Gynecologic Oncology

Erlanger Women's Oncology

A Full Continuum of Care for Cancers of the Female Reproductive System

Erlanger Women's Oncology provides highly advanced surgical and medical treatments for patients coping with both precancerous and malignant conditions. As part of Erlanger’s full-spectrum of oncology care, our team works closely with pathologists, radiation oncologists, advance chemotherapy specialists, and infusion services, ensuring a comprehensive and compassionate approach to care for our patients. Importantly, our teaching physicians train tomorrow’s doctors in the latest techniques through the UT College of Medicine’s minimally-invasive gynecologic surgery fellowship program.

Conditions We Treat:

• Abdominal/pelvic/ovarian masses
• Ovarian cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Fibroid uterus
• Cervical incompetence in pregnancy 

Procedures We Offer:

• Evaluation of pelvic mass
• Removal of an ovary
• Hysterectomy
• Pelvic and peri-aortic lymph node dissection 
• Abdominal cerclage

Minimally-Invasive Gynecological Robotic Surgery

Since 2004, the Erlanger Women's Oncology team has been performing the latest  minimally-invasive techniques using the Da Vinci robotic surgery system. Over that time, our team has pioneered this fast-changing technology which continues to transform gynecological cancer care. Erlanger's 5th generation surgical system enables us to perform even the most complex and delicate procedures through very small incisions with unmatched precision. For our patients, this means faster recovery with less pain and shorter hospital stays compared to conventional open surgery or laparoscopy. This allows our patients to begin life-saving chemotherapy and radiation treatments sooner after surgery. In addition to helping our team care for patients, this surgery system also supports our academic mission. It is equipped with a state-of-the-art teaching console that allows our physicians to train tomorrow’s doctors and OB/GYN residents in the latest robotic techniques.

Benefits of robotic surgery include:

• Faster recovery
• Less pain
• Smaller incisions
• Quicker return to normal activities
• Shorter hospital stays – with patients often returning home the same day or the next day
• Lower blood loss
• Decreased risk of infection
• Quicker initiation of chemotherapy/radiation after surgery

FireFly Fluorescence Imaging

Firefly technology enables our team to do less surgery in treating cervical and endometrial cancers, without compromising care. By injecting a fluorescent dye and using near-infrared imaging, our GYN-oncology surgeons can identify sentinel lymph nodes in the pelvis - the first lymph nodes to which cancer is likely to spread. Focusing on these nodes for the presence of cancer cells allows our team to avoid removing a large number of other nodes. “Sentinel lymph node mapping” (SLNM) has long been used to treat breast cancers. Now Erlanger is playing a key role in bringing this surgery-reducing advancement to treat gynecologic cancers.

• Less surgery without compromising care
• Identifies sentinel lymph nodes where gynecologic cancers are likely to spread first
• Allows surgeons to avoid removing a large number of lymph nodes
• Decreases risk of complications