Gynecological Cancer

Gynecologic Cancer: What You Need To Know

Facing a cancer diagnosis is never easy. You want to be sure you have the latest treatments, the most effective technology and a skilled and supportive team of caregivers. At The University of Vermont Medical Center, we have a team of specialists dedicated to women's cancers called gynecologic oncology.

Teamwork

We treat our patients using a comprehensive team approach, where our highly trained physicians, knowledgeable nurses and support staff come together to provide compassionate and personalized care.

Experienced, Trusted Expertise

As a university medical center, we offer you and your family members access to the latest treatments and technologies including the precision of robotic-assisted surgical treatment.

You also benefit from our close partnership with the University of Vermont Cancer Center, where most of our cancer doctors regularly dedicate part of their time to developing more effective means of discovering and treating cancer. This means that your doctor has some of the most up-to-date information, which translates into better care for you and your family.

In the past, treatment of gynecologic cancers involved large surgical incisions and extensive operations.

Robotic-assisted surgery is changing that – allowing gynecologic oncologists to perform more advanced operations, using an approach that is less invasive for the patient.

This technology also enables surgeons to provide a broader range of surgeries for different gynecologic conditions and for different patient situations than ever before.

What is Gynecologic Cancer?

A number of gynecological cancers can affect a woman's reproductive system. The most common types of gynecologic cancers are:

• Cervical cancer
• Endometrial (uterine) cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Vaginal Cancer
• Vulvar Cancer

The type of cancer, and how advanced it is, will determine your available treatment options. Women with early stage gynecologic cancer are often treated with hysterectomy - the surgical removal of the uterus.

This procedure can involve the removal of the ovaries, fallopian tubes and/or select lymph nodes. Hysterectomy is the second most common surgical procedure for women in the United States.

Gynecological Cancer Treatment at The UVM Medical Center

Our expert gynecologic oncologists offer state of the art advanced minimally invasive surgery for women with gynecologic cancer and other challenging gynecologic conditions, including:

• Uterine cancer staging
• Early ovarian cancer staging
• Radical hysterectomy for the treatment of cervical cancer
• Endoscopic hysterectomy for large uterus
• Endoscopic hysterectomy for morbidly obese patients

Patient Benefits

For the patient, benefits of minimally invasive gynecological cancer treatments may include:

• Significantly less pain
• Less blood loss and fewer transfusions
• Less scarring
• Shorter hospital stay
• Shorter recovery time