Gynecologic Cancer Treatment

Gynecologic Cancer Treatments

Your doctor and care team will create an individualized treatment plan, unique to your needs. With all our treatments, the goal is to shrink or remove the tumors and cancer cells. For each treatment recommendation, we will explain the risks, benefits and side effects, as well as answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Surgery

Minimally Invasive (Laparoscopic) Surgery
Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical technique that uses several thin instruments with the assistance of a video camera. During the procedure, small incisions are made and thin plastic tubes (called trocars) are placed through these incisions. The camera and the instruments are then introduced through the trocars. This minimally invasive surgery typically benefits the patient with less discomfort and scarring, shorter hospital stays and reduced recovery time.

Robotic-Assisted Surgery
Robotic-assisted surgery is a type of laparoscopic surgery that offers 3D vision, which enables our surgeons to operate with a very high degree of precision and to reach cancers located in very confined spaces. Benefits include maximum preservation of surrounding healthy tissue, less pain, smaller scars and faster recovery.

Fertility-Preserving Surgery
Our gynecologic oncologists are highly skilled at utilizing fertility-sparing surgical techniques to help maximize your childbearing options. Depending on the specifics of your case, fertility-preserving options may be available.

Complex Pelvic Surgery
Gynecologic oncologists are uniquely trained to perform highly specialized to perform highly specialized surgical procedures for the treatment of complex gynecologic conditions.

Cytoreductive (Debulking) Surgery For Ovarian Cancer
The primary goal of this surgery is to remove all visible tumors. It is widely known that the experience of the surgeon is the most important factor in achieving this outcome. The ability of the surgeon to achieve this goal has been shown to be the strongest predictor for increased, disease-free survival for ovarian cancer. Our nationally recognized, board-certified surgeons perform a very high volume of cytoreductive surgeries, and our outcomes are among the best in the nation.

Chemotherapy

Standard Chemotherapy
With chemotherapy, you take a special type of medicine that works by shrinking or eliminating the cancer cells. You typically receive chemotherapy either as a pill or directly into your veins—sometimes both.

Intraperitoneal (IP) Chemotherapy
This type of chemotherapy is administered directly into the abdomen.

Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC)
HIPEC is a cancer treatment in which a special chemotherapy drug is heated up and circulated throughout the abdominal cavity. Often referred to as “hot chemotherapy”, this treatment is an option for patients with recurring cancer.

Radiation

High-Dose-Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy
HDR brachytherapy uses temporary implants to deliver a highly intense source of radiation directly to the tumor site. The radioactive sources are placed directly onto the tumor site for a brief period of time and then removed. It’s typical to receive the total dose in a series of 2-10 treatment sessions, also known as fractions. Common areas treated with this procedure include the cervix and endometrium.

Intra-Operative Radiation Therapy (IORT)
This treatment delivers a high dose of radiation therapy during surgery, immediately after the tumor is removed. This often reduces the amount of radiation therapy needed after surgery.