Hospital Admission Less than 30 Days after Chemotherapy: Results from a Chemotherapy-Specific Morbidity and Mortality Conference in Gynecologic Oncology

Introduction: Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) rounds can identify adverse events and improve patient safety however adoption in cancer centers is not routine. Herein we report the results of a chemotherapy-specific gynecologic oncology M&M rounds and identify reasons for hospital admission < 30 days after chemotherapy treatment. Methods: Between July 2014 and April 2016, all admissions < 30 days from chemotherapy administration were prospectively collected along with clinical data. Admissions were described and classified as planned or unplanned and as associated with chemotherapy or with underlying disease. Results: 585 patients were admitted, 78% of whom had ovarian cancer and 43% of whom had recurrent disease. Overall, 47% of admissions were unplanned and these were significantly longer than planned admissions (5.6 vs. 2.4 days, p = 0.0003). Of unplanned admissions, 43% were due to chemotherapy, and 57% were due to disease burden. 74% of patients had received >1 prior line of chemotherapy, and 22% were on clinical trial. The most common causes of unplanned admission were nausea, vomiting or failure to thrive (28.9%), fever (17.9%) and small bowel obstruction (19.9%). Conclusions: There is a high rate of unplanned admission < 30 days after chemotherapy and patients with ovarian cancer and recurrent disease are at the highest risk. This information can be used to counsel patients about complications of chemotherapy and to improve supportive management. M&M conferences surrounding unplanned admissions after chemotherapy may help guide therapy, encourage best supportive care, and prompt re-evaluation of treatment goals in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent.

Gynecologic Oncologic Surgery for the Palliation of Life-Limiting Cancer Crises—The Importance of Education and Training in Palliative Care for the Gynecologic Oncologist

Introduction: Palliative care expertise is an important component of the comprehensive care of women with gynecologic cancers. Palliative care ranges from treatment of symptoms experienced by people with cancer such as constipation, nausea, anxiety, pain to careful and the skillful discussion of prognosis and goals of care. The purpose of this review is to summarize the basic issues in palliative care faced by healthcare providers caring for people with cancer and then focus on some examples of diagnostic and treatment dilemmas faced by gynecologic oncologists caring for women with recurrent cancers. Review Summary: Palliative and hospice care strategies are described. Palliative care refers to symptom management from diagnosis through active treatment, problems encountered by survivors, and concerns at the end of life. Hospice care pertains to care during the last six months of life and includes the alleviation of suffering of those dying from cancer and the support for family members. The symptoms at the end of life including pain, anorexia, and intestinal complications are reviewed. Palliative surgical procedures range from the drainage of pleural and abdominal fluid, including the management of intestinal obstruction via drains, diversionary procedures, or the creation of an ostomy. A comparison of outcomes between medical (when surgery was not feasible) and surgical management of bowel obstruction shows the average survival of 54 days compared to 193 days respectively. Conclusion: Gynecologic oncologists are uniquely positioned among other oncologists in managing intestinal obstruction, malignant ascites and pleural effusions, and oligometastatic recurrences where they must decide whether a medical or surgical approach will be effective in palliation and alleviation of suffering. The combination of traditional surgical gynecologic oncology training with palliative care is crucial to become the most effective clinician for each patient with advanced or recurrent gynecologic cancer.

Use of stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies:A review

Recent retrospective studies have reported the use ofstereotactic radiosurgery(SRS) in the treatment of gy-necologic cancers. SRS uses real-time imaging and highdose radiation beams attached to precise robotic armsto target malignant lesions while sparing normal tissue.The purpose of this review is to examine the indicationsfor SRS in gynecologic oncology, review the currentliterature regarding the use of SRS in gynecologic can-cers, and identify future directions for research in thisarea. Literature on stereotactic radiosurgery was re-viewed using the PubMed search engine. Articles writ-ten in English from 1993-2013 were reviewed, and 20 case series and clinical trials were included. The safetyand efficacy SRS has been demonstrated in all gyne-cologic disease sites including cervical, endometrial,vulvar, vaginal, and ovarian cancers. Indications for itsuse include non-central pelvic recurrences in previouslyirradiated patients, complex or non-resectable diseaserecurrence, and solitary brain metastases. Toxicitiesare usually mild, though grade 3-4 toxicities have been reported. SRS is a promising second line treatment modality for patients with primary or recurrent disease who cannot undergo standard surgical or radiation therapy. Further research is required to determine optimal dosing and fractionation schedules, delineate appropriate patient populations, and assess longterm morbidity and survival.

MicroRNA-543 in Systemic Diseases and Possible Applications in Gynecologic Tumors

In recent years,an increasing number of young women have been diagnosed with cancer,including some nulliparous women.Therefore,many young patients with early-stage cancer desire to preserve fertility after cytotoxic oncological treatments.It is important to develop a multidisciplinary approach to achieve the best outcomes for each patient.On the other hand,there has been a sharp increase in microRNAs(miRNAs)as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis,prognosis,and evaluation of treatment efficacy of several diseases.MiR-543 has been reported to affect the pathogenesis and progression of diseases via complex mechanisms.Understanding the regulatory role of miR-543 may aid comprehension of the pathogenesis and treatment of a broad range of diseases.Therefore,we provide an overview of the biogenesis,function,and role of miR-543 in various systems.These results shed light on the anticancer and endometrial protection role of miR-543 in young patients with gynecologic tumors and highlight the clinical potential of miR-543-based applications and related challenges.