Gynaecologic Oncology

Division Head Introduction

The Division of Gynaecologic Oncology continues to provide gynaecologic cancer consultation services and treatment to the women of British Columbia. Leadership in cervical cancer screening, as well as diagnosis and treatment of pre-invasive gynecologic cancer is an important part of our mandate.

Divisional activities occur at the Vancouver General Hospital and at the BC Cancer Agency, where it is the policy of the Gynecology Tumour Group to try and have all new patients discussed at a Gynecologic Oncology Disposition Clinic. The Friday Disposition Clinic is video linked with the Vancouver Cancer Centre, Fraser Valley Cancer Centre, Vancouver Island Cancer Centre and the Cancer Centre of the Southern Interior. This facilitates patient consultation and discussion of difficult clinical problems by this multidisciplinary group. At this clinic, the patient’s history, physical findings, laboratory reports and pathology slides are reviewed and discussed by members of the group. A treatment decision is arrived at and recommendations made to the patient and the referring physician. Those patients requiring surgery other than radical surgery are referred back to their attending physician unless it is the physician’s desire that the surgery be performed by the Agency consulting staff. A Gynecologic Oncology opinion is available and is recommended even if it is anticipated that treatment is to be given entirely in the patient’s own community in order to ensure uniform standards and quality throughout the province. This would also help to avoid undesirable delays in patient treatment because of failure to appreciate the “high risk” nature of lesions based on their histology.

The Department does conduct Tumour Conferences for the discussion of unusual or difficult management problems. This Conference is available for a more formal review of a patient management problem at the request of any physician.

For a complete list of the Department’s programs, visit the Education section.

Undergraduate & Postgraduate

Our members are actively involved in all aspects of teaching undergraduate (medical students) and postgraduate (residents).

Senior residents in Obstetrics & Gynaecology each spend three months on the gynaecologic oncology service. Chief residents also have the opportunity to be further trained in colposcopy and laser treatment of the lower genital tract.

Fellowship

The Gynaecologic Oncology Fellowship Program is Royal College accredited. The program is a two-year funded Clinical Fellowship, with the option of a third research year (which can be funded through various mechanisms, such as the UBC Clinical Investigator Program).

Continuing Medical Education

Members continue to be actively involved in the D.A. Boyes Society Meeting.

For a list of research areas in the Division, visit the Research by Division page.

There are many clinical projects underway.

Clinical Programs, Services & Ongoing Research

The Division of Gynaecologic Oncology continues to be actively involved in basic and clinical science and this has resulted in numerous publications.

Current projects include:

  • Optimizing surgical treatment for endometrial cancer
  • National survey of genetic counselors and provincial survey of HNPCC patients regarding knowledge of gynaecologic cancer risks and prevention strategies associated with this syndrome
  • Cost-effectiveness analysis of testing criteria for HNPCC among women with endometrial cancer
  • Confronting the link between diabetes and endometrial cancer: Population based study to estimate the risk of endometrial cancer among diabetic women according to the medication they use to control their diabetes
  • Tubal intra-epithelial carcinogenesis screening (TICS)
  • Ovarian cancer early screening project (OCESP)
  • Knowledge translation: Role for salpingectomy
  • HPV vaccine trials
  • Calypso: Multinational randomized trial of the use of pegelated doxyrubicin in the treatment of recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer
  • HPV focal study
  • Pilot study of the role of HPV testing in the follow-up of conservative treatment of cervical dysplasia
  • A preliminary review of 50 invasive cervical cancers diagnosed in British Columbia from 2003 to 2007
  • Utility of colo-rectal stents in advanced or recurrent gynaecologic malignancies

The Gynaecologic Oncology Research Fund was developed to support the academic mission of the Division of Gynaecologic Oncology. This includes supporting faculty and staff salaries, research projects, and the purchase of equipment to facilitate teaching and research activities in the Division of Gynaecologic Oncology.

If you would be interested in supporting this initiative please click here.

The Dr. Chew Wei Memorial Professorship supports a professorship to promotes education and research in the Division of Gynaecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Dr. David Huntsman, a scientist of international reputation, is currently the Dr. Chew Wei Professor. He has a joint appointment in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and is the co-director of OvCare.

David Huntsman

David Huntsman

If you would be interested in supporting this Endowment please click here.

Dr. Chew Wei MBBS FRCOG Memorial Chair in Gynaecologic Oncology supports the mandate of the Division Heads and allows the division to engage in research otherwise difficult to fund, provide state of the art clinical care and educate for the future of the division.

If you would be interested in supporting this Endowment please click here.