Vnitr Lek 2002, 48(12):1123-1129

[Gynecologic neoplasms in diabetic patients].

B Melichar: Katedra interních oborů Lékarské fakulty UK, Klinika onkologie a radioterapie FN, Hradec Králové.

Gynecologic malignancies (including breast cancer) represent a substantial proportion of neoplastic disorders in women. The problems associated with the treatment of gynecologic cancer is not limited to gynecology and oncology, but involve other specialties, including, in the case of breast cancer, surgery and radiology. The incidence of gynecologic cancer increases with age, similarly to other tumors or some internal disorders, including diabetes mellitus. In many patients, especially elderly, a coincidence of cancer and diabetes mellitus is observed. The presence of diabetes mellitus, similarly to that of other comorbid conditions, may have a profound impact on the prognosis and the choice of treatment for the individual patient. Moreover, some studies indicate that diabetes mellitus increases the risk of breast and endometrial carcinoma. As in other areas of medicine, a close collaboration between specialists treating the tumor (surgeon or gynecologist, medical and radiation oncologist) with physicians specialized in treating comorbid conditions (internal medicine, cardiology or diabetes medicine) is inevitable. The current state of the treatment of gynecologic cancer is reviewed, with a special focus on breast cancer. The progress in breast cancer treatment illustrates how the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying tumor growth and evidence-based medicine can lead to a major improvement of the prognosis of cancer.