What is Gynecologic Oncology?
Gynecologic oncology is a subspecialty of gynecology that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care of benign and malignant tumors in women.
This includes, in particular, malignant gynecological cancers such as
- breast cancer (mammary carcinoma),
- ovarian cancer (ovarian carcinoma),
- cervical cancer (cervical carcinoma),
- endometrial cancer,
- vaginal cancer (vaginal carcinoma), and
- vulvar cancer (vulvar carcinoma).
Benign gynecological conditions that are frequently diagnosed and treated in the field of gynecologic oncology include, among others,
- fibroids,
- ovarian cysts, and
- benign tumors of the uterus or the labia.
In addition to surgical expertise, specialists in gynecologic oncology also possess knowledge of a wide variety of diagnostic methods as well as disease-related pre- and post-treatment procedures, such as preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Therapeutic Services in Gynecologic Oncology
Gynecologic oncology offers a broad range of modern diagnostic and therapeutic measures. The therapeutic services provided by gynecologic oncology include, among other things, the
- surgical treatment of tumors of the ovary, breast, or uterus,
- chemotherapy,
- immunotherapy,
- hormone therapy,
- radiation therapy for malignant gynecological cancers,
- laser therapy for the treatment of malignant lesions of the labia or vagina, and
- the treatment of fibroids or ovarian cysts.
One of the most commonly performed procedures in gynecologic oncology is the complete or partial removal of the uterus (hysterectomy).
Surgical procedures in gynecologic oncology can be performed using either open surgery or endoscopic, minimally invasive techniques.
