Gynecologic Cancer Treatment Options

The Magee-Womens Gynecologic Cancer Program offers state-of-the-art treatment options to battle a wide array of gynecologic cancers.

The primary treatment is surgery, typically followed by chemotherapy. Learn more about our treatment options below.

Surgical Options for Gynecologic Cancer

Robotic-Assisted Gynecological Cancer Surgery

Magee also offers robotic-assisted surgery for some gynecologic procedures, such as:

• Hysterectomies
• Removal of cancerous tumors
• Removal of both fallopian tubes and ovaries (bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy)

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS)

MIS is another name for laparoscopic surgery. Minimally invasive procedures can result in less postoperative pain and shorter recovery times.

The experts at the Center for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Magee-Womens Hospital use the latest techniques to treat many of the gynecologic problems that women experience.

Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping

Sentinel node mapping is a minimally invasive technique used to determine if cancer cells have spread to the lymph nodes.

Dye is injected into the major lymph node. If the dye doesn't spread, no cancer cells are present, and no further surgery is performed on the lymph nodes. If the mapping detects cancer cells, a full lymph node dissection is performed.

Radiation Oncology for Gynecologic Cancer

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s radiation oncologists are among the nation’s most experienced in using different types of radiation therapies to treat patients with cancer.

At the Gynecologic Cancer Program, women have access to the widest variety of advanced radiation delivery systems available.

Learn more about radiation options for gynecologic cancers on the Magee-Womens Hospital website.

Medical Oncology Options for Gynecologic Cancer

Chemotherapy and Hormone Therapy

Some gynecologic cancers can be treated with chemotherapy alone. Others may require surgical removal prior to chemotherapy treatment and potentially radiation therapy to prevent local recurrence.

Depending on the type and stage of the cancer, chemotherapy may be:

• Taken by mouth
• Given as an injection
• Placed directly into the tumor site

Some hormones can cause certain cancers to grow. Hormone therapy stops cancer cells from growing by using drugs or surgery to reduce the production of hormones or block them from working.

Regional Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer

Intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy is a type of regional chemotherapy used to treat ovarian cancer. In IP chemotherapy, a catheter and port are surgically implanted on the lower rib cage of the patient. This allows the anticancer drugs to flow directly into the peritoneal cavity (the space that contains the abdominal organs) and provides gynecologic oncologists with long-term access to the peritoneal cavity.