The role of liquid biopsy in epithelial ovarian cancer: State of the art.

The clinical implementation of liquid biopsy has dramatically modified the analytical paradigm for several solid tumors. To date, however, only circulating free DNA (cfDNA) has been approved in clinical practice to select targeted treatments for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and breast cancer (BC). Interestingly, emerging liquid biopsy analytes in peripheral blood, including circulating tumor cells (CTC), miRNA, and extracellular vesicles (EVs), have been shown to play a crucial role in the clinical management of solid tumor patients. Here, we review how these blood-based biomarkers may positively impact early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response in ovarian cancer (OC) patients.

Findings from the Use of Spinal Anesthesia in the Laparoscopic Treatment of Extrauterine Pregnancy: Could It Represent an Alternative to General Anesthesia?

INTRODUCTION: Minimally invasive procedures performed in laparoscopy, such as salpingectomy for ectopic pregnancy, can be combined with a minimally invasive anesthesia. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and the intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for ectopic pregnancy under spinal anesthesia (SA) compared to general anesthesia (GA) from the point of view of the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and patient. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed at DAI Materno Infantile of AOU Federico II of Naples, analyzing all medical records of women who met the inclusion criteria between April 2020 and April 2023. Eighty-two women (35 under SA in group A and 47 under GA in group B) undergone elective or emergency laparoscopic salpingectomy for ectopic tubal or ovarian pregnancy were included. RESULTS: Patients in group A reported less pain at 0 h (adjusted mean difference: -1.5; 95% CI: -2.3 to -0.7; p < 0.001) and after 6 h (adjusted mean difference: -1.1; 95% CI: -2.0 to -0.3; p = 0.01) while no statistically significant differences between the two groups at 12 and 24 h after surgery. No differences were observed among the type of analgesic and during the postoperative observation time, except for paracetamol at 0 h in group B. A faster resumption of bowel motility, patient's mobilization, and a shorter hospital stay were observed in group A compared to group B. Also greater odds of returning faster to daily activities emerged in group A (adjusted OR: 5.39; 95% CI: 1.77-16.37). A greater number of patients in group A were satisfied with the entire procedure compared to those of group B (33 [94.3%] vs. 37 [78.7%]). The general surgeon satisfaction was always very good or excellent in group A. Finally, all surgical steps were well tolerated in group A. CONCLUSION: In specific settings, SA is a feasible and safe procedure for the laparoscopic treatment of ectopic pregnancy.

Do Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibodies Have an Impact on Pregnancy Outcome? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been used as a rescue strategy for pregnant women affected by COVID-19. To explore its impact on maternal-fetal health, we included all observational studies reporting maternal, fetal, delivery and neonatal outcomes in women who underwent mAbs infusion for COVID-19. Primary outcome was the percentage of preterm delivery. We used meta-analyses of proportions to combine data for maternal, fetal, delivery and neonatal outcome of women treated with mAbs for COVID-19 and reported pooled proportions and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for categorical variables or mean difference (MD) with their 95% confidence intervals for continuous variables. Preterm birth was observed in 22.8% of cases (95% CI 12.9-34.3). Fetal distress was reported in 4.2% (95% CI 1.6-8.2). Gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia were observed in 3.0% (95% CI 0.8-6.8) and 3.4% (95% CI 0.8-7.5) of cases, respectively. Fetal growth restriction was observed in 3.2% of fetuses (95% CI 0.8-7.0). Secondary prophylaxis with mAbs is currently considered the best treatment option for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 disease. More attention should be paid to infants born from mothers who were treated with mAbs, for the risk of immunosuppression.