Voluntary assisted dying in gynaecological cancers: A discussion of the history, ethical principles and international perspectives.

Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is a provocative and ethically charged subject that will potentially be an increasing component of our clinical practice. This paper aims to give the history of VAD, ethical principles, controversies and international perspectives regarding the laws in each jurisdiction. It provides a discussion on the topic with respect to gynaecological oncology to enable clinicians to feel more comfortable with this difficult subject.

Menopausal hormonal therapy in gynaecological cancers: An evidence-based approach for clinical management.

Treatment for gynaecological malignancies often requires oophorectomy or loss of ovarian function from adjuvant treatment. Premature or early menopause caused by gynaecological cancer treatment may require menopausal hormonal therapy (MHT) to treat vasomotor symptoms. However, concerns exist due to theoretical risks of stimulation of hormonal-sensitive tumours and hence increasing recurrence risk. There are small numbers of often underpowered fair to poor quality studies indicating that MHT is safe with most gynaecological malignancies. These studies are of variable quality with most being retrospective. We present the available data on this subject relative to the common types of gynaecological cancer.