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Genomic sequencing looks at your tumor’s DNA, so your care team can understand the unique mutations. This helps determine what treatments may work the best.

Providence offers multiple types of radiation therapy that target tumors. The most common methods of radiation therapy for gynecologic cancers include external beam radiation therapy and vaginal brachytherapy.

Surgery is often an important part of treatment for gynecologic cancers. Your gynecologic oncologist will perform the surgery and help determine the best surgical method for you:

• Minimally invasive surgery: For the most common gynecologic cancer, endometrial cancer, surgery is often the only treatment required. We perform over 95% of endometrial cancer surgeries using minimally invasive techniques and robotic surgery.



• Sentinel lymph node mapping: Most people with endometrial cancer also can have sentinel lymph node mapping. This precise technique allows us to remove fewer lymph nodes to determine if the cancer has spread to other lymph nodes and organs. It has been shown to reduce the risk of lymphedema, a chronic condition of swelling in the legs or groin.

  We also use sentinel lymph node mapping for vulvar cancer, where the most common treatment involves removing the vulvar tumor.



• Traditional surgery: For some conditions, a minimally invasive approach is unsafe or impractical. Treatment for most ovarian cancers typically requires a larger incision to ensure that we remove all the cancer.

Chemotherapies, targeted therapies, hormonal therapies and immunotherapies are systemic therapies that can be used together or separately. These therapies spread throughout the body to treat the cancer cells. Drugs may be injected into a vein or taken by mouth to enter the bloodstream and treat the cancer. Providence has been developing new immunotherapy treatments for over 25 years.

Some cancers are caused by your environment or lifestyle. Others are caused by genetics – genes you inherit from your family. With gynecologic cancers, having an immediate family member (mom, sister, aunt or grandma) with this type of cancer may increase your risk. Your doctor can help you understand your risk level. They may even suggest genetic testing.

Cervical cancer is the only gynecologic cancer with an effective routine screening test. It’s called the Pap test or Pap smear. Screenings for cervical cancer help detect abnormal cells or changes in your cervix that may develop into cancer. The goal is to address these changes before they become cancer.

Your gynecologist can also test for the human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). HPV causes nearly all cervical cancers, vaginal cancers and vulvar cancers. The HPV vaccine protects against HPV to reduce your risk of these types of cancer.

A helpful way to detect gynecologic cancers is to pay attention to your body and talk to your doctor if you notice any changes, such as:

• Vaginal bleeding, especially after menopause. You should discuss any amount of bleeding after menopause with your doctor.
• Heavy periods, bleeding between periods and bleeding during or after intercourse if you have not yet gone through menopause
• Abnormal discharge
• Changes in eating habits
• Changes in periods or bleeding between periods
• Pain, itching, discomfort or physical changes to the vulva area
• Pain in the back or belly (abdomen)
• Pain or pressure in the pelvis area