Diagnostic and Treatment Options for Gynecologic Cancers
The care team is committed to providing the full range of services required by patients with gynecologic cancers. Included among the services are:
- Blood bank
- Clinical trials
- Cardio-oncology
- Genetic counseling, risk assessment, advanced genetic testing, and personalized plans for monitoring patients for the earliest signs of cancer
- Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC)
- Intensive care units
- Infectious diseases
- Interventional radiology
- Medical oncology, including chemotherapy
- Palliative care
- Palliative radiation
- Pelvic floor rehabilitation
- Radiation oncology, including brachytherapy and intensity-modulated radiotherapy
- Screening and diagnostic testing
- Surgical oncology, including minimally invasive and robotic surgery
Treatment plans may include a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and other therapies, used alone or in various combinations, depending on each patient’s unique condition.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses medications to destroy cancer cells, targeting them throughout the body or in specific locations. It can be administered intravenously, in pill form, or both. The type and sequence of treatment are based on each patient’s individual. Our infusion center provides comfortable, private rooms for chemotherapy patients.
Radiation Therapy
The department of radiation oncology offers the most advanced radiation treatments for cancer, including CyberKnife, intensity modulated radiation therapy, image-guided radiation therapy and brachytherapy.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells and eliminate or shrink tumors. External beam radiation is used to precisely aim the energy beams at the tumor site, killing cancer cells while preserving healthy tissue as much as possible. Radiation therapy can also be done by placing a radioactive implant at the tumor site.
Surgery
For tumors that can be removed without causing damage to organs, surgery is often the most effective treatment. It can be used to:
- Perform maximal safe resection of the tumor
- Remove tissue for diagnostic examination
- Evaluate the area affected by the tumor
Patients who require an inpatient hospital stay are admitted to our new Women’s Medicine Inpatient Unit at Rhode Island Hospital. The unit features private rooms with private bathrooms and unlimited visiting hours.
Support and Rehabilitation
We are dedicated to helping people live their lives to the fullest, both during and after cancer diagnosis and treatment. We have developed a wide array of services for our cancer patients.