Treatment options for ovarian cancer are varied, depending upon how early the cancer is dated. Surgery is the primary therapy, with the goal to remove as much of the tumor as is possible. The ovaries are removed, as well as the fallopian tubes, and often the uterus, cervix and parts of the vagina. The removal of all of these organs is called a radical hysterectomy.
Secondary therapy involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or a combination of the two. Your doctor will determine the protocol depending upon the aggression of the cancer, and the timeliness of its detection.
Finally, clinical trials are underway to discover how Herceptin fares in treating ovarian cancer. Herceptin is a biologic therapy that has been approved for breast cancer treatment. Biologic therapies target specific malfunctions in cancer cells and corrects only these cells, as opposed to chemotherapy, which targets both healthy and malignant cells.
