Treating Ovarian Cancer

The treatment for ovarian cancer depends on how far the cancer has grown. Your treatment may include 1 or more of the following [17]:

• Surgery is usually the initial treatment. One or both of the ovaries may be removed. Your doctor may also recommend surgery to remove other female organs.
• Chemotherapy will typically follow surgery. Chemotherapy refers to the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. These drugs are given into a vein or by mouth, enter the bloodstream, and spread throughout the body.
• Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill or shrink cancer cells. This type of therapy is rarely used in the US as the main treatment for ovarian cancer.

Treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer

For some women, recurrence is more disheartening and frightening than the initial diagnosis. If the cancer should recur, patients may not respond to the initial (first-line) therapy. But there are still many treatment options to explore.

Many of the same issues that affected treatment during your initial cancer therapy will be considered again when planning treatment for relapsed disease. Doctors may recommend second-line chemotherapy or additional surgery. There are a number of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved second-line agents available.

Disclaimer

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