Gynecologic Oncology

Dosimetric Comparison of Intensity-modulated, Conformal, and Four-field Pelvic Radiotherapy Boost Plans for Gynecologic Cancer: A Retrospective Planning Study

Cervical cancer is the seventh most frequent cancer worldwide but more than 80% of cases occur in developing countries. Till date, radiation therapy with external beam and brachytherapy remains as the core treatment for most stages of cervical cancer.

Research on quality and satisfaction with care during palliative chemotherapy in oncology patients has been limited. The objective was to assess the association between patient's satisfaction with care and symptom severity and to evaluate test-retest of a satisfaction survey in this study population.

Cervical cancer continues to be a significant health burden worldwide. Globally, the majority of cancers are locally advanced at diagnosis; hence, radiation remains the most frequently used therapeutical modality.

The Early-7 (E7) protein of HPV binds to the underphosphorelated form of the tumor suppressor protein - pRb and displaces the E2F transcription factor that is normally bound by pRb. The latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) of EBV prevents apoptosis of B cells by up regulating the expression of bcl-2, and it activates growth promoting pathway that are normally triggered by T cell - derivate signal.

WT1 is a tumor suppressor gene responsible for Wilms' tumor. WT1 reactivity is limited to ovarian serous carcinomas. Recent studies have shown that WT1 plays an important role in the progression of disease and indicates a poorer prognosis of human malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia and breast cancer.

Fallopian tube prolapse as a complication of abdominal hysterectomy is a rare occurrence. A case with fallopian tube prolapse was managed by a combined vaginal and laparoscopic approach and description of the operative technique is presented.

Cervical cancer remains one of the greatest killers of women worldwide. It is difficult to foresee a dramatic increase in cure rate even with the most optimal combination of cytotoxic drugs, surgery, and radiation; therefore, testing of molecular targeted therapies against this malignancy is highly desirable.

Human Papillomavirus has emerged as a distinct cause of cervical changes in young women. Its prevalence is continuously growing and is considered at epidemic proportions with 20 million Americans already infected and 5.5 million new cases reported annually. (2) (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tracking the Hidden Epidemics., Trends in STDs in the U.S. 2000, Atlanta, Georgia, 2000)

Cervical dysplasia is a premalignant lesion associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection which, over time, can turn cancerous. Previous studies have indicated that loss of gap junctions may be a feature of cervical cancer and premalignant dysplasia.

Prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccines have been shown to be effective in reducing the disease burden of cervical cancer, but the three dose regimen can be expensive and difficult to complete. With that in mind, Dr Aimée R. Kreimer, investigator in the division of cancer epidemiology and genetics at the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Health, and colleagues sought to determine if less than three doses of the vaccine would be effective. The results are published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

In light of ongoing threats of radiation exposure during the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis in Japan, OBGYN.net has put together a list of resources and information for doctors and patients who want to learn more about the dangers of radiation and exposure during pregnancy.

Answers about your abnormal Pap test

This review describes the use of polymer micelle nanotechnology based chemotherapies for ovarian cancer. While various chemotherapeutic agents can be utilized to improve the survival rate of patients with ovarian cancer, their distribution throughout the entire body results in high normal organ toxicity.

Prospective Randomized Trial of Iliohypogastric-ilioinguinal Nerve Block on Post-operative Morphine Use After Inpatient Surgery of the Female Reproductive Tract

To review utilisation of elective embryo cryopreservation in the expectant management of patients at risk for developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), and report on reproductive outcome following transfer of thawed embryos.

Dysplastic Ichthyosis Uteri-like Changes of the Entire Endometrium Associated with a Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix

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.