The mainstay of treatment of ovarian cancer is surgery, combined with chemotherapy. The role of radiation therapy in the treatment of ovarian cancer is limited.

The specific type of treatment to be undertaken for ovarian cancer will depend upon :

• Age of the patient
• General health of the patient
• Type of ovarian cancer
• Stage and grade of ovarian cancer
• Degree of spread and metastasis of the cancer
• Desire to have children
• Recurrence of cancer
• Side effects of treatment vs benefits

continue reading Types of Ovarian Cancer Surgery, Radiation and Chemotherapy

Testing for Ovarian Cancer

Early diagnosis of ovarian cancer is rare because of the absence of symptoms in the early stages and the lack of reliable screening methods to detect ovarian cancer specifically. A Pap smear has no role to play in the detection of ovarian cancer unless it has metastasized to the cervix or vagina. Surgical diagnosis and staging should be done as soon as possible, with minimum pre-operative tests, when a pelvic mass is suspected to be ovarian cancer.

While a clinical history of vague gastrointestinal symptoms or abnormal vaginal bleeding may be correlated with ovarian cancer after it is diagnosed, it is rare where these symptoms immediately raise the concern ovarian cancer. High risk women should be monitored and the presence of these symptoms should prompt immediate investigation. Read more on ovarian cancer risks.

continue reading Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis – Blood Tests, Scans, Biopsy

Stages of Ovarian Cancer

Staging indicates the degree of spread of the cancer. This helps to indicate the prognosis and determines the type of treatment that is to be undertaken. Surgical staging may be done at the time of surgery if the cancer appears to be confined to the pelvis. The excised uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, lymph nodes and other abdominal tissues are examined for macroscopic signs of cancer and are sent to the laboratory to be examined under the microscope for cancer cells. Imaging tests such as CT scan and MRI can determine the spread of disease and help in staging of ovarian cancer.

continue reading Stages of Ovarian Cancer, Grading and Survival Rate

Causes and Risk Factors of Ovarian Cancer

Although the exact cause of ovarian cancer is unknown, various risk factors have been identified which may be linked with its development. It is important to understand that while these risk factors increases the chance of ovarian cancer to various degrees, it is not a definitive cause that will result in a malignancy in every person. Some of these risk factors may include :

Ovulation

Repeated ovulation provides opportunities for cell mutation following repeated disruption of the epithelium (by rupture of the Graafian follicles as it releases an ovum) as well as activation of cellular repair mechanism during and after ovulation. This theory is substantiated by observations that the following conditions protect against ovarian cancer.

• Chronic anovulation (absence of ovulation).
• Long term use of oral contraceptives.
• Multiple childbirths.
• Breastfeeding.

However, ovulation is a normal part of the menstrual cycle and should not be interrupted as a means of protecting against ovarian cancer.

continue reading Causes of Ovarian Cancer and Risk Factors