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Treatment for Ovarian Cancer
By peace | July 13, 2006
Ovarian cancer symptoms are usually silent in nature i.e. they are very subtle at the onset and present themselves only at the advanced stages. Women should be aware of the below mentioned ovarian cancer symptoms and take immediate medical action if one or more of these symptoms arise. Regular pelvic exams are the key to early detection of ovarian cancer.
- Indigestion, nausea, or changes in bowel movements are the most common signs of ovarian cancer. Women who have ovarian cancer may or may not experience pelvic pain. Though these “silent” symptoms may sometimes indicate the presence of ovarian cancer, they may also indicate benign (non-cancerous) ovarian conditions or other conditions.
- Unusual vaginal bleeding—a rare sign of ovarian cancer. More likely, vaginal bleeding is a sign of another type of abnormality. Bleeding may occur between menstrual periods. Heavier than normal menstrual bleeding, and menstrual bleeding that lasts longer than normal are considered unusual signs.
- Unfortunately, there are often no symptoms in the early stages of ovarian cancer. As the cancer grows, women may experience lower abdominal discomfort or swelling. However, symptoms do not always present themselves until the cancer has spread past the ovaries. Since several symptoms of ovarian cancer are associated with a variety of other conditions, many harmless, they are sometimes ignored even when they are present.
- Other ovarian cancer symptoms include pain in the legs or back, pain during intercourse, bloating. weight gain or loss.
Despite an increased awareness of ovarian cancer in the news and other media, the ability to detect this disease is poor, and many women are not diagnosed until the disease is advanced. Ovarian cancer ordinarily produces no distinctive symptoms, and most tumors metastasize, or spread, to other abdominal organs before being diagnosed. Metastasis can give rise to ascites, a build-up of fluid in the abdomen that usually causes abdominal swelling. Such swelling may be the only indication that something is wrong, and it is the most common reason most patient visit their doctor.
Symptoms are often associated with the location of the tumor and its impact on the surrounding organs. They tend to be non-specific and can mimic non-gynecologic conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, etc. Many of us experience these symptoms from time to time – do not be alarmed! But if they persist and are unusual for you, then seek a professional opinion.
Women who are consistently experiencing one or more of the symptoms for ovarian cancer should talk to their physician about being tested for ovarian cancer. Additionally, all women over 18 years of age should have an annual physician performed pelvic examination. If ovarian cancer is suspected, physicians may order several tests for verification.
Treatment depends on a number of factors, including the stage of the disease and the general health of the patient. Patients are often treated by a team of specialists. The team may include a gynecologist, a gynecologic oncologist, a medical oncologist and/or a radiation oncologist. Many different treatments and combinations of treatments are used to treat ovarian cancer.
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Surgery is the usual initial treatment for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the uterus, and the cervix are usually removed. This operation is called a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Often, the surgeon also removes the omentum(the thin tissue covering the stomach and large intestine) and lymph nodes (small organs located along the channels of the lymphatic system) in the abdomen.
Staging during surgery (to find out whether the cancer has spread) generally involves removing lymph nodes, samples of tissue from the diaphragm and other organs in the abdomen, and fluid from the abdomen. If the cancer has spread, the surgeon usually removes as much of the cancer as possible in a procedure called tumor debulking. Tumor debulking reduces the amount of cancer that will have to be treated later with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
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Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given to destroy any cancerous cells that may remain in the body after surgery, to control tumor growth, or to relieve symptoms of the disease.
Most drugs used to treat ovarian cancer are given by injection into a vein (intravenously or IV). The drugs can be injected directly into a vein or given through a catheter, a thin tube. The catheter is placed into a large vein and remains there as long as it is needed. Some anticancer drugs are taken by mouth. Whether they are given intravenously or by mouth, the drugs enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body.
Another way to give chemotherapy is to put the drug directly into the abdomen through a catheter. With this method, called intraperitoneal chemotherapy, most of the drug remains in the abdomen.
After chemotherapy is completed, second-look surgery may be performed to examine the abdomen directly. The surgeon may remove fluid and tissue samples to see whether the anticancer drugs have been successful.
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Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation). Some women receive a treatment called intraperitoneal radiation therapy in which radiative liquid is put directly into the abdomen through a catheter.
Clinical trials(research studies) to evaluate new ways to treat cancer are an important treatment option for many women with ovarian cancer. In some studies, all patients receive the new treatment. In others, doctors compare different therapies by giving the promising new treatment to one group of patients and the usual (standard) therapy to another group. Through research, doctors learn new, more effective ways to treat cancer.
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