Gynecologic Cancer Care

Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is surgical removal of the ovaries and the fallopian tubes.

Hysterectomy is surgical removal of the uterus.

Pelvic exenteration is surgical removal of the lower colon, bladder and rectum. In women, the cervix, vagina, ovaries and surrounding lymph nodes may also be removed.

Radical hysterectomy is surgical removal of the uterus, cervix and part of the vagina. In some cases, the surgeon may also remove the fallopian tubes and the ovaries, as well as nearby lymph nodes.

Partial and complete radical vulvectomy is surgical removal of the vulva, consisting of the vaginal lips, the clitoris and the vaginal opening. Nearby lymph nodes are sometimes also removed.

Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLN) is the surgical removal of groups of lymph nodes in the abdomen. The nodes are then checked for the presence of cancer cells.

Sentinel node dissection groin lymphadenectomy is surgical removal of lymph nodes near the groin. Tissue can then be tested for the presence of cancer cells.

Trachelectomy (fertility-sparing surgery) is surgical removal of the cervix. The surgeon may also remove part of the vagina and nearby lymph nodes.

Vaginectomy with reconstruction is surgery to remove and reconstruct some or all of the vagina.

Gynecologic wide local excision is surgical removal of a gynecologic tumor or lesion and the surrounding tissue.

Ovarian wide local excision is surgical removal of an ovarian tumor or lesion and the surrounding tissue.

Brachytherapy is an approach to delivering radiation treatment from a source implanted inside the body. These sources may be placed either permanently or temporarily at the tumor site.

By delivering radiation directly into a tumor, this technique spares the surrounding normal tissue any exposure to radiation and the side effects that it may bring.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians and support. It is available at some Providence locations.

Interstitial high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a specialized brachytherapy technique in which rapidly emitting radiation sources are placed briefly inside the body through a needle catheter to irradiate the target tumor.

By delivering high-dose radiation directly into a tumor, this technique can reduce the number of treatments needed for a patient. The surrounding normal tissue is spared exposure to radiation and the side effects that it may bring.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians and support. It is available at some Providence locations.

Image-guided radiation therapy delivers high-dose radiation, guided by imaging, directly to the tumors.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) are advanced types of radiation therapies. IMRT uses advanced technology to manipulate the radiation beams to conform to the shape of a tumor. VMAT is a subtype of IMRT in which the machine actively delivers radiation beams while moving in an arc around the patient.

This method of radiation delivery offers next-generation capabilities. The arc-based therapy provided via VMAT delivers high doses of radiation to more focused areas, reducing side effects and the overall treatment time for the patient. This treatment is particularly effective at treating several types of cancer while at the same time reducing toxicity and harm to vital organs.

This procedure is one of several new ways to deliver radiation therapy. It requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Surface-guided radiation therapy (SGRT/SIGRT) is an approach to radiation targeting that offers real-time beam guidance from face and body surface-recognition systems.

This treatment is particularly effective at treating several types of cancer while at the same time reducing toxicity and harm to vital organs, thus minimizing side effects.

This advanced procedure requires a sophisticated facility and equipment, along with highly specialized physicians. It is available at some Providence locations.

Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) is a radiation planning and treatment technique in which three-dimensional (3D) imaging enables improved targeting for radiation treatment. 3D planning with CT imaging makes radiation treatment much more conformal, or tailored to the target.