Surgery for Ovarian Cancer :

Surgery usually is required to treat ovarian cancer. Most patients undergo surgery in addition to another form of treatment (e.g., chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy). Surgery helps the physician to accurately stage the tumor, make a diagnosis, and perform debulking (removal of as much tumor mass as possible). Debulking surgery is especially important in ovarian cancer because aggressive removal of cancerous tissue is associated with improved survival. Patients with no residual tumor mass, or tumor masses that measure less than 1 cm, have the best opportunity for cure.

The surgeon usually performs a laparotomy (through an abdominal incision) or laparoscopy (using a tube containing a light and camera that is inserted into the pelvic cavity through a small incision). A sample of the tumor (called a frozen section) is examined immediately under a microscope to confirm ovarian cancer and rule out metastasis from another site. If the cancer is a metastasis from another organ, the surgeon searches for the primary tumor within the abdominal cavity.

Once ovarian cancer is confirmed, a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus [womb], bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries on both sides), omentectomy (removal of the fatty tissue that covers the bowels), lymphadenectomy (removal of one or more lymph nodes) may be performed. Tissue removed during debulking is sent for histopathological examination.

Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer : 

Chemotherapy involves using drugs to destroy cancer cells. Many of these drugs destroy cancer cells by preventing them from growing and dividing rapidly. Unfortunately, many normal cells also divide rapidly and are damaged by chemotherapy. 

 Radiation for Ovarian Cancer :

Radiotherapy may be used to kill cancer cells from a cyst that ruptures during surgical removal of an ovary, or it may be used to treat certain patients who appear cancer-free or who have only microscopic evidence of disease at second-look surgery. It is historically the treatment of choice for germ cell tumors known as dysgerminomas. However, recently it has been found that chemotherapy can cure a percentage of such patients.

  

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Ovarian Cancer is a disease produced by the rapid growth and division of cells within one or both ovaries—reproductive glands in which the ova, or eggs, and the female sex hormones are made.

Ovarian cancer is not a single disease. There are actually more than 30 types and subtypes of ovarian malignancies, each with its own histopathologic (diseased tissue) appearance and biologic behavior.

Causes of Ovarian Cancer :

• More research is needed to find out whether the risk of ovarian cancer is increased by: having fertility treatment, having hormone replacement therapy (HRT), being overweight or obese
• Studies have shown that ovarian cancer may be less common in women who: have used the contraceptive pill, have had children, have breastfed their children, have had a hysterectomy.

Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer :

• Vague indigestion, nausea, excess gas (wind) and a bloated, full feeling
• Unexplained weight gain
• Swelling in the abdomen – this may be due to a build up of fluid, known as ascites, which can cause shortness of breath 
• Pain in the lower abdomen
• Changes in bowel or bladder habits, such as constipation, diarrhoea or needing to pass urine more often
• Lower back pain
• Pain during sex
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding, although this is rare.

Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer :

• Pelvic exam (for Ovarian Cancer)
• Ultrasound
• CA-125 assay (for Ovarian Cancer)
• Lower GI series, or barium enema
• CT (or CAT) scan
• Biopsy