Treatment and Prevention
It may not be possible to prevent ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer may be related to ovulation and the menstrual cycle. Using the birth control pill, which suppresses ovulation, has been shown to decrease the risk of ovarian cancer although the reason for this is unclear. Women who have a hereditary ovarian cancer risk may choose to surgically remove (prophylactic surgery) the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus before cancer occurs. Tubal ligation has also been shown to decrease the risk of ovarian cancer for women with this genetic profile. While prophylactic surgery offers what is thought to be the greatest reduction in risk, it may not completely eliminate it.
Treatment of ovarian cancer usually involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and sometimes, radiation. During a laparotomy, the surgeon may remove the ovaries, fallopian tubes, some of the fatty tissue covering the abdomen, uterus, cervix, and lymph nodes, and any other areas to which the cancer has spread. With early-stage ovarian cancer, women who wish to still be able to have children may choose to have only one fallopian tube and ovary removed. However, these women will be advised that there may still be a chance that cancer appears in the other ovary, the fallopian tube, or the uterus.
Chemotherapy with anti-cancer medications usually involves taking a combination of medications. A complete response to the treatment - remission - occurs when no detectable cancer is found either through examination by an oncologist or through tests such as an ultrasound or CT.
Certain individuals may also be candidates for radiation therapy. Biotherapy and immunotherapy treatments are currently under study. Women with ovarian cancer should also talk to their doctor about available clinical trials.