Gynecological Cancer Program

We offer advanced, compassionate and personalized care for all types of gynecologic cancer. Our experts will work together to build a custom care plan that meets your unique needs.

The Overlake Cancer Center provides expert care for all forms of gynecological cancers. Your care will be led by gynecologic oncologists, who have specialized training to provide skilled diagnosis, treatment and care for cancers that affect the female reproductive organs. They will work with a multi-disciplinary team of experts to create a personalized care plan, using the latest treatment approaches.

Our team has been honored with numerous awards, including Healthgrades for Superior Performance in Gynecologic Surgery. We were among the top 5% of hospitals evaluated for gynecologic surgery and the only hospital in Washington State to receive this award — underscoring our ability to provide expert care.

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Conditions We Treat

We treat all types of gynecological cancer, including:

• Ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancer
• Endometrial and uterine cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Vaginal cancer
• Vulvar cancer

Our care team also offers preventive care and counseling for people who may be at high risk for gynecological cancers because of their family history.

We also treat benign (non-cancerous) conditions that affect the female reproductive system, including:

• Preinvasive disease (changes to the female reproductive organs that are not yet cancerous but could become cancerous).
• Benign tumors in the ovaries or other parts of the reproductive system.
• Gestational trophoblastic disease, a rare condition where abnormal cells develop in the uterus during or after pregnancy.
• Other non-cancerous gynecologic conditions that require complex surgery.

Treatments and Services

Some people come to our team with a precise diagnosis, while others receive diagnosis and cancer staging at Overlake. Our team is here to support you every step of the way. Our treatments and services include:

• Medication, minimally invasive procedures and surgeries to treat preinvasive disease (precancerous conditions) of the uterus, cervix, vagina and vulva.
• Counseling and preventative care for women at increased risk for cancer based on their family history.
• Expert surgical care, including innovative robotic and minimally invasive surgeries. These surgeries are highly precise and typically have fewer side effects and shorter healing times than open surgeries. We also offer expert open surgeries, if minimally invasive surgery is not the right treatment for you based on the type of cancer you have, the size of your tumor or other factors.
• Advanced radiation therapy, including brachytherapy for endometrial cancer. This approach can offer highly precise treatment because it only delivers radiation treatment to a very specific area.
• Targeted therapies such as immunotherapy.
• Innovative therapies as part of clinical trials, offered in partnership with Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
• Surveillance and survivorship after completing cancer treatment.

Comprehensive Care for People at Higher Risk for Cancer and Those with Precancerous Conditions

Gynecological cancers tend to run in families. Many people come to us through Overlake’s High Risk Cancer Surveillance Program. This program is led by licensed genetic counselors who help patients and family members understand their risk for inherited cancers and their options for screening and prevention.

If your doctor has already identified precancerous changes to your female reproductive organs, our team can perform procedures to prevent these changes from turning into cancer.

Making Decisions Together

With gynecological cancers, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. We’ll help understand your diagnosis from every angle with input from gynecologic oncologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and other doctors. We create the space for conversations with you about your treatment options and your health needs and goals. We’ll work with you and your family to create a treatment plan that is safe, effective, and has the lowest impact on your quality of life.

Leading Experts in Gynecological Surgeries

Our team has been honored with multiple awards for our expertise in gynecological surgery. We offer some of the latest, most innovative approaches to gynecological surgery including:

• Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery, where doctors make small incisions (cuts) in the abdomen and perform surgery using a thin camera and other surgical tools. Patients who have minimally invasive surgery typically have a faster healing time and shorter recovery compared to open surgery.
• Robotic-assisted surgery, where doctors use a robotic arm to perform surgery. The doctor controls the robotic arm, which offers more precision and dexterity than a human hand. This system uses a camera that allows surgeons to see a tumor in 3D, from every angle. The end result is being able to remove as much of a tumor as possible with the least amount of harm to surrounding tissue.

Care for Every Aspect of Your Health

Cancer can affect every aspect of your health, which is why we offer services to support all those aspects, including:

• Nutritionists, to help ensure you get the right balance of nutrients you need during cancer treatment.
• Our High-Risk Surveillance Clinic and genetic counselors to help you understand if you or loved ones might be at risk for certain cancers, based on family history and genetic testing.
• Social workers, who provide comprehensive support with everything from mental health to finances, to transportation and caregiver support.

A Comprehensive Survivorship Program, to help you live well after cancer. This includes an individualized survivorship plan which helps keep you up to date on follow up screenings and aware of any health changes to look out for.