Gynecologic Oncology Research Updates

This single-center retrospective cohort of 246 patients with de novo extra‑nodal metastatic breast cancer who underwent breast surgery compared axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) versus sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or no axillary surgery. After a median follow-up of ~60 months and using IPTW-adjusted analyses, ALND was not associated with improved progression-free or overall survival (HRs not statistically significant) and patterns of disease progression, including nodal progression, were similar between groups.

This review addresses patients with oligorecurrent or oligoprogressive gynecologic cancers during systemic therapy and summarizes locoregional options (stereotactic body radiotherapy, minimally invasive surgery, image-guided ablation) used while continuing systemic treatment. Retrospective data—mostly from ovarian cancer treated with PARP inhibitors—suggest ablating resistant metastatic clones can permit continuation of effective systemic therapy, prolong next-line systemic treatment‑free intervals, and preserve quality of life, but evidence is limited, heterogeneous across tumor types, and prospective trials are needed to define patient selection, sequencing, and survival impact.

This review summarizes current immunotherapy approaches in ovarian cancer, noting that despite tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in many cases, immune checkpoint inhibitors have delivered only modest benefit. It outlines ongoing development of antigen-directed strategies (CAR T cells, TIL therapy, bispecific antibodies, vaccines, cytokine agents, antibody–drug conjugates) targeting antigens such as mesothelin, folate receptor-α, HER2, MUC16, EpCAM, and claudin-6, and discusses biological/clinical barriers to efficacy and emerging combination and biomarker-driven strategies informed by integrated genomic and immune profiling.