ASCO 2019: Supportive Care and Developments in Gynecological Cancer

In this episode of The Onco’Zine Brief, recorded during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, ASCO, being held May 31 – June 4, 2019, Peter Hofland talks with Lee Schwartzberg MD, FACP, is a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at West Cancer Center, Germantown, TN, and Dr. Shannon Westin, MD, MPH., FACOG, Associate Professor, Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, a clinical investigator with a focus on developmental therapeutics and the use of biomarkers to predict response and recurrence in gynecologic malignancies.

Today in The OncoZine Brief Hofland an hus guests discuss two different aspects of the treatment of cancer: palliative and supportive care and the treatment of Gynecological cancers.

Hofland's interview with Dr. Lee Schwartzberg confirmed the importance of Palliative and supportive care in the treatment of patients with cancer. In essence, Palliative care is focused on improving the quality of life for people living with a serious illness like cancer. People with cancer may receive palliative care at any time from the point of diagnosis, throughout treatment, and beyond. This kind of care helps patients and caregivers manage the symptoms of cancer and side effects of treatment.

In the second part of the program, Hofland and Dr. Shannon Westinwe spoke about the progress made in the treatment of Gynecological cancers.

While all women are at risk for gynecologic cancers, and this risk increases with age, when gynecologic cancers are found early, treatment is most effective. But, the diagnosis of gynecological cancers can be difficult. In America, every six minutes a woman is diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer. And, according to the American Cancer Society, this year alone an estimated be 92,000 women will be diagnosed with a gynecological cancer in the United States. Sadly, this will also result in a predicted 28,000 women killed by various forms of this group of cancers.

Some of these gynecologic cancers have been called “silent killers” because women are often unaware of the signs and symptoms associated with these cancers and do not catch them until it is too late.

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