Battling ovarian cancer? Here are treatments you should know

Ovarian cancer refers to any cancerous growth that begins in the ovaries.

The ovaries are the two female reproductive glands that produce ova, or eggs and hormones estrogen and progesterone.

If not detected, the cancer often spreads within the pelvis and stomach and at this late stage, according to health experts, is more difficult to treat and can be fatal.

Even though this type of cancer often has no symptoms in the early stages, it can be cured when detected soon enough.

Here are some of the main treatment options available for you;

1. Surgery

This is done to take out a piece of the mass to see if it's cancer. Doctors call this a biopsy. Surgery helps "stage" cancer to see how far it has spread. Once cancer is confirmed, your surgeon will take out as much of a tumour as possible. However, how much surgery you have depends on how far cancer has spread.

2. Radiation therapy

This is the use of high energy x-rays or particles to kill cancer cells. These x-rays may be given in a procedure that is much like having a regular x-ray. Aggressive chemotherapy is usually more effective, so radiation therapy is rarely used as the main treatment for ovarian cancer.

3. Drugs

Drugs, including angiogenesis inhibitors and targeted therapies, may be recommended either in conjunction with chemotherapy or as single agents. These drugs may have very different side-effects than chemotherapies and may be useful only for specific populations.

It is IMPORTANT to note that the treatment options for ovarian cancer depend on the stage of the disease as well as other factors and may include surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, or clinical trials.

Navigating and understanding treatment options are critical for an ovarian cancer patient’s survival.  Therefore, all treatment decisions should be made by a patient in consultation with her medical professional.