Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide, representing nearly 8% of all female cancer deaths every year. The majority of cases of cervical cancer are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV); however, up to 5% of tumors are not associated with HPV-persistent infection and, moreover, the new WHO Female Genital Tumors classification subdivided cervical squamous and adenocarcinomas into HPV-associated and HPV-independent tumors. Based on this new information, the aim of this review is to provide an overview of HPV-independent cervical cancer, evaluating diagnostic techniques, molecular profiles, and clinical outcomes. The HPV-independent tumors are characterized by a differentiated molecular profile with lower proliferative activity, a p53 immunostaining, a decreased expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor proteins, such as p16, p14, and p27, and alterations in PTEN, p53, KRAS, CTNNB1, ARID1A, and ARID5B. HPV-independent tumors are associated with both adenocarcinomas and squamous histologic subtypes, with lymph node involvement in the early stages, more distant metastasis, and generally worse oncological outcomes. Thus far, no specific therapeutic strategies have been developed based on HPV status; however, with advancing knowledge of differences in the molecular profiles and possible targetable alterations, novel approaches may offer potential options in the near future. Investigators should report on clinical outcomes, evaluating the overall response rates to specific treatments, and consider new biomarkers to establish more accurate prognostics factors.

Objective: To determine the acceptance rate of treatment alternatives for women with either preinvasive conditions or gynecologic cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic among Latin American gynecological cancer specialists. Methods: Twelve experts in gynecological cancer designed an electronic survey, according to recommendations from international societies, using an online platform. The survey included 22 questions on five topics: consultation care, preinvasive cervical pathology, and cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer. The questionnaire was distributed to 1052 specialists in 14 Latin American countries. A descriptive analysis was carried out using statistical software. Results: A total of 610 responses were received, for an overall response rate of 58.0%. Respondents favored offering teleconsultation as triage for post-cancer treatment follow-up (94.6%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced stage epithelial ovarian cancer (95.6%), and total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and defining adjuvant treatment with histopathological features in early stage endometrial cancer (85.4%). Other questions showed agreement rates of over 64%, except for review of pathology results in person and use of upfront concurrent chemoradiation for early stage cervical cancer (disagreement 56.4% and 58.9%, respectively). Conclusion: Latin American specialists accepted some alternative management strategies for gynecological cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may reflect the region's particularities. The COVID-19 pandemic led Latin American specialists to accept alternative management strategies for gynecological cancer care, especially regarding surgical decisions.

ObjectiveTo describe oncologic and obstetric outcomes in patients diagnosed with cervical cancer during pregnancy who had a successful delivery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.MethodsA multicenter retrospective review was conducted in 12 institutions from six Latin American countries, between January 2007 and December 2018. Data collected included clinical characteristics, neoadjuvant chemotherapy agents, treatment, obstetric and oncologic outcomes.ResultsThirty-three patients were included. Median age was 34 years (range 31–36). Twenty (60.6%) women were diagnosed at early stage (IB), and 13 (39.4%) with locally advanced stage (IIA–IIIB) according to FIGO 2009 classification. Carboplatin and paclitaxel was the most frequent combination used (60.6%). Partial and complete response rates were 27.3% and 9.1%, respectively. Median gestational age at delivery was 35 weeks (range 34–36). All patients had live births delivered by cesarean section. Obstetric pathology: pre-term labor, placenta percreta or intra-uterine growth restriction, was documented in seven patients (21.2%). Two (6.1%) neonates had low birth weight. Definitive treatment was primary chemo-radiation in 19 (57.6%) patients, radical hysterectomy in 11 (33.3%), abandoned radical hysterectomy with para-aortic lymphadenectomy and ovarian transposition in 1 patient (3.0%), and no further treatment in 2 (6.1%) patients. After a median follow-up of 16.3 months (range 2.0–36.9), 8 (26.7%) patients had recurrent disease. Of these, four (13.3%) died due to disease.ConclusionNeoadjuvant chemotherapy may be offered to patients wishing to preserve an ongoing pregnancy in order to achieve fetal maturity. Long-term consequences of chemotherapy in the child are yet to be determined.

ObjectiveTo assess the incidence of peritoneal carcinomatosis in patients undergoing minimally invasive or open radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer.MethodsThe MEDLINE (accessed through Ovid), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Clinical Trials, and Scopus databases were searched for articles published from inception up to April 2022. Articles published in English were considered. The included studies reported on patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 stage IA-IIA squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and/or adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix who underwent primary surgery. Studies had to report at least one case of peritoneal carcinomatosis as a recurrence pattern, and only studies comparing recurrence after minimally invasive surgery versus open surgery were considered. Variables of interest were manually extracted into a standardized electronic database. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022325068).ResultsThe initial search identified 518 articles. After the removal of the duplicate entries from the initial search, two authors independently reviewed the titles and abstracts of the remaining 453 articles. Finally, 78 articles were selected for full-text evaluation; 22 articles (a total of 7626 patients) were included in the analysis—one randomized controlled trial and 21 observational retrospective studies. The most common histology was squamous cell carcinoma in 60.9%, and the tumor size was <4 cm in 92.8% of patients. Peritoneal carcinomatosis pattern represented 22.2% of recurrences in the minimally invasive surgery approach versus 8.8% in open surgery, accounting for 15.5% of all recurrences. The meta-analysis of observational studies revealed a statistically significant higher risk of peritoneal carcinomatosis after minimally invasive surgery (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.74, p<0.05).ConclusionMinimally invasive surgery is associated with a statistically significant higher risk of peritoneal carcinomatosis after radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer compared with open surgery.

Objetivo: Valorar la perspectiva actual de la prevención primaria y secundaria del cáncer de cuello uterino en Venezuela. Métodos: Se desarrolló una encuesta autoadministrada en línea, estructurada, de 20 preguntas cerradas, de respuestas cortas y de selección simple. Se invitó a participar a especialistas en Ginecología y Obstetricia de Venezuela a quienes se les explicaron los objetivos de la encuesta, la protección de los datos y la confidencialidad de la misma. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos y de frecuencia. Se calculó la tasa de respuesta (Excel, Microsoft Corp, Redmond, WA, USA). Resultados: De 1000 invitaciones enviadas, la tasa de respuesta fue de 42,2 %. Más del 90 % de los médicos especialistas considera necesaria la inclusión de la vacuna contra el virus de papiloma humano y la genotipificación en una estrategia de prevención primaria y secundaria contra el cáncer de cuello uterino, como parte de un plan nacional actualizado para la erradicación de esta enfermedad. Conclusiones: Existe una necesidad de implementar nuevas pautas según las guías internacionales para la prevención primaria y secundaria del cáncer de cuello uterino en el país, para lograr la erradicación de la enfermedad. Palabras clave: Cáncer de cuello uterino, Prevención primaria, Prevención secundaria.