Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that regulate the maturation and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1beta (IL-1β and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in response to various intracellular stimuli. As a member of the inflammasomes family, NLRP3 is the most studied and best characterized inflammasome and has been shown to be involved in several pathologies. Recent findings have made it increasingly apparent that the NLRP3 inflammasome may also play a central role in tumorigenesis, and it has attracted attention as a potential anticancer therapy target. In this review, we discuss the role of NLRP3 in the development and progression of cancer, offering a detailed summary of NLRP3 inflammasome activation (and inhibition) in the pathogenesis of various forms of cancer. Moreover, we focus on the therapeutic potential of targeting NLRP3 for cancer therapy, emphasizing how understanding NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent cancer mechanisms might guide the development of new drugs that target the inflammatory response of tumor-associated cells.

Introduction: This systematic review examines the application of multiple deep learning algorithms in the analysis of intraoperative videos to enable feature extraction and pattern recognition of surgical phases, anatomical structures, and surgical instruments. Material and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO, covering studies published until March 2024. This review includes studies that applied AI models in the operating room for surgical‐phase recognition and/or anatomical structures and instruments. Only studies utilizing machine learning or deep learning for surgical video analysis were considered. The primary outcome measures were accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score. Results: A total of 21 studies were included. Multilayer architecture of interconnected neural networks was predominantly used. The deep learning models demonstrated promising results, with accuracy ranging from 81% to 93.2% for surgical‐phase recognition. Anatomical structure recognition models achieved accuracy between 71.4% and 98.1%. Conclusions: Artificial intelligence has the potential to significantly improve surgical precision and workflow, with demonstrated success in phase recognition and anatomical structure identification. However, further research is needed to address dataset limitations, standardize annotation protocols, and minimize biases.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the benefits of a low-pressure insufflation system (AirSeal) vs. a standard insufflation system in terms of anesthesiologists’ parameters and postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for early-stage endometrial cancer. This retrospective study involved five tertiary centers and included 152 patients with apparent early-stage disease who underwent laparoscopic surgical staging with either the low-pressure AirSeal system (8–10 mmHg, n = 84) or standard laparoscopic insufflation (10–12 mmHg, n = 68). All the intraoperative anesthesia variables evaluated (systolic blood pressure, end-tidal CO2, peak airway pressure) were significantly lower in the AirSeal group. We recorded a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the median NRS scores for global pain recorded at 4, 8, and 24 h, and for overall shoulder pain after surgery. Significantly more women in the AirSeal group were also discharged on day one compared to the standard group. All such results were confirmed when analyzing the subgroup of women with a BMI >30 kg/m². In conclusion, according to our preliminary study, low-pressure laparoscopy represents a valid alternative to standard laparoscopy and could facilitate the development of outpatient surgery.

Objective: To review the literature on the impact on female quality of life and sexual function of orthotopic reconstruction after radical cystectomy for non-malignant bladder conditions. Radical cystectomy is commonly required to treat malignant conditions but may also be considered for the treatment of non-malignant diseases. These heterogeneous group of disorders includes interstitial cystitis, painful bladder syndrome, neurogenic bladder, haemorrhagic/ radiation cystitis, endometriosis and refractory genitourinary fistula. Treatment begins with non-invasive medical therapies but, in non-responder cases, a surgical solution should be considered. Such invasive techniques include urinary diversion and reconstructive procedures that have an impact on healthrelated quality of life, physical, social, and mental status. Materials and methods: This narrative review research was done using the PubMed database up until 2020, July. All papers referring to cystectomy for benign indication were considered. Results: In comparison to other reconstructive options, orthotopic neobladder allows the restoration of a normal self-image and consequently it is the most suitable procedure when a surgical reconstruction is necessary for non-malignant conditions. However, women can face many disorders that impact on everyday life, such as voiding dysfunction or sexual activity problems. Conclusions: Scant data is available about quality of life, sexual life and self-perception in women treated by cystectomy for benign conditions and most literature is dedicated to those indicators in cancer patients. More research is needed to understand the tolerability and the quality of life results of the female population affected by benign conditions undergoing this kind of surgical approach.

Background: Knowledge about evolution of treated and untreated primary vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN) remains limited, as current guidelines recommend treatment. This study investigates the natural history of VaIN based on existing literature. Methods: This study is a systematic review and descriptive meta-analysis. We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases to identify clinical series reporting the no-regression rate(including persistence, recurrence, or progression events) of primary VaIN. We recorded data categorized by VaIN grade and treatment status. Clinical series that reported VaIN grade, follow-up time (median or mean of six months or more), treatment details, and whether treatment was performed were eligible for inclusion. Additionally, some internal hospital databases on VaIN were included. Data were pooled at each follow-up time point, using six-month intervals. From these pooled rates, trend curves were constructed to describe the natural history of treated (various therapies) and untreated low-grade and high-grade VaIN. Results: A total of 150 series were included in the data synthesis. Five subgroups were assessed for low-grade VaIN and twelve for high-grade VaIN. The estimated 5-year no-regression rate of untreated low-grade VaIN, predicted by trend curve, was 14.0% (95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 9.2%–44.0%), indicating that 86.0% of untreated low-grade VaIN would regress within 5-years. The 5-year no-regression rate for untreated high-grade VaIN, also predicted by trend curve, was 14.2% (95% CI: 10.2%–24.8%), indicating that 85.8% of untreated high-grade VaIN regress within 5-years. It cannot be determined to what extent treatment modifies the natural history of VaIN. Current assessments suggest that only low-level evidence is available on VaIN. Conclusion: A large proportion of untreated VaIN lesions, regardless of grade, would resolve after 5 years of follow-up, with at least 14% of lesions unlikely to resolve. Registration: The study has been registered on https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023445810 (registration number: CRD42023445810).