Chemotherapy for Gynecologic Cancer Treatment
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs or medication to kill cancer cells.
People can receive chemotherapy by mouth or through a needle. Cancer care teams can also deliver it directly to the site of a tumor.
Not all types of chemotherapy work the same. Cancer care teams can give different types of chemotherapy for different types of cancer.
What Is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs or medication to kill cancer cells.
People can take it by mouth or receive it through an IV. Cancer care teams can also deliver it directly to the site of the tumor. It is often used with surgery.
In most cases, chemotherapy is a systemic treatment. That means the drugs enter your bloodstream and reach all parts of the body.
As it's working, chemotherapy can kill healthy cells along with abnormal cells. Healthy cells recover from chemotherapy. Abnormal cells are less likely to withstand the damage done by chemotherapy.
Depending on your type and stage of cancer, chemotherapy can have different goals:
- To cure cancer — When possible, chemotherapy can destroy all cancer cells, so the cancer does not return.
- To control cancer — When a cure isn't possible, chemotherapy can slow the spread of cancer. This can help people to live longer.
- To ease symptoms — Chemotherapy can still be used when cancer has spread and cannot be controlled. Called palliative chemotherapy, it helps to make patients more comfortable. For example, palliative chemotherapy may shrink a tumor that is causing pain.
What Conditions Do We Treat?
Chemotherapy can help treat gynecologic cancers including:
- Cervix — Cervical cancer is the only gynecologic cancer that has screening tests. When detected early, treatment is often successful.
- Ovaries, peritoneum and fallopian tubes — These gynecologic cancer types have similar cell types that often respond to the same treatment. Ovarian cancer is very serious, affecting almost 25,000 women in the United States each year.
- Uterus — Uterine cancer, which includes endometrial cancer, is the most common gynecologic cancer. Doctors diagnose more than 40,000 new cases each year.
- Vagina — Vaginal cancer develops in the tissues and glands that line the vagina.
- Vulva — Vulvar cancer forms in the outer part of the female genitals. Like cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) can increase the chances of developing vulvar cancer.
Who Can Benefit from Chemotherapy?
Depending on your type and stage of cancer, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy as part of your treatment plan. It is often used with other treatments, such as surgery, to kill cancer cells. It is also used on cancer that has spread or cancer that has returned.
Chemotherapy can affect fertility. Certain drugs cause the ovaries to stop producing eggs and estrogen. You are at higher risk of developing infertility if you receive higher doses of chemotherapy or several different types of drugs at the same time.
If you want to preserve your fertility, you should talk with your doctor about your options.
What Chemotherapy Treatments Do We Offer for Gynecological Cancer?
- Intravenous chemotherapy — Intravenous (IV) chemotherapy is the most common form of chemotherapy. Patients visit a treatment center or hospital to receive cancer-killing drugs through an IV. It can take several hours.
- Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy — Uses a catheter to deliver cancer-fighting drugs into the abdominal cavity instead of through a vein. The fluid flows through the catheter and slowly fills the abdominal cavity, washing over and killing cancer cells. It is then absorbed by the abdominal lining and bloodstream.
- Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) — A type of IP chemotherapy that delivers very high doses of heated cancer-fighting drugs into the abdominal cavity. HIPEC is usually done right after cancer surgery. It kills the invisible or microscopic cells that remain after surgery. The procedure usually requires a lengthy hospital stay.
- Oral chemotherapy — Oral chemotherapy is the use of drugs, taken by mouth, to kill cancer.
What Can I Expect?
Both oral and IV chemotherapy occur in cycles. You will receive cancer-fighting drugs daily, weekly, or monthly for a set period of time, then take a break before beginning another cycle. This break allows your body to rest and recover.
You can take oral chemotherapy at home. It's important to follow your doctor’s instructions on how much to take and when to take it.
IV chemotherapy requires you to visit a hospital or treatment center. It can take several hours or even all day.
Intraperitoneal chemotherapy is also given in cycles at a hospital or treatment center. Instead of entering the bloodstream, cancer-fighting drugs are confined to the abdomen. This helps to limit the damage to healthy tissue.
HIPEC is part of a surgery to remove cancer. It requires a hospital stay of up to two weeks.
What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
The number and severity of side effects depend on the type of chemotherapy you receive. Some of the common symptoms are:
- Anemia, or low red blood cell count.
- Anxiety or depression.
- Appetite changes.
- Changes in sexual drive and function.
- Constipation.
- Diarrhea.
- Fatigue.
- Fertility issues.
- Hair loss.
- Increased risk of infection.
- Loss of concentration or focus.
- Low platelet or white blood cell counts.
- Mouth sores.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Nerve issues.
- Skin and nail changes.
- Weight changes.
Why Choose UPMC for Chemotherapy?
UPMC Magee-Womens and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center provide expert care for gynecologic cancer. At UPMC, you can expect:
- Cancer expertise — UPMC Hillman is one of just 57 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the country — and the only one in western Pennsylvania. Your cancer treatment is based on the latest advancements in clinical care and backed by evidence-based research. You will have access to clinical trials, holistic medicine, and fertility preservation.
- Compassionate care — At UPMC, you're not alone in your fight against gynecologic cancer. Our team of researchers, caregivers, and clinicians will guide and support you through diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
- Locations close to home — UPMC offers gynecologic oncology services in communities across the region. You won’t have to travel far from home to receive the world-class care you need.
- Top doctors — Nearly 500 UPMC physicians have been recognized as “Top Doctors” across more than 60 different specialties, including gynecologic oncology.
By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2026-08-06.
