Surveillance procedures for patients treated for endometrial cancer: a review of the literature.

Objectives: The aim of this review was to analyze the role of follow-up in patients treated for endometrial cancer and to provide some compelling issues that may contribute to improve daily practice while waiting for evidence-based guidelines.

Methods/materials: A literature search has been conducted in MEDLINE database using key words "endometrial neoplasms" and "follow up".

Results: Endometrial cancer represents the most common gynecologic malignancy after breast cancer.

Possible role of palliative surgery for bowel obstruction in advanced ovarian cancer patients.

Objectives: Bowel obstruction is a relatively common event (30-40%) in advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer patients. No definitive data are available on the optimal management of this serious complication and treatment is generally limited to adoption of palliative measures. These modalities include both surgical and medical procedures.

Pattern of failure and value of follow-up procedures in endometrial and cervical cancer patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome benefit of follow-up protocols for patients with recurrent endometrial and cervical cancer.

Methods: A retrospective review on patients primarily treated at the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Brescia, was performed. We focused our attention on recurrent patients and we evaluated the pattern of relapse and the presence of symptoms or signs of disease at recurrence and evidence of disease on routine follow-up test or visits.

HER-2/neu overexpression and amplification in uterine serous papillary carcinoma: comparative analysis of immunohistochemistry, real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Uterine serous papillary carcinoma (USPC) is a rare and highly malignant form of endometrial cancer (EC) characterized by early metastasis, chemoresistance, and high mortality rate. Little is known about USPC tumorigenesis even if recently a HER-2/neu role has been suggested in its development and progression. The aim of the present study was to evaluate HER-2 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 12 USPC formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples.