Gynaecological cancers Frequently Asked Questions

A Gynaecologic Oncologist is a specialist who is dual qualified with 6 years of training in general obstetrics and gynaecology with an additional training period of a minimum of 3 years undertaken in gynaecologic oncology (cancer surgery and management).

Dr Land has undertaken 10 years of training in gynaecology and gynaecologic oncology in London, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney to enable the best possible surgical and postoperative care to be undertaken for his patients.

The additional training in gynaecologic oncology is predominantly focused on increasing advanced surgical skills. This includes additional surgical expertise in bowel, urinary tract, laparoscopic and robotic surgery to enable a gynaecologic oncologist to be capable of handling almost any surgical situation that may arise during treatment. It has been shown categorically that treatment of gynaecological cancers should be undertaken under the care of a gynaecological oncologist as survival is improved.

This refers to an intraoperative assessment by a pathologist of any concerning mass removed at surgery (such as an abnormal cyst on an ovary) that is performed while the patient is still asleep in theatre. Dr Land is then able to respond to this information during the same procedure to tailor the operation to exactly what is necessary pending the result.

Any cancers or unusual pathology are reviewed each week in a multidisciplinary team meeting that Dr Land attends along with a panel of medical / radiation / gynaecologic oncologists, pathologists, nurses and paramedical staff to ensure the correct and optimal treatment is instigated for each patient.

Dr Land also attends a morbidity meeting every 2 months with colleagues to ensure best practice with regards maintaining a very low complication rate and continual audit of his practice. Once again this is all done to maintain the highest possible medical standards.

Dr Land is a certified gynaecologic Oncologist is also required to be recertified each 3 years by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

No, in terms of a true screening test. Ultrasound and Tumor markers such as CA125 are frequently utilised to look for the possibility of ovarian cancer and can be very useful in the work up of a patient in whom ovarian cancer is suspected but unfortunately they have not been proven to reliably do so in screening asymptomatic patients.

No. 1% of the normal population have an elevated CA125 and there are many benign conditions (particularly in premenopausal patients) that can increase the CA125 such as endometriosis, pregnancy, periods, and fibroids.