Gynecological Oncologist

Women who are diagnosed with uterine, cervical, or ovarian cancers need immediate treatment to help them beat back the disease and move forward with their lives. The treatment often involves surgery, but some chemical treatments may also provide relief. These treatments can be tricky to administer, however, and most Gynecologists don’t have the training required to handle the job with ease. Instead, they send their patients to Gynecological Oncologists.

A Gynecological Oncologist starts a patient consultation by carefully looking over the patient’s medical records. As a Gynecological Oncologist, you often perform advanced testing so you can determine where the cancer is located and whether or not it has spread to other systems. You may place needles in tumors to pull out cells, order x-rays or other scans to find new tumors, or schedule surgery to find tumors and look at them directly.

When you know exactly where the tumors are located, and you have an idea how aggressively they’re moving throughout the body, you put together a treatment plan. You may send the woman to chemotherapy treatments, for example, and ask a Dietician to put together an eating plan so the patient can stay healthy during the chemotherapy.

Throughout the woman’s treatment, you monitor her progress and order periodic scans to track the size and location of the tumors. Your patients may be frightened or angry, and part of your job as a Gynecological Oncologist is to listen and provide emotional support. When your treatments are successful, your patients leave your care and return to their lives. They send you cards and cookies to thank you for your expertise.