Gynecologic Cancer Program

Complete care and treatment for women's cancers

More than 75,000 women will be diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer in the United States this year. The Gynecologic Cancer Program at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin provides highly coordinated care for women touched by diseases of the reproductive system. Our physicians focus exclusively on treating gynecologic cancers. They offer the full range of treatment options, including advanced therapies.

Care Team Focused on Gynecologic Cancer

Cancer patients are not interchangeable. Women with malignancies of the reproductive system do best when they work with physicians who focus completely on gynecologic cancer.

The Gynecologic Cancer Program at Froedtert & the Medical College includes two fellowship trained gynecologic oncologists. Gynecologic oncologists are cancer specialists who have additional sub-specialty training in the care and treatment of reproductive cancers. Because the physicians in the Gynecologic Cancer Program care exclusively for patients with reproductive cancers, they are highly skilled in the treatment of these diseases and completely up to date on the most effective therapies.

The Hub Model

The Clinical Cancer Center's hub model builds the entire care experience around patients. Dedicated program coordinators answer questions, address concerns, coordinate treatment and help you along in your journey.

The physician team also includes pathologists with extensive experience in diagnosing gynecologic cancers, radiologists with expertise in pelvic imaging and radiation oncologists who provide the most advanced radiation therapies. The experienced support staff includes nurses who focus their practice on caring for women with gynecologic cancer. Learn more about our exceptional staff.

Facts About Gynecologic Cancer

The diseases treated in the Gynecologic Cancer Program include cancers of the cervix, ovaries, uterus (endometrial cancer), vagina and vulva, as well as malignant conditions that can arise related to abnormal pregnancies, such as gestational trophoblastic disease and choriocarcinoma. These cancers can strike women at any age. Women in the United States have a 1 in 41 chance of developing a cancer of the uterine body during their lifetimes.

The symptoms of gynecologic cancers may include abnormal bleeding, abdominal bloating, and changes in bowel or bladder habits. Vaginal and vulvar cancer can produce a lump, growth or skin change in the affected area.

In most cases, an annual gynecological exam combined with a Pap test can identify abnormalities of vulvar, vaginal and cervical cancer at an early stage. For certain cancers, a pelvic exam may reveal signs of ovarian cancer and additional imaging, such as CT scan, and blood work may also be used. Physicians diagnose most gynecologic cancers through surgical biopsy.

Advanced Treatment Options

Treatment for gynecologic cancer can include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, used individually or in combination. Early stage cancers are often treated with surgery alone.

Medical College of Wisconsin gynecologic oncologists offer advanced treatment options to fit each individual. Some of the therapies available through the Gynecologic Cancer Program are not offered anywhere else in southeastern Wisconsin.

Minimally invasive surgery. Medical College of Wisconsin gynecologic oncologists have extensive experience using small-incision laparoscopic surgery to treat women’s cancers. They were the first in southeastern Wisconsin to use minimally invasive surgery to perform a radical hysterectomy.
Intra-peritoneal chemotherapy. Women with ovarian cancer experience significantly improved survival rates when treated with intra-peritoneal chemotherapy—the delivery of chemotherapy drugs directly to the abdomen. Because of its complex support requirements, this treatment option is available from a relatively small number of cancer programs.
Advanced radiation therapy. The Gynecologic Cancer Program uses advanced radiation therapy technologies that help maximize the tumor dose while avoiding healthy tissue. We were the first in the region to use high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy to treat gynecologic cancers. We also employ image-guided brachytherapy techniques developed at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Clinical trials. We participate actively in clinical research supported by the National Cancer Institute and the Gynecologic Oncology Group. Patients receiving care in the Gynecologic Cancer Program may be eligible to take part in clinical trials that offer access to new therapies.