Gynaecological cancer

Gynaecological cancers are cancers of the female reproductive system including cancers of the womb (uterus), vulva, cervix and ovaries.

Pan Birmingham Gynaecological Cancer Centre
City Hospital, Birmingham is the site of the pan-Birmingham Gynaecological Cancer Centre. The centre is the hub of the Pan-Birmingham Gynaecological Cancer Network which provides tertiary level care for 5 cancer units.

What we do
The primary objective of the centre is to provide high quality, patient focused, modern cancer care, in as timely a fashion as possible.  We aspire to provide rapid access for women with suspected or proven gynaecological cancers to a multidisciplinary team working in collaboration with a fully integrated cancer network. The functionality of our network has depended upon close working relationships, and adherence to mutually agreed pathways and guidelines.

We aim to create an environment that is both patient focussed and driven by all of the health care professionals delivering the service.

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Team

Consultant surgical gynae-oncologists
Mr J Balega
Professor D Luesley
Miss K Singh
Mr J Nevin
Mrs S Sundar
Mr K Chan
Mr S Saha

The surgeons all have a specialist interest, additional training and expertise in gynaecological oncology. They are responsible for the diagnosis, surgical management and follow-up of women with a suspected or confirmed gynaecological cancer.

Consultant clinical oncologists
Dr El-Modir
Dr S Williams
Dr Anwar
Dr J Pascoe
Dr I Fernando

Imaging consultants
Dr C Keaney
Dr M Davies
Dr H Teo

Surgical care practitioner
Ms Natalie Chamberlain

The surgical care practitioner is involved in the patient care pre, peri and post operatively. She works in the ward and theatre settings. She has also undertaken additional training in the assessment of women presenting with post-menopausal bleeding and along with a colleague based in Sandwell Hospital is providing initial assessment services for women presenting with this problem.

Clinical nurse specialists
Miss J Kilner
Ms J Winning
Mrs Y Doyle
Ms T Harris

The nurse specialists provide information, emotional support, practical advice and counselling to patients, carers and relatives.

Consultant histopathologists  / cystologists
Dr A Quadri
Dr P Abdullah
Dr R Ganesan
Dr L Hirshowitz
Dr A Yoong

Sub-specialist trainees (SSTs)
The SSTs have completed general consultant gynaecologist training and have chosen to undertake further gynaecological oncology training. They work with the team for a period of 2-3 years within the centre before completion of training and progression into a consultant gynaecological oncologist post.

Research Registrars
There are three registrars attached to the team who have a part-time commitment to research training as well as providing routine on call support for the division in general. These roles have been designed specifically to provide essential training in research methodology and a greater understanding of research in general.

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Co-ordinator
Mary Wright ensures all patient notes, scans and biopsy results are available at the MDT weekly meeting.

Patient Navigator
Jag Singh ensures the patient pathway is tracked and all current cancer waiting times targets are monitored

Administrative Staff
There is a team of secretarial staff who support the smooth running of the MDT and Centre.

Matron
Lis Hesk is responsible for maintaining high standards of quality nursing care in the clinics and on the ward. She is responsible for ensuring Trust and Government quality standards are met.

Head of Service
Amanda Geary is head of service for gynae-Oncology, gynaecology, paediatrics and sexual health medicine and is responsible for the continued delivery of high quality service within the department and for promoting continued development and evolution of the department.

Services

Familial Genetics Clinic
Our Genetics Clinic is founded on the principle that clinical geneticists are best placed to estimate the risk of inherited gynaecological cancer in an individual woman.

Postmenopausal Bleeding Clinic
The Postmenopausal Bleeding (PMB) Clinic is designed to explore the cause of vaginal bleeding after the menopause. We provide a fast and efficient way of investigating the cause of the bleeding, with the main aim of excluding cancer as the cause.

Postmenopausal bleeding (PMB) is bleeding from the vagina that occurs more than one year after the last normal period (menopause). It can occur as spotting or be like a period. It can be a single event or can be recurrent for a period of time.

If cancer is diagnosed, an urgent referral to the Pan Birmingham Gynaecological Cancer Centre at City Hospital will be made.

Vulval Disorders Service
Our service offers full diagnostic and therapeutic facilities for a wide range of vulval disorders. We have 6 clinics per month incorporating outpatient, day case and inpatient treatment.

Surgical techniques in gynaecological cancer surgery
The Pan Birmingham Gynaecological Cancer Centre offers a broad range of surgical techniques in addition to the comprehensive care of patients with gynaecological cancer.

Laparoscopic hysterectomy (keyhole operation)
Available for patients with endometrial cancer, though in the event that this is not possible, a hysterectomy via an abdominal incision (laparotomy) is performed.

Trachelectomy
This procedure involves removal of the cervix, rim of the vagina and para-cervical tissue. It is a fertility preserving operation aimed at preserving the uterus in women with cervical cancer who have not had children.

Laparoscopic radical hysterectomy and pelvic node dissection
At the pan-Birmingham Gynaecological Cancer Centre we offer keyhole surgery for carefully selected women with cervical cancer.

Pelvic Exenterative Surgery
Pelvic exenterative surgery is offered when cancer is confined within the pelvis with no other evidence of extra pelvic metastatic disease, and when other treatments, are no longer available.  It is mainly required for recurrent pelvic cancer arising from the genital tract. It is also performed for urological and bowel cancers.

Sentinel Nodes in Vulval Cancer
This technique identifies the first draining lymph node in patients with small vulval cancer, thus potentially sparing them from more extensive surgery. The Pan Birmingham Gynaecological Cancer Centre at the City Hospital is one of only a few cancer centres in the UK offering this service routinely.

Patient Stories

Please feel free to share your experiences of this service. Please e-mail your views to swbh.comms@nhs.net

Patient Information

Patient information leaflets

Pelvic Mass/Staging laparotomy ML6729
Gynae-oncology – Patient-initiated follow-up (ML5348)
Laparoscopic/Open Unilateral or Bilateral Salpingo-oophorectomyML6903

Contacts

Prof Luesley and Mrs Sundar – academic secretary, Yasmin Khan Tel: 0121 507 5337
Miss Singh – secretary, Christine Upton Tel: 0121 507 5437
Mr Balega – secretary, Sylvia Di Bernardo Tel: 0121 507 4553
Mr Nevin – secretary, Jane Kimberley Tel: 0121 507 5468