Gynaecological oncology imaging

Radiomics refers to the conversion of medical imaging into high-throughput, quantifiable data in order to analyse disease patterns, guide prognosis and aid decision making. Radiogenomics is an extension of radiomics that combines conventional radiomics techniques with molecular analysis in the form of genomic and transcriptomic data, serving as an alternative to costly, labour-intensive genetic testing. Data on radiomics and radiogenomics in the field of pelvic oncology remain novel concepts in the literature...

BACKGROUND: Advanced cancer of the cervical stump, occurring years after a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LASH), is a rare but serious clinical condition. Many patients who undergo a LASH are unaware of this possible complication. Upon diagnosis of advanced cervical stump cancer, a holistic approach including imaging, laparoscopic surgery and multimodal oncological therapy is required. CASE PRESENTATION: A 58-year-old patient presented to our department with the suspicion of advanced cervical stump cancer eight years after LASH...

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is still present a major public health problem, especially in developing countries. In International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics 2018, allowing assessment of retroperitoneal lymph nodes by imaging and/or pathological findings and, if deemed metastatic, the case is designated as stage IIIC (with r and p notations). Patients with lymph node metastases have lower overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and survival after recurrence, especially those who have unresectable macroscopical positive lymph nodes...

Background: Ovarian malignant tumours are rarely diagnosed in adolescents but may have a significant impact on their survival, future fertility and quality of life. The management of such cases is rather complex and requires expertise and careful planning according to scarce existing evidence and recommendations. Objective: The aim of this study was to review and compare recommendations from published guidelines regarding the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of malignant ovarian tumours in adolescents. Evidence acquisition: A comparative descriptive/narrative review of guidelines issued by L'Observatoire des Tumeurs Malignes Rares Gynécologiques, the British Society for Paediatric & Adolescent Gynaecology, the European Society for Medical Oncology, the European Society of Gynecological Oncology-European Society for Paediatric Oncology and the European Cooperative Study Group for Pediatric Rare Tumors was conducted...

PURPOSE: The impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on sexual quality of life (SQoL) is a significant and often neglected issue in the treatment and survivorship period of young gynaecological cancer survivors (YGCS). This study sought to explore women's lived experiences to understand how to protect and improve SQoL. METHODS: A qualitative study with women aged 18-45 and pre- or perimenopausal at diagnosis (n = 15). A thematic analysis was performed in NVivo...

BACKGROUND: Utero-vaginal brachytherapy (BT) is an irreplaceable care component for the curative treatment of locally advanced cervix cancer (LACC). Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-image guided adaptive BT (IGABT) using the GYN-GEC-ESTRO EMBRACE guidelines is the international care standard. Usually following chemo-radiation therapy (CRT), IGABT has high proven utility in LACC but requires significant health system resources. Timely access was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic which challenged us to re-design our established IGABT care pathway...

Peritoneal carcinomatosis, which is the most common malignant process of the peritoneal cavity, originates mostly from colorectal, gastric, and gynaecological malignancies. The differential diagnosis is broad and covers primary peritoneal malignancies, as well as many benign disorders such as endometriosis, and inflammatory and infectious diseases. Peritoneal implants tend to locate in the areas of the physiological stasis of the peritoneal fluid: pelvic peritoneal reflections, right and left paracolic gutters, superior part of the sigmoid mesocolon, ileocolic area, and the right subdiaphragmatic space...

BACKGROUND: Bartholin's gland carcinoma (BGC) accounts for approximately 5% of all vulval malignancies-making it an extremely rare malignancy of the female genital tract. It commonly manifests as a painless unilateral mass, near the introitus. BGC more commonly occurs in post-menopausal women. Unfortunately, over half of cases are associated with a missed or delayed diagnosis as it is often mistaken for a Bartholin's gland cyst or abscess. These tumours have a predilection for local and perineural invasion...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate serum human epididymis-4 (HE4) as a predictive biomarker of intrauterine progestin response in endometrial cancer and atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH). DESIGN: Prospective prognostic factor study. SETTING: Consecutive sample of women attending a tertiary gynaecological oncology centre in the North West of England. POPULATION: Women with AEH or early stage, low grade endometrial cancer who were unfit or declined primary surgical management...

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-based radiomics models for high-risk endometrial cancer (EC) prediction preoperatively, to be able to estimate deep myometrial invasion (DMI) and lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), and to discriminate between low-risk and other categories of risk as proposed by ESGO/ESTRO/ESP (European Society of Gynaecological Oncology-European Society for Radiotherapy & Oncology and European Society of Pathology) guidelines. METHODS: This retrospective study included 96 women with EC who underwent 1...

OBJECTIVE: Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a key exam used for the initial assessment of loco-regional involvement of cervical cancer. In patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, MRI is used to evaluate the early response to radiochemotherapy before image-guided brachytherapy, the prognostic impact of which we aimed to study. METHODS: Patients with locally advanced cervical cancer treated using concomitant radiochemotherapy followed by closure treatment between January 2010 and December 2015 were included in this study...

Uterine carcinosarcomas are aggressive gynaecological cancers comprising less than 5% of uterine malignancies. We present the case of a woman in her 70s with a complicated history of advanced anal carcinoma treated with pelvic radiotherapy and multiple laparotomies, who was referred to gynae-oncology following MRI surveillance imaging showing evidence of endometrial carcinoma and para-aortic lymphadenopathy. Successful surgical excision required multidisciplinary teamwork between gynae-oncology, colorectal and urology surgeons...

The present document includes consensus-based recommendations from the Brachytherapy Group (GEB) of the Spanish Society of Radiation Oncology (SEOR) and the Spanish Society of Medical Physics (SEFM) for interstitial high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy (BT) for gynaecologic malignancies. A nine-item survey-which included questions on experience with interstitial BT; indications and technique; applicator type; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based planning; dose; fractionation schedule; and treatment planning-was sent to all radiation oncology departments (n = 174) in Spain in 2021...

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study estimates the frequency of parenchymal liver metastasis (PLM) and the overall survival (OS) rate of patients with FIGO Stage IIIC-IV Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) with bowel involvement. STUDY DESIGN: Between November 2008 and July 2020, all consecutive patients with FIGO Stage IIIC-IV EOC who underwent Visceral Peritoneal Debulking and bowel resection(s) at the Gynaecological Oncology Unit of "Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO)", Aviano, Italy, without evidence of PLM at pre-operative imaging assessment, were included in the study...

INTRODUCTION: Women comprise 31% of the Australian and New Zealand radiology workforce, and 35% of radiology trainees. To date, there has been no study of female representation within clinical radiology subspecialties in Australia and New Zealand. This study aims to quantify female representation among the clinical radiology subspecialty interest groups (SIGs) in Australia and New Zealand. METHODS: A list of SIGs was compiled using the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) website...

We report the case of a woman in her 60s with intravascular leiomyomatosis. She suffered from numerous non-specific symptoms including weight loss, anaemia and sudden swelling of the left lower extremity. CT imaging showed the presence of an enlarged left ovary and a thrombus extending from the left ovarian venous plexus intruding into the right atrium of the heart. Cancer antigen 125 was 20 U/mL. Pelvic transvaginal ultrasound examination identified two normal ovaries and a mass adjacent to the left ovary...

INTRODUCTION: Nowadays, two predominant methods for detecting sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) in cervical cancer are in use. The most conventional method is a combination of a radiotracer, technetium-99m (99m Tc) and blue dye. More recently, another method for SLN mapping using indocyanine green (ICG) is becoming widely accepted. ICG is a fluorescent dye, visualised intraoperatively with near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging, providing real-time visual navigation. The presumed advantages of ICG over 99m Tc, that is, being cheaper, non-radioactive and logistically more attractive, are only valuable if its detection rate proves to be at least non-inferior...

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to assess the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) for the mapping of endometriosis before surgery when performed by sonographers in an outpatient women's imaging centre. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal cohort study was performed. The study group comprised of 201 women who underwent a comprehensive TVUS assessment, performed by a sonographer. Laparoscopy was performed as the reference standard. Complete TVUS and surgical data were available for 53 women who were included in the final analysis...

Introduction: Primary vaginal malignant melanomas are rare tumours with a limited number of cases published in the literature. They primarily affect post-menopausal women with a median age of 57-68 years and have a dismal prognosis. The 5-year survival rate, regardless of treatment, is approximately 5-25%. Case description: We present the case of an 87-year-old female who presented with haematuria and urinary incontinence. She was diagnosed with AJCC stage IIIC vaginal melanoma...

Gynaecologic emergencies include diseases resulting from adnexal and uterine disorders. Some emergencies are life threatening; however, they often have non-specific symptoms and physical findings. Thus, imaging diagnosis is important for evaluating these conditions. The first-choice modality for obstetrics and gynaecology is ultrasonography; however, some cases require computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for correct diagnosis. Treatment options for gynaecologic emergencies vary from conservative therapy to emergency surgery, thus a correct diagnosis is critical...