Gynaecological cancer and the surgical oncologist’s role
Dr Prabhat Yaji is a surgical oncologist in Bengaluru who brings oncological surgical expertise to the care of cancers of the ovaries, uterus, cervix and nearby structures, as part of a multidisciplinary team at ARC Cancer Hospital.
He trained at Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology after his general surgery residency. Gynaecological cancers often cause symptoms that are easy to overlook or blame on something else. Dr Yaji sees patients from across the city, including many from Jayanagar and JP Nagar, at the point where a scan or a persistent symptom has raised concern and a surgical oncology opinion is needed.
His role is to bring abdominal exploration, tumour staging and the management of disease beyond the main organ into one coordinated plan, alongside gynaecological oncology, medical oncology and radiation oncology colleagues. When disease has spread to the lining of the abdomen, his focused work in peritoneal surface malignancy becomes especially relevant.
Understanding gynaecological cancers
This group of cancers varies a lot in how they behave, how they are staged and how they are treated.
- Ovarian cancer is often found late, because early symptoms are vague.
- Uterine (endometrial) cancer is more often found early, because it usually causes abnormal bleeding.
- Cervical cancer has well-established screening programmes. The WHO cervical cancer fact sheet describes how vaccination and regular screening prevent much of it.
What connects them from a surgical point of view is staging. Knowing exactly how far the disease has spread decides almost every treatment step that follows.
Signs and symptoms
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding, including bleeding after menopause or between periods
- Bloating, pelvic pain or a feeling of fullness that does not go away
- Unexplained changes in bowel or bladder habits
- Weight loss you cannot explain, or ongoing tiredness
- A pelvic or abdominal mass felt on examination or seen on a scan
Many of these symptoms overlap with common, harmless conditions, so they are often dismissed for weeks or months. Dr Yaji’s advice to patients from Bannerghatta Road and across the city is simple: pelvic symptoms that keep coming back deserve a proper work-up, not repeated reassurance without tests.
How gynaecological cancers are diagnosed
Evaluation usually combines a clinical pelvic examination with imaging: a transvaginal ultrasound, and a CT or MRI scan depending on the suspected site and stage.
Tumour markers such as CA-125 can support the picture but cannot diagnose cancer on their own. Where a mass or suspicious finding is seen, a biopsy confirms the diagnosis. When a biopsy is not safely possible, surgical exploration may be needed.
Staging shows whether the disease is limited to the organ where it started or has spread to lymph nodes, the peritoneal cavity or distant sites. It is central to planning treatment, and Dr Yaji goes through it in detail with every patient before any surgical recommendation is final.
Surgical management
Surgery for gynaecological cancers is planned within a multidisciplinary team. As a surgical oncologist, Dr Yaji contributes:
He makes sure the overall plan is coordinated and that the patient understands each recommendation and the reason for it. For complex or advanced disease, decisions are made together across specialities, so the patient receives one clear plan rather than separate opinions.
Recovery and follow-up
After surgery, follow-up focuses on watching for any return of the cancer through regular review and imaging, managing longer-term effects of treatment, and supporting the patient through the physical and emotional changes that follow.
Many patients have questions about fertility, hormonal changes and intimacy after treatment. Patients are encouraged to raise these openly, with Dr Yaji or the wider care team, rather than carry them alone. Regular check-ups, usually over several years, remain an important part of long-term care.