Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Welcome to the International Organization of Ovarian Cancer Fighters (IOOCF). Take some moments and discover the infomation related to ovarian cancer treatment provided by our website.

After the battle of detecting ovarian cancer symptoms comes the war of saving oneself from the claws of this disease. Though the late detection of it can prove fatal, there is a lot that can be done before you give in. there are very good chances of survival if the cancer is detected in the early stages.

So the first measure one can take is to be alert about any bodily changes and any symptoms that occur regularly and refuse to go away. A regular check up by a gynecologist and pelvic tests can prove to be very helpful and if any minor changes occur, they can be detected at once.

It is not advisable to live in a state of denial, thinking that ovarian cancer can't happen to you or living in the bliss of ignorance. It is advisable to arm yourself with the right knowledge and think about your symptoms critically.

The process of detection

The detection of ovarian cancer is firstly determined by the symptoms. The next step is to get you medically checked up. There are many tests and methods by which the presence of ovarian cancer can be confirmed.

These methods include:

ultrasound
computed tomography
imaging studies
barium enema x-ray
magnetic resonance imaging
position emission tomography
chest x-ray
biopsy
colonoscopy
laparoscopy
blood test

These methods will surely confirm the presence of cancer and then the right treatment can be taken up. The gynecologic oncologist is the specialist that you should visit at once. It is seen that the cases of ovarian cancer show better chances of full recovery and survival if the patient is treated under gynecologic oncologist. They are the specialist in the female cancer cases.

Ovarian cancer treatment

The treatment can be classified under three categories which depend on the stage of cancer, the general health of a patient and the type of ovarian cancer that one has incurred. These methods are:

Surgery: this method is used to completely remove cancerous tumors or tissues.
Radiation therapy: this method destroys the cancerous cells by exposing the tumor to high energy radiation.
Chemotherapy: anti-cancer drugs are used to destroy cancerous tissues.

Surgery

Usually this method of treatment is carried out along with other forms of treatment like chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is very effective in removing the maximum accumulation of cancerous cells, later the remaining cells are destroyed by use of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. It removes the bulk mass of cancerous growth. This removal of cancerous growth helps in better recovery and the patients show better chances of survival.

The bulk of cancerous growth which is less than 1 cm can be cured fully and effectively. So even the patients who have more bulk, surgery can help bring that amount down to 1 cm whereabouts. The tumor is usually removed by laparoscopy. The camera that is inserted in the abdomen hunts for tumor and checks whether the tumor is cancerous or not or whether the cancer cells have originated from any other organ. Once the cancerous growth is confirmed, the removal is done.

There are many types of surgeries that are performed depending on the stage of cancer that a person is in. these types are:

Total Hysterectomy - it is total removal of uterus and cervix, if they have cancerous growth. This is done by the method of laparoscopy where a small cut is made in the stomach and the uterus is removed through vagina.
Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy - it is a method of removing both ovaries and sometimes both fallopian tubes.
Unilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy - it is the method of removing one ovaries and one fallopian tube.
Omentectomy - it is removal of omentum.
Debulking Surgery - it is removal of uterus, cervix, ovaries, fallopian tube and omentum which are the common sites of ovarian cancer.
Lymph Node Biopsy - it is done to remove all lymph node for testing.

Radiation therapy

This method of treatment makes the use of high-energy radiation, the exposure of which destroys the cancerous cells. This form of treatment is sufficed in early stages of cancer but when the growth increases, this method usually succeeds surgery. After surgery, radiotherapy is used to destroy the remaining cells which cannot be removed via surgery. The energy used is energy waves or particles of protons, x-rays, electrons and gamma rays.

There are two types of radiation therapy-one is given externally and the other is given internally. Out of these two which one is applicable to which patient depends on the stage of cancer that patient is in and also the type of ovarian cancer she has.

Chemotherapy

It is the process of destroying cancerous cells and tumors with the help of anti-caner drugs. IV infusion and pill are the commonest drugs of all. Moreover the type of drugs and the duration of medical course depend on the stage and type of cancer.