Woman with cancer wearing headband holding a child

Gynecologic Cancer Care at Providence St. Joseph Hospital - Orange

When you’re our patient, we don’t just treat your gynecologic cancer – we treat you. You receive whole-person care for your body, mind and spirit. We offer outpatient pelvic floor therapy for our gynecological cancer patients and a cancer wellness program for our post-treatment patients. This includes yoga, Pilates, mindfulness and art therapy.

1100 W Stewart Dr, Orange, Orange, CA 92868
2257.4 miles away
657-282-4546
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Gynecologic Cancer Care at Providence St. Joseph Hospital - Orange

When you’re our patient, we don’t just treat your gynecologic cancer – we treat you. You receive whole-person care for your body, mind and spirit. We offer outpatient pelvic floor therapy for our gynecological cancer patients and a cancer wellness program for our post-treatment patients. This includes yoga, Pilates, mindfulness and art therapy.

1100 W Stewart Dr, Orange, Orange, CA 92868
2257.4 miles away
657-282-4546
Mon - Fri: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

About Gynecologic Cancer

Gynecologic cancers are cancers of the female reproductive organs, including the ovaries, cervix, vulva and uterus. Our expert oncology team uses the most effective, leading-edge therapies to treat patients with gynecologic cancer and its related conditions, including:

  • Vulvar cancer
  • Cervical cancer
  • Ovarian cancer

Personalized Treatment for Gynecologic Cancer

We offer a wide range of advanced treatment options for our gynecologic cancer patients, from diagnosis to post-treatment support. But your care begins well before treatment. We take care of you as soon as you walk through our doors. Your multidisciplinary care team works with you to design an individualized care plan, which may include one or more of the following:

Systemic therapies travel through the bloodstream and affect cells in other body parts. They are used for patients whose cancer has spread to other areas of the body or if there’s a high risk of spread. Sophisticated genetic analysis allows us to target therapies to specific DNA mutations that cause cancer cells to develop and grow. Systemic therapies include:

  • Chemotherapy
  • Clinical trials
  • Hormone therapy
  • Immunotherapy
  • Molecularly targeted therapies

Surgical therapies involve an operation or procedure to remove cancer from the body. Surgery may be the main treatment for some invasive cancers, but it’s only one part of the entire treatment plan. Surgical therapies include:

  • Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO)
  • Hysterectomy
  • Pelvic exenteration
  • Radical hysterectomy
  • Partial and complete radical vulvectomy
  • Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLN)
  • Groin sentinel lymph node dissection
  • Trachelectomy (fertility-sparing surgery)
  • Vaginectomy with reconstruction
  • Gynecologic wide local excision
  • Ovarian wide local excision

Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation from a source like X-rays or photons to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. It may be part of a treatment plan that also includes systemic therapies and/or surgery. Radiation is sometimes used to help ease a patient’s pain or discomfort. Radiation therapies include:

  • Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT)

Meet the Team

At Providence, you'll have access to a vast network of dedicated and compassionate providers who offer personalized care by focusing on treatment, prevention and health education.

Female doctor wearing mask, doctors in background
Our Approach Clinical Services Support Services
Our Approach

Providence St. Joseph Hospital Gynecologic Oncology Program at The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment in Orange, County provides superior, comprehensive and patient-centered gynecologic cancer care, no matter where you are on your cancer journey.

Our Clinical Experts

Our experts are passionate about preventing, diagnosing and treating women with cancers of the ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix, vagina and vulva. They routinely engage in community-based programs that promote the importance of early detection through cervical and human papillomavirus (HPV) screenings and vaccinations, and cancer research. Using state-of-the-art technology, our experts treat rare and complex cases, including recurrent disease and therapy-related complication. This pursuit of prevention, early detection and clinical excellence enhances the patient experience and contributes to improved clinical outcomes.

The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment at St. Joseph Hospital is accredited by the American College of Surgeons, Commission on Cancer. This demonstrates our commitment to providing key quality cancer care to every patient which includes:

  • Comprehensive, patient-centered care through a multidisciplinary team approach
  • Access to information on clinical trials and new treatment options
  • Ongoing monitoring and surveillance and lifelong patient follow-up
  • Psychosocial support, wellness, and survivorship care
  • Continuous quality improvements in patient care

St. Joseph Hospital’s Gynecologic Oncology Program is led by Krishnansu Tewari, MD, Program Director.

Our Multidisciplinary Approach

Gynecologic cancers are complicated diseases that may require one or more modalities of treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation oncology. At Providence St. Joseph Hospital, we incorporate the most current, evidence-based practices into your treatment plan, which is individualized for your specific condition, with approaches that help incorporate mind, body, and spirit. Our teams follow the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines when planning your treatment.

Our comprehensive team of specialists provide treatments ranging from diagnostics and therapy to cutting-edge robotic surgeries. By combining technology and personalized care, our Gynecologic Oncology Program offers the following clinical services:

Surgery
  • Advanced surgical debulking for ovarian cancer
  • Radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer
  • Minimally invasive surgical techniques using the da Vinci robotic surgical system, which allows us to use smaller incisions
  • Radical vulvectomy for vulvar cancer
  • Conservative surgery (including laser therapy) for pre-cancerous changes of the cervix, vagina and vulva
  • Pediatric surgery for ovarian tumors in children and young adults
  • Fertility-preserving surgery for women with early-stage gynecologic cancers who want future child-baring potential
  • Highly specialized procedures and techniques to remove cancer in pregnant women
Medical Oncology

Chemotherapy works to destroy cancer cells that have spread from the original cancer site. Currently, there are more than 100 chemotherapy drugs used most frequently in various combinations.

Our oncology team is highly experienced in selecting the right combination for each patient to increase the percentage of cancer cells destroyed while reducing your chance of resistance to any particular drug and toxicity to any one organ.

  • Anti-angiogenesis drugs to prevent tumors from growing blood vessels to support cancer growth
  • PARP inhibitors make it difficult for cancer
  • Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for select patients with advanced ovarian cancer to “down grade” the cancer in preparation for surgery.
  • Intraperitoneal chemotherapy and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for select patients with advanced ovarian cancer allows chemotherapy to be introduced directly into the abdominal cavity
  • Hormonal therapy for treatment of some early-stage endometrial cancers among patients who want to preserve fertility
  • DigniCap® Scalp Cooling System to minimize hair loss from chemotherapy
Radiation Therapy

Modern radiation therapy using the most advanced systems to deliver effective and highly tolerated radiation for treatment of uterine, cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers, as well as some ovarian cancers that have metastasized.

  • Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
  • High-dose rate intracavity brachytherapy
  • Stereotactic radiation therapy
Research and Clinical Trials

Providence St. Joseph Hospital is among Orange County's most active community hospitals that participate in clinical trials. Continued advances in cancer care and prevention are the direct result of participation in clinical trials. National evidence from a wide range of studies suggests that cancer patients diagnosed and treated in a setting of multi-specialty care and clinical research live longer and have a better quality of life.

New treatments and procedures are constantly being developed. We are proud to provide our patients with access to some of the latest trials, many of which are not available elsewhere. Please check the link to see what studies currently are being conducted at The Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment. Your oncology team will help you in deciding which treatment may be right for your diagnosis.

Cancer Rehabilitation

Our team of rehabilitation experts have advanced training to provide specialized care for your unique needs.

Our therapists provide individualized treatment that includes:

  • Pelvic floor rehabilitation
  • Pelvic floor dysfunction and pain, including pain and fecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse
  • Cognitive Rehabilitation Program
  • Exercise and education
  • Cancer-related fatigue therapy
  • Audiology consults for possible chemotherapy-related hearing impairment.

At Providence St. Joseph Hospital Center for Cancer Prevention and Treatment, we believe in treating the whole person: body, mind and spirit. That's why, in addition to expert clinical care, we offer you and your family the resources you need to calm the mind, strengthen the spirit and concentrate on what matters most—healing.

Our Nurse Navigators provide patient-centered care while facilitating timely access. These medical professionals have the clinical expertise, advanced knowledge and skills to effectively coordinate the care of our patients, assist in overcoming barriers, and provide education and resources to promote informed decision making throughout all phases of the cancer care continuum.

We are equally dedicated to helping our community stay informed about prevention, screening, early detection, and the latest advances in cancer treatment, as well as providing support for those affected by a cancer diagnosis through support groups and community education.

To connect with our Gynecologic Oncology Program Nurse Navigator, please call 714-734-6225.

Survivorship Care Program

Cancer Survivorship starts from the time of diagnosis and continues throughout your lifetime. Our Survivorship Navigator helps cancer survivors transition to life after active cancer treatment.

After completing cancer treatment, our Survivorship Nurse Navigator is available to discuss the following with you:

  • Review of your personalized oncology treatment summary and follow-up care plan.
  • Discussion about potential long-term effects after treatment
  • Financial concerns
  • Recommendations for a healthy lifestyle
  • Referrals for follow-up care and a list of support resources.

To make an appointment with Survivorship Nurse Navigator, please call 714-734-6236.

Additional support services include:

  • Dedicated nurse navigator
  • Cancer Genetic Counseling and Testing
  • Cancer Nutrition Services
  • Psychosocial Support
  • Supportive and Palliative Care
  • Survivorship Program
  • Cancer Rehabilitation
  • Clinical Research Trials
  • Financial Counselor
  • Cancer Wellness Program

Testing and Diagnostics

Your doctors use many diagnostic and prognostic tools to determine which therapies work best to treat your cancer. Taking into account factors specific to your case, like cancer type and the genetic or molecular profile of the tumor, these may include one or more of the following:

  • Biopsy
  • Fine needle aspiration (FNA)
  • Genetics and genomics
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • PET/CT scan
  • Ultrasound

Why Choose Us for Your Gynecologic Cancer Care?

As our patient, you have access to the best specialists and a full range of support services for you and your loved ones. We’re able to minimize the time between your diagnosis and treatment with coordinated, whole-person care that always puts you first.

Doctor with patient smiling

All patients at our Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center get a personalized experience, including rooms set to your temperature, lighting and sound preferences.

Your personalized treatment plan depends on unique factors, from your diagnosis to your preferences. Your local oncologists meet regularly with other regional experts to discuss your case. These multidisciplinary tumor boards help us to be sure you’re getting the very best treatment, so you don’t have to visit another doctor or specialist yourself.

One thing most patients can count on is that cancer care takes a team! Your multidisciplinary team may include board-certified medical and gynecologic oncologists. Our specialty surgeons and radiation oncologists pride themselves on using leading-edge, minimally invasive techniques when diagnosing and treating your gynecologic cancer. One example is the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). This procedure removes abnormal cells and tissue with minimal side effects.

Cancer doesn’t discriminate, but access to great care hasn’t always been the same for everyone. At Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, we are deeply committed to making sure every patient we treat has access to the best care. As part of this commitment, we partner with several local community and health outreach programs, such as the All-Inclusive Community Health Center (AICHC), to increase access to health care and social services. We are also one of the few centers in the region to have bilingual, female gynecologic oncologists for our patients who speak a variety of languages.

We value, respect and support the racial, ethnic, religious, spiritual, gender and sexual identities of each member of our diverse communities, and we welcome all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. We aim to make sure every patient is treated equally and with dignity – whoever you are, and wherever you’re at.

We are part of the Providence Cancer Institute in Los Angeles, which features world-class oncologists in six hospitals. As our patient, you have access to the largest community-based cancer network in the United States. This means your local cancer care team shares knowledge and experience with other world-class clinicians across 51 hospitals in seven states. The power of our network is one of the reasons more than 1,600 newly diagnosed cancer patients choose Saint Joseph Medical Center each year.

Providence is known for offering options – and hope – to patients seeking advanced therapies to treat their gynecologic cancer. We partner with the Providence Research Center and other cancer research organizations. As our patient, you can participate in one of our many clinical trials. These include FDA-regulated trials that contribute to the development of new therapies, such as one studying the effects of medications on tumor growth for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

Awards and Accreditations

We are proud to see our dedication to our patients recognized by the most well-respected programs and institutions in the United States. Providence St. Joseph Hospital – Orange received the prestigious American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet designation for fostering an environment of collaboration and quality patient care. Our center has earned the following recognitions:

Supporting Our Cancer Patients

Part of treating your illness means supporting and empowering you as a whole person – body, mind and spirit. We provide you with a wide range of support services beyond conventional treatment to help you and your loved ones through your treatment journey as comfortably as possible. Depending on your personal needs, these may include one or more of the following:

  • Art therapy
  • Cancer wellness program
  • Chapel
  • Chaplain services
  • Community screenings and education
  • Counseling
  • Healing garden
  • Genetic counseling
  • Ginny’s Shop for wigs, prostheses, mastectomy bras, DigniCap
  • Interpreter services
  • Multidisciplinary tumor conference
  • Nurse navigation, multiple languages
  • Oncology massage therapy
  • Online library of patient education videos
  • Outpatient services
  • Palliative care
  • Patient assistance fund
  • Physical rehabilitation program
  • Pilates
  • Support groups
  • Survivorship programs
  • Transportation services
  • Virtual lunch-and-learn education programs
  • Women’s health services
  • Yoga
The Power of Our Network

Part of the Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County

From diagnosis to recovery and beyond, we’re with our patients every step of the way. We’ve integrated three nationally accredited cancer programs – Mission, St. Joseph and St. Jude – to provide you with:

  • Board-certified cancer specialists who collaborate across locations to provide convenient, connected care close to your home or work.
  • Innovative screening that can detect more than 50 types of cancer through a single blood draw.
  • Patient navigators for each cancer type who will help you manage your treatment and find the resources you need.

Learn More About the Providence Cancer Institute of Orange County

Doctor sitting with patient
Senior woman looking hopeful as she gazes out window

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