Gynecologic Cancer Care

Common Risk Factors

Any woman is at risk for developing a gynecologic cancer, and risk increases with age. Treatment for gynecologic cancer is most effective when found early. Talk with your doctor about any concerns you have.

Common risk factors for gynecologic cancer include:

Genetic Testing and Counseling

We also perform in-house genomic testing, and we are especially skilled at treating women who are considered to be at higher risk due to certain medical conditions or complicating factors.

Lahey has a robust Familial Cancer and Hereditary Risk Assessment program. It is staffed by certified genetics counselors for all types of cancer. If you are at higher risk because of your family history, we can provide guidance on how to manage your risk.

Gynecologic Cancer Symptoms

Symptoms of gynecologic cancer include:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) or urinary changes.
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge.
• Persistent pelvic or lower back pain.
• Lumps, sores or thickening in the pelvic area.

These also could be symptoms of a benign (non-cancerous) condition. However, if you show any of these signs, schedule an appointment with your doctor right away to discuss your symptoms.

Lahey provides state-of-the-art methods of diagnosing and staging women’s cancers at convenient locations north of Boston. Detecting cancer at its earliest stage offers the best long-term prognosis, so early detection is an important goal.

Talk with your gynecologist about how often you should get screening for gynecologic cancers through Pap tests, colposcopy and other methods, such as radiology services or lab tests.

Advanced Cancer Treatments, Close to Home

If your test results show cancer, be assured that you won’t face this diagnosis alone. We’ll pair you with a nurse navigator. They will guide you through treatment decisions and explain our survivorship programs. We will support you, educate you and treat you with best practices and the highest clinical standards.

Our gynecologists will work together with specialists in radiation oncology, medical oncology and Lahey’s Familial Cancer Risk Assessment Center to develop a specialized course of treatment for you. The type and stage of your cancer — along with other factors, such as your input and priorities — will set your treatment plan.

And Lahey offers cancer rehabilitation services to help you during and after treatment.

About Our Tumor Boards

For every woman with a new diagnosis of cancer, the team of experts on our Gynecology Tumor Board reviews the case and develops a complete, personalized treatment plan.

Huge advancements in medical oncology allow more women to survive gynecologic cancers than ever before. And thanks to the overarching programs at Lahey, you can access comprehensive, complex, state-of-the art cancer treatments right here, close to home.

With our highly personalized treatment planning, many women can avoid chemotherapy. Lahey offers hormonal approaches and other advanced and innovative therapies to treat female reproductive system cancers. 

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy units throughout Lahey are designed to enhance your comfort and ease of treatment. Family members or friends may stay with you during chemotherapy. Many of our locations provide free television service and free WiFi. 

Radiation therapy

We offer several types of radiation therapy to treat gynecologic cancers, including:

• Brachytherapy: Small, temporary radiation implants are carefully placed at the site of cancerous cells affecting the uterus, cervix and vaginal canal. The radiation kills the cancer with as little impact as possible on nearby healthy cells.
• Intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT): State-of-the-art linear accelerators safely and painlessly deliver exact radiation doses to cancerous cells while minimizing the dose to normal tissue. Our radiation oncologists can conform the radiation dose to the shape of a tumor, bringing a higher dose where it’s needed most.

Gynecologic Cancer Clinical Trials

Speak with your doctor to learn if you may qualify for a current gynecologic cancer clinical trial. If so, it could give you access to a new treatment option not yet widely available.

If you’ve been diagnosed with any type of women’s cancer, you can turn with confidence to the experienced and caring gynecologic cancer surgeons at Lahey. Today’s techniques are more refined than ever, and we are experts in performing them.

Lahey is accredited as a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology by the Surgical Review Corporation. This group focuses on improving the safety and quality of patient care.

Lahey gynecologic cancer surgeons have years of experience in procedures that can successfully treat cancer while preserving a woman’s ability to have children. Surgeries we offer include:

Trachelectomy

Available for younger women with early cervical cancer, this technique removes the cervix (the tissue that connects the uterus and vagina) and some surrounding tissue. It leaves the rest of the uterus in place. If the woman becomes pregnant, a stitch is made at the bottom of the uterus to take the place of her cervix.

Cytoreductive Surgery and Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC)

These leading-edge procedures have shown significant success in treating cancer that in the past was difficult to manage. HIPEC is also called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Minimally Invasive Procedures

Lahey surgeons use the precision of robotic surgery to treat cancer and complex benign conditions, including:

• Laparoscopic adnexal surgery: Minimally invasive procedure for cancer of the ovaries, fallopian tubes or ovarian cysts.
• Robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery with sentinel node biopsy: Used to treat uterine cancer.
• Other minimally invasive procedures: Used for cancer staging as well as hysterectomy.