Source: Cancer Resource Room

Gynecological cancers are cancers of the female reproductive organs. They are:

Cervical Cancer
The cervix is the lowest part of the uterus and connects to the upper end of the vagina. To read more on Cervical Cancer >>>

Ovarian Cancer
The ovaries are two small organs located on each side of the uterus. They make female hormones and produce the eggs needed to form an embryo. To read more on Ovarian Cancer >>>

Uterine Cancer
The uterus is a female reproductive organ. It is lined with a tissue called the endometrium.
To read more on Endometrial Cancer>>>
To read more on Sarcoma of the Uterus >>>

Vaginal Cancer
Cancer of the vagina, a rare kind of cancer in women, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the vagina. To read more on Vaginal Cancer >>>

Vulvar Cancer
Cancer of the vulva, a rare kind of cancer in women, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the vulva. To read more on Vulvar Cancer >>>

Gestational Trophoblastic Disease
Gestational trophoblastic tumor, a rare cancer in women, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells grow in the tissues that are formed following conception (the joining of sperm and egg). To read more on Gestational Trophoblastic Disease >>>

What’s New in Gynecological Cancers?
Fighting Cancer with Sea Squirts One of the dozens of ovarian cancer clinical trials now under way in the Cancer Center involves a novel drug called ET-743, which is derived from the toxin produced by the Mediterranean sea squirt. ET-743 has shown promise in other forms of cancer with generally tolerable side effects. This drug is now in a phase 2 clinical trial, the purpose of which is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a new agent, for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Ellen Goldberg chose to begin treatment with ET-743 last spring, when her levels of CA-125 started climbing following her initial treatment with surgery and chemotherapy. Since beginning this therapy, Goldberg’s CA-125 levels have plummeted (though not to normal levels) and, thus far, have remained low. Moreover, she has experienced none of the commonly reported side effects, such as fatigue or dry mouth. “When I was offered this new therapy, I said yes immediately,” says Goldberg. “I’m going for broke, so I figured why not? And while I may not be cured, I feel great.”

Many other agents that work in novel ways are offered to selected patients through clinical trials. For example, there are agents, such as EMD 72000, that block growth receptors on cancer cells, causing the cells to grow slowly and ultimately die. There is CTLA4, an antibody that enables the immune’s system’s fighter T cells to battle cancer cells more effectively. And there is HMFG-1, an antibody that will deliver a payload of a radioactive material directly into any cancer cells lingering in the abdomen following surgery and, it is hoped, destroy them.

“In the ‘60s, we had one drug to treat ovarian cancer,” says Fuller. “ In the ‘70s, it was two, in the ‘80s, three, and in the ‘90s, six. Today, we have about 30 drugs, many of which work in entirely different ways, so we are witnessing an exponential rise in the number of drug therapies we can offer patients.”

Source: Synergy, Winter 2004, Vol 2, #1

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