Robert M. Rome

Elevated Serum Inhibin Concentrations in Postmenopausal Women with Ovarian Tumors

Background Inhibin is an ovarian hormone that inhibits the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) by the anterior pituitary gland. Women with granulosa-cell tumors of the ovary have elevated serum inhibin concentrations, but whether the concentrations are increased in women with other ovarian tumors is unknown. Methods We measured serum inhibin and FSH concentrations before surgery in 212 postmenopausal women with suspected ovarian cancer and after surgery in 210 of them. Results Eighteen of the 22 women (82 percent) with mucinous carcinomas (mucinous cystadenocarcinomas and mucinous borderline cystic tumors) of the ovary had elevated serum inhibin concentrations, whereas only 9 of the 53 women (17 percent) with serous carcinomas (serous cystadenocarcinomas and serous borderline cystic tumors) had elevated levels. Serum inhibin concentrations were also elevated in 2 of 12 women (17 percent) with clear-cell carcinomas, 4 of 26 women (15 percent) with undifferentiated carcinomas, 3 of 3 women (100 ...

Adenocarcinoma in situ of the cervix

SummaryAdenocarcinoma in situ (ACIS) of the cervix is rare and is frequently overlooked. To characterize this disease more fully, 21 cases were studied. All except two patients presented with abnormal smears. The distribution of ACIS was focal in two cases, multicentric in three, and diffuse and continuous in 15 (in one case it was unknown). The depth of crypt involvement varied from 0.5 to 4 mm and the volume was estimated to range from 0.25 to 1,500 mm3. ACIS should and can be distinguished from early (“microinvasive”) adencarcinoma in most cases by its limitation to the glandular field, by the constant admixture of neoplastic and normal glands, and by the lack of stromal response. Invasive adenocarcinoma cannot be excluded by target biopsy, the diagnosis of ACIS requiring conization. If the surgical margins are disease free, conization alone may be adequate therapy.

Low malignant potential tumors of the ovary: a study of 76 cases.

&NA; This study analyzes the clinical and pathological features of 76 patients who were diagnosed as having ovarian low malignant potential tumor over a 20‐year period: 39 (51.3%) of the tumors were mucinous, 29 (38.2%) serous, three (3.9%) endometrioid, and five (6.6%) mixed. Patients with serous tumors were significantly younger (mean age 40 years) than those with mucinous tumors (mean age 50.5 years). Serous tumors were more frequently bilateral (48.3%) than mucinous tumors (12.8%). The extent of tumor (FIGO stage) at the primary laparotomy was related to the prognosis: the survival of 14 patients with stage III and six patients with stage II tumor was significantly inferior to that of the 56 patients with stage I tumors (P < .01). Patients with stage III mucinous low malignant potential tumors and pseudomyxoma peritoneii fared badly. Four patients with stage II and 13 patients with stage III tumors had residual tumor after primary surgery. Five of these patients received no subsequent treatment of whom four are alive and well from 5.5 to 19 years after diagnosis. Three patients received pelvic radiotherapy. Eleven patients were treated with chemotherapy for residual or recurrent tumor but only one (9.1%) had an unequivocal response. (Obstet Gynecol 68:338, 1986)

Microinvasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix: A clinicopathologic study of 77 women

Objective To prove that microinvasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix exists and, like its squamous counterpart, carries an excellent prognosis. Methods Seventy-seven women with microinvasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix were seen from 1971 to 1995. Microinvasion was defined as depth of invasion or tumor thickness of at most 5 mm. Microscopic assessment was made on punch biopsies, serially sectioned conization specimens, and extensively sampled hysterectomy specimens. Results Most of the women had abnormal Papanicolaou smears. We made definitive diagnoses on conization specimens in 49 women, hysterectomy specimens in 22, and colposcopically directed punch biopsies in six (there being no residual disease in the subsequent conizationhysterectomy specimens). The length of microinvasive adenocarcinomas ranged from 0.8 to 21 mm, and the volume was between 3 and 1000 mm.3 The tumors were multicentric in 21 cases, but no true “skip” lesions were found. Overall, 58 cold-knife conizations were performed: the margins were free in 39 cases, involved in 18, and inconclusive in one. The one loop conization had involved margins. Definitive therapy included cold-knife conization in 16 women, combined with pelvic-node dissection in four. In the remainder of the women, we performed some type of hysterectomy. None of the 26 women who had radical hysterectomy had parametrial spread, and none of the 48 who had pelvic-node dissection or the 23 in whom one or both adnexa were removed had metastases. There have been two “recurrences” to date; one was an adenocarcinoma and the other a squamous cell carcinoma, both at the vault. Conclusion Microinvasive adenocarcinoma of the cervix is a clinicopathologic entity that appears to have the same prognosis, and should be treated in the same way, as its squamous counterpart.

Micro-invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix: a clinico-pathologic study of 200 cases with long-term follow-up.

The clinico-pathologic details of 200 patients with micro-invasive squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix have been analyzed. All tumors invaded 5 mm or less below the basement membrane. One hundred and nine were categorized as FIGO stage 1a1 (early stromal invasion) and 91 as FIGO stage 1a2 (micro-carcinoma). The horizontal spread (length) of 12 micro-carcinomas exceeded 7 mm. Twenty-three had stromal invasion 3 mm or more, and 22 had capillary-like space involvement. Fifty-eight patients underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy in addition to hysterectomy and none had positive nodes. Univariate and multivariate analyses of possible prognostic factors including depth, horizontal spread, width, area, volume, grade, growth pattern, capillary-like space involvement, and stromal reaction failed to show any to be significantly associated with recurrence. The median duration of follow-up is now 8 years (0–22 years). Despite complete resection, seven (3.5%) patients developed recurrence of in situ or invasive carcinoma (three after early stromal invasion and four after micro-carcinoma), all of which were located at the vaginal vault. There were two deaths, one due to pulmonary squamous-cell carcinomatosis 21 years after early stromal invasion, the connection being tenuous, and the other due to local recurrence. There have been no recurrences to date in 23 patients treated by conization alone. The uniformly good prognosis of patients in this study is attributed to meticulous sampling of operative specimens resulting in accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, which may be conization alone provided the margins are free, there is no capillary-like space involvement, and the depth of penetration is less than 3 mm.

ABNORMAL CERVICAL CYTOLOGY IN PREGNANCY : EXPERIENCE OF 811 CASES

Summary: This paper reviews our hospitals experience spanning 15 years and involving 811 women referred with abnormal cervical cytology in pregnancy. It supports the safety and accuracy of managing dysplasia in pregnancy with colposcopy, directed punch biopsy and deferral of treatment until the postpartum period. The histologically‐proven progression in pregnancy to a higher grade of dysplasia postpartum was 7%. None of the women are known to have developed microinvasive or invasive cancer between antenatal assessment and postpartum review. Of these 811 women, 16% were lost to follow‐up, 1 of whom subsequently represented 4 years later with invasive cervical cancer.

Struma Ovarii Presenting as Acute Pseudo-Meigs Syndome with an Elevated CA125 Level

Summary: A 62‐year‐old woman presented with acute hydrothoraces and ascites. The CA 125 level was greatly elevated and pelvic ultrasound revealed an adnexal mass with solid and cystic components. At surgery a benign pure struma ovarii was diagnosed and following removal of the tumour the patient had immediate and complete resolution of her symptoms. This is the first report of struma ovarii causing both pseudo‐Meigs syndrome and a marked elevation of CA 125.

Cytoplasmic steroid receptors in ovarian tumours

Summary. Cytoplasmic oestrogen receptors were measured in 40 primary and four secondary ovarian tumours; of these, 43 tumours were also analysed for cytoplasmic progesterone receptors and 34 tumours for cytoplasmic androgen receptors. Serous tumours were significantly more likely to be oestrogen‐receptor positive than mucinous tumours, but the incidence of positive progesterone and androgen receptors was similar in serous, mucinous and endometrioid tumours. The mean oestrogen receptor content of serous tumours was significantly higher than that of endometrioid tumours. Well‐differentiated epithelial tumours were significantly more likely to be oestrogen‐receptor and progesterone‐receptor positive than less differentiated epithelial tumours. Two granulosa cell tumours were oestrogen‐receptor positive and one of these was also progesteronereceptor and androgen‐receptor positive. Four normal óvaries were also analysed for receptor content and two were found to be androgen‐receptor positive. The presence of cytoplasmic receptors in ovarian tumours may explain their reported response to endocrine therapy.

Progestogen treatment options for early endometrial cancer

Please cite this paper as: Cade T, Quinn M, Rome R, Neesham D. Progestogen treatment options for early endometrial cancer. BJOG 2010;117:879–884.

Screening for ovarian cancer using serum CA125 and vaginal examination: report on 2550 females

This study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of using serum CA125 and vaginal examination as a screening test for ovarian cancer in apparently healthy females. Two thousand five hundred and fifty healthy females aged 40 and over were recruited to participate in a screening study involving a questionnaire, serum CA125 measurement and vaginal examination. Females with either an elevated CA125 level or abnormal vaginal examination had a pelvic ultrasound performed as a secondary procedure. The positive predictive values of an elevated serum CA125 level, and a combination of CA125 level measurement and vaginal examination for ovarian cancer, were 1/100 and 1/3, respectively. The specificities of serum CA125 levels, vaginal examination and both in combination were 96.1%, 98.5% and 99.9%, respectively. In postmenopausal females the positive predictive values were improved with CA125 measurement alone, giving a positive predictive value of 1/24. Seventeen females underwent operative procedure as a result of the screening—only one of these was for an ovarian cancer. The combination of serum CA125 measurement and vaginal examination is not an effective screening test in the general population, although in postmenopausal females it does achieve acceptable specificities and positive predictive values.