Evolution of clinical trials in ovarian cancer management over the past 20 years: never settle down, always go beyond

Purpose. A practice synthesis of available evidence-based medicine data in ovarian cancer (OC), aiming to provide directions for future research. Materials and Methods. We performed a systematic review. PubMed was searched for relevant OC trials between January 2000 and December 2019. Results. Out of 865 references screened, 199 trials were found eligible for inclusion. Most trials were multicenter (83.9%). There was a trend reduction in the number of patients enrolled/per study over the years. Studies testing targeted/biological therapies dominated the second decade (60 trials in 2010-2019 versus 2 trials in 2000-2009). The proportion of trials with positive survival and clinical outcomes significantly increased from 23.8% in early 2000s to 54.1% in the last 5 years. Trials with histology/molecular biomarker criteria were more likely to meet progression-free survival endpoint than those without these selection criteria (69.2% versus 32.6%). Conclusion. This systematic review suggests a trend of increased positive studies, mainly linked to precision medicine

Nonabsorbable suture granuloma mimicking ovarian cancer recurrence at combined positron emission tomography/computed tomography evaluation: a case report

INTRODUCTION: This is the first case of suture granuloma mimicking isolated ovarian cancer relapse. Only six analogous cases have been previously reported in other malignancies. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 44-year-old Caucasian woman with partially platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer in which radiological features, including computed tomography and combined (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography, were strongly suggestive of isolated cancer relapse in her right subdiaphragmatic region. Laparoscopic examination resulted negative, but was not completely suitable due to widespread adhesive syndrome. The laparotomy for secondary cytoreductive surgery and biopsy of the suspected area showed inflammatory granuloma caused by nonabsorbable propylene suture, without evidence of neoplastic cells. Moreover, unexpected peritoneal carcinosis was found. CONCLUSIONS: This evidence suggests that clinical details about previous surgical procedures are necessary for adequate interpretation. Although much progress has been made in imaging techniques, especially in the promising field of combined (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography, these procedures should be still thoroughly investigated in order to promptly rule out tumor recurrence and avoid unnecessary surgery

An unexpected complete remission of advanced intestinal-type vulvar adenocarcinoma after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a case report and a literature review.

Vulvar cancer represents approximately 3%-5% of all gynecological malignancies. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequent histotype, whereas melanomas, adenocarcinomas, basal cell carcinomas, and sarcomas are much less common. Intestinal-type adenocarcinoma is a rare variant of vulvar carcinoma with only few cases found in the literature. The origin of this neoplasia is still much debated, but the most reliable hypothesis is the origin from cloacal remnants that may persist in the adult in different organs. Because of its extremely low incidence, the optimal management of this kind of vulvar cancer is still debated. We report the case of a woman affected by advanced intestinal-type vulvar adenocarcinoma, who achieved a complete clinical and pathological response after neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic treatment with platinum and paclitaxel

Dualistic classification of epithelial ovarian cancer: Surgical and survival outcomes in a large retrospective series

Ovarian cancers have been recently categorized into types I and II according to a dualistic model of tumorigenesis. Data on the correlation between this classification and clinical outcome are still scarce and controversial. A retrospective analysis of patients with ovarian cancer treated from 1998 to 2013 and operated by the same surgeon was conducted. Patients were classified into two groups: type I (125 patients), including low-grade serous, mucinous, endometrioid, and clear cell tumors; and type II (286 patients), including high-grade serous tumors, unspecified adenocarcinomas, and undifferentiated carcinomas. Type II patients had a significantly higher incidence of advanced disease than type I (88.4 vs. 65.6 %, P = 0.0001) and required more aggressive surgical procedures. Rates of optimal tumor debulking were almost similar between groups (92.6 vs. 91.7 %, type I vs. II, P = NS). After a median follow-up of 41 months, 207 patients (50.4 %) were alive and 204 (49.6 %) were dead; 79 type I patients (63.8 %) and 237 type II patients (82.7 %) experienced relapse (P = 0.02). Progression-free survival was significantly different between groups: 25 months for type I vs. 17 months for type II (P = 0.023). Overall survival was not significantly different between groups, with a median overall survival of 75 months for type I vs. 62 months for type II (P = 0.116). The dualistic histotype-based classification into types I and II of ovarian cancer does not seem to correlate with prognosis. Different molecular characteristics of type I and II tumors may have therapeutic implications and should be deeply investigated

Screening program in ovarian cancer: a logical step in clinical management? A meta-analysis

Treatment of ovarian cancer (OC) is a challenge and its poor prognosis still remains a problem of major importance. Due to the lack of early and specific symptoms, the vast majority of women are diagnosed with an advanced stage disease. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the impact of OC screening program in asymptomatic women on clinical outcomes

Tyrosine-kinases inhibitors in recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients

For many decades, ovarian cancer (OC) has been one of the most common gynecological cancer. Despite advances in OC diagnosis and treatment, the risk of recurrence is ever present and approximately 85% of patients will experience relapse. Recurrent OC after first-line therapy is almost always incurable. Multiple novel therapies, including tyrosine-kinases inhibitors (TKI), have shown promising results, but their role needs to be clarified. In this review we describe the rationale and the clinical evidence regarding the use of TKI for the treatment of recurrent platinum-resistant OC patients