Treatments for gynaecological cancers

Abstract

Gynaecological cancers account for a significant amount of morbidity and mortality in the world, with varying incidences and outcomes depending on the country. These malignancies consist of vulval, vaginal, cervical, endometrial, fallopian and ovarian cancers, and account for between 10 and 15% of women's cancers. Although mainly a disease of post-menopausal women, when affecting younger women, fertility-related consequences exist. Therapeutic interventions for gynaecological cancers include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with combination modalities often required. The basis for certain therapies are derived from appropriately conducted randomized clinical trial, whereas in some settings, therapy is based on clinical experience and intuition. This review will endeavour to focus on the evidence base, though inevitably, non-evidence based practice is unavoidable.