Pap Test Fluids Used In Gene-Based Screening Test for Two Gyn Cancers

Johns Hopkins: Cervical fluid samples gathered during routine Papanicolaou (Pap) tests are the basis of a new screening test for endometrial and ovarian cancers developed by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. PapSEEK detects mutations in DNA that have been identified for specific cancers sooner. Earlier detection of cancer could lead to earlier treatment and potentially better outcomes for patients. The test uses cervical fluid samples to look for mutations in 18 genes, which are highly or commonly mutated in endometrial or ovarian cancers, and aneuploidy, the presence of abnormal numbers of chromosomes in cells. The researchers said their results showed the potential for mutation-based diagnostics to detect endometrial and ovarian cancers earlier.

Long-Term Anti-Inflammatory Drug Use May Increase Cancer-Related Deaths for Certain Patients

Columbus: Regular use of over-the-counter non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen is associated with an increased risk of dying in patients diagnosed with Type 1 endometrial cancers, according to a new population-based study led by The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). In this observational study, a multi-institutional team of cancer researchers sought to understand the association of regular NSAID use and the risk of dying from endometrial cancer among a cohort of more than 4,000 patients.

Cervical and endometrial cancer patients report fewer side effects and better quality of life with IMRT

ASTRO: Patients with cervical and endometrial cancer have fewer gastrointestinal and genitourinary side effects and experience better quality of life when treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) than with conventional radiation therapy (RT),  according to research presented today at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). Women receiving IMRT reported significantly fewer bowel and bladder problems than those receiving conventional radiation treatment.

Potential for a more personalised approach to womb cancer

Manchester doctors have helped show that high-risk womb cancer patients can be genetically profiled to allow them to receive more appropriate treatment. Traditionally, patients with endometrial cancer – cancer of the womb lining - have their disease risk classified using a combination of clinical and tissue characteristics, including their age and the growth and invasion of their tumour.

Could a simple test predict endometrial cancer?

Mayo Clinic: Researchers at Mayo Clinic have shown that it is possible to detect endometrial cancer using tumor DNA picked up by ordinary tampons. The new approach specifically examines DNA samples from vaginal secretions for the presence of chemical “off” switches — known as methylation — that can disable genes that normally keep cancer in check.

Metabolic Syndrome is Associated With Increased Endometrial Cancer Risk Independent of Being Overweight/Obese

AACR. US: Women age 65 or older who had metabolic syndrome—a common disorder characterized by a number of medical conditions, including low levels of “good” cholesterol and high levels of fats called triglycerides—were at increased risk of endometrial cancer, and this increased risk was independent of being overweight or obese, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Endometrial cancer

American Cancer Society: Endometrial cancer is a cancer that starts in the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus (womb). The picture below shows where the uterus is located. The uterus is a hollow organ, about the size and shape of a medium-sized pear. The uterus is where a fetus grows and develops when a woman is pregnant. The uterus has 2 main parts (see picture above). The cervix is the lower end of the uterus that extends into the vagina. The upper part of the uterus is called the body or the corpus. (Corpus is the Latin word for body.) Although the cervix is technically part of the uterus, when people talk about the uterus, they usually mean the body, not the cervix.