Doctors don't agree on diagnosis of uterine cancer

[Guest guest]

holy cow batgirls! Looks like my advice for getting a second opinion

on endometrial biopsies that come back positive for cancer was dead on

target!!!! EEEEEEEEK!

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Public release date: 2-Jun-2004

Contact: Wasta

wastava@...

s Hopkins Medical Institutions

Doctors don't agree on diagnosis of uterine cancer

A Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) study, headed by Cornelia Trimble,

M.D. of the s Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, has revealed that

pathologists who evaluate uterine biopsies disagree 60 percent of the

time on whether the specimens contain cancerous cells. The authors,

expected to present their findings at the 40th annual American Society

of Clinical Oncology, say new standards for collecting and classifying

biopsies are needed to improve the accuracy of diagnoses.

Cancer of the uterus is the most common cancer affecting the female

reproductive tract in the United States. It is diagnosed from biopsied

uterine or endometrial cells that indicate the presence of cancer or

precancerous lesions called atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH).

" This study brought into sharp focus the fact that it is very

difficult to make an accurate diagnosis from uterine biopsies, " says

Trimble, associate professor at the s Hopkins Kimmel Cancer

Center. " Yet, women receiving a diagnosis of AEH face complete

removal of their wombs through hysterectomy. So, we suggest these

patients get a second opinion from a pathologist who specializes in

gynecology . "

read the rest here:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-06/jhmi-dda060204.php