Contemporary OB/GYN week in review: FLOBLOK update, breast cancer management, and more

Thank you for visiting the Contemporary OB/GYN® website. Take a look at some of our top stories from last week (Monday, October 21 - Friday, October 25, 2024), and click each link to read and watch anything you may have missed.

Updated FLUBLOK label expands influenza vaccine options for pregnant women

In a recent interview, Ruth M Carrico, PhD, DNP, APRN, a family nurse practitioner and infectious diseases expert, discussed the updated FLUBLOK vaccine label to include safety in pregnant women.

Carrico expressed her excitement about the update, particularly in light of her experiences treating pregnant women who have developed influenza. FLUBLOK, a recombinant influenza vaccine, has been included in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for pregnant and expectant patients since 2016, but now has updated safety data in this population. This inclusion adds to the range of available vaccines, allowing health care providers more flexibility when recommending influenza vaccinations for this vulnerable population.

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Christie Hilton, DO, discusses breast cancer management

In a recent interview with Contemporary OB/GYN, Christie Hilton, DO, director of Academic Breast Oncology at the Allegheny Health Network, discussed recent trends in breast cancer and how health care providers, especially ob-gyns, can support their patients.

According to Hilton, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States, accounting for approximately 30% of all new female cancer cases. In 2024, it is estimated that 310,000 patients will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, with 42,000 deaths. While these figures highlight the gravity of breast cancer, they also point to improved survival rates, emphasizing the importance of early detection through screenings such as mammograms.

Hilton expressed optimism about breast cancer treatment advances, noting that new therapies are continuously being developed. She emphasized the importance of awareness, understanding one’s personal risk, and the life-saving potential of screenings.

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Antimüllerian hormone alone not adequate for PCOS diagnosis

Antimüllerian hormone (AMH) levels by themselves cannot be used to define polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), according to a recent study published in Fertility and Sterility.

AMH levels have been proposed as an alternative PCOS diagnosing tool to avoid ultrasound challenges. However, data about the diagnostic role of this hormone remains lacking.

The grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation evidence indicated a lack of reliability from AMH levels toward diagnosing PCOS. This score was based on a significant risk of bias and imprecision. In the pooled analysis, AMH had a highly heterogenic sensitivity of 0.80 and specificity of 0.87 for diagnosing PCOS.

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Increased preterm birth risk not found in endometriosis patients

The risks of postpartum hemorrhage and newborn admission to the neonatal unit, but not preterm birth, are increased by endometriosis, according to a recent study published in Fertility and Sterility.

To evaluate obstetric and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with endometriosis, investigators conducted a single-center, prospective cohort study. Participants included women presenting at the University College London Hospital from October 2017 to November 2019 with a live pregnancy beyond 12 weeks’ gestation.

The endometriosis group had a median gestation at delivery of 39 + 1 weeks, vs 39 + 4 weeks in the non-endometriosis group. This indicated a non-significant increase of preterm birth rates among patients with endometriosis, which remained when adjusting for covariates.

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Solid organ transplant linked to reduced sexual dysfunction in patients

Solid organ transplant is linked to significantly reduced risk of sexual dysfunction, according to new findings that highlight a lesser understood outcome of longevity-promoting procedures.

New data presented at the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) 2024 Fall Scientific Meeting in Scottsdale, AZ this week showed sexual health was significantly improved in solid organ transplant recipients—a population who were in plurality middle-aged, with chronic conditions including hypertension, diabetes and depression. The research additionally showed a smaller benefit in fertility among the same population post-transplant, although the outcome was not statistically significant.

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