Gynecologic Cancers

These cancers arise in the tissues or organs of the female reproductive tract. The specific cancer type is generally named after the organ where it originates. Each year, approximately 80,000 women are diagnosed with one of these types with a majority classified as either ovarian or uterine.

Types of Gynecologic Cancers

• Ovarian cancer forms in the tissue of one of the ovaries, which are the glands where the ova or eggs are formed. Typically, there are no early symptoms of this type of cancer. For this reason, it has usually spread by the time of diagnosis. It is estimated that more than 21,000 women were diagnosed in 2009. There are three subtypes: epithelial and stromal cell; with epithelial being the most common subtype.
• Fallopian Tubes are the ducts through which eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus each month. The majority of these cancers are papillary serous adenocarcinoma. Less common types are sarcomas (leiomyosarcomas), or transitional cell carcinomas.
• Peritoneal cancer affects the inner lining of the abdominal cavity and is less common. It is closely related to the epithelial type of ovarian cancer, but a woman can develop this even if her ovaries have been removed. 
• Uterine cancer usually develops in the lining of the uterus (known as the endometrium) and if it continues to grow, it moves into the muscle. The uterus (or womb) is the pelvic organ where the fetus normally develops. The most common type of this cancer is endometrial and usually doesn’t occur until menopause. A more rare type forms in the connective tissue, which supports the uterus and is called uterine sarcoma.
• Cervical cancer affects the cervix – the passage between the uterus and the vagina. With the use of the PAP smear as an early screening tool, abnormal tissue development can often be found at an early stage. The human papilloma virus (HPV) is linked to the development of cervical cancer and a vaccine has been introduced as a weapon to prevent this disease.
• Vaginal cancer forms in the tissue of the vagina or birth canal, which leads from the cervix to the outside of the body. It is not a common form of gynecological cancer. There are two primary types: Squamous cell is typically found in older women and adenocarcinoma, which occurs in females under the age of 30. Squamous originates in the vaginal lining and is also linked to HPV exposure. Much more rare forms are melanoma and sarcoma.
• Vulvar cancer affects a female’s external genitalia or vulva, which includes the opening to the vagina, the clitoris and the labia. This area is mostly epithelial, so the majority of cancers are skin-related: Squamous cell is the most common; melanoma, basal cell and adenocarcinoma are more rare.

"I was diagnosed in 2008 with stage III ovarian cancer. Fortunately, prior to my surgery, one of my physicians referred me to Dr. Robert Nagourney at Rational Therapeutics, where I could arrange to have a portion of my tumor taken during surgery. It was sent to the laboratory for an analysis of its sensitivity to identify the most effective chemo drugs. The results of the assay were different from the chemotherapy my oncologist planned to give me—the ones that she gave all her ovarian cancer patients." Read Gerrye Riffenburg’s entire story.

Common Treatments for Gynecologic Cancers

Currently, oncologists base their treatment strategies on standard chemotherapy protocols for specific types of cancer. For cervical cancer patients it is usually cisplatin often combined with radiation. Ovarian cancer patients usually receive the combination of carboplatin plus Taxol (paclitaxel). However, many drugs are commonly active in this disease, including: Cytoxan, doxorubicn, gemcitabine and Taxotere. Common drug combinations are (carboplatin, cyclophosphmide), Taxol, AP (cisplatin, Doxorubicin), Hexalen (altretamine). Uterine cancer patients typically receive carboplatin plus Taxol, or Cytoxan plus Adriamycin, either alone or in combination with radiation.

Rational Therapeutics doesn’t use standard protocols when it comes to finding the right drug or drugs to prescribe for a woman with a gynecologic cancer. Our clinical staff works with each patient to provide an individualized and comprehensive treatment plan.

The graph below is derived from an analysis published in Gynecologic Oncology. It represents a prospective correlation between drug sensitivity to the combination of cisplatin plus gemcitabine in patients with a mixture of platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant disease. The results reveal a statistically significant correlation between drug sensitivity and overall survival.

Also, review a compilation of data from 11 peer-reviewed articles for a more detailed look at response rates, time to progression and survival of 345 gynecologic cancer patients that underwent assay-directed treatment.

Like in cases such as Gerrye Riffenburg, and the other gynecologic cancer patients helped by our staff at Rational Therapeutics, let us help you find the right treatment. Read their stories.

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