Your doctor can describe your treatment choices and the expected results.
Most women have surgery and chemotherapy. Rarely, radiation therapy is used.
Cancer treatment can affect cancer cells in the pelvis, in the abdomen, or
throughout the body:
Local therapy: Surgery and radiation therapy are local therapies. They remove
or destroy ovarian cancer in the pelvis. When ovarian cancer has spread to other
parts of the body, local therapy may be used to control the disease in those
specific areas.
Intraperitoneal chemotherapy: Chemotherapy can be given directly into the
abdomen and pelvis through a thin tube. The drugs destroy or control cancer in
the abdomen and pelvis.
Systemic chemotherapy: When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a
vein, the drugs enter the bloodstream and destroy or control cancer throughout
the body.
You may want to know how treatment may change your normal activities. You and
your doctor can work together to develop a treatment plan that meets your
medical and personal needs.
Because cancer treatments often damage healthy cells and tissues, side
effects are common. Side effects depend mainly on the type and extent of the
treatment. Side effects may not be the same for each woman, and they may change
from one treatment session to the next. Before treatment starts, your health
care team will explain possible side effects and suggest ways to help you manage
them.
You may want to talk to your doctor about taking part in a clinical trial, a
research study of new treatment methods. Clinical trials are an important option
for women with all stages of ovarian cancer. The section on "The Promise of
Cancer Research" has more information about clinical trials.
You may want to ask your doctor these questions before your treatment begins:
What is the stage of my disease? Has the cancer spread from the ovaries? If
so, to where?
What are my treatment choices? Do you recommend intraperitoneal chemotherapy
for me? Why?
Would a clinical trial be appropriate for me?
Will I need more than one kind of treatment?
What are the expected benefits of each kind of treatment?
What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment? What can we
do to control side effects? Will they go away after treatment ends?
What can I do to prepare for treatment?
Will I need to stay in the hospital? If so, for how long?
What is the treatment likely to cost? Will my insurance cover the cost?
How will treatment affect my normal activities?
Will treatment cause me to go through an early menopause?
Will I be able to get pregnant and have children after treatment?
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled, sac-like structures within an ovary. Causes of ovarian cysts are numerous. Symptoms of an ovarian cysts may be pain in the belly or pelvis. Treatment of an ovarian cysts depends on type of cyst.
Ascites, the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity is most commonly caused by cirrhosis of the liver. Some of the other causes of ascites include portal hypertension, congestive heart failure, blood clots, and pancreatitis. The most common symptoms include increased abdominal girth and size, abdominal bloating, and abdominal pain. Treatment depends on the cause of ascites.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
Women's health is an important topic area to guide a woman through the stages of her life, as well as knowing the conditions and diseases that may occur. Educating yourself so that the transitions into different phases of life is key to a healthy, happy, and productive life.
Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority of caregivers are middle-aged women. Caregiving can be very stressful, so it's important to recognize when it's putting to much strain on you and to take steps to prevent/relieve stress.
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