Gynecological Cancers
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer occurs mostly in postmenopausal women. The average age this cancer occurs is 63. The 5-year survival for ovarian cancer has improved significantly over the last twenty years, despite many are detected in advanced stage because of lack of an effective screening method. A blood test called CA125 is routinely used for monitoring patient who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but it is not an effective test for screening.
The risk factors for ovarian cancer are many, but the single most significant one is family history.
Vast majority of ovarian cancer are sporadic and fewer than 10% are caused by family association (hereditary). The hereditary breast-ovarian cancer syndrome is responsible for the most hereditary cases.
Endometrial cancer (uterine cancer)
Endometrial cancer also occurs mostly in postmenopausal women. Below are the risk factors that are associated:
- Estrogen replacement, obesity, early menarche (before age 12) and late menopause (after age 55), nulliparity (women who are never pregnant) increase the risk of endometrial cancer.
- Increasing age, white race, high socioeconomic class, European/north American country, family history of endometrial cancer, are related to an increased risk.
- Diabetes, hypertension, gallbladder disease, prior pelvic radiotherapy also have been shown to be associated with increased risk.
- Taking tamoxifen for treating breast cancer also slightly increases the risk for endometrial cancer.
- Obesity: Fifty LBs of weight excess confers a relative risk of ten times that of normal weight women.
- Only 5% of endometrial cancer is hereditary, majority of them are associated with Lynch II syndrome, a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome.
Debulking (cytoreductive) surgery is performed for woman with advanced ovarian cancer to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Patients who have had successful debulking surgery have a better outcome than those left with larger tumors after surgery. After the surgery, patients are referred to the Department of Medical Oncology for consideration of chemotherapy including intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Patients with uterine cancer (endometrial cancer) or cervical cancer may undergo hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) and removal of surrounding lymph nodes. Some patients may be candidates for laparoscopic or robotic procedures. Patients with uterine or cervical cancers may also be referred to the Department of Radiation Oncology for consideration of radiation therapy.
Department Contact List
Clinical trials available for treatment of gynecological cancer at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara:
