Gynecologic Oncology

The first vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer has been licensed, and in future, vaccination may be routinely offered to 10–14 year old girls. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus and some parents may refuse consent for vaccination.

Since their introduction, cervical cytology screening programs have caused a substantial reduction in cervical cancer rates. However, the low sensitivity of one screen and resulting need for repeated screens during a lifetime to achieve programmatic sensitivity has deemed it inefficient. With that in mind, Dr Philip E Castle, of the American Society for Clinical Pathology in Washington, D.C., and colleagues compared the performance of the cobas human papillomavirus (HPV) test versus liquid-based cytology.

Compared to healthy women, the researchers found significantly higher serum mesothelin antigen levels in women with ovarian cancer, benign conditions, and unexplained infertility. Luborsky and colleagues further noted that mesothelin antibodies had a higher affinity in the infertility groups, especially premature ovarian failure and ovulatory dysfunction, than that in the healthy, benign, or ovarian cancer groups. Specifically, they found significantly higher positive sera in women with premature ovarian failure and ovulatory dysfunction as compared to normal sera.

A recent study by Katherine Roland and colleagues from the CDC has found that a majority doctors are still recommending yearly Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer.

The most lethal reproductive cancer in women, ovarian cancer, is estimated to affect 12.8 per 100,000 women in the United States. As such, researchers continue to look into novel ways to eradicate the disease. Armed with the knowledge that almost all (90%) ovarian cancers can be characterized by their expression of alpha-folate receptor, Dr De-Gang Song, postdoctoral investigator in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues attempted to engineer T cells to see if they would help shrink the cancer tumors.

Learning Objectives At the end of this presentation you should: 1-Enumerate the problems a woman affected with celiac disease may encounter during her life 2-Be aware of the methods of diagnosis of celiac disease 3-Describe effective control for the disease to minimize symptoms and long term sequelae of the disease

Puberty Dr. Ashraf Fouda Damietta General Hospital Puberty It is a physiological phase lasting 2 to 5 years, during which the genital organs mature. Manifestations of puberty in the female include:

DEFINE Any deviation in normal frequency, duration or amount of menstration in women of reproductive age. NORMAL MENSES Frequency: 21-35 d Duration: 3-7 d Volume: 30-80 ml