From Discovery to Delivery: Charting Progress in Gynecologic Oncology, hosted by Ursula A. Matulonis, MD, brings expert insights into the most recent breakthroughs, evolving standards, and emerging therapies across gynecologic cancers. Dr Matulonis is chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and the Brock-Wilcon Family Chair at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, Massachusetts.

In this inaugural episode, Dr Matulonis welcomed guest Taymaa May, MD, MSc, to discuss advances in gynecologic cancer surgery. Dr May is the director of Ovarian Cancer Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, as well as an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

One of the biggest transformative changes in the field has been the introduction of minimally invasive surgery using laparoscopic and robotic platforms, Dr May emphasized. This allows for precise cancer staging surgery and faster patient recovery without compromising cancer outcomes, she noted. Complementing this has been the innovation of sentinel lymph node mapping, which uses technology, such as an infrared dye, to precisely identify and remove only the necessary lymph nodes. This offers equal staging precision and reduces patient morbidity with lower extremity lymphedema, a common adverse effect associated with older, extensive lymph node dissections, according to Dr May.

The experts stressed the importance of consulting a gynecologic oncology surgeon, as national studies indicate that patients assessed and operated on by these specialists achieve the most optimal clinical outcomes. For advanced ovarian cancer, which often requires complex multivisceral resection to achieve optimal tumor removal, Dr May explained that surgical innovations are used to enhance recovery. For example, she noted that fluorescence angiography assesses blood flow in fresh bowel sutures intraoperatively, which helps ensure proper healing and minimizes complications.

In cervical cancer, Dr May said that radical trachelectomy offers a safe, fertility-preserving option for young patients with suitable tumors. Furthermore, when determining treatment for patients with advanced ovarian cancer, she emphasized that personalization is key. Ultimately, Drs Matulonis and May reported that integrating surgical innovation into gynecologic cancer treatment protocols ensures optimal recovery, which is critical for patients to start subsequent treatments, like chemotherapy, on time.