Taking place from 5-11 September 2022, Women's Health Week is an annual reminder for all women to set aside time for their health and wellbeing and for everyone to make their health a priority. Doctor Marsali Newman is a consultant pathologist at Austin Pathology, Austin Health, Melbourne with particular expertise in gynaecological pathology. Working closely with the clinical team at the Mercy Hospital for Women to optimise care for cancer patients, Dr Newman explains some of the advances in gynaecological cancer.

“Gynaecological cancer is the term used to refer to all the different types of cancer that can occur in or on a woman's reproductive and genital organs. This includes cancers of the vulva, vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. In 2022, it is estimated that there will be 2,111 deaths from gynaecological cancer in Australia. Depending on the type of cancer, symptoms may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, or pain or pressure symptoms associated with a tumour in the pelvis.

“There are ongoing advances in the pathological diagnosis of gynaecological cancers with special antibody techniques performed on the tissue assessed under the microscope, as well as molecular tests. This assists with accurate diagnosis, can provide information about the prognosis of a cancer and directs possible treatment options. Advances in imaging of the gynaecological organs provides a lot of useful information for gynaecological surgeons and others in the treating team to assist them in identifying the site and extent of the cancer,” said Dr Newman.

Australia leads the world stage in prevention of cervical cancer. Prevention is the best option and women are encouraged to keep up with cervical screening and seek medical advice early if they have symptoms.

“Cervical cancer is the only gynaecological cancer that can be detected in a precancerous stage through population screening, therefore it is the focus of most public policy work. Most cervical cancers are caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) infections. Since 2017, through the very successful National Cervical Screening Program, HPV testing as the initial screening test for cervical cancer, has been helping to pick up cases of very early or “pre-cancer” so these can be effectively treated.

“Like many other areas of cancer treatment, there have been many advances in this area. Particularly exciting are the more tailored treatments, including specific medications to target specific cancers, with aims to have the most effective treatment with the least side effects. There are advances in surgical techniques, for example the use of sentinel node dissection. This is a method to find and surgically remove the most likely lymph node that will be affected by early cancer spread – removing this lymph node provides us with information about the extent of the cancer spread but without the potential side effects when all of the lymph node tissue is removed, said Dr Newman.

Early detection remains key to effective treatment and improved quality of life. It is important for women to pay attention to their body and know what is normal, so they can recognise the warning signs or symptoms of gynaecological cancers.