Radical gynecologic surgery, full service radiation therapy, and a complete range of chemotherapy are available through the gynecologic oncology service with collaboration from appropriate specialists in other areas.

Surgical procedures include radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy, pelvic exenteration, radical vulvectomy and inguinal lymphadenectomy, surgical staging for endometrial cancer, and cytoreductive surgery, including bowel resection, if necessary, for ovarian cancer.

Radiation therapy techniques include:

• external beam radiation with 4-, 18- or 25- MeV linear accelerators
• full simulation capability
• a well-staffed physics department for calculation of dosages, particularly in irregular fields
• intracavitary and volume implants and intracavitary instillation of radioisotopes such as P-32

Intravenous and intraperitoneal chemotherapies are available for primary treatment of gestational trophoblastic disease and ovarian cancer, and recurrent cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for treatment of bulky stage IB carcinoma of the cervix, autologous transfusion during radical hysterectomy, and oncogene expression in familial cancers are some of the innovative in-house protocols available to patients.

The UI participates in the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG). Exciting new agents become available to eligible patients through these GOG protocols.