Lindsay West, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of North Carolina (UNC) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine, discusses pain management for patients with endometrial cancer.

According to West, it is important for physicians to think about how patients are treated for pain management, as it is an important topic given the current opioid crisis in the United States. West has been working on a project at UNC to determine how patients are treated postoperatively with pain medications, how many they take, and how physicians can do better when prescribing medications.

Pain management is an area that needs to be explored, because it may have a positive impact on this opioid crisis, explains West. While the big picture seems very overwhelming, physicians can be doing things every day to minimize that risk on a smaller scale, she explains, which will impact the opioid crisis on a larger scale.

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Dr. West on Pain Management for Endometrial Cancer

Lindsay West, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of North Carolina (UNC) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine, discusses the relationship between diet and endometrial cancer.

In a study of mouse models, investigators sought to assess the relationship between diet and the development of endometrial cancer. The findings showed that a low-fat diet decreased tumor growth in mice exposed to endometrial cancer cells. This makes sense, says West, as the diet was changed before the tumors had fully developed.

West suggests that investigators should look at the outcome of switching the diet of mice with fully developed endometrial cancer, as many women do not have the motivation to change their diet until they are faced with an endometrial cancer diagnosis. If findings indicate that switching to a low-fat diet can decrease tumor growth in mice who already have endometrial cancer, then this strategy could have an impactful clinical application.

Dr. West on Relationship Between Diet and Endometrial Cancer

Lindsay West, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of North Carolina (UNC) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine, discusses the future of treatment for patients with gynecologic malignancies.

There has been a departure from the one-size-fits-all treatment approach for gynecologic malignancies, says West. As the genetic landscape continues to be studied, targets will hopefully emerge, which will give clinicians direction for treatment and patients a better chance to respond. Even if it is not an endpoint for treatment, understanding prognosis, or who is undertreated or overtreated, will propel the field forward, West says.

One of the gynecologic malignancies poised to gain the most benefit would be endometrial cancer, which is a very heterogenetic disease. Investigating targetable mutations in cancers that are known to be heterogeneous may result in better outcomes or less toxicities for these patients.

Lindsay West, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of North Carolina (UNC) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine, discusses the future of treatment for patients with gynecologic malignancies.
 

Dr. West on the Future of Treatment for Patients With Gynecologic Malignancies

Lindsay West, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of North Carolina (UNC) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine, discusses the challenges with quality of life for patients with gynecologic cancers.

Understanding how quality of life interacts with prognosis, treatment, and survivorship is something physicians can continue to be educated on, explains West. Physicians are realizing that the important endpoints of treatment are progression-free survival and overall survival, but quality of life is also important.

According to West, the community is better understanding objective measures to assess quality of life and will integrate that into research moving forward.

Lindsay West, MD, gynecologic oncologist, UNC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UNC School of Medicine, discusses the challenges with quality of life for patients with gynecologic cancer.

Lindsay West, MD

Articles

Dr. West on Pain Management for Endometrial Cancer

Dr. West on Relationship Between Diet and Endometrial Cancer

Dr. West on the Future of Treatment for Patients With Gynecologic Malignancies

Dr. West on Quality of Life Challenges in Gynecologic Cancer