Gynecologic Oncology
If you have a female reproductive cancer or if pre-cancerous conditions are present, you will want to see a specialist. Billings Clinic Cancer Center has the only board-certified gynecologic oncologists in Montana and Wyoming. Additionally, our gynecological cancer specialists provide surgical and clinical outreach services in Great Falls, Missoula, Helena, and Bozeman.
Our team takes a holistic approach to your care and customizes your treatment based on input from you, your family, and your referring physician. We understand that each case is different and design our treatment accordingly.
Gynecologic cancer or pre-cancerous conditions may include:
- Pelvic cancers such as cervical, endometrial, ovarian, or vulvar cancer.
- Abnormal Pap smears or cervical lesions requiring further examination.
- Abnormal uterine bleeding, vulver irritations, or lesions
- Ovary, fallopian tube, or pelvic masses.
- Recurrent gynecologic cancers.
- Women diagnosed at another facility or who received treatment elsewhere and were referred to Billings Clinic Cancer Center for treatment.
Why choose Billings Clinic for your specialized care?
At Billings Clinic, your care is provided by the only fellowship-trained gynecologic oncology specialists in Montana and Wyoming. Our highly experienced gynecologic oncologists are specialists and focus specifically on women’s cancers. National statistics show that you have better outcomes when seen by gynecologic cancer specialists. We, by national standards, provide care to a high number of patients with or at-risk of gynecologic cancers. All of our physicians have performed a high number of surgeries, making them experts at giving you the best outcomes (medical references). Safe and effective treatment is our top priority, whether that means a faster, better surgical recovery or enjoying life through chemotherapy and/or radiation (medical references).
What will you experience with our gynecologic oncology team?
In our office, you will meet with one or more of our gynecologic oncologists and a team of nurses, physician assistants, nutritionists, physical therapists, and a naturopath. We review all your medical records and determine a treatment plan specific to your disease, your goals, and your needs.
In addition to providing cancer resources and support, we coordinate appointments, schedules tests, and educate you and your family about your disease.
Courses of treatment and what to expect:
- If you undergo surgery or minimally-invasive robotic surgery using da Vinci Surgical System, you will have coaching, education, and preparation beforehand to give you the best chance of a faster recovery and shorter hospital stay.
- If you have chemotherapy, our team will communicate with you often, keeping informed on your side effects and impact the treatment is having on your life, be it physical, mental or social.
- If you have radiation, you will meet with our team daily to discuss side effects and impact on your physical, mental and social life.
Whichever course of treatment you decide with your team, we help you have the best life possible during and after treatment because of the depth and breadth of our collaboration, collective experience, and training.
Treatment
As gynecologic oncologists, our physicians specialize in gynecology, surgical oncology, and medical oncology. Treatment for gynecologic cancers may include:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy
- Participation in clinical trials
- Hyperthermic (or Heated) Intraoperative Peritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a procedure used to deliver heated chemotherapy directly into the abdomen to penetrate diseased tissue, killing cancer cells and slowing cancer growth.
Clinical Trials
We have access to a variety of clinical research studies designed to prevent, detect and treat gynecologic cancers. Billings Clinic Cancer Center is affiliated with the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), a national clinical trials group. Patients also can take part in studies with the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, a group dedicated to radiation therapy trials, and receive new cancer therapies offered through clinical studies initiated by Billings Clinic researchers and physicians.
