Ovarian cancer
Most women with ovarian cancer willbe considered forsurgery. It sometimes isn't possible to confirm the stage of the cancer until surgery is carried out.
Your doctor will discuss what will happen during surgery. It will probably involve removing:
The surgeon may also remove the lymph nodes from your pelvis and abdomen, and samples of nearby tissue, to find out whether the cancer has spread.
If it has spread, the surgeon will try to remove as much of it as possible. This is known as "debulking surgery".
If the cancer is confined to one or both ovaries, you may only need to have the ovary or ovaries removed, leaving your womb intact. This means you may still be able to carry a pregnancy.
You will probably be ready to go homethree to sevendays after your operation, but it can take many weeks to fully recover.
When you go home, you'll need to exercise gently to build up your strength and fitness. Walking and swimming are good exercises that are suitable for most people after treatment for ovarian cancer. Discuss the types of exercise that are suitable for youwith your doctor or physiotherapist.
Chemotherapy involves using anti-cancer (cytotoxic) medication to kill cancer cells. It's often given after surgery for ovarian cancer. In some cases, it can be given before surgery to help shrink the tumour and make it easier to remove. This is called "neoadjuvant chemotherapy".
Several different medicines can be used in chemotherapy. A combination is often given. The choice of medicine and how and when it's given depends on the stage of your cancer and how much it has spread. The most common treatment for ovarian cancer is a platinum-containing medicine (carboplatin), which is used alone or in combination with another medicine called paclitaxel.
Chemotherapy is usually given asa dripinto the vein, but is sometimes given as tablets. Some studies have looked at giving chemotherapy directly into the abdomen called "intraperitoneal chemotherapy". It is not currently established routine practice in the UK, but it's being assessed in Research and clinical trials .
You will usually have chemotherapy as an outpatient, but you may sometimes need a short stay in hospital. It's usually given in cycles, with a period of treatment followed by a period of rest, to allow the body to recover. Most women have six cycles of chemotherapy.
Over the course of your chemotherapy, you'll have tests to monitor how the cancer is responding to treatment. This can be done in a number of ways. For example:
After your chemotherapy treatment, if all of your tests are clear of cancer, you'll be in remission. This means the cancer is under control.
Side effectsof chemotherapyinclude:
Many side effects can be prevented or controlled with medicines your doctor can prescribe.
Ovarian cancer can come back (relapse) after treatment. If this happens, you may have another course of chemotherapy. This is called "second-line treatment".
Radiotherapy uses high energy X-rays . Like chemotherapy, it works by targeting rapidly growing cancer cells.
Radiotherapy isn't usually used to treat ovarian cancer. However, the multidisciplinary team may occasionally recommendit to treatovarian cancer under very specific circumstances, such as treating pain and bleeding from a localised tumour mass.
In recent years,much progress has been made in ovarian cancer treatment. More women are living longer and experiencing fewer side effects. These advances were discovered through Research and clinical trials ,where new medicines and combinations of medicines are compared with standard treatment.
All cancer trials in the UK are subject to careful monitoring,to ensure the trial is worthwhile and safely conducted. Participants in clinical trials canoften do better overall than in routine care.
If you're asked about taking part in a trial, you'll be offered an information sheet. If you wish to take part, you'll be asked to give your consent (permission) by signing a form. You're always free to refuse or withdraw from a clinical trial without it affecting your care.
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Dealing with cancer can be a huge challenge for patients and their families. It can bring emotional and practical difficulties.
It often helps to talk about your feelings or other difficulties with a trained counsellor or therapist. You can ask for this kind of help at any stage of your illness. There are various ways to find help and support. For example:
In the UK, around 7,100 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year. It's the fifth most common cancer among women.
The symptoms of ovarian cancer can be difficult to recognise, particularly in the condition's early stages.
Several possible causes of ovarian cancer have been identified, along with risk factors that may make developing the condition more likely.
See your GP as soon as possible if you have symptoms of ovarian cancer. They will gently feel your tummy and ask about your symptoms, general health and family history.
If you have cancer, a team of specialists will work together to provide you with the best possible treatment and care. This is known as a multidisciplinary team.
How ovarian cancer will affect your daily life depends on the stage your condition is at and what treatment you're having.
There's currently no reliable screening test for ovarian cancer. However, there are a number of things that may help to prevent ovarian cancer.
My problems started in 2003. Id been having a difficult year, as both my father and brother died within three months of each other.
Practice nurse Ruth Payne was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 42.