1. Undergo Ovarian Cancer Surgery
Advanced ovarian cancer spreads in multiple ways, and your doctor will probably perform surgery on your uterus, lymph nodes and omentum as well as your ovaries and their connecting fallopian tubes. In some cases, your doctor may also have to remove part of your intestines to make sure the spread of the cancer is stopped.
After your surgery, you'll need follow-up care. During these sessions, your doctor will take fluid samples to test for the continued presence of cancer cells. This same technique may also be used prior to surgery to determine the stage your cancer has reached and which treatments should be applied.
2. Supplement With Chemotherapy
Your doctor will probably prescribe chemotherapy drugs in addition to surgery. Normally, these drugs are administered intravenously following surgery. They attack any cancer cells that survived surgical removal. Some ovarian cancer drugs are injected directly into the affected tissues, especially in cases where the cancerous growths are located in difficult positions that cannot be reached through surgery alone. Scientists are also investigating the possibility of using gene therapy and immune therapy drugs to help ovarian cancer patients. In gene therapy, drugs are used to alter the function of genetically mutated material that promotes the growth and spread of ovarian cancer. Immune therapy may boost your body's natural immune system so that your natural defenses against cancer are more effective.
3. Treat Through Prevention
If you have a family history of ovarian cancer, you might consider having your ovaries removed if you're not planning to have any more children. This can be done during a hysterectomy. However, you should keep in mind that you can still get ovarian cancer if you choose to have a hysterectomy that leaves your ovaries intact.
