Many different treatments and combinations of treatments are used to treat ovarian cancer. The treatment plan for an individual patient depends on a number of factors, including the stage of the cancer and her age and general health. Surgery is the treatment for most women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The ovaries, the cervix, the uterus, and the fallopian tubes are usually removed in an operation called a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. If the cancer has spread, the surgeon usually removes as much of the cancer as possible to reduce the amount of cancer that will have to be treated later with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body.
After chemotherapy is completed, second-look surgery may be performed to directly examine the abdomen. The surgeon may remove fluid and tissue samples to see whether the anticancer drugs have successfully eliminated the cancer. Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. In some studies, all patients receive the new treatment.