Predictors of surgical complications following gynecologic cancer surgery in a low income country: experience from two tertiary hospitals in rwanda

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer · 2026-02-01

Trends, predictors, and safety of ovarian preservation in premenopausal women with high-grade endometrioid and non-endometrioid endometrial cancers

Gynecologic Oncology · 2026-01-16

The International Gynecologic Cancer Society Global Fellowship Program: advancing access to gynecologic oncology and surgical care worldwide

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer · 2026-01-06

The likely possibility of predicting treatment outcomes of cervical lesions using serum FOXP3 and P16INK4A as shown by a cohort study in South Western Uganda

Discover Oncology · 2026-02-15

INTRODUCTION: There is a need to assess the potential of blood-based biomarkers to detect treatment outcomes of cervical lesions. We determined the association between serum P16ink4A and FOXP3 concentrations and treatment outcomes of cervical lesions at a clinic in Southwestern Uganda. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, participants with cytologically and/or histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) (n = 90) and cervical cancer (CC) (n = 90) were monitored for 12 months. After consent, clinical and demographic data were recorded, blood was collected, and serum P16ink4A and FOXP3 were measured (quantitative ELISA) at baseline and 12 months post-treatment. With multinomial logistic regression, we determined the association between treatment outcomes and serum P16ink4A and FOXP3 concentrations in STATA 17 using P-values of < 0.05 as statistically significant. RESULTS: Of the 180 participants initially enrolled, 62 returned for the 12-month follow-up assessment. At this time point, 47 participants presented with cleared lesions, 6 with persistent lesions, and 9 with progressed lesions. All participants exhibiting disease progression (n = 9) were CC cases, while 82.98% (39/47) of those with cleared lesions had LSIL. For raised (> 0.0545 ng/ml), relative to reduced serum FOXP3 (≤ 0.0545 ng/ml), the risk of progression relative to clearance of invasive cervical cancer would increase by 27.82. Also raised (> 0.946 ng/ml) relative to reduced (≤ 0.946 ng/ml) serum P16INK4A, the risk of persistence relative to clearance of low grade cervical lesions would increase by 5.16 times, given other variables remain constant. CONCLUSION: Though results are not statistically significant and imprecise, serum FOXP3 and P16ink4A concentrations are likely associated with persistence and progression of cervical lesions. Their measurement may benefit the prognostic monitoring of cervical lesions.

Utilization and outcomes of fertility-sparing ovarian cystectomy for stage I malignant ovarian germ cell tumors

Gynecologic Oncology · 2025-12-24 · 1 citations

Challenges and Opportunities in the Treatment of Invasive Cervical Cancer in Low-Resource Settings: A Survey of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society Fellowship Programs

JCO Global Oncology · 2025-10-01

PURPOSE: Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) Global Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship aims to build human capacity to address the burden of cervical cancer in LMICs. This study assesses resource constraints experienced at fellowship sites with regard to management of cervical cancer. METHODS: From September to December 2020, one fellow from each of the 12 existing IGCS fellowship programs participated in a survey that assessed capacity for cervical cancer management, including access to care, diagnostics and treatment, cancer surveillance, and palliative care. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. RESULTS: Patients at IGCS sites experienced significant delays to care, especially for chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Less than half of the sites had a gynecology-trained pathologist, and only 58% of sites had access to a magnetic resonance imaging machine, though with many delays in obtaining imaging reads. For treatment, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is not commonly used. Access to radiation therapy is poor, with 58% of sites reporting wait times of 5-8 weeks or more. The radiation machine downtime ranges from 1 to 3 months per year, creating gaps where no patients can access this treatment. Palliative care is practiced by variable members of the health care team although hospice services are rare. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates significant resource constraints experienced by gynecologic oncology providers in various LMICs when managing cervical cancer. This includes delays to diagnosis, poor access to chemoradiation services, and need for palliative care. Despite these limitations, the IGCS Global Gynecologic Oncology Fellowships have built workforce capacity to manage cervical cancer, serving as local champions to address this disease.

The International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) Global Fellowship Program: Updates in advancing access to gynecologic oncology care globally

Gynecologic Oncology · 2025-09-01

THE IGCS PREINVASIVE PROGRAM: CREATING A WORLDWIDE WORKFORCE IN CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION IN LOW AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES.

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer · 2025-11-01

Use and outcomes of hormonal therapy for advanced-stage, low-grade serous ovarian cancer

International Journal of Gynecological Cancer · 2025-09-23 · 1 citations

Diagnostic Accuracy of Serum P16ink4A and FOX‐P3 Concentrations for Detection of Cervical Lesions Among Women Attending a Cervical Cancer Clinic in Western Uganda: A Case‐Control Study

Analytical Cellular Pathology · 2025-01-01

Introduction: Expression of P16ink4A and FOXP3 is correlated with the grades of cervical lesions. In this study, we determined the diagnostic accuracy of serum P16ink4A and FOXP3 concentrations for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cervical cancer (CC) in a rural setting in Southwestern Uganda. Material and Methods: CIN and CC cases (93 each before treatment), and 93 controls were identified. Clinical and demographic data were documented before quantifying serum P16ink4A and FOXP3 concentrations using quantitative ELISA kits. Cases were confirmed by cytology and/or histology. We employed descriptive statistics, cross‐tabulation, and receiver operating curves (ROC) using statistical software for data science (STATA) 17. p ‐values &lt;0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Serum FOXP3 concentration of 0.0545 ng/mL &lt; showed moderate sensitivity (32.22% and 57.78%) for detection of CIN and CC from healthy controls, respectively. It also showed a moderately high specificity of 68.89% for detection of both CIN and CC from healthy controls (AUC‐0.6014 and 0.7679, respectively). Serum P16ink4A concentration of 0.946 ng/mL &lt; showed moderate sensitivities (50.00% and 60.00%) and specificities (56.67% and 55.56%) for the detection of CIN and CC from healthy controls, respectively (AUC‐0.6085 and 0.7592, respectively). A combination of elevated serum FOXP3 and P16ink4A showed very low sensitivities of 18.89% in detecting CIN from healthy controls and 33.33% for detecting CC from healthy controls. This combination showed high specificity of 83.33% in detecting both CIN and CC from healthy controls (AUC‐0.5992 and 0.7642, respectively). Conclusion: Although serum P16ink4A and FOXP3 concentrations showed moderate accuracy, their combination was more specific than sensitive. This combination has a high potential to be applied for diagnosis rather than screening for cervical lesions, at least in the Ugandan population. Combinations of P16ink4A and FOXP3 with other biomarkers could improve diagnostic accuracies. Additionally, studies could be conducted to assess the performance of these biomarkers in the detection of cervical lesions in specific populations, say Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)‐positive and HIV‐negative populations.