An audit of the quality of endometrial cancer care in a specialised unit.

Scott Med J

Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Ward 43, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill AB25 2ZN, Scotland.

Published: May 2006

Background: Endometrial cancer is the 5th most common female cancer in Scotland and though cure rates are good, 25% of women still die of their disease. Staging has been shown to be poorly performed in Scotland-wide audit and inadequate staging is a predictor of worse outcome. Only 12% of women with endometrial cancer in Scotland are operated upon by a specialist gynaecological oncologist.

Aims: To determine if the quality of staging information in endometrial cancer is improved in a region where all cases are managed by specialist gynaecological oncologists.

Methods: All 108 women diagnosed and treated with endometrial cancer in Grampian in 2002 and 2003 had a retrospective case note assessment of the completeness of staging information. This was compared to previously published Scottish results.

Results: Completeness of staging was high. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage was available in 100% of women. Chest X Ray was performed in 85% and peritoneal cytology in 93%. Pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed in 28%. All these results were significantly better than in the Scottish audit.

Conclusion: Centralisation of women with endometrial cancer results in accurate staging information. However it is not yet known what effect this may have on outcome.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/RSMSMJ.51.2.22DOI Listing

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