By Lori DeBoer
Having followed the case histories of more than 80 patients with endometrial cancer, a Mayo Clinic Scottsdale researcher has announced that laparoscopic surgery produces the same cure rates as more traditional surgery methods and is easier on patients.
Dr. Javier F. Magrina, head of the clinic’s Division of Gynecological Oncology and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, notes that patients who undergo this minimally invasive surgery technique benefit from 50% less blood loss and shorter hospital stays. They also feel less pain and are able to resume their daily activities in half the time they would normally take. Because the hospital stays are shorter, he estimates that the laparoscopy is about $5,000 cheaper than normal surgery.
“The only disadvantage—if you can call it a disadvantage—is that surgery is 32 minutes longer,” says Dr. Magrina.
For stage one endometriosis, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale has more than a 96% cure rate. Mayo Clinic Scottsdale surgeons remove the uterus, tubes and ovaries through the vagina if possible when a hysterectomy is necessary. Then, using a laparoscope, the doctor looks for evidence of cancer in other parts of the abdomen and removes the lymph nodes in the pelvis and aortic area. Cells are also collected to be examined later for evidence of cancer. Laparoscopic surgery of this sort involves making four incisions of 1 centimeter each, as opposed to regular surgery where an incision can measure up to 23 centimeters.
For more information on using laparoscopic surgery to treat endometrial cancer, contact the Division of Gynecological Oncology at 480-301-8127.
Clinical Tip: This year, an estimated 36,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Obesity significantly increases the risk factor.
This article appeared in the Mayo Clinic’s Physician’s Referral Newsletter, 2000.
