Gynecologic Cancers
The Gillette Center for Gynecologic Oncology offers women comprehensive care supported by surgical innovation, research and clinical trials.
Our Approach
Many of the advanced diagnostic and clinical procedures we offer are available at few other hospitals in the country.
Multidisciplinary Patient CareWe provide individualized treatment to a large numbers of patients, offering the most advanced care for all gynecologic cancers.
Patients are usually seen within one week of referral, and receive a personalized treatment plan developed by experts from a wide array of gynecologic cancer specialties. The care team meets regularly with patients and their referring physician, to ensure good communication and the best possible coordination of care. Meet our team
Depending on the type of cancer, treatment may involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of these therapies.
Expertise in Diagnosing and Staging CancersAccurate diagnosis and staging are integral to each patient’s care. Our sophisticated imaging tools, combined with the expertise of pathologists who specialize in identifying gynecologic malignancies, ensure the most reliable diagnosis for each patient.
Our radiologists offer all imaging methods, including ultrasound, PET, PET/CT and MRI to diagnose and accurately stage gynecologic malignancies. We also offer promising, novel imaging approaches. Our radiologists also have extensive experience performing image-guided interventional procedures, including:
- Sonohysterography, a technique to image the uterine cavity
- Ultrasound-guided transvaginal biopsy
All specimens are evaluated by our expert gynecologic oncology team. Pathologists participate in review of all cases at the weekly multidisciplinary tumor board conferences, and they contribute to developing patient care plans.
Our Cytology Division offers advanced methods for all PAP smear screening for cervical cancer, including the newest automated technologies. We also offer HPV, (human papilloma virus), testing, an important new method of cervical cancer screening.
Genetic counseling and testing for patients and family members are offered through the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Genetics Program at our comprehensive Center for Cancer Risk Assessment. This is especially valuable for patients with a family history of ovarian cancer.
We also maintain an ovarian cancer tumor bank, supported by a grant from the Ovarian Cancer Education and Awareness Network (OCEAN). This collection enables researchers to study the genetics and biology of ovarian cancer, which may lead to effective screening tools and new targeted therapies.
A treatment plan for many gynecologic cancers will involve surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, or some combination of all three therapies. Our program offers patients a unique combination of multidisciplinary care and the most advanced medical, surgical, and radiation therapies.
Our medical therapies include:
- Intraperitoneal chemotherapy, a technique for infusing medicine directly into the abdominal cavity, improving survival and reducing side effects for women with advanced ovarian cancer
- Cancer immunotherapy, which entails vaccinating women with their own modified tumor cells or immune stimulants to bolster the body’s response to cancer therapies
- Innovative therapies for drug resistant tumors that help boost their sensitivity to chemotherapy
- Acupuncture to help manage side effects
About This Program
We provide individualized treatment for a large numbers of patients, offering the most advanced care for all gynecologic cancers, including:
- Cervical cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Vaginal cancer
- Vulvar cancer
- Other gynecological cancers
Multidisciplinary Patient Care
Our program offers each patient a coordinated treatment plan involving experts from a wide array of gynecologic cancer specialties. These include gynecologic oncology surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, nurse practitioners, and oncology nurses who only treat patients with gynecologic cancer.
Our multidisciplinary care approach provides each patient with a treatment plan focused on their individual needs. We work together with the patient and their referring physician throughout treatment to ensure the best possible outcomes.
We also offer free educational programs and support services to address the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of patients and their families. Meet our team
Innovative Approaches to Cancer Care
We treat thousands of patients annually, and studies show that such high-volume experience results in improved patient outcomes. Specialization also improves outcomes. Our patients are treated by surgeons, oncologists and radiologists and pathologists who specialize in gynecologic oncology. Studies confirm that ovarian cancer patients who are initially treated by gynecologic oncologists have improved survival rates.
We offer our patients the most advanced diagnostics through imaging and pathology and the latest surgical procedures and radiation therapies. Among our unique treatment options is the Francis H. Burr Proton Beam Therapy Center, one of only a few centers in the United States to offer proton beam radiation, which targets tumors precisely while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
In addition, we are among the few centers nationally that offer intraoperative radiation therapy, which delivers a large, precise dose of radiation directly into the tumor area during surgery.
Promising Better Therapies
Our patients have access to leading-edge medical therapies, including promising new treatments through a wide range of clinical trials and a nationally recognized novel therapeutics program. Approaches include:
- Infrared imaging technologies that can detect previously unidentifiable tumors
- Image-guided procedures
- A genetic testing program for families with a history of ovarian and/or breast cancer
- An ovarian cancer tumor bank to test the genetics of ovarian cancer
- A national study to better identify early-stage ovarian cancer with more reliable screenings
Our researchers are developing promising new therapies, including:
- Techniques to administer chemotherapy throughout the abdomen to improve outcomes and reduce side effects
- Novel agents that kill tumors by blocking their blood supply
- Immunotherapy, which stimulates a patient’s own immune system to fight the tumor
- Therapies for drug-resistant tumors
Excellence in Surgical Care
Our gynecologic cancer surgeons are highly experienced in the treatment of both rare and common cancers and are recognized leaders in their fields. Research has shown that surgeons performing higher volumes of particular procedures offer patients better outcomes. Studies also confirm that ovarian cancer patients initially treated by gynecologic oncologists have improved survival rates compared to those treated by general gynecologists or general surgeons. We offer the latest surgical innovations with emphasis on minimally invasive procedures. These include:
- Robotic-assisted and laparoscopic hysterectomy with surgical staging for patients with endometrial cancer, which studies have found result in a quicker recovery and less postoperative discomfort
- Cytoreductive surgery techniques for patients with ovarian cancer that permits the complete or near complete removal of all cancerous tissue safely and effectively, which studies have found offers women with advanced ovarian cancer the best prognosis
- Fertility-sparing surgery for patients with cervical cancer, particularly valuable for younger women who want to preserve their reproductive capability
Pioneering Radiation Therapy
We offer a full spectrum of radiation therapy treatments including some modalities available at just a few other medical centers in the U.S., including:
- Proton beam therapy, targeting tumors with precise doses of radiation while minimizing damage to healthy tissue, an approach used to treat some patients with endometrial and vulvar tumors
- Intraoperative radiation therapy, delivering a large, precise dose of radiation directly into the tumor area during surgery
- Concurrent chemoradiation for cervical and vulvar cancer
- Preservation of sexual function with conservative surgery and chemoradiation
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy, delivering highly individualized computer-controlled doses of radiation at the same time to different parts of the treatment area, minimizing the impact on healthy tissue
- Outpatient high-dose rate brachytherapy, delivering radiation near or directly into the tumor via tiny internally implanted “seeds,” wires, or capsules.
Treating Cancer Through Clinical Trials As part of one of the nation’s leading centers for gynecologic cancer research, our researchers are developing promising new treatments for these cancers. We have one of New England’s largest clinical trial programs and have numerous open protocols in gynecologic oncology.
Contact Us
Gillette Center for Gynecologic Oncology
55 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 877-789-6100
HOPES Program
The HOPES Program provides free wellness services, plus education and support workshops for patients with cancer, their families and their friends. Our services focus on helping you take care of your whole self – mind, body and spirit.
Maxwell V. Blum Cancer Resource Room
The Maxwell V. Blum Cancer Resource Room at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center provides cancer patients and their families with information and resources for living with cancer.
Illuminations Program
Illuminations is a rotating art exhibit displayed in the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. The program aims to enlighten and encourage patients and their loved ones by enhancing our environment of care.
Cancer Center
55 Fruit StreetBoston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-726-5130
Explore your treatment options 
Learn more about the specialized treatment options our experienced medical teams provide for each type of cancer.
