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Preoperative Risk Assessment

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Book cover Management of Gynecological Cancers in Older Women

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Abstract

Surgical excision and/or cytoreduction currently represent the treatment of choice for most gynecological tumors, regardless of the patients’ age. A robust body of evidence supports this. Despite operative complications and mortality, long-term cancer-related survival may be significantly improved by an aggressive surgical approach in the older age group as it is for younger women.

As older patients are characterized by a marked heterogeneity that increases with advancing age, it is important to establish preoperatively whether the older surgical patient is fit or has limited physiological reserves. Elements of a geriatric assessment, such as functional status including gait speed, comorbidity, nutritional status, depression, and cognitive function have all been found to be associated with post-operative morbidity. Some of these factors may be optimized before surgery. Thus, adding geriatric assessment to the standard preoperative protocol in older women with gynecological cancers may provide a more precise risk assessment and guide preoperative interventions.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Diakonveien 12, Oslo, 0319, Norway

    Siri Rostoft Kristjansson M.D., Ph.D.

  2. UOC Onocologia Medica, Ospedle Ca’ Foncello, Via A. Scarpa, Treviso, Italy

    Monica Ramello M.D.

  3. Department of Surgery, St. Helens Teaching Hospital, Marshalls Cross Road, St. Helens, Merseyside, WA9 3DA, UK

    Riccardo A. Audisio M.D., FRCS

Authors
  1. Siri Rostoft Kristjansson M.D., Ph.D.
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  2. Monica Ramello M.D.
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  3. Riccardo A. Audisio M.D., FRCS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Riccardo A. Audisio M.D., FRCS .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Commack Road, Commack, 11725, New York, USA

    Stuart M. Lichtman

  2. University of Liverpool, St Helens Teach, Marshalls Cross Road, St Helens, WA9 3DA, United Kingdom

    Riccardo A. Audisio

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Kristjansson, S.R., Ramello, M., Audisio, R.A. (2013). Preoperative Risk Assessment. In: Lichtman, S., Audisio, R. (eds) Management of Gynecological Cancers in Older Women. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4605-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4605-6_6

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-2215-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4605-6

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