What`s new in ovarian cancer research and treatment?

Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. Women have two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. The ovaries - each about the size of an almond - produce eggs (ova) as well as the hormones estrogen, progesterone. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and abdomen. At this late stage, ovarian cancer is difficult to treat and is often fatal. Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the ovaries. Women have two ovaries, one on each side of the uterus. The ovaries — each about the size of an almond — produce eggs (ova) as well as the hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Ovarian cancer often goes undetected until it has spread within the pelvis and abdomen. At this late stage, ovarian cancer is difficult to treat and is often fatal.

Ovarian cancer treatment is for cancer of the ovaries, the second most common form of gynecological cancer with an estimated 21,800 new cases expected to be diagnosed in 2010. The ovaries are a major part of a woman’s reproductive system in that they are responsible for producing two female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) and releasing eggs into the fallopian tubes for pregnancy to occur.
As with all other cancers, the decision to pursue a particular avenue of ovarian cancer treatment depends largely on the stage of the cancer at diagnoses. Additionally, any ovarian cancer treatment decision should take place through close and open lines of communication between both the oncologist and patient

Symptoms

• The difficulty in diagnosing ovarian cancer in the early stages is due to the lack of specific symptoms. Early-stage ovarian cancer does not cause obvious symptoms. By the time symptoms become noticeable, the cancer has grown and metastasized. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often overlooked or attributed to other conditions such as depression or irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms commonly include abdominal pressure, bloating or swelling, discomfort or pain in the pelvis, or urinary urgency. Additional symptoms may include indigestion, flatulence, nausea, appetite loss, changes in bowel or bladder habits, pain during intercourse, lack of energy, low-back pain and menstrual changes. Symptoms caused by ovarian cancer persist longer than two weeks and are unresponsive to antibiotics or other treatments.

Risk factorsand causes

·         Scientists continue to study the genes responsible for familial ovarian cancer. This research is beginning to yield clues about how these genes normally work and how disrupting their action can lead to cancer. This information eventually is expected to lead to new drugs for preventing and treating familial ovarian cancer. Research in this area has already led to better ways to detect high-risk genes and assess a woman's ovarian cancer risk. A better understanding of how genetic and hormonal factors (such as oral contraceptive use) interact may also lead to better ways to prevent ovarian cancer.

Treatment

• Treatment for ovarian cancer depends on the size of the tumor and its aggressiveness -- that is, whether it has metastasized. A surgical procedure called a laparotomy is performed to examine the abdominal cavity for sings of cancer in other organs. Tissue samples, or biopsies, may be taken for further testing. Treatment typically includes a combination of regimens.

Surgery

• The goal of surgery is to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Along with the affected ovary, the surgeon will usually remove the second ovary along with the Fallopian tubes and uterus, according to the Mayo Clinic. Neighboring lymph nodes and the omentum, a layer of fatty abdominal tissue, may also be removed because these are common sites of ovarian cancer metastasis.

Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy is generally administered after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. A combination of intravenous carboplatin and paclitaxel is administered first. The most common side effects are abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. If that regimen is ineffective, bevacizumab is administered. Bevacizumab interrupts the blood supply to the tumor, causing it to shrink. The most serious side effect associated with bevacizumab is bowel perforation.

Radiation Therapy

• Radiation therapy is ineffective for treating ovarian cancer, although it may be used for advanced cases.

 Latest and Advanced Minimally Invasive Surgery 

 for Ovarian Cancer in India

Indian Hospitals gives women with ovarian cancer access to the latest in cancer treatment. For example, Indian surgeons use fertility-sparing surgery, minimally and robotic surgery in select cases, when app minimally invasive surgery — also called laparoscopic surgery — for several conditions. In minimally invasive procedures, your doctor makes one or more incisions, each about a half-inch long, to insert a tube. The number of incisions depends on the type of surgery. The tube or tubes let the doctor slip in tiny video cameras and specially designed surgical instruments to perform the procedure.

When you have minimally invasive surgery, you're likely to lose less blood and have less postoperative pain, fewer and smaller scars, and a faster recovery than you would after open surgery. Depending on your condition, you may need only a short hospital stay. For some conditions, your doctor may recommend robotic surgery. That technology gives your doctor great precision, flexibility and control by providing a magnified, 3-D view of the surgical site.