Gynecologic oncologists are highly skilled at ovarian cancer debulking and have been shown to produce better outcomes than a general surgeon operating alone. The more cancerous tissue that a gynecolgic oncologist is able to remove during this complex surgery, the better are a woman's chances of survival.
Gynecologic oncologists also offer the advantage of continued surveillence, intervention, chemo management and terminal care for women with ovarian cancer. When necessary, they also have sufficient skill to perform colon, ureter and/or bladder procedures during the initial surgery and occassionally during later treatment.
Gynecologic oncolgists are skilled with patients with endometrial cancer who might require retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy with their hysterectomy. This is a skill not possessed by OB/GYNs and not practiced enough by general surgeons. Gynecologic oncologists assure that this valuable part of the surgical mangement of endometrial cancer, the most common gynecologic malignancy, gets done. Women with endometrial cancer who are markedly obese also benefit from a gynecologic oncologist's skill at performing these procedures with fewer related complications.
Patients with other cancers, including cervix, vulvar, and vaginal cancers, are routinely referred directly to gynecologic oncologists without delay.
