Improving quality and decreasing cost in gynecologic oncology care. Society of gynecologic oncology recommendations for clinical practice.

Objective: To identify potential cost savings in gynecologic oncology care without sacrificing quality.

Methods: Members of the Clinical Practice Committee of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology were asked to review current practice patterns in gynecologic oncology and assess the potential for cost savings founded on evidence-based medicine and current guidelines.

Results: Five clinical practices were identified including the following: vaginal cytology for endometrial cancer survivors; colposcopy for low grade cytologic abnormalities for cervical cancer survivors; routine imaging studies for gynecologic cancer survivors; screening for ovarian cancer with serum biomarkers and ultrasound; and improving palliative care for gynecologic cancer patients.

Phase II study of fulvestrant in recurrent/metastatic endometrial carcinoma: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study.

Objectives: To evaluate the activity and toxicity of fulvestrant in advanced, recurrent, or persistent endometrial carcinoma.

Methods: Eligible patients with advanced, recurrent or persistent endometrial carcinoma not amenable to curative therapy were treated with fulvestrant at a dose of 250 mg by IM injection every 4 weeks for at least 8 weeks. Therapy was continued until evidence of progressive disease, or adverse effects prohibited further therapy.

Cutaneous malignant melanoma metastatic to a uterine leiomyoma: a case report.

Background: Malignant melanoma is the sixth-most-common cancer in the United States and can spread throughout the body. This report represents the second case of a cutaneous melanoma involving a uterine leiomyoma.

Case: A 49-year-old woman presented with an inguinal mass; biopsy revealed an undifferentiated neoplasm.

Expression of a novel oncofetal mRNA-binding protein IMP3 in endometrial carcinomas: diagnostic significance and clinicopathologic correlations.

Insulin-like growth factor-II mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP3) is a newly identified oncofetal mRNA-binding protein that is involved in embryogenesis and carcinogenesis of some malignant neoplasms. To investigate the diagnostic and clinicopathologic significance of this protein in endometrial carcinomas, we evaluated immunohistochemical expression of IMP3 in the two most common forms of endometrial malignancies, endometrioid adenocarcinoma and serous carcinoma. We selected 167 endometrial adenocarcinoma cases including 122 cases of endometrioid adenocarcinoma and 45 cases of serous carcinoma.

Pelvic lymph node count is an important prognostic variable for FIGO stage I and II endometrial carcinoma with high-risk histology.

Objective: To determine whether pelvic lymph node count is associated with patterns of recurrence or survival in patients with FIGO stage I and II endometrial cancer.

Methods: Single institution retrospective study of 467 patients with FIGO stage I and II endometrial cancer treated with primary surgery including lymph node dissection. Analysis included pelvic lymph node count, histology, stage, age, race, BMI, year of surgery, depth of myometrial invasion, and adjuvant radiation.