BJOG 2012 themed edition

We are delighted to introduce this year’s special themed edition of BJOG, entitled “Gynaecological oncology”. This issue will be available FREE online until March 2012.

This issue was edited by Pierre Martin-Hirsch, BJOG Deputy Editor-in-Chief and Raj Naik, BJOG Scientific Editor. Guest editors include Professor Rob Bristow (University of California), Professor John Ledermann (UCL Cancer Institute, UK), Professor Nick Reed (Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland) and trainee BJOG Scientific Editors Emma Crosbie and Vanessa Harry.

It contains 18 papers which between them cover a very broad range of topics, including tumour biology, screening diagnosis, treatment options, and improving survival outcomes.

Research comes from a range of different countries including Mali, Japan and the UK. As Deputy Editor-in-Chief Dr Pierre-Martin Hirsch points out, "Cervical cancer remains a common cause of premature death in developing countries due to lack of organised screening programmes and vaccination programmes. In contrast, in developed countries, cervical cancer is becoming a rare disease, and the gynaecological community are focussing on improving outcomes in ovarian cancer by developing new surgical and chemotherapy techniques.

"The themed edition of the BJOG has collated an impressive collection of papers looking at innovations in cancer prevention and cancer management. This themed edition is designed to keep not only specialised gynaecological oncologists aware of new developments but will also update the non specialised reader on such innovations."

BJOG’s Scientific Editor Raj Naik, who co-edited the 2012 themed edition, says:

"Recent UK reports have shown significant improvements in survival from a range of cancers including gynaecological, however, much more needs to be done. The 2012 special themed edition provides a collection of reviews, commentaries and original research identifying specific areas of development in recent years in addition to what we can expect to become mainstream practice over the coming years.”

“Survival in itself is not the only outcome measure of interest and this edition also concentrates on improvements in treatment-related morbidity with laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery as well as sentinel node assessment. Cancer prevention through vaccination and screening are key to any overall strategy and this edition covers a spectrum of thought-provoking papers investigating the many contentious areas both for the developed as well as the underdeveloped countries.”

“We are confident that you will find the special themed edition both stimulating and informative."

Access the 2012 themed edition of BJOG here