The MEMORY Study: MulticentEr study of Minimally invasive surgery versus Open Radical hYsterectomy in the management of early-stage cervical cancer: Survival outcomes.

Objective: The Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) trial found that minimally invasive radical hysterectomy compared to open radical hysterectomy compromised oncologic outcomes and was associated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in early-stage cervical carcinoma. We sought to assess oncologic outcomes at multiple centers between minimally invasive (MIS) radical hysterectomy and OPEN radical hysterectomy.

Methods: This is a multi-institutional, retrospective cohort study of patients with 2009 FIGO stage IA1 (with lymphovascular space invasion) to IB1 cervical carcinoma from 1/2007-12/2016.

Oncology during the COVID-19 pandemic: challenges, dilemmas and the psychosocial impact on cancer patients.

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented societal turmoil, triggering a rapid, still ongoing, transformation of healthcare provision on a global level. In this new landscape, it is highly important to acknowledge the challenges this pandemic poses on the care of the particularly vulnerable cancer patients and the subsequent psychosocial impact on them. We have outlined our clinical experience in managing patients with gastrointestinal, hematological, gynaecological, dermatological, neurological, thyroid, lung and paediatric cancers in the COVID-19 era and have reviewed the emerging literature around barriers to care of oncology patients and how this crisis affects them.

Prevalence of Cervico-vaginal High-risk HPV Types and Other Sexually Transmitted Pathogens in Anogenital Warts Patients.

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of cervico-vaginal co-infection with high-risk (HR) HPV types and other sexually transmitted pathogens (STPs) in women with anogenital warts (AGWs).

Patients And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, cervico-vaginal smears of women with AGWs were examined with real-time polymerase chain reaction for the presence of HR-HPV types and common STPs. Women with recent cervical HPV infection and general population were used for comparisons.

Minimally invasive surgery versus laparotomy for radical hysterectomy in the management of early-stage cervical cancer: Survival outcomes.

Objective: To compare oncologic and perioperative outcomes in patients who underwent minimally invasive surgery (MIS) compared to laparotomy for newly diagnosed early-stage cervical carcinoma.

Methods: We retrospectively identified patients who underwent radical hysterectomy for stage IA1 with lymphovascular invasion (LVI), IA2, or IB1 cervical carcinoma at our institution from 1/2007-12/2017. Clinicopathologic characteristics and surgical and oncologic survival outcomes were compared using appropriate statistical testing.

Searching HPV genome for methylation sites involved in molecular progression to cervical precancer.

Human Papilloma Virus has been considered as the main cause for cervical cancer. In this study we investigated epigenetic changes and especially methylation of specific sites of HPV genome. The main goal was to correlate methylation status with histological grade as well as to determine its accuracy in predicting the disease severity by establishing optimum methylation cutoffs.

Secondary surgical resection for patients with recurrent uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Objectives: To assess outcomes after secondary surgical resection in patients with recurrent uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS).

Methods: We retrospectively identified all patients who had no evidence of disease after initial surgery for uLMS, who underwent surgery for a first recurrence at our institution between 1/1991 and 10/2013. We excluded patients who received any therapy for recurrence prior to secondary resection, and patients who underwent surgery soon after morcellation [of presumed benign fibroids] showed widespread disease.

Optimal primary management of bulky stage IIIC ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal carcinoma: Are the only options complete gross resection at primary debulking surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy?

Objective: To explore the impact of primary debulking surgery (PDS) to minimal but gross residual disease (RD) in women with bulky stage IIIC ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients with the aforementioned diagnosis who underwent PDS at our institution from 01/2001-12/2010. Those with disease of non-epithelial histology or borderline tumors were excluded.

γH2Ax Expression as a Potential Biomarker Differentiating between Low and High Grade Cervical Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions (SIL) and High Risk HPV Related SIL.

Background: γH2AX is a protein biomarker for double-stranded DNA breakage; its expression was studied in cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions and carcinomas.

Methods: Immunostaining for phospho-γH2AX was performed in sections from histologically confirmed cervical SIL and carcinomas, as well as from normal cervices used as controls. In total, 275 cases were included in the study: 112 low grade SIL (LGSIL), 99 high grade SIL (HGSIL), 24 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 12 adenocarcinoma and 28 cervical specimens with no essential lesions.

Robotically Assisted Laparoscopic Ovarian Transposition in Women with Lower Gastrointestinal Cancer Undergoing Pelvic Radiotherapy.

Background: Pelvic radiotherapy (RT) is a standard component of the management for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer or squamous cell carcinoma of the anus. Pelvic RT leads to permanent and irreversible ovarian failure in young women. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of robotically assisted laparoscopic ovarian transposition (OT) before RT in women with rectal or anal cancer who wanted to preserve normal ovarian function.

Impact of Robotic Platforms on Surgical Approach and Costs in the Management of Morbidly Obese Patients with Newly Diagnosed Uterine Cancer.

Background: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is associated with decreased complication rates, length of hospital stay, and cost compared with laparotomy. Robotic-assisted surgery-a method of laparoscopy-addresses many of the limitations of standard laparoscopic instrumentation, thus leading to increased rates of MIS. We sought to assess the impact of robotics on the rates and costs of surgical approaches in morbidly obese patients with uterine cancer.

The role of miRNAs in endometrial cancer.

miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Since their discovery, miRNAs have been associated with every cell function including malignant transformation and metastasis. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy.

The contribution of sildenafil (Viagra) to ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins in a woman with poor ovarian response.

We aim to present the first case of a pregnancy achieved by administering sildenafil (Viagra) to a woman not responding to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) with the sole use of gonadotropins. A 37-year-old woman underwent COH, as part of an intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle, with the combination of r-FSH and HMG for 13 d, without evidence of follicular growth. The addition of oral sildenafil at a dose of 50 mg per day for a total of five doses improved the ovarian response and resulted in the retrieval of 10 oocytes.

The immunomodulatory and anti-apoptotic effect of dexamethasone in imminent preterm labor: an experimental study.

The study was designed to investigate the effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on the latency period to delivery in a murine model of preterm labor. To this purpose, pregnant mice were randomly assigned in groups: the control group received water for injection (n=20), the preterm labor group was injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (n=22), while the glucocorticoids group was administered DEX either 1h before (n=17) or after (n=7) lipopolysaccharide. In a first set of experiments animals were monitored to record perinatal outcomes.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus in saliva and cervix of sexually active women.

Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is strongly associated with cervical cancer and possibly with some oropharyngeal cancers. However, the relation between oral and cervical HPV infection is not fully understood. This study evaluates the prevalence rate and type-concordance of HPVs in these areas.

Comparing classic and newer phenotypes in Greek PCOS women: the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and their association with insulin resistance.

Objective: Recently, it has been debated whether the new polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) phenotypes, according to the Rotterdam criteria, share the same metabolic risk with the classic ones (National Institutes of Health 1990). Our study sought to compare the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) and glucose homeostasis disorders in Greek women with classic and new PCOS phenotypes.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred and sixty-six Greek PCOS women were recruited and divided into groups according to two of the three Rotterdam criteria that they fulfilled.

Controversies in the management of endometriomas in patients undergoing assisted reproduction.

Introduction: The presence of an endometrioma has been proposed to affect the ovarian function in a negative way. Our aim was to present the key evidence on multiple aspects of endometriomas' management in subfertile couples scheduled for assisted reproduction technologies (ART).

Materials And Methods: A critical review of the existing literature was performed focusing on the need of endometrioma treatment prior to ART, the relevant options, the potentially participating surgeon's characteristics and the socioeconomic perspective.

How and when human chorionic gonadotropin curves in women with an ectopic pregnancy mimic other outcomes: differences by race and ethnicity.

Objective: To investigate the hCG profiles in a diverse patient group with ectopic pregnancy (EP) and to understand when they may mimic the curves of an intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) or spontaneous abortion (SAB).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Three university hospitals.

A short narrative review of the feasibility of adopting mild ovarian stimulation for IVF as the current standard of care.

Introduction: Mild ovarian stimulation has been conceived, proposed and implemented in clinical practice as a safer and cheaper alternative to conventional strategies of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in preparation for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Our aim was to summarize the key evidence on this topic and explore its possible role as the standard treatment option for women undergoing IVF.

Materials And Methods: A short narrative review of the existing literature, with emphasis on mild ovarian stimulation clinical and cost effectiveness, as well as treatment limitations.

Ovarian stimulation and embryo banking for fertility preservation in a woman with severe mixed connective tissue disease: Is it safe?

Objective: To report the first case of using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for fertility preservation in a patient with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD), secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Design: Case-report and review of the literature.

Setting: Academic infertility practice and tertiary care center.

Does hormone therapy, tibolone or raloxifene modify VEGF expression in cervical epithelial cells?

Aim: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) seems to be a critical molecule in cervical carcinogenesis. We aimed to investigate the possible associations between hormonal factors and VEGF expression in cervical epithelial cells from postmenopausal women.

Method: A total of 105 healthy postmenopausal women (aged 45-68 years old) attending a university menopause clinic were enrolled in this cross-sectional study.

Parity is associated with lower cervical E-cadherin expression in postmenopausal women.

Aim: Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), a transmembrane glycoprotein involved in calcium-dependent homophilic cell-cell adhesion, is expressed aberrantly during cervical carcinogenesis. E-cadherin expression and putatively implicated predictors in healthy women remain a rather under-investigated area. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possible associations between E-cadherin expression and reproductive/lifestyle factors in cervical epithelial cells from postmenopausal women.