How To Treat Ovarian Cancer

Total Hysterectomy And Oophorectomy

A woman with advanced ovarian cancer may need to undergo an oophorectomy and total hysterectomy. A total hysterectomy is a surgical procedure where the uterus and cervix are completely removed from the body. The most advanced form of ovarian cancer is often treated with a radical hysterectomy with bilateral Salpingo-oophorectomy. A radical hysterectomy with bilateral Salpingo-oophorectomy is a procedure used to treat ovarian and uterine cancer where the ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, uterus, the upper part of the vagina, and tissue that surrounds these components are all removed from the body. This type of extreme approach to treating ovarian cancer is known to provide patients with the best chance of survival and the least risk for cancer reoccurrence. A patient who has had a radical hysterectomy with bilateral Salpingo-oophorectomy, a total hysterectomy, and a bilateral oophorectomy will be unable to bear children.

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Surgical Debulking

A patient affected by later stages of ovarian cancer like stage III and stage IV ovarian cancer may need to undergo surgical debulking. Surgical debulking is a surgical procedure that aims to excise as much of the cancerous ovarian tumor as possible. The primary goal of surgical debulking is to remove all visible cancer and tumors larger than one centimeter. Other organs in the body may be affected when patients undergo surgical debulking to treat their ovarian cancer. In some cases, a piece of the colon will need to be removed to ensure the proper debulking of cancer. A piece of the small intestine may also need to be removed during surgical debulking for it to be successful. The intestines are either sewn directly back together after the diseased piece has been removed, or a stoma or ileostomy is made in the abdomen. In some cases, surgical debulking may require the removal of a piece of the bladder. A catheter is installed in the bladder until it can recover.

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