Ovarian cancer is hard enough to deal with upon the initial diagnosis, and sometimes even harder when recurrent ovarian cancer is diagnosed. Treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer will likely differ from the initial treatment.
Surgery
While aggressive surgery is often performed soon after the initial diagnosis, it usually isn't given much consideration upon recurrent ovarian cancer. Surgery may be considered if it a lot of time has passed since the successful completion of the first round of therapy and if there is strong evidence from follow up testing that suggests the disease is in a single mass and can be easily removed through surgery. There is no evidence showing surgery is beneficial for recurrent ovarian cancer patients.
Platinum Sensitive Ovarian Cancer
Platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer means that the woman was in remission for six months or longer before being diagnosed with recurring ovarian cancer. This suggests the platinum-based chemotherapy did work on her particular cancer. Treatment with two separate drugs is typically used for recurrent cancer, as recent evidence, according to the NOCC (National Ovarian Cancer Coalition), shows that this is more effective as a second line of treatment. Two to four cycles are necessary for the doctor to see if the combination is working effectively.
Platinum Resistant Ovarian Cancer
If ovarian cancer recurs within six months of treatment, it is considered platinum-resistant, meaning the disease is resistant to typical chemotherapy drugs. However, there are secondary chemotherapy drugs that are available and will be tried singularly. Two to four cycles are necessary to know if the secondary drugs are working. Unfortunately, if chemotherapy is not working, the only thing the doctor can do is try to find medication that will halt the growth of the disease and keep the patient as comfortable, physically, mentally and emotionally as possible. This is called supportive care.
Clinical Trials
Another option for recurring ovarian cancer patients is to participate in clinical trials. This means you will be taking experimental chemotherapy drugs to determine if they are useful or not. These drugs may work, or they may have serious side effects. Participating in clinical drug trials can help, or they can hurt, but participating is a decision that should be carefully thought out, and talked through by you, your doctor and your family.
Tags: ovarian cancer, chemotherapy drugs, recurrent ovarian, recurrent ovarian cancer, cancer patients