Each year, as many as 83,000 women learn that they have a gynecologic cancer, and nearly 28,000 will die from their disease. When detected and treated early, most gynecologic cancers have positive response rates. Treatment plans often call for a combination of techniques that can include surgical procedures, drugs (chemotherapy), radiation therapy and immunotherapy – which uses a patient’s own cancer-fighting cells to attack and block blood vessels that feed tumors.
Renowned PAMF physician and surgeon Dr. John K. Chan will continue his world-class program of ongoing outcomes research in gynecologic oncology. The program will serve as a key contributor to the broader field of gynecologic oncology, while helping to ensure that our expert clinicians at Mills-Peninsula, the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, California Pacific Medical Center, and other Sutter Health affiliates have the advanced knowledge they need to deliver highly personalized care that promises the best possible outcomes.
Outcomes research seeks to determine the long-term effects of a particular course of treatment so that clinicians are equipped with a more complete picture of how select those interventions most likely to impact the overall health, survival, quality of life, and satisfaction of patients. Researchers use both quantitative (patient health data) and qualitative (patient reported satisfaction and quality of life) methodologies to measure the effectiveness of care and determine the best treatment plans for specific cancers.
