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 five 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 team of healthcare professionals 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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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.

Post Menopausal 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 Information

Patient information leaflets

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

Contacts

Mr Balega – secretary, Elaine Shaw Tel: 0121 507 4622

Miss Singh – secretary, Denise Janes Tel: 0121 507 5928

Miss Sundar – secretary,  Denise Janes Tel: 0121 507 5928

Mr Yap – Secretary, Rajbinder Kaur Tel: 0121 507 5978