Ovarian mass-differentiating benign from malignant: the value of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis ultrasound rules.

Ovarian cancer, the fifth most common cause of cancer death among women, has the highest mortality rate of all gynecologic cancers. General survival rate is <50% but can reach 90% if disease is detected early. Ultrasound is presently the best modality to differentiate between benign and malignant status. The patient with a malignant mass should be referred to an oncology surgeon since results have been shown to be superior to treatment by a specialist. Several ultrasound-based scoring systems exist for assessing the risk of an ovarian tumor to be malignant. The International Ovarian Tumor Analysis group published 2 such systems: the ultrasound Simple Rules and the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa model. The Simple Rules classifies a tumor as benign, malignant, or indeterminate and the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa model determines the risk for a tumor to be benign or malignant and, if malignant, the risk of various stages. Sensitivity of the Simple Rules and Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adneXa model (using a cut-off of 10% to predict malignancy) are 92% and 96.5%, respectively, and specificities are 96% and 71.3%, respectively. These models are the best predictive tests for the preoperative classification of adnexal tumors. Their intent is to help the specialist make management decisions when faced with a patient with a persistent ovarian mass. The models are simple, are easy to use, and have been validated in multiple reports but not in the United States. We suggest they should be validated and widely introduced into medical practice in the United States.

Genetic Syndromes with Pancreatic Manifestations.

Although the pancreas is affected by only a small fraction of known inherited disorders, several of these syndromes predispose patients to pancreatic adenocarcinoma, a cancer that has a consistently dismal prognosis. Still other syndromes are associated with neuroendocrine tumors, benign cysts, or recurrent pancreatitis. Because of the variability of pancreatic manifestations and outcomes, it is important for clinicians to be familiar with several well-described genetic disorders to ensure that patients are followed appropriately. The purpose of this review was to briefly describe the hereditary syndromes that are associated with pancreatic disorders and neoplasia.

Screening for Pancreatic Cancer in High-risk Populations.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a leading cause of cancer death. Few patients are candidates for curative resection due to the late stage at diagnosis. While most pancreatic adenocarcinomas are sporadic, approximately 10% have an underlying hereditary basis. Known genetic syndromes account for only 20% of the familial clustering of pancreatic cancer cases. The majority are due to non-syndromic aggregation of pancreatic cancer cases or familial pancreatic cancer. Screening aims to identify high-risk lesions amenable to surgical resection. However, the optimal interval for screening and the management of pancreatic cancer precursor lesions detected on imaging are controversial.

Addressing inherited predisposition for breast cancer in transplant recipients.

Consideration of prophylactic mastectomy surgery following transplantation requires complex medical decision-making, and bias against elective surgery exists because of concern for post-operative complications. Prevention of cancer in transplant recipients is of utmost importance, given the risks of treating malignancy in an immunosuppressed patient. We present a patient case and review of the literature to support a thorough pre-transplantation evaluation of family history and consideration of prophylactic interventions to safeguard the quality of life of transplant recipients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:605-608. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.