Ovarian Cancer Treatment
Cancer is the malignant growth of tumor cells in any tissue of the body. A tumor is a mass of tissue which grows as a result of abnormal rate of cell growth and multiplication which in turn, is caused due to an unnatural disruption in the balance between the genes responsible for cell death (also called apoptosis) and those responsible for avoiding cell death (also called oncogenes and proto oncogenes). When the cell death mechanisms are lost or disrupted, cells ‘forget’ how to die and continue to grow and divide, hence creating masses of tissue called tumors.
Tumors can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are not true cancers, as they grow slowly but do not tend to spread, or metastasize, from one body part to another. It is only the malignant tumors which are classified as cancer, and are many times more invasive and therefore life threatening than benign tumors. Cancer of the ovaries, or ovarian cancer, therefore develops as a result of an overgrowth of tissues which compromise the ovary. Obviously, this cancer affects only women and must be differentiated from benign tumors and also cysts within the ovaries.
Therefore the first and the most important step in the treatment schedule is the correct diagnosis. Generally these cancers are discovered during routine check ups, ultrasounds and gynecological examinations, or as a result of symptomatic complaints, like pain, disrupted or increased menstrual flow, etc. these cases are then referred to an oncologist and a biopsy is a must. A cancer of the ovaries, like a lot of other diseases, if diagnosed on time, can be safely treated in a successful manner. The risk of remission is directly proportional to the delay in diagnosis and the severity, or grade, of the cancer.
Local therapies include surgical removal and radiotherapy. Systematic therapy includes chemotherapy and in some cases, teleradiotherapy. Intraperitoneal therapy includes chemotherapy in the form of drug infusion within the specific fascial plane, or tissue envelopes of the concerned organ(s).
The three treatment modalities which are followed in the treatment of cancer in general and as a part of the universal protocol are chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgical excision. The treatment modalities are generally used in combination and their use or sequence depends upon a number of factors, like the grade of the cancer, the stage of cancer, the degree of invasion and metastasis, the patient’s personal preference, the doctor’s preference and also the resources available.
Surgical excision is usually done in cases where the cancer has either not spread to other parts of the body via the lymph, bloodstream of direct invasion, or in cases where the patient herself opts for removal of either the whole or part of her ovary, but it's a last resort - quite like with liver cancer treatment. Laparoscopy is a surgical and diagnostic procedure through which the doctor can not only detect a growth but can also ‘nip’ off a small growth. It is useful only in the initial stages, though it is non invasive and less time consuming or traumatic than other, more invasive procedures.