What are the cancers of the female genital system?
They are cancers that arise from the female internal or external genital organs and are named after the organ from which they originate. According to the tissue from which they arise, genital cancers are called: cervix, uterus, ovary, tuba, vagina and vulva cancers.
How is the treatment of genital cancers?
As with every cancer, genital cancers are also called cancers. The treatment methods used are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Hormonal, biological or targeted treatments are also used. These treatment methods can be applied alone, sequentially or simultaneously. The first treatment given is generally known as first-line treatment, which for genital cancers is usually surgery.
Treatment given after first-line treatment is called adjuvant treatment. Adjuvant treatments are treatments in which chemotherapy, radiotherapy or a combination of both are given after surgical treatment.
Surgical staging is usually performed in genital cancers. Staging is the identification of where the cancer is located, where it has spread, or whether other organs in the body are affected. By knowing the stage, the most appropriate treatment method for the patient can be selected and the course and survival of the disease, that is, life expectancy, can be calculated. Therefore, where the tumor is located, its size, whether it has spread to the lymph nodes and whether it has spread to other areas, which we call metastases, can only be understood by removing these organs. Therefore, in the surgical treatment of genital cancers, removing only the uterus and ovaries is not enough; the entire lymph chains, peritoneum, omentum, appendix, as well as all missed metastasis foci must also be removed. In the early stages, stage 0 and 1, the tumor is caught early and the cancer is limited to where it started and has not spread to surrounding tissues. Cancer diagnosed and treated at lower stages has a better clinical course.
Chemotherapy is treatment using anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells or control the growth of these cells. It can be applied alone or together with surgery and radiotherapy in cancer treatment.
Radiation therapy or The aim of radiotherapy, as it is known, can be summarized as destroying cancerous cells and shrinking the tumor. One of the main purposes of planning is to ensure that the normal tissues that may be affected by radiation are at a minimum level. In internal radiotherapy, radioactive material is applied by placing it in the body for a certain period of time. In systemic radiation therapy, the radioactive substance is given to the patient intravenously or orally in pill form.
DETERMINING THE TRUE STAGE OF THE CANCER IS VITALLY IMPORTANT IN PLANNING THE TREATMENT.
Who should see a gynecological oncology surgeon?
To answer this briefly;
" Anyone who is likely to have a gynecological cancer and therefore surgery is recommended"
“ Anyone diagnosed with gynecological cancer or Every woman who will be treated with suspicion should see a gynecological oncologist at the beginning of the event, if possible. The surgery of those whose first surgery was performed by a specialist other than these specialists will not be optimal. You do not have a second chance in cancer treatment, so an optimal treatment plan should be made at the beginning of treatment. "
In particular, those who will undergo diagnostic surgery due to "suspicious pelvic mass" and those who are suspected of possible ovarian cancer:
Over (ovarian) Cancer
Correct staging and adequate cytoreductive (TM reduction) surgery are critical points in the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Cervical cancer
If the diagnosis of this cancer is clear, it should be operated on by a specialist, if possible. If there is a recurrent severe cancer-precursor (severe dysplasia) lesion and removal of the uterus is recommended, the opinion of a gynecological oncologist should also be sought.
Endometrium - Uterine cancer
These cancers are generally detected at an early stage due to bleeding and are operated on. Most of them are detected when they have not reached the uterus and are detected as low risk. However, unfortunately, it is noticed during the operation that it is in the high-risk group and is in the widespread stage. In this case, if possible, a full examination is performed by a gynecological oncologist. staging surgery should be performed. However, since it is not possible to find this specialist during the operation, it is always necessary for these patients to undergo a second staging operation or to undergo more severe combined adjuvant therapy. It will be their destiny to receive treatments. For this reason, in every case of suspicion of cancer, it is best to consult a specialist at the very beginning of the case.
In case a precursor lesion close to cancer, called complex atypical hyperplasia, is detected after biopsy, there is a possibility that the biopsy may have missed the cancer area and underdiagnosis and the possibility of an incomplete diagnosis during the operation. It is important to know that there is a risk of cancer and to prepare for the operation accordingly.
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