News in the treatment of ovarian cancer
Biopsy without surgery? The whole world is learning a new method of diagnosing ovarian cancer from VFN
Every year in the Czech Republic, up to 1,000 women become ill with ovarian cancer. There is no effective prevention, the symptoms are vague, often genetically determined, and the treatment of this malignant disease is a race against time. Oncogynecologists from the Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Neonatology of the 1st Faculty of Medicine of the University of Prague and VFN in Prague (KGPN) can start treatment within 4 days after the patient's first visit. Significant acceleration of the onset of treatment is possible thanks to the use of ultrasound diagnostics and ultrasound-guided biopsy. Gynecological oncology centers, among which KGPN ranks, offer the best possible care to patients. Hope is also brought by advances in the treatment of ovarian cancer through therapy with PARP inhibitors and the clinic's ability to include patients in ongoing oncology studies.
At the clinic's press conference held on World Ovarian Cancer Day, experts explained that effective acceleration of the onset of ovarian cancer treatment is possible thanks to the use of ultrasound diagnostics and ultrasound-guided biopsy. This allows patients to take a tissue sample immediately without the need for anesthesia and surgery. The reliability of ultrasound is confirmed by the results of the international ISAAC study led by renowned sonographer prof. MD Daniela Fischerová, Ph.D. and head of the clinic prof. MD David Cibula, CSc., who demonstrates that fast and non-invasive ultrasound in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer is comparable to CT or magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, VFN doctors were the first in the world to use the tru-cut biopsy method in oncogynecological treatment in routine practice, and experts from all over the world are now learning it from them.
Testing for the presence of a genetic mutation in the BRCA genes is still crucial
Of the thousand women who get ovarian cancer every year, 30% of them in the Czech Republic still do not know whether the BRCA gene mutation was the cause of their disease. All it takes is a single genetic examination and the health and lives of women in the family line can be saved. A genetic mutation in one of the BRCA genes causes up to a 30x higher risk of ovarian cancer and a 10x higher risk of breast cancer in women. An increased predisposition to cancer does not escape men either, roughly one in 750 Czechs carries the genetic disorder. Finding out your BRCA status is essential for successful and timely treatment. Genetic testing is also suitable for healthy relatives of cancer patients.
