IJGC Podcast

Low Grade Ovarian Cancer: The Expert Consensus,’ with Drs. Rachel Grisham, David Gershenson, and Brian Slomovitz

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Rachel Grisham, David Gershenson, and Brian Slomovitz to discuss "Low Grade Ovarian Cancer: The Expert Consensus".  
Highlights:  
A panel of experts convened in October 2022 to discuss recent scientific and clinical progress, resulting in a consensus document that provides recommendations for diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing research to improve patient care of low-grade serous ovarian cancer. 
Alterations affecting the MAPK pathway are frequent in low-grade serous ovarian cancer and provide prognostic information. 
Recent advances in the use of targeted therapy (in particular with novel MEK inhibitor and endocrine therapy regimens) have led to unprecedented response rates in patients with recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer.

IJGC EiC Summer Podcasts: RUBY Trial with Mansoor Raza Mirza

In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Mansoor Raza Mirza to discuss the RUBY Trial. Dr. Mirza is a highly qualified medical oncologist with expertise in Medical and Radiation Oncology, holding multiple degrees and licenses in these fields. He currently serves as the Chief Oncologist at the Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, and holds the position of Medical Director of the Nordic Society of Gynaecologic Oncology-Clinical Trial Unit (NSGO-CTU). Dr. Mirza is actively involved in numerous medical societies, clinical research, and international trial collaborations, and has contributed significantly to the development of clinical protocols and guidelines for the management of various cancers.
 
Highlights:
The phase 3 RUBY trial evaluated the combination of dostarlimab, a PD-1 inhibitor, with carboplatin and paclitaxel versus placebo, carboplatin, and paclitaxel in patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
Interim analysis of the trial showed improved progression-free survival (PFS) in the population with mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) endometrial cancer. The 2-year PFS rate in the dMMR population was 61.4%, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.28. Some patients treated with the dostarlimab combination showed no disease progression after 12 months of follow-up, suggesting potential cure.
The dostarlimab combination also demonstrated a trend toward overall survival (OS) improvement in both the dMMR and mismatch repair–proficient (pMMR) subgroups. However, the OS data are still immature, and further follow-up is needed to determine the efficacy of the treatment.
 

IJGC EiC Summer Podcasts: ESGO-ESTRO-ESP Guidelines for Cervical Cancer 2023 with David Cibula

In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. David Cibula to discuss the 2023 ESGO-ESTRO-ESP Guidelines for Cervical Cancer. Dr. Cibula is the Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the General Faculty Hospital in Prague, Professor at the First Medical Faculty of the Charles University, Chair of the Central and Eastern European Gynaecologic Oncology Group (CEEGOG), member of the Strategic group of the ENGOT (European Network for Gynaecological Oncological Trial Groups) as well as a Former ESGO president.
Highlights:
Multidisciplinary clinical practice guidelines developed jointly by ESGO/ESTRO/ESP in the field of gynaecological oncology, radiation oncology and pathology.
Guidelines cover the management of all stages of cervical cancer, including separate sections dedicated to pathology reporting and management in pregnancy.
The guidelines include recommendations, algorithms, and summaries of recent evidence published as supplements.

IJGC EiC Summer Podcasts: SHAPE Trial with Marie Plante

 In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Marie Plante to discuss the SHAPE trial. Dr. Plante has a major interest in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approaches in the treatment of gynecologic cancers and in fertility-preserving surgery for young women with cervical cancer. She is currently leading two important international trials the SHAPE trial and the Contessa trial. 
 
Highlights:
In low-risk cervical cancer, simple hysterectomy was not inferior to radical hysterectomy.
There was no difference in overall adverse events between simple and radical hysterectomy.
Better quality of life and sexual function was documented with simple hysterectomy compared to radical hysterectomy.

Reviewing the August Issue with Jorge Hoegl and Guido Rey Valzacchi

In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows, Jorge Hoegl and Guido Rey Valzacchi, discuss the contents of the August issue of IJGC

Isolated Nodal Recurrence in Endometrial Cancer with Andrea Mariani and Ilaria Capasso

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Andrea Mariani and Ilaria Capasso to discuss isolated nodal recurrence in endometrial cancer. Dr. Mariani is a Full Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Surgery, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is the Gynecologic Oncology Division Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Mariani’s research interest is endometrial cancer with a special interest in robotic surgery. He is internationally recognized for his contributions in the advancement of surgical and postoperative treatment of endometrial cancer. Since 2019, Dr. Capasso has been employed as an OBGYN Resident at Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli (Rome, Italy), where she mainly works in the Gynecologic Oncology Unit, with a special focus on clinical and translational research in endometrial cancer. Between May 2022 and May 2023, she held the position of Visiting Research Fellow at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, US), where she led clinical and translational research projects mainly related to AI, microbiome, and ctDNA in endometrial cancer. She currently holds the position of Research Collaborator at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN, US).
 Highlights:
This study aimed to analyze the clinicopathological features and outcomes of patients with endometrial cancer who experienced isolated lymphatic recurrence after lymphadenectomy, categorized by different recurrence sites and treatment approaches.
The researchers retrospectively reviewed surgically treated endometrial cancer patients and identified 66 women (1.6%) with isolated lymphatic recurrence.
The overall median cause-specific survival for these patients was 24 months. Survival outcomes were not significantly different among the four isolated lymphatic recurrence groups, although patients with recurrence in the para-aortic area showed better long-term survival rates higher rates of long-term survivors (patients who survived more than 5 years after the recurrence).
Factors associated with improved cause-specific survival included low-grade histology and the absence of lymphovascular space invasion in the primary tumor.
Moreover, patients who underwent surgical treatment with/without other associated treatments for isolated lymphatic recurrence exhibited better cause-specific survival compared to those who did not undergo surgery, even after adjusting for age.

The STATICE Trial with Tadaaki Nishikawa

 In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Tadaaki Nishikawa to discuss the STATICE trial. Dr. Nishikawa worked as a gynecological oncologist for half his career and is currently working as a medical oncologist at National Cancer Center Japan. He focuses on developing new agents for GY cancers.
 
Highlights:
Trastuzumab deruxtecan demonstrated clinical activity in previously treated patients with advanced or recurrent uterine carcinosarcoma regardless of HER2 status in the STATICE trial.
The overall response rates were 54.5% in the HER2-high (2+ or 3+) cohort and 70% in the HER2-low (1+) cohort, respectively.
Adverse events ≥ grade 3 occurred in 61% of patients and pneumonitis or interstitial lung disease of grades 1-2 and 3 occurred in 24% and 3% of patients, respectively.
We performed a co-clinical study of trastuzumab deruxtecan using patient-derived xenograft models of participants in the STATICE trial.
Tumor shrinkage after trastuzumab deruxtecan administration was observed in PDX models, which included two patients enrolled in the STATICE trial.

BSO at Benign Hysterectomy: Long-Term Consequences with Mathilde Gottschau and Lene Mellemkjær

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Mathilde Gottschau and Lene Mellemkjær to discuss BSO at benign hysterectomy. Dr. Gottschau, medical doctor and PhD, is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Danish Cancer Society Research Center. The main focus of her research is gynecological cancer including breast cancer, women’s health, and epidemiology. Dr. Mellemkjær, human biologist and PhD, is a senior scientist at the Danish Cancer Society Research Center. She has extensive experience within cancer epidemiology with a special focus on breast cancer.
Highlights:
Results from the study by Gottschau et al., which has recently been published in Annals of Internal Medicine, support current recommendations of ovarian conservation in premenopausal women who do not have a high risk for ovarian cancer.
Results also suggest a cautious approach to removing ovaries in postmenopausal women.
More studies are needed to investigate other health consequences of ovarian removal, e.g., studies focusing on mental health, quality of life or osteoporosis.

Reviewing the July Issue with Matt Wagar and Seda Şahin Aker

In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows, Matt Wagar and Seda Şahin Aker, discuss the contents of the July issue of IJGC.

NOW Trial: Neoadjuvant PARPi with Shannon Westin

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Shannon Westin to discuss the NOW trial. Dr. Westin is Professor and Center Medical Director in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She is the co-director of the Ovarian Cancer Moon Shot and Director of Early Drug Development.
Highlights:
Olaparib was feasible and safe as a neoadjuvant strategy in germline mutant advanced ovarian cancer.
Surgical outcomes were outstanding after only twocycles of neoadjuvant olaparib therapy.
Adverse events were as expected for PARP inhibition.
The NOW trial provides proof of concept for targeted therapy in lieu of chemotherapy for neoadjuvant treatment of ovarian cancer.