A St. John's woman who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer says she is outraged by the provincial health minister's suggestion that three resigning cancer specialists can be replaced, and she is vowing to leave the province for treatment.

The three gynecologic oncologists, doctors Cathy Popadiuk, Lesa Dawson and Patti Power — the only specialists in the province treating female patients with cancers of the reproductive system — tendered their resignations to government this week, saying they intend to leave in October.

Health Minister Ross Wiseman said Wednesday that Newfoundland and Labrador will recruit new gynecologic oncologists if Popadiuk, Dawson and Power leave. If new doctors can't be found, he said, cancer patients will be sent out of the province for care.

The St. John's woman, whom CBC has agreed not to name, said she couldn't believe Wiseman's reaction.

"My response is that I hope his mother or his sister or his grandmother or his wife doesn't get cancer real soon, because you're just not replacing a physician, it's not like replacing the receptionist … where are you going to get the people that need to be in that job?"

Care improved under the gyne-oncologists

During her bout with cancer, the woman had her uterus and both ovaries removed, and she said the care she received from a gynecologist was poor.

"He botched the operation and I ended up very sick and almost dying because of the operation."

She said that doctor is no longer practising and, at the time, she was too sick to think about legal action. Her care improved dramatically when she was finally seen by gynecologic oncologists Dawson and Popadiuk, she said.

"From the moment I got in there, I was not marginalized anymore," she said. "And those doctors ... treated me with kindness and compassion. They understood what I was going through."

The woman has been healthy for five years, but now needs to see a doctor again after suffering pain where her organs were removed.

"I'm scared. I phoned and I said I want to come in, I need it checked. I wasn't able to get in."

The woman said she'll leave the province for care if she can't get in to see the gynecologic oncologists before they leave in October.