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Screening can pick up early signs of womb cancer
13 December 2010
Links:
instituteforwomenshealth.ucl.ac.uk/womens-cancer/gcrc" target="_self">果冻影院 Gynaecological Cancer Research
Centre
In a paper published today in Lancet Oncology, scientists in the Gynaecological Cancer Research Centre at 果冻影院 have demonstrated that an ultrasound scan听being used in screening trials for ovarian cancer can also pick up 听signs of endometrial cancer before any symptoms occur.
This
is the first large scale study of screening for endometrial (womb) cancer, which is
increasing in incidence and is responsible for over 1,700 deaths per year in
the UK.
The results were achieved using ultrasound scanning to identify thickening of the womb lining (endometrium). Analysis of findings from more than 37,000 women showed that the scans identified a significant difference in womb lining thickness in听the 133听women who were diagnosed with womb cancer, or with听Atypical Endometrial Hyperplasia听(AEH) (which is听a precursor of the cancer).听听The average endometrial thickness for these 133 women was听11.5mm whereas for women not diagnosed with either condition the average thickness was 3.5mm.
25% of the population were identified as听being听at high听risk听based on the basis of factors associated with endometrial cancer听and included nearly 40% of the cases of endometrial cancer and AEH. This high risk group could be the focus of听a screening programme for听womb听cancer were it to be implemented and would limit听the burden of diagnostic procedures, false positives and cost.
The scans were undertaken as part of the听UK听Collaborative Trial for听Ovarian听Cancer听Screening听(UKCTOCS)听which aims to establish the impact of ovarian cancer screening on ovarian cancer mortality. 听UKCTOCS is the world's largest collaborative screening trial,听involves more than 200,000 UK women听and reports in 2015.
The UKCTOCS trial has been funded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research and is supported by gynaecological cancer research charity The Eve Appeal.
Womb cancer recently overtook ovarian cancer as the most common gynaecological cancer in the UK with more than 7,500 cases diagnosed every year.
Survival rates for womb cancer are however much better than those for ovarian cancer, and signs and symptoms much easier to spot.
Professor Ian Jacobs, Head of the research team and Dean of Biomedicine at
果冻影院, said: "Endometrial Cancer has been regarded as a good prognosis cancer but
it is increasing in incidence and tragically over 25% of patients still die
from the cancer.听This study shows that it is possible to detect the cancer
before any symptoms occur using ultrasound screening and raises the possibility
of screening for endometrial cancer as a serious issue.
"There are of course complex and challenging issues around balancing the cost, positive health impact and unwanted consequences of screening which require careful study and analysis. Nevertheless, I am delighted that the results of this study are encouraging and provide the basis for further important research. In the meantime we encourage women who experience symptoms of abnormal bleeding after the menopause to seek prompt medical advice."
果冻影院 Context
The 果冻影院 Gynaecological Cancer
Research Centre forms part of the 果冻影院 Institute for Women's
Health. Its overarching goal is to develop methods for risk prediction
and early detection of gynaecological cancers. It consists of a clinical
research team and a laboratory team supporting clinical trials, and
many projects involve cross-school, multidisciplinary collaborations,
for example with psychologists working in the various divisions of 果冻影院
and 果冻影院H. Current research activity falls into the following main areas:
screening, risk assessment for ovarian cancer, biomarker discovery,
symptoms in ovarian cancer, and psychosocial studies.听
Women's health is one of seven areas of initial focus of 果冻影院 Partners, 果冻影院's partnership with four of London's biggest and best known hospitals and research centres that has been designated one of the UK's first academic health science centres.
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