Know-how and technology
Patient condition investigation and diagnosis are performed by the senior medical team, aided by the industry’s most progressive imaging processes, such as MRI ultrasound, CT and PET-CT, based, of course, on medical indication.
Individualized solutions for peace of mind
Treatment is personalized for each patient, and could include: minimally invasive (laparoscopic) or standard surgery, radiotherapy, and/or advanced chemotherapy. Women can receive supporting therapy to minimize symptoms and improve quality of life.
Multidisciplinary team
The treatment team integrates the talents of senior surgeons, oncology nurses, acute and chronic pain-management specialists, and medical psychologists for comprehensive patient care. Each patient has a single point of contact to guide her throughout the process.
Beginning with the initial visit and diagnosis, the clinician helps the patient cope with her condition, therapy and daily care, and managers her case through follow-up after the treatment is completed.
Service facilities
Patient care is provided in the following settings:
- The Center for Women’s Health: For the patient’s initial appointment, surgery planning and follow-up
- Gynecologic Oncology Clinic: For a comprehensive physical and gynecological exam for disease investigation
- Oncology Day Hospitalization Unit: For chemotherapy administration
- Radiotherapy Institute: An internationally recognized center of excellence within the Oncology Division - for radiation oncology treatment
Testing that may be needed
Additional investigative testing may include:
- Cervical swab
- Biopsy of the endometrium or cervix
- Chest x-ray
- Ultrasound
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Chest, abdominal and pelvic CT
Expanded investigations are performed as needed, including:
- PET-CT
- Mammography
- Cystoscopy
- Gastrointestinal exam
The diagnostic and treatment planning process
Following testing and investigation, the patient meets with a senior staff physician, who reviews diagnostic findings and recommends a treatment plan. When there is concern that the cancer has metastasized, surgery is most likely required. The extent of the surgery depends upon specific medical diagnostic findings. In this case, the patient is referred for pre-surgical testing and consultation, typically conducted by the patient’s health maintenance organization.
A consultation with an anesthesiologist prior to surgery is conducted as necessary in the Medical Center’s Pre-operative Anesthesiology Clinic.
Hospitalization and medical procedures
Patients are hospitalized in the Lis Maternity Hospital Women’s Unit. Upon admission, the department creates a medical record, the anesthesiologist examines the patient, and the patient meets with the gynecologist to discuss the surgical plan and answer any questions the patient may have. Patients are instructed to bring all previous test results at the time of admission.
Following surgery, the patient and her family meet with the surgeon to review the surgery results. Hospitalization duration depends upon the type of surgery and the patient recovery plan. During discharge, the patient is scheduled for a follow-up visit and receives instructions on returning to normal activity, continued treatment, and follow-up.
Conditions that usually require a hysterectomy
While each patient is unique, the following are the typical surgical plans based upon the woman’s diagnosis:
- Endometrial carcinoma: Hysterectomy (uterus and ovaries) with or without pelvic or abdominal lymph nodes
- Cervical cancer: Radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph nodes—with the option to preserve the uterus for women who still want to have children
- Reproductive organ tumor: Tumor removal and sentinel lymph node biopsy
- Carrier of genetic BRCA syndrome or Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer): Preventive hysterectomy (uterus and/or ovaries)
Surgeries performed
Expert Gynecological Oncology Unit surgeons perform the full range of surgeries, including:
- Radical hysterectomy: Removal of the whole uterus, ligaments (tissue fibers) that hold it in place in the pelvis, cervix, and top part of the vagina around the cervix
- Oopherectomy: Removal of the ovaries
- Supracervical or subtotal hysterectomy: Removal of only the upper part of the uterus, keeping the cervix in place
- Total hysterectomy: Removes the whole uterus and cervix
Collaborative, patient-focused care
For patients requiring chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy along with surgery, the Gynecologic Oncology Unit and General Oncology Department conduct a joint consultation clinic. This highly effective patient-centered approach enables women to receive close management, with targeted attention to her care plan and needs.
Most women undergoing chemotherapy receive chemo between one and four times a week—based on their therapeutic protocol. Occasionally, women have chemotherapy several days in a row, in which case, they are hospitalized during those days to help promote optimal care.
Patients undergoing both radiotherapy and chemotherapy receive chemo in the state-of-the-art Gynecologic Oncology Day Hospital and radiotherapy in the Radiotherapy Institute. In the Radiotherapy Institute, patient treatment modalities feature advanced technologies on the cutting edge of medicine, such as sophisticated linear accelerators and highly accurate CT simulators.
Cross-disciplinary outreach and patient support
The
Gynecologic Oncology Unit consults to community physicians from all health
maintenance organizations: gynecologists, family physicians, etc., to support
patients who may have cancer of the reproductive system.
The
unit also consults regarding patients in other Medical Center departments,
providing insights for women with a family history of hereditary cancer,
patients who have tested positive as hereditary carriers, and cases with a
suspicion of cancer.
Leading research and education
Gynecological
Oncology Unit physicians lecture regularly on important obstetric and gynecology
topics to medical audiences, including: Tel Aviv University students in the
Sackler School of Medicine, medical students from the New York University
Medical School, and nursing students from the Sheinborn Nursing
School.
Unit
staff are active in basic scientific and clinical research, collaborating on
projects with Medical Center institutes and units (oncology, hematology,
pathology, etc.) and with Israeli and international medical
institutions.
