Q: Which specialist should I consult for treatment of gynecologic cancer?
A: You should consult a gynecologic oncologist.
Q: Can cervical cancer be prevented by HPV vaccine?
A: HPV infection is responsible for 99 percent of cervical cancer cases. The vaccine protects against the 2 HPV variants most commonly encountered; thus there is a remote chance that cervical cancer caused by a rare variant can still occur despite vaccination.
Q: What is invasive cervical cancer?
A: Cancer that has spread from the surface of the cervix to the deeper layers or to distant organs or sites is termed invasive cervical cancer.
Q: What is meant by staging and grading of cancer?
A: Staging is done by the treating oncologist to evaluate the size and extent of disease using various tests. The treatment will depend on the stage of the disease.
Grading of cancer is determined by microscopically examining the cancer cells; this is done by the pathologist. Low grade tumors are considered less aggressive and slow growing compared to higher grade tumors.
Q: Why does swelling of abdomen occur in ovarian cancer?
A: Swelling of abdomen can occur due to enlarging tumor mass. Additionally ovarian cancer has a tendency to spread into the peritoneal cavity, which gets irritated causing fluid accumulation and abdominal swelling.
Q: What is gestational trophoblastic tumor?
A: Gestational trophoblastic tumor is a rare disease in which cancer (malignant) cells develop in the tissues that are formed following conception (the joining of sperm and egg). Gestational trophoblastic tumors arise in the uterus, the hollow, muscular, pear-shaped organ in which the baby grows.
Q: What is the prognosis of uterine cancer?
A: As for most tumors, the prognosis is better when the cancer is diagnosed and treated early. It is estimated that the overall survival rate for all forms of endometrial cancer is about 80%.
Q: What are clinical trials?
A: Clinical trials are conducted to test novel cancer treatments on patients resistant to standard forms of treatment. The efficacy of the new drugs and the side effects are studied. Patients can volunteer to be part of clinical trials and treated with newer drugs not yet approved by the FDA.
Q: Should I get regular followup even after my cancer is cured?
A: Yes. Even if your cancer is completely cured, there is always a small possibility of recurrence and frequent followups are essential to detect and treat recurrences early.
