Women's Reproductive Cancers

The gynecologic oncologists at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Women's Reproductive Cancers practice cutting edge, comprehensive, clinical cancer care.

All of the center's physicians are highly skilled in advanced laparoscopic procedures. They offer patients the ability to manage reproductive cancers using minimally invasive surgical procedures. Additionally, the center's physicians are trained in the use of the da Vinci advanced robotic system to treat these diseases.

In the clinic, we apply the most up-to-date treatment regimens, including intraperitoneal chemotherapy and targeted biologic therapeutics.

Research to uncover new and better approaches to treating women's reproductive cancers are a key component of the work at the center. A large number of clinical trials are underway at the center. Physicians and researchers at the center participate in national and international studies including collaborations with the National Cancer Institute's Gynecologic Oncology Group. These efforts bring to our patients relevant, effective, and cutting edge treatments to manage their gynecologic cancers.

Our physicians have expertise in all gynecologic malignancies, including advanced and recurrent ovarian cancers, hereditary gynecologic cancers and fertility-sparing surgery.

Measuring Quality of Care at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Women's Reproductive Cancer

At the Cedars-Sinai Center for Women's Reproductive Cancer, a variety of factors are monitored to measure the quality of care available to patients, including:

• Patient and procedure volumes
• Number of clinical trials
• Average length of stay (ALOS)

These factors are explained in more detail below. Additional information is provided about five-year survival rates for women with ovarian cancer treated at Cedars-Sinai and at hospitals across the nation and state.

Patient Volume at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Women's Reproductive Cancer

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ranks fifth nationally and first locally as the busiest gynecologic oncology surgical services.

Over the past three years, the Cedars-Sinai Center for Women's Reproductive Cancers continues to see a high volume of new and returning patients.

 *volume includes MD and nursing visits              ⁺reflects MD visits only

Clinical Trials at the Cedars-Sinai Women's Reproductive Cancers Center of Excellence

Clinical trials are used to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications, treatments or medical devices by monitoring their effects on large groups of people. Cedars-Sinai is committed to ongoing research to discover new and more effective treatments.

The tissue bank at the Cedars-Sinai Women's Reproductive Cancers Center of Excellence collects, preserves and studies tissue samples as part of its ongoing research efforts to find new and better treatments for women's reproductive cancers.

Inpatient Procedure Volumes and Average Length of Stay for Patients at the Cedars-Sinai Women's Reproductive Cancers Center of Excellence

Studies suggest that for many surgical procedures, hospitals that perform high volumes have better quality outcomes, i.e. lower short-term and long-term mortality and morbidity. Volume is an indicator of experience, which influences outcomes in multiple ways.  

In addition to the experience of surgeons in performing specific procedures, high volume hospitals may institute specific care processes that improve out comes and the infrastructure dedicated to particular clinical specialties, including related technology and intensive care personnel.  Commitment to quality standards throughout the institution is also an important determinant of better outcomes.^1,2  In addition, outcomes for high-risk procedures have been shown to be better when performed by more highly trained surgeons than by general surgeons.³

Based on data reported to the UHC, the Cedars-Sinai Center for Reproductive Cancers ranks first among hospitals in Southern California and fifth among hospitals nationally in terms of the volume of gynecological oncology procedures performed. (The UHC is an alliance of 114 academic medical centers and 255 of their affiliated hospitals representing approximately 90% of the nation's nonprofit academic medical centers.  Most of these facilities participate in UHC's Clinical DataBase/Resource Manager, where these data are collected. These data reflect procedures defined by ICD-9 procedure codes 65.0 through 71.9 performed on patients discharged between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.  This data was accessed on February 21, 2012.

Average length of stay (ALOS) is another aspect of quality of patient care that is monitored at Cedars-Sinai. This refers to the average number of days a patient stays at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after being admitted. The goal is to ensure that all patients are appropriately treated in the hospital for their respective conditions, and are not hospitalized longer than they need to be.

¹Bach PB, Ann Intern Med 2009; 150:729-30

²Greene FL, Ann Surg Oncol 2007; 15:14-15

³Kozower BD et al, Ann Thorac Surg 2009; 86:1405-08