There are many various ovarian cancer treatment options which can be combined to make a customized program for curing a particular patient. Treatment will largely depend on a number of factors, which include the stage of ovarian cancer and the overall health of the patient who will undergo the treatment.
To enumerate several different ovarian cancer treatment options, you can choose from surgery, chemotherapy, and clinical trials. For the majority of women, ovarian cancer surgery is the common initial action in treating the disease.
Ovarian cancer surgery has several types and each will be recommended based on the degree of the ovarian cancer’s spread as well as the woman’s child-bearing plans, if any.
Here is a list of the types of surgery for ovarian cancer:
Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. This is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of one ovary and one fallopian tube.
Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. For this ovarian cancer surgery procedure, both ovaries and both fallopian tubes will be removed.
Total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. It is a surgical procedure that takes away the patient’s cervix, uterus, plus both ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Should the uterus and cervix be removed through the vagina, the procedure is called a vaginal hysterectomy. But if the two are taken out by means of a big incision in the abdomen, it is referred to as a total abdominal hysterectomy. Total laparoscopic hysterectomy is the term used in ovarian cancer surgery wherein the uterus and cervix are removed via a small incision in the abdomen using a laparoscope.
Ovarian cancer surgery side effects and risks range from short-term pain and sensitivity in the area where the surgery was done to bladder problems. They can also include problems related to menopause, infertility, and bowel movement.
Lymph node biopsy. When having to perform ovarian cancer staging during surgery (to determine if the cancer has spread), it normally entails the removal of lymph nodes.
Tumor debulking. The operation removes as much of the tumor as possible. This is because there are some tumors that cannot be entirely removed through ovarian cancer surgery.
Partial oophorectomy. This refers to a surgical procedure to take out a portion of an ovary or a portion of both ovaries.
Omentectomy. The aim of this operation is to remove the omentum which is defined as a part of the tissue lining the abdominal wall.
The aches and pains resulting from ovarian cancer surgery may be treated with medicine and patients are encouraged to talk about means for pain relief with their doctor. Patients will commonly complain of having difficulty emptying their bladder and having bowel movements in the days following the surgery.
Talking about infertility, the removal of both ovaries causes a woman to lose her ability to bear a child. There are women who become overwhelmed with this idea and this can make intimacy difficult for them to achieve. To help the patient and her partner overcome intimacy problems, counseling or support can be provided for the couple.
Ovaries are the body’s natural source of estrogen and progesterone. When both are removed this can lead to menopausal symptoms like vaginal dryness and hot flashes. These symptoms are usually experienced by the patient directly after the ovarian cancer surgery. Hormone replacement therapy is one choice women may take to help ease the discomfort of the symptoms of menopause. However, a patient must discuss this idea with her doctor so as to become aware of the possible risks she will be taking if she undergoes hormone replacement therapy.
