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 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.