International journal of gynecological cancer : official journal of the International Gynecological Cancer Society
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Int. J. Gynecol. Cancer · Jan 2004
The relative importance of surgical training and laboratory research in a gynecologic oncology fellowship.
The objective was to determine trends of surgical skill acquisition during fellowships, and the consensus amongst gynecologic oncologists about the relative importance of surgical training and laboratory research in fellowships. A survey addressing surgical capability at the time of fellowship completion, and relative priorities that should be given to surgical training and laboratory research was mailed to gynecologic oncologists and fellows in the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists directory. ⋯ There is wide variation of opinion among respondents concerning the value of and most appropriate length of time that should be dedicated to laboratory research in a fellowship. There is an indication of a trend for more recent fellows to graduate having acquired less surgical skill and a prevalent opinion that surgical training should be more heavily emphasized in fellowships.
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Int. J. Gynecol. Cancer · Jan 2004
Case ReportsSynchronous mucinous adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and mucinous cystadenoma of bilateral ovaries presenting during fertility therapy.
We describe a very rare case of synchronous mucinous tumor of the endometrium and ovaries presenting during ovulation induction. A 31-year-old woman received ovulation induction for 5-year primary infertility. Ultrasonography revealed mucus retention in the uterine cavity and bilateral multicystic ovaries during ovulation induction. ⋯ Repeated procedures including ovarian cystectomy, endometrial curettage and in vitro fertilization combined with progestine therapy resulted in no pregnancy but rapid recurrences. She finally underwent simple hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Microscopic examination revealed mucinous cystadenoma in the both ovaries and well differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma of the endometrium.
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Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The costs associated with this cancer impact both on the affected individual and on the health system. Screening is currently unproven as a strategy for improving outcomes for women with ovarian cancer. ⋯ The most important costs for the patient, the pain and suffering associated with ovarian cancer and its treatment, are hard to quantify. Nevertheless, patients' quality of life must be considered when making a clinical decision to treat this disease. A review of available cost-effectiveness studies is presented and discussed.
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Int. J. Gynecol. Cancer · Nov 2003
Clinical TrialPsychometric evaluation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (Fact/GOG-Ntx) questionnaire for patients receiving systemic chemotherapy.
The purpose of this study was to validate the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-Ntx) questionnaire. The FACT/GOG-Ntx is the FACT-G plus an eleven-item subscale (Ntx subscale) that evaluates symptoms and concerns associated specifically with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. Two groups of women with ovarian cancer completed the FACT/GOG-Ntx: one group with known neurotoxicities and one group of chemotherapy-naive women newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer. ⋯ The Ntx subscale significantly differentiated the two groups at baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-ups, demonstrating significantly fewer problems among chemotherapy-naive patients than among patients with known neuropathy. The FACT/GOG-Ntx is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the impact of neuropathy on health-related quality of life. The Ntx subscale demonstrated sensitivity to meaningful clinical distinctions and change over time.
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Fatigue is the most common symptom in patients with advanced cancer. It is a subjective sensation with physical, cognitive, and affective modes of expression. The etiology is often unclear, and multiple potential etiologic factors for fatigue may coexist. ⋯ Symptomatic treatment involves education, counseling, and pharmacologic, and nonpharmacologic measures. Pharmacologic agents that have been investigated for use in treating fatigue include corticosteroids, progestational agents, and psychostimulants. Agents that modulate cytokine activity are future treatment possibilities.