Dr. Westin on Remaining Challenges in Endometrial Cancer

Shannon N. Westin, MD, MPH, clinical investigator and director of Early Drug Development and Phase I Trials in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses remaining challenges in endometrial cancer.

The majority of patients with endometrial cancer tend to have good outcomes, Westin explains. However, a growing number of patients will develop advanced or recurrent disease, which complicates clinical trial development and optimized care.

Additionally, as is the case in many solid tumor types, the role of baseline molecular aberrations remains largely unknown, says Westin. For example, if a patient has 3 mutations that are identified via biopsy at diagnosis, those mutations may not be relevant at the time of recurrence.

As such, more information is needed to determine the optimal frequency at which biopsies should be performed, as well as whether liquid biopsy will have a role in endometrial cancer testing in the future, Westin concludes.