Luckily, treatment for ovarian cancer is relatively simple and effective. Some treatments involve chemotherapy, targeted therapy, surgery, or radiation therapy. However, not all treatment options are right for everyone.

Chemotherapy

Depending on the type of ovarian cancer, chemotherapy may be given before surgery or after surgery. This type of treatment is meant to destroy cancer cells and increase the chance that the cancer will not come back.

Chemotherapy for ovarian cancer can take a long time. It is often administered in three to six cycles. Each cycle is designed to include a rest period. A typical treatment cycle would be Day 1, Day 8, and Day 15.

The best chemotherapy for ovarian cancer is probably carboplatin or paclitaxel (Taxol). These chemotherapy drugs are administered intravenously. They have been used for many years.

Nab-paclitaxel is another chemotherapy drug that is often given. It is administered intravenously at a dose of 260 mg/m2 over a 30-minute period every three weeks.

Adding hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to a standard chemotherapy regimen has been shown to improve survival in women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. It also does not increase the risk of side effects.

Surgery

Surgical management of ovarian cancer is a specialty that is practiced by gynecologic oncologists. These doctors are trained and experienced in performing complex surgical procedures. Surgical management includes the removal of tumors, as well as the preservation of healthy body tissue.

In addition to surgery, doctors may also use chemotherapy to kill cancerous cells. Chemotherapy may be administered either by mouth or intravenously. Chemotherapy may also be used to kill cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body.

Chemotherapy may be given before, during, or after surgery. In addition to chemotherapeutic drugs, other treatments include targeted medicines and hormone treatments.

Some women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer have surgery to remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes. They may also have surgery to remove lymph nodes.

Radiation therapy

Currently, there is limited use of radiation therapy for ovarian cancer. It is often used to control localized metastatic disease, symptom control, and palliative treatment. Radiation therapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses high-energy X-rays and other types of radiation to kill tumor cells. It also reduces damage to healthy tissue. However, side effects may be temporary or permanent.

Ovarian cancer is a highly radiosensitive disease. Radiation is known to induce long-term remission in certain patients with ovarian cancer. In a large study of 700 women with ovarian cancer, radiation therapy was shown to reduce the risk of progression by about 50%. However, the benefit may depend on the location of the cancer.

The majority of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed with advanced stage disease. Advanced disease has a poor prognosis, and is associated with resistance to treatment. Radiation therapy may be used as a palliative treatment or as consolidation after surgery.

Immunotherapy

Using the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer is called immunotherapy. It is a relatively new approach to treating ovarian cancer. There are several different immunotherapy drugs that can help your immune system fight cancer. These include Avastin, Durvalumab, and Jemperli.

Immunotherapy drugs have already been approved by the FDA for other cancer types. They target specific antigens on cancer cells and work to strengthen your immune system so that it can attack cancer. These drugs can also be used in combination with chemotherapy. Some of the immunotherapy drugs have been found to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy.

Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center are studying the effects of immunotherapy on ovarian cancer. Amir Jazaeri, one of the researchers, spoke with Cancer Frontline about the research. The researchers hope to improve early detection and treatment of this disease.

Targeted therapy

Compared to chemotherapy and radiation, targeted therapy has fewer side effects. It also targets cancer cells without damaging healthy ones. In addition, targeted therapy can be used in conjunction with other treatments for cancer.

There are several types of targeted therapy for ovarian cancer. Some of them include monoclonal antibody therapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. These treatments are given in a number of ways, including oral pills or intravenously.

The goal of targeted therapy for ovarian cancer is to destroy cancer cells. It does so by targeting proteins that are found in cancer cells. These proteins can lead to cancer cell death and stop them from spreading. In addition, these targeted therapy drugs work to stop cancer cells from repairing DNA.

One of the most promising targeted therapies for ovarian cancer is poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors. These drugs stop the repair process of damaged ovarian cancer cells. They may also prevent the cancer from recurring after treatment.