What are the types of treatments for ovarian cancer

What are the types of treatments for ovarian cancer

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of cells in specific areas of the body. The accelerated mutation of cells invades the healthy tissues and organs, causing disintegration of the affected parts. Cancer has numerous manifestations. Among the myriad categories in cancer, ovarian cancer is a major threat to women in recent times. Ovarian cancer is often considered dangerous as the symptoms are not particularly obvious. However, there are several ovarian cancer treatments that can be effective in most cases, depending on the cancer stage.

1. What’s the best treatment for ovarian cancer?

In truth, there is no particular treatment that can be termed best. Ovarian cancer treatments are factored with the patient’s health condition as a whole. That is, the general health of the patient, age, and the stage of cancer are the points considered while choosing the best treatment.

Popular ovarian cancer treatments include chemotherapy and surgery, either singularly or as a combination of both. As a matter of fact, surgery is often a part in most treatments. The surgery itself is of different types, depending on the attributes of cancer. Surgeons evaluate the location, size, and stage of cancer to confirm the surgery type.

2. Laparotomy

Before any strategy is formalized, the oncologist may perform a procedure called laparotomy. It is the initial cytoreductive surgery, which refers to the discovery of potent cancer in the abdomen. This is the significant primary plan when it comes to treating ovarian cancer as it establishes a better understanding of the extent of cancer in the abdomen and pelvic region.

The aim of this particular procedure is to categorize its stage and provide a prognosis for a suitable treatment plan. All future treatments may be conducted with accurate insights gained through laparotomy. Mentioned below are a few effective types of surgery:

3. Omentectomy 

This methodology involves removal of tissues that outline the organs in the abdomen region, known as omentum. Doctors follow this process when cancer has expanded to the abdominal area.

4. Lymphadenectomy

In this surgery, the lymph nodes, which are the organs of the immune system, are removed. And of course, it is done only in the case of cancerous cells present in the lymph systems.

5. Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy

As this is the main origin of cancer, it is the removal of single ovaries and the connected fallopian tubes.

6. Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy

Similar to the previous surgery, in this kind of ovarian cancer treatment, the ovaries and fallopian tubes are removed.

7. Hysterectomy

This operation refers to the removal of uterus along with the ovaries and fallopian tubes, which is the same as bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Hysterectomy is a common ovarian cancer treatment that may be suggested in many cases.

Unfortunately, ovarian cancer may occur in children as well as young adults. And any standard ovarian cancer treatment is the removal of the reproductive organs, which are the ovaries and uterus. Therefore, doctors plan ovarian cancer treatment in the best interest of the patients by analyzing the probabilities with accuracy and in certain cases, dislodge only one ovary so that a patient can have the advantage of family life.