Gynecologic Cancer

This chapter focuses on the three types of gynecologic cancer—epithelial cancer of the ovary, cancer of the uterine cervix, and cancer of the endometrium (uterine cancer)—and reviews their epidemiology, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, surgical features, and staging, as well as their risk factors and clinical features. Also discussed are methods of treatment and the management of relapse. Epithelial ovarian cancer occurs at a mean age of 60 years in the United States and is the most lethal of gynecologic tract tumors. However, a recent trial has demonstrated a survival advantage through the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy for appropriate patients with optimally debulked ovarian cancer. Invasive cervical cancer is uncommon in developed countries, partly because of the effectiveness of Pap smear screening. Nevertheless, cancer of the uterine cervix is the third most common gynecologic cancer diagnosis and cause of death among gynecologic cancers in the United States. However, for women with early-stage cervical cancer, data from several randomized trials indicate an improvement in response rate and survival through the use of combination platinum-based regimens for platinum-sensitive relapse. Also noted is an improvement in survival using combined-modality chemoradiation in appropriate patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Endometrial cancer is the most frequent tumor of the gynecologic tract; it is estimated that it occurred in over 46,000 women and caused more than 8,000 deaths in the United States in 2011. Recent data indicate improvement in survival using adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy in appropriate patients with high-risk endometrial cancer. Tables in this chapter review the common histologic types of epithelial ovarian cancer, selected signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system for epithelial ovarian cancer, differential diagnosis of a complex cyst detected by transvaginal sonography, selected adverse prognostic factors in epithelial ovarian cancer, common chemotherapy agents used in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer, the FIGO surgical staging of endometrial cancer, and postoperative management considerations for patients with uterine cancer. Figures illustrate the four histologic subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer, the intraoperative appearance of stage III epithelial ovarian cancer, and FIGO staging of cervical cancer. This review contains 6 highly rendered figures, 8 tables, and 150 references.