AI Article Synopsis
- Small cell carcinoma (SmCC) in the female genital tract is rare and poses diagnostic and treatment challenges due to the lack of standardized approaches.
- Research highlights that SmCCs share histopathological features with small cell lung carcinoma and are often aggressive, with the uterine cervix being the most common site affected.
- Future research should focus on the genomic characterization of gynecologic SmCCs to identify specific markers and improve diagnosis and treatment options.
Article Abstract
Objective: Small cell carcinoma (SmCC) of the female genital tract constitutes a diagnostic and clinical challenge given its rarity and the lack of standardized therapeutic approaches. Here we review the morphological, clinical and molecular features of gynecologic SmCCs and discuss potential areas for future research.
Methods: Data for this review article were identified by searches of PubMed, EMBASE and the Internet using the search terms "small cell carcinoma" or "neuroendocrine carcinoma" and "gynecologic", "uterine cervix", "cervix", "uterus", "endometrium", "ovary", "vagina", "fallopian tube" or "vulva", and research articles published in English between 1972 and February 2014 were included.
Results: SmCCs arising from different organs within the gynecologic tract share the same histopathologic characteristics, which closely resemble those of small cell lung carcinoma. The expression of at least one immunohistochemical neuroendocrine marker is a common finding. The uterine cervix is the most frequent site of SmCC in the female genital tract. HPV infection seems to play a role in the development of cervical SmCC but not in cancers of other gynecologic sites. FIGO stage is an established prognostic factor, in particular in SCCs of the cervix. Irrespective of the site, SmCCs of the gynecologic tract display an aggressive clinical behavior with few reported long-term survivors. The therapeutic management includes surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Conclusions: Despite the potential differences in etiology and risk factors, SmCCs from different sites of the gynecologic tract have similar morphologic appearances and clinical behavior. Recent genomic analyses of small cell carcinoma of the lung have revealed potential driver genomic alterations. We posit that the comprehensive genomic characterization of gynecologic SmCCs may lead to the identification of markers that result in an improvement of diagnostic reproducibility of SmCCs of the gynecologic tract, and of molecular aberrations that may be exploited therapeutically in subgroups of the disease.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2014.05.017 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Identifying Risk Factors for Urinary Tract Stones in Pregnant Women at a Tertiary Hospital in China: A Retrospective Survey.
Arch Esp Urol
December 2024
Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Anhui Wannan Rehabilitation Hospital (The Fifth People's Hospital of Wuhu), 241000 Wuhu, Anhui, China.
Background: Urinary tract stones present significant health risks to pregnant women and their foetuses. However, the specific risk factors contributing to stone formation during pregnancy, particularly within the Chinese population, remain poorly understood. This retrospective survey aimed to identify demographic, clinical, and obstetric risk factors associated with urinary tract stones in pregnant women at a tertiary hospital in China.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssociation of Bacteriuria with Hypertension Risk in Pregnant Women.
Med Sci Monit
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.
BACKGROUND Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common during pregnancy and can negatively impact maternal and neonatal health. Hypertension in pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal morbidity. UTIs can contribute to hypertension development through mechanisms like inflammation, leading to endothelial dysfunction and impaired placental development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdrenal gland size in fetuses with congenital heart disease.
J Perinat Med
January 2025
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the adrenal gland size of fetuses with congenital heart diseases (CHD) and normal fetuses.
Methods: In this cross-sectional prospective study we measured the fetal adrenal gland size (total width, cortex width, medulla width, adrenal gland ratio of total width divided by medulla width) in 62 fetuses with CHD and 62 gestational-age-matched controls between 20 + 0 and 39 + 3 weeks of gestation. First, we clustered three CHD subgroups: CHD group_1 with a normal outflow tract (n=7), CHD group_2 with an altered outflow tract and anterograde flow in the ascending aorta (n=39) and CHD group_3 with an altered outflow tract and retrograde flow in the ascending aorta (n=16).
3D-Bioprinted Urinary Catheters Enable Sustained Probiotic Recovery Under Flow and Improve Bladder Colonization In Vivo.
Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins
January 2025
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) account for a large proportion of healthcare-associated infections. CAUTIs, caused by colonization of the catheter surface by uropathogens, are challenging to treat, especially when compounded by antibiotic resistance. One prophylactic strategy that could reduce pathogen colonization is bacterial interference, whereby the catheter surface is coated with non-pathogenic bacteria.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGastrointestinal symptoms and disorders of gut-brain interaction in pregnancy.
Indian J Gastroenterol
January 2025
Department of Gastroenterology, Criticare Asia Multispeciality Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, 400 049, India.
Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms occur frequently in pregnant women, resulting in poor quality of life. These patients frequently require co-management with the obstetrician and a physician/GI specialist. The causation is complex and multifactorial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!