This procedure will affect your ability to become pregnant. The surgeon will also check your lymph nodes small organs that fight infection and disease for signs of disease and may take tissue samples from other places in the abdominal cavity to check for cancer cells.
Because most women are diagnosed after the disease has spread, chemotherapy is typically used following surgery. Chemotherapy for ovarian cancer usually consists of a combination of two or more drugs given through an IV every three to four weeks.
The standard of care for ovarian cancer is treatment with the platinum-based drugs paclitaxel and carboplatin, with or without bevacizumab. Bevacizumab is an anti-angiogenesis drug, meaning it prevents blood vessels from feeding the tumor, which keeps it from growing as quickly.
Some women with more advanced disease will undergo chemotherapy that is delivered directly into the abdomen called intraperitoneal chemotherapy. How often you receive treatment and how long treatment continues varies depending on your tumor, although chemotherapy is typically given for three to six cycles.
All chemotherapies have side effects , which can include varying degrees of hair loss, nausea, fatigue, diarrhea and muscle pain, among others. Some treatments used for ovarian cancer can affect your body's ability to make certain immune cells, putting you at risk for infection, or to make enough red blood cells, putting you at risk for anemia.
All side effects depend on which drugs are given, the dosage and your individual response. Luckily, side effects today are not as severe as they used to be because we have better drugs, improved treatment regimens, and medications to prevent side effects like nausea. If you receive chemotherapy, it's important to tell your healthcare provider about any reactions or side effects you have so they can adjust treatments to help you feel better.
Ideally, chemotherapy puts you into remission, meaning there is no sign of the cancer. To maintain remission, your doctor may recommend regular infusions of bevacizumab or other types of treatment if you have a BRCA mutation. For women in complete or partial remission, drugs called PARP inhibitors can be used in combination with bevacizumab after the initial treatment with chemotherapy.
These drugs can be used for women with or without a BRCA mutation. After your initial treatment ends, you'll need monitoring and regular visits to your cancer doctor. This typically involves regular blood tests — possibly including tests for tumor markers such as CA — X-rays, ultrasound studies, symptom monitoring or, more rarely, a second-look surgery to make sure the cancer has not returned. That means further treatment is required. Surgery is unlikely. It's more common to receive additional chemotherapy.
The type of chemotherapy used at this point depends on whether your cancer still responds to the regimens you've had before. For women with advanced ovarian cancer that has returned after earlier treatment, PARP inhibitors may be used.
Another option for recurrent ovarian cancer is radiation therapy. While radiation is not typically used as a first-line treatment and it won't cure the cancer, it can shrink the tumors and make you more comfortable.
Your doctor may recommend joining a clinical trial. There are numerous clinical trials offering new treatments for ovarian cancer or new combinations of existing treatments. Talk to your doctor about finding a clinical trial you qualify for. Your doctor may also recommend genetic counseling to discuss changes in genes and how those changes can run in families.
There is little evidence that a hysterectomy reduces your risk of ovarian cancer. Review the following questions to ask about ovarian cancer so you're prepared to discuss this important health issue with your healthcare professional.
For information and support on coping with Ovarian Cancer, please see the recommended organizations, books and Spanish-language resources listed below. Houston, TX Hotline: Phone: Cancer Care, Inc. Parker and Rachel L. Van Billiard and Theodore C.
Steven Piver, M. The most lead-contaminated neighborhoods in cities are often the poorest and home to the highest percentage of nonwhite children. Your Health. Your Wellness. Your Care.
Real Women, Real Stories. These genes also increase the risk of breast cancer. Ovarian cancer care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Ovarian cancer Open pop-up dialog box Close. Ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. Female reproductive system Open pop-up dialog box Close. Female reproductive system The ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix and vagina vaginal canal make up the female reproductive system.
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Hoffman BL, et al. Epithelial ovarian cancer. In: Williams Gynecology. McGraw Hill; Accessed May 5, Niederhuber JE, et al. Carcinoma of the ovaries and fallopian tubes.
In: Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. Elsevier; Radiation is rarely, if ever, used as the main treatment for ovarian cancer. It is sometimes used to treat areas where cancer has spread. Clinical trials are research studies that test new drugs or other treatments in people. They compare standard treatments with others that may be better. Clinical trials are one way to get the newest cancer treatment. They are the best way for doctors to find better ways to treat cancer. And, if you do sign up for a clinical trial, you can always stop at any time.
If you would like to learn more about clinical trials that might be right for you, start by asking your doctor if your clinic or hospital conducts clinical trials.
See Clinical Trials to learn more. When you have cancer you might hear about other ways to treat the cancer or treat your symptoms. These may not always be standard medical treatments. These treatments may be vitamins, herbs, special diets, and other things. You may wonder about these treatments. Some of these are known to help, but many have not been tested. Some have been shown not to help.
A few have even been found to be harmful. And for some people with ovarian cancer, treatments may not cure your cancer. You may need ongoing treatment and care.
At times some tests will be done to see how your treatment is working, and at other times tests will be done to see if your cancer has come back. Ask your doctor what to expect. No matter what, your doctors will still want to watch you closely. Be sure to go to all of these follow-up visits.
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