IJGC Podcast - SoundSage

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Enrique Chacón to discuss the SENECA Study: Molecular profiling and SLN. Dr. Chacón works in the Gynecologic Oncology Unit of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra. Dr. Chacón is an active member of the European Society of Gynecologic Oncology where he is the co-chair of the ENYGO Online Education Committee and the national representative of Spain. In 2021 he completed his editorial fellowship in the IJGC, where today he is serving on the Editorial Board of the journal.

Highlights:

This study, for the first time, reveals significant differences in SLN involvement among more than 2000 patients with early-stage endometrial cancer based on their molecular subtypes, with the p53 abn and MMRd groups having the greatest lymph node involvement.

The study defined the risk of SLN involvement for each of the ESGO risk groups. In this sense, the study notes that molecular profiling does not improve the prediction of nodal status with respect to the classical risk factors (FIGO stage and histology).

Lymph node staging should not yet be adopted based on molecular profiling as prospective studies are needed to validate whether these differences impact survival (DFS/OS)

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Lot Aronson and Willemien van Driel to discuss OVHIPEC1 overall survival analysis. Dr. van Driel is a gynecological oncologist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute since 2004 and has, amongst others, a special interest in determining the role of HIPEC in the treatment of patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma and is PI of the OVHIPEC 1 and OVHIPEC 2 study. Dr. Aronson is a medical doctor currently pursuing a PhD in Gynaecological Oncology at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. Her research focuses on hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) as well as immunotherapy in primary advanced ovarian cancer.

Highlights:

The long-term survival analysis of the OVIHPEC-1 study confirms the significant improvement in progression-free and overall survival when adding HIPEC to interval cytoreductive surgery in patients with FIGO stage III ovarian carcinoma for whom primary cytoreduction is not considered feasible due to extensive disease.
Neither the number of lines nor the type of subsequent treatment for recurrence differed between the treatment groups. Therefore, the observed improvement in overall survival is unlikely to be attributable a difference in subsequent therapies.
Identification of biomarkers (e.g. BRCA/HRD status) to select patients for HIPEC and the combination of HIPEC with PARP inhibitors warrants further investigation.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Mary McCormack to discuss the INTERLACE trial. Dr. McCormack is an Honorary Consultant Clinical Oncologist at University College London Hospitals NHS Trust and an Honorary Associate Clinical Professor at University College London.

Highlights:

• INTERLACE first randomised PH3 trial in Locally advanced cervical cancer in more than 2 decades to demonstrate a clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvement in both OS and PFS .

• The IC drugs are widely available and relatively cheap so removing many potential economic barriers to adoption.

• Growth factors -GCSF/Filgrastim should be used as needed to ensure patients complete the chemotherapy (IC & cisplatin)

• Essential to BEGIN the external beam radiation within 7 days of last dose ( #6) of IC.

• Remember OVERALL treatment time for the RADIATION- 96% in trial completed both EXTERNAL BEAM & BRACHYTHERAPY within 56 days.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Andrea Rosati. Mr. Rosati is a consultant at the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli in Rome (Italy). He is currently attending a second level master "Gynecologic Oncology International Master" at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Rome, Italy) accredited as a Subspecialty Fellowship by the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology. His main interest areas are gynecological cancer, surgical anatomy, and gynecologic oncology surgery.

Highlights:

This study evaluated the prevalence of concurrent endometrial cancer in patients with pre-operative diagnoses of atypical endometrial hyperplasia undergoing hysterectomy.
Among 460 patients, 47.2% were found to have concurrent endometrial cancer. Sentinel lymph node biopsy provided prognostic and therapeutic information in 60.8% of cases.
It also allowed for the adjustment of adjuvant therapy in 12.3% of high to intermediate-risk patients without increasing operative time or complication rates.
The study suggests sentinel lymph node biopsy can provide valuable prognostic and therapeutic insights in managing atypical endometrial hyperplasia.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Robert Coleman to discuss overall survival of SORAYA trial. Dr. Coleman completed his Obstetrics & Gynecology residency at Northwestern University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, and completed his fellowship at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 1993. From 1993-1996, he served as Assistant Professor at Creighton University followed by service as Vice-Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Coleman joined as Faculty at MD Anderson Cancer center in 2004 and served as Professor and Executive Director for Cancer Network Research, holding the Ann Rife Cox Chair in Gynecology. In March 2020, he joined US Oncology Research (USOR) as Chief Scientific Officer and served briefly as Chief Medical Officer for Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI). He currently serves as Chief Medical officer for Vaniam Group. Dr. Coleman has authored or coauthored over 750 scientific publications, including over 450 peer-reviewed articles, along with numerous book chapters, monographs, invited articles, and textbooks. He was the 2019 APGO-CREOG awardee for Excellence in Teaching. He serves as Vice President of GOG-Foundation, Inc. He served as President of SGO (2015-2016) and is the immediate Past-President of IGCS. He was recently inducted into MJH Life Sciences™ 2020 class of “Giants in Cancer Care®.”

Highlights:

Mirvetuximab soravtansine (MIRV) is a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate comprising an FRα-binding antibody, cleavable linker, and maytansinoid DM4, a potent tubulin-targeting agent
Early clinical data suggested efficacy in recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) prompting a larger trial to confirm both safety and efficacy in patients with PROC
In this SORAYA trial MIRV demonstrated clinically meaningful antitumor activity in patients with FRα-high platinum-resistant ovarian cancer with an ORR: 32.4% and a median DOR: 6.9 months
- Remarkably the median OS was 15 months; 37% patients alive at 24 months
Efficacy of MIRV was further evaluated with respect to when it was administered (as first treatment for PROC) and in patients receiving prior bevacizumab. An ORR of 34.8% was documented in the formers, and 31.5% in the latter.
The ocular toxicity was new for many treating physicians when the drug first became available. However with mitigating strategies as used in the study the events were predictable, low-grade, and rarely (n=1 patient) led to treatment discontinuation
Now with MIRASOL confirming these data and demonstrating efficacy over standard of care for response, PFS, and unprecedently, OS, the agent is a staple of contemporary management.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Kirsten Jorgensen and Alex Melamed to discuss fertility sparing surgery in cervical tumors (<4 cms). Kirsten Jorgensen grew up in Juneau, Alaska. She completed her undergraduate degree at Harvard College, following that she spent a year working in Lima, Peru for Partners In Health as part of a post-graduate scholarship. She then completed medical school at the University of Washington followed by residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She just began her final year of gynecologic oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Dr. Alexander Melamed is a gynecologic oncologist and clinical outcomes researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an Associate Professor in the department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School. His research seeks to understand how healthcare delivery impacts patient outcomes. Dr. Melamed has a strong interest in study design and methods for causal inference.

Highlights:

-Current guidelines offer mixed recommendations for fertility-sparing surgery for those with a cervical cancer tumor size between 2cm and 4cm

-This work sought to critically assess how the oncologic risk changes as tumor size increases without placing artificial cutoffs

-Results must be interpreted within the limitations of a database study, but do seem to suggest that there is not a significant inflection of risk at 2cm, or any other size up to 4cm.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Mansoor Mirza and Angélica Nogueira Rodrigues to discuss recent updates on endometrial cancer in Latin America. 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. Dr. Angélica Nogueira-Rodrigues is the Founder of EVA Group, and President-elect of the Brazilian Society of Medical Oncology. She is also a Researcher and Professor at Federal University, MG, Brazil, and Chair of Gynecology at the Latin America Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG).

Highlights:

-Detailed epidemiological data on endometrial cancer in Latin America are scant, but GLOBOCAN provides estimates for the incidence of uterine cancer within countries globally. EC is the second gyn cancer in the region, due to the burden of CC which is still the first one. It is estimated that the total number of new cases of uterine cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean will rise from approximately 33,000 in 2020 to an estimated 51,000 in 2040;

-The last ten years have been marked by a radical transformation in the understanding of the molecular biology of endometrial cancer, and, including it. or not in FIGO staging, this discussion needs to evolve and be incorporated into clinical practice in Latin America, as it impacts clinical decision, hereditary cancer diagnosis, among others.

-The main message for young gynecological oncologists as us to create a future medicine with fewer disparities worldwide is to strive to get access an implement the best for the patient, avoiding protocols adapted for low-income countries which can negatively impact the clinical outcomes.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Ann H. Klopp to discuss radiation alone vs chemoradiation in endometrial cancer recurrence. Dr. Ann H. Klopp is a Professor of Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, the head of the Gynecologic Oncology Section and a physician-scientist specializing in the treatment of gynecologic cancers. Her research focuses on improving outcomes for women with gynecologic cancers by enhancing tumor directed immune response in combination with radiation therapy and using advanced techniques to increase precision of radiation treatment delivery.

Highlights:

NRG0238 compared chemoradiation to radiation alone for patients with locally recurrent endometrial cancer and found that the addition of chemotherapy did not improve progression-free survival.
Radiation therapy is highly effective for treatment for local recurrences of endometrial cancer.
The nuances of patients enrolled and treatment delivered are discussed.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Melis Canturk and Osnat Elyashiv discuss the contents of the July issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Christina Uwins to discuss the MIRRORS trial. Christina Uwins is a final year Subspecialty Fellow in Gynaecological Oncology, working together with Mr Simon Butler-Manuel on the MIRRORS study based at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford, UK. Christina has clinical, research and teaching experience and is enthusiastic about continuing her work in Gynaecological Oncology.

Highlights:

Retrospective studies have suggested that minimally invasive interval debulking surgery is feasible.
There are no prospective trials on robotic interval debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer.
MIRRORS is a prospective cohort study assessing the feasibility of robotic interval debulking surgery for advanced-stage ovarian cancer.
MIRRORS demonstrated the feasibility and safety of robotic interval debulking surgery in advanced-stage ovarian cancer. MIRRORS is the first in a series of three planned trials culminating in a multicenter international randomized controlled trial of MIRRORS protocol -versus standard open interval debulking surgery (MIRRORS-RCT).
In the UK and Europe, the majority of patients with advanced ovarian cancer have interval debulking surgery performed through an open approach. If non-inferiority of robotic interval debulking surgery with regards to survival (overall and progression free) is confirmed by an adequately powered randomized controlled trial, this could lead to a significant change in practice.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Dimitrios Nasioudis to discuss lymphadenectomy at the time of interval cytoreduction for ovarian cancer. Dimitrios Nasioudis is a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania. Following medical training at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and a research fellowship at the Weill Cornell Medical College he completed his residency and fellowship training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. His current area of research is translational therapeutics with a focus on low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. His research interests also include population science and surgical outcomes research.

Highlights:

The study aimed to evaluate the role of systematic lymphadenectomy during interval cytoreductive surgery in advanced-stage epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients who achieved complete gross resection.
An analysis of data from 1060 patients found that those who underwent systematic lymphadenectomy had higher rates of unplanned readmissions and longer hospital stays, with no significant difference in overall survival.
Systematic lymphadenectomy was rarely performed and did not provide a survival benefit for these patients.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Anna Luzarraga and Natalia Palasz discuss the contents of the June issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Gabriel Levin and Behrouz Zand to discuss ChatGPT-fabricated abstracts in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Gabriel Levin is a gynecologic oncology Fellow at McGill University. His research encompasses population database studies with clinical implication and innovations in medical education and health care. He has published more than 180 peer reviewed original articles.. Dr. Behrouz Zand is a gynecologic oncologist at Houston Methodist Hospital's Neal Cancer Center and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell College at Houston Methodist Academic Institute. Specializing in innovative cancer care and clinical trials, he is passionate about integrating AI in medicine, a recent alumnus of the physician program at MIT for AI integration in healthcare. Dr. Zand combines cutting-edge research with compassionate patient care to advance the field.

Highlights:

Reviewers had difficulty in discriminating ChatGPT-written abstracts. Reviewers correctly identified only 46.3% of ChatGPT-generated abstracts, with human-written abstracts slightly higher at 53.7%.

Senior reviewers and those familiar with AI had higher correct identification rates, with senior reviewers at 60% and juniors/residents at 45%. Experience and familiarity with AI were independently associated with higher correct identification rates.

ChatGPT assists researchers by generating reviews, summaries, and enhancing writing clarity, but it raises ethical concerns and could diminish human expertise. For non-English speaking authors, it improves writing quality and clarity. In scientific writing, it enhances clarity, summarizes concisely, brainstorms ideas, assists with terminology, and offers data interpretation, augmenting human expertise.

ChatGPT and AI in scientific writing can lead to ethical issues, factual inaccuracies, and may eventually diminish human expertise and critical thinking.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Domenica Lorusso to discuss the KEYNOTE A18 clinical trial. Dr. Domenica Lorusso, MD, PhD, directs the Gynaecological Oncology Unit at Humanitas Hospital, Milan, and holds a Full Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan. She has led/participated in approximately 250 phase I-IV clinical trials. Currently overseeing more than 60 studies as Principal Investigator, Dr. Lorusso also chairs the Clinical Trials Committee of the MITO Group. She serves on the Board of Directors of the GCIG and is an active member of ENGOT, where she chairs the Gynecological Cancer Academy. Additionally, she sits on the Board of Directors of the ESGO. With around 300 international oncology publications and contributions to national and international treatment guidelines, her primary objectives are to ensure optimal patient care, foster clinical research, and advance international collaborations and education in the field.

Highlights:

Concurrent chemoradiation plus brachiterapy represent the standard of care treatment in locally advanced cervical cancer providing up to 70% 5 years OS
Modern radiotherapy technique (IMRT and VMAT) has reported to further increase OS and reduce toxicity
Immunotherapy has reported to increase OS in advanced or recurrent cervical cancer when compared to standard treatment
Immunotherapy in combination with concurrent high quality chemoradiation in the treatment of locally advanced high risk cervical cancer further increase PFS and OS with respect to standard chemoradiotherapy and should be considered the new standard of care
The combination appears manageable and no substanciad additional toxicity has been reported

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Podcast Description: In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Mueller and Manning-Geist to discuss molecular classification in ovarian preservation for uterine cancer. Jenny Mueller MD is a gynecologic oncologist and an associate attending in the department of surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She leads the endometrial cancer research team at MSKCC with an emphasis on prospective, translational and collaborative efforts within and across institutions. Beryl Manning-Geist is a Gynecologic surgery fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and will be joining Emory University Division of Gynecologic Oncology in 2024 as an assistant professor. Her research focuses on how to leverage the molecular underpinnings of gynecologic cancers for tailored treatment.

Highlights:

-Patients with microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient or copy number-high/TP53abnormal endometrial cancer were at increased risk of concurrent ovarian disease.

-The presence of lymphovascular space invasion and positive cytology were also associated with an increased risk of concurrent ovarian disease.

-Integrating molecular tumor profiling with pathologic characteristics of disease may help to better risk stratify pre-menopausal patients with endometrial cancer for ovarian preservation.

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Podcast Description: In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Christhardt Köhler and Achim Schneider to discuss radical vaginal trachelectomy. Prof. Christhardt Köhler is a highly accomplished gynecologist and obstetrician specializing in oncological gynecology. He is the Chief Physician of the Department of Gynecology at Asklepios Hospital Altona Hamburg and has won the Briker Award and the Robert B. Hunt Endowed Award. Dr. Kohler is a member of several professional associations, including the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics. His expertise is recognized worldwide, and he is listed in the FOCUS top list of physicians for gynecological operations and tumors. He has 1381 scientific publications focusing on spinal muscular atrophy, cervical cancer, and innovative gynecological surgery approaches. Achim Schneider, born on September 17, 1950, in Augsburg, is a distinguished German gynecologist and obstetrician. He earned his doctorate in 1975 and has since made significant contributions to the field, including pioneering new laparoscopic surgical techniques in gynecological oncology in Germany. Schneider held prestigious professorships at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena and the Charité in Berlin. He has focused on the diagnosis and treatment of genital neoplasms, HPV-associated ano-genital neoplasms, and fertility-preserving surgery for cervical cancer patients. Currently, he heads the dysplasia consultation at the Medical Care Center in Berlin, continuing his impactful work in minimally invasive procedures and cancer prevention.

Highlights:

Radical vaginal trachelectomy is a fertility-preserving treatment for early cervical cancer, but large studies on its outcomes are lacking.
In a study of 471 patients (median age 33), 62% sought pregnancy with a 73% success rate, and 46% experienced pre-term delivery; recurrences occurred in 3.4% of cases, with a 2.1% mortality rate.
The study confirms the oncologic safety of the procedure and suggests that high pre-term delivery rates may be due to cervical volume loss, providing a benchmark for future surgical modifications

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Koji Matsuo to discuss new FIGO staging of endometrial cancer. Dr. Matsuo is a clinician-scientist in the area of gynecologic oncology in the United States. His research interest is population-based, heath service outcome research for gynecologic malignancies.

Highlights:

(1) Survival effect of adjuvant therapy differed between stage IA3 and IIIA1.

(2) In new stage IA3 disease, omission of adjuvant therapy had comparable overall survival compared to combination chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone.

(3) In stage IIIA1, omission of adjuvant therapy was associated with decreased overall survival compared to chemotherapy-based approach.

(4) 5-year overall survival of adjuvant therapy omission group in new stage IA3 was nearly 90%.

(5) These hypothesis-generating observation suggested that treatment de-escalation of well-staged stage IA3 may not adversely affect survival.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Shitanshu Uppal to discuss the impact of closure of small fascial bites on incisional hernia rates in gynecologic oncology patients. Dr. Uppal is the George W. Morley Collegiate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Division Chief of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Uppal is recognized for his research in surgical outcomes and quality improvement, alongside his pivotal role in leading educational initiatives for Gynecologic Oncology.

Highlights:

This quality improvement study validates prior RCT data in gynecologic oncology population
Adoption of Small-Bite Fascial Closure Reduced Hernia rates by 50%
Obesity and adjuvant chemotherapy are independent risk factors for hernia development

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Domenica Lorusso to discuss the survival analysis of the PAOLA1 trial. Dr. Domenica Lorusso, MD, PhD, directs the Gynaecological Oncology Unit at Humanitas Hospital, Milan, and holds a Full Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan. She has led/participated in approximately 250 phase I-IV clinical trials. Currently overseeing more than 60 studies as Principal Investigator, Dr. Lorusso also chairs the Clinical Trials Committee of the MITO Group. She serves on the Board of Directors of the GCIG and is an active member of ENGOT, where she chairs the Gynecological Cancer Academy. Additionally, she sits on the Board of Directors of the ESGO. With around 300 international oncology publications and contributions to national and international treatment guidelines, her primary objectives are to ensure optimal patient care, foster clinical research, and advance international collaborations and education in the field.

Highlights:

Bevacizumab plus olaparib has reported to increase PFS and OS in advanced stage III-IV, newly diagnosed, high grade serous and endometrioid HRD positive ovarian cancer in the maintenance setting
Exploratory analysis suggest that the advantage is particularly high in low risk patients (stage III withour residual tumor at primary surgery) where a 5-year OS more than 90% has been reported suggesting some of these patients may be cured
In the HRp population the combination of olaparib-bevacizumab did non increase PFS and OS in comparison to bevacizumab alone
The toxicity profile of the combination is in line with what expected with the single drugs

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Ana Luzarraga to discuss molecular profiles as predictors of endometrial recurrence. Dr. Luzarraga is a Gynecologic Oncologist currently working in the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. She has completed her two years ESGO fellowship in 2023 and is currently finishing her PhD programme about molecular profile in endometrial cancer.

Highlights:

Molecular subgroups of endometrial cancer present distinctive recurrence patterns: p53-abn tumors relapse mostly with peritoneal and distant disease and NSMP tumors at distance.
Molecular profile is a stronger independent predictor for vaginal, peritoneal, and distant recurrence than classic histologic factors.
P53-abn is the sole independent predictor of peritoneal relapse.
P53-abn and NSMP are independent predictors of distant recurrence.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Luis Chiva. Dr. Chiva, Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Clinica Universidad de Navarra, is an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a former council member of ESGO, and chaired the Program Committee for ESGO Istanbul 2023. He also serves as Associate Editor for the IJGC.

Highlights:

Dr. Luis Chiva's career path in gynecologic oncology stemmed from his father's influence and his own passion for surgery.
Training in the United States broadened his perspective, leading him to play a pivotal role in advancing gynecologic oncology in Spain.
He emphasized personalized patient care and multidisciplinary approaches to oncology, shaping his leadership in professional societies.
Dr. Chiva's journey underscores the importance of continual learning, perseverance, and a strong family support system in achieving professional success.
Balancing work and personal life, he believes, is essential for maintaining overall well-being and effectiveness in patient care.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Jessica Mcalpine. Dr. McAlpine is a surgeon-scientist at the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair.

Highlights:

• Collaborate! You are stronger together and can refine and improve your research initiatives.

• Choose projects that you believe are clinically impactful—not just for the sake of publishing.

• Find things that bring you joy in life. Gynecologic oncology and research are long journeys, and we need to take care of ourselves and each other.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Elena Olearo and Beatriz Navarro Santana discuss the contents of the April issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Arina Onoprienko and Thomas Bartl to discuss ARID1A in NSMP uterine cancers. Dr. Onoprienko is undergoing residency training in OB/GYN and pursuing a PhD in experimental cancer research at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Her clinical research primarily focuses on modeling therapeutic outcomes in patients with gynecological cancers and assessing cognitive dysfunction in patients undergoing therapy for disease recurrence. Dr. Bartl completed his residency training in OB/GYN at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, and is about to commence an ESGO-Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology. Having completed a PhD program in experimental cancer research, he developed a strong interest in translational cancer research with a focus on precision medicine and definition of new therapeutic targets in rare gynecologic tumors.

Highlights:

Approximately one-third of endometrial cancers classified as "no specific molecular profile" (NSMP) harbors _ARID1A_-mutations. As ARID1A has previously been hypothesized to be associated with higher risks of recurrence and more pro-immunogenic tumor phenotypes, _ARID1A_ could qualify as a promising future biomarker for NSMPs.
Consistent with previous research, _ARID1A_-mutations are associated with a significantly higher risk of recurrence within the NSMP subgroup, which translates into impaired progression-free survival.
_ARID1A_ mutations appear not to be associated with impaired disease-specific survival. Based on a small subgroup analysis of patients experiencing disease recurrence, it could be hypothesized that this effect might be partly attributed to a better response to recurrence therapy.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Jessica Mcalpine and Amy Jamieson to discuss p53abn and no myoinvasion endometrial cancer. Dr. Jessica McAlpine is a surgeon-scientist at the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair. Dr. Amy Jamieson is a gynecologic oncologist at Vancouver General Hospital and BC Cancer and an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia.

Highlights:

• p53abn endometrial cancers are aggressive tumours, responsible for the majority of recurrences and death from this disease. The optimal management of patients with stage IA p53abn endometrial cancer without myometrial invasion is debated.

• We demonstrate the recurrence rates in p53abn endometrial cancer stage IA without myometrial invasion were high at 16% and higher still with residual endometrial tumor (19%).

• Recurrence rates in p53abn stage IA without myometrial invasion did not differ compared to p53abn stage IA with myometrial invasion, where adjuvant treatment is routinely recommended.

• Most recurrences in patients with p53abn endometrial cancer stage IA without myometrial invasion were distant (89%) and fatal.

• High rates of distant and unsalvageable recurrences in stage IA p53abn endometrial cancer without myometrial invasion justify a discussion about adjuvant therapy.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Professor Giorgio Bogani to discuss Mirvetuximab in Ovarian Cancer. Prof. Bogani serves as a consultant in gynecologic oncology at the Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano in Milan, Italy. He completed a research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, USA, with a focus on endometrial cancer and gynecologic oncology. Currently, his expertise is centered on gynecological surgery and experimental medicine.

Highlights:

Mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx is a ADC comprising a FRα-directed antibody and DM4 as payload.
High FRα expression is noted in ~35-40% of platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
Mirvetuximab showed an objective response rate of about 30-35% in platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer with high FRα tumor expression.
A promising activity mirvetuximab splus bevacizumab was observed in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, regardless of level of FRα expression or prior bevacizumab exposure.
Emerging data highlighted the promising role of mirvetuximab in combination with carboplatin and bevacizumab in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer patients.

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Highlights:

This study evaluated the prevalence of concurrent endometrial cancer in patients with pre-operative diagnoses of atypical endometrial hyperplasia undergoing hysterectomy.
Among 460 patients, 47.2% were found to have concurrent endometrial cancer.
According to ESGO-ESTRO-ESP classification, 71.4%, were low-risk, 9.7% intermediate, 11.1% high to intermediate and 7.8% high-risk tumors.
Positive Lymph node were found in 12 patients, accounting for the 7.6% of concurrent endometrial cancers who underwent SLN biopsy.
SLN biopsy allowed for the adjustment of adjuvant therapy in 12.3% of high to intermediate-risk patients without increasing operative time or complication rates.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Maaike Oonk to discuss the ESGO Vulvar Cancer Guidelines for 2023. Dr. Oonk is a gynaecological oncologist in the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands. Her research focuses on new treatment options for vulvar cancer patients to improve quality of life. She is PI of the GROINSS-V studies and was chair of the 2023 ESGO vulvar cancer guidelines working group.

Highlights:

Inguinofemoral radiotherapy is a safe alternative for a lymphadenectomy in patients with micrometastasis in the sentinel node.
In case of unilateral sentinel node involvement, it is probably safe to omit treatment of the contralateral (sentinel node negative) groin.
Studies are ongoing on application of the sentinel node procedure in locally recurrent disease, tumors > 4cm or multifocal tumors: outside these studies, the sentinel node procedure should only be applied in patients with unifocal primary squamous cell vulvar cancer < 4cm.
In advanced disease, both primary chemoradiation and radical surgery are treatment options. The Vulcanize study is investigating the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in these patients.
Given the rareness of this disease, treatment of vulvar cancer should be centralized in specialized centers.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Mr. Hani Marcus to discuss the IDEAL Framework. Mr. Marcus is a Consultant Neurosurgeon at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and Honorary Associate Professor at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology.

Highlights:

The development of the next generation of surgical robotics presents unique challenges in evaluation due to their complexity, integration with AI, and potential for system disruption.
The IDEAL (Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, and Long-term monitoring) Robotics colloquium suggests practical recommendations for evaluating surgical robots at different stages: development, comparative study, and clinical monitoring.
These recommendations are aimed at developers, clinicians, patients, and healthcare systems, considering multiple aspects like economics, training, ethics, and sustainability.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Christina Fotopoulou, Ane Gerda Z. Eriksson, Glauco Baiocchi, and Oliver Zivanovic to discuss the 2024 Special Issue of IJGC, “Novel Surgical Approaches in Gynecological Oncology”. Dr. Fotopoulou is the Chair of Gynaecological Cancer Surgery at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, UK. She has served as an elected ESGO council member and Chair of the ESGO and BGCS guidelines committee. Dr. Eriksson is the chair of the endometrial cancer and gyn sarcoma group at the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the Norwegian Radium Hospital. She is currently an elected ESGO Council member and chair of the ESGO accreditation committee. Dr. Eriksson also serves on the NSGO-CTU Foundation Board. Dr. Glauco Baiocchi is the head of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the AC Camargo Cancer Center. He is also the president of the Brazilian Gynecologic Oncology Group – EVA Group. Oliver Zivanovic MD is a Gynecologic Oncologist and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Women's Heidelberg University Hospital, Germany.

Highlights:

Surgery is the cornerstone of treatment in gynecologic oncology.
Surgery is being incorporated and adapted to the evolving treatment landscape in gynecologic oncology.
This special issue highlights the opportunities of tailoring surgical approaches to individual patients both in regard to radically and novel surgical techniques. It brings together out of the box topics such as surgery for lymphedema, uterine transposition, imaging, quality of life, and medico-legal aspects.
All articles were written by respected and well-known experts on each topic.
Our hope and intention is that this Special Issue will become a significant resource in surgery for gyn oncology and may support and inspire surgeons to deliver better treatment.

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Highlights:

• The IC drugs are widely available and relatively cheap so removing many potential economic barriers to adoption.

• Growth factors -GCSF/Filgrastim should be used as needed to ensure patients complete the chemotherapy (IC & cisplatin)

• Essential to BEGIN the external beam radiation within 7 days of last dose ( #6) of IC.

• Remember OVERALL treatment time for the RADIATION- 96% in trial completed both EXTERNAL BEAM & BRACHYTHERAPY within 56 days.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Professor Em. Ignace Vergote to discuss innovaTV205. Prof. Vergote was Chairman of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Catholic University Leuven from 2003-2020. He published more than 1050 papers on gynecologic cancer in peer-reviewed journals, and his work was cited more than 90,000 times. He served as President of IGCS, ESGO, EORTC-GCG and ENGOT.

Highlights:

Tissue factor is almost always highly expressed in cervical carcinoma and can be targeted by tisotumab vedotin (TV), an antibody-drug conjugate.
TV combined with bevacizumab, carboplatin, or pembrolizumab demonstrated manageable safety and encouraging antitumor activity in treatment-naive and previously treated recurrent/metastatic cervical cancer.
The results show that the combination of TV with current treatments may improve outcomes and provide novel treatment options for patients with first or later recurrences and/or primary metastatic cervical cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Gabriella Schivardi to discuss trends and complications after the LACC Trial. Dr. Schivardi is a first year ESGO fellow at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan and a research collaborator at the Gynecologic Oncology Department at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, United States. In addition, she is a former fellow for the IJGC.

Highlights:

The study observed a significant decrease in the use of the minimally invasive approach after the publication of the LACC trial.
Within our population the 30-day major complication, minor complication, and unplanned hospital readmission rates remained stable between the pre- and post-LACC periods.
The study observed an increased rate accross the publication of the LACC trial limited to the intra and post-operative transfusion rate.
The lack of a rise in 30-day complication rates after the LACC trial publication supports the use of laparotomy as the standard of care.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Sabrina Piedimonte and Ilaria Capasso discuss the contents of the February issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Giuseppe Cucinella, Andrea Mariani, and Gretchen E. Glaser to discuss ITCs in low-risk endometrial cancer. Giuseppe Cucinella, MD, is a gynecologist working at Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCSS Fondazione G.Pascale in Naples, Italy (Department of Gynecologic Oncology). During his residency, he worked as a research fellow at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he focused on the study of endometrial cancer. He is currently in the second year of the PhD program in "Experimental Oncology and Surgery - Gynecologic Oncology" at the University of Palermo, Palermo (Italy). Dr. Cucinella's clinical research focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of endometrial cancer and minimally invasive surgery in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Andrea Mariani is a Full Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Surgery, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Mariani 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. Gretchen E. Glaser, MD is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Mayo Clinic specializing in complex surgery for malignant and benign conditions, including minimally invasive and open approaches. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Glaser focuses her clinical research in endometrial cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes as well as quality improvement of surgical care using enhanced recovery after surgery techniques. She also serves as the Vice Chair and Practice Chair for Obstetrics and Gynecology and has a special interested in patient and physician wellness.

Highlights:

• The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of SLNs-isolated tumor cells in patients with low-risk endometrial cancer who underwent SLN biopsy and did not receive adjuvant therapy. Outcomes were compared with node negative patients.

• Our study shows that recurrence free survival among patients with low-risk endometrial cancer and no adjuvant treatment was significantly worse in patients with SLNs–isolated tumor cells compared with negative nodes. However, we did not observe any significant difference in overall survival.

• The presence of SLNs-isolated tumor cells, lymphovascular space invasion, and International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) grade 2 were significant risk factors for recurrence (any recurrence and non-vaginal recurrence).

• Our group has designed a prospective multicenter cohort study called ENDO-ITC with the aim of definitively establishing the prognostic role of ITC in an otherwise low-risk population who undergo SLN biopsy. In addition, we will evaluate a standardized follow-up plan for these patients.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Dimitrios Nasioudis to discuss immunotherapy in vulvar melanoma. Dr. Nasioudis is from the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. His current research focuses on translational therapeutics and population-based research with an emphasis on rare gynecologic tumors.

Highlights:

• Prognosis of patients with vulvar melanoma and inguinal lymph node metastasis is poor.

• In our study using real-world data approximately 1 in 4 patients received adjuvant immunotherapy with no clear overall survival benefit.

• Further research to identify biomarkers to select patients who may benefit from immunotherapy is needed.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Diletta Fumagalli and Beatriz Navarro discuss the contents of the January issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Professor Gemma Kenter to discuss EORTC 55994. Prof. Kener is emeritus professor in gynae-oncology and was head of the department gynae-oncology in Center of Gynaecological Oncology Amsterdam (Amsterdam University Medical Center and Dutch Cancer Center). Her scientific interest concerns treatment and translational research of carcinoma of the cervix.

Highlights:

In Trial EORTC 55994 we found no difference in overall survival between neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical surgery and concomitant chemoradiation in case of bulky cervical cancer. Regions in the world with a high incidence of cancer of the cervix might have poor access to radiotherapy. For patients in these centers as well as for young women who want to perceive their ovarian function, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical surgery can be a good alternative.

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Highlights:

The long-term survival analysis of the OVIHPEC-1 study confirms the significant improvement in progression-free and overall survival when adding HIPEC to interval cytoreductive surgery in patients with FIGO stage III ovarian carcinoma for whom primary cytoreduction is not considered feasible due to extensive disease.
Neither the number of lines nor the type of subsequent treatment for recurrence differed between the treatment groups. Therefore, the observed improvement in overall survival is unlikely to be attributable a difference in subsequent therapies.
Identification of biomarkers (e.g. BRCA/HRD status) to select patients for HIPEC and the combination of HIPEC with PARP inhibitors warrants further investigation.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Giuseppe Caruso to discuss PARPi de-escalation in ovarian cancer. Dr. Caruso is a gynecologist, currently working as a research fellow at Mayo Clinic, Division of Gynecological Surgery, in Rochester (MN, USA) under the supervision of Professor William Cliby. He is also a PhD fellow in “Network Oncology and Precision Medicine” at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy and collaborates with the European Institution of Oncology in Milan (Italy) under the mentorship of Professor Nicoletta Colombo. His main areas of interest are ovarian cancer and precision oncology.

Highlights:

Systemic therapy de-escalation is a new frontier in personalizing therapy for advanced ovarian cancer.
PARPi are so effective that selected patients may require less systemic therapy to achieve the same outcomes.
The fundamental key is to limit de-escalation to BRCAm/HRD-positive patients with R0 after surgery.
Several de-escalation attempts are under investigation, but none is currently recommended outside of clinical trials.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Rene Pareja, David Viveros-Carreño, and Beatriz Navarro Santana to discuss HIPEC complications. Dr. Viveros-Carreño is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Centro de Tratamiento e Investigación sobre Cáncer Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo (CTIC), and Clínica Universitaria Colombia in Bogotá, Colombia. Dr. Pareja is a gynecologist-oncologist at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and the National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. Dr. Pareja is a reviewer for more than 20 specialty journals, and one of the Associate Editors for IJGC. He is the author of ten book chapters and more than 90 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and at IGCS 2021 he received an award for Community Advancement in Resource-Limited Settings. Dr. Navarro is a gynecologist-oncologist at Insular University hospital in Las Palmas, Spain. She also completed the ESGO fellowship at Institut Bergonie in France

Highlights:

The study aimed to assess the complications associated with HIPEC in cytoreductive surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer, examining two distinct time periods (2004–2013 and 2014–2022).
This systematic review analyzed 69 studies and including 4928 patients with advanced primary or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.
No significant differences were observed in complication rates between the two time periods. Overall, complications, including blood transfusions, gastrointestinal, infectious, respiratory, urinary complications, and thromboembolic events, showed no significant change.
Rates of ICU admissions, reoperations, and deaths also remained consistent over time.
The study concluded that the overall complications associated with HIPEC in ovarian cancer surgery did not decrease, and there was no reduction in the rates of ICU admissions, reoperations, or deaths.

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In this rebroadcast episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Jason Wright to discuss hormone replacement therapy after cervical cancer. Dr. Wright is the Sol Goldman Associate Professor and Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Columbia University.

Highlights:

-Among cervical cancer patients <50 years of age who underwent surgery including oophorectomy or primary radiation, only 39% received estrogen replacement therapy.

-In patients who did receive estrogen replacement therapy the duration of use was short, with a median of only 60 days.

-Black patients were significantly less likely to receive estrogen replacement therapy than White patients.

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In this rebroadcast episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Jenny Mueller and Bill Zammarrelli to discuss molecular classification and risk stratification in endometrial cancer. Jenny Mueller, MD, is a gynecologic oncologist and assistant attending in the department of surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She leads the endometrial cancer research team at MSKCC with an emphasis on prospective, translational, and collaborative efforts within and across institutions. Bill Zammarrelli, MD, currently works as a gynecologic oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is a commissioned officer in the US Army and completed his residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His current research focuses on the genetics of endometrial cancer.

Highlights:

--PORTEC-1 and GOG-99 risk classifications are discordant for stage I grade 3 endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC).

--Stage I grade 3 EECs of CN-high molecular subtype have a worse 3-year progression-free survival compared to non-CN-high molecular subtypes.

--Molecular classification in combination with clinicopathologic factors may provide improved prognostic information.

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In this rebroadcasted 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

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Reitan Ribeiro to discuss uterine transposition. Dr. Ribeiro currently works in the Gynecology Oncology Service in the Department of Surgical Oncology at Erasto Gaertner Hospital in Curitiba, Brazil. He is a member of the IGCS Education Committee and serves as General Secretary of the Brazilian Society of Surgical Oncology (BSSO).

Highlights:

This prospective study aimed to assess the feasibility of uterine transposition and the result of fertility preservation in a group of non-gynecologic cancer patients post-radiation.
Of the eight patients who underwent uterine transposition, the uterus was successfully preserved in six patients; these patients had normal menses, hormonal levels, and vaginal intercourse after the procedure.
Three patients attempted to conceive, and two were spontaneously successful, subsequently delivering healthy babies via cesarean section without complications.
Uterine transposition could be a feasible option for preserving gonadal and uterine function in patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy for nongynecological cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Professor Em. Ignace Vergote to discuss the SIENDO Trial. Prof. Vergote was Chairman of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Catholic University Leuven from 2003-2020. He published more than 1050 papers on gynecologic cancer in peer-reviewed journals and his work was cited more than 88,000 times. He served as President of IGCS, ESGO, EORTC-GCG and ENGOT.

Highlights:

Selinexor inhibits Exportin-1, resulting in reactivation of Tumor Suppressor Proteins (especially p53) in the nucleus. This leads to selective killing of cancer cells.
The ENGOT-EN5/GOG-3055/SIENDO was a randomized phase III double-blind trial comparing maintenance selinexor with placebo, after response on chemotherapy in patients with advanced or first recurrence of endometrial cancer.
Median PFS in the ITT population was 5.7 versus 3.8 months (not significant).
Long-term PFS in TP53wt patients was 27.4 months and 5.3 months (HR 0.41) and in TP53wt/pMMR patients not reached and 4.9 months (HR: 0.32) for selinexor and placebo, respectively.
Selinexor is very promising in patients with advanced/recurrent TP53wt endometrial cancer and is further investigated in this population in the ongoing ENGOT-EN20/GOG-3083/XPORT-042 study.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Nicolò Bizzarri to discuss the SCCAN study. Dr. Bizzarri is a former IJGC Editorial Fellow under the mentorship of Prof. Pedro Ramirez. He is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Policlinico Agostino Gemelli in Rome, president of the European Network of Young Gynecologic Oncologists (ENYGO), and he happily serves on the IJGC Editorial Board.

Highlights:

International guidelines recommend tailoring the radicality of hysterectomy according to the known pre-operative tumor characteristics in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. However, the survival benefit associated with the extent of radical hysterectomy is still a matter of debate.
Non-nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy was associated with improved 5-year disease-free survival compared to nerve sparing radical hysterectomy and represented an independent protective factor for risk of recurrence. Non-nerve sparing radical hysterectomy was associated with better 5-year disease-free survival in patients with tumors between 21-40 mm.
In patients with early-stage cervical cancer, the extent of radical hysterectomy was associated with disease-free survival improvement in patients with tumors between 21-40 mm but not in patients with tumors ≤20 mm.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Flurina Saner to discuss the Fagotti Score at interval surgery in ovarian cancer. Dr. Saner, gynecologist and obstetrician, is a gynae oncology fellow at the University Hospital Inselspital Bern, Switzerland. Her research focuses on patients with ovarian cancer and clinical and molecular determinants for long-term survival.

Highlights:

The Fagotti score after neoadjuvant treatment shows a strong correlation with resection status, progression-free and overall survival of patients with advanced ovarian cancer
ΔFagotti – indicating the change of the score during neoadjuvant chemotherapy - tracks with outcome after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for ovarian cancer
Fagotti scores are valuable for an individualized patient treatment planning and should be routinely assessed at time of interval debulking surgery.
The prognostic value of the Fagotti score after neoadjuvant therapy should be further validated in a prospective study, f.e. the LANCE trial.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Brian Slomovitz to discuss hormonal therapy in advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. Dr. Slomovitz is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida, and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University. He is an internationally recognized leader in gynecologic oncology clinical trials, specifically in immunotherapy and novel biomarker therapeutics. He also is a leader in sentinel lymph node detection for gynecologic malignancies.

Highlights:

While current recommendations include chemotherapy as first-line treatment for metastatic or recurrent endometrial cancer, emerging evidence suggests that hormonal therapy, particularly in combination with other treatment regimens guided by biomarkers, could be efficacious in selected subtypes (low-grade endometrioid carcinoma of the endometrium).

Hormonal therapy offers many benefits, including oral dosing and fewer side effects.

If there is progression after hormonal therapy, patients would still be eligible for other trials, and use of hormonal therapy does not preclude the use or limit the benefits of future chemotherapy.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Marc Algera to discuss the Ovarian Cancer Global Survey. Marc Algera is a medical doctor currently pursuing a PhD in Gynecological Oncology at the Dutch Institute for Clinical Auditing. His research focuses on improving the quality of gynecological cancer healthcare, both in the Netherlands and on a global scale.

Highlights:

The podcast discusses the first global expert-opinion survey report on ovarian cancer care organization, including data from high, middle, and low-income countries.
Data were provided by over one-thousand ovarian cancer specialists from 115 countries, which makes the current study the most extensive expert-opinion survey study in gynecological oncology.
Disparities in care organization were observed across income categories, revealing opportunities to improve care.
Income category-specific barriers were identified, such as the lack of access to chemotherapy and other systemic agents in lower-middle and low-income countries.
The time for action is now. The research team plans to conduct region-specific analyses using the current dataset, involving regional representatives and pharmaceutical companies, in order to work towards achieving global equality and equity in ovarian cancer care.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Jean-Marc Classe to discuss the CHIPOR Trial. Dr. Classe is a surgeon and former head of the surgical department of the Institute of Surgical Oncology of Nantes, France. He is a professor in oncology and president of the French Society of Surgical Oncology.

Highlights:

The CHIPOR phase III RCT studied the use of HIPEC in 1st PSROC who underwent complete cytoreductive op after 2nd-line platinum-based chemo. Randomization was performed during complete cytoreductive surgery.
The primary endpoint was OS. Results showed HIPEC significantly improved OS, HR 0.69, p=0.020.
This study suggests that HIPEC can be a beneficial addition to the tx strategy for women with 1st PSROC when used in conjunction with 2nd-line platinum-based chemo and complete cytoreductive surgery.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. David Gershenson and Koji Matsuo. Dr. Gershenson is Professor and former Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His major focus is on the clinical and translational research or rare ovarian cancers. Dr. Matsuo is a clinician-scientist in the area of gynecologic oncology. Equally attentive to patient care, he devotes his work to scholarly activity related to patient outcomes, quality improvement, and healthcare service research in gynecologic malignancies.

Highlights:

Role and effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy have been understudied in less common epithelial ovarian cancer, including clear cell, mucinous, and low-grade serous histologies.
In this retrospective analysis of two U.S. tumor registries, utilization of neoadjuvant chemotherapy has increased for these less common epithelial ovarian cancers in recent years.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with decreased overall survival in low-grade serous ovarian cancer, and this association was particularly observed in historically favorable groups (younger, healthier, and earlier disease).
The results of current investigation endorse the importance of being aware of histology-specific survival effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in epithelial ovarian cancer.
In advanced low-grade serous ovarian cancer, data suggest that primary cytoreduction may be beneficial even optimal cytoreduction is not achievable in certain patients (younger, healthier, and earlier disease).

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Jolyn Taylor to discuss thromboembolic events in the ERAS program. Dr. Taylor is an Associate Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She also serves as the Patient Safety Quality Officer for the Division of Surgery and focuses her research on ways to improve the quality of patient care.

Highlights:

-The overall rate of venous thromboembolism within 30 days of surgery on an ERAS pathway for laparotomy and minimally invasive surgery is low at 0.6%.

-The rate of venous thromboembolism within 30 days of laparotomy is 1.1% and 0.3% after minimally invasive surgery.

-Omission of preoperative heparin prophylaxis and postoperative extended venous thromboembolism prophylaxis appears to be safe for patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery though further studies are needed.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Núria Agustí to discuss SLN mapping in ovarian cancer. Dr. Agustí specializes in gynecologic oncology at Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. She is currently a PhD researcher at the University of Barcelona and engaged in a postdoctoral fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA. She recently completed the IJGC Editorial Fellowship program.

Highlights:

There is a high heterogeneity in SLN mapping techniques, emphasizing the need for standardized protocols and further research in this area.
The study reports a sentinel lymph node detection rate of 93.3% in patients with early-stage ovarian cancer with a 100% negative predictive value.
The study suggests that the combination of radiotracer and indocyanine green for tracer injection into the utero-ovarian and infundibulo-pelvic ligaments may yield the best detection rates for SLNs in ovarian cancer.
Additional ongoing and well-defined studies and consideration of oncologic outcomes before implementing SLN detection as a routine practice for ovarian cancer staging is highly needed.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Dennis Chi. Dr. Chi is the incumbent of the Ronald O. Perelman Chair in Gynecologic Surgery, Deputy Chief of the Gynecology Service, and Head of Ovarian Cancer Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). He has been a faculty member at MSKCC since graduating from fellowship there in 1997.

Highlights: Dr. Chi discusses the evolution of gynecologic surgery and the current state of the field, talks about finding a niche in the planning of one’s career, and outlines difficulties in planning a surgical trial along with ways to overcome them.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Mario Leitao and Andreas Obermair to discuss FIGO endometrial staging. Dr. Mario Leitao is currently an Attending Surgeon in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College. He currently serves as Program Director for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship. Dr. Leitao is also the Director for the Minimal Access and Robotic Surgery Program in the Department of Surgery for MSKCC. Dr. Andreas Obermair is an active gynaecological oncologist in public and private practice and a Professor of Gynaecological Oncology at The University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. He leads the Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer Research to achieve less invasive and more effective treatments for gynaecological cancer.

Highlights:

The new FIGO (staging) system is no longer a staging system to determine the extent of endometrial cancer
Histology and other prognostic factors should not be part of a staging system
We need much more investigation and validation before we can apply a molecular classification to the care of our patients and then it should not be part of a staging system
An international staging system is likely best if kept reproducible, and if it can be applied worldwide
There is poor correlation now with this new system and the AJCC TNM system

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Cyrus Chargari and Christina Fotopoulou to discuss the ESGO/ESTRO quality indicators for radiation therapy for cervical cancer. Dr. Chargari is a radiation oncologist at Pitié Salpêtrière University Hospital – Sorbonne University, Paris, France. He is full professor of oncology and serves as the Secretary-General of the French Society of Radiation Oncology. He is an active member of ESTRO. Dr. Fotopoulou is the Chair of Gynaecological Cancer Surgery at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, UK. She has served as an elected ESGO council member and Chair of the ESGO and BGCS guidelines committee.

Highlights:

Multidisciplinary quality indicators jointly with ESGO and ESTRO about the radiotherapeutic management of cervical cancer.
The objective was to provide practitioners and administrators with quantifiable metrics for enhancing clinical care and organizational processes, particularly considering the complexities of modern radiotherapy techniques.
The indicators were established through a combination of scientific evidence and expert consensus.
The development process involved literature review, expert meetings, validation, and external review by clinicians.
The resulting set of 19 indicators covers pre-treatment, treatment, and outcomes, and aims to standardize radiation therapy quality, with the next step being the accreditation of centers for cervical cancer management in the quality assurance process.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows, Giuseppe Caruso and Luigi De Vitis, discuss the contents of the September issue of IJGC.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Professor Dr. Jiří Sláma to discuss the FERTIlity study. Dr. Sláma works as the head of the Oncogynecology Department and Colposcopy Unit at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the General University Hospital and the 1st Medical Faculty of Charles University in Prague. His main professional interest is the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer and surgical management of gynecological malignancies.

Highlights:

Non-radical cervical procedures (conization and simple vaginal trachelectomy) are not associated with a higher risk of recurrence in patients with HPV-associated tumors <2 cm, regardless of LVSI.
Sentinel node biopsy should be an integral part of fertility-sparing cervical cancer management.
Tumor size >2 cm is a significant risk factor for recurrence.
Only half of the women tried to conceive during the long follow-up period after fertility-sparing surgery.
The overall fertility rate was 63% in the non-radically operated group, whereas it was 26% in women after radical trachelectomy.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Vito Andrea Capozzi to discuss SLN alone in high-risk endometrial cancer. Dr. Capozzi works at the Department of Medicine and Surgery of the University Hospital of Parma, Italy. He shows special interest in gynecologic oncology, oncologic surgery, and translational medicine.

Highlights:

Sentinel lymph node mapping alone in high-risk endometrial cancer patients is an oncologically safe technique over a median observational time of 31 months.
No significant difference in overall survival and disease-free survival was observed between sentinel lymph node alone and Lymphadenectomy groups.
Patients with histologically proven nodal metastasis had overlapping survivals and disease-free survival in the sentinel lymph node alone and lymphadenectomy groups.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Giulio Bonaldo, and Nuria Agusti discuss the contents of the 2023 special issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, the IJGC Fellows summarize three of their favorite articles for each cancer - cervical, endometrial, and ovarian - published since 2023. Listen to their discussion and thoughts about the most impactful issues from each of their favorite articles.

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In this 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.

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Podcast Description: In this 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.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Diego Raimondo and Giulia Rovero.

Dr. Raimondo works as medical director and assistant researcher at the Division of Gynecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, Bologna, Italy, directed by Prof. Renato Seracchioli. He received his PhD on new technologies for endometriosis surgical removal from the University of Bologna in 2021. He is an Advisory Board Member of the ESGE (European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy) and member of the Special Interest Group in Robotics. His research interests are focused on minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic, robotic and hysteroscopic) for endometriosis and endometrial cancer.

Dr. Giulia Rovero graduated in Medicine in 2017 at the University of Florence. She is currently a fifth-year resident at the Division of Gynecology and Pathophysiology of Human Reproduction, Bologna, Italy, directed by Prof. Renato Seracchioli. In 2022/23 she spent twelve months at the Lariboisiere Hospital in Paris focusing on gynecologic oncology. She is developing her research activity in collaboration with Dr. Raimondo in the field of minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer.

Highlights:

In endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients, the rate of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping failure ranges from 20% to 25%.
Pooled data assessing predictive factors of SLN mapping failure in EC patients undergoing SLN biopsy through the cervical injection of indocyanine green (ICG) are lacking.
ICG dose <3mL, advanced FIGO stage, lymph node involvement and bulky lymph node are predictive factors of SLN mapping failure in EC patients.
Neither clinical features (i.e., BMI >30 kg/m2, menopausal status, adenomyosis) nor surgical history is significantly associated with SLN mapping failure in EC patients.
Deep myometrial invasion, FIGO grade 3, non-endometrioid histotype, and lymphovascular space invasion are not significantly associated with SLN mapping failure in EC patients.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Diego Raimondo and Giulia Rovero.

Highlights:

In endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients, the rate of sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping failure ranges from 20% to 25%.
Pooled data assessing predictive factors of SLN mapping failure in EC patients undergoing SLN biopsy through the cervical injection of indocyanine green (ICG) are lacking.
ICG dose <3mL, advanced FIGO stage, lymph node involvement and bulky lymph node are predictive factors of SLN mapping failure in EC patients.
Neither clinical features (i.e., BMI >30 kg/m2, menopausal status, adenomyosis) nor surgical history is significantly associated with SLN mapping failure in EC patients.
Deep myometrial invasion, FIGO grade 3, non-endometrioid histotype, and lymphovascular space invasion are not significantly associated with SLN mapping failure in EC patients.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Ramez N. Eskander to discuss NRG-018 pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in uterine cancer. Dr. Eskander is a gynecologic oncologist who specializes in the comprehensive management of female reproductive system cancers, including ovarian, uterine, cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancer. His expertise includes diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including minimally invasive (robotic) surgery, chemotherapy and novel drugs.Highlights:• NRG-GY018 showed that the addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy, followed by maintenance pembrolizumab, resulted in a 70% lower risk of disease progression or death in patients in the dMMR cohort and a 46% lower risk in the pMMR cohort than in the placebo group.• These data suggest that the incorporation of immunotherapy into the first-line treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer improves oncologic outcomes, regardless of MMR status or histologic findings.

• Previous monotherapy drugs against PD-1 and PD-L1 in recurrent or metastatic pMMR endometrial cancer resulted in only modest improvement.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Carien Creutzberg, Nanda Horeweg, and Alexandra Leary to discuss the RAINBO trials. Carien Creutzberg is Professor of Radiation Oncology at Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands. She specializes in research and treatment of gynecological cancers and has been the initiator and principal investigator of the four PORTEC trials and the TransPORTEC consortium. She is current chair of the GCIG Endometrial Cancer Committee and past Council member of ESGO and IGCS. Nanda Horeweg is senior researcher at the department of Radiation Oncology of Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands. She is one of the principal investigators of the PORTEC team and the international coordinator of the RAINBO program of clinical trials. Alexandra Leary, MD, PhD, is a medical oncologist specializing in gynecological cancers at Gustave Roussy Cancer Center in France. She is the CI for the RAINBO-RED trial and member of the TransPORTEC Consortium. She is current chair of the GCIG Phase II committee, gyne track chair for ESMO Asia, and past gyne track chair for ESMO.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Rene Pareja to discuss recent the cervical cancer management updates. Dr. Pareja is a gynecologist-oncologist at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and the National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. He is a reviewer for more than 20 specialty journals and is an Associate Editor for IJGC. He is the author of ten book chapters and more than 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and at IGCS 2021 he received an award for Community Advancement in Resource-Limited Settings.Highlights: - There is controversy in offering minimally invasive approaches to women with early-stage cervical cancer and tumors less than 2 cm. - The role of surgical staging remains controversial because guidelines still recommend it, despite evidence of a negative prospective randomized controlled trial.

- Intermediate risk factors after a radical hysterectomy need to be re-evaluated in a very well designed prospective randomized trial, with modern radiotherapy techniques and updated inclusion criteria.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Giuseppe Caruso discuss post-PARP myeloid neoplasms. Dr. Caruso is a fifth-year resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a first-year fellow of the PhD in “Network Oncology and Precision Medicine” at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy. Over the past year, he has been attending the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the European Institution of Oncology (Milan) under the mentorship of Professor Nicoletta Colombo and has now started his research fellowship period at Mayo Clinic (Rochester) under the supervision of Professor William Cliby. His main interest areas are gynecologic oncology, personalized oncology, and clinical research.Highlights:- Myeloid neoplasms post PARPi in patients with ovarian cancer are gradually emerging as life-threatening late toxicities and should not be underestimated.- The first two years of PARPi exposure are the critical window of onset and persistent cytopenia has been recognized as an early warning sign.- Active surveillance, differential diagnosis, and prompt hematological referral are crucial.- PARPi are recommended in the first line also to improve the risk-benefit ratio.

- PARPi should be used cautiously in patients with a higher baseline risk and/or those who are less likely to have a significant benefit.

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In this 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.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Giuseppe Caruso and Prof. Nicoletta Colombo to discuss updates on PARPi in ovarian cancer. Dr. Caruso is a fifth-year resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a first-year fellow of the PhD in “Network Oncology and Precision Medicine” at the Sapienza University of Rome in Italy. Over the past year, he has been attending the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the European Institution of Oncology (Milan) and had the huge opportunity to follow the clinical, surgical and research activities of an international center of excellence, under the mentorship of Prof. Nicoletta Colombo and Prof. Giovanni D. Aletti. His main interest areas are gynecologic oncology, personalized oncology, clinical research, and medical writing. Prof. Nicoletta Colombo is Chair of Gynecology Program and Director of the Ovarian Cancer Centre at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. Principal investigators of several international clinical trials and author of several publications, she was President of ESGO and Chair of the ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO Consensus Conference in endometrial cancer (2015) and the ESMO-ESGO Consensus Conference in ovarian Cancer (2018). In 2020, Prof. Colombo received the IGCS Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her work in gynecological oncology. Highlights:- PARPi should be preferred in the upfront setting for both efficacy and safety reasons.- Mutational status and platinum response are key factors for personalizing the maintenance treatment.- Identifying better predictors of resistance to platinum and PARPi is an unmet need.- PARPi combinations could become a strategy for overcoming PARPi resistance.

- The best treatment algorithm after PARPi progression needs prospective validation.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Janos L. Tanyi to discuss intraoperative imaging with OTL38 in ovarian cancer. Dr. Tanyi is an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The University of Pennsylvania. He developed an advanced immunotherapy program that allows patients’ own immune cells to recognize and kill their tumor; a gene-engineered T cell approach. Dr. Tanyi has a broad background in immunotherapy, cancer immunology, molecular genetics and clinical expertise in gynecologic oncology. He has the frontline experience in ovarian cancer immunotherapy as he is the primary PI for both the ovarian cancer vaccine and adoptive T cell transfer trials at University of Pennsylvania. At Penn, he has fostered the establishment of a rich translational research environment focused on ovarian cancer. Furthermore, Dr. Tanyi led the Phase 2 and 3 trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of Pafolacianine Sodium combined with intraoperative molecular imaging during cytoreductive surgery of ovarian cancer. Highlights:- It is well known that the extent of residual disease after surgery is negatively correlated with patient survival in ovarian cancer. To achieve R0 complete cytoreduction remains the goal of surgery. In this phase III study, it was evaluated whether Cytalux, would identify cancer lesions not identified by the surgeon by white light visual inspection or palpation.- During this phase 3 trial, one or more additional cancer lesions were identified in approximately 33% of patients using of Cytalux with near-infrared imaging which was not detected by white light visual inspection and manual palpation.

- The intraoperative use of Cytalux with near-infrared imaging can be a good adjunct to current surgical approaches in identifying additional cancer lesions during cytoreductive surgery.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Laura Chambers to discuss the low-risk population in advanced ovarian cancer. Laura Chambers, DO is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at The James Cancer Center at The Ohio State University.Highlights:- Discuss historical perspectives of low and high-risk ovarian cancer, and how this has been analyzed in contemporary trials- Review of contemporary trials for PARPi and Bevacizumab maintenance in women with advanced ovarian cancer

- Data obtained through un-powered sub-analysis from randomized clinical trials is hypothesis generating and care must be exercised in applying this to patient cohorts

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows, Giulio Bonaldo and Jennifer Davies-Oliveira, discuss the contents of the March Special issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows, Núria Agustí and Ryan Kahn, discuss the contents of the February issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Giuseppe Caruso and Prof. Nicoletta Colombo to discuss updates on PARPi in ovarian cancer. Dr. Caruso is a fifth-year resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a first-year fellow of the PhD in “Network Oncology and Precision Medicine” at the Sapienza University of Rome in Italy. Over the past year, he has been attending the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the European Institution of Oncology (Milan) and had the huge opportunity to follow the clinical, surgical and research activities of an international center of excellence, under the mentorship of Prof. Nicoletta Colombo and Prof. Giovanni D. Aletti. His main interest areas are gynecologic oncology, personalized oncology, clinical research, and medical writing. Prof. Nicoletta Colombo is Chair of Gynecology Program and Director of the Ovarian Cancer Centre at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. Principal investigators of several international clinical trials and author of several publications, she was President of ESGO and Chair of the ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO Consensus Conference in endometrial cancer (2015) and the ESMO-ESGO Consensus Conference in ovarian Cancer (2018). In 2020, Prof. Colombo received the IGCS Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her work in gynecological oncology.Highlights:- PARPi should be preferred in the upfront setting for both efficacy and safety reasons.- Mutational status and platinum response are key factors for personalizing the maintenance treatment.- Identifying better predictors of resistance to platinum and PARPi is an unmet need.- PARPi combinations could become a strategy for overcoming PARPi resistance.

- The best treatment algorithm after PARPi progression needs prospective validation.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Benoit You to discuss KELIM validation. Dr. You is a French medical oncologist at Lyon University Hospital, specialized in gynecological cancers, and the head of the drug development program of his institution (CITOHL-EPSILYON). Morever, he is the Director of a university research team involved in pharmacokinetics, and modeling analyses of the kinetics of serum tumor markers (EA 3738 CICLY). He is an active member of the French GINECO group, of the European ENGOT group, and of the international GCIG group. Highlights:- KELIM is the modeled CA-125 decline rate during the first 3 cycles of adjuvant or neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in first-line setting- It is a pragmatic indicator of the tumor intrinsic chemosensitivity, easily calculable online on https://www.biomarker-kinetics.org- KELIM is helpful to surgeons to anticipate the feasibility/complexity of complete interval debulking surgery after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy - The analyses of ICON-7 and GOG-0218 trial datasets reproducibly showed that only the patients with unfavorable KELIM score < 1.0 had a survival benefit from bevacizumab among those with a high-risk disease

- KELIM may be a complementary tool to HRD status to select the best maintenance treatment in first-line setting, especially in patients with HRP cancer : PARP inhibitor expected to be effective in the case of favorable KELIM score ≥ 1.0 ; bevacizumab expected to be effective in the case of unfavorable KELIM score < 1.0

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Vandré Carneiro and Glauco Baiocchi to discuss the LESSER trial. Dr. Carneiro is the head of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira (IMIP). He is also Director of the Department of the Hereditary Cancer Program of Hospital de Cancer de Pernambuco. Dr. Baiocchi is the head of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the AC Camargo Cancer Center. He is also the president of the Brazilian Gynecologic Oncology Group – EVA Group. Highlights:- Hysterectomy is safe and potentially non-inferior to modified radical hysterectomy in early-stage cervical cancer.- The LESSER supports simple hysterectomy as a substitute for radical hysterectomy in patients with cervical cancer ≤2 cm.

- The SHAPE trial will provide more concrete data on the role of simple hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Nicolò Bizzarri to discuss the SCCAN study. Dr. Bizzarri is a former IJGC Editorial Fellow under the mentorship of Prof. Pedro Ramirez. He is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Policlinico Agostino Gemelli in Rome, president of the European Network of Young Gynecologic Oncologists (ENYGO), and he happily serves on the IJGC Early Career Editorial Board.Highlights: - Women with early-stage cervical cancer treated with primary radical hysterectomy had improved disease free survival if treated in hospitals with a higher number of radical hysterectomies per year. - Surgical volume of centers represented an independent prognostic factor affecting disease-free survival.

- Increasing number of radical hysterectomies performed in each center every year was associated with improved disease-free survival.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Ainhoa Madariaga and Robert Coleman, two of the Guest Editors for this month’s special issue entitled “Novel Therapies Leading to a New Landscape in Gynecologic Tumors”. Dr. Madariaga is a Medical Oncologist in the Gynecologic Cancer Unit at 12 de Octubre University Hospital in Madrid, Spain. She is the chair of the Young and Early Career Investigator - EORTC Gynecological Cancer Group. Her research interests include patient reported outcomes and drug development. Dr. Coleman is a Gynecologic Oncologist and Chief Medical Officer at Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) in Nashville, TN. His research interests include drug development, clinical trial design and global medical education in gynecologic oncology. Highlights:- The alignment of cancer biology and novel treatment approaches are significantly extending the lives of patients with gynecologic malignancies, particularly with agents such as antibody drug conjugates, immunotherapy, and targeted agents.- The evolving therapeutic landscape is escalating the need for a clearer understanding of how precision medicine can most efficiently be implemented.- Emergence of drug resistance provides new challenges and opportunities through creative and strategic investigation of novel treatment and combinations.- Advances in testing platforms in bringing genomic testing to the global audience.

- Clinical trial interpretation requires critical evaluation of analytical primary and hypothesis-generating secondary endpoints – strategies to make appropriate inference is key to clinical trial design.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Coleman. Dr. Coleman is a Gynecologic Oncologist and Chief Medical Officer at Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) in Nashville, TN. His research interests include drug development, clinical trial design and global medical education in gynecologic oncology. Highlights:- Strong mentorship is vital to personal and academic development. However, it is a two-way street. True synergy will come from bilateral engagement.- Remember your clinic is your “laboratory” – keep a keen eye for clinical relationships, build hypotheses, and practice the exercise of how to best test it. Even in resource-constrained situations, the process of discovery and hypothesis testing will arm one to be a better investigator and to most appropriately interrogate the literature.

- A strong balance between personal and professional responsibilities will provide the environment for sustainability – this is the long game!

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. David M. Gershenson to discuss updates on germ cell tumors. Dr. Gershenson is Professor and former Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His major focus is on the clinical and translational research or rare ovarian cancers. Highlights:- The treatment of malignant ovarian germ cell tumor has evolved over the last 5 decades to represent one of our most remarkable success stories, with cure in 95+% of patients with stage I/II and approximately 75% of patients with stage III/IV.- AGCT1531 is a very important trial, which, if positive, will reduce toxicity by extending surveillance to patients with stage IA or IB malignant ovarian germ cell tumors, including grade 2 and 3 immature teratomas, yolk sac tumors, and non-gestational choriocarcinomas and will result in the substitution of carboplatin for cisplatin in the regimen for treatment of stage IC-III.- Fertility-sparing surgery is possible in the majority of young patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumor, related to the following: a) 95% are confined to one ovary ; b) approximately 2/3s are stage I; and c) most patients are in their teenage years, 20s, and 30s and have not completed childbearing.- Major controversies differentiating the treatment of children and adults by pediatric oncologists/pediatric surgeons and gynecologic oncologists, respectively, include the extent of surgical staging and the role of postoperative chemotherapy in patients with pure immature teratoma.- For patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumors who recur following primary therapy, BEP is recommended for those who have been treated with surgery alone. For those who have previously received BEP, standard management generally includes high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue.

- Aspects of management of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors that require further study include the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the role of secondary cytoreductive surgery.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Jenny Mueller and Bill Zammarrelli to discuss molecular classification and risk stratification in endometrial cancer. Jenny Mueller, MD, is a gynecologic oncologist and assistant attending in the department of surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She leads the endometrial cancer research team at MSKCC with an emphasis on prospective, translational, and collaborative efforts within and across institutions. Bill Zammarrelli, MD, currently works as a gynecologic oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is a commissioned officer in the US Army and completed his residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. His current research focuses on the genetics of endometrial cancer. Highlights:- PORTEC-1 and GOG-99 risk classifications are discordant for stage I grade 3 endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC).- Stage I grade 3 EECs of CN-high molecular subtype have a worse 3-year progression-free survival compared to non-CN-high molecular subtypes.

- Molecular classification in combination with clinicopathologic factors may provide improved prognostic information.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professor Giovanni Scambia and Dr. Carmine Conte to discuss mildly invasive surgery in ovarian cancer. Prof. Scambia is the Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Unit and the Scientific Director of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS in Rome, Italy. He is Full Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at Catholic University in Rome, and Member of Consiglio Superiore di Sanità, Ministry of Health Italy and Vice President 1st Section of Consiglio Superiore di Sanità. He is President Elect of E.S.G.E. (European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy), and Past President of the Italian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (S.I.G.O.). Prof. Scambia is specialized in gynaecological cancer treatment and research. He has studied and developed innovative surgical approaches for the cure of gynecological cancers and has been invited professor in several academic hospitals both in Europe and outside Europe, and he is considered an opinion leader in the field of gynecologic oncology. Dr. Carmine Conte works at the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS in Rome, Italy. He got the ESGO Fellowship diploma and is recognized as a certified European Gynaecological Oncologist. Dr. Conte is a surgeon and researcher with special interest in minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy and robotic) to treat cancerous and noncancerous diseases of the female reproductive system. Highlights:- The patients with oligometastatic recurrent disease had a higher likelihood of minimally invasive secondary cytoreductive surgery.- Lymphnodal recurrences can be easily approached by MIS.- Propensity-matched analysis showed no differences in survival between the MIS and open groups, with a higher rate of overall and severe early complications in the open group.- Diagnostic laparoscopy and PET/CT scan should be considered complementary because of the potential of each one to identify a different disease setting.

- A diagnostic laparoscopy before secondary cytoreductive surgery may prevent unnecessary laparotomies.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Andrea Rosati and Anisa Mburu discuss the contents of the January issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professors Jacobus Pfisterer and Philipp Harter to discuss prolonged maintenance with bevacizumab. Prof. Philipp Harter is the director of the Department of Gynecology & Gynecologic Oncology at Kliniken Essen-Mitte in Essen, Germany and the chair of the AGO Study Group. Prof. Jacobus Pfisterer is Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Center in Kiel Germany and former chair of the AGO Study Group. Highlights:- 30-month bevacizumb maintenance does not improve progression-free survival nor overall survival in advanced ovarian cancer. - 30-month bevacizumb maintenance is associated with more adverse events compared to 15 months.

- 15-month bevacizumb maintenance remains standard of care.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Elvio Silva to discuss precursors of ovarian cancer. Dr. Silva received a medical degree from the Universidad de La Plata and has been a faculty member at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center since 1980. He had pathology residences in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and University of Toronto, Canada and is the former President of the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists.Highlights:- Most ovarian serous tumors originate in the ovarian stroma.- Ovarian serous tumors originate in the epithelium of inclusion cysts or in epithelial areas that appear in the stroma due to mesenchymal-epithelial transition.

- Mesenchymal-epithelial transition in serous tumors mimics the development of the Mullerian duct from the celomic mesenchyma.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Jason Wright to discuss hormone replacement therapy after cervical cancer. Dr. Wright is the Sol Goldman Associate Professor and Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Columbia University.Highlights:- Among cervical cancer patients <50 years of age who underwent surgery including oophorectomy or primary radiation, only 39% received estrogen replacement therapy.- In patients who did receive estrogen replacement therapy the duration of use was short, with a median of only 60 days.

- Black patients were significantly less likely to receive estrogen replacement therapy than White patients.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Anil K. Sood to discuss novel high-grade serous ovarian morphologic classification. Dr. Sood is a Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is Co-Director of the multi-disciplinary Blanton-Davis Ovarian Cancer Research Program and co-leads the Ovarian Cancer Moonshot Program. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the Association of American Physicians (AAP), and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM).Highlights:- High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) could be classified into two gross morphologic subtypes.- Type I and type II morphologic subtypes differed with respect to clinical outcomes.

- The two morphologic subtypes also differed with regard to transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic profiles.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Lauren Prescott to discuss the impact of transfusions on outcomes in ovarian cancer. Dr. Prescott received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and went on study at the National Institutes of Health for two years. She then completed medical school at Georgetown University, residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, and fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She has been at Vanderbilt University since 2017. Dr. Prescott's research interests include measuring and evaluating surgical and oncologic outcomes and improving the quality of health care delivery through implementation of evidence-based medicine. Dr. Prescott leads the Vanderbilt Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Program for patients undergoing gynecologic surgery.Highlights:- Perioperative blood transfusions in ovarian cancer is common with 53% of patients in our study having received a transfusion- Blood transfusions were not associated with negative impact on progression-free survival or overall survival

- However, blood transfusions were associated with increased peri-operative morbidity without improvements in quality of life

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professor Christina Fotopoulou. Professor Fotopoulou works at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, UK. She is an elected ESGO council member and Chair of the ESGO guidelines committee. Highlights:- Early support from mentors and "giants" in the field, national and international networking and early focusing/specialization in the field of interest are keys to success- Try to turn your weaknesses and failures to learning points and opportunities to make you stronger

- Hard work, kindness and caring for patients, team spirit, professionalism and dedication are the main keys of success next to any talent and luck that anyone might be fortunate enough to have

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professor Andrea du Bois. Prof du Bois completed his medical degree in 1987 at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He subsequently trained in general surgery at Krankenhaus Wolfach Personalwohnheim and gynaecology and obstetrics at the University of Freiburg, leading to his registration as Fellow for Gynaecology and Obstetrics in 1993.In 1993, Prof. du Bois became a Consultant in the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at St. Vincentius-Kliniken, Karlsruhe. He then served as Director of the Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Horst-Schmidt-Kliniken, Wiesbaden (1999-2010) before taking up his current roles as Director of the Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology at Kliniken Essen-Mitte, and Associate Professor at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany.Prof. du Bois has been the Principal Investigator of several pivotal and practice-changing international clinical trials in gynaecological oncology. He founded the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynaekologische Onkologie (AGO) Study Group in 1993 and co-founded the European Network of Gynaecological Oncological Trial groups (ENGOT) in 2007. He has previously been a member of the German Guideline Committee for guidelines in breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer, Chairman of the German quality assurance programme for ovarian cancer (QS-OVAR), and member of the Gynecological Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) executive board and European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) council. Prof. du Bois has been Chairman and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Ovarian Cancer Consensus Conference of the GCIG, and served as a member of the Scientific Committee of the 1st European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO)-ESGO Ovarian Cancer Consensus Conference 2018. Prof. du Bois is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), ESGO, International Gynecologic Cancer Society (ISGC), German Cancer Society, and AGO. He has authored more than 500 publications with more than 33,500 citations, and has a Google Scholar h index of 86.

Prof. du Bois has received multiple honours and awards in recognition for his work, including the Arthur Walpole Award (German Cancer Society, 2006), Ernst Wertheim Award (Austrian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, 2006), MD Anderson Madrid Lifetime Award (2016), Wilhelm-Warner Prize for Cancer Research (2019), German Cancer Prize (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, 2020) and honorary membership of the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (2020); 2021 he received the ESGO Lifetime Achievement Award (European Society of Gynaecological Oncology).

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Anna Fagotti. Dr. Fagotti is the director of the ovarian cancer unit at the A. Gemelli IRCCS University Hospital Foundation, ESGO President Elect and member of the ESGO Executive Committee, and Editor of the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. Highlights:-Always practice your skills if you want to excel in minimally invasive surgery: Practice makes perfect.-The journey is long for a gynecologic oncologist. We can’t foresee the future and plans might have to be adjusted along the way, so try to be flexible on what you have beside you. Try to answer the relevant clinical questions. Don’t create a question just to answer.

-There can be difficulties along the way, but look forward and focus on your aim and don’t get stopped by obstacles. Remember to try to enjoy everything.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Jorge Hoegl to discuss peritoneal carcinomatosis after minimally invasive surgery in cervical cancer. Dr. Jorge Hoegl is an early career gynecologic oncologist at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the General Hospital of the East “Dr. Domingo Luciani” in Caracas, Venezuela. Highlights:-Peritoneal carcinomatosis represented more than 15% of all recurrences, with a recurrence rate of 22.2% in minimally invasive surgery compared to 8.8%.-Peritoneal carcinomatosis has been frequently grouped within distant recurrences and perhaps this made it not such a notorious fact.

-Peritoneal carcinomatosis does not appear to be an unusual recurrence pattern associated with cervical cancer and it should be reported separately.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Félix Boria to discuss the validation of ESGO quality indicators for cervical cancer. Mr. Boria is an attending physician of the gynecologic oncology division at the University of Navarra (Madrid, Spain) under the mentorship of Dr. Luis Chiva. He is currently finishing his PhD at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid about PET/CT and advanced ovarian cancer.Highlights:- Women who were operated on centers with high compliance of quality indicators had significant lower risk of relapse (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.61; p<0.001). The association remained significant after further adjustment for conization, surgical approach and use of manipulator and for adjuvant therapy.- High compliance centers performed more open surgeries (58.4% vs 36.7%, p<0.01), more cone biopsies (45.4% vs 30.0%, p<0.01), lower use of a uterine manipulator (15.5% vs 31.7%, p<0.01), lower use of adjuvant treatment (40.2% vs 48.4%, p=0.01).

- The rate of adjuvant treatment in Europe is surprisingly high, especially in low compliance centers (48%). Future investigations should try to address if we are overtreating patients with cervical cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Ilaria Betella and Francesco Multinu. Dr. Betella is an attending in the Department of Gynecologic Surgery at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan. Her research focuses on molecular classification of endometrial cancer and on hereditary gynecologic cancer syndromes. Dr. Multinu is a gynecologic oncologist at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan as well as a research collaborator in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His special research interests include surgical and postoperative treatment of endometrial cancer.

Highlights:

There is evidence that the new molecular classification will be the future in the management of endometrial cancer.
The implementation of molecular analysis allows oncologists to reallocate to a different risk class 6.8% of endometrial cancers that otherwise would have been misclassified and consequently undertreated or overtreated.
The interpretation of molecular classification requires a validated hierarchical algorithm, for which POLE analysis is essential: Even though POLE testing has not been implemented in many institutions, there is no way to use part of the molecular analysis and completely escape POLE analysis.
According to the new algorithm proposed by Dr. Betella et al., POLE analysis could be spared in 67% of patients and reserved only for those in whom the incorporation of the molecular classification could change the risk class attribution and post-operative management.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Paolo Zola to discuss the TOTEM trial. For 20 years, Dr. Zola has been Chair of Gynaecological Oncology in the Department of Surgical Sciences of the University of Turin (Italy). Dr. Zola has conducted a large number of national and international randomized clinical trials in order to optimize the treatments for women diagnosed with gynaecological cancers. He has served as a member of the board of the EORTC Gynaecological Cancer Group and of the ESGO. Dr. Zola chairs the gynaecological cooperative group within the Oncological Network in Piedmont Region, and his research has been reported in more than 400 manuscripts published in peer reviewed literature.

Highlights:

To perform the follow up in patients treated for endometrial cancer, the cornerstone is the clinical control.
In low-risk patients, surveillance every 6 months is appropriate.
In high-risk patients a clinical examination every 4 months for 2 years and then every 6 is recommended.
In addition, our data suggest taking a CT after 12 and 20 months after the primary treatment.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Dimitrios Nasioudis to discuss ovarian preservation in grade 2 or 3 endometrial cancer. Dr. Nasioudis is a Gynecologic Oncology Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. His current research focuses on translational therapeutics and population-based research.

Highlights:

For premenopausal patients with endometrial cancer, ovarian preservation is not associated with worse oncologic outcomes for those with grade 1 tumors. However, safety of ovarian preservation for grade 2 or 3 tumors is not established.
Ovarian preservation was not associated with worse overall survival for patients with grade 2 or 3 endometrioid tumors.

-Ovarian preservation may be considered for carefully selected patients with grade 2 tumors.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Jonathan Ledermann to discuss ICON8-Overall Survival. Jonathan Ledermann is a professor of medical oncology and Clinical Director at UCL Cancer Institute specializing in the treatment and research of gynaecological malignancies. He has led several national and international trials on the treatment of ovarian cancer and has played a key role in developing trials of PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer. He is the ESMO Gynaecological Cancer Practice Guidelines Editor and past Vice President of ESGO. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a Senior Investigator for the National Institute of Health Research in the UK.

Highlights:

Weekly first-line chemotherapy for ovarian cancer does not improve progression-free or overall survival.
ICON8 was the largest randomized trial exploring weekly paclitaxel or weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel compared to tri-weekly chemotherapy.
There is no evidence to suggest that weekly first-line chemotherapy should be used as part of multimodal treatment of newly diagnosed ovarian cancer.
The results in a predominately European population differ from a similar Japanese trial, raising the possibility that genetic or pharmacogenomic differences need to be considered when comparing the results of trials in ovarian cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Professor María Kyrgiou to discuss Cervical Conization Dimensions: 2022 Consensus Recommendations. Professor Mara Kyrgiou is a Professor at Imperial College London and a Consultant Surgeon in Gynaecology and Gynaecological Oncology at the West London Gynaecological Cancer Centre, Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust. She is the Head of Section of Gynaecological Oncology at Imperial College London. Her main clinical interest is minimal access and complex gynaecological cancer surgery.

Highlights: - Local treatment techniques for cervical pre-invasive and early invasive disease were previously thought to be interchangeable with regards to treatment failure rates and associated with minor and infrequent complications. - The findings of a network metaanalysis (Athanasiou Lancet Oncology 2022) suggest that more aggressive treatments (i.e., CKC, laser conisation) are associated with lower recurrence rates but higher risk for subsequent preterm birth. - The risk of reproductive morbidity is directly associated with the length of the cone. - This paper by ESGO/EFC/IFCPC describes a consensus terminology of the cone dimensions to make studies addressing effectiveness and safety of SIL/CIN treatment comparable and facilitate their use to tailor surveillance and antenatal management. - The 2022 terminology should replace all previous terminologies, which will facilitate communication between clinicians and foster tailored treatment guidelines that balance obstetrical harm against therapeutic effectiveness. - Universal agreed reporting will further facilitate communications among clinicians and pathologists, promote audit of practice and future research, and improve the quality of future meta-analyses.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Nadeem Abu-Rustum. Dr. Abu-Rustum is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist who specializes in the surgical treatment of gynecologic cancers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is also a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Abu-Rustum has a special interest in minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy) for the treatment of cancerous and noncancerous diseases of the female reproductive system, and his clinical research focuses on surgical therapy for gynecologic cancers and innovative surgical approaches to treating gynecologic disorders.

Highlights:

The journey of being a gynecologic oncologist is incredibly rewarding.
Focus your research on areas that are meaningful to you.
Question traditional surgical principles that you believe can be improved upon.
Be grateful to all the people who worked with you and helped make you the person you have become.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Jean-Marc Classe and Florence Joly to discuss the CHRONO trial. Dr. Classe is a surgeon and former head of the surgical department of the Institute of Surgical Oncology of Nantes, France. He is a professor in oncology and president of the French Society of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Joly is a medical oncologist and coordinator of gynecological and genito-urinary medical oncology. She is also the head of the clinical research department of Francois Baclesse Comprehensive Cancer Center in Caen, France. She is a professor in medical oncology and a member of both the scientific board of the GINECO intergroup and the GCIG.

Highlights:

-In patients treated for an advanced ovarian cancer not suitable to primary surgery, the timing of surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) could depend on chemosensitivity. -When more cycles of NAC are discussed, do not confuse more cycles in order to make the disease suitable to a complete surgery with more cycles in order to perform less surgery. -In cases of patients with a highly chemosensitive advanced ovarian cancer, delaying surgery could reduce surgical morbidity and improve quality of life. -More cycles of NAC to treat a chemosensitive disease could improve the rate of complete surgery and improve the rate of pathological complete response.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. David Viveros-Carreño and Rene Pareja to discuss Sedlis criteria. Dr. Viveros-Carreño is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Clínica Universitaria Colombia and Clínica Los Nogales in Bogotá, Colombia. Dr. Pareja is a gynecologist oncologist at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and the National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. Dr. Pareja is a reviewer for more than 20 specialty journals, an Associate Editor for IJGC, and a member of the board of directors of the International Gynecological Cancer Society (IGCS). He is the author of nine book chapters and more than 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and at IGCS 2021 he received an award for Community Advancement in Resource-Limited Settings.

Highlights:

-There is currently a debate regarding the role of adjuvant therapy for intermediate-risk cervical cancer. -Adjuvant pelvic radiotherapy showed lower risk of recurrence for intermediate-risk cervical cancer in a randomized controlled trial more than 20 years ago. -Preoperative imaging, surgery, pathology, and radiotherapy techniques have changed since the evidence for intermediate risk adjuvant treatments was described. -The risk of recurrence for intermediate risk cervical cancer is probably lower now, and observation could be an option. -New evidence from two randomized controlled trials (GOG 263 and CERVANTES trials) is expected to change definitions of intermediate risk and adjuvant algorithms.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Dmitriy Zamarin to discuss immune checkpoint inhibitors in ovarian cancer. Dr. Zamarin is a medical oncologist and a translational research director in gynecologic medical oncology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. His research focuses on development of novel immune therapeutics in gynecologic malignancies and on the mechanisms of immune response to immunotherapy.

Highlights:

-Immune checkpoint blockade benefits a subset of patients with ovarian cancer, but predictors of such benefit remain unknown.

-Patients with ovarian clear cell carcinoma appear to be more likely to derive benefit from immunotherapy, particularly from combined immune checkpoint blockade; however, these patients still constitute only a minority of those with ovarian clear cell carcinoma.

-Larger prospective trials of immune checkpoint blockade, including combined immune checkpoint blockade in ovarian clear cell carcinoma, are needed to validate these early observations.

-Biomarkers of response to immunotherapy like PD-L1 expression and tumor mutation burden are of limited value in ovarian cancer, and other molecular and microenvironment biomarkers are needed.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Mario Leitao and Evan Smith to discuss outcomes of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma. Dr. Leitao is an attending surgeon and member at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as well as a Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. He serves as the fellowship director at MSKCC as well as the Director of the Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery Program. Dr. Smith is a gynecologic oncologist at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Gynecologic Oncology with the LSU Health Obstetrics and Gynecology residency program in Baton Rouge.

Highlights:

-Lymphadenectomy is unnecessary in patients with low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) and clinically normal nodes. -Postoperative therapies do not improve progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival in low-grade ESS that is completely resected. -FIGO stage is associated with PFS but not disease-specific survival. -Next generation sequencing is standard for soft tissue sarcomas and should be offered to patients with low-grade ESS.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Professor Bradley J. Monk to discuss the ATHENA-MONO clinical trial. Prof. Monk is an international thought leader and clinical trialist who has developed and advocated for maintenance treatment in newly diagnosed advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer. ATHENA-MONO represents his fifth positive randomized phase 3 trial studying maintenance treatment and adds confidence to this efficacious and tolerable paradigm changing opportunity for all patients regardless of the molecular genotype (allcomers).

Highlights: - Maintenance therapy is now the global standard of care in patients with advanced or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. This can include a PAPP inhibitor, bevacizumab, or the combination. - Maintenance treatment is efficacious in all molecular subgroups and is tolerable without an impairment in the quality of life. - Payers acknowledge the value of maintenance treatment as do consensus guidelines.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Devon Abt to discuss SLN mapping in endometrial hyperplasia. Devon is a fourth-year Resident in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School currently applying into Gynecologic Oncology fellowship. Highlights: - Fewer than 30% of patients with preoperative diagnosis of endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia had concurrent endometrial cancer on final pathology. Endometrial stripe ≥20mm was associated with 2 times the risk of concurrent endometrial cancer. - Routine SLND in all patients with preoperative diagnosis of endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia is not cost-effective and would result in overtreatment. - Endometrial stripe may be a criterion for selectively using a sentinel lymph node algorithm in patients with preoperative diagnosis of endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia who are poor candidates for lymphadenectomy or at institutions where frozen section is not available or reliable.

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Ainhoa Madariaga to discuss parp inhibitor treatments and adverse events. Dr. Madariaga's article "Manage wisely: poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) treatment and adverse events" (ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020…8/ijgc-2020-001288), was the Lead Article in the July 2020 issue of IJGC. Dr. Madariaga is a medical oncologist working as a clinical research fellow in the gynecology and drug development program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Her clinical and academic areas of interest are gynecologic cancers and early phase clinical trial design, such as development of drug-repurposing studies, cancer treatment adverse event and patient reported outcomes assessment.

Original release date: July 6, 2021

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Nicole Concin to discuss the ESGO-ESTRO-ESP Endometrial Cancer Guidelines.

Original release date: January 4, 2021

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Oliver Zivanovic to discuss updates on role of HIPEC in ovarian cancer. Dr. Zivanovic is a Gynecologic Cancer Surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, with the goal to advance the early detection and treatment of women with gynecologic cancers. His special interests include the treatment of patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer and electronic patient-reported symptom monitoring after cancer surgery.

Original release date: August 30, 2021

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Kathleen Schmeler to discuss the ConCerv Trial. Dr. Schmeler is the lead author of “ConCerv: a prospective trial of conservative surgery for low-risk early-stage cervical cancer,” which was the Lead Article of IJGC’s October 2021 issue. Dr. Schmeler is a Professor in Gynecologic Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She provides care to women with gynecologic malignancies including surgery, chemotherapy and preventive services. Dr. Schmeler is also the Executive Director of Global Oncology for the MD Anderson Cancer Network. Her research interest is in cervical cancer prevention and treatment, particularly for resource-constrained countries and medically underserved communities in the US.

Original release date: October 4, 2021

Highlights: - The ConCerv trial is the first prospective study of conservative surgery in women with low-risk cervical cancer. It included 14 sites in 9 countries. - Findings from the ConCerv Trial offer prospective data supporting a more conservative approach to low-risk patients, sparing them the early and late morbidity associated with radical procedures. - It will also allow for safer cervical cancer surgery in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of cervical cancer is highest. - In our study, conservative surgery was associated with a 3.5% recurrence rate in women with low-risk cervical cancer. In addition, the rate of positive lymph nodes was 5%, with lymph node assessment recommended in this low-risk population. - Further study is needed to determine long term outcomes and optimal pathologic criteria for conservative surgery.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Professor Alejandra Martinez to discuss the Chemotherapy Response Score (CRS) in ovarian cancer. Prof. Martinez has been the Deputy Head of the Surgical Oncology Department at Toulouse University Cancer Center (Institut Universitaire du Cancer de Toulouse) since 2016. She has served as the Director of the ESGO fellowship program of the IUCTO since 2017 and as a professor in oncology since 2021.

Highlights: - CRS is an easy and reproductible biomarker that can help to stratify a patient's treatment. - CRS 1-2 is associated with higher tumor load, more extensive surgical procedures, residual tumor after cytoreduction, and early relapse. - Pathology response measured by the CRS is associated with disease-free and overall survival in patients with stage IIIC/IV treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy irrespective of the number of cycles.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Drs. Robert Coleman and Shannon Westin to discuss updates on overall survival PARP inhibitors. Robert L. Coleman, MD, is a gynecologic oncologist is Houston Texas and serves as SVP and Chief Scientific Officer for US Oncology Research. His primary research interests are in drug development for gynecological cancers and clinical trial management; he has authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Shannon Westin focuses on developmental therapeutics and the use of biomarkers to predict response and recurrence in gynecologic malignancies. She currently serves as the Director of Early Drug Development and Phase I trials in her department and is a Co-Director of the Ovarian Cancer Moonshot. She is currently the PI or co-PI for greater than 30 novel treatment trials in gynecologic malignancies.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Gillian Hanley to discuss opportunistic salpingectomy for the prevention of ovarian cancer. Gillian Hanley, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of British Columbia and a Canada Research Chair in Population-based Gynecologic and Perinatal outcomes. She does health services research in gynecology, primarily in the area of ovarian cancer prevention.

Highlights:

Opportunistic salpingectomy, the removal of fallopian tubes during a hysterectomy with ovarian preservation or instead of tubal ligation, has been recommended as ovarian cancer prevention following evidence that the fallopian tube is the tissue of origin for most high grade serous ovarian cancers.
We recently published the first data comparing observed to expected numbers of serous and epithelial ovarian cancers following opportunistic salpingectomy done for the purposes of ovarian cancer prevention in British Columbia, Canada. 3.Our data strongly suggest that opportunistic salpingectomy is effective in preventing serous ovarian cancers. There were 0 serous cancers in the opportunistic salpingectomy, and if they had been arising at the same rate as in the control groups (hysterectomy alone and tubal ligation), we would have expected 5.3. 0 is below the low end of the 95% confidence interval.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Katherine Hicks-Courant and Christina Uwins discuss the contents of the June issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Mario Preti to discuss the ESGO, ISSVD, ECSVD, and EFC consensus statements on pre-invasive vulvar lesions. Dr. Preti received his Specialization in Gynecology and Obstetrics and Specialization in Medical Oncology at the University of Torino. He is Associate Professor at the Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Torino, Italy, and the Immediate Past President of the ISSVD (International Society for the Study of Vulvo-vaginal disease). Dr. Preti is the author of 4 books on vulvo-vaginal diseases, and as of June 2022, he has published 108 papers indexed in Scopus/Pubmed, with 2,014 citations and an H-index of 23.

Highlights: Epidemiological data show no decrease in vulvar invasive cancer incidence. This means that accurate diagnosis and treatment of pre-invasive vulvar disease must be improved: these are among the ESGO-ISSVD-ECSVD aims. The two carcinogenic pathways of vulvar squamous neoplasia recognize as precursors two vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN): HPV-associated squamous intraepithelial lesions (High Grade VIN) and HPV-independent VIN (mainly differentiated VIN). These precursors have different clinical approach, treatment and oncological risk. Their histologic features can be subtle, and the histological diagnosis may be further complicated by coexisting conditions. For differentiated VIN, an excisional procedure must always be adopted. Medical treatment (imiquimod or cidofovir) and ablative treatment can be considered for high grade VIN to preserve anatomy and function. These conservative approaches must be preceded by representative biopsies to exclude invasive disease. Follow up should be modulated according to the risk of recurrence (type of lesion, patient age and immunological conditions, other associated lower genital tract lesions). Pre-invasive vulvar lesions deserve specific attention because they affect not only functionality and body image, but also psychosexual factors.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Dimitrios Nasioudis. Dr. Nasioudis is a Gynecologic Oncology Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. His current research focuses on translational therapeutics and population-based research.

Highlights: The utility of surgical staging for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer has not been established. While PET-CT is the most sensitive imaging modality to detect para-aortic metastases, the false negative rate can be as high as 20%. In the United States, surgical staging for locally advanced cervical cancer is rarely performed with a decreasing utilization. The impact of surgical staging on the oncologic outcomes is not clear.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Andreas Obermair. Dr. Obermair is a gynecological oncologist in Brisbane, Australia, promoting surgery with proven better patient outcomes.

Highlights:

Facing and dealing with adversity in life
Goals for making gynecological oncology safer, less invasive, and smarter; ensuring that patients are not scared of treatment; and increasing the effectiveness of treatment
Exploring novel options of therapy and seeking strategies for newer treatments. Only if we are not satisfied with what we do today can we hope to achieve a better outcome tomorrow.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. David Viveros-Carreño. Dr. Viveros-Carreño is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Clínica Universitaria Colombia and Clínica Los Nogales in Bogotá, Colombia.

Highlights: - Fertility-sparing surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cervical cancer >4 cm is feasible, but the evidence is limited and should be considered as an experimental intervention. - A complete pathological response occurred in 56% of patients. - At least one pregnancy was achieved in 67% of cases and 60% were pre-term deliveries.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Katherine Hicks-Courant, MD, MSHP. Dr. Hicks-Courant is a fellow in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. She studies the intersection of gynecologic oncology, palliative care and oncology care delivery systems.

Highlights:

Having a gynecologic rather than a medical oncologist was associated with lower rates of high-intensity end-of-life care. Having a gynecologic oncologist rather than a medical oncologist was associated with higher rates of invasive procedures. Having a gynecologic oncologist rather than a medical oncologist was associated with higher Medicare spending.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Rene Pareja to discuss conservative management of cervical cancer. Dr. Pareja is a gynecologist-oncologist at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and the National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. He is a reviewer for more than 20 specialty journals, an Associate Editor for IJGC, a member of the Editorial Board of Gynecology Oncology, and a member of the board of directors of the International Gynecological Cancer Society (IGCS). Additionally, he is a member of FIGO committee on Women's Cancer. Dr. Pareja is the author of nine book chapters and more than 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and at IGCS 2021 he received an award for Community Advancement in Resource-Limited Settings.

Highlights:

Fertility preserving options have to be offered to all women wishing to preserve their fertility potential, that fulfil the ECOG status, histological, and imaging criteria.
It is recommended to have an evaluation by human reproduction specialized teams in order to rule out any potential impairment before the surgery.
The relapse rate for vaginal radical trachelectomy, abdominal radical trachelectomy and simple trachelectomy/conization are around 4-5%.
The highest live birth rates are seen in patients undergoing conization + lymph node assessment (over 88%).
Vaginal radical trachelectomy and minimally invasive radical trachelectomy, with preservation of ascendent branch of uterine artery, are contraindicated in women with tumors > 2 cm, due to the high rate of relapse (over 20%).

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Susana Banerjee to discuss SOLO1. Dr. Banerjee is a Consultant Medical Oncologist and Research Lead for the Gynaecology Unit. She is also Reader in Women’s Cancers at the Institute of Cancer Research. Dr Banerjee specialises in ovarian cancer and the systemic treatment of endometrial and cervical cancers.

Highlights: - This report is the longest follow-up period for a PARP inhibitor in the newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer. - The present analysis shows a PFS benefit that is sustained for several years following completion of 2 years of maintenance olaparib. - PFS benefit was consistent irrespective of higher or lower clinical risk or BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. - SOLO1 is the first to report longer-term follow-up for safety in patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer receiving a PARPi as maintenance treatment. - The safety profile for patients in the maintenance olaparib remained consistent with that reported previously, with no new safety signals. Importantly, no additional cases of MDS or AML were reported.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Glauco Baiocchi. Dr. Baiocchi is the Director of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the AC Camargo Cancer Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Highlights:

-SLN biopsy has emerged as an accurate method for lymph node staging in endometrial cancer. -Prospective studies aimed to analyze the performance of SLN biopsy in staging endometrial cancer rather than oncological outcomes. -ALICE trial aims to confirm that SLN mapping without systematic node dissection does not negatively impact oncological outcomes.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Jalid Sehouli. Dr. Sehouli is director of the department of gynecology with center of oncological surgery at Charité Medical University in Berlin. He founded the first certified ovarian cancer center in 2007, published more than 500 articles, and is a teacher and a writer of several belletristic books.

Highlights: Gynecology should be always holistic, interdisciplinary, and multi-professional. Research in gynecology relies on teamwork, and international collaboration is essential. The most relevant drug in medicine is communication!

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Sarah Mah to discuss the gender imbalance in authorship in gynecologic oncology. Sarah Mah is a Gynecologic Oncology fellow at McMaster University who received her MSc in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety through the University of Toronto Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and completed residency at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests are in quality improvement with an equity and sustainability lens, knowledge translation, and cancer prevention.

Highlights: Women now account for 55-70% of practicing Gynecologic Oncologists and >80% of Gynecologic Oncology fellows in the United States and Canada. Rates of female first authorship in Gynecologic Oncology journals are rising in proportion, but rates of female senior authorship lag behind, with male authors still overrepresented. Women remain underrepresented as members of Editorial Boards of Gynecologic Oncology journals, particularly in leadership positions. While the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet impacted the proportion of female authors, we discuss reasons for why this could be of future concern and the importance of ongoing surveillance. We discuss some of the literature regarding gender inequity in academia and publishing and explore possible strategies for improvement.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Robert Bristow, Prof. Christina Fotopoulou, and Dr. Myong Cheol Lim to discuss Secondary Cytoreductive Surgery in Ovarian Cancer. Dr. Bristow is Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. His clinical expertise and research interests focus on the surgical management of advanced-stage and recurrent ovarian cancer. Prof. Christina Fotopoulou has served as the Chair of Gynaecological Cancer Surgery at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, UK. She has served as an elected ESGO council member and Chair of the ESGO guidelines committee. Dr. Myong Cheol Lim is a gynecologic oncologist, working for National Cancer Center Korea. He is fully dedicated to clinical research, including cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC for the management of ovarian cancer.

Highlights: - This large meta-analysis on the value of secondary debulking showed that both complete as well as optimal cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer relapse significantly increased patients' overall survival. - Median overall survival of a patients cohort increased by 9% and 7% when the complete and optimal cytoreductive rates increased by 10%, respectively, even after adjusting of other well established prognostic factors. - Patients with ovarian cancer relapse should be evaluated for their eligibility for secondary debulking surgery in an effort to improve their survival.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Supriya Chopra. Dr. Chopra is a Professor in Radiation Oncology at ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre and Principal Investigator of the PARCER trial. Her research focus is to improve outcomes of cervical cancer through use of advanced radiation techniques in patients undergoing RT for both primary and recurrent metastatic cervical cancer. She also co-leads multi-institutional molecular translational research programme (BIOEMBRACE) for cervix cancer.

HIGHLIGHTS: - Postoperative Adjuvant Radiation in Cervical Cancer (PARCER), a phase III randomized trial, compared late toxicity after image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) in women with cervical cancer undergoing postoperative radiation. - IG-IMRT results in reduced toxicity with no difference in disease outcomes in cervical cancer. - The 3-year cumulative incidence of grade ≥ 2 late GI toxicity in the IG-IMRT and 3D-CRT arms were 21.1% versus 42.4%. - The cumulative incidence of grade ≥ 2 any late toxicity was 28.1% versus 48.9%. - Patients reported reduced diarrhea (P = .04), improved appetite (P = .008), and lesser bowel symptoms (P = .002) with IG-IMRT. - The 3-year pelvic relapse-free survival and disease-free survival in the IG-IMRT versus the 3D-CRT arm were 81.8% versus 84% and 76.9% versus 81.2%, respectively.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Katherine Kurnit. Dr. Kurnit is an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago in the section of Gynecologic Oncology. Her research interests include developmental therapeutics and early phase clinical trials for patients with gynecologic cancers.

Highlights: Although surgical practices have changed over time, there is still much debate and no consistent consensus about timing or the use of new therapies such as HIPEC. More options for upfront maintenance therapy are now available for ovarian cancer patients. We need new treatment approaches for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Finding ways to ensure ovarian cancer care is safe, feasible, and cost-effective in many different settings (nationally and internationally) will be important. New strategies for screening and prevention are sorely needed

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Genevieve Bouchard-Fortier. Dr. Bouchard-Fortier is an assistant professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto and a member of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University Health Network/Sinai Health Systems. Her research is focused on improving the quality of care of gynecologic oncology patients as well as developing quality metrics to measure outcomes.

Highlights:

• We implemented a perioperative program to increase same day discharge rate after minimally invasive hysterectomy from 30% to 75% in gynecologic oncology patients.

• ERAS principles significantly improved the same day discharge rate while maintaining a low complication rate.

• Longer surgery, timing of surgery, and narcotic use were significantly associated with overnight admission.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. David M. Gershenson to discuss the use of trametinib in low-grade serous cancer. Dr. Gershenson is Professor and former Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His major focus is on the clinical and translational research of rare ovarian cancers.

Highlights: Trametinib represents a new standard for the treatment of recurrent low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary/peritoneum. The findings of GOG 281 suggest that women whose tumor harbors a MAPK mutation (KRAS, NRAS, BRAF) may have a greater probability of response to trametinib, but the results are hypothesis-generating, and further studies are needed. Importantly, trametinib should not be withheld from a woman whose tumor lacks MAPK mutations. Based on the findings of GOG 281 and preclinical studies, future trials will include combinations of a MEK inhibitor plus endocrine therapy and novel agents targeting the MAPK signaling pathway or, more specifically, RAS.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Rene Pareja, a gynecologist-oncologist at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and the National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. Dr. Pareja is a reviewer for more than 20 specialty journals, an Associate Editor for IJGC, and a member of the board of directors of the International Gynecological Cancer Society (IGCS). He is the author of nine book chapters and more than 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and at IGCS 2021 he received an award for Community Advancement in Resource-Limited Settings.

Highlights: Tips for expertise in minimally invasive surgery: (1) learn from an experienced mentor, (2) train all the time, (3) get a formal course, (4) record your surgeries. The crucial components to do surgery related research: Start to review papers, write protocols/systematic reviews, and try to work the most and tirelessly on an original project. A successful person is someone who has failed several times. Secrets and tips on life and professional career.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Alex Melamed to discuss neoadjuvant versus primary surgery. Alex Melamed is a gynecologist oncologist and a health services researcher at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia Irving Medical Center.

Highlights: - The emergence of evidence supporting non-inferiority of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) compared with primary surgery for advance ovarian cancer led to increased utilization of NACT. - However, while some cancer programs in the U.S. doubled their use of NACT, others continued to use this approach infrequently. - The differential adoption of NACT by cancer programs can be viewed, and analyzed, as a natural experiment using a difference-in-differences study design. - Compared with programs that continued to use NACT infrequently, high users of NACT had similar improvements in median survival, with greater reductions in 6-month and 12-month mortality.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. David Gaffney, Dr. Carien Creutzberg, and Dr. Anuja Jhingran to discuss this month's special issue on radiation oncology. Dr. Gaffney, MD, PhD, Senior Director of Clinical Research, is Professor and Vice-Chair of the University of Utah (U of U) Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Gaffney is a distinguished clinician and a long-standing leader in clinical research, and he is also a past president of the American Brachytherapy Society. Dr. Carien Creutzberg is Professor of Radiation Oncology at Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands. She specializes in research and treatment of gynecological cancers and has been initiator and principal investigator of the four PORTEC trials and the TransPORTEC consortium. She is current chair of the GCIG Endometrial Cancer Committee and past Council member of ESGO and IGCS. Dr. Anuja Jhingran is a Professor of Radiation Oncology in the Section of Gynecology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is the present treasure/secretary for IGCS. She is highly active in GCSC, GCIC, ASCO, and SGO. Her passion is to improve treatment for all women with gynecological cancer throughout the world and she does this through mentoring physicians in underserved regions throughout world.

Highlights: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is useful in gynecological cancers. Brachytherapy improves survival in cervix cancer. Image guidance in radiation oncology decreases morbidity. Patients with small volume disease and long disease-free interval may be good candidates for SBRT. Immunotherapy can be combined with radiation therapy.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Coleman to discuss TV in Advanced or Recurrent Cervical Cancer.

HIGHLIGHTS: Drug development in cervix cancer has undergone a renaissance in recent years with the identification of novel antibody drug conjugates (ADC) and immunotherapy measurably impacting patient survivorship. Tisotumab vedotin (TV) is an ADC targeting tumor expression of tissue factor delivering the cytotoxic warhead MMAE. InnovaTV 204/ GOG-3023/ENGOT-cx6 is a single arm phase II trial of TV in patients with recurrent/metastatic previously treatment cervix cancer who had measurable disease seeking assessment of objective response by independent radiological review, duration of response and safety. 101 assessable patients were enrolled demonstrating a ORR of 24%, with median duration of response of 8.3 months. The regimen was well tolerated with the most common treatment-related adverse events being alopecia, epistaxis, nausea, conjunctivitis, fatigue, and dry eye. A rigorous eye care plan can mitigate high grade ocular toxicity.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Andreas Obermair and Monika Janda to discuss the FeMMe trial.

Highlights: feMMe was a randomised phase 2 trial testing LNG-IUD alone or in combination with a weight loss intervention or metformin for endometrial hyperplasia with atypia or stage 1 endometrial cancer. Overall complete pathological response at 6 month was 61%. Women with endometrial hyperplasia with atypia responded much better than women with endometrial cancer. Weight loss achieved was moderate and BMI was not associated with response – more work on weight loss interventions needed. Metformin did not improve response – more biomarker research is needed to understand who will respond to LNG-IUD or not.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Felix Boria discusses the contents of the February issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Floriane Jochum and Natalie Medley discuss the contents of the February issue of IJGC in English.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. David M. Gershenson to discuss legends in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Gershenson is Professor and former Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His major focus is on the clinical and translational research or rare ovarian cancers.

Highlights: Mentoring is an essential component of a successful career in gynecologic oncology, and every trainee should seek a mentor early in their fellowship. Strive to achieve the optimal work/life balance to avoid burnout over the course of your career. The subspecialty of gynecologic oncology has been consistently gratifying for me during the past 40+ years. It provides young trainees with a myriad of wonderful opportunities and career choices. I strongly recommend having a 5-year plan to optimize success in your professional career.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Enrique Chacón and Luis Chiva to discuss the possible protective role of conization.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, former Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the January issue of IJGC in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, former Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the January issue of IJGC in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Nicole Concin to discuss the article European Society of Gynaecological Oncology quality indicators for the surgical treatment of endometrial carcinoma. Dr. Concin is a gynaecological oncologist, ESGO president, Co-Chair of ENGOT Early Drug Development Network, and Professor at Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck Austria & Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany. Related Link: https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/31/12/1508

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Prof. Philipp Harter to discuss The DESKTOP III Trial. Prof. Harter is the director of the Department of Gynecology & Gynecologic Oncology at Kliniken Essen-Mitte in Essen, Germany, and the chair of the AGO Study Group. Highlights: -Role of surgery for relapsed ovarian cancer is under debate -DESKTOP III has shown a significant benefit regarding PFS and OS by secondary cytoreduction -The data, interpretation and clinical consequences are discussed".

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Gloria Salvo and Dr. Rene Pareja to discuss IRTA: Open vs MIS Radical Trachelectomy. Dr. Salvo was trained as a gynecologist in Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Argentina and works as a Clinical Reviewer/Data Abstractor of the Neuroendocrine Cervical Tumor Registry (NeCTuR) at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She has published several articles in cervical cancer including sentinel lymph node mapping and fertility-sparing surgery, neuroendocrine cervical carcinomas, and is the first author of the IRTA Study.

Highlights -In this multicenter retrospective study, we found no difference in the 4.5-year DFS rates between open radical trachelectomy and minimally invasive radical trachelectomy in patients with tumors up to 2 cm, even after adjusting for potential confounding variables because of unbalanced groups. -There was no difference in the OS rates or recurrence rates between the open surgery and MIS groups. -Risk factors for relapse were more common in the open surgery group, but oncologic outcomes were similar for the open and minimally invasive approaches.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Felix Boria discusses the contents of the January issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Dimitrios Nasioudis and Floriane Jochum discuss the contents of the January issue of IJGC in English.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Gabriela Benjamin to discuss a patient’s perspective on ovarian cancer. Gabriela Gesteira Benjamin 38 years old and was born in Brazil and grew up in Miami. She attended Columbia University where she studied engineering. She has worked in finance for the past 15 years and is currently a portfolio manager at Blackrock. She is the daughter of Roberto Benjamin and late Fatima Gesteira and sister to Joana Benjamin and Dr. Carolina Benjamin and proud aunt of Nico and Enzo. Gabi has a zest for life, practicing tennis, yoga, pilates, meditation, Freediving and kitesurfing just to name a few. She was diagnosed with advance stage ovarian cancer one year ago, underwent chemotherapy and hysterectomy. She is currently in remission but remains on maintenance medication. Interviewee Info: Gabriela Benjamin (@galebaweBenjam) Highlights: - It benefits patients when doctors put themselves in the patient’s shoes and acknowledge how painful and difficult a cancer diagnosis is - Treatment is not an easy journey, but staying positive and continuing to live life help in the process and often the outcome. - You must learn to see the collateral beauty or the silver linings, whether it is the love you receive, nature or a breath you take when you feel good. This diagnosis will give you new lenses to view life with - The choice of what center you do care in and with what Doctor makes the difference. Do your research, It is a personal choice but a very important one. For me it was a combination of experience and affinity, and I could not be happier with my choice of Dr. Ramirez and MdAnderson.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Andreina Fernandes to discuss HPV-independent Cervical Cancers. Dr. Fernandes is a Molecular Biologist, Doctor of Science, and author of “Human papillomavirus-independent cervical cancer,” the Lead Article for the January 2022 issue of IJGC. Dr. Fernandes is a Researcher of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at the Institute of Oncology and Hematology, and Professor of the Faculty of Dentistry, at Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela. (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/12/08/ijgc-2021-003014) Highlights: -The percentage of HPV-independent tumors is very variable, around 5 and 10%. -HPV-independent tumors are characterized by a differentiated molecular profile with lower proliferative activity, a p53 immunostaining, and alterations in PTEN, p53, KRAS, CTNNB1, ARID1A and ARID5B. -Most HPV-independent tumors are adenocarcinomas, however, there have been reports of HPV-independent cases with squamous histology. -HPV-independent tumors are associated with early lymph node involvement, accelerated tumor growth, distant metastasis, and a more aggressive biological behavior, related to a worse disease free survival and overall survival. -The hit and run mechanism could explain the absence of the viral genome in the HPV-independent cervical cancer cases.

Andreina Fernandes (@AndreFernandes2)

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Sarah Ferguson. Dr. Ferguson is a Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto and a member of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at University Health Network/Sinai Health Systems. She is the Director of Research for the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Princess Margaret Cancer. Dr. Ferguson completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Toronto and a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in Gynecologic Oncology. Current research program includes prospective surgical trials in cervical and endometrial cancer, evaluation of patient reported outcomes and molecular characterization of endometrial cancer.

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Nicole Concin to discuss the ESGO-ESTRO-ESP Endometrial Cancer Guidelines (ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020…8/ijgc-2020-002230)

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professor Christina Fotopoulou to discuss the ESGO Guidelines on Perioperative Management Ovarian Cancer. Professor Fotopoulou is the lead author of “European Society of Gynaecological Oncology guidelines for the peri-operative management of patients with ovarian cancer,” which is the Lead Article of IJGC’s September 2021 issue. Professor Fotopoulou works at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, UK. She is an elected ESGO council member and Chair of the ESGO guidelines committee.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Emma Allanson and Cecilia Darin discuss the contents of the December issue of IJGC in English.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Natalia Rodriguez and Erick Estrada discuss the contents of the December issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Jennifer Chae-Kim. Dr. Chae-Kim is the author of Outcomes of women treated with progestin and metformin for atypical endometrial hyperplasia and early endometrial cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis, which is the Lead Article of IJGC’s December 2021 issue. Dr. Chae-Kim is in her last year of OB/GYN residency at BSW-Temple, and will be pursuing her interests in fertility preservation and fellowship training in REI at the NIH next year. https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/11/15/ijgc-2021-002699 Jennifer Chae-Kim (@chae_md) Highlights 1) Endometrial cancer and atypical endometrial hyperplasia are being diagnosed more frequently in reproductive-aged women, who may desire fertility-sparing therapy. 2) Women who received progestin and metformin therapy were found to have lower disease relapse rates than those who received progestin alone. 3) Combined therapy was not associated with significantly different rates of disease remission, pregnancy, live birth. 4) Further research is needed to determine the parameters of clinical application of metformin to progestin therapy.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professor Andreas du Bois. Professor du Bois completed his medical degree in 1987 at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He subsequently trained in general surgery at Krankenhaus Wolfach Personalwohnheim and gynaecology and obstetrics at the University of Freiburg, leading to his registration as Fellow for Gynaecology and Obstetrics in 1993.

In 1993, Prof. du Bois became a Consultant in the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at St. Vincentius-Kliniken, Karlsruhe. He then served as Director of the Department of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology, Horst-Schmidt-Kliniken, Wiesbaden (19992010) before taking up his current roles as Director of the Departmenf of Gynaecology and Gynaecologic Oncology at Kliniken Essen-Mitte, and Associate Professor at Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany.

Prof. du Bois has been the Principal Investigator of several pivotal and practice-changing international clinical trials in gynaecological oncology. He founded the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynaekologische Onkologie (AGO) Study Group in 1993 and co-founded the European Network of Gynaecological Oncological Trial groups (ENGOT) in 2007. He has previously been a member of the German Guideline Comittee for guidelines in breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer, Chairman of the German quality assurance programme for ovarian cancer (QS-OVAR), and member of the Gynecological Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) executive board and European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) council. Prof. du Bois has been Chairman and a member of the Scientific Committee of the Ovarian Cancer Consensus Conference of the GCIG, and served as a member of the Scientific Committee of the 1st European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO)-ESGO Ovarian Cancer Consensus Conference 2018. Prof. du Bois is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), ESGO, International Gynecologic Cancer Society (ISGC), German Cancer Society, and AGO. He has authored more than 500 publications with more than 33,500 citations, and has a Google Scholar h index of 86.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Jason Wright to discuss SLN in endometrial atypical hyperplasia. Dr. Wright is the Sol Goldman Associate Professor and Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Columbia University. Highlights: -Performance of sentinel lymph node mapping is increasing in women undergoing hysterectomy for complex atypical endometrial hyperplasia. -Sentinel lymph node mapping in women with atypical endometrial hyperplasia does not increase perioperative morbidity or mortality. -The addition of sentinel lymph node mapping to surgery for endometrial hyperplasia is associated with increased hospital costs.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the November issue of IJGC in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Mario Leitao to discuss prophylactic negative pressure wound therapy RCT. Dr. Leitao is currently an Attending Surgeon in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College. He currently serves as Program Director for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship. Dr. Leitao is also the Director for the Minimal Access and Robotic Surgery Program in the Department of Surgery for MSKCC. Dr. Mario Leitao is currently an Attending Surgeon in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College. He currently serves as Program Director for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship. Dr. Leitao is also the Director for the Minimal Access and Robotic Surgery Program in the Department of Surgery for MSKCC. Highlights 1. SSI is a common postoperative complication that leads to significant healthcare costs in the near- and far-term 2. In our RCT, the use of a negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) system did not improve wound complications (Superficial SSI) in a cohort of patients undergoing mostly laparotomy for gynecologic malignancies with closed laparotomy incisions. 3. There was also no signal of benefit in the small subgroup of morbidly obese patients. 4. Increasing BMI was the only independently associated risk for the development of a wound complication @leitaomd @sloan_kettering

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Sara Nasser discusses the contents of the November issue of IJGC in Arabic.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Cecilia Darin and Natalia Rodriguez discuss the contents of the November issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Emma Allanson and Natalia Rodriguez discuss the contents of the November issue of IJGC in English.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Ate van der Zee and Brian Slomovitz to discuss the GROINSS-V-II/GOG 270 Trial. Dr. Brian Slomovitz is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Broward Health and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University. He is an internationally recognized leader in gynecologic oncology clinical trials, specifically in immunotherapy and novel biomarker therapeutics. He also is a leader in sentinel lymph node detection for gynecologic malignancies. Dr. Ate Van der Zee is Chairman of the Board of Directors at the University Medical Center Groningen and professor of Gynaecological Oncology. His current research focuses on translational and clinical research in vulvar cancer. Together with Dr. Oonk he leads a world-wide consortium (GROINSS-V), which performs landmark clinical studies in vulvar cancer. Dr. van der Zee combines his current position chairman position with clinical work and academic research. Highlights •Radiotherapy instead of inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy is a safe treatment option for vulvar cancer patients with a metastasis < 2 mm in the sentinel node •Radiotherapy instead of inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy is associated with less treatment-related morbidity in vulvar cancer patients with a metastasis < 2 mm in the sentinel node •Prospective phase II treatment trials with stopping rules are excellent tools to explore new diagnostic and therapeutic options and to provide evidence-based medicine in rare tumors such as vulvar cancer. •Leading a world-wide consortium (GROINSS-V) is very rewarding and great fun! Ate van der Zee and Brian Slomovitz (@AteZee / @gyncancermd / @umcg / @browardhealth, @FIU)

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Katherina Grette and Nathaniel Jones to discuss racial inequities in immunotherapy trials and their article, “Not immune to inequity: minority under-representation in immunotherapy trials for breast and gynecologic cancers,” which is the Lead Article in IJGC’s November 2021 issue. (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/09/21/ijgc-2021-002557) Dr. Katherine Grette attended medical school at the University of Washington, then completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of South Alabama prior to joining faculty. She currently practices as a generalist and serves as the Assistant Director of Resident Research for the department. Dr. Nate Jones completed residency at Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville, NC followed by fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at New York Presbyterian Hospitals: Columbia and Cornell. He currently serves as Assistant Professor in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of South Alabama Mitchell Cancer Institute. His research interests center on targeted cancer therapies, molecular and genomic characteristics of gynecologic malignancies, and addressing racial disparities in gynecologic cancer care. Highlights •Minority women are poorly represented in immunotherapy clinical trials for breast and gynecologic cancers •Enrollment of black women is especially low, accounting for only 5% of participants •Minority participation in clinical trials must increase to improve equity in health outcomes @natejones333 / @katgrette / @usamci

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professor Nicoletta Colombo to discuss pembrolizumab for persistent, recurrent, metastatic cervical cancer: KEYNOTE 826. Professor Nicoletta Colombo graduated in medicine in 1980, completing specialty training in obstetrics and gynaecology in 1984 at the University of Milan, Italy. After a training period at Charing Cross Hospital and Royal Marsden Hospital in London, she became a Clinical Research Associate at the Kaplan Cancer Center, New York University, where she worked from 1984 until 1986. Professor Colombo then worked as a member of the Junior and later the Senior Faculty at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Milan. In 1994 she became Deputy Director and in 2001 Director of the Medical Gynaecologic Oncology Division, European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Milan, Italy. Since 2002 she has held the position of Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Milan-Bicocca. In 2008, she became Director of the Ovarian Cancer Centre at IEO and in 2014 Chair of the Program of Gynaecology. Principal investigators of several international clinical trials, Professor Colombo is also author of several publications in the field of gynaecologic oncology, and a member of various professional societies such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the Society of Gynaecologic Oncologists (SGO) and the International Gynaecological Cancer Society (IGCS). She is also Past President of the European Society of Gynaecologic Oncology (ESGO) and was Chair of the first ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO Consensus Conference in endometrial cancer ( 2015) and the first ESMO-ESGO Consensus Conference in ovarian Cancer ( 2018). From 2016-2020 she was Subject Editor of ESMO Clinical Guidelines for Gynecological Malignancies and she is currently member of the steering committee of ESMO Clinical guidelines. Highlights 1)adding pembrolizumab to chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab provides statistically significant, clinically meaningful improvements in progression-free and overall survival in patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer 2)The addition of pembrolizumab was also associated with a higher response rate and a longer response duration 3)The safety profile for pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab was manageable 4)data from KEYNOTE-826 suggest that pembrolizumab plus platinum-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab may be a new first-line standard of care for the treatment of persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the October issue of IJGC in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Emma Allanson and Natalia Rodríguez discuss the contents of the September issue of IJGC in English.

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Dr. Bradley Monk is a member of Arizona Oncology and part of the US Oncology Network and continues to practice in Phoenix. Most recently, he has been appointed the US Oncology Medical Director of Gynecologic Oncology Research. Dr. Monk is also a Professor on the Clinical Scholar Track at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and works at Arizona Oncology (US Oncology Network).

Dr. Monk’s research interests include the prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers. Dr. Monk is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) and the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, as well as being an active member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, International Gynecologic Cancer Society, and American Society of Clinical Oncology. He has authored more than 330 peer-reviewed articles along with more than 30 book chapters dealing predominantly with the prevention and chemotherapy of gynecologic malignancies and patient quality of life.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Sara Nasser discusses the contents of the October issue of IJGC in Arabic.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Cecilia Darin and Erick Estrada discuss the contents of the October issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Kathleen Schmeler to discuss the ConCerv Trial. Dr. Schmeler is the lead author of ConCerv: a prospective trial of conservative surgery for low-risk early-stage cervical cancer, which is the Lead Article of IJGC’s October 2021 issue. Dr. Schmeler is a Professor in Gynecologic Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She provides care to women with gynecologic malignancies including surgery, chemotherapy and preventive services. Dr. Schmeler is also the Executive Director of Global Oncology for the MD Anderson Cancer Network. Her research interest is in cervical cancer prevention and treatment, particularly for resource-constrained countries and medically underserved communities in the US. ( https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/09/06/ijgc-2021-002921.share ) @kmschmeler @MDAndersonNews Highlights: •The ConCerv trial is the first prospective study of conservative surgery in women with low-risk cervical cancer. It included 14 sites in 9 countries. •Findings from the ConCerv Trial offer prospective data supporting a more conservative approach to low-risk patients, sparing them the early and late morbidity associated with radical procedures. •It will also allow for safer cervical cancer surgery in low- and middle-income countries, where the burden of cervical cancer is highest. •In the our study, conservative surgery was associated with a 3.5% recurrence rate in women with low-risk cervical cancer. In addition, the rate of positive lymph nodes was 5%, with lymph node assessment recommended in this low-risk population. •Further study is needed to determine long term outcomes and optimal pathologic criteria for conservative surgery."

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professor Christina Fotopoulou for another installment of the Mentor’s Podcast. Professor Fotopoulou works at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, UK. She is an elected ESGO council member and Chair of the ESGO guidelines committee. Christina Fotopoulou (@CF_PC_OvCaGroup / @HopkinsMedNews) Highlights: - Early support from mentors and "giants" in the field, national and international networking and early focusing/specialization in the field of interest are keys to success - Try to turn your weaknesses and failures to learning points and opportunities to make you stronger - Hard work, kindness and caring for patients, team spirit, professionalism and dedication are the main keys of success next to any talent and luck that anyone might be fortunate enough to have

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Yuefeng Wang and Matthew Ballo to discuss role of hysterectomy in stage IVB uterine cancer. Dr. Yuefeng Wang is a radiation oncologist and Dr. Matthew Ballo is a radiation oncologist, and the Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, West Cancer Center and Research Institute, Memphis, TN. Yuefeng Wang and Matthew Ballo (@YuefengWang2 / @west_cancer) Highlights: -For uterine cancer with pelvic/abdomen metastasis, there is survival benefit associated with total abdominal hysterectomy, in addition to systemic therapy. However, we do not know if there is any role of total abdominal hysterectomy for patient with distant organ metastasis. -In this retrospective, hypothesis-generating study including 3,200 uterine cancer patients with distant organ metastasis, total abdominal hysterectomy plus chemotherapy was associated with significant longer survival (19.8 vs 11.0 months, p < 0.05) compared to patients had chemotherapy alone.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Kemi Doll to discuss racial disparities in endometrial cancer screening with ultrasound. Dr. Kemi Doll is a gynecologic oncologist, health services researcher, and Associate Professor at the University of Washington, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her expertise is in Black-White disparities in endometrial cancer outcomes in the United States. Kemi Doll (@kemidoll / @uwmedicine / @uwashobgyn)

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Andreas Obermair to discuss the ENDO3 Trial. Dr. Obermair is a gynaecological oncologist in Brisbane, Australia, promoting surgery with proven better patient outcomes. Highlights •ENDO3 exemplifies the need to question current standard clinical practice if this practice – while performed routinely - has not shown patient benefit. •ENDO3 employs meticulous methodology and has been designed with input from gynaecological oncologists, medical and radiation oncologists, behavioural scientists, exercise physiologists, statisticians, translational scientists, including the patient perspective. •ENDO3 will offer unique insights into clinically meaningful outcomes that will shape our approach to surgical treatment of endometrial cancer in the future.

Andreas Obermair (@AndreasObermair / @UQ_gynae_cancer)

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Sara Nasser discusses the contents of the September issue of IJGC in Arabic.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the September issue of IJGC in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Cecilia Darin and Erick Estrada discuss the contents of the September issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Emma Allanson and Erick Estrada discuss the contents of the September issue of IJGC in English.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Oliver Zivanovic and Roisin O'Cearbhaill. Dr. Roisin O’Cearbhaill, MD, is a medical oncologist and the Research Director of the Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service and the Clinical Director of the Solid Tumor Program, Cellular Therapy Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, with a joint faculty appointment at Weill Cornell Medical College. Nationally, she serves as the Chair, Developmental Therapeutics, NRG Oncology. Dr. Oliver Zivanovic MD is a Gynecologic Oncologist at the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Ketteting Cancer Center with a joint faculty appointment at Weill Cornell Medical College. He serves as the Institutional Principle Investigator for NRG Oncology. @ROCearbhaill / @zivanovicmd / @TeamOvary_MSK / @sloan_kettering Highlights: -HIPEC with carboplatin at secondary cytoreductive surgery for first platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer was not superior to secondary cytoreduction without HIPEC. -HIPEC for recurrent ovarian cancer should be conducted in the setting of a clinical trial

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professor Christina Fotopoulou to discuss the ESGO Guidelines on Perioperative Management Ovarian Cancer. Professor Fotopoulou is the lead author of “European Society of Gynaecological Oncology guidelines for the peri-operative management of patients with ovarian cancer,” which is the Lead Article of IJGC’s September 2021 issue. Professor Fotopoulou works at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, UK. She is an elected ESGO council member and Chair of the ESGO guidelines committee. Highlights - Patients with advanced ovarian cancer need to have a holistic care assessment and detailed discussion about risks and benefits of surgical treatment tailored to their individual profile. - A multidisciplinary team approach and complications management is crucial for the safe delivery of cytoreductive procedures - Maximal infrastructural expertise and specialization are keys to surgical success

Christina Fotopoulou (@CF_PC_OvCaGroup)

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. James Stuart Ferriss to discuss advances and novel approaches in uterine serous cancers. Dr. Ferriss is an assistant professor in the Kelly Gynecologic Oncology division, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He is the program director of the Montz fellowship in gynecologic oncology. Highlights: •Uterine serous carcinomas represent less than 10% of all uterine cancers, but 39% of disease specific deaths. •Surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment. •Our understanding of the molecular drivers of this uncommon cancer supports new, targeted therapies. •Adjuvant treatment of advanced and recurrent uterine serous carcinomas should be based on HER2 expression. • Ongoing clinical trials will further define the role of immunotherapy, WEE1 inhibitors, and PARP inhibitors in uterine serous carcinoma.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Professor Ignace Vergote joins us for the Mentor’s Podcast. Professor Ignace Vergote is Chairman of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Catholic University Leuven since 2003. He published more than 900 papers on gynecologic cancer in peer-reviewed journals and his work has been cited more than 50,000 times. He served as President of IGCS, ESGO, EORTC-GCG and ENGOT. Ignace Vergote (@UZLeuven)

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the August issue of IJGC in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Rebecca Previs and Benjamin Albright to discuss primary cytoreduction for advanced endometrial cancer. Dr. Rebecca Previs is an assistant professor within the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecologic at Duke University Medical Center, Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, NC. Her translational research interests include understanding how the immune microenvironment and molecular characterization of gynecologic cancers influences disease biology and treatment outcomes. Outside of medicine, she enjoys spending time with her menagerie of pets, gardening, hiking, harvesting honey from her bee hives, and playing the piano. Dr. Ben Albright is a second-year fellow within the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecologic at Duke University Medical Center, Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, NC. His research interests include health policy and economics, health services research, systematic review, and cost-effectiveness analysis. Outside of medicine, he enjoys trail running, tennis, hiking with his wife and two big dogs, and University of Kentucky basketball. @BeccaPrevisMD / @BenAlbrightMD / @dukeobgyn / @DukeCancer Highlights 1. The objective of our study was (1) to assess the frequency of reported proportions of maximal (R0, no gross residual disease) and optimal (<1 cm or <2 cm residual disease cytoreduction in patients with advanced stage endometrial cancer, and (2) to describe the impact of achieving these levels of surgical debulking on progression free survival and overall survival. 2. Our analysis included a total of 34 studies, which included 2,920 total patients with stage III or IV endometrial cancer undergoing primary cytoreductive surgery. Overall, 52% of patients were reduced to no gross residual disease, while 75% reached optimal debulking with <1 cm of residual disease. 3. Submaximal and suboptimal cytoreduction to be significantly associated with worse progression-free survival with a hazard ratio of 2.2 and 2.6, respectively. Studies that included Stage III patients had higher rates of maximal cytoreduction, 69.8% versus 41.4% for studies of Stage IV patients alone. While stage was clearly important, histology was not associated with the extent of cytoreduction, with generally similar rates across endometrial, serous or clear cell, and carcinosarcoma histologies. 4. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for women with advanced stage uterine cancer is increasing, although prospective data for this approach are limited. 5. Women with advanced stage endometrial cancer should be encouraged to enroll on clinical trials when available.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Dimitrios Nasioudis to discuss minimally invasive surgery in stage IA cervical cancer and his article, "Minimally invasive hysterectomy for stage IA cervical carcinoma: a survival analysis of the National Cancer Database," which is the Lead Article in the August 2021 issue of IJGC. Dr. Nasioudis is a resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. His current interests include population science and outcomes research with an emphasis on rare gynecologic tumors. Dimitrios Nasioudis (@Dnasioudis / @PennMedicine)

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Sara Nasser discusses the contents of the August issue of IJGC in Arabic.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Emma Allanson and Erick Estrada discuss the contents of the August issue of IJGC in English.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Cecilia Darin and Natalia Rodriguez discuss the contents of the August issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Enrique Chacon discusses the contents of the June issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Shannon Westin to discuss Phase II Trial of IUD in conservative management of endometrial cancer. Dr. Westin focuses on developmental therapeutics and the use of biomarkers to predict response and recurrence in gynecologic malignancies. She currently serves as the Director of Early Drug Development and Phase I trials in her department and is a Co-Director of the Ovarian Cancer Moonshot. She is currently the PI or co-PI for greater than 30 novel treatment trials in gynecologic malignancies. Shannon Westin (@ShannonWestin / @mdandersonnews) Highlights: 1. A fertility-sparing, non-surgical approach is increasingly necessary for individuals diagnosed with early endometrial neoplasia due to increasing prevalence of significant comorbidities and proportion of premenopausal women diagnosed with this disease. 2. Out of 57 treated patients, 47 were evaluable and 12-month response rate was 83% overall (90.6% for complex atypical hyperplasia and 66.7% for grade 1 endometrioid endometrial cancer). 3. Adverse events associated with the IUD were mild, and quality of life was not negatively impacted. 4. This study used a rigorous 12-month endpoint to demonstrate durable response rates in women with early endometrial neoplasia and identified potential biomarkers for therapy resistance.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Dimitrios Nasioudis to discuss the impact of SLN biopsy versus lymphadenectomy in endometrial cancer. Dr. Nasioudis is a resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. His current interests include population science and outcomes research with an emphasis on rare gynecologic tumors. Dimitrios Nasioudis (@Dnasioudis / @PennMedicine) Highlights: - Sentinel lymph node biopsy has been established as a minimalistic approach to endometrial cancer staging, with excellent diagnostic accuracy. - Data on the long-term oncologic and patient reported outcomes are greatly warranted. - For patients with stage IIIC endometrial cancer, based on a large dataset, overall survival was comparable between the sentinel lymph node biopsy alone and systematic lymphadenectomy groups.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Anna Collins and Nicolò Bizzarri discuss the contents of the July issue of IJGC in English.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Roni Nitecki to discuss pregnancy outcomes after ovarian cancer. Dr. Nitecki is a gynecologic oncology fellow at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. She received her MD from Dartmouth medical school in 2015 and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in 2019.

Highlights

Fertility considerations in young women with ovarian cancer are becoming increasingly relevant.
Fear of pregnancy and adverse obstetric outcomes may be one reason that women do not pursue pregnancy after fertility sparing surgery.
Counseling about pregnancy outcomes is an important part of shared decision-making about fertility sparing surgery for ovarian cancer.
In this study, patients who conceived at least 3 months after fertility sparing surgery for ovarian cancer did not have an increased risk of adverse obstetric outcomes.

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Andrew Clamp (@TheChristieNHS and @OfficialUoM)

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Andrew Clamp to discuss rucaparib maintenance in recurrent ovarian cancer (ARIEL3). Dr. Clamp is an author of “Rucaparib maintenance treatment for recurrent ovarian carcinoma: the effects of progression-free interval and prior therapies on efficacy and safety in the randomized phase III trial ARIEL3,” the Lead Article for IJGC’s July 2021 issue. Dr. Clamp is a Consultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Medical Oncology subspecializing in the treatment of gynaecological cancers. He is Chief Investigator for the MRC ICON8 Trials Programme and leads the gynaecological cancers clinical research team at The Christie.

Highlights

Rucaparib provides a clinically significant prolongation of progression-free survival when used as maintenance treatment for platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer.
In the ARIEL3 trial, rucaparib extended progression-free survival versus placebo regardless of the length of the penultimate platinum-free interval, number of prior chemotherapy regimens or previous use of bevacizumab.
After extended follow-up, rucaparib was well-tolerated and its safety profile was not impacted by prior treatment history.
Maintenance PARP inhibitors should be considered for all PARP inhibitor naïve patients with recurrent high grade ovarian cancer after response to platinum-based chemotherapy.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Anna Collins, Irina Tsibulak, Nicolò Bizzarri, Alex Mutombo, Enrique Chacon, and Arthur Hsu interview Professor Denis Querleu for an extended discussion of his experiences in gynecologic oncology, the importance of mentorship, and pathways for development in the field.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Alex Mutombo discusses the contents of the June issue of IJGC in French.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the June issue of IJGC in Russian.

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Linda Mileshkin (@Mileshkin / @anzgog)

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Linda Mileshkin to discuss the OUTBACK Trial. Dr. Mileshkin is the Deputy Director of Medical Oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and a board member of the Australia and New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG). She is a clinician researcher with a particular interest in gynaecological cancer and cancer of unknown primary (CUP).

Highlights

Adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy given after standard chemoradiation to women with locally advanced cervical cancer did not improve survival or relapse rates and should not be given.
There is a major unmet need to improve outcomes and access to treatment for women with cervical cancer, as this is a major cause of death and suffering worldwide, most notably in LMICs.
International cooperation is needed to complete international clinical trials in cervical cancer so that we can robustly answer important questions about how to treat this disease.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Enrique Chacon discusses the contents of the June issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Nicolò Bizzarri discusses the contents of the June issue of IJGC in Italian.

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Christina Fotopoulou (@CF_PC_OvCaGroup)

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Professor Christina Fotopoulou to discuss the ESGO-ISUOG-IOTA-ESGE Consensus statements on the pre-operative diagnosis of ovarian tumors. Prof Fotopoulou works at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, UK. She is an elected ESGO council member and Chair of the ESGO guidelines committee.

Highlights

Multidisciplinary, specialized and expert diagnostic pathways of crucial importance to stratify patients adequately to the right management and team
Objective diagnostic algorithms combining imaging, clinical, and biochemical features are now in place to characterize adnexal masses in a more standardized way with less subjective bias
Our aim to homogenize, optimize and standardize diagnostic strategies across European Centers and beyond

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Anna Collins and Irina Tsibulak discuss the contents of the June issue of IJGC in English.

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(@K8SLN_MDMBA / @MLiangMD / @BIDMC_ObGyn / @UABOGYN / @ONealCancerUAB)

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Katharine Esselen and Margaret Liang to discuss financial toxicity in gynecologic cancers and their article, “Evaluating meaningful levels of financial toxicity in gynecologic cancers,” which is the Lead Article of IJGC’s June 2021 issue.

Dr. Esselen, MD, MBA, is a gynecologic oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. She is the Associate Fellowship Program Director and Director of Clinical Research for the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. Dr. Liang, MD, MS, is a gynecologic oncologist and health services researcher at University of Alabama at Birmingham and O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is Network Relations Lead for the newly established Emotional Well-being and Economic Burden Research Network (EMOT-ECON).

Highlights

~50% of gynecologic cancer patients report financial toxicity and ~15% experience severe financial toxicity
Patients with severe financial toxicity are 4.6 times more likely to report medication non-compliance
More work needs to be done to understand the impact of financial toxicity on clinical outcomes including adherence to treatment and cancer survival
Proposed interventions include development of screening tools, provider training in cost conversations, enhanced financial navigation, insurance optimization, improved workplace leave policies, and value-based care healthcare models"

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Emma Crosbie to discuss urine cytology in detection of endometrial cancer. Dr. Crosbie is an NIHR Advanced Fellow, Professor and Honorary Consultant in Gynaecological Oncology at the University of Manchester. Her research focuses on screening, prevention and early detection of gynaecological cancer.

Highlights:

• Current diagnostics for endometrial cancer are poorly tolerated by some, painful for others and unnecessary for most because only 5-10% of women with postmenopausal bleeding have endometrial cancer

• This proof-of-concept study showed that endometrial cancer cells can be collected from the urogenital tract using non-invasive sampling technologies and detected by cytology

• If confirmed in larger studies, this concept could form the basis of a simple, pain-free, easily administered test with potential for rapid, same day results to triage women for urgent investigation of suspected endometrial cancer, whilst safely reassuring healthy women

• Such a test could substantially reduce the psychological, physical and financial burden of the current diagnostic pathway for endometrial cancer

Emma Crosbie (@ProfEmmaCrosbie / @ECTeamSMH G25 / @ManchesterBRC / @UoMDCS / @MCRCNews / @FBMH_UoM / @MFT_SMH / @MFT_Research)

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Larissa Meyer to discuss randomized trial of liposomal bupivacaine on ERAS program. Dr. Meyer is an associate professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine with a joint appointment in the Department of Health Services Research at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her research focuses on patient reported outcomes, with a focus on improving quality of life and shared medical decision making.

Highlights: • To minimize bias, all surgeons on the study were all trained in injection techniques prior to enrolling patients and randomization was stratified by surgeon.

• The addition of liposomal bupivacaine to 0.25% bupivacaine for local wound infiltration did not improve the proportion of patients who were opioid free after laparotomy.

• The addition of liposomal bupivacaine to 0.25% bupivacaine for local wound infiltration did not improve key secondary endpoints such as patient reported pain or amount of opioids taken postoperatively.

Larissa Meyer (@LarissaAMeyerMD / @MDAndersonNews)

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the May issue of IJGC in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Esther Olvia to discuss tumor staging of endocervical carcinoma. Dr. Oliva is a Pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor at Harvard Medical School and have been the recent past president of the International Society of Gynecologic Pathologists. She was born in Barcelona and trained under three giants of pathology, Dr. Robert E. Scully, Dr. Robert H. Young, and Dr. Jaime Prat.

Highlights

Create awareness of difficulties encountered by pathologists when reporting findings on different cervical specimens for endocervical adenocarcinoma
Highlight efforts to reach consensus among pathologists to standardize reporting for cervical specimens with adenocarcinoma
Highlight the importance of synchronization between FIGO, TNM, and AJCC
Clarify important issues in staging of endocervical adenocarcinoma including but not limited to measuring grossly visible tumor, exophytic tumors, and circumferential tumors, approach when dealing with multiple specimens or multiple tumors, and reporting tumor at margins
Highlight areas that need more studies in order to provide useful recommendations, including ovarian involvement by endocervical adenocarcinoma, quantification of lymphovascular invasion, or evaluation of isolated tumor Cells among others.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Javier Lasala to discuss the impact of TIVA on postoperative opioid consumption. Dr. Lasala is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. He is currently the Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs in his department and has been involved with Enhanced Recovery after Surgery pathways for the past 7 years. In addition he serves as the anesthesiology lead for the gynecologic oncology program and co-lead for the thoracic surgical program. Highlights:

(1) Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) technique reduces the amount of post-operative opioid consumption in a well-established ERAS program.

(2) Multimodal analgesia in combination with high compliance to an ERAS program will decrease patient opioid utilization.

(3) Pain scores were unchanged with the decreased use of opioids in the post-operative course.

(4) Future analysis will look at the anesthesia technique and opioid utilization and the effect on patient reported outcomes.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Anna Collins and Nicolo Bizzarri discuss the contents of the May issue of IJGC in English.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Enrique Chacon discuss the contents of the May issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Andreas Obermair to discuss SLN mapping in endometrial cancer consensus with Andreas Obermair. Dr. Obermair is the lead author on , “Development of a surgical competency assessment tool for sentinel lymph node dissection by minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer” (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/03/31/ijgc-2020-002315), which is the Lead Article for the May 2021 issue of IJGC. Dr. Obermair is a gynaecological oncologist in Brisbane, Australia promoting surgery with proven better patient outcomes.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Alex Mutombo reviews the contents of the April issue in French.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Nicolò Bizzarri discusses the contents of the April issue in Italian.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Rongyu Zang and Tingyan Shi to discuss recurrent ovarian cancer and the SOC-1 Trial.

Professor Zang is the Director of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in Shanghai, China. He has been specializing in gynecologic oncology, especially in clinical and translational research of advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer for the last two decades. As the founder of Shanghai Gynecologic Oncology Group (SGOG), he has been closely associated with the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup since 2009. Professor Zang initiated several national and international multi-center randomised clinical trials, including the dose-dense EPIC trial and the SUNNY trial for advanced ovarian cancer, as well as the secondary cytoreduction trial for recurrent ovarian cancer, and so on.

Dr. Shi is an Associate Professor of Oncology in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in Shanghai, China. She has focused on clinical and translational research in gynecologic oncology for over ten years. Dr. Shi has been trained in the Young Investigator Program of Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup, and participated in several international and national multi-center randomized clinical trials for ovarian cancer.

Highlights + SOC-1 selected the candidates for secondary cytoreductive surgery with iMODEL score of 4.7 or less even after the correction by PET-CT imaging. + Secondary cytoreductive surgery favorably impacts platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer, but incomplete resection leads to the worst survival compare to no-surgery. + Accumulating treatment-free survival, as an important secondary endpoint, was added to explore the long-term survival benefit affected by a high proportion of cross-over from the no surgery froup to the surgery group when overall survival data are mature. + In both primary and recurrent settings of ovarian cancer, randomized trials are needed to confirm the survival benefit of complete surgery followed by targeting maintenance therapy.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Charles Levenback, who is being highlighted by IJGC as a legend in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Levenback completed his fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer center in 1989 and then practiced at MD Anderson for 31 years. He is known as a pioneer in the development of sentinel lymph node biopsy in Gynecologic oncology, master clinician, educator, and champion for quality and safety.

Highlights: + Career and professional development + Sentinel lymph node development from small case series to phase III national trial + Interest in quality improvement and patient safety

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Enrique Chacon discusses the contents of the April issue in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Pedro Ramirez joins Editorial Fellows Anna Collins, Irina Tsibulak, Nicolò Bizzarri, Alex Mutombo, Enrique Chacon and Arthur Hsu for an extended discussion of their experiences in gynecologic oncology, the importance of mentorship, and pathways for development in the field.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Kevin Elias to discuss the ERAS impact on return to treatment in ovarian cancer. Kevin Elias is an Assistant Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School. He is the President-Elect of ERAS USA, the American chapter of the ERAS Society.

Highlights A. ERAS is associated with shorter lengths of stay and fewer complications for patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery. B. The benefits of ERAS seem to extend beyond the hospital stay, as ERAS is strongly associated with timely resumption of adjuvant chemotherapy. C. Auditing ERAS compliance is a key part of implementing an ERAS pathtway. D. ERAS reduces variation in the quality of patient care, which improves consistency in oncologic treatments and potentially outcomes.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the April issue in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Anna Collins and Irina Tsibulak discuss the contents of the April issue.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Michael Frumovitz to discuss radical hysterectomy in cervical neuroendocrine carcinoma. Dr. Frumovitz is an Associate Editor for IJGC and the author of the Lead Article of the April 2021 issue of IJGC, “Role of radical hysterectomy in patients with early-stage high-grade neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma: a NeCTuR study" (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/03/09/ijgc-2020-002213).

Highlights: 1. Patients with clinical and radiologic stage I high grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix will have microscopic parametrial involvement 10% of the time 2. All patients with parametrial involvement will have other risk factors requiring postoperative radiation (positive nodes or Sedlis) 3. If a patient has negative nodes, the risk of parametrial involvement is only 3% 4. Eighty percent of recurrences will happen within first two years and 86% destined to recur will recur within 3 years

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Peter McCulloch to discuss the IDEAL Framework. Dr. McCulloch is Professor of Surgical Science & Practice at Oxford University. He attended medical school in Aberdeen and underwent his surgical training in Glasgow before moving to academic posts in Liverpool and then Oxford. An Upper GI cancer surgeon by background, he is the Chair of the IDEAL Collaboration, an international network of surgeons, scientists, industrial partners and patients whose goal is to improve the methodology for evaluating surgery, therapeutic devices and other complex treatments. He is also the Co-Editor-in-Chief of BMJ Surgery, Interventions, & Health Technologies (sit.bmj.com). His other major research interest is Human Factors in healthcare. He will ski anywhere, anytime, and is passionate about countering climate change.

Highlights: • The IDEAL Framework & Recommendations provide an explanation of the natural history or life cycle of new procedures and devices, and a road map for how they should be evaluated at each stage in the journey. • It explains why Randomised Trials have been so difficult to do in surgery and shows that there are at least 2 preliminary steps in research (Development and Exploration) which are necessary to ensure that an RCT has a good chance of success. • IDEAL is potentially useful in surgical research at all stages, but also in device regulatory science, decisions on approving new procedures at institutions and coverage decisions • IDEAL is increasingly recognised and endorsed by major journals (Annals of Surgery, BMJ & Lancet) and professional groups (Royal College of Surgeons) and is being used by government agencies in several countries. • The IDEAL group continues to study and produce recommendations on difficult research issues such as: When is it OK NOT to do a randomised trial? How do we interpret studies using Real World Data? How should surgical robots be evaluated? And others.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Sandro Pignata to discuss the MITO16b trial. Dr. Pignata is president of the Multicenter Italian Trial in Ovarian cancer (MITO) group, member of the educational committee of ESMO, Past Chair of the European Network of Gynaecological Oncological Trial Groups (ENGOT), and member of the board of directors of the Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG).

Highlights: - The paper published on the Lancet demonstrate that bevacizumab given at recurrence is effective also in patients already treated with bevacizumab in first line. - Exploratory analysis suggest that this effect is not present in BRCA mutated patients.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Alex Mutombo reviews the contents of the March issue in French.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Enrique Chacon discusses the contents of the March issue in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Nicolò Bizzarri discusses the contents of the March issue in Italian.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. David Cibula to discuss the international ABRAX study. Dr. Cibula is the Chair of the Gynecologic Oncology Center at the General Faculty Hospital in Prague, Chair of the Central and Eastern European Gynaecologic Oncology Group (CEEGOG), as well as a Former ESGO president.

Highlights: * ABRAX trial was designed to evaluate if the completion of radical hysterectomy is associated with a survival benefit in patients with early-stage cervical cancer and positive pelvic lymph node found intraoperatively. * This trial represents the largest cohort of patients managed by upfront surgery with negative lymph nodes on preoperative staging but positive lymph node involvement diagnosed during surgery. * We did not find any improvement in PFS, OS, or pelvic disease-free survival associated with radical hysterectomy, either in the whole group or in any subgroups, including patients with larger tumor size or adenocarcinomas. * The outcome of the ABRAX trial is in agreement with current international guidelines (NCCN, ESGO-ESTRO-ESP) which recommend the abandonment of further radical surgery in patients with intraoperative N1 detection.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Olga Novikova to discuss the conservative management of endometrial cancer.

Highlights 1) Levonorgestrel-releasing IUD containing regimens are found superior to oral medroxyprogesterone in both atypical hyperplasia and early endometrial cancer patients. 2) ART when used did not affect the recurrence rates which makes it safe to recommend to improve pregnancy rates. 3) Live births and maintenance with Levonorgestrel-releasing IUD did significantly improve disease-free survival after fertility-sparing treatment.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the March issue in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Anna Collins and Nicolò Bizzarri discuss the contents of the March issue.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Ji-Hong Liu to discuss the STAR Trial. Dr. Liu is a Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. He is also President-elect of the Gynecologic Oncology Committee of China Anti-Cancer Association.

Highlights: - In post-surgery treatment setting, adjuvant sequential chemoradiation was associated with improved disease-free survival compared with radiation alone or concurrent chemoradiation, and was well tolerated. - Sequential chemoradiation also decreased the risk of death compared with radiation alone. - Neither disease-free survival nor cancer death risk was different between patients treated with concurrent chemoradiation or radiation alone. - The detailed QOL results in comparisons between three arms will be orally presented at the annual meeting of SGO 2021 in March. - In conclusion, sequential chemoradiation (SCRT) after radical surgery resulted in a better disease-free survival and lower risk of cancer death for cervical cancer patients with adverse pathological factor, and could be an optimal adjuvant treatment in this setting.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Enrique Chacon discusses the contents of the February issue in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Nicolò Bizzarri discusses the contents of the February issue in Italian.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Alex Mutombo discusses the contents of the February issue in French.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellow Irina Tsibulak discusses the contents of the February issue in Russian.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Anna Collins and Irina Tsibulak discuss the contents of the February issue.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Tamara Jones to discuss physical activity in ovarian cancer. Dr. Jones is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and PhD Candidate at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. Her research focus is on physical activity and exercise for people with cancer, in particular women with ovarian cancer, and the potentially positive impacts that physical activity and exercise may have on health outcomes.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Florencia Noll discusses the contents of the January issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Brian Slomovitz to discuss asbestos and ovarian cancer. Dr. Slomovitzs is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Broward Health and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University. He is an internationally recognized leader in gynecologic oncology clinical trials, specifically in immunotherapy and novel biomarker therapeutics. He also is a leader in sentinel lymph node detection for gynecologic malignancies.

Highlights a. Asbestos comprises a family of small silicate fibers that are found in nature. b. Asbestos is known to cause different types of cancer. c. The causal association between asbestos and ovarian cancer is weak and inconsistent d. Peritoneal mesothelioma is histologically similar to ovarian cancer and pathologic confirmation of diagnosis is required before causal assumptions are made

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Mona El-Bahrawyto discuss ovarian sex cord stromal tumors. Dr. El-Bahrawy is the lead author of “Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors: an update on clinical features, molecular changes, and management" (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2021/01/07/ijgc-2020-002018), which is the Lead Article of IJGC’s February 2021 issue.

Dr. El-Bahrawy is Professor of Practice in Histopathology at Imperial College London, United Kingdom, and Professor of Pathology at the University of Alexandria, Egypt, and President of the Egyptian Committee for Pathology Training. She specializes in Gynaecological Surgical Pathology with special interest in Gynaecological Tumour Pathology.

Highlights: - Ovarian sex cord stromal tumours are rare tumours that include benign and malignant variants. - They are broadly classified into three categories, which include pure stromal tumors, pure sex cord tumors and mixed sex cord stromal tumors. - Some tumor types harbor hallmark mutations, such as FOXL-2 mutations detected in the majority of adult granulosa cell tumors. - Surgery is the main treatment modality for sex cord stromal tumors with some role for chemotherapy and hormonal therapy in advanced and recurrent tumors. - There is potential for the identification of therapeutic targets and development of targeted therapy for these tumors.

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In this issue of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Sadie Jones and Navya Nair discuss the contents of the January issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Amanda Fader to discuss the role of trastuzumab in uterine papillary serous tumors. Dr. Fader is an Associate Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Vice Chair of Gynecologic Surgical Operations and Director of the Center for Rare Gynecologic Cancers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She is recognized internationally as a rare uterine and ovarian cancer expert and is an active member of NRG Oncology and helps develop and co-lead innovative gynecologic cancer clinical trials.

Highlights: • Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is a biologically aggressive endometrial cancer subtype that accounts for a disproportionately high rate of endometrial cancer-related deaths. • 25-30% of women with both early and advanced stage USC will have HER2 positive tumors. • Molecularly-based therapeutic approaches in USC are increasing. • Trastuzumab, an anti-HER2 therapy, in combination with platinum/taxane-based chemotherapy improves survival outcomes for women with HER2 positive USC. • A randomized, Phase III cooperative group study is planned to study additional anti-HER2 therapies in women with all stages of USC.

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Para celebrar el podcast número 100 de la revista IJGC, el Comité Editorial propuso entrevistar en español a nuestro Editor-en-Jefe , el Dr. Pedro Ramírez. El Dr. Luis Chiva, Video-Editor de nuestra revista y miembro del consejo de ESGO realizó recientemente esta tarea. En este encuentro tan especial, el Dr. Pedro Ramirez nos cuenta muchos detalles que revelan cuales son los sueños que desearía que se hicieran realidad en un futuro proximo en nuestra revista

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In honor of the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer’s 100th podcast, IJGC’s Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is interviewed by IGCS President and IJGC Editorial Board Member Dr. Robert Coleman to discuss the experiences of the Editor-in-Chief.

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Dr. Ferguson is a Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto and a member of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at University Health Network/Sinai Health Systems. She is the Director of Research for the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Princess Margaret Cancer. Dr. Ferguson completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Toronto and a fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in Gynecologic Oncology. Current research program includes prospective surgical trials in cervical and endometrial cancer, evaluation of patient reported outcomes and molecular characterization of endometrial cancer.

Highlights: + Diagnostic accuracy of SLN technique is excellent in high grade endometrial cancer – high sensitivity (low false negative rate), high NPV , DR and bilaterality rate + Based on this is a viable option to surgical staging in this population (clinical stage 1, high grade endometrial cancer) + High proportion (26%) of node positive would be missed if SLN technique was not performed

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Nicole Concin to discuss the ESGO-ESTRO-ESP Endometrial Cancer Guidelines (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/12/18/ijgc-2020-002230)

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Carlos Martinez-Gomez to discuss TOPIC. Dr. Martinez-Gomez is an author of the Lead Article for IJGC’s January 2021 issue, “Urinary diversion after pelvic exenteration for gynecologic malignancies” (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/11/22/ijgc-2020-002015). Dr. Martinez-Gomez is a gynecologist oncologist at Institut Universitaire du Cancer de Toulouse, France, from 2016, where he performed the ESGO fellowship program under the supervision of Drs. Gwénaël Ferron and Alejandra Martinez. His areas of interest are immunology of cervical and ovarian neoplasms, advanced ovarian cancer, reconstructive surgery after pelvic exenteration, and surgical teaching.

Highlights: • Pelvic exenteration is a demanding surgery requiring mastery of organ removal combined with functional reconstruction • Pelvic exenteration should be performed in high-volume referral institutions by well-trained multidisciplinary teams • Incontinent diversion represents a good option for unfit patients or those refusing the constraints entailed by continent diversions (self-catheterization, postoperative learning, engagement) • Postoperative complications of both types of reconstruction are comparable, but the quality of life issues would seem to support continent diversions in young and fit patients • Continent and non-contingent techniques should be offered to patients, with a final decision based on their preferences

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Florencia Noll discusses the contents of the December issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this issue of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Sadie Jones and Navya Nair discuss the contents of the December issue of IJGC.

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Oliver Zivanovic to discuss updates on role of HIPEC in ovarian cancer. Dr. Zivanovic is a Gynecologic Cancer Surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, with the goal to advance the early detection and treatment of women with gynecologic cancers. His special interests include the treatment of patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer and electronic patient-reported symptom monitoring after cancer surgery.

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Andrea Mariani to discuss lymphadenectomy vs. SLN: Mayo and Memorial Sloan Kettering experience. Dr. Andrea Mariani is a Full Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Surgery, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His 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.

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Dimitrios Nasioudis a to discuss adjuvant treatment in UPSC limited to endometrium and his article, "Adjuvant treatment for patients with FIGO stage I uterine serous carcinoma confined to the endometrium," (ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020…4/ijgc-2020-001379) the Lead Article in the August 2020 issue of IJGC. Dr. Nasioudis is a resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. His current interests include population science and outcomes research with an emphasis on rare gynecologic tumors.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Simone Marnitz-Schulze and Dr. Christhardt Köhler to discuss the outcomes of UTERUS-11 Trial. Drs. Marnitz-Schulze and Köhler are authors of “Surgical versus Clinical Staging prior to primary Chemoradiation in Patients with Cervical Cancer FIGO Stages IIB-IVA: Oncologic Results of a Prospective Randomized International Multicentre (Uterus-11) Intergroup Study,” which is the Lead Article of the December 2020 issue of the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer.

Highlights: -Surgical staging prior to chemoradiation in locally advanced cervical cancer is safe, feasible, does not delay chemoradiation -Lead to an upstaging in 33% of the patients -Resulted into a statistically significant improvement of DFS in FIGO stage IIB patients -Resulted into a trend for improved OS and DFS for all subgroups -Because of high rates of distant metastases, systemic treatment has to be intensified

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Trinidad Labanca to discuss transgender patients and cancer-related screening. Dr. Labanca is a Gynecologist at Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and Sexologist at the University of Buenos Aires. She has an MBA with specialization in Healthcare Management from the European Business School and specialized in Transgender Health and Sexual Confirming Genital Surgery at the Institute of Plastic Surgery Dr. Ivan Mañero, in Barcelona, Spain. She has been a WPATH member since 2015. Dr. Labanca currently works in the Department of Gender Diversity and Transgender Health at Hospital Dr. Bernardo Houssay, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Podcast Highlights: 1. Gynecologists and gynecologists oncologists should be involved in transgender care, understand gender diversity and promote sexual health 2. Gynecologic cancer screenings should be organ- rather than gender-based. 3. Hormone therapy and surgical status may change screening strategies. 4. There is a need of further high-quality research in the field of Transgender Health.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Javier Magrina to discuss robotic vs open radical hysterectomy in pathology interrogation. Dr. Magrina is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, and the recipient of the Barbara Woodward Lips Professorship. He is a staff consultant at Mayo Clinic Arizona.

Conclusions: . robotic radical hysterectomy results in inferior survival as compared to laparotomy. . robotic radical hysterectomy for early cervical cancer <2 cm results in similar survival as laparotomy. . patients with previous conization, i.e. absence of exposed cancer cells in the cervix, have similar survival as laparotomy . intraperitoneal recurrences are not seen with laparotomy and appear due to the exfoliation and seeding of cervical cancer cells.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Julia Pugh and Chloe Logue to discuss psychosexual morbidity in women with ovarian cancer. Dr. Julia Pugh is a Gynaecology Clinical Nurse Specialist and psychosexual therapist based at The Christie Hospital in Manchester, UK. Dr. Pugh completed her Advanced Nursing Practice Masters at the University of Manchester and offers support for psychosexual concerns of men and women with cancer. Dr. Chloe Logue is a practicing junior doctor in Manchester. She completed her academic foundation at the Christie Cancer Hospital in Gynaecological Oncology, supervised by Prof Gordon Jayson.

Highlights: - 75% of women with ovarian cancer experience psychosexual morbidity, exceeding published general population values. - Key potential risk factors are: younger age, premenopausal status at diagnosis, extensive surgery, more courses of chemotherapy, cardiovascular co-morbidities and anxiety and depression. - Common presenting symptoms include: vaginal dryness (81-87%) and pain (77%), amongst reduced sexual desire and activity, impaired orgasm, diminished perceived body image and reduced partner intimacy. - The review identified that psychosexual issues are not routinely discussed nor adequately managed by clinicians. Psychosexual problems remain a priority for many women with ovarian cancer, many symptoms could be addressed by discussing their concerns and simple physical measures.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Florencia Noll discusses the contents of the November issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Sr. Sahar Salehi to discuss outcomes of ultra-radical surgery in ovarian cancer. Dr. Salehi is the Director of ovarian cancer surgery at Karolinska University Hospital, in Stockholm, Sweden, as well as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cellbiology at Karolinska Institutet.

• A shift to ultra-radical surgery does not improve survival despite increased complete resection rates, for this reason complete resection may not be the absolute aim in a high surgical proficiency setting. • A shift to ultra-radical surgery increase the proportion of non-surgically treated women. • The majority of women with cancer in the abdomen of unknown origin (inoperabel/non-resectable women/women who might not meet a gynecologic oncologist) are ovarian cancer patients. • There is an urgent need to calibrate selection of patients to surgery (and to which extent of surgery) in more detail.

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In this issue of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Sadie Jones and Navya Nair discuss the contents of the November issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Anna Fagotti to discuss the results of the SCORPION trial. Dr. Fagotti is the lead author of "Randomized trial of primary debulking surgery versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (SCORPION-NCT01461850)", which is the Lead Article of IJGC’s November 2020 issue (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/10/07/ijgc-2020-001640).

Dr. Fagotti is the Ovarian Cancer Unit Director at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS in Rome, Italy, as well as an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Additionally, she is PhD Faculty of Biotechnology at University of Perugia, ESGO Council Member and Chair of the Educational Committee, as well as an Associate Editor for IJGC.

Highlights:

PDS and NACT ± IDS have superimposable median PFS and OS in patients with HTL ovarian cancer.
PDS has a higher rate of postoperative complications than IDS.
RT is the most powerful prognostic factor in AOC patients both at PDS and IDS"

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Sarah Ackroyd to discuss postoperative complications of epidural analgesia. Dr. Sarah Ackroyd is a gynecologic oncology fellow at the University of Chicago. Her research interests include health economics and outcomes research with a focus on decision analysis and patient-centered medical decision making. Dr. Sarah Ackroyd is a gynecologic oncology fellow at the University of Chicago. Her research interests include health economics and outcomes research with a focus on decision analysis and patient-centered medical decision making.

Main points:

Our study utilizing the NSQIP database found that in a cohort of >2,000 patients who received an epidural at time of hysterectomy for cancer, there was a ~14% higher rate of minor complications including blood transfusions and superficial wound infection.
Challenges of the epidural including hypotension and related complications, may be explained by the medication-induced sympathetic block that primarily prevents pain perception but can affect other sympathetic functions.J45
Other studies in Gyn Oncology that utilized the epidural in an ERAS protocol demonstrate an overall improvement in postoperative pain scores, K43decreased opioid use, and no major complications.
In the appropriate patient with the above findings considered, regional anesthesia such as the epidural, should be considered as part of a multi-modal pain approach.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Marina Stasenko to discuss sexual harassment in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Stasenko is a practicing gynecologic oncologist at the NYU Langone Hospital and recently completed her fellowship at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Highlights from the podcast: - 64% of all gynecologic oncologist surveyed reported experience of sexual harassment in training or in practice. - Only 14.5% reported the behavior. - Female respondents were more likely to report that gender affected their career and compensation. - Male respondents were more likely to report no gender disparity in income.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Florencia Noll discusses the contents of the October issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this issue of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Sadie Jones and Navya Nair discuss the contents of the October issue of IJGC.

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Pablo Padilla-Iserte, MD, PhD, is a gynecologic oncologist working at the Department of Gynecologic Oncology. La Fe University and Polytechnic Hospital, Valencia (Spain), ESGO Accredited Center. She specializes in oncological surgery, especially in minimally invasive approach and education programs for fellowship and residents.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Drs. Gregg Nelson and Geetu Bhandoria to discuss the ERAS Global Survey. Their article, "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) in gynecologic oncology: an international survey of peri-operative practice” (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/08/28/ijgc-2020-001683), is the Lead Article in the October 2020 of IJGC.

Dr. Gregg Nelson is Professor and Chief of Gynecologic Oncology at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His main research interest is the development and study of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols in cancer and ObGyn surgery. Dr. Nelson is Secretary of the ERAS Society.

Dr. Geetu Bhandoria is a Gynecologic Oncologist and obstetrician at Command Hospital in Pune, India. He as completed fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology. His research interests are advanced ovarian cancer, enhanced recovery protocols and the use of social media as a research tool. He is also currently serving as one of IJGC’s Editorial Fellows.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Emeline Aviki to discuss hospital volume and outcomes in early cervical cancer. Dr. Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA is a Gynecologic Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and former research fellow in the health outcomes research group at MSKCC. Dr. Aviki's research focus is in health outcomes and care delivery innovation to improve the affordability of care for patients.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Katie O'Brien to discuss the Use of Talcum Powder and Risk of Ovarian Cancer. Dr. Katie M. O’Brien is an epidemiologist with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. She studies environmental and genetic risk factors for cancer and helps lead the Sister Study, a cohort of more than 50,000 women who all had a sister diagnosed with breast cancer.

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In this issue of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Sadie Jones and Navya Nair discuss the contents of the September issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Glauco Baiocchi to discuss the impact of SLN size of metastases on the non-SLN. Dr. Glauco Baiocchi is the Director of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at the AC Camargo Cancer Center.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Arthur Hsu discusses the contents of the September issue of IJGC in Mandarin.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Florencia Noll discusses the contents of the September issue of IJGC in Spanish.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Luis Chiva to discuss the SUCCOR Study and his article, “SUCCOR study: an international European cohort observational study comparing minimally invasive surgery versus open abdominal radical hysterectomy in patients with stage IB1 cervical cancer” (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/08/18/ijgc-2020-001506), which is the Lead Article in the September 2020 issue of IJGC. Dr. Luis Chiva is the Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Clinica Universidad de Navarra. He is also the Video Editor of IJGC, Editor-in-Chief of E-academy and Chair of Quality Assurance & Certifications Committee at European Society of Gynecological Oncology.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Elvio Silva to discuss ovarian cancer etiology: a pathology perspective. Dr. Silva received a medical degree from the Universidad de La Plata and has been a faculty member at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center since 1980. He had pathology residences in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and University of Toronto, Canada and is the former President of the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Brooke Schlappe to discuss SLN vs Lymphadenectomy in high-risk endometrial cancer. Dr. Brooke Schlappe is a practicing gynecologic oncologist at Advocate Aurora Health in Milwaukee, WI where she serves as the Director of Gynecologic Oncology Clinical Research.

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In this episode of the IJGC Podcast, Editorial Fellows Joanna Kacperczyk-Bartnik and Zoia Razumova discuss the contents of the August issue of IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Eduardo Bruera a to discuss updates on palliative care in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Eduardo Bruera is the F.T. McGraw Chair in the Treatment of Cancer, Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine and the The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Bruera’s main areas of interest are program development, comparative effectiveness research, and clinical studies on symptom control in palliative care. He has published more than 1200 publications, given more than 900 major invited lectures, and has received multiple NIH research grants and awards.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Anamaria Yeung to discuss patient reported outcomes from RTOG1203. Dr. Anamaria Yeung is an Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at UF Health, with subspecialty expertise in gynecologic and thoracic malignancies. Her research interests include quality improvement and patient safety in radiation oncology, and reducing toxicity from radiation treatment and improving outcomes for women with gynecologic cancers.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Dimitrios Nasioudis a to discuss adjuvant treatment in UPSC limited to endometrium and his article, "Adjuvant treatment for patients with FIGO stage I uterine serous carcinoma confined to the endometrium," (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/07/14/ijgc-2020-001379) which is the Lead Article in the August 2020 issue of IJGC. Dr. Nasioudis is a resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. His current interests include population science and outcomes research with an emphasis on rare gynecologic tumors.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Oliver Zivanovic to discuss updates on role of HIPEC in ovarian cancer. Dr. Zivanovic is a Gynecologic Cancer Surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, with the goal to advance the early detection and treatment of women with gynecologic cancers. His special interests include the treatment of patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer and electronic patient-reported symptom monitoring after cancer surgery.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Eleftheria Kalogera to discuss bowel preparation in gynecologic surgery. Dr. Kalogera is a gynecologic oncology fellow and assistant professor at Mayo Clinic. Her research is focused on the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) pathway, patient reported outcomes, and developmental therapeutics for women with gynecologic malignancies.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Warner Huh to discuss updates on HPV vaccination & guidelines. Warner K. Huh, MD is Professor, Vice Chair of Gynecology, Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, and the Margaret Cameron Spain Endowed Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Professor in the Department of Surgery, and Professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the UAB School of Public Health, and Senior Medical Officer and Senior Scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research interests include screening and prevention of HPV related diseases as well as novel immunotherapeutic approaches for pre-invasive disease of the cervix as well as cervical cancer. He serves as co-PI of the Johns Hopkins-UAB-University of Colorado Cervical Cancer Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) program. He is on the steering committee for the ASCCP treatment guidelines and was co-chair of the ASCCP colposcopy standards effort.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Ainhoa Madariaga to discuss parp inhibitor treatments and adverse events. Dr. Madariaga's article, "Manage wisely: poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) treatment and adverse events," (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/06/08/ijgc-2020-001288) is the Lead Article in the July 2020 issue of IJGC. Dr. Madariaga is a medical oncologist working as a clinical research fellow in the gynecology and drug development program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Her clinical and academic areas of interest are gynecologic cancers and early phase clinical trial design; such as development of drug-repurposing studies, cancer treatment adverse event and patient reported outcomes assessment.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. A. Ilancheran to discuss updates in gestational trophoblastic disease. Dr Ilancheran works at the National University Hospital in Singapore and has been working as a gynecologic oncologist for the past 35 years, with special interest in Gestational Trophoblastic Disease and cervical cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Dr. Pedro Ramirez interviews Dr. Michael Frumovitz about his recent publication in Lancet Oncology on the quality of life endpoints from the LACC trial. Tune in! You might be very surprised with their results!

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Samantha Cabral to discuss neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer and the CIRCE Trial. Dr. Cabral is an clinical oncologist doctor specialized in gynecological cancer. She works at the Instituto do Cancer do Estado de São Paulo, a public school hospital, attending patients, teaching fellows students in oncology. Dr. Cabral also works with clinical research in gynecological cancer with special interests in cervical cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Mario Leitao to discuss lower extremity lymphedema in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Mario Leitao is currently an Attending Surgeon in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College. He currently serves as Program Director for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship. Dr. Leitao is also the Director for the Minimal Access and Robotic Surgery Program in the Department of Surgery for MSKCC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Jennifer Mueller to discuss genomic profiling of ultra-low risk endometrial cancer. Her article, "Clinical patterns and genomic profiling of recurrent ‘ultra-low risk’ endometrial cancer," (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/05/04/ijgc-2020-001241) is the lead article in the June 2020 issue of IJGC. Dr. Mueller is a gynecologic oncologist and assistant attending in the department of surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She helps lead the endometrial cancer research team at MSKCC with an emphasis on prospective, translational and collaborative efforts within and across institutions.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Robert Coleman to for a summary discussion of the VELIA trial.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Terri L. Woodard to discuss fertility and ovarian function preservation in women with cancer. Dr. Woodard is a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist with expertise in the field of oncofertility. She is the Founder and Director of the MD Anderson Oncofertility Program and holds a joint appointment as an Associate Professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Baylor College of Medicine.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Koji Matsuo to discuss cesarean radical hysterectomy outcomes. Cesarean radical hysterectomy is a rare surgical procedure and associated with increased risk of perioperative complication compared to open radical hysterectomy, particularly for hemorrhage.

Dr. Koji Matsuo is Associate Professor and Chief of the Oncology Research in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at University of Southern California. Koji Matsuo, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Southern California. Dr. Matsuo’s research focuses on outcomes research in gynecologic malignancies.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Yan Xiaojian to discuss open vs. MIS radical hysterectomy <2 cms. Dr. Xiaojian is the author of the Lead Article in the May 2020 issue of IJGC, "Comparison of laparoscopic and open radical hysterectomy in cervical cancer patients with tumor size ≤2 cm" (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/04/09/ijgc-2019-000994). Professor Xiaojian Yan is the Chief physician and vice director of the Gynecologic department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and a member of Chinese Gynecologic Cancer Society.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Katherine Kurnit to discuss GI-based chemotherapy in ovarian mucinous cancers. Dr. Kurnit is an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago in the section of Gynecologic Oncology. Her research interests include developmental therapeutics and early phase clinical trials for women with gynecologic malignancies.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Alexey Shevchuk to discuss the current state of gynecologic oncology in Russia. Dr. Shevchuk is a gynecologic oncologist in Moscow, Russia and engaged in collaborative partnerships with IGCS and the American Eurasian Cancer Alliance (AECA).

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Lilie Lin to discuss radiotherapy and novel agents in gynecologic cancers. Dr. Lin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center where she focuses on the management of gynecologic malignancies. She is the principal investigator of multiple clinical trials testing novel agents combined with radiotherapy for gyn malignancies; she is also interested in using novel PET radiotracers to interrogate the tumor microenvironment. Read her article, “Combining novel agents with radiotherapy for gynecologic malignancies: beyond the era of cisplatin,” here: https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2020/03/18/ijgc-2020-001227

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In this Podcast, our Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro T Ramirez outlines the options for management of patients with gynecologic cancers during the global crisis of COVID-19.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Lea Moukarzel to discuss the ARIA Study and use of ICG in bowel surgery. Before starting her Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in 2018, Dr. Moukarzel completed her residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Moukarzel’s research involves the use of genomics and transcriptomics to investigate the genetic underpinning and immune microenvironment of gynecologic cancers as well as clinical work focused on improving surgical outcomes.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Soslow for a summary discussion PAOLA trial.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Jonathan Ledermann to talk about the ICON8 Trial and its impact on clinical practice. Dr. Ledermann is a professor of medical oncology at UCL Cancer Institute specializing in the treatment and research of gynecological malignancies. He has been the Director of the Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre for over 20 years and has led several national and international trials on the treatment of ovarian cancer. He has had a key role in developing trials of PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer. Dr. Ledermann is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and Senior Investigator for the National Institute of Health Research in the UK.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Soslow to talk about updates on endometrial cancer pathology. Rob Soslow has been the lead gynecologic pathologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for nearly 20 years and has served on the executive committee of the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists, the council of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society and the editorial boards of several journals, including the International Journal for Gynecologic Cancer. He is an enthusiastic diagnostician, mentor, educator and investigator.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Dr. Michael Frumovitz, a Guest Editor on the March 2020 special issue on Advances in Lymphatic Mapping and Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Gynecologic Cancers, is joined by Dr. Al Covens to discuss management of isolated tumor cells in sentinel nodes in women with cervical cancer. Dr. Coven's article, "Does small volume metastatic lymph node disease affect long-term prognosis in early cervical cancer?" is the Lead article for the issue (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2019/12/20/ijgc-2019-000928). Dr. Covens is the chair of Gyn Oncology at the University of Toronto, and the Head of Gyn Oncology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Andrea Mariani to discuss lymphadenectomy vs. SLN: Mayo and Memorial Sloan Kettering experience. Dr. Andrea Mariani is a Full Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Surgery, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. His 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.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Koji Matsuo to discuss chemotherapy and radiation vs. radiation alone after radical hysterectomy. Dr. Matsuo is Associate Professor and Chief of the Oncology Research in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at University of Southern California. Dr. Matsuo’s research focuses on outcomes research in gynecologic malignancies.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Ross Harrison to discuss fertility outcomes in women with endometrial hyperplasia or cancer. Before starting fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2018, Dr. Harrison completed residency in obstetrics & gynecology at the University of Wisconsin. His research interests are related to the costs of cancer care, financial toxicity, and cost-effectiveness.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Tien Le to discuss comparison of oncologic outcomes in endometrial cancer: robotics vs. laparotomy, especially in regards to his article, “A comparison of disease recurrence between robotic versus laparotomy approach in patients with intermediate-risk endometrial cancer,” which is the Lead Article in IJGC’s February 2020 issue. Dr. Le is currently a Full Professor and the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship program director in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Ottawa. He has special interests in health service evaluations research and minimal invasive surgery.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Andreas Obermair from the University of Queensland to discuss adverse events of open vs. minimally invasice radical hysterectomy. Andreas Obermair is a gynaecological oncologist in Brisbane, Australia promoting surgery with proven better patient outcomes.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Jason Wright to discuss simple vs radical hysterectomy in early cervical cancer. Dr. Jason D. Wright is the Sol Goldman Associate Professor and Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Columbia University. Dr. Wright’s research focuses on health services and outcomes research.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. David Cibula to discuss the ESGO Cervical Cancer Quality Indicators, which features as the Lead Article in the January 2020 issue of IJGC (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/30/1/3). Dr. Cibula is the Chair of the Gynecologic Oncology Center at the General Faculty Hospital in Prague, Chair of the Central and Eastern European Gynaecologic Oncology Group (CEEGOG), as well as a Former ESGO president.

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Michael Frumovitz (@Frumovitz) from MD Anderson Cancer Center to talk about updates on neuroendocrine tumors of the cervix. This podcast accompanies the lead article in our July 2019 issue, which can be found at ijgc.bmj.com/content/29/6/986.

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Description: In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Shannon Westin (Twitter: @ShannonWestin) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to talk about conservative management of endometrial cancer. They discuss the ideal candidates of conservative management, available imaging studies, discussing treatment options and side effects with patients, as well as response rates and recurrence.

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Mario Leitao (Twitter: @leitaomd) from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to talk about management of vulvovaginal melanoma.

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Soslow from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to talk about the three-tier classification of cervical carcinoma. The discuss the patterns A, B, and C in the Silva classification scheme and the clinical implications and reproducibility of these patterns. Check out Dr. Soslow's previous podcast for further information: Bmjpodcasts – The-importance-and-clinical-relevance-of-classifications-in-cervical-adenocarcinoma

Rob Soslow has been the lead gynecologic pathologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for nearly 20 years and has served on the executive committee of the International Society of Gynecological Pathologists, the council of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society and the editorial boards of several journals, including the International Journal for Gynecologic Cancer. He is an enthusiastic diagnostician, mentor, educator and investigator.

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In this rebroadcasted episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. David Gershenson (Twitter: @RareOvarCancers) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to talk about updates on management of low-grade ovarian tumors. They discuss the grading classifications, the history and survival of low-grade and high-grade serous carcinoma, and determining the ideal patients for surgery or other types of treatment.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Igance Vergote to talk about HIPEC in advanced ovarian cancer. Professor Ignace Vergote is Chairman of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Catholic University Leuven since 2003. He published more than 900 papers on gynecologic cancer in peer-reviewed journals and his work was cited more than 50.000 times. He served as President of IGCS, ESGO, EORTC-GCG and ENGOT.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Nicole Fleming to talk about imaging and laparoscopy in assessment of advanced ovarian cancer. Dr. Fleming is an Associate Professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She is the Chair of the Ovarian Cancer quality improvement committee for her department and has special research interests in surgical innovation in ovarian cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Walter Gotlieb to talk about robotic surgery for interval cytoreduction in advanced ovarian cancer and his article, "Incorporating robotic surgery into the management of ovarian cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy" (https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2019/10/09/ijgc-2019-000413), which is the Lead Article for the November 2019 issue of the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. Dr. Gotlieb is Professor & Chief of ObGyn at the McGill-affiliated Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. He is past President of GOC, the Gyn-Onc Society of Canada, past Secretary Treasurer of IGCS, and completed 10 years as senior editor of the IJGC.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Henrik Falconer from Karolinska University Hospital to talk about the RACC trial. Dr. Falconer is the Head of Gynecological Oncology at Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden and the Principal Investigator for the RACC trial.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Reitan Riberio from the Erasto Gertner Hospital in Brazil to talk about uterine transposition surgery.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Alexander Melamed from Columbia University to talk about health services research in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Melamed is an assistant professor in Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and a gynecologic oncologist practicing at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. His research seeks to improve cancer care by applying innovative study designs and analytic approaches to observational data.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Ester Miralpeix from Hospital Del Mar to talk about prehabilitation programs in gynecologic oncology and her article, ""Role and impact of multimodal prehabilitation for gynecologic oncology patients in an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program"" {https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/early/2019/08/30/ijgc-2019-000597), which is the Lead Article for the November 2019 issue of IJGC. Dr. Ester Miralpeix is currently working at Hospital del Mar, Barcelona as a gynecologist and as an Associate Professor at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. During her career, she has rotated in some leading cancer centers like University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Miralpeiz has always been heavily involved in gynecologic cancer and the development of innovative strategies for improving patient care trough ERAS and Prehabilitation programs."

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Amir Jazaeri from the MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide an introductory overview of the current state and future challenges for immunotherapy in gynecologic cancers. Dr. Jazaeri is a Professor and the Director of the Gynecologic Cancer Immunotherapy Program in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Since his recruitment to MD Anderson in 2014, he has established a broad base immunotherapy program for gynecologic cancers that include adoptive cell therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitor investigations. His other areas of research interest include innovative clinical trial designs and translational research for identification of novel immunotherapy targets for gynecologic cancers.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Marie Plante to talk about the CONTESSA/NEOCON Trial and conservative management of cervical cancer. 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. Dr Plante is currently leading two important international trials the SHAPE trial and the Contessa trial and currently serves as the co-chair of the cervical cancer research network (CCRN) as part of the GCIG.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Joe Dottino from the MD Anderson Cancer Center to talk about HCAHPS scores and gynecologic oncology outcomes. Dr. Joseph Dottino is in his final year of fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His research interests include quality and safety in cancer care and cost-effectiveness in gynecologic oncology.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Amanika Kumar from the Mayo Clinic to talk about the role of Normothermia in gynecologic oncology. Dr. Amanika Kumar, MD, is a gynecologic oncologist at Mayo Clinic. She researches ovarian cancer patient outcomes and quality of life with a focus on surgical outcomes, frailty, and sarcopenia.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Scott Glaser from City of Hope to talk about the the new classification of "Unfavorable Risk Criteria" for endometrial cancer. Be sure to read his article, "A proposal for a new classification of ‘unfavorable risk criteria’ in patients with stage I endometrial cancer," published in the September 2019 issue of IJGC. Dr. Glaser is a radiation oncologist at City of Hope in greater Los Angeles, California, where he specializes in brachytherapy. His primary clinical and research focus includes gynecologic cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Alejandro Rauh-Hain from MD Anderson Cancer Center to talk about the role of laparoscopy at interval cytoreduction.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. James Wright from Colubia University College of Physicians and Surgeons to talk about postoperative therapy in stage IC mucinous tumors.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Anais Malpica from MD Anderson Cancer Center to talk about mesenchymal tumors of the uterus.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Krish Tewari from UCI Health to talk about the role of bevacizumab in upfront management of ovarian cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Mario Leitao from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to talk about management of vulvovaginal melanoma.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Frederic Amant from UZ Leuven to talk about cancer in pregnancy.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Elisabete Weiderpass (@IARC_DIR ) from the International Agency for Research on Cancer to talk about the global impact of HPV vaccination.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Anuja Jhingran from MD Anderson Cancer Center to talk about current indications and strategies for radiation therapy in endometrial cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Michael Frumovitz from MD Anderson Cancer Center to talk about updates on neuroendocrine tumors of the cervix. This podcast accompanies the lead article in our July issue, which can be found at https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/29/6/986.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Lois Ramondetta from MD Anderson Cancer Center to talk about updates on Updates on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Patricia Eifel from MD Anderson Cancer Center to talk about updates on radiotherapy for vulvar cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Anuja Jhingran from MD Anderson Cancer Center to talk about updates on radiotherapy management of cervical cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Christhardt Köhler from Asklepios Clinic Hamburg-Altona to talk about his article “Laparoscopic radical hysterectomy with transvaginal closure of vaginal cuff – a multicenter analysis," which is the Lead Article for the June issue.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Andrea Mariani from the Mayo Clinic, to talk about clinical implications of sentinel lymph node mapping in endometrial cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Gabriel Mena (Twitter: @GabeMenaMD) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to talk about goal-directed fluid therapy and multi-modal analgesia in ERAS anesthesia. They discuss the role of anesthesiologists and the integration of anesthesia in the success of an enhanced recovery program.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Alessandro Buda (Twitter: @alicchio72) from San Gerardo Hospital, University of Milano Bicocca, in Monza, Italy, to talk about the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in early-stage cervical cancer. They discuss fertility sparing, current literature on the subject, and response rates.

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Dr. Pedro Ramirez, MD Anderson Cancer Center; Dr. Gregg Nelson, The University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine Small description of your podcast: In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Gregg Nelson (Twitter: @GreggNelsonERAS) from The University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine, to talk about the 2019 update to the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society Guidelines for perioperative care in gynecologic oncology. The full article can be read here: https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/29/4/651

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Kathleen Schmeler (Twitter: @kmschmeler) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to talk about the efforts in global prevention and care of women with gynecologic cancer. They discuss barriers such as access to care, low cost screening, and shortage of providers, as well as educational guidelines and telementoring programs such as Project Echo.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Larissa Meyer (Twitter: @LarissaAMeyerMD) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to talk about the role of patient reported outcomes (PROs) in gynecologic oncology. They discuss outcome measures and how to implement patient responses into your practice to improve care.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Anna Fagotti (Twitter: @annafagottimd) from Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli in Rome to talk about the current role of laparoscopy in the assessment of tumor cytoreduction. They discuss imaging, the use of primary debulking surgery, multi-surgeon assessments, and current and future research on scoring.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief,Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Ane Gerda Eriksson from the Norwegian Radium Hospital, to talk about the role of sentinel lymph node mapping in endometrial cancer. They discuss the SLN mapping algorithm, detection in low-risk and high-risk patients, appropriate tracers, and pathological evaluation.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Soslow from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to talk about the three-tier classification of cervical carcinoma. The discuss the patterns A, B, and C in the Silva classification scheme and the clinical implications and reproducibility of these patterns. Check out Dr. Soslow's previous podcast for further information: https://soundcloud.com/bmjpodcasts/the-importance-and-clinical-relevance-of-classifications-in-cervical-adenocarcinoma?in=bmjpodcasts/sets/ijgc-podcast

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. David Gershenson (Twitter: @RareOvarCancers) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to talk about updates on management of low-grade ovarian tumors. They discuss the grading classifications, the history and survival of low-grade and high-grade serous carcinoma, and determining the ideal patients for surgery or other types of treatment.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Raimundo Correa (@racobul) from Clinica Las Condes in Chile, to talk about palliative care in the management of patients with gynecological cancer. They discuss the use of the term "supportive care," the integration of palliative care with cancer treatment and the importance of a multidisciplinary team - including volunteers and family members - comprehensively looking after a patient's physical, emotional, and psychological needs. Drs. Ramirez and Correa also discuss the right time and the right way to talk to patients and their families about palliative care, as well as adapting and improving palliative care in low-resource countries.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Shannon Westin from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to talk about conservative management of endometrial cancer. They discuss the ideal candidates of conservative management, available imaging studies, discussing treatment options and side effects with patients, as well as response rates and recurrence.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Patrice Mathevet from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Dr. Mathevet is the author of the Lead Article for the March 2019 issue, "Impact of micrometastasis or isolated tumor cells on recurrence and survival in patients with early cervical cancer: SENTICOL Trial." They discuss the aim and results of the study, as well as the implications for future treatment.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Olle Ljungqvist (Twitter: @OlleLjungqvist) from the Örebro and Karolinska Institute to talk about implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs in gynecologic oncology. They discuss the ERAS guidelines and the implementation and outcomes of ERAS to enhance the patient's journey through recovery.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Coleman (Twitter: @rcoledude) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to talk about the role of secondary cytoreductive surgery in recurrent ovarian cancer. They discuss the importance, findings, and implications of surgical clinical trials such as GOG 213 and future studies on recurrent ovarian cancer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Michael Frumovitz (Twitter: @Frumovitz) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, to talk about the role of sentinel lymph node mapping in cervical cancer. They discuss the uses of ICG and blue dye and other tracers in lymphatic mapping, the details of injection techniques, and how to use these approaches in your practice.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Juan Luis Alcázar (Twitter: @Juan_L_Alcazar) from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. Dr. Alcázar is the lead author of the Lead Article for the February 2019 issue, "Preoperative assessment of intra-abdominal disease spread in epithelial ovarian cancer: a comparative study between ultrasound and computed tomography scan." They discuss the rationale behind the study, the advantages and limitations of using ultrasound, the recent evolution of ultrasound technology, and recommendations for centers that may be lacking an expert ultrasonographer.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Soslow from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to talk about the importance and clinical relevance of a classification in patients with cervical cancer, particularly cervical adenocarcinoma. They discuss the way that cervical adenocarcinoma has been classified historically, the potential impact of a new classification scheme on clinical outcomes, and integrating testing in low resource areas. Look out for IJGC's upcoming podcast with Dr. Soslow on invasion pattern-based classification of HPV-associated endometrial carcinomas.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. David Gershenson (Twitter: @RareOvarCancers) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas to talk about the management of rare ovarian tumors in ovarian cancers, including mucinous, clear cell, and small cell. They discuss metastatic vs. primary mucinous tumors, the role of HIPEC in the treatment of advanced disease, as well as genomic profiling. Look out for IJGC's upcoming pdocast with Dr. Gershenson on updates on management of low-grade ovarian tumors.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Coleman (Twitter: @rcoledude) from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. They discuss how parp inhibitors work and how they have come into play with gynecologic oncology, including how to discuss parp inhibitors with patients, recommendations for patient monitoring and follow up, and the future of ovarian cancer treatment.

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In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Anna Fagotti (Twitter: @annafagottimd) from Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli in Rome. Dr. Fagotti is the lead author of the Lead Article for the February 2018 issue, "The INTERNATIONAL MISSION study: Minimally Invasive Surgery In Ovarian Neoplasms after NACT." They discuss the origins and results of the study, what makes a patient an ideal candidate for minimally invasive surgery, and the next steps for evaluating oncologic outcomes.

IJGC Podcast: Recent Episodes

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