Abnormal bleeding
Bleeding between periods, after intercourse, or any bleeding after menopause.
Cancers We Treat
Gynaecological cancers deserve
Gynaecological cancers deserve
sub-specialist care.
Cancers of the female reproductive system — cervical, endometrial, ovarian, vaginal and vulvar — each behave differently and are treated differently. AARO offers fellowship-trained gynaecological radiation oncology, including image-guided brachytherapy, with the choice of a female specialist.
10thCervical cancer among Singaporean women
90%Of cervical cancers are squamous cell
2Fellowship-trained gynae brachytherapy specialists
Image · placeholderAn AARO team member with a patient in the garden — support through gynaecological cancer treatment.
Image · placeholderAnatomy illustration — the uterus, cervix and ovaries
Gynaecological Cancer · What is it
Five organs, five different diseases.
Gynaecological cancers arise in the organs of the female reproductive system, categorised by organ and cell type. Ovarian cancers mostly develop from the epithelial cells covering the ovary (85–90%), with rarer stromal and germ cell tumours. Endometrial cancer — cancer of the womb's inner lining — is mostly adenocarcinoma.
Cervical cancer is the tenth most common cancer in Singaporean women. Around 90% are squamous cell carcinomas beginning in the cervix's transformation zone, where pre-cancerous changes accumulate gradually — changes a Pap smear can detect years before cancer develops. Adenocarcinomas and mixed types make up the rest.
Vaginal and vulvar cancers are rarer, mostly squamous cell carcinomas, and can likewise be preceded by detectable pre-cancerous change. Across all five organs, the exact diagnosis — organ, cell type, stage — determines the treatment plan.
Gynaecological Cancer · Symptoms
When to see a doctor.
Abnormal bleeding is the signature warning sign across gynaecological cancers — and it should never be dismissed.
Unusual discharge
Persistent watery, bloody or foul-smelling discharge.
Pelvic pain or pressure
Persistent pelvic pain, pressure, or pain during intercourse.
Bloating & early fullness
Persistent bloating or feeling full quickly — classic (and easily missed) ovarian symptoms.
Urinary or bowel changes
New urgency, frequency or bowel changes that persist.
Vulvar changes
Itching, burning, a lump or skin change on the vulva that doesn't resolve.
Gynaecological Cancer · Diagnosis
How gynaecological cancer is diagnosed.
From screening tests that catch pre-cancer to precise staging — diagnosis is where the treatment plan takes shape.
Image · placeholderScreening consultation — Pap smear and HPV testing
Screening & examination
Pap smears and HPV testing detect cervical pre-cancer years early; pelvic examination assesses symptoms.
Image · placeholderPelvic MRI on the review console
Imaging
Ultrasound, then MRI, maps the tumour's size and local extent — critical for radiotherapy planning.
Image · placeholderPathology — biopsy tissue under the microscope
Biopsy
Tissue from the cervix, endometrium or vulva confirms the diagnosis and type.
Image · placeholderPET-CT staging review
Staging
CT and PET-CT complete the stage, assessing lymph nodes and distant sites.
Gynaecological Cancer · Risk factors
What raises your risk?
Several gynaecological cancers have identifiable — and partly preventable — risk factors:
HPV infection
Persistent human papillomavirus infection causes most cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers — HPV vaccination prevents it.
Missed screening
Most cervical cancers occur in women who haven't had regular Pap/HPV screening.
Hormonal factors
Unopposed oestrogen exposure and obesity raise endometrial cancer risk.
Family history & genes
BRCA mutations and Lynch syndrome raise ovarian and endometrial cancer risk.
Age
Risk of most gynaecological cancers rises after menopause.
Smoking
Smoking raises cervical and vulvar cancer risk.
Gynaecological Cancer · Treatment
How AARO treats gynaecological cancer.
Radiotherapy is central to gynaecological cancer treatment — and brachytherapy, delivered from within, is what makes cervical cancer curable at high doses the body could never tolerate externally.
Image-guided brachytherapy
Internal radiation for cervix and endometrium — fellowship-trained expertise, shaping dose from inside the tumour itself.
VMAT / IMRT
Intensity-modulated external radiation keeps bowel and bladder dose low across every pelvic course.
Chemoradiation
Radiation with concurrent chemotherapy — the curative standard for locally advanced cervical cancer.
A female specialist, if you prefer
Dr Michelle Tseng sub-specialised in women's cancers so women have the choice of a female radiation oncologist.
Gynaecological Cancer · Precision
Hours of planning, for one careful treatment.
Every plan at AARO goes through detailed contouring, dose simulation, and independent physics review before a single beam is delivered. We do this so the radiation hits exactly the tissue that needs it — and avoids the healthy tissue around it.
Image · placeholderTwo AARO radiation therapists at the planning console, reviewing a treatment plan together on a multi-monitor workstation.
We plan every dose.
Our medical physicists and radiation therapists collaborate on each plan — contouring tumour and organs-at-risk, simulating dose distribution, and independently checking every parameter before delivery.
Image · placeholderAn AARO team member reviewing verification imaging at the console — daily image guidance before treatment.
We verify every session.
Imaging before each fraction confirms the target's position to the millimetre — so tight margins stay safe, and healthy tissue stays out of the high-dose region.
Image · placeholderA patient comfortably positioned beneath the Elekta linear accelerator with green laser positioning lights and the signature starry ceiling above.
Gynaecological Cancer · What to expect
Quiet, precise, uneventful.
Each treatment session takes 15–30 minutes. You'll lie on a precision treatment couch beneath the linear accelerator. Positioning lasers and daily imaging align you to within a millimetre of the planned position.
You won't feel the radiation as it's delivered. There's no anaesthesia, no recovery time, and no overnight stay. Most patients drive themselves home after the session and return to normal activities the same day.
Image · placeholderThe four senior AARO specialists at the Centre for Stereotactic Radiosurgery.
Gynaecological Cancer · Your specialists
Meet Dr David Tan→
Sub-specialist care.
Gynaecological radiation at AARO is delivered by two fellowship-trained brachytherapy specialists — including the choice of a female consultant.
Dr David TanGynae · GI · Hepatobiliary · Lung
Dr Michelle TsengBreast · Gynae · Paediatric
Recently diagnosed? Or seeking a second opinion?
Book a 45–60 minute specialist consultation. We'll review your imaging and pathology, explain the options that apply to your case, and answer your questions.