Otago District Health Board women's health clinical director Dr Susan Fleming said the two gynaecology oncologists in the South Island were based at Christchurch Hospital.
Dunedin was "extremely fortunate" one of the specialists was committed to providing a quality service across the South Island and held a clinic and did surgery at Dunedin Hospital for Otago and Southland patients once a fortnight.
Straightforward operations could be performed by Dunedin gynaecologists, who were overseen by a specialist.
Doctors working in subspecialties had to treat a certain number of cases every year to maintain their skills and the number of patients in Otago and Southland would not be enough for a gynaecology oncologist to meet those requirements, Dr Fleming said.
Gynaecological oncology is a subspecialty of gynaecology.
Patients with gynaecological cancers, ovarian, endometrial and cervical, rarely had to wait longer than four weeks for surgery once their work up had been completed, she said.
If patients could not be operated on within four weeks in Dunedin, they were given the option of travelling to Christchurch to have their surgery. Up to 10 women a year travelled to Christchurch, she said.
New referrals for gynaecological cancers in Otago and Southland appeared to be increasing, but the reason behind the increase was not known.
"I don't know if it is a reflection of cancers becoming more common. I think it is probably in part related to the demographics of the population."
An ageing population and an increasing population in Central Otago were possible reasons. From 2000 to 2005, there were about 50 new referrals a year, but in 2007 there were about 100.
