A wide variety of gynecologic cancers can affect a woman’s reproductive system, which consists of the uterus, vagina, ovaries and fallopian tubes.
The most common types of gynecologic cancers are cervical, endometrial (uterine) and ovarian cancer. The specific type of cancer a woman has and how advanced it is, will determine her available treatment options. Women with early stage gynecologic cancer are often treated with hysterectomy – the surgical removal of the uterus. In this procedure, the doctor may also remove the ovaries, fallopian tubes and/or select lymph nodes. Hysterectomy is the second most common surgical procedure for women in the US., and an estimated one third of all U.S. women will have a hysterectomy by age 60.