Prof Curt Burger talks to ecancer at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about the relationship between ovarian cancer and endometriosis sub-fertility. From a study that began in 1993, data collected from two groups of women confirmed that both endometriosis and fertility drugs significantly increased the risk of ovarian cancer. Now analysis of a patient's histology and study of border line tumours allows for greater evaluation of risks and progression...

Prof Stan Kaye discusses his two talks at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about the current state of PARP inhibitors and anti-angiogenics. Research shows that cells with BRAC mutations, when exposed to Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, PARP, virtually dissolve. About 18 percent of ovarian cancer cases have this mutations, but up to half of patients will respond to these inhibitors. The difference in response comes from platinum sensitivity. Bevastusimab...

Dr Paola Gehrig talks to ecancer at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about the problems obesity causes in treating gynaecological cancers. As obesity rates increase globally, so do the number of cases of endometrial and ovarian cancer. Once diagnosed with one of these diseases, a patient's outcome is greatly effected by the extent to which they are overweight. Issues in surgical treatment include comorbidity, hypertension, diabetes and many others....

Dr Shingo Fujii talks to ecancer at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about the controversy around radical hysterectomy and the precise anatomy involved in the surgical treatment to prevent complications.

Dr Susan Carr talks to ecancer at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about the importance of patient sexual health during, and post, ovarian cancer treatment. Research shows that 50 percent of women will have a potentially long lasting sexual issue after diagnosis. These issues can stem directly and indirectly from the disease; however, patients feel unable to discuss them within the clinic. Many clinicians see the topic as taboo and many patients find...

Dr Ed Pavlik talks to ecancer at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about the importance and methods for ovarian cancer screening. The early detection method, transvaginal ultrasound, allows for a diagnosis of 70 percent of stage one and two cases. Ovarian cancer has seven times less prevalence than breast cancer, but a 60 percent mortality rate if not detected in these early stages The method of transvaginal ultrasound uses serial screenings to...

Dr David Miller talks to ecancer at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about the GOG 209 study and drug regimens for endometrial cancer. Standard treatment of endometrial cancer usually involves a surgical treatment, as well as chemotherapy. However, in 20-30 percent of patients, where surgery is not possible, advanced endometrial cancer treatment focuses more on chemotherapy and biological therapies. The GOG 209 study looked to simplify treatment of...

Dr Charles Levenback talks to ecancer at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about aggressively staging patients based on risk, condition and co-morbidity. As endometrial cancer occurs more frequently in elderly patients, with obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes also factors, the general approach is pre-operative biopsy, hysterectomy and analysis of the samples. The next staging depends upon the condition and invasion of the tumour. The problem...

Dr Antonio Gonzalez-Martin talks to ecancer at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about the phase II OCTAVIA trial and the effects of combination therapy of bevacizumab and paclitaxel in ovarian cancer. The OCTAVIA trial combined the two strategies of adding bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy and changing the administration of paclitaxel to increase progression free survival. In addition to overall survival, there was also a hypothesis that...

Dr Andrew Berchuck talks to ecancer at the 2012 International Gynaecologic Cancer Society meeting in Vancouver about the Cancer Genome Atlas project, which aims to provide a comprehensive, genomic analysis of all of the most common cancer types. In addition, Dr Berchuck discusses how this atlas will aid in the treatment of high-grade serous ovarian cancer, which causes the most deaths from this disease. This research is done by looking at mutations and amplifications in the genome rather...