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Background: The increasing trend of cervical cancer in women in their 20s in Japan is largely attributable to the low rate of cervical cancer screening. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling among 24-year-old Japanese women who had never previously been screened for cervical cancer during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: In August 2021, consenting eligible women received HPV self-sampling kits. An Evalyn brush was used for self-sampling, and a Cobas 4800 PCR-based HPV DNA test was used to detect high-risk HPV genotypes. We analyzed the return rates of self-sampling kits and conducted a survey on the acceptability of the self-sampling method. Results: Of the total 1997 eligible women, 13.4% (268/1997) agreed to participate. The return rate of the kits was 72.4% (194/268), corresponding to 9.7% of the eligible population. Among the participants who returned the kits, 14.9% (29/194) tested positive for HPV, and 41.4% (12/29) of these underwent subsequent cytological testing. The questionnaire results indicated that 57.8% of participants reported no pain during self-sampling, and 72.9% expressed a willingness to continue using the self-sampling method in the future. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that opt-in HPV self-sampling among 24-year-old women who had never been screened for cervical cancer had a favorable kit return rate and was well accepted by the participants, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the follow-up cytology test rates were low, highlighting the need for improved post-screening management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies show increased expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in cervical cancer, but the efficacy of anti‐HER2 therapy remains under‐researched. Here, we present a case of recurrent HER2‐positive serous carcinoma, presumably arising in the cervix, diagnosed by comprehensive genomic profiling, which responded to trastuzumab. The patient underwent a radical hysterectomy with concurrent adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. One year after surgery, the patient experienced recurrence (multiple lymph node metastases). She underwent chemotherapy and subsequent comprehensive genomic profiling, which revealed HER2 positivity. Despite treatment, the lymph node and peritoneal metastases progressed. Therefore, combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and trastuzumab was initiated. Subsequently, the patient's clinical symptoms improved considerably, and good health was maintained for 8 months. This report highlights the importance of comprehensive genomic profiling and targeted therapies when standard treatments fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Various diagnostic methods exist for EC, with traditional biopsy being common but invasive. Endometrial cytology using liquid specimens shows promise for non-invasive detection. Morphological features like fractal dimension, circularity, and solidity in cell clusters could potentially enhance diagnostic accuracy and predict prognosis. Circularity and fractal dimension demonstrated significant associations with EC and AEH, regardless of age and cytology results. An ROC analysis revealed improved diagnostic accuracy when combining fractal dimension with cytology, particularly in menopausal age groups. Moreover, circularity, solidity, and fractal dimension may serve as prognostic indicators for endometrial cancer. This study showed that the morphological characteristics of cell clusters in liquid-based cytology may improve endometrial cancer diagnosis and predict prognosis. Endometrial cancer (EC) in women is increasing globally, necessitating improved diagnostic methods and prognosis prediction. While endometrial histology is the conventional approach, liquid-based endometrial cytology may benefit from novel analytical techniques for cell clusters. A clinical study was conducted at the University of Fukui Hospital from 2012 to 2018, involving 210 patients with endometrial cytology. The liquid-based cytology images were analyzed using cell cluster analysis with Image J software. Logistic regression, ROC analysis, and survival analysis were employed to assess the diagnostic accuracy and prognosis between cell cluster analysis and EC/atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH). Circularity and fractal dimension demonstrated significant associations with EC and AEH, regardless of age and cytology results. The ROC analysis revealed improved diagnostic accuracy when combining fractal dimension with cytology, particularly in menopausal age groups. Lower circularity and solidity were independently associated with poor overall survival, while higher fractal dimension values correlated with poorer overall survival in Grades 2 and 3 endometrial cancers. The combination of circularity and fractal dimension with cytology improved diagnostic accuracy for both EC and AEH. Moreover, circularity, solidity, and fractal dimension may serve as prognostic indicators for endometrial cancer, contributing to the development of more refined screening and diagnostic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Self‐sampling human papillomavirus (HPV) testing has been introduced for cervical cancer screening worldwide. In Japan, there are two types (brush and sponge) of HPV self‐sampling devices. However, the recommended type for cervical cancer screening remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of the HPV self‐sampling device–sponge type (HSD‐ST). Additionally, we aimed to examine the positive rate (sensitivity) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 or worse using the HSD‐ST. Finally, we aimed to perform a questionnaire survey regarding the usability of the HSD‐ST. Methods: We included 165 women who underwent HPV testing at one of three gynecologic clinics. First, the women used the HSD‐ST and completed a questionnaire regarding its usability. Subsequently, they underwent physician‐sampling HPV testing and cytology. We examined the agreement rate of HPV positivity between self‐ and physician‐sampling HPV testing. Results: The HPV‐positive rates of self‐ and physician‐collected samples were 59.4% and 62.4%, respectively, with an overall concordance rate of 88.5% and a calculated kappa coefficient of 0.76, indicating high concordance. Moreover, the positive (sensitivity) rates for CIN2 or worse were 81.4% and 89.8% in the self‐ and physician‐collected samples, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrated the feasibility and usability of the HSD‐ST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic utility of CD10 in the differential diagnosis of grade 1‐endometrial endometrioid carcinoma (G1‐EEC) and the metaplastic changes associated with the endometrial glandular and stromal breakdown (EGBD) on liquid‐based cytological (LBC) samples. Methods: (1) The type and distribution of CD10‐positive cells in EGBD and G1‐EEC patients were evaluated. (2) Based on the results from (1), histological and cytological specimens were double‐immunostained with CD31 and CD10 to confirm whether CD10‐positive tubular‐canalicular material found in (1) was represented by fine threads of endometrial‐type fibrovascular stroma. (3) Based on the results from (2), additional immunostaining of histological specimens was performed for CD146 and αSMA as markers of perivascular cells. Results: (1) CD10 positive cells showed two main patterns of expression: cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in the form of dense brown granules in EGBD and tubular‐canalicular branching patterns in G1‐EEC. (2) The tubular‐canalicular material observed in cytological specimens of G1‐EEC samples co‐expressed CD10 and CD31, and was interpreted as representing fine threads of endometrial fibrovascular stroma in the corresponding histological samples. Conversely, metaplastic changes in EGBD cases, only a few CD31‐positive signals were found inside the condensed stromal clusters with CD10‐positive. (3) Cells surrounding the CD31‐positive vascular endothelial cells expressed CD146 and αSMA; moreover, some of the thin CD10‐positive fibrous stromal strands also co‐expressed αSMA. Conclusions: CD10 is a very useful immunomarker for distinguishing between G1‐EEC and the metaplastic changes of EGBD in LBC samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]