Gynecologic Cancers

Recent advancements in the treatment of ovarian cancer, including surgical techniques, the approvals of bevacizumab and olaparib, and intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IP), have led the National Comprehensive Cancer Network to make changes to their clinical practice guidelines in its 20th annual edition.

A new analysis has shown that taking hormone replacement therapy to alleviate symptoms associated with menopause significantly increases the risk of developing the two most common types of ovarian cancer, even if the therapy is only taken for a few years.

Camille Grammer, Real Housewife of Beverly Hills and one-year survivor of endometrial cancer, will lend her voice and celebrity to raising awareness about gynecologic cancers by serving as Chair of the 2015 National Race to End Women's Cancer to be held Sunday, Nov. 8 in Washington, D.C.

Jessica Goldberg, MSN, adult gerontology nurse practitioner, fellow in palliative medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the results of a study in which a cancer self-management intervention was created for patients with breast cancer.

As one of the most significant predictors of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, the BRCA1/2 genes have become the poster child for genetic testing. In the past 18 months, the floodgates for testing options have opened, as companies seek to enter the diagnostic market in the wake of the US Supreme Court's June 2013 ruling that "naturally occurring" human genes are a "product of nature" and cannot be patented, breaking Myriad Genetics' monopoly on BRCA1/2 gene testing.

The FDA has approved the PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza) for the treatment of women with BRCA-positive advanced ovarian cancer. The approval was based on results from a single-arm phase II study of patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated advanced cancers

Jessica Goldberg, MSN, adult gerontology nurse practitioner, fellow in palliative medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses a study on creating a successful cancer self-management intervention for patients with breast cancer.

New data has shown that states that have higher rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality also have low HPV vaccination rates among young women.

A new study has shown that although patients with ovarian cancer were more likely to enter hospice care, the cost of hospital-based services actually increased, dispelling the hope that the cost of hospital services would decline if more patients opted for hospice care.

More than one-third of patients with breast or ovarian cancer or a family history of those diseases who also saw a genetic counselor did not pursue genetic testing for BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 mutations

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer and the fourth most common cancer.

The demand for genetic services has never been greater. Vast advances in genetic technology, Angelina Jolie's disclosure that she is a BRCA mutation carrier, and the Supreme Court ruling on gene patents have hurled genetic services into the mainstream. Since the Supreme Court ruling last year, the cost of germline (hereditary) genetic testing has plummeted and now includes panels of genes.

A randomized multi-center trial examining the efficacy of adding the prohormone dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) to a vaginal bioadhesive moisturizer in postmenopausal survivors of breast or gynecologic cancer has found that daily rather than as-needed use of such a moisturizer significantly relieves symptoms of vaginal atrophy in these women, and that when DHEA is added, survivors report significant improvements in sexual desire, arousal, pain, and overall sexual function.

The FDA has approved bevacizumab (Avastin) in combination with paclitaxel and cisplatin or paclitaxel and topotecan as a treatment for patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer

Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have found that a negative HPV screening test is better at evaluating cervical cancer risk than a negative Pap test.

Do you know that ovarian cancer continues to be the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers? Do you know there is no test that detects ovarian cancer?

Grammy and Tony Award Nominee, Valisia LeKae, was starring in the Broadway role of a lifetime, playing Diana Ross in "Motown The Musical." Then she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

New data has revealed that breastfeeding, tubal ligation, and oral contraceptives may lower the risk of ovarian cancer for some women with BRCA gene mutations,

Persistent infection with specific subtypes of human papillomavirus (HPV) has been definitively linked to progression to cervical cancer.

Healthcare providers are expected to advise patients about the potential effects of cancer treatment, including impact on fertility. In many facilities, it's a required component of the informed consent process.

Women diagnosed with epithelial ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancers should be considered for genetic counseling and testing, even in the absence of a family history.

Nicole Makris, BA, Emory University, discusses the findings that analyzed the HPV vaccination habits of women who have sex with women versus women who have sex with men.

The FDA has granted the first-ever approval for a diagnostic test alternative to Pap smear, the cobas HPV Test, despite objections from a number of organizations and healthcare providers.

Oncology practitioners now have several resources to consult for advice on genetic testing for their patients following the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) December 2013 update of its 2005 BRCA recommendations, plus new recommendations from the American Socieity of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) announced in February and published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Women with irregular menstrual cycles have a 2.4-fold increased risk of death from ovarian cancer, according to a large, prospective study presented at the 2014 AACR Annual Meeting.

Ellen T. Matloff, MS, CGC, director, Yale Cancer Genetic Counseling Program at the Yale School of Medicine/Yale Cancer Center, discusses options for BRCA1/2 carriers who are looking to reduce their risk of ovarian cancer.

Leslie R. Schover, PhD, clinical psychiatrist, professor, behavioral science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the web-based intervention Tendrils: Sexual Renewal and Motherhood after Cancer.

Early-stage overweight endometrial and breast cancer survivors had moderate success in lowering their body mass index (BMI) and waste circumference after using the web and smart phone/tablet–based weight loss application "Lose It!"

Physicians may have a clearer understanding of the optimum age for prophylactic oophorectomy in patients with BRCA mutations who want to reduce their risk of ovarian, fallopian tube, and breast cancer

Ellen T. Matloff, MS, CGC, director, Yale Cancer Genetic Counseling Program at the Yale School of Medicine/Yale Cancer Center, discusses prophylactic treatment options outside of oophorectomy for BRCA1/2 carriers.