The prognosis for women with locally advanced primary or recurrent gynecologic malignancies is poor especially when the tumor extends to the pelvic sidewall or involves lymphatic dissemination to pelvic or para-aortic lymph nodes. In as many as 60% of patients with cervical or endometrial cancer, local...

Birth weight is an important predictive parameter for neonatal morbidity and mortality. Particularly in fetuses with breech presentation, accurate estimation of fetal weight is extremely important for assessing the possibility of successful external cephalic version [, ] or vaginal delivery . ...

Acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) is a cardiovascular emergency associated with significant morbidity and a 5-35 % mortality for untreated pulmonary embolism [, ]. If promptly diagnosed and treated, the mortality rate can be reduced to 2-10 % . Risk factors for this condition include disease...

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), with a mean incidence of 1 in 3,000 births, can be diagnosed in the prenatal period either as part of other anomalies or as an isolated birth defect . It is potentially a lethal birth defect involving herniation of abdominal contents into the thoracic cavity through...

Prenatal maternal bonding must be old as mankind but is first mentioned in modern literature by Deutsch in 1945.  Bonding during pregnancy seems a good predictor of the mother–newborn relationship and is regarded as a necessary element for the process of motherly care.    Ultrasound...

Ultrasound‐derived elastography has been successfully applied in the diagnosis and classification of breast     and thyroid tumors  , lymph nodes , prostate cancer  and diffuse/focal liver disease  , and has recently been introduced in obstetrics...

The management of advanced gynecological malignancies generally consists of a combination of treatment modalities, specifically surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. A thorough assessment of the response to treatment should help to optimize disease management, and may result in reduced morbidity,...

To evaluate for the presence of risk factors (RFs) for preterm birth (PTB) in women without prior PTB having second trimester cervical length (CL) screening, and to estimate the utility of RF screening.
Methods “Low-risk” singletons were prospectively screened with midtrimester transvaginal...

The cesarean delivery rate in the United States has continued to increase each year from 1996, going from 20.7% in that year to 32.9% in 2009. In the same interval, the percentage of women with a prior cesarean delivery who attempted a trial of labor in a subsequent pregnancy decreased from 28.3% to...

In the last decade childbirth‐related injuries of the levator ani muscle (LAM) complex have been under the spotlight of research using a number of modalities, investigating the aetiology of pelvic floor dysfunction. With the use of dynamic imaging such as pelvic MRI and 3D–4D translabial...

Cervical cancer spreads locally to adjacent structures such as the lateral parametrium, uterine corpus, vagina, bladder, and rectum. The parametria are a potential space containing extraperitoneal connective tissue between the 2 layers of peritoneum forming the broad ligament. Historically, belief about...

What are the indications for breast MRI in the preoperative evaluation of patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer? Some answers are provided by Dr Constance Lehman in this new audio interview with GetInsideHealth.

Fetal aneuploidies are a major cause of perinatal mortality and childhood disability. Screening identifies pregnancies at increased risk of aneuploidy thereby enabling women to receive counselling and appropriate diagnostic testing. Invasive prenatal testing by amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling...

There is little controversy that the best approach for decreasing breast cancer morbidity and mortality among most women includes mammography screening for early detection. Mammography screening reduces breast cancer mortality by 15%–32% for women aged 40–69 years. Comparative effectiveness...

Ovarian Brenner tumors are rare, and there is little information about their appearance on ultrasound examination  . The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and sonographic characteristics of Brenner tumors using the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology ....

Preoperative systemic therapy (PST) is the current standard of care for locally advanced breast cancer and stage II patients who may not be immediately suitable for breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that survival outcomes for patients who received PST are similar...

Uterine rupture is associated with increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.  It is a life‐threatening obstetrical emergency both for the mother and the newborn, due to massive maternal hemorrhage, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy of the newborn and perinatal death.  Uterine...

Cancer of the uterine corpus is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the United States, but it has a generally good prognosis; of the 47,000 diagnoses estimated for 2012, there are only 8000 estimated deaths. Presentation with postmenopausal bleeding often allows for early diagnosis and long-term...

Post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation following large intraventricular haemorrhage is associated with high risk of severe cognitive and motor disability, visual and hearing impairment and ventriculoperitoneal shunt. ...

Most pregnant women wish to be reassured that their unborn baby is healthy. The expectation for effective fetal assessment has increased in the last few decades. The proportion of pregnant women who choose invasive tests like amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) for more definitive diagnosis...

Past research has shown that an ultrasound performed early in a pregnancy provides a more precise and reliable estimate of gestational age than does dating of conception based on the last menstrual period (LMP) reported by a pregnant woman . When there is a discrepancy between ultrasound and LMP dates,...

Reciprocal translocation occurs with a frequency of 1 in every 500 liveborn infants . Carriers of a balanced reciprocal translocation will produce genetically unbalanced gametes and lead to increasing risk of infertility, miscarriages, or deliver of abnormal offspring. Prenatal diagnosis is effective...

Digital mammography has rapidly replaced film-screen mammography as the modality of choice for screening and diagnosis of breast cancer. Of the 12,333 accredited mammography machines as of March 1, 2012 in the United States, 10,383 (84%) were full-field digital units. Although previous studies have compared...

ENDOMETRIAL CANCER is the seventh most common malignant disorder, the most common female gynecologic cancer, and fourth most common cancer in women . The prognosis of endometrial cancer depends on tumor stage, status of pelvic lymph nodes, depth of myometrial invasion, tumor grade, cell type, and patient...

Preterm birth, delivery of a viable pregnancy at 23–37 completed weeks of gestation, is a heterogeneous condition where up to 60–70% of the births occur spontaneously, likely because of covert or subclinical infective/inflammatory processes, cervical dysfunction, idiopathic (unknown), and possible...

The diagnosis and treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis in pregnant women remains one of the most challenging and crucial issues for both obstetricians and surgeons worldwide. The rarity of symptomatic gallstone disease in pregnancy, the lack of any evidence-based conclusions, and the high clinical...

Ultrasonography is important for comprehensive clinical assessment in many situations including urgent conditions on labor ward. It has become a key skill for obstetricians and gynecologists, but trainees and trainers lack time and opportunity for training. A Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists...

Balanced steady state free precession (SSFP) has become a core tool in cardiovascular MR (CMR): it provides excellent blood‐myocardium contrast and has high SNR efficiency (, ). However, the sequence exhibits banding artifacts if variations in the static magnetic field (B0) lead to local resonant...

Cloacal anomalies comprise a rare pathological condition that is observed in female fetuses. They present in various forms depending on the kind of malformation and the gestational age at the time of diagnosis [, ]. The observed female prevalence is 1 in 50,000 births for the most common forms and 1...

The introduction of large-scale, population-based mammography screening of asymptomatic women at regular intervals—the prerequisite for a significant decrease in mortality from breast cancer—has added a new dimension to the traditional interaction between pathologists and radiologists. The...

Complete heart block in the preterm fetus is a life-threatening emergency with no effective treatment options beyond watchful waiting or preterm delivery., Fetal bradycardia due to heart block can progress in utero, and for more than a quarter of these fetuses may result in hydrops fetalis.,...

Children with severe forms of congenital heart disease (CHD) are at high risk for a spectrum of neurocognitive difficulties that include learning disabilities, behavioral problems and mental retardation, . The etiology of these neurodevelopmental problems is poorly understood but is presumed to be multifactorial,...

Diffusion-weighted MRI (dMRI) is a popular method for studying the integrity of white matter in the living brain non-invasively. In white matter, diffusion of water molecules is restricted by the presence of cell membranes and macromolecules, with diffusion occurring preferentially...

Gastroschisis is a smooth‐edged structural abdominal wall defect. It is typically located on the right side of a normally inserted umbilical cord with occasionally a strip of skin separating the cord and the defect. Small bowel, colon, stomach and occasionally the spleen, can herniate through the...

Detection of macrosomic fetuses in a preselected and clinically relevant high‐risk group (estimated as >4500 g) is better using fetal weight estimation with a three‐dimensional compared than a two‐dimensional ultrasound technique. Return to the table of contents...

Spina bifida is the most frequent abnormality of the central nervous system that is compatible with life. Infants with spina bifida suffer from an inability to control the bowel and the bladder, require a ventriculoperitoneal shunt and have ambulatory dysfunction and varying degrees of mental retardation....

Split cord malformation (SCM) is rare congenital disorder of spine in which bony, fibrous, or cartilaginous septum subdivides partially or completely the vertebral canal. This condition which comprises 4-9 % of all congenital spinal anomalies may be isolated or in association...

Umbilical venous flow is a direct physiological representation of the nutrients and oxygen content reaching the fetus. The umbilical vein is the largest of the three vessels in the umbilical cord and is readily imaged by ultrasound. However, umbilical venous measurement has remained largely restricted...

Adenomyosis is a benign condition of the uterus, defined by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma within the myometrium. Until relatively recently, diagnosis was only possible on histological examination of a uterus following a hysterectomy. This presented...

Standards for fetal weight are typically derived from birth weights of neonates born at different gestational ages [,]. However, births at early gestations are frequently affected by pathologies that restrict growth . Therefore standards of growth derived from birth weights will tend to under-estimate...

The incidence of uterine synechia varies from 0.14 to 0.47%.   Uterine synechia usually results from previous uterine surgery, including curettage, spontaneous abortion, endometritis, or cesarean delivery. There have been a number of earlier reports on the antenatal 2‐D sonographic diagnosis...

Accurate dating of gestational age is central to good obstetric care. It allows the clinicians to better time gestation-specific antenatal screening tests, reduces erroneous labelling of pregnancies as very preterm, preterm, and small-for-gestational-age, and decreases the risk of inappropriate induction...

Around 10% of newborns have a birth weight of more than 4000 g, which is usually considered the threshold of macrosomia. At the same time, neonates with a birth weight of more than the 90 percentile for gestational age are considered as having macrosomia too. While 67% of neonates in the USA have...

The aim of this study is to emphasize on the diagnostic effectiveness of fetal MRI that led to increased utilization in fetal medicine as well as its value in prognosis and decision making in the modern obstetric practice.
Methods One hundred five (n = 105) pregnant women were referred for a fetal...

Large for gestation neonates are at risk for birth trauma with shoulder dystocia, brachial plexus and facial nerve injuries being major causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity in addition to the fact that caesarean section and birth canal trauma are more common among women carrying macrosomic fetuses.    ...

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal gender by sonography (US) has a high degree of accuracy. Fetal sex can be ascertained by sonographic examination as early as the end of the first trimester. A reference range for prenatal penile length in relation to gestational age has been previously established and it led...

In gynecological and urogynecological populations, rectocele is one of the most common morphological abnormalities seen on clinical examination, and complaints of obstructed defecation are also common. Defecation is a complex learned function involving the coordinated integration of sensory, motor, psychological...

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy in developed countries, with more than 7500 cases being diagnosed annually in the United Kingdom. The majority of endometrial cancers are endometrioid in type (approximately 80%) followed by serous carcinoma (approximately 10%–15%)....

Introduction The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the Sonalleve high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU; Philips Healthcare, Vantaa, Finland) system in ablating uterine fibroids in a 3T magnet.
Material and methods Seven women were included in this study. Treatment...

The fetal kidney evolves from three successive primitive systems: the pronephros followed by the more mature mesonephros, which degenerate during intrauterine life, and the final metanephros which persists and develops into the definitive adult kidney. The kidney achieves...

The present study aimed to determine the outcome of emergency cerclage depending on clinical presentation. Retrospective analysis of non-elective cerclage divided by clinical presentation: (1) bulging membranes with symptoms (n= 19); (2) bulging membranes without symptoms (n= 13); (3) asymptomatic...

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists encourages pregnant women, in the absence of either medical or obstetric complications, to engage in regular, moderate intensity exercise. This recommendation is based on scientific evidence that moderate intensity exercise during pregnancy is not...

Gastroschisis (GS) is an anomaly usually diagnosed prenatally, with increasing incidence worldwide.     Although progress in neonatal care over the last decades has improved the overall prognosis of GS, this condition still carries a significant risk of fetal distress and perinatal...

Following the first report of antenatal ultrasound published in 1958, and the first antenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21 in 1968, the discipline of prenatal diagnosis has evolved to encompass a wide ranging programme of screening and diagnosis that has become a routine part of antenatal care. Improvements...

The head circumference (HC) is routinely measured during the recommended second‐trimester ultrasound (US) examination.        The 5 percentile is commonly used to decide on the need for further follow‐up or additional investigations, because this cut‐off...

In modern pregnancy care, it is recommended to date pregnancies by ultrasound in the first trimester or the second trimester, . Thus, it is imperative that the dating models are reliable. To assess prediction quality and reveal potential systematic biases, the models must be evaluated in large populations....

Nemaline myopathy (NM) (OMIM 161800, 256030, and 605355) is a heterogeneous group of disorders of the skeletal muscle caused by mutations in at least seven different genes encoding the thin filament proteins of the striated muscle sarcomere.  The disease is characterized by weakness, hypotonia,...

Chromosomal abnormalities are a leading cause of developmental delay in children. Trisomies 21, 18 and 13 and sex chromosome aberrations are the most frequently occurring chromosomal abnormalities. Definitive prenatal diagnosis currently requires invasive sampling followed by chromosome analysis. However,...

To evaluate the role of some antenatal factors on bone status of newborn infants.
Methods Tibial bone speed of sound (SOS) value was measured by quantitative ultrasound within 5 days after birth in 205 neonates whose gestational ages ranged between 31 and 40 weeks. The cohort was divided into two...

The ex-utero intrapartum treatment or EXIT procedure was initially designed as a controlled means of reversing tracheal occlusion in fetuses that underwent experimental tracheal occlusion for treatment of severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia . Using fetal anesthetic and surgical techniques, the fetus...

Intracranial translucency (IT) has become known as an ultrasound marker for detecting neural tube defects (NTDs). Chaoui et al.  reported that the fourth cerebral ventricle of normal fetuses presented as an IT and that this space disappears in fetuses with open spina bifida. The IT can be assessed...

It is estimated that approximately 30-40 % of implanted pregnancies result in spontaneous abortion during the first trimester . Most of these losses usually happen very early before demonstration of embryonic heart activity, while 2-5 % of abortions occur after...

The intestinal tract represents the most common site of extragenital endometriosis, with rectosigmoid disease accounting for 70–93% of extragenital endometriotic implants . Bowel endometriosis is currently defined as the presence of endometrial‐like glands and stroma infiltrating the bowel...

Down syndrome is characterized by specific facial features such as a flat face and a small nose. Continuous technical improvements in ultrasound techniques have enabled optimal visualization of these features which, in turn, have evolved into markers currently used as screening tools for the detection...

Genetic and environmental mechanisms of maternal, fetal, and placental origin are involved in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).    Placental insufficiency is the leading cause of IUGR.    The molecular determinants in IUGR include genomic and somatotrophic factors,...

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most frequent congenital anomaly.   The EUROCAT Central Registry is the principle source of information on the epidemiology of congenital anomalies in Europe.  From 2000 to 2004, the overall prevalence of congenital anomalies was 23.82 per 1000 births,...

A specialist discusses the factors influencing attendance rates for breast screening, and how these rates can be optimized.

Repetitive strain injuries are a well-known problem for ultrasonologists worldwide, which have been extensively studied in recent years. Repetitive tasks have been recognised as a source of pain and discomfort, leading to the term repetitive strain injury (RSI). Starting...

With the advancement of medical science and technologies in health care, diagnostic imaging techniques and interventional radiological procedures are increasingly used to accurately diagnose a wide range of diseases and injuries. During the past 20 years a rapid increase of computed tomography (CT) use...

The association between low birth weight and perinatal death is supported by strong epidemiological evidence. At birth weights below 1500 g, the perinatal mortality rate increases 100‐fold. Therefore, accurate estimation of fetal weight is a critical component of effective prenatal care. The traditional...

An observational study of a consecutive case series of pre-viable PPROM (16-24 gestational weeks) was performed between 2001 and 2007 in a single tertiary centre to identify factors that predict neonatal survival. Methods Detailed obstetric, ultrasound and neonatal data were ed from clinical records....

Abdominal pain is a common presenting complaint in pregnant patients. Non-obstetrical surgery is fairly uncommon and is estimated to complicate 0.2% of pregnancies. Suspected acute appendicitis is the most common indication for surgical intervention during pregnancy, with...

The Dutch nationwide breast cancer screening programme was introduced in 1989 and fully implemented in 1997. Originally, the target population consisted of women aged 50-69 but in 1998 the upper age limit was raised to 75 . Every 2 years, eligible women are invited for mammographic screening....

Why are some afraid of scanning the fetal central nervous system (CNS)? There is no easy answer to this. Perhaps it brings back memories of their medical school days, when neurology and neuroanatomy were challenging subjects.clarification...

In the normal aortic arch branching pattern, the right subclavian artery arises from the innominate artery. In a rarer variant, this vessel arises independently as a fourth vessel of the aortic arch, courses behind the trachea and then turns towards the right shoulder. The anomalous course has resulted...

Neonatal weight is an important predictive parameter of neonatal outcome, and its estimation is valuable in planning the mode of delivery and obstetric management of labor . Also, when dealing with anticipated preterm delivery, perinatal counseling on likelihood of survival, the intervention undertaken...

Although G‐band karyotyping is the predominant technique for prenatal diagnosis of karyotypic abnormalities, most chromosome banding techniques are time‐consuming, and are limited to a resolution of 10 Mb. Molecular cytogenetic techniques such as fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH),...

Early and accurate detection of fetal growth failure is important for prenatal and early postnatal care [, ]. Small size for gestational age fetuses are at increased risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality. It has also been suggested that fetal growth restriction is associated with cardiovascular...

Twin pregnancies comprise approximately 1–2% of all conceptions and are continuing to increase in frequency because of assisted reproductive technologies and advancing maternal age1, 2. Multiple pregnancies are scanned frequently because of the increased risk for discordant anomalies, aneuploidy...

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, affecting 4 to 13 of 1000 live births (Hoffman, 2002). Its prenatal diagnosis allows for better pregnancy counseling (Volpe et al., 2003; Yates, 2004) and improved neonatal outcome (Bonnet et al., 1999).round-shaped...

Cardiosplenic syndromes are complex multiorgan conditions defined by the arrangement of the thoracic and abdominal viscera across the left–right axis1, 2. In left isomerism, there are paired left-sided viscera while the right-sided viscera may be absent, and in right isomerism, there are paired...

The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHc) is a mitochondrial matrix multienzyme complex that catalyzes the irreversible oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate forming acetyl-CoA; this process plays a significant regulatory role in mitochondrial energy metabolism.1 The PDHc is composed of seven gene products...

Limb reduction defects are relatively uncommon congenital malformations.1, 2 The reported incidence is approximately 3.5–6.9 per 10,000 births with a prenatal detection rate of 55%, although this varies considerably depending on the population studied.3–5roducts...

Newly published evidence and specialist opinion on the role of MR-HIFU in the management of women with fibroids.

The director of a center’s breast cancer program describes the benefits of addressing both the physical and emotional needs of patients.

Listen to Dr Nick Perry of the London Breast Institute report on 11 years of experience with digital mammography in this audio interview conducted exclusively for GetInsideHealth on 23 March 2011.

Abstract

Ablation Without Fluoroscopy in Pregnancy.
Background Management of symptomatic atrial arrhythmia in pregnancy remains a challenge. In this case report, a pregnant woman with incessant tachycardia underwent successful left atrial ablation. The entire procedure was performed without fluoroscopy.

Abstract

Background A study was undertaken to investigate the detection of relapse and survival outcomes in patients with cervical cancer treated with curative intent chemoradiotherapy, and evaluated with a post-therapy ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) scan.

Abstract

Background Fat transfer to healthy breasts, that is, in women with no history of breast disease, particularly breast cancer, is becoming increasingly popular. The main issue remains whether the transfer of fat cells to the native breast hampers breast imaging. This pilot study aimed to assess the effectiveness of radiographic evaluation after breast lipomodeling and to propose objective elements for the detection of mammographic signs, and for postoperative evaluation of breast density and Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (American College of Radiology) classification.

Abstract

Introduction The evaluation of breast symptoms during pregnancy or lactation can be challenging but prompt, appropriate assessment of symptoms may lead to earlier cancer detection.

Abstract

Background   Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping in breast cancer requires optimized imaging systems and lymphatic tracers.

Purpose   The objective of this study was to identify features of preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans that can best predict outcomes of primary cytoreductive surgery in ovarian cancer patients.

Abstract

Mammographic density (MD), a strong marker of breast cancer risk, is influenced by genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors. Cadmium, a persistent and widespread environmental pollutant, has been associated with risk of breast cancer, and laboratory evidence suggests cadmium is a carcinogen in the breast.

Why are current guidelines on the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) "not yet fit for women"? Why should postmenopausal women be routinely assessed for CVD? Dr Janneke Wittekoek answers these and other questions in this video interview conducted exclusively for GetInsideHealth in March 2011.

The importance of considering quality of life in women with gynecologic cancer.

Recent developments have highlighted the continuing and growing importance of considering quality of life (QoL) in women with cancer, and gynaecologic cancer in particular.

Abstract

Objective We evaluated the neuropsychological outcome of children with proven congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and normal consecutive fetal neurosonographic examinations.

Abstract

Objectives To prospectively compare clinical breast examination, mammography, ultrasonography, and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a multicenter surveillance of high-risk women.

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to present our results of the sonographic measurement of the fetal iliac angle during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.

Abstract

Mammographic density (MD) adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI) is a strong heritable breast cancer risk factor; however, its biological basis remains elusive. Previous studies assessed MD-associated histology using random sampling approaches, despite evidence that high and low MD areas exist within a breast and are negatively correlated with respect to one another.

Abstract

Objective  Appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency in pregnancy. Acute appendicitis is often difficult to diagnose clinically, and concerns regarding antenatal CT imaging limit its use resulting in high false negative rates at laparotomy. MRI has recently been reported as a reasonable alternative to CT imaging in cases of suspected appendicitis. Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis of recently published data regarding the utility of MR imaging in cases of antenatal suspected acute appendicitis.

Background and Objectives: Radiation dermatitis occurs in a majority of patients with breast cancer who receive radiation therapy (RT), causes significant pain, and may necessitate treatment delay. Light emitting diode (LED) photomodulation has been reported to minimize radiation dermatitis. This study sought to further evaluate the efficacy of LED photomodulation in lessening radiation dermatitis.

Objectives: To prospectively determine the feasibility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with fibre tractography as a tool for the three-dimensional (3D) visualisation of normal pelvic floor anatomy.

Background   Twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence (TRAP) is a rare complication in multifetal monochorionic pregnancies in which a normal “pump” twin provides circulation to an abnormal acardiac co-twin, resulting in high-output cardiac dysfunction in the pump twin.

Purpose of review To describe the current role of radiation therapy and specific types of radiation therapy used in the management of early stage, locoregionally advanced, and metastatic breast cancer.

Introduction. Over the past two decades, an expanding body of research has examined women's and men's genital self‐image. Support for the reliability and validity of the 7‐item Female Genital Self‐Image Scale (FGSIS) has been found in a convenience sample of women.

In the recent 2009 update of the FIGO staging for cervical cancer, while diagnostic imaging to assess primary tumour size was not made mandatory, it was encouraged. Especially in the early stages of cervical cancer, lymph node metastasis is an indicator of poor prognosis, with the status of the para-aortic lymph nodes being considered perhaps the most important prognostic factor.² While lymph nodal assessment was also not included in the updated FIGO staging, the FIGO committee did also encourage the use of imaging techniques to evaluate lymph node status.

In the assessment of osteoporosis, the most widely used technique is measurement of BMDa using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).² In post-menopausal women and men over the age of 50 years, the WHO FRAX algorithm has been introduced to quantify the 10-year probability of a hip or major osteoporotic fracture, taking into account a number of factors including femoral neck BMD, gender, body mass index, prior fractures, and history of parental hip fractures.³

“This work is quite a novel approach in that success of screening is usually measured in terms of reduction in mortality from breast cancer,” said Nicholas Perry, MD, of The London Breast Institute, London, UK. “We are not aware of any other studies in this age group comparing success in terms of breast preservation,” he added.

In their study, Dr. Perry and colleagues compared mastectomy rates following breast cancer diagnosis at a UK center in women aged 40-50 with a prior mammogram within the previous year to those with longer interval or no previous mammography.