Sertoli–Leydig cell tumor of the ovary: A diagnostic dilemma

AbstractBackgroundSertoli–Leydig cell tumors are rare sex-cord stromal tumors of the ovary that can present with a variety of histological elements, which may complicate diagnosis and treatment.CaseA 40-year-old female presenting with pelvic pain is found to have a large complex right adnexal mass and elevated alpha-fetoprotein. The mass was diagnosed as a Sertoli–Leydig cell tumor with heterologous elements including carcinoid and hepatoid components. She was treated with surgical resection followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and remains clear of disease.ConclusionPrognostic indicators for Sertoli–Leydig cell tumors include degree and type of heterologous element differentiation. Thorough characterization of such elements is crucial for adequate diagnosis and treatment

Gene sequencing for pathogenic variants among adults with breast and ovarian cancer in the caribbean

Importance: Rates of breast and ovarian cancer are high in the Caribbean; however, to date, few published data quantify the prevalence of inherited cancer in the Caribbean population. Objective: To determine whether deleterious variants in genes that characterize the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome are associated with the development of breast and ovarian cancer in the English- and Creole-speaking Caribbean populations. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multisite genetic association study used data from germline genetic test results between June 2010 and June 2018 in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad and Tobago. Next-generation sequencing on a panel of 30 genes and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (BRCA1 and BRCA2) were performed. Medical records were reviewed at time of study enrollment. Women and men diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer with at least 1 grandparent born in the participating study sites were included; 1018 individuals were eligible and consented to participate in this study. Data were analyzed from November 4, 2019, to May 6, 2020. Exposures: Breast and/or ovarian cancer diagnosis Main Outcomes and Measures: Rate of inherited breast and ovarian cancer syndrome and spectrum and types of variants. Results: Of 1018 participants, 999 (98.1%) had breast cancer (mean [SD] age, 46.6 [10.8] years) and 21 (2.1%) had ovarian cancer (mean [SD] age, 47.6 [13.5] years). Three individuals declined to have their results reported. A total of 144 of 1015 (14.2%) had a pathogenic or likely pathogenic (P/LP) variant in a hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome gene. A total of 64% of variant carriers had P/LP variant in BRCA1, 23% in BRCA2, 9% in PALB2 and 4% in RAD51C, CHEK2, ATM, STK11 and NBN. The mean (SD) age of variant carriers was 40.7 (9.2) compared with 47.5 (10.7) years in noncarriers. Individuals in the Bahamas had the highest proportion of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (23%), followed by Barbados (17.9%), Trinidad (12%), Dominica (8.8%), Haiti (6.7%), Cayman Islands (6.3%), and Jamaica (4.9%). In Caribbean-born women and men with breast cancer, having a first- or second-degree family member with breast cancer was associated with having any BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline variant (odds ratio, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.24-2.01; P \u3c.001). A BRCA1 vs BRCA2 variant was more strongly associated with triple negative breast cancer (odds ratio, 6.33; 95% CI, 2.05-19.54; P =.001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, among Caribbean-born individuals with breast and ovarian cancer, 1 in 7 had hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. The proportion of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer varied by island and ranged from 23% in the Bahamas to 4.9% in Jamaica. Each island had a distinctive set of variants.

Estrogen-induced gene expression and patient survival in high-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary

Background. Assessment of estrogen receptor (ER) expression has inconsistent utility as a prognostic marker in epithelial ovarian carcinoma. In breast and endometrial cancers, the use of estrogen-induced gene panels, rather than ER expression alone, has shown improved prognostic capability. Specifically, over-expression of estrogen-induced genes in these tumors is associated with a better prognosis and signifies estrogen sensitivity that can be exploited with hormone antagonizing agents. It was therefore hypothesized that estrogen-induced gene expression in ovarian carcinoma would successfully predict outcomes and differentiate between tumors of varying estrogen sensitivities. Methods. Two hundred nineteen (219) patients with ovarian cancer who underwent surgery at M. D. Anderson between 2004 and 2007 were identified. Of these, eighty-three (83) patients were selected for inclusion because they had advanced stage, high-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum, had not received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and had readily available frozen tissue for study. All patients had also received adjuvant treatment with platinum and taxane agents. The expression of seven genes known to be induced by estrogen in the female reproductive tract (EIG121, sFRP1, sFRP4, RALDH2, PR, IGF-1, and ER) was measured using qRT-PCR. Unsupervised cluster analyses of multiple gene permutations were used to categorize patients as high or low estrogen-induced gene expressors. QPCR gene expression results were then compared to ER and PR immunohistochemical (IHC) expression. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the effects of both individual genes and selected gene clusters on patient survival. Results. Median follow-up time was 38.7 months (range 1-68 months). In a multivariate model, overall survival was predicted by sFRP1 expression (HR 1.10 [1.02-1.19], p=0.01) and EIG121 expression (HR 1.28 [1.10-1.49], p\u3c0.01). A cluster defined by EIG121 and ER was further examined because that combination appeared to reasonably segregate tumors into distinct groups of high and low estrogen-induced gene expressors. Shorter overall survival was associated with high estrogen-induced gene expressors (HR 2.84 [1.11-7.30], p=0.03), even after adjustment for race, age, body mass index, and residual disease at debulking. No difference in IHC ER or PR expression was noted between gene clusters. Conclusion. In sharp contrast to breast and endometrial cancers, high estrogen-induced gene expression predicts shorter overall survival in patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. An estrogen-induced gene biomarker panel may have utility as prognostic indicator and may be useful to guide management with estrogen antagonists in this population

Dual Fulvestrant‐Trametinib Therapy in Recurrent Low‐Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

Low‐grade serous ovarian carcinoma (LGSOC) is known to exhibit chemoresistance. Effective treatment options for recurrent disease are few and often limited to hormone antagonism. Combination of endocrine therapies with MEK‐inhibitors displays synergism in preclinical ovarian cancer models, however. This brief communication presents the use of combination anti‐estrogenic and MEK‐inhibitor therapies, fulvestrant and trametinib, as treatment in a heavily pretreated patient with estrogen receptor‐positive, recurrent LGSOC. The dual‐therapy regimen was well tolerated and appeared to confer 9 months of progression‐free survival. Further investigation is warranted to explore this effect. This case report describes a patient with low‐grade serous ovarian cancer who was treated with combination MEK‐inhibitor and estrogen antagonist therapy with good results

Cisplatin-induced bradycardia and the importance of the QT interval

Cisplatin is a very common chemotherapeutic agent used in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies, including cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. Bradycardia is a rare, though potentially severe, side effect of this medication. Here we present the case of a young woman with ovarian cancer who demonstrated significant short-lived cardiotoxicity associated with cisplatin treatment

Pyometra After Thermal Endometrial Ablation

BACKGROUND:Pyometra is a rare but serious complication after thermal endometrial ablation. CASE:A 48-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes and a prosthetic mitral valve underwent a thermal endometrial ablation for abnormal uterine bleeding. She subsequently developed pyometra that induced sepsis and cervical necrosis necessitating hysterectomy. CONCLUSION:The development of a pyometra after endometrial ablation is likely multifactorial

Cytomegalovirus reactivation following chemoradiation for invasive cervical carcinoma

► Cytomegalovirus is an uncommon infectious agent in gynecologic cancer patients. ► Viral causes should be considered in women on chemotherapy with persistent fever