1. Controlling Cancer Treatments
If your doctor decides that you need to go through specialized treatment for your ovarian cancer, she may refer you to a gynecologic oncologist, a specialist who treats ovarian cancer. You may ask for referral to other types of doctors such as gynecologists, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists depending on what your needs are. You may also want to seek a second opinion with another doctor just to make sure you need ovarian cancer treatment.
2. Best Treatment
Local therapies such as surgery can remove ovarian cancer in the pelvis. If cancer has spread to other parts of the body, local therapy with surgery or radiation can help. Or your surgeon may decide to give the chemotherapy directly into the abdomen and pelvis through a thin tube. But when taken orally or injected into the veins, the medications enter the bloodstream and attack the cancer cells throughout the body. You can request of your doctor all the details to tailor a treatment program to suit your medical and personal needs. Before you get started, do not hesitate to ask your doctor for details, such as what stage of disease you are at, cancer spread from the ovaries, treatment choices, chemotherapy recommendations, clinical trial participation, costs, benefits and pitfalls of each kind of treatment, side effects, preparation for hospital stay, impact on normal activities, risk of early menopause, chances of pregnancy and further follow-ups.
3. Surgery
Ovarian cancer treatment by surgery may be as simple as making a long cut in the wall of the abdomen. It is called laparotomy in medical parlance. If the surgeon sees ovarian cancer, he may decide to remove either both the ovaries and fallopian tubes or just the uterus. He may also remove the omentum, which is the thin, fatty pad of tissue covering the intestines. Surgery of nearby lymph nodes and tissues from the pelvis and abdomen may be required. Also, if he sees cancer spread, there is every reason to remove it by "debulking" it. However, depending on your situation, you may want to discuss with the surgeon your need to get pregnant or bear children. Very early stage I ovarian cancer patients have an option to preserve their fertility. Pain and discomfort following surgery are usually relieved with medications. You should talk to your doctor how you may be able to adapt to a life without ovaries and female hormones. Your doctor may suggest appropriate changes in lifestyle and diet to control symptoms of hot flashes, vaginal dryness and night sweats.
4. Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer
Women with ovarian cancer have chemotherapy after surgery but sometimes even before. You may ingest them orally or prefer to be injected into your veins or directly into your abdomen. To make sure you derive the maximum benefit, your doctor may administer them in cycles of active drug intake interrupted by periods of rest.
5. Hormones and Antibodies
Advances in research and development have created new ways of treating ovarian cancer. Drugs such as letrozole, anastrozole and exemestane may be used to treat some stages of ovarian cancer by suppressing enzymes generating the female hormone, estrogen. Substances called monoclonal antibodies have been designed to attack ovarian cancer cells. Bevacizumab is an example that shrinks blood vessels feeding the ovarian cancer.
