of complications might be used for risk stratification and could help clinicians during preoperative counseling. The administration of estro-progestin or progesterone preoperatively might reduce the risks of postoperative complications following surgery.

OBJECTIVE To investigate factors predicting the risk of developing 90-day postoperative complications and lymphatic-specific morbidity in patients undergoing surgical staging for high-risk endometrial cancer. METHODS This is a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study. Patients affected by apparent early-stage high-risk endometrial cancer (endometrioid FIGO grade 3 with deep myometrial invasion and non-endometrioid endometrial cancer) undergoing surgical staging between 2007 and 2019. Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification system. Martin criteria were applied to improve quality of complications reporting. RESULTS Charts of 279 patients were evaluated. Lymphadenectomy, sentinel node mapping (SNM), and SNM followed by back-up lymphadenectomy were performed in 83 (29.7%), 50 (17.9%), and 146 (52.4%) patients, respectively. The former group of patients included 13 patients who had lymphadenectomy after the failure of the SNM technique. Thirteen (4.6%) patients developed severe postoperative events (grade 3 or worse). At multivariate analysis, body mass index (OR: 1.08 (95%CI: 1.01, 1.17)) and open abdominal surgery (OR: 2.27 (95%CI: 1.02, 5.32)) were the two independent factors predictive of surgery-related morbidity. Seven severe lymphatic complications occurred. The adoption of laparoscopic approach (p��

Background Endometrial carcinoma represents a sentinel cancer for Lynch syndrome (LS) identification. It is crucial to highlight how other types of tumors can arise in the gynecological tract acting as sentinel tumors in LS patients.Up to now, no established LS patient management strategy has incorporated the presence of these additional candidate sentinel tumors to improve the prevention and management of LS tumors. Methods In order to investigate the involvement of the most frequent gynecological cancers in gynecological cancers, we studied different subsets of gynecological cancers using both somatic approaches, including mismatch repair (MMR) gene immunohistochemical expression, microsatellite instability, and germline analyses ofMSH2, MSH6, MLH1, PMS2 and EPCAM genes.A total of 261 patients referring to the Cancer Genetic Counselling Service of our institution were included in the study. In detail, our series was composed of 131 patients affected by uterus cancers including endometrial, isthmus and non-HPV endocervical carcinomas, 113 patients affected by ovarian cancers and 17 patients affected by synchronous endometrial/ovarian carcinomas (SEOC).In addition, we studied 115 cases of endometrial cancers identified by 2 years of universal testing (endometrial cancers/UTs) using IHC analysis of four MMR proteins. Results and conclusions The incidence of MMR defective gynecological cancers ranged from 7.1 to 47.1% depending on cancer site and selection. LS patients carriers of pathogenetic MMR variants were identified in 19.8% of uterus cancers, 35.3% of SEOC, 4.4% of ovarian cancers. In addition, pathogenetic MMR variants were identified in 4.3% of endometrial cancers/universal testing investigated with universal screening.In conclusion, gynecological cancers are heavily involved in LS and our study shows that MMR screening using immunohistochemical pattern and MSI analysis of endometrial and ovarian cancers as well as of rare entities such as non-HPV related endocervical cancers and synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancers are sentinels for LS.Tumor testing approach improves early identification of MMR defective gynecological cancers and this is an effective strategy to detect high-risk patients and to offer them and their relatives personalized cancer prevention.

Transvaginal extraction is a feasible method to remove surgical specimen. In this study, we aim to report our experience with in-bag transvaginal specimen retrieval after laparoscopic myomectomy over the past 15 years.Single-center retrospective analysis.Academic hospital.Women who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy from January 2005 to April 2021.Posterior colpotomy and in-bag transvaginal extraction of the surgical specimen.We collected and analyzed data about patients' characteristics, main indication for surgery, and intra- and postoperative (within 30 days) complications.A total of 692 women underwent transvaginal specimen retrieval after laparoscopic myomectomy (mean largest myoma diameter: 6.64 ± 2.21 cm; mean specimen weight: 177 ± 140 g; mean operative time: 84.1 ± 37.1 minutes; mean blood loss: 195 ± 191 mL). Within 30-days, we reported the following colpotomy-related complications: a total of 4 cases (0.6%) of vaginal bleeding, 3 of which resolved spontaneously (1 case required readmission with new colporrhaphy under general anesthesia), and 2 cases (0.3%) of vaginal pain, with no underlying cause identified on physical examination and pelvic ultrasound. Specimen weight was positively correlated with longer operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and length of hospital stay.Posterior colpotomy and in-bag transvaginal extraction can be considered a feasible option for retrieval of surgical specimens after laparoscopic myomectomy.

OBJECTIVE To compare three types of biopsy forceps for hysteroscopic endometrial biopsy in postmenopausal women. METHODS Postmenopausal women undergoing operative hysteroscopy with endometrial biopsy for abnormal uterine bleeding or endometrial thickness (≥5 mm) were included. Operative hysteroscopy with endometrial biopsy was performed by hysteroscopic forceps. Women were randomized (1:1:1 ratio) in three groups and allocated to undergo endometrial biopsy by hysteroscopy using spoon, alligator, or snake forceps. RESULTS Seventy-five women were included in the study, 25 in each group. The duration of the biopsy was comparable between the three groups (P = 0.334) with a median of 180 seconds (range 20-480 seconds). No differences were observed about the number of attempts (P = 0.602), the use of another instrument (P = 0.276), and the biopsy appropriateness (P = 0.592). The spoon forceps group reported higher levels of pain compared to the alligator and snake forceps groups (P

ObjectiveTo evaluate trends in outpatient versus inpatient hysterectomy for endometrial cancer and assess enabling factors, cost and safety.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, patients aged 18 years or older who underwent hysterectomy for endometrial cancer between January 2008 and September 2015 were identified in the Premier Healthcare Database. The surgical approach for hysterectomy was classified as open/abdominal, vaginal, laparoscopic or robotic assisted. We described trends in surgical setting, perioperative costs and safety. The impact of patient, provider and hospital characteristics on outpatient migration was assessed using multivariate logistic regression.ResultsWe identified 41 246 patients who met inclusion criteria. During the time period studied, we observed a 41.3% shift from inpatient to outpatient hysterectomy (pConclusionsA significant shift from inpatient to outpatient setting was observed for hysterectomies performed for endometrial cancer over time. Minimally invasive surgery, particularly the robotic approach, facilitated this migration, preserving clinical outcomes and leading to reduction in costs.

In high income setting, the massive implementation of screening programs has reduced the incidence of cervical cancer, dramatically. However, cervical cancer still remains a major health concern, being one of the most common cause of death for cancer among women. The adoption of primary prevention through vaccination against HPV aims to reduce the prevalence of HPV-related lesions and cervical cancer. Accumulating data highlighted the cost-effectiveness of introducing HPV vaccination for adolescent and young adults. In the present review, we critically evaluated the role of vaccination against HPV, focusing much more on the role of vaccination in specific cluster of subjects (eg, post-treatment and older adults). Additionally, we evaluated the available evidence on the role of vaccination in HIV-positive subjects and in women receiving solid organs transplantation. We observed that although vaccination might be considered effective in those cluster of subjects; further evidence is needed to assess the cost-effectiveness of vaccination in these settings.

OBJECTIVE Sentinel lymph node mapping (SNM) has gained popularity in managing apparent early-stage endometrial cancer (EC). Here, we evaluated the long-term survival of three different approaches of nodal assessment. METHODS This is a multi-institutional retrospective study evaluating long-term outcomes of EC patients having nodal assessment between 01/01/2006 and 12/31/2016. In order to reduce possible confounding factors, we applied a propensity-matched algorithm. RESULTS Overall, 940 patients meeting inclusion criteria were included in the study, of which 174 (18.5%), 187 (19.9%), and 579 (61.6%) underwent SNM, SNM followed by backup lymphadenectomy (LND) and LND alone, respectively. Applying a propensity score matching algorithm (1:1:2) we selected 500 patients, including 125 SNM, 125 SNM/backup LND, and 250 LND. Baseline characteristics of the study population were similar between groups. The prevalence of nodal disease was 14%, 16%, and 12% in patients having SNM, SNM/backup LND and LND, respectively. Overall, 19 (7.6%) patients were diagnosed with low volume nodal disease. The survival analysis comparing the three techniques did not show statistical differences in terms of disease-free (p = 0.750) and overall survival (p = 0.899). Similarly, the type of nodal assessment did not impact survival outcomes after stratification based on uterine risk factors. CONCLUSION Our study highlighted that SNM provides similar long-term oncologic outcomes than LND.

PURPOSE We aimed to assess the impact of low-volume metastasis (micrometastasis and isolated tumor cells) on disease-free survival (DFS) of women with early-stage cervical cancer. METHODS Women with clinically suspected stage 1A-IB2 (FIGO 2018 classification) disease who underwent retroperitoneal nodal staging between October 2010 and April 2018, were retrospectively analyzed. The group of women who had undergone lymphadenectomy and standard node pathologic analysis (H&E group), were compared to the group undergoing sentinel node mapping (SLN) and ultrastaging with or without lymphadenectomy (ultrastaging group). At a median follow-up of 45 months, the DFS curves were analyzed. RESULTS Overall, 573 patients were revised (272 in the H&E group and 302 in the ultrastaging group). Eighty-five patients presented lymph node metastasis (32 in H&E, 53 in ultrastaging). Ultrastaging protocol increased the rate of low-volume metastasis by 5.6%. Twenty patients showed exclusive micrometastasis or ITC's. Seventy-three recurrences occurred (35 in H&E, 38 in ultrastaging). Only 1 out of 53 patients in the ultrastaging group (1.9%) presented with micrometastasis recurred. The 3-year disease-free survival was 89% for the H&E group, and 88% for the ultrastaging group, respectively (p = 0.175). CONCLUSION Ultrastaging analysis allowed increasing the detection of low volume metastasis in women with early-stage cervical cancer. However, the type of nodal staging did not have an impact on patients' 3-year disease-free survival.

Pharmacotherapy has a key role in the management of endometriosis. However, a significant proportion of patients gains only intermittent or limited benefits. In this regard, alternative and novel drug delivery methods are of paramount importance to improve efficacy and compliance of available treatments and develop alternative medical approaches.This review aims to provide the reader with a complete overview of available evidence about alternative and novel drug delivery methods for endometriosis pharmacotherapy and highlight new research lines.Progestins and estroprogestins, which represent the first-line therapy, are already available in different formulations, being employed for contraception. Nevertheless, evidence on their adoption is still limited for some drug delivery methods, such as vaginal rings, patches, and subcutaneous implants. Further research is needed to define better their clinical utility in patients with endometriosis. Nanotechnologies have been investigated as novel drug delivery methods able to target the drug at the disease level. However, data are very limited and preliminary, and further research is needed to consider a possible clinical application in endometriosis.

We describe a novel technique of intraperitoneal ultrasound scan by culdotomy before laparoscopic ovarian resection. To preserve the ovarian parenchyma in a recurrence of serous borderline ovarian tumor, a usual transvaginal ultrasound probe was introduced into the abdominal cavity, covered by a sterile bag, through posterior colpotomy. The pelvis was filled with saline solution and the ultrasound imaging was performed allowing the identification of tumor margins. After precise cystectomy, the tumor was delivered within the endo bag, through the posterior colpotomy. This new approach may be a feasible, effective and cheap technique to guide laparoscopic surgery for complex and/or small ovarian tumors.

ObjectiveThe role of the different types of adjuvant treatments in endometrial cancer with para-aortic node metastases is unclear. The aim of this study was to report oncologic outcomes after adjuvant therapy in patients with stage IIIC2 endometrial cancer.MethodsThis retrospective single-institution study assessed patients with stage IIIC2 endometrial cancer who underwent primary surgery from January 1984 to December 2014. All patients had hysterectomy (±salpingo-oophorectomy) plus lymphadenectomy (para-aortic nodes, ±pelvic nodes). We included all patients with stage III endometrial cancer and documented para-aortic lymph node metastases (International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecologists stage IIIC2). We excluded patients who did not provide consent, who had synchronous cancer, or who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Follow-up was restricted to the first 5 years post-operatively. Cox proportional hazards models, with age as the time scale, was used to evaluate associations of risk factors with disease-free survival and overall survival.ResultsAmong 105 patients with documented adjuvant therapy, external beam radiotherapy was administered to 25 patients (24%), chemotherapy to 24 (23%), and a combination (chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy) to 56 (53%) patients. Most patients receiving chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy (80%) had chemotherapy first. The majority of relapses had a distant component (31/46, 67%) and only one patient had an isolated para-aortic recurrence. Non-endometrioid subtypes had poorer disease-free survival (HR 2.57; 95% CI 1.38 to 4.78) and poorer overall survival (HR 2.00; 95% CI 1.09 to 3.65) compared with endometrioid. Among patients with endometrioid histology (n=60), chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy improved disease-free survival (HR 0.22; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.71) and overall survival (HR 0.28; 95% CI 0.09 to 0.89) compared with chemotherapy or external beam radiotherapy alone. Combination therapy did not improve prognosis for patients with non-endometrioid histology (n=45).ConclusionsIn our cohort of patients with stage IIIC2 endometrioid endometrial cancer, those receiving chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy had improved survival compared with patients receiving chemotherapy or external beam radiotherapy alone. However, the prognosis of patients with non-endometrioid endometrial cancer remained poor, regardless of the adjuvant therapy administered. Distant recurrences were the most common sites of failure.

ObjectiveSentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping represents the standard approach in uterine confined endometrial cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomical distribution of SLNs and the most frequent locations of nodal metastasis.MethodsThis was an observational retrospective multicenter study involving eight high volume gynecologic cancer centers in Italy. We reviewed 1576 patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of endometrial cancer from September 2015 to June 2020. All patients underwent total hysterectomy with salpingo-ophorectomy and SLN mapping.ResultsA total of 3105 SLNs were mapped and removed, 2809 (90.5%) of these were bilateral and 296 (9.5%) unilateral. The overall detection rate was 93.4% (77.9% bilateral and 15.5% unilateral). The majority of SLNs (80%) and positive SLNs (77.8%) were found at the external iliac and obturator level in both endometrioid and non-endometrioid endometrial cancer. Negative SLNs were more frequent in patients with endometrioid compared with non-endometrioid cancer (91.9% vs 86.1%, pConclusionThe most frequent sites of SLNs and metastases were located in the pelvic area below the iliac vessel bifurcation. Our findings showed that older age, a higher body mass index, and non-endometrioid histology had a negative impact on mapping.

Background. To evaluate the impact of the Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) Trial on patterns of care and surgery-related morbidity in early-stage cervical cancer. Methods. This is a retrospective, a multi-institutional study evaluating 90-day surgery-related outcomes of patients undergoing treatment for early-stage cervical cancer before (period I: 01/01/2016-06/01/2018) and after (period II: 01/01/2019-06/01/2021) the publication of the results of the LACC trial. Results. Charts of 1295 patients were evaluated: 581 (44.9%) and 714 (55.1%) before and after the publication of the LACC trial, respectively. After the publication of the LACC trial, the number of patients treated with minimally invasive radical hysterectomy decreased from 64.9% to 30.4% (p < 0.001). Overall, 90-day complications occurred in 110 (18.9%) and 119 (16.6%) patients in the period I and period II, respectively (p = 0.795). Similarly, the number of severe (grade 3 or worse) complications did not differ between the two periods (38 (6.5%) vs. 37 (5.1%); p = 0.297). Overall and severe 90-day complications were consistent between periods even evaluating stage IA (p = 0.471), IB1 (p = 0.929), and IB2 (p = 0.074), separately. Conclusions. The present investigation highlighted that in referral centers the shift from minimally invasive to open radical hysterectomy does not influence 90-day surgery-related morbidity. (c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Introduction: To date, there is no robust evidence suggesting whether transvaginal retrieval (TVSR) or port-site specimen retrieval (PSSR) after laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) may lead to better surgical outcomes. Considering this element, we aimed to compare surgical outcomes of TVSR versus PSSR after LM. Methods: A search (PROSPERO ID: CRD42020176490) of international databases, from 1980 to 2020, in English language, was conducted. We selected studies that included women who underwent LM with TVSR compared with PSSR. Results: We did not find significant differences for operative time (MD = −8.90; 95% CI: 30.00, 12.20; I2 = 87%), myoma retrieval time (MD = −1.85; 95% CI: 13.55, 9.85; I2 = 98%), blood loss (MD = −27.62; 95% CI: 178.68, 124.43; I2 = 91%), intra-operative complication rate (OR 0.51; 95% CI: 0.01–23.09; I2 = 69%), and hospital stay (MD = −0.14; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.15; I2 = 64%); we found a significant lower postoperative rescue analgesics utilization in the TVSR group compared with the PSSR group (OR 0.31; 95% CI: 0.16–0.61; I2 = 0). Conclusion: TVSR and PSSR after LM showed comparable results for operative time and surgery-related complications. However, the need of postoperative rescue analgesics was lower in women who underwent TVSR.

Objective Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has correlated with the disruption of screening activities and diagnostic assessments. Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological malignancies and it is often detected at an early stage, because it frequently produces symptoms. Here, we aim to investigate the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on patterns of presentation and treatment of EC patients. Methods This is a retrospective study involving 54 centers in Italy. We evaluated patterns of presentation and treatment of EC patients before (period 1: March 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020) and during (period 2: April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021) the COVID-19 outbreak. Results Medical records of 5,164 EC patients have been retrieved: 2,718 and 2,446 women treated in period 1 and period 2, respectively. Surgery was the mainstay of treatment in both periods (p=0.356). Nodal assessment was omitted in 689 (27.3%) and 484 (21.2%) patients treated in period 1 and 2, respectively (p, Synopsis The prevalence of patients with early-stage endometrial cancer (EC) has been lower during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic than before its onset. Further evidence is needed to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on survival outcomes of EC patients.

Introduction/Background* In the last decade, sentinel lymph node mapping (SLNM) has gained a central role in endometrial cancer (EC) surgical staging. However, different technical steps of SLNM still remain object of discussione. Terofere, a randomized control trial (RCT) was conducted to compare cervical and hysteroscopic indocyanine green (ICG) injection for SLNM of newly diagnosed EC undergoing surgical staging. The prima-ry endpoint of the study was to compare these two techniques in term of para-aortic detection rate. Methodology This RCT included women with apparent stage I or II histologically confirmed endometrial cancer undergoing surgery were included in the study. Two groups were distinguished according to two different techniques of indocyanine green (ICG) sentinel lymph node mapping (SLNM): cervical versus hysteroscopic injection. This randomized trial was not blinded for both the patients and the surgeons. Result(s)* Since March 2017 until April 2019, 165 patients were randomized: 85 (51.5%) in the cervical group and 80 (48.5%) in the hysteroscopic group. After randomization, 14 (8.5%) patients were excluded from the study. Finally, 151 patients were included in the analysis: 82 (54.3%) in the cervical group and 69 (45.7%) in the hysteroscopic group. Hysteroscopy injection demonstrated a 10% higher accuracy to detect SNLs in the paraaortic area compared to cervical injection, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. The hysteroscopic technique was better in detecting isolated SLN para-aortic (5.8% vs 0%). Cervical injection was correlated with higher SLN detection rates at pelvic level compared to hysteroscopic injection. Pelvic and overall detection was superior in the cervical group. Conclusion* The current study suggests the use of cervical injection rather than hysteroscopic injection due to its better identification of sentinel nodes (particularly in the pelvic area). Although, detection of SLN in the para-aortic area was slightly superior in patients undergoing a hysteroscopic injection, no significant difference with cervical injection was detected.

Introduction/Background* The role of volume of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) disease (macro-micrometastases and ITCs) in endometrial cancer is not clearly defined. We aimed to asses predictive factors for SLNs involvement and recurrence free survival (RFS) in patients with endometrial cancer. Methodology A multicenter retrospective evaluation of endometrial cancer patients with positive (macro-micro metastases or ITCs) SLNs, treated between 2003 and 2020, was performed. Predictive factors for nodal involvement (endometrioid vs non-endometrioid histology, grading, lymphovascular-space invasion (LVSI), myometrial invasion (MI), cervical stromal invasion, ESGO/ESTRO/ESP risk group), adjuvant therapy and oncological outcomes were evaluated. Result(s)* 142 patients were identified among 12 participating centers performing SLN mapping. In 64.8% of cases a low-volume disease (≤2 mm) was found in SLNs: 33 (23.2%) ITCs and 59 (41.6%) micrometastases. Factors influencing volume of nodal metastases were: grading [p:0.002] (G1 associated with low-volume disease), LVSI [p:0.007] and MI >50% [p:0.008] (both associated with macrometastases). There were: 20 (14.1%) low-risk, 14 (9.8%) intermediate, 88 (62%) high-intermediate and 20 (14.1%) high-risk according to 2020-ESGO/ESTRO/ESP risk group (on uterus). 17 (18.5%) patients with low-volume disease (8 micrometastases and 9 ITCs) did not receive any adjuvant therapy. At a mean follow-up of 34.6 months (range 1 –215) months, 21 (14.8%) relapses were recorded, only one among patients not receiving any adjuvant, none in the ESGO/ESTRO/ESP low risk group. The RFS at 2-years for the micrometastatic patients was 91%, similar to ITCs patients (79.1%), regardless of adjuvant treatment, but statistically better than patients with macrometastases (72.3%) [p: 0.026]. There was a trend to distinct RFS according to ESGO/ESTRO/ESP risk group, but none of the comparisons reached significance. The only factors affecting RFS were deep MI [p:0.03] and cervical stromal invasion [p:0.046]. Conclusion* More than half of patients with positive SLNs had low-volume disease. Grading, MI and LVSI predicted volume of nodal metastases. MI and cervical invasion affected RFS; while adjuvant treatment did not seem significantly associated with RFS in patients with low-volume disease. Longer follow-up time and a larger sample size are needed to understand the role of adjuvant therapy in low-volume metastatic SLNs.