Shortly after the organization of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of the Philippines (SGOP) on October 30, 1984, I was tasked to make the logo of the new Society. Logos are usually the most recognizable representation of a company or organization. Logo design is an important area of graphic design, and one of the most difficult to perfect. Visual simplicity is the endpoint of a good design. My assignment was made easier by the acceptance of my design for the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) logo using a stylized rendering of the uterus as the symbol of the specialty of Obstetrics and Gynecology.* Most logos involve an icon or the distinguishing figure that makes the design unique and catchy. I chose the crab which is the universal symbol of the disease cancer. I just adapted the figure of the crab to the design of the uterus as the template. The modification was facilitated by the fact that the uterus and the crab both have symmetrical features — the shell being superimposed on the uterus, the claws corresponding to the adnexa, and the legs representing the parametria. I chose the color red because it signifies strength, passion, energy and confidence but it can also signal danger.
The logo is the image embodying an organization. It is meant to represent the organization’s brand and foster its immediate customer recognition. The clever morphing of the uterine template into the crab motif identifies the SGOP members as basically obstetrician-gynecologists with subspecialization in the management of malignant disease of the pelvic organs. Our major effort must be to eradicate the cancer by whatever modality — surgery, irradiation or chemotherapy. If the chosen treatment is surgery the dissection must include the primary site (e.g. the uterus) and the potential routes of spread like the parametria and the lymph nodes. In similar fashion radiation must deliver cancericidal doses to these areas of concern.
The SGOP is the first subspecialty organization to be recognized by the POGS. It has gained recognition for its achievements in training, service and research. It is committed to excellence, which incorporates not only the best cure rates in cancer, but also the possible eradication of cancer of the cervix by vaccination.
* Abad, R. S.: The birth of a logo. Phil J Obstet Gynecol 3:11, 1979.