Dr. Jill Nation
Division Head

The Division of Gynecology at the TBCC provides gynecologic cancer consultation services and treatment to the women of southern Alberta. Leadership in cervical cancer screening, as well as diagnosis and treatment of preinvasive gynecologic cancer is an important part of our mandate. Activities in gynecologic oncology education, multicentre cancer research activities, tertiary care clinical services, and cancer care administration all contribute to our overall goal.

We currently have four gyne oncologists on staff: Dr. Pamela Chu, Dr. Prafull Ghatage, Dr. Jill Nation and Dr. Gregg Nelson, all of whom are located at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre

Clinical Services
The Division of Gynecology provides tertiary care to patients from the Calgary zone, and southern Alberta. Referrals from southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Saskatchewan continue. There is close collaboration with gynecologists in Calgary and southern Alberta to ensure appropriate care within the local community in addition to timely access to tertiary cancer care services and consultation. All new gynecologic cancer cases are reviewed at the multidisciplinary gynecologic tumor board in order that patients benefit from the collective experience of the participants in the tumor board. This also serves as an internal audit of clinical activities within the department.

Strategic Plan
Continued Development of our Minimally Invasive Surgery(MIS) program
Exploration of the use of Robotics in Gyn Oncology

Education
The gynecologic oncologists are actively involved in teaching at all levels of the education continuum. The Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Training Program is fully accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. In 2008 we expanded our program to train three Fellows over the two to three year program.
Senior residents in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the University of Calgary each spend three months on the gynecologic oncology service. Chief residents also have the opportunity to be further trained in colposcopy and laser treatment of the lower genital tract. We accept visiting senior residents who are interested in gynecologic oncology for 1-2 month elective rotations. Residents from medical oncology, radiation oncology, diagnostic imaging and pathology also have mandatory rotations on the gynecologic oncology service.

Undergraduate medical students from all medical schools in Canada complete electives on our gynecologic oncology service. In addition, our faculty are preceptors for undergraduate medical students at the University of Calgary in research electives. The gynecologic gynecologists continue to contribute to the core curriculum in oncology, the core curriculum in Obstetrics & Gynecology residency education, small group sessions in gynecologic oncology and in undergraduate teaching sessions in the reproductive course at the University of Calgary medical school.

Research
Our research activities encompass clinical gynecologic oncology, medical education and preinvasive disease of the cervix.