Gynecologic Cancers

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.

International researchers from seven countries conducted a prospective study to determine risk reduction of ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation after oophorectomy and examine other factors, such as impact of this procedure on mortality and five year survival.

The genomic instability inherent in serous ovarian cancer poses treatment challenges, but it also represents a target that can be exploited through the use of PARP inhibitors

The "renaissance in immunology" is already affecting treatment paradigms for a variety of gynecologic cancers, and the impact is only likely to expand

Sharon Tollin, PhD, ARNP-BC, OCN®, discusses the unmet need for information regarding patients who have undergone prophylactic risk-reducing surgery (such as mastectomy and removal of tubes and ovaries).

Oncology nurses can lead the way in efforts to protect the next generation from this type of cancer if they know the facts about HPV vaccination for both girls and boys

Lauren McCaulley, BSN, RN, OCN, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, describes ovarian cancer education at her institution.

Cancer centers are beginning to establish oncology nurse navigator programs with integrated processes for assessment, identification, referral, education, care, and support for patients whose gynecologic cancers may be genetically-based.

The decision about whether to get tested for a genetic mutation that may predispose a person to certain cancers is a difficult one for many patients to make. Even more difficult for mutation carriers is deciding whether to undergo a prophylactic surgical procedure.

Due to the high lifetime risk of ovarian cancer and the poor ovarian cancer surveillance options available, women who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are advised to remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes by age 40 or when childbearing is complete.

L. Stewart Massad, MD, discusses recent updates to guidelines for cervical cancer screening intended to implement prevention strategies that are less intrusive and reduce morbidity.

A pair of studies could change the way patients are evaluated for mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2, two cancer susceptibility genes closely associated with breast and ovarian cancers, as well as other tumor types.

Cristi Radford, MS, CGC, from the Sarasota Memorial Hospital, discusses examining cancer gene panels using next generation sequencing for patients with ovarian cancer.

Michael L. Krychman, MD, Executive Director of the Southern California Center for Sexual Health and Survivorship Medicine, discusses managing and treating sexual health concerns in cancer patients and survivors.

For Tiffany Keller-Fritz, the safety of her unborn child, weighed against the urgent need to initiate treatment, required close collaboration between her oncologists and OB-GYN.

Heidi Donovan from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Discusses Prioritizing Symptoms

A chronic shortage of the most commonly used taxane for ovarian cancer would add almost $9 million a month to the cost of care if half of newly diagnosed cases were affected.

Whether surgically or medically induced, early menopause forces women to deal with a host of emotional, physical, and practical issues.