Healthcommunities.com reports that American women have a 2 percent risk of developing ovarian cancer in their lifetime. Ovarian cancer is considered a silent killer because most women are diagnosed late in the disease. The earlier treatment begins the greater the chance is for survival. Chemotherapy, used since the 1940s, works by attacking and killing fast growing cancer cells. Side effects from chemotherapy occur because chemotherapy medications cannot tell cancer cells apart from normal cells. They kill all rapidly growing cells in the body including hair and stomach lining cells. Each chemotherapy treatment works in a specific way and varies in its ability to kill certain types of cancer. Several kinds of chemo are approved to treat ovarian cancer.
Alkylating Agents
Alkylating agents destroy cancer cells by interrupting DNA formation. The most common chemotherapy medications used to treat ovarian cancer are carboplatin and cisplatin. Common side effects from these medications include hair loss, taste changes, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and low blood counts. If carboplatin or cisplatin are not effective, other alkylating agents including ifosfamide and cyclophospshamide, can be used. According to the American Cancer Society the first choice for initial ovarian cancer chemotherapy is carboplatin or cisplatin coupled with another chemotherapy drug called a taxane.
Plant Alkaloids: Taxanes
Plant alkaloids come from plants. Taxanes are a subclass of plant alkaloids that are made from the Pacific Yew tree. Taxanes kill cancer cells by destroying the part of the cell that is responsible for division. The cells cannot divide and instead die. Pacitaxel and docetaxel are common taxanes used in the treatment of ovarian cancer. Side effects of these medications include hair loss, numbness in hands and feet, low blood counts, diarrhea, muscle/joint pain, and mouth sores.
Other Plant Alkaloids
When treatment with the first combination of drugs is ineffective, other plant-based chemotherapy may be used. Vinca-alkaloids come from the periwinkle plant. Vinorelbine is the main drug used for ovarian cancer in this class. Chemocare.com lists side effects that may occur with this medication as low blood counts, constipation, nausea and vomiting. Another commonly used plant alkaloid is etoposide, which comes from the may apple plant. Common side effects associated with the drug include loss of fertility, nausea, vomiting, hair loss and low blood counts.
Other Chemo Treatments
The American Cancer Society also lists topotecan, doxorubicin, liposomal doxorubicin, gemcitabine and hexamethylmelamine as commonly used chemotherapy treatments for ovarian cancer. These medications are normally used if the disease spreads or did not respond to the initial treatment. These, like the other chemotherapy medications, differ in their method of attack on the cancer cells. Side effects of these medications vary but include nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, low blood counts, risk for bleeding, diarrhea and swelling.
References
- American Cancer Society: Detailed Ovarian Cancer Guide
- "Core Curriculum for Oncology Nursing"; Itano, J. Ph.D, Taoka, K. MSN; 2005
- Health Communities.com: Ovarian Cancer Chemotherapy
- American Cancer Society: The History of Cancer
