Dr. Dottino on the Benefit of Early-Detection Screening in Endometrial Cancer

Peter R. Dottino, MD, professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, discusses the benefit of early-detection screening for endometrial cancer.

Endometrial cancer is one of the most common cancer types in the United States, and incidence rates continue to increase exponentially in the female population, according to Dottino, who adds that the lack of adequate screening options in this tumor type could be contributing to this rise. To address this unmet need, Dottino and colleagues evaluated a targeted gynecologic cancer liquid biopsy designed to detect and endometrial precancer.

One of the biggest challenges in implementing this screening was the hesitancy from clinicians about its utility for patients with endometrial cancer, Dottino continues. Due to the nature of the disease’s symptoms, a high percentage of women with endometrial cancer will experience bleeding and tend to seek care early, leading to subsequent hysterectomy, Dottino explains.

However, hysterectomies are not benign procedures, and they can potentially lead to complications and greater difficulties with activities of daily life, Dottino notes. Utilizing early-detection screening could reveal endometrial cancer in a precancerous state, increasing the likelihood that hormonal therapy alone will be effective, Dottino notes. Early detection could prevent a sizeable number of patients from undergoing hysterectomy, Dottino concludes.