miR-429 Suppresses Endometrial Cancer Progression and Drug Resistance via DDX53.

(1) Background: To examine miR-429-meditated DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp) box polypeptide 53 (DDX53) function in endometrial cancer (EC). (2) Methods: DDX53 and miR-429 levels were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting assays, cell invasion and migration using Transwell invasion and wound healing assays, and cell proliferation using colony-forming/proliferation assays. A murine xenograft model was also generated to examine miR-429 and DDX53 functions in vivo. (3) Results: DDX53 overexpression (OE) promoted key cancer phenotypes (proliferation, migration, and invasion) in EC, while in vivo, DDX53 OE hindered tumor growth in the murine xenograft model. Moreover, miR-429 was identified as a novel miRNA-targeting DDX53, which suppressed EC proliferation and invasion. (4) Conclusions: DDX53 and miR-429 regulatory mechanisms could provide novel molecular therapies for EC.

The Role of ROR1 in Chemoresistance and EMT in Endometrial Cancer Cells.

Background and Objectives: Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor type 1 (ROR1) plays a critical role in embryogenesis and is overexpressed in many malignant cells. These characteristics allow ROR1 to be a potential new target for cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of ROR1 through in vitro experiments in endometrial cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods: ROR1 expression was identified in endometrial cancer cell lines using Western blot and RT-qPCR. The effects of ROR1 on cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were analyzed in two endometrial cancer cell lines (HEC-1 and SNU-539) using either ROR1 silencing or overexpression. Additionally, chemoresistance was examined by identifying MDR1 expression and IC50 level of paclitaxel. Results: The ROR1 protein and mRNA were highly expressed in SNU-539 and HEC-1 cells. High ROR1 expression resulted in a significant increase in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. It also resulted in a change of EMT markers expression, a decrease in E-cadherin expression, and an increase in Snail expression. Moreover, cells with ROR1 overexpression had a higher IC50 of paclitaxel and significantly increased MDR1 expression. Conclusions: These in vitro experiments showed that ROR1 is responsible for EMT and chemoresistance in endometrial cancer cell lines. Targeting ROR1 can inhibit cancer metastasis and may be a potential treatment method for patients with endometrial cancer who exhibit chemoresistance.

Evaluation of the Quality and Influence of YouTube as a Source of Information on Robotic Myomectomy.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of YouTube videos for helping patients become informed about robotic myomectomy. METHODS: We searched YouTube using "robotic myomectomy" and "Da Vinci myomectomy." Videos were sorted by view count, with the 150 most highly viewed videos being selected. From each video, content type, source, view count, video length, time on YouTube, likes, and dislikes were extracted. A scoring system was used to evaluate video quality. RESULTS: The most prevalent content was recordings of actual surgical procedures of robotic myomectomy, and the most common provider was gynecologic surgeons. Videos directly related to robotic myomectomy were mainly provided by medical groups, had been present on YouTube for a significantly longer time (p = 0.003), and had a higher rate of no responses from viewers (p = 0.014) than videos indirectly related to robotic myomectomy. Videos uploaded by nonmedical groups had more likes, more dislikes, and a higher view ratio (p = 0.029, 0.042, and 0.042, respectively). Scores reflecting video quality did not differ between the two groups. Multiple logistic regression revealed that low-quality videos (less than score 5) were significantly correlated with content indirectly related to robotic myomectomy, poor general quality, fewer views, fewer likes, and no response by viewers. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who want to get informed about robotic myomectomy on YouTube should exclude low-quality videos according to such parameters as content, views, and response by viewers. In addition, medical groups should provide videos of good quality for instructing patients about this procedure.

Red blood cell indices as an effective marker for the existence and severity of endometriosis (STROBE).

To evaluate the association between red blood cell (RBC) indices (mean corpuscular volume [MCV], mean corpuscular hemoglobin [MCH], MCH concentration [MCHC], red cell distribution width [RDW], hemoglobin [Hb], hematocrit [Hct], and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR]) and the severity of endometriosis. Data were obtained from the medical records of 200 patients with endometriosis (stage I/II and stage III/IV groups), and 100 patients with benign ovarian tumors (control group), treated between September 2011 and April 2021. The mean Hb and Hct were significantly lower in the stage III/IV group compared to those in the control and stage I/II group (P = .015 and P = .004, respectively). The mean MCV, MCH, and Hb at postoperative day (POD)#1 were significantly lower in the stage III/IV group compared to those in the control and stage I/II group (P = .007, P = .032, and P < .0001, respectively). In addition, NLR at POD#1 was significantly higher in stage III/IV group compared to that in the control and stage I/II group. Multivariate analysis revealed that younger age (≤38 years old), lower preoperative MCV (≤88.5 fL), lower POD#1 Hb (<11.6g/dL), and higher POD#1 NLR (>2.5) were independent risk factors of stage III/IV endometriosis. Lower levels of RBC indices, including preoperative MCV and postoperative Hb, and higher postoperative NLR were significantly associated with the severity of endometriosis, which is potentially derived from a dysregulation in iron metabolism and inflammation.

The voiding VAS score is a simple and useful method for predicting POUR after laparoscopy for benign gynaecologic diseases: a pilot study.

The aim of this study was to identify an appropriate scoring system for predicting postoperative urinary retention (POUR) after gynaecological laparoscopic surgery for benign disease. We analysed 99 patients who underwent gynaecological laparoscopic surgery for benign disease. All patients were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires, including the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), voiding visual analogue scale (VAS), and Brief Pain Inventory-Korean version. Of the 99 patients, 27 (27.3%) experienced urinary retention at least once, while 72 (72.7%) did not. The preoperative and postoperative IPSS scores were not associated with the development of POUR. However, the voiding VAS score was significantly lower in patients that developed POUR (p = .014). In conclusion, our results show that the voiding VAS score is a simple and useful method for identifying patients at risk of POUR after gynaecologic laparoscopic surgery for benign disease. IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is an often underestimated complication defined as inability to void during the postoperative period despite a full bladder. Undetected POUR may lead to complications such as urinary tract infection, bladder distention, and bladder dysfunction. Routine assessment of POUR by bladder ultrasonography in all surgical patients places a larger workload on the nursing staff.What do the results of this study add? Among the self-scoring assessment tools, the voiding VAS provided the most accurate reflection of POUR in patients undergoing gynaecologic laparoscopic surgery for benign disease.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? As laparoscopy is the most widely employed surgical procedure in gynaecology, our findings could have significant implications for postoperative care in daily clinical practice.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone Changes Following Laparoscopic Ovarian Cystectomy: A Prospective Comparative Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy (LOC) affects ovarian reserve. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 46 premenopausal women, who underwent either LOC (study group, n=26) or laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) (control group, n=20), serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels were measured pre-operatively (AMH0), and postoperatively at 7 days (AMH1), 2 months (AMH2), and 6 months (AMH3). Changes in AMH from baseline level (AMH0) in each group were compared. RESULTS: AMH0 did not differ between the two groups (3.5 ± 3.33 in LOC vs 2.4 ± 2.72 in LM, P=0.250). AMH1, AMH2, and AMH3 in each group were also similar. However, a significant decline of AMH (ie more than 50% decrease compared to AMH0) at postoperative 6 months occurred more frequently in the LOC group than in the LM group. In the sub-analysis of the LOC group, a significant decline of AMH at postoperative 2 months and 6 months was highly correlated with bilateral ovarian tumors (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Compared to LM, serum AMH level showed a minimal decrease after 1 week following LOC, which did not revert to normal over 6 months of follow-up. In addition, a significant decline of ovarian reserve at postoperative 6 months was significantly more frequent in the LOC group, suggesting that LOC may have more adverse effects on ovarian reserve compared to the LM (control) group. Thus, care is required during the LOC procedure, specifically in women with bilateral tumors.

Comparison of Postoperative Ovarian Reserve Function Following Laparoscopic Hysterectomy and Laparoscopic Myomectomy: A Prospective Comparative Pilot Study.

This prospective study aimed to investigate the impact of laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) and laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) on ovarian reserve by comparing serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) changes following surgery. Serum AMH levels were measured preoperatively (AMH0), and 7 days (AMH1), 2 months (AMH2), and 6 months (AMH3) after LH and LM in 79 premenopausal women (LH = 59; LM = 20). AMH0, AMH1, AMH2, and AMH3 were significantly higher in the LM group than in the LH group (p = 0.012, 0.001, 0.001, and 0.015, respectively). Since there are differences in indications between myomectomy and hysterectomy, logically, women who underwent myomectomy were younger and had higher AMH baseline levels. In addition, AMH changes at 7 days postoperatively from the baseline level were significantly decreased in the LH group compared to those in the LM group (p = 0.042). However, AMH changes at 2 months and 6 months postoperatively, compared to the baseline level, were not different between the two groups (p = 0.053 and 0.752, respectively). Moreover, the significant decrease in AMH (more than 60% decrease from the baseline level) was not different at 7 days, 2 months, and 6 months postoperatively between the two groups (p = 0.415, 487, and 0.364, respectively). Our data suggest that serum AMH levels were significantly decreased directly after LH, which suggests that LH may have adverse effects on ovarian reserve. However, mid-term follow-up showed that the damaged ovarian reserve in women who underwent LH may be partially restored in 6 months.

Enhanced Efficacy of Combined Therapy with Checkpoint Kinase 1 Inhibitor and Rucaparib via Regulation of Rad51 Expression in BRCA Wild-Type Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Cells.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate anticancer effects of combination treatment with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) inhibitors in BRCA wild-type ovarian cancer. PARP inhibitors can function as DNA-damaging agents in BRCA wild-type cancer, even if clinical activity is limited. Most epithelial ovarian cancers are characterized by a TP53 mutation causing dysfunction at the G1/S checkpoint, which makes tumor cells highly dependent on Chk1-mediated G/M phase cell-cycle arrest for DNA repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the anticancer effects of combination treatment with prexasertib (LY2606368), a selective ATP competitive small molecule inhibitor of Chk1 and Chk2, and rucaparib, a PARP inhibitor, in BRCA wild-type ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR3 and SKOV3). RESULTS: We found that combined treatment significantly decreased cell viability in all cell lines and induced greater DNA damage and apoptosis than in the control and/or using monotherapies. Moreover, we found that prexasertib significantly inhibited homologous recombination-mediated DNA repair and thus showed a marked anticancer effect in combination treatment with rucaparib. The anticancer mechanism of prexasertib and rucaparib was considered to be caused by an impaired G2/M checkpoint due to prexasertib treatment, which forced mitotic catastrophe in the presence of rucaparib. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest a novel effective therapeutic strategy for BRCA wild-type epithelial ovarian cancer using a combination of Chk1 and PARP inhibitors.

Classification of cervical neoplasms on colposcopic photography using deep learning.

Colposcopy is widely used to detect cervical cancers, but experienced physicians who are needed for an accurate diagnosis are lacking in developing countries. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been recently used in computer-aided diagnosis showing remarkable promise. In this study, we developed and validated deep learning models to automatically classify cervical neoplasms on colposcopic photographs. Pre-trained convolutional neural networks were fine-tuned for two grading systems: the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) system and the lower anogenital squamous terminology (LAST) system. The multi-class classification accuracies of the networks for the CIN system in the test dataset were 48.6 ± 1.3% by Inception-Resnet-v2 and 51.7 ± 5.2% by Resnet-152. The accuracies for the LAST system were 71.8 ± 1.8% and 74.7 ± 1.8%, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) for discriminating high-risk lesions from low-risk lesions by Resnet-152 was 0.781 ± 0.020 for the CIN system and 0.708 ± 0.024 for the LAST system. The lesions requiring biopsy were also detected efficiently (AUC, 0.947 ± 0.030 by Resnet-152), and presented meaningfully on attention maps. These results may indicate the potential of the application of AI for automated reading of colposcopic photographs.

Case Report: Spontaneous perforation of a bicornuate uterus with concomitant sarcoma.

A 47-year-old nulliparous, virginal woman presented to the emergency department with acute abdominal pain. Emergency pelvic ultrasound and abdominal CT were taken, which showed a significant amount of hemoperitoneum and a bicornuate uterus with about 18cm x 10cm mass on left uterus. Since the mass had increased vascularity and irregular margins, we thought that the mass could be a uterine sarcoma. MRI and PET/CT were taken additionally for oncologic evaluation before surgery. Intra operative findings showed a ruptured bicornuate uterus with a large mass within the left uterine horn. Total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. Pathologic analysis confirmed an undifferentiated uterine sarcoma. She was treated with 6 cycles of chemotherapy(etoposide, ifosfamide, cisplatin) postoperatively. Chest and abdomen CT for follow up after chemotherapy showed no sign of cancer recurrence. We suggest a bicornuate uterus with concomitant sarcoma should be concerned as a possible cause of uterine rupture by reviewing this case.

CYFRA 21-1 and Placental Growth Factor as Screening Markers for Endometriosis.

BACKGROUND This study evaluated the performance of serum CYFRA 21-1 and placental growth factor (PIGF) as screening markers for endometriosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this prospective study included 81 female patients who underwent laparoscopy to treat benign ovarian tumors. Serum samples were obtained from all study patients before surgery. Serum marker levels, including CYFRA 21-1, PIGF, cancer antigen (CA)125, CA19-9, and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) were measured using a fluorescence immunoassay technique. RESULTS Forty of the patients were diagnosed with endometriosis (the study group) and 41 women were diagnosed with other benign ovarian tumors (the control group). Mean serum CYFRA 21-1 and PIGF levels were not different between these 2 groups (P=0.179 and P=0.865, respectively). Elevated serum CA125 levels (>35 U/mL) and lower CYFRA 21-1 levels (≤2.29 ng/mL) were more frequently observed in the endometriosis study group than in the control group (P<0.0001, and P=048, respectively). High serum PIGF levels (>14.2 pg/mL) were observed in both groups (P=0.226). Mean serum CA19-9 levels and HE4 levels, as well as the ROMA (risk of ovarian malignancy Algorithm) score were similar between the 2 groups. Sensitivity (95.0%) and negative predictive value (NPV) (80.0%) of CYFRA 21-1 for diagnosing endometriosis were higher than those of CA125 (sensitivity 67.5%, NPV 74.5%) and PIGF (sensitivity 20.0%, NPV 53.6%). However, the specificity (PIGF 90.2%, CA125 92.7%) and positive predictive value (PPV) (PIGF 66.7%, CA125 87.1%) of PIGF and CA125 for diagnosing endometriosis were higher than those of CYFRA 21-1 (specificity 19.5%, PPV 53.5%). CONCLUSIONS CYFRA 21-1 and PIGF may be promising markers to identify patients with and without ovarian endometriosis.

Do fertile women have an inferior treatment for high-grade precancerous lesions?

AIM: To investigate whether a concern for future pregnancy is reflected in the extent of large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) and to assess the clinical outcome. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 275 women who underwent LLETZ for precancerous lesions in cervix. We divided them into two groups according to pregnancy possibility in the future: nonpotential versus potential group. The potential group was arbitrarily defined as women who met one of the following: (i) regardless of marital status, younger than 41 years with less than two parities and (ii) regardless of parity, younger than 46 years and unmarried. After propensity score matching (1:1, 44 women in each group), we compared the extent of LLETZ with respect to short-term recurrence. RESULTS: After LLETZ, similar percentages of patients were finally diagnosed with ≥CIN3 (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3) in the two groups (27 [61.4%] vs 32 [72.7%], P = 0.257). Notably, the largest transverse diameter of LLETZ specimen was significantly larger in the nonpotential group (2.74 ± 1.06 vs 2.37 ± 0.62 cm, P = 0.047). There were more women with exocervical resection margin involvement in the potential group than in the nonpotential group (14 [31.8%] vs 6 [13.6%], P = 0.042). However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of short-term recurrence ≥HSIL (high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion) within 24 months after LLETZ between the two groups (1 [2.3%] vs 1 [2.3%], P > 0.999). CONCLUSION: Pregnancy possibility in the future may affect the extent of LLETZ, as assessed by the largest transverse diameter obtained. This finding may be associated with increased resection margin involvement in women with future pregnancy possibility.

Expression Patterns of Nrf2 and Keap1 in Ovarian Cancer Cells and their Prognostic Role in Disease Recurrence and Patient Survival.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the expression patterns of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and assessed their clinical value as prognostic indicators in ovarian cancer. METHODS: The expression patterns of Nrf2 and Keap1 were determined in 100 epithelial ovarian cancers by immunohistochemistry analyses. The associations of Nrf2 and Keap1 expression with clinicopathological characteristics of patients were evaluated. All patients received platinum-based chemotherapy. Chemoresistance was defined as recurrence within 6 months of first-line chemotherapy. RESULTS: Cytoplasmic expression of Nrf2 and Keap1 was observed in 95% and 72%, respectively, of all 100 epithelial ovarian cancers examined. Low Keap1 expression (intensity < 1) was strongly associated with disease recurrence (P = 0.046) and death (P = 0.002). Chemoresistance was associated with high Nrf2 expression (intensity = 3) (P = 0.833; hazard ratio [HR], 1.202; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.217-6.667) and low Keap1 expression (P = 0.862; HR, 0.899; 95% CI, 0.270-2.994). However, these associations were not statistically significant. Survival analysis indicated that high Keap1 expression (intensity ≥ 1) was strongly predictive of better overall survival (P = 0.049) and disease-free survival (P = 0.004). Cox regression analysis indicated that Keap1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (P = 0.012; HR, 0.349; 95% CI, 0.153-0.797). Although patients with high Nrf2 expression displayed better overall survival and disease-free survival, the association was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: High cytoplasmic Keap1 expression, which might prevent nuclear translocation of Nrf2 in ovarian cancer cells, was associated with lower disease recurrence and death rate. Survival analysis suggested a probable role of Keap1 expression in predicting the prognosis of ovarian cancer.

Assessment of ovarian reserve after hysterectomy: Laparoscopic vs. non-laparoscopic surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate changes of ovarian reserve after hysterectomy by comparing serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels following laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) to those of non-laparoscopic hysterectomy (non-LH). METHODS: Prospectively, serum AMH levels were measured pre-operatively (AMH0), 7days (AMH1), 2 months (AMH2), and 6 months (AMH3) after LH (total laparoscopic hysterectomy or laparoscopy-assisted vaginal hysterectomy) and non-LH (vaginal hysterectomy or abdominal hysterectomy) in 91 premenopausal women (LH=60, non-LH=31). Changes of serum AMH levels were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: AMH0 was similar between the two groups (P=0.400). Also, AMH1, AMH2, and AMH3 were not different between the two groups (P=0.333, 0.534, and 0.726). A significant decrease of serum AMH level (30% decreases from AMH0) at 7days, 2 months, and 6 months was observed in 44.4%, 34.8%, and 40% of all patients. Interestingly, the incidence of a significant decrease of serum AMH levels at postoperative 2 months was considerably higher in LH group compare to non-LH group (43.9% vs. 20.0%, P=0.042). Multivariate analysis revealed that laparoscopic hysterectomy was an independent risk factor for the significant decrease of serum AMH at postoperative 2 months (Hazard ratio 4.147, 95% confidence interval 1.139-15.097). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic hysterectomy, which is associated with electro-thermal vessel ligation, might have negative effect on ovarian reserve after surgery. More large-scaled, long-term follow-up study is required.

Effect of intravenous ascorbic acid infusion on blood loss during laparoscopic myomectomy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Most interventions aimed at reducing bleeding during myomectomy lack sufficient evidence regarding their effectiveness. Recently, it was reported that intraoperative ascorbic acid administration effectively reduced blood loss during abdominal myomectomy. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether intravenous ascorbic acid infusion would affect intraoperative blood loss in women undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial including 50 women undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy was conducted. Women with ≤4 myomas, ≤9cm in maximum diameter were eligible. The study:control group ratio was 1:1. Starting 30minutes before anesthesia, 2g of ascorbic acid or a placebo were administered for 2hours intraoperatively. Intraoperative blood loss, the primary endpoint, was calculated as the difference between the volume of fluids acquired from suction and that used for irrigation of the abdominal cavity during surgery using constant values. RESULTS: Among the 50 randomized women, 1 and 3 in the study and control groups, respectively, were excluded due to withdrawal of consent, cancelation of surgery, or non-measurement of the primary endpoint. The baseline and operative characteristics were similar between the study and control groups, as was the intraoperative blood loss (193±204mL vs. 159±193mL, P=0.52). In addition, the operating time (95±29min vs. 110±52min; P=0.50) and decrease in hemoglobin level after surgery (1.9±1.31g/dL vs. 1.4±1.4g/dL; P=0.24) were similar between the study and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous ascorbic acid infusion did not reduce intraoperative blood loss in women undergoing laparoscopic myomectomy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01715597.

Detection of high-risk human papillomavirus using menstrual blood in women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or high-risk human papillomavirus infections: A pilot study.

AIM: Few studies have reported that human papillomavirus (HPV) tests using menstrual blood (MB) may be a convenient and effective screening modality for cervical cancer. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of detecting high-risk (HR)-HPV from MB in women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or HR-HPV infections dependent on menstrual days. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective exploratory pilot study, a clinical trial was conducted in 19 women. On enrollment into the study, gynecologists collected cervical cells. On the first and second day of menstruation, MB was self-collected by patients using a sanitary pad with a filter. The distribution of HPVs from MB and the accuracy of menstrual HR-HPV tests were evaluated using HPV genotyping. The agreement rate of detecting HR-HPVs using cervical and MB samples was also investigated. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the MB HR-HPV test for detecting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3 or worse were 87.5%, 45.5%, 53.8%, and 83.3%, respectively, during both menstrual cycle day (MCD) 1 and 2 and MCD 1 only; and 62.5%, 27.3%, 38.5%, and 50.0%, respectively, during MCD 2 only. For CIN 3 or worse, the agreement rate between positive cervical and MB HR-HPV test results was 87.5% during MCD 1 and 62.5% during MCD 2. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the possibility of using the MB HPV test as a screening modality for cervical cancer.

Differential diagnosis between uterine sarcoma and leiomyoma using preoperative clinical characteristics.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the preoperative diagnostic findings suggestive of uterine sarcoma. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 31 patients with pathologically confirmed uterine sarcoma including leiomyosarcoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma, and undifferentiated sarcoma, between 2003 and 2011. The cases were matched by age, year of procedure (plus or minus 1 year), and surgeon, to controls (1:3 ratio) selected from all the patients who underwent hysterectomy for uterine myoma during the same period. RESULTS: Uterine sarcomas had larger tumor size compared with leiomyoma on sonography (P = 0.006). There was no significant difference in the total number of masses found on ultrasonography (P = 0.066). On multivariate analysis increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR > 2.1), large tumor size (> 8.0 cm), and lower body mass index (BMI ≤ 20) were independent risk factors for uterine sarcoma (P = 0.014, 0.048, and 0.048, respectively). Sarcoma index was calculated by summing the number of risk factors. Higher sarcoma index was associated with increased risk of uterine sarcoma (0, 13.6%; 1, 21.7%; 2, 62.5%; 3, 100%). CONCLUSION: Preoperative NLR, tumor size, and BMI could be useful for the discrimination of sarcoma from leiomyoma of uterus.

Comparison of HE4, CA125, and Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm in the Prediction of Ovarian Cancer in Korean Women.

This study is a multi-center clinical study, which aimed to compare CA125, HE4, and risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm (ROMA) in predicting epithelial ovarian cancer of Korean women with a pelvic mass. Prospectively, serum from 90 Korean women with ovarian mass was obtained prior to surgery. For control group, serum from 79 normal populations without ovarian mass was also obtained. The HE4 and CA125 data were registered and evaluated separately and ROMA was calculated for each sample. Total 67 benign tumors and 23 ovarian cancers were evaluated. Median serum levels of HE4 and CA125, and ROMA score were significantly higher in patients with ovarian cancer than those with benign ovarian tumor and normal population (P < 0.001). In ROC curve analysis for women with a pelvic mass, area under the curve (AUC) for HE4 and ROMA was higher than CA125. Statistical differences in each study compared to CA125 were marginal (P compared to CA125; 0.082 for HE4 and 0.069 for ROMA). Sub-analysis revealed that AUC for HE4 and ROMA was higher than AUC for CA125 in post-menopausal women with a pelvic mass, but there were no statistically significant differences (P compared to CA125; 0.160 for HE4 and 0.127 for ROMA). Our data suggested that both HE4 and ROMA score showed better performance than CA125 for the detection of ovarian cancer in women with a pelvic mass. HE4 and ROMA can be a useful independent diagnostic marker for epithelial ovarian cancer in Korean women.

Ataxia-Telangiectasia and RAD3-Related and Ataxia-Telangiectasia-Mutated Proteins in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma: Their Expression and Clinical Significance.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The expression patterns of the key DNA damage response-related proteins, ataxia-telangiectasia and tfiih/ner complex atp-dependent 5'-3' dna helicase subunit rad3 (RAD3)-related (ATR) and ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) proteins in ovarian cancer are not well-known. This study aimed to evaluate the expressions of ATR and ATM proteins, and to investigate their clinical significance in epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expressions of nuclear/cytoplasmic Ser428-phosphorylated ATR (p-ATR) and Ser1981-phosphorylated ATM (p-ATM) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 100 patients with EOC. The clinical significances of p-ATR and p-ATM protein expression were evaluated in terms of tumor progression and survival. RESULTS: Low expression of cytoplasmic p-ATR was significantly associated with advanced stage, serous histology, large residual mass, and high preoperative serum CA125 level. Univariate survival analysis revealed that low expression of cytoplasmic p-ATR protein was significantly associated with poor disease-free survival and poor overall survival. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that cytoplasmic ATR protein might serve as a prognostic biomarker for patients with EOC.

Matched-Case Comparisons in a Single Institution to Determine Critical Points for Inexperienced Surgeons' Successful Performances of Laparoscopic Radical Hysterectomy versus Abdominal Radical Hysterectomy in Stage IA2-IIA Cervical Cancer.

This is a retrospective study which aims to identify major determinants of successful laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) versus abdominal radical hysterectomy (ARH) performed by inexperienced surgeons for stage IA2-IIA cervical cancer. A total of 161 consecutive patients with stage IA2-IIA cervical cancer who underwent RH were grouped into 2 groups according to the surgeons' experience with LRH: experienced surgeon versus inexperienced surgeon. After matching for age and risk factors, surgical and survival outcomes were compared. Experienced surgeon selected patients with earlier-stage and fewer risk factors for LRH than ARH, but inexperience surgeons did not. After matching, the vaginal tumor-free margin of LRH was shorter than that of ARH in experienced surgeon group (1.3 versus 1.7 cm, p=0.007); however, the vaginal tumor-free margin was longer than that of ARH in the inexperienced surgeon group (1.8 versus 1.3 cm, p=0.035). The postoperative hospital stay of LRH was shorter than that of ARH in experienced surgeon group (5.5 versus 7.7 days, p<0.001), but not different from that of ARH in the inexperienced surgeon group. Vaginal tumor-free margin >1.8 cm (OR 7.33, 95% CI 1.22-40.42), stage >IB1 (OR 8.83, 95% CI 1.51-51.73), and estimated blood loss >575 mL (OR 33.95, 95% CI 4.87-236.79) were independent risk factors for longer postoperative hospital stay in the inexperienced surgeon group. There was no difference of 5-year-profression-free survival of LRH patients between experienced surgeon and inexperienced surgeon groups after matching (55.1 versus 33.3%, p=0.391). Selection of earlier-stage disease and moderate vaginal tumor-free margin might be important for an inexperienced surgeon to successfully perform LRH with minimal complications in stage IA2-IIA cervical cancer.