In The Know-November 2021

November 2021
Pdf Summary
In this edition of Ed's List, several articles of significance in the field of gynecologic oncology are summarized. <br /><br />The first article explores the pro-tumoral behavior of omental adipocyte-derived fibroblasts in the metastatic site of ovarian cancer. The study demonstrates that ovarian cancer cells promote the dedifferentiation of peritoneal adipocytes into fibroblasts, which contribute to tumor growth and progression. The findings shed light on the potential role of adipocytes in supporting the growth of ovarian cancer.<br /><br />Another article focuses on treatment options for ovarian cancer patients after PARP inhibitor maintenance. The study found that ovarian cancer patients who experienced disease progression while on PARP inhibitor maintenance can still benefit from platinum-based chemotherapy. The results suggest that retreatment with platinum-based chemotherapy should still be considered in these patients.<br /><br />A phase III trial evaluated the use of pafolacianine sodium injection with near-infrared fluorescence imaging for intraoperative imaging in ovarian cancer. The study found that pafolacianine sodium injection with fluorescence imaging identified additional cancer not planned for resection in a significant number of ovarian cancer patients. The findings highlight the potential of fluorescence imaging in improving the accuracy of surgical resection in ovarian cancer.<br /><br />Another article discusses the role of TGFBI production by macrophages in creating an immunosuppressive microenvironment in ovarian cancer. The study suggests that TGFBI may contribute to tumor-promoting actions and could be a potential therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.<br /><br />The efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy in ovarian cancer patients is discussed in another article. The study found that single-agent immune checkpoint blockade therapy did not improve overall survival and showed worse progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy. The results highlight the need for further research and the identification of reliable biomarkers to determine the subpopulations of ovarian cancer patients who may benefit from immune checkpoint blockade therapy.<br /><br />In cervical cancer screening, a study evaluated the use of a deep-learning algorithm for the evaluation of dual stain cytology. The algorithm showed equal sensitivity and higher specificity compared to manual evaluation and reduced the referral rate for colposcopy.<br /><br />The prevalence of germline pathogenic variants in patients with endometrial cancer was examined in another study. The study found that 10% of patients had potentially actionable germline variants, supporting the use of multigene panel testing for all endometrial cancer patients.<br /><br />These studies contribute to the understanding of various aspects of gynecologic oncology and highlight potential advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and screening methods.
Keywords
gynecologic oncology
ovarian cancer
adipocytes
fibroblasts
tumor growth
PARP inhibitor maintenance
platinum-based chemotherapy
fluorescence imaging
TGFBI
endometrial cancer