Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Ovarian Epithelial Cancer Treatment

Ovarian epithelial cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissue covering the ovary.

Ovarian epithelial cancer is one type of cancer that affects the ovary. (See the PDQ treatment summaries on Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors and Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors for information about other types of ovarian cancer.)

Women who have a family history of ovarian cancer are at an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.

This risk is higher in women who have one first-degree relative and one second-degree relative (grandmother or aunt) with ovarian cancer. This risk is even higher in women who have two or more first-degree relatives with ovarian cancer.

Some ovarian cancers are caused by inherited gene mutations (changes).

Hereditary ovarian cancer makes up approximately 5% to 10% of all cases of ovarian cancer. Three hereditary patterns have been identified: ovarian cancer alone, ovarian and breast cancers, and ovarian and colon cancers.

(See the PDQ summaries on Ovarian Cancer Screening, Ovarian Cancer Prevention, and Genetics of Breast and Ovarian Cancer for more information.)

Women with an increased risk of ovarian cancer may consider surgery to prevent it.

Some women who have an increased risk of ovarian cancer may choose to have a prophylactic oophorectomy (the removal of healthy ovaries so that cancer cannot grow in them). In high-risk women, this procedure has been shown to greatly decrease the risk of developing ovarian cancer. (See the PDQ summary on Ovarian Cancer Prevention for more information.)

Possible signs of ovarian cancer include pain or swelling in the abdomen.

Early ovarian cancer may not cause any symptoms. When symptoms do appear, ovarian cancer is often advanced. Symptoms of ovarian cancer may include the following:

When found in its early stages, ovarian epithelial cancer can often be cured.

Tests that examine the ovaries, pelvic area, blood, and ovarian tissue are used to detect (find) and diagnose ovarian cancer.

Pelvic exam: An exam of the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and rectum. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram.

An increased CA 125 level is sometimes a sign of cancer or other condition.

Barium enema: A series of x-rays of the lower gastrointestinal tract. This procedure is also called a lower GI series.

This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.

Certain factors affect treatment options and prognosis (chance of recovery).

The Stage Of the Cancer.

Treatment

There are three main forms of treatment for ovarian cancer:

Surgery to remove cancerous tissue.

Chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells using strong anti-cancer drugs.

Radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells by high-energy radiation exposure.

Surgery
Surgery usually is required to treat ovarian cancer. Debulking surgery is especially important in ovarian cancer because aggressive removal of cancerous tissue is associated with improved survival. If the cancer is a metastasis from another organ, the surgeon searches for the primary tumor within the abdominal cavity.