Another way to give chemotherapy is to put the drug directly into the abdomen through a catheter. With this method, called intraperitoneal chemotherapy , most of the drug remains in the abdomen. After chemotherapy is completed, second-look surgery may be performed to examine the abdomen directly. The surgeon may remove fluid and tissue samples to see whether the anticancer drugs have been successful. 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.
Some women receive a treatment called intraperitoneal radiation therapy in which radioactive liquid is put directly into the abdomen through a catheter. In some studies, all patients receive the new treatment. Through research, doctors learn new, more effective ways to treat cancer. What Cancer Patients Need To Know . The NCI's CancerNet Web site provides information from numerous NCI sources, including PDQ , NCI's cancer information database.