Another disappointment for ovarian cancer screening
August 1st 2011Those who had hoped that the combination of routine screening with cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) and pelvic ultrasound would promote an earlier diagnosis and improved survival for women with ovarian cancer were dealt a harsh blow when the PLCO trail results were reported.
Hormone Replacement and Menopause: What are the Issues?
July 29th 2011Symptoms related to menopause, including insomnia, nervousness, melancholia, vertigo, weakness, fatigue, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and urinary incontinence, denote a decline in a woman's quality of life. Further, the symptoms a woman may experience vary according to age.
Drospirenone/Ethinyl Estradiol (Yasmin®): New Oral Contraceptive Promises Improved Tolerance
July 29th 2011With a number of clinical studies now completed, the launch of drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol (Yasmin®) in the United States and Europe is expected in the near future. An international panel of physicians involved with the development of drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol recently described the potential benefits of the new oral contraceptive (OC) to clinicians attending an industry-sponsored symposium held during the XVI FIGO World Congress of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
The News on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
July 29th 2011There has been an explosion of hormone replacement therapy research over the past few years. The task of wading through the data to determine what is best for a particular patient, however, can be daunting at best and confusing at worst, said Dr. Karen Carlson, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, to delegates at the Pri-Med East in Boston.
Tailoring HRT to Your Patients: An Expert Roundtable Discussion on the Issue
The topic of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) continues to emerge as a central theme that we, as clinicians to female patients, address every day. We recognize that the public is much more aware of and interested in HRT now than was the case a decade ago.
Soy Phytoestrogens' Effects on Bone Turnover Indicators in Menopausal Women with Osteopenia
July 28th 2011Osteoporosis is the gradual declining in bone mass with age, leading to increased bone fragility and fractures. Fractures in hip and spine are known to be the most important complication of the disease which leads in the annual mortality rate of 20% and serious morbidity rate of 50%.
Breast Cancer in Younger Women Assessment and Risk Management
July 28th 2011Breast cancer is a growing concern among premenopausal women. With an emphasis on this patient population, this article discusses the known risk factors for breast cancer; models for quantitative risk assessment; and strategies for modifying breast cancer risk, including screening mammography, prophylactic mastectomy, and primary pharmacologic prevention.
Hormone Replacement Therapy and Mammogram Accuracy
July 28th 2011A report just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed previous studies which found that women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may develop denser breast tissue, which in turn may make it more difficult to detect breast cancer through mammography.
Don't Wait for a Fracture Identifying Osteoporosis
July 28th 2011Like the proverbial elephant, osteoporosis has been described in ways that vary according to the scientific orientation of the describer. It has been defined clinically as the presence of fracture; biomechanically as decreased bone strength; radiographically as osteopenia; histomorphometrically as reduced bone matrix per unit of bone volume; and epidemiologically as increased fracture risk.
Update on Retropubic Incontinence Surgery
July 28th 2011A 27-year study of 1300 women undergoing retropubic cystourethropexy using either the modified Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz procedure or the modified Pereyra procedure compares long-term results when the type of surgery is selected on the basis of patient criteria.
Discordance in Diagnosis of Osteoporosis using Spine and Hip Bone Densitometry
July 27th 2011Diagnostic discordance for osteoporosis is the observation that the T-score of an individual patient varies from one key measurement site to another, falling into two different diagnostic categories identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) classification system.
New Bipolar Sealing Device Offers Advantages in Vaginal Hysterectomies
July 27th 2011Obtaining reliable hemostasis is crucial as part of laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomies, and over the past 20 years, various methods to do so have been advocated. For instance, in 1989, Harry Reich recommended using sutures to control the uterine vessels, as monopolar, bipolar, and laser instruments available at that time were inherently risky to use along the pelvic sidewall.