Subcutaneous Progesterone for Endometrial Polyps in Premenopausal Women: A Preliminary Retrospective Analysis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of 3 cycles of subcutaneous progesterone administered during the luteal phase on the regression rate of symptomatic and asymptomatic endometrial polyps in premenopausal woman. DESIGN: A retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING: A department of obstetrics and gynecology in a university hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred twenty-seven reproductive-aged women presented with endometrial polyps from January to December 2016. INTERVENTIONS: A retrospective comparison of patients treated with subcutaneous progesterone and those managed by the "wait and see" approach. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patients were divided into 2 groups: the group treated with subcutaneous progesterone (cases) and the wait and see group (controls). Women in the treatment group were administered 25 mg subcutaneous progesterone during the luteal phase for 7 days for 3 months. The wait and see group included patients refusing progesterone therapy who were reevaluated 3 menstrual cycles after the transvaginal sonographic diagnosis. Both the treatment group (n = 61) and the wait and see group (n = 32) were evaluated with a follow-up ultrasound examination after 3 months. The regression rate of endometrial polyps in women treated with subcutaneous progesterone was compared with the wait and see patients. The regression in the number and/or dimensions of the polyps was greater in the treatment group than the control group. The regression rate was 47.5% and 12.5%, respectively (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Progesterone appears to be a valid therapeutic alternative for the management of endometrial polyps. A prospective, randomized study is ongoing at our institution to further validate these findings.

Anthracycline-Free Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Ensures Higher Rates of Pathologic Complete Response in Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) is a standard of care for locally advanced and initially inoperable breast cancer. NCT can test chemotherapy efficacy and can be followed by breast-conserving surgery. Considering taxanes as one of the most effective agents, we analyzed the efficacy of a neoadjuvant schedule without anthracyclines and based only on taxanes and carboplatin, trying to avoid cardiotoxicity, which is the most serious side effect correlated with anthracyclines. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We enrolled 61 patients with breast cancer, belonging to 4 subgroups, according to molecular phenotypes: 24 triple-negative/basal-like, 13 HER2-like, 20 luminal B, and 4 luminal A. All patients underwent weekly chemotherapy with carboplatin AUC2, paclitaxel 80 mg/m2, with trastuzumab (in case of HER2 positivity) 2 mg/kg, except for luminal A patients, who underwent only hormonal therapy. Among 61 patients, 26 (43%) received modified radical mastectomy and 35 (57%) received breast-conserving surgery. RESULTS: The patients obtaining pathologic complete response (pCR) were 20 (83%) of 24 triple-negative/basal-like, 10 (76%) of 13 HER2-like, 6 (30%) of 20 luminal B, and 3 (75%) of 4 luminal A. All the patients were evaluated for toxicity: no grade 4 was detected, 5 patients experienced grade 3 neuropathy, then reverted to G2 after chemotherapy discontinuation. At a minimum follow-up of 5 years, median overall survival was 48 months. CONCLUSION: Taxane/carboplatin-based/anthracycline-free NCT is the best treatment for inoperable breast cancer in terms of efficacy and toxicity, because this approach avoids cardiotoxicity and obtains an optimal rate (64%) of pCR, with an important impact on survival.

Long-Lasting Stent Placement in an Elderly Advanced Ovarian Cancer Patient.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, most often co-occurring with malignant bowel obstruction. Affected patients are generally in poor physical condition, and it is important to manage the bowel obstruction to improve quality of life. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a 75-year-old woman who underwent a left hemicolectomy for an ovarian carcinoma with bowel obstruction. 3 years after hemicolectomy, the patient presented with an extrinsic anastomotic substenosis. A self-expanding metal stent was placed which remained in place for 7 years, rendering other invasive surgical treatments unnecessary. CONCLUSION: The placement of a long-lasting stent is an important option in patients with bowel obstruction subsequent to recurrent ovarian cancer, since this provides a viable alternative to surgery and increases patients' quality of life.