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Society of Gynecologic Oncologists 40th Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer to Include Sessions on Robotics Surgery

Posted on: Thursday, 29 January 2009, 10:40 CST

How is this New Surgery Technique Impacting the Treatment of Women's Cancers?

CHICAGO, Jan. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Robotic-assisted surgery has become one of the fastest growing technological advances in the field of Gynecologic Oncology in the past few years. This minimally-invasive surgery (MIS) technique, its impact on the profession, and its role in the future of women's cancer care will be some of the topics discussed during the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists' (SGO) 2009 Annual Meeting on Women's Cancer, February 5-8, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas.

The meeting, viewed as the preeminent scientific and educational conference for women's cancer care specialists, will feature more than 350 scientific oral and poster presentations as well as educational sessions dealing with advances in the care and treatment of women's cancers. And, as an important emerging technological advance, the topic of MIS and robotics in particular will be discussed in more than 10 poster and oral presentations, addressing robotics surgery's scientific data to date and its growing popularity over the traditional practice of open surgery. In addition, specific robotics courses will be offered that focus on how robotics surgery can be incorporated into practice and impact outcomes within the field along with a special surgical post-graduate (SPG) course that will provide "tips and tricks" to help shorten the learning curve with robotics.

"Gynecologic oncologists are becoming more and more interested in robotic technology for the treatment of gynecologic malignancies such as uterine and cervical cancer," explains Dr. M. Patrick Lowe, Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery Program at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

"As cancer specialists, we're always looking for ways to improve the surgical management of our patients and impact quality of life in a positive fashion. Initial data would suggest we accomplish these goals with robotic surgery."

Since the initial introduction into the medical field in the early 2000's, the MIS technique is transforming conventional surgical procedures; particularly for the patient. Patients who suffer from uterine and cervical cancer are the most viable candidates for robotic-assisted surgery. It can also be an effective option for women suffering from ovarian cysts, abdominal uterine bleeding and fibroids. Patients selected for robotics surgery will note additional benefits over traditional surgery, which include reduced risk of blood loss, decreased pain and scarring (due to smaller incisions), a shorter hospital stay and most importantly, a faster recovery period. The four-arm surgical machine provides surgeons with better depth perception, a three-dimensional view of the incision area and a magnification 10 times greater than the human eye, for extremely complex procedures.

"Over the next few years, the field of gynecologic oncology will likely see widespread implementation of robotic-assisted surgery," says Dr. Lowe, who has been performing robotics-based surgeries for over three years and oversees Northwestern Hospitals' robotic surgery program. "Recent data on robotic surgery points to an improvement in several perioperative outcomes and complication rates as compared to traditional surgery for the treatment of uterine and cervical cancers."

About the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO)

The SGO is a national medical specialty organization of physicians who are trained in the comprehensive management of women with malignancies of the reproductive tract. Its purpose is to improve the care of women with gynecologic cancer by encouraging research, disseminating knowledge which will raise the standards of practice in the prevention and treatment of gynecologic malignancies, and cooperating with other organizations interested in women's health care, oncology and related fields. The Society's membership, totaling more than 1280, is primarily comprised of gynecologic oncologists, as well as other related medical specialists including medical oncologists, radiation oncologists and pathologists. SGO members provide multidisciplinary cancer treatment including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery and supportive care. More information on the SGO can be found at www.sgo.org.

CONTACT: Susan Morris Society of Gynecologic Oncologists 312-235-4060 ext. 244 312-235-4059 (fax) susan.morris@sgo.org

SOURCE Society of Gynecologic Oncologists

Source: PR Newswire

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