3 gynecologic cancer myths, busted
June 29, 2026
There are a lot of misconceptions around gynecologic cancers and the doctors who treat them.
So, beware if someone tries to tell you that:
- Pap tests can screen you for anything other than cervical cancer,
- All you need to diagnose ovarian cancer is an elevated CA-125 level, or
- Gynecologic oncologists can treat you for breast cancer, too.
Not one of those claims is true.
Gynecologic oncologists Pamela Soliman, M.D., and Shannon Westin, M.D., dispelled these and other myths surrounding gynecologic cancers during a recent episode of UT MD Anderson’s Cancerwise podcast.
Here are three highlights they shared.
Fact: Gynecologic oncologists only treat ‘below the belt’ female cancers
Gynecologic oncologists don’t treat every type of female cancer. While they do treat most cancers related to the female reproductive system, they don’t treat one of the most common: breast cancer.
“Some people see gynecologic oncologists as kind of the ultimate doctor because we do surgery and prescribe other treatments, too,” says Westin. “But we typically only treat women’s cancers that occur ‘below-the-belt.’ That includes endometrial, ovarian, cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers. That does not include breast cancer.”
This is a very important distinction, Westin notes, because once you know you have a certain type of cancer, you need to seek out a specialist for that exact disease. Look for someone who treats it every day, not someone who just dabbles in it, or only sees it once or twice a year.
“The best outcomes happen when you see a specialist,” notes Westin. “So, it’s essential that you’re not the first person they’ve ever seen with this disease. I really can’t emphasize that enough. You want to make sure you’re in the right place, getting the right treatment, from someone with experience treating that exact cancer.”
Fact: Pap tests can’t replace your annual well-woman exam
Pap tests are very effective at what they do. But they’re only designed to detect cervical cancer and its precursors.
“I’ve had several patients say, ‘Oh, I already had a Pap smear. Doesn’t that screen for ovarian cancer, too?’” says Soliman. “The reality is, no. It doesn’t. The reason you have a Pap test is for early detection of precancer or dysplasia, so we can prevent cervical cancer.”
Well-woman exams enable you to have a pelvic exam, too, and discuss any symptoms you might be experiencing.
“Those are what can be helpful in terms of finding other gynecologic cancers,” Soliman explains.
Fact: No universal screening protocol exists for ovarian cancer
Wouldn’t it be nice if a simple blood test could tell you if you had ovarian cancer?
Years ago, researchers thought that might be the case. So, they began testing more women for elevated CA-125 levels and taking those who met certain criteria into surgery.
Ultimately, that hypothesis proved not to be true, so researchers stopped the additional testing.
“When we’ve looked at studies where doctors just got CA-125s on everybody, they ended up doing too much,” Westin explains. “They ended up taking people to surgery and having worse outcomes, but not actually finding a higher number of cancers. So, it doesn’t work the way we would like it to.”
Westin notes that researchers are still on the hunt for other markers or algorithms that can clearly identify people who have early stage ovarian cancer. “But at this point,” she says, “we do not recommend doing CA-125 tests on everybody.”
To hear the full conversation between Soliman and Westin, listen to the UT MD Anderson Cancerwise podcast.
Request an appointment at UT MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.