Ovarian cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among women, causing the most gynecologic-cancer related deaths among U.S. women. It originates in the ovaries, which produce eggs within the female reproductive system. In some cases, ovarian cancer can also develop in the fallopian tubes.
While there are different treatment options for ovarian cancer, the cancer first must be detected via ovarian cancer screening. Advancements over the past few years have made it possible for low-cost ovarian cancer screening methods, which include:
- Ultrasound
- Laboratory blood tests for the serum marker CA 125 protein
A person who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer has to first discuss all possible ovarian cancer treatment options with her team of physicians. These can range from local treatment of ovarian cancer, in which the treatment will be applied only for the tumor while the rest of the body will remain unaffected to surgically invasive cancer removal. Physicians will recommend treatment after taking into consideration these factors:
- Type of cancer
- Cancer progression rate
- Tumor size
- Age and health of patient
- Preference of patient
Treatments for ovarian cancer may include a combination of several common therapies, including
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy as an ovarian cancer treatment option includes destroying the cells that are highly likely to spread, control the growth of the tumor and ultimately to cure cancer with the use of chemicals.
- Targeted therapies
Such as hormone therapy, the use of CA 125, and treatment of the epithelial tumors and germ cells.
- Surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment done to remove the cancerous growth and is performed by a highly skilled gynecologic oncologist.
- Complementary therapy
This involves methods to scale up the fight against this disease and is also reported to be an effective tool to lessen stress and other possible side-effects.
- Clinical trials
Signs patients up to test the success of new and emerging cancer drug therapies.
- Radiation
Though not very commonly used to treat ovarian cancer in the United States, radiotherapy is often applied in those areas of the body where cancer has spread.
