Understanding Gynecologic Cancers

Gynecologic Cancers : Treatment

Treatment for Gynecologic cancers depends on several factors, including the type of cancer, its extent (stage), its location and your overall health. It is important to talk with several cancer specialists before deciding on the best treatment for you, your cancer and your lifestyle.

• A gynecologic oncologist is a doctor who specializes in surgically removing Gynecologic cancers.
• A radiation oncologist is a doctor specially trained to treat cancer with radiation therapy.
• A medical oncologist is a doctor who specializes in treating cancer with drugs (chemotherapy).

Sometimes, your cancer may be cured by using only one type of treatment. In other cases, your cancer may be best cured using a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

External Beam Radiation Therapy

External beam radiation therapy involves a series of daily outpatient treatments to accurately deliver radiation to the cancer. Each treatment is painless and is similar to getting an X-ray. They are often given in a series of daily sessions, each taking less than half an hour, Monday through Friday, for five to six weeks. In some cases, you may receive more than one treatment in a day, often several hours apart.

• 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) combines multiple radiation treatment fields to deliver precise doses of radiation to the affected area. Tailoring each of the radiation beams to focus on the tumor delivers a high dose of radiation to the tumor and avoids nearby healthy tissue.
• Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is the most recent advance in the delivery of radiation. IMRT improves on 3D-CRT by modifying the intensity of the radiation within each of the radiation beams. This allows more precise adjustment of radiation doses to the tissues within the target area.

Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy (also called internal or intracavitary radiotherapy) involves placing radioactive sources in or next to the cancer. This is usually done at the same time or after external beam radiation therapy. Brachytherapy is very important in the treatment of vaginal, cervical and uterine cancers.

There are two main types of brachytherapy:

• Low-dose-rate brachytherapy is delivered over the course of 48 to 72 hours. You will be admitted into the hospital to receive this treatment.
• High-dose-rate brachytherapy is given over the course of several minutes, but the entire procedure typically takes a few hours. You may be able to go home immediately after this treatment.

Depending of the type of cancer you have, you may need to have several sessions of brachytherapy to cure your cancer.

Radiation therapy has proven very effective in treating
cervical cancer. Radiation therapy is another option
besides surgery for early stage cancer; and when advanced
stage cervical cancer needs to be treated, it is usually done
with radiation therapy.
RT for cervical cancer either comes from as external
source (ex bm radiation) or an internal source (brachy
therapy). Ext BM Radiation therapy requires patients to
come in 5 days a week for up to 8 weeks to the treatment
center. The treatment takes just a few minutes, and it is
painless. Brachy is a means of delivering a high-dose of
radiation directly to the tumor. Mat applications are
placed in the ecdocervical canal and into the body of the
uterus. Two small, hollow, round applications are placed
external to the cervix, sit in the vagina on either side of
the exocervix. It is important to note that special care is
taken to pack the bladder and rectum away from the
application using gauze.
(Call your doctor if you experience any of the following):
• A pain that doesn’t go away, especially if it is always in
the same place.
• New or unusual lumps, bumps, or swelling.
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite.
• Unexplained weight loss
• A fever or cough that doesn’t go away.
• Unusual rashes, bruises, or bleeding.
• Any symptoms that you are concerned about