More extensive surgery may be necessary for cancers that have spread, assuming the patient is healthy enough to withstand it. Surgery is important for staging the cancer, determining how advanced it is, selecting the best treatment, and making a prognosis.
Medication Options
Post-surgery, many patients are treated with numerous rounds of chemotherapy, which involves administering drugs (typically two used in combination) that kill cancer cells. Sometimes, patients will receive chemotherapy before and after surgery, to first shrink the tumor before it is surgically removed. Except for early stage cancers, chemotherapy is almost always part of the treatment plan.
For advanced ovarian cancers, doctors may also turn to targeted therapy. This type of next-generation medication works by homing in on specific characteristics of the cancer cells, disrupting their inner workings and causing them to die, while sparing healthy cells.
For instance, the targeted drug bevacizumab (Avastin) attacks cancer by targeting a protein in malignant cells that enables them to form new blood vessels they need to grow.
Alternative and Complementary Therapies
Some women with ovarian cancer turn to alternative therapies in conjunction with traditional treatment to ease symptoms and side effects. Common therapies include:
Always talk to your doctor before trying an alternative treatment.
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