Read up on Ovarian cancer treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Ovarian cancer

Key points about treatments

Finding out that you or someone close to you has ovarian cancer can be a big shock. This cancer is serious, but it can be treated and sometimes cured.

Here we cover treatments only for ovarian cancer that has spread outside your

ovaries
Women have two ovaries, one on each side of their womb. They are small glands that store eggs. Inside the ovaries are millions of pre-eggs, called follicles. Some of these grow into eggs.

ovary (stages 2, 3 or 4). To learn about treatments for ovarian cancer that hasn't spread (stage 1), see Treatments for early (stage 1) ovarian cancer.

Key points about treating ovarian cancer

The only way your doctor can tell if you have ovarian cancer is by doing an operation to look at your ovaries. If you have cancer, your surgeon will try to remove it all during this operation. For more information, see Surgery to check for ovarian cancer.
After surgery, you'll usually have chemotherapy to kill any cancer cells that are left.
Having chemotherapy that includes a platinum drug (cisplatin or carboplatin) seems to work best. Carboplatin causes fewer side effects than cisplatin.
Some people take a taxane drug (paclitaxel or docetaxel) as well as a platinum drug. But we don't know if taking a taxane drug as well can help you live longer.
Having more surgery during or after chemotherapy (called routine interval debulking and second look surgery) probably won't help you live longer.
Doctors are researching new treatments for ovarian cancer, such as vaccines and treatment with hormones. You may be able to take part in research studies testing one of these. Talk to your doctor to find out more.
Two newer chemotherapy drugs are called topotecan and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride (PLDH). They are recommended for use when standard treatments don't work, or can't be used.

This information was last updated on May 12, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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