Special Issue “Gynaecological Cancers Risk: Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer and Endometrial Cancer”

Over the last decade there have been significant advances and developments in our understanding of factors affecting women’s cancer risk, our ability to identify individuals at increased risk and risk stratify populations, as well as implement and evaluate strategies for screening and prevention

A double peaked pulse profile observed in GX 1+4

The hard X-ray pulsar GX 1+4 was observed several times in the last few years with a pair of balloon-borne Xenon filled Multi-cell Proportional Counters (XMPC). In a balloon flight made on 22 March 1995, the source was detected in a bright state, the average observed source count rate being $8.0\pm0.2/s$ per detector. X-ray pulsations with a period of $121.9\pm0.1$ s were detected in the source with a broad double peak pulse feature. When observed in December 1993 with the same instrument, the pulse profile of GX 1+4 showed a single peak. This change in the pulse profile to a double pulse structure in about 15 months indicates either activation of the opposite pole of the neutron star if the magnetic field is asymmetric or possibly a change in the beam pattern, from a pencil beam to a fan beam. Assuming a fan beam configuration, the pulse profile is used to find the inclinations of the magnetic axis and the viewing axis with the spin axis. The derived angles support the GINGA observations of a dip in the pulse profile which was resolved to have a local maximum in one of the observations and was explained with resonance scattering of cyclotron line energy photons by the accretion column (Makishima et al., \markcite{maki1988}, Dotani et al., \markcite{dotani1989}.). Compared to our previous observation of the same source with the same telescope (Rao et al., \markcite{rao1994}) a period change rate of $0.72 \pm 0.40 s/yr$ is obtained which is the lowest rate of change of period for this source since its discovery. Average pulse fraction in the hard X-ray range is low (30%), consistent with its anti correlation with luminosity as reported by us earlier (Rao et al., \markcite{rao1994}) and the observed spectrum is very hard (power law photon index $1.67\pm0.12$).Comment: 10 pages, to appear in A&

Ovarian Cancer Screening: There May Be Light at the End of the Tunnel?

This letter comments on the reported results of the United Kingdom Collaborative trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS) by Jacobs, Menon et al (2015)

Opportunistic bilateral salpingectomy (OBS) for the prevention of ovarian cancer should be offered in the context of a clinical trial: FOR: There is lack of clarity on a number of key issues.

Increasing evidence and acceptance of the role of the tube in the etiopathogenesis of ovarian cancer has led to opportunistic bilateral salpingectomy (OBS) being considered as an ovarian cancer prevention strategy for premenopausal women (who have completed childbearing) undergoing tubal sterilisation/benign gynaecological surgery. Some clinicians or jurisdictions (e.g. British Columbia) have incorporated this into routine practice. Recent guidelines from the American College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and the Society of Gynaecological Oncology recommend that OBS be considered for ovarian cancer prevention, but also highlight the need/importance for further trials to confirm the validity and benefit of this approach