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The Gynecologic Oncology Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center is one of the major areas of clinical emphasis of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Physicians working in the Gynecologic Oncology Program provide primary diagnostic and second-opinion evaluations, as well as offering comprehensive care for patients with cancers that are unique to women’s reproductive system. These include uterine and endometrial cancer, as well as cancers of the ovaries, cervix, vagina, vulva and placenta. To treat these cancers, a wide range of therapies are offered, including:
- Radical and reconstructive pelvic and abdominal surgery
- Conventional chemotherapy
- Hormonal therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Experimental agents
- Operative and staging endoscopy
In gynecologic oncology, our strengths in patient care stem from a collaborative approach to health care and a committed search to improve treatment. UT Southwestern fosters a broad-based approach, bringing together patient care, teaching and research. The Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center is a leader in the emerging national trend in cancer research that places an emphasis on collaboration.
Due to the evolution of minimally invasive surgery, surgeons can now use laparoscopic techniques for hysterectomy, lymph node dissection and biopsy, and other procedures which in the past required a more extensive surgical approach and recovery. The medical center also invites some women with known malignancies to enroll in clinical trials — including novel chemotherapy treatment plans for primary or recurrent cancer; ovarian cancer screening; and newly developed biologic agents to treat cancers.
Established in September 2000, UT Southwestern’s Hereditary Gynecologic Cancer program emphasizes gynecologic cancer prevention. This program offers an opportunity for assessment, counseling, preventive surgery, and medical management to patients with increased risks for gynecological cancer. Working in conjunction with a genetic counselor, gynecologic oncologists can determine whether gynecological cancer in a given family is hereditary. Physicians provide risk assessment and counseling to patients and their families.
As a member of the national Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), UT Southwestern currently follows patients enrolled in 90 to 100 different National Cancer Institute-sponsored clinical trials. Researchers are actively recruiting qualified patients for the latest therapies, including a variety of clinical ovarian, uterine and cervical cancer protocols. They also collaborate with half a dozen pharmaceutical companies to evaluate new cancer-treatment drugs.
