Ovarian cancer is a malignant neoplasm, the formation of which occurs from epithelial tissue. In most cases, the symptoms of the disease are mild. In this regard, most women go to a medical institution when the pathology is at a late stage of development and requires immediate surgical intervention. In order to prevent this, you must make an appointment with a doctor for the first warning signs. The specialist will conduct diagnostic measures and, based on their results, draw up the most effective treatment regimen for ovarian cancer.
Clinical picture
The disease can occur at any age. The pathogenesis of pathology has not been fully studied, but it is known that the genetic predisposition most often acts as a provoking factor.
For a long time, the disease is asymptomatic. Most often, the tumor is detected during an ultrasound, prescribed for a completely different reason, or during a routine examination by a gynecologist.
Signs that should alert any woman:
- Drawing in lower abdomen, moderate in intensity.
- Menstrual cycle failure.
- Constant weakness.
- A sharp decrease in body weight.
These symptoms are not specific, but their presence is a good reason to consult a gynecologist. It is a mistake to write off these signs on PMS or the consequences of being in a state of stress.
Ignoring the alarming symptoms leads to the fact that the process goes to a late stage of development. At this stage, the general condition worsens significantly:
- Blood is released from the genital tract with various impurities.
- The abdomen significantly increases in size. This is due to the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.
- The urge to urinate becomes very frequent.
- Disrupted evacuation of intestinal contents.
- Women are worried about weakness, pain in the lower abdomen, dizziness.
Regardless of the severity of symptoms, treatment for ovarian cancer cannot be delayed. Lack of therapy and surgery can be fatal.
Severity
The disease goes through several stages of development:
- First one. At this stage, women are not bothered by severe symptoms. Most often, the disease is detected at random during a routine examination by a gynecologist. In most cases, the lesion is one-sided. According to medical reviews, the treatment of ovarian cancer in the first stage is not difficult and, as a rule, it is successful. The following symptoms should be on alert: bloating, pelvic discomfort, nausea, loss of appetite, frequent urination, urine loss, weight gain, waist increase in volume for no apparent reason.
- Second. At this stage, the course of the disease can have several options. Cancer cells can be found in the uterus and / or abdominal cavity. In addition, the tumor can significantly increase in size and spread to the pelvic organs. Symptoms in the second stage increase in intensity, however, it is very difficult to determine the exact localization of discomfort.
- Third. In this case, the affected tissue can grow within the pelvis or spread further. Metastases in this case can be detected in the abdominal cavity and regional lymph nodes. The following symptoms are added to the existing symptoms: severe pain in the pelvic region, anemia, an increase in the abdomen in size, the presence of blood in the vaginal discharge.
- Fourth. In this case, malignant cells spread throughout the body. Symptoms are becoming more pronounced, there are signs of a malfunction of all internal organs. The prognosis for such patients is disappointing.
Surgery is the main treatment for ovarian cancer. Before and after the operation, drug therapy is mandatory. The amount of intervention directly depends on the severity of the pathology. For example, at stage 3, treatment of ovarian cancer involves the removal of not only affected tissues, but also the uterus with appendages. Thus, in order to maintain reproductive function, it is necessary to consult a doctor if the first unpleasant sensations occur.
Chemotherapy
Using this method of treating ovarian cancer, you can reduce the number of cancer cells and stop the growth of the tumor. Chemotherapy is carried out at stages 1, 2 and 3, at 4 its implementation is impractical due to low efficiency.
This method of treating ovarian cancer is most often prescribed before surgery. After completing the course, the following positive changes are noted:
- The tumor is reduced in size. Consequently, the volume of intervention is also reduced.
- The growth of the neoplasm stops.
- The rate of malignancy decreases.
- The spread of metastases stops.
According to doctors, treatment of ovarian cancer with chemotherapy is effective, but does not exclude the need for surgery. After the intervention, the course is repeated. This helps prevent a relapse of the disease and reduce the number of malignant cells in the body of a woman. If the patient has stage 1, chemotherapy is performed only before surgery.
Treatment involves the introduction of several drugs at once. Chemotherapy options:
- “Cisplastine” + “Cyclophosphamide” + “Adriablastin”.
- Vincristine + Actinomycin D + Cyclophosphamide.
- “Cisplastine” + “Vinblastine” + “Bleomycin”.
- Paclitaxel + Ifosfamide + Cisplastine.
- "Etoposide" + "Ifosfamide" + "Cisplastine".
- “Vinblastine” + “Ifosfamide” + “Cisplastine”.
On average, after surgery, doctors prescribe 6 courses of chemotherapy. Treatment in this case is stretched for 2-3 years. After its completion, patients have neither moral nor physical strength, their immunity is also weakened. In this regard, women need to eat right, often walk in the fresh air, take vitamin complexes and be constantly monitored until complete recovery.
Radiation therapy
A few years ago, this method was an independent way to treat ovarian cancer in women. However, at present, doctors believe that radiation therapy is not highly effective in the fight against the disease. It is prescribed to relieve signs of relapse, when the disease is not amenable to either chemotherapeutic or surgical exposure. In addition, it is indicated for patients in need of palliative treatment.
Sometimes a course of radiation therapy is prescribed after surgery to destroy the remaining cancer cells in the body. Depending on the severity of the disease, either the pelvic area, or the pelvic and abdominal are irradiated.
Oral medication
Currently, oncologists are increasingly beginning to prescribe targeted drugs. Their active components negatively affect cancer cells, but healthy tissue does not suffer. Targeted drugs can be prescribed in combination with antitumor drugs. The latter also inhibit the growth of tumors and prevent the spread of the malignant process.
As part of the treatment for ovarian cancer, the following drugs may be prescribed:
- Avastin. Against the background of taking, the blood supply to the tumor is significantly deteriorating, due to which it ceases to increase in size. In addition, the likelihood of metastasis is reduced.
- Pembrolizumab. This drug has been shown to be highly effective in treating ovarian cancer with metastases. According to reviews of oncologists, this is the latest tool, against the background of which the women's immune system is stimulated in such a way that the body itself begins to attack and destroy cancer cells.
- "Abiplatin." The active component of the drug binds to the genetic material of malignant cells and damages it, so that the tumor stops growing. Against the background of treatment, healthy tissues can be affected, which is a drawback of the drug.
- Paclitaxel This is an antitumor drug that is often prescribed for the treatment of stage 3 ovarian cancer. It is indicated for women in whom combination therapy has not led to positive changes.
- Gemzar. An antitumor agent whose active component damages the genetic material of cancer cells. Its disadvantage is that against the background of treatment in the bone marrow the formation of blood cells is suppressed, which leads to anemia.
Very often, the fact that the tumor grows against the background of the active production of a hormone is revealed. In this case, it is necessary to slow down the process of its synthesis. To this end, hormone therapy is carried out, which involves taking estrogens, androgens, antiestrogens and progestins.
Self-prescribing drugs is unacceptable. Only a doctor can evaluate the appropriateness of taking a particular drug based on the history and the results of a comprehensive diagnosis. In addition, the above medicines are not in the public domain.
Surgical intervention
Surgical treatment is the main way to combat the disease. The purpose of the surgery is to remove the primary lesion. Excision of the affected tissue is carried out in the maximum possible volume.
Most often, during surgery, surgeons remove the uterus along with the appendages and both ovaries. If a woman wants to maintain reproductive function, only affected tissue can be excised. However, little depends on the wishes of the patient. For example, if there is a threat to a woman’s life, there can be no question of maintaining childbearing function, that is, doctors completely remove the uterus with appendages and ovaries.
If during the operation the surgeon has discovered that the malignant process has spread to the intestines and / or bladder, he partially removes these organs.
It is not always possible to excise all affected tissue. In this case, the doctor intervenes as much as possible, and after surgery, treatment of ovarian cancer continues with chemotherapy.
Unfortunately, most women go to a medical institution when the disease is in advanced stages. Meanwhile, at the early stage of oncology development, partial removal of the affected organ is carried out, which allows you to maintain reproductive function. At stages 3-4, such operations are not performed due to the large area of the affected tissues.
Rehabilitation
As mentioned above, the operation is not the last stage in the fight against the disease. After surgery, you must undergo chemotherapy. Naturally, this cannot but affect health and well-being.
After treating ovarian cancer, women experience many side effects. The task of doctors is to alleviate their manifestations or eliminate them altogether.
As part of the rehabilitation, the following activities are carried out:
- Drug therapy. The doctor prescribes laxatives and antiemetics, as well as hormonal drugs and immunomodulators.
- Psychological help. Relatives and friends should support the woman. If necessary, they can resort to the help of medical staff, social workers and psychotherapists.
- Physiotherapy.
- Physiotherapy. Moderate exercise helps to improve the blood circulation. In addition, the body is updated faster at the cellular level.
Doctors advise to communicate with people who have had a serious illness during the rehabilitation period. Currently, there are many specialized centers where recovery is faster. Within their walls, women can also chat with other former patients and receive psychological support.
Forecasts
The treatment for ovarian cancer is very complex and lengthy. The outcome of the disease directly depends on the severity of the disease.
Doctors say that if a woman consulted a doctor in a timely manner, the prognosis in this case is the most favorable. This is due to the fact that at the initial stage of development, ovarian cancer responds well to treatment. Survival in this case is 80-90%.
If stage 2 oncology was detected, the prognosis is slightly worse. With proper treatment, five-year survival does not exceed 70%. If women regularly visit a doctor and do not have bad habits, they can live much longer.
If ovarian cancer was detected at stage 3, it all depends on the spread of the malignant process. The average survival rate is only 45%. In the presence of ascites complications, this indicator decreases by half.
For women with advanced cancer, the prognosis is disappointing. Only 15% of patients have a chance to live another 5 years. In the presence of ascites, the survival rate is only 1.5%.
Alternative therapy
Many women resort to folk remedies for the treatment of ovarian cancer. It is important to understand that oncology is an ailment that often ends in death. In this regard, it is unacceptable to consider the treatment of ovarian cancer with folk remedies as the main method.
During the fight against the disease, the body of any woman is greatly weakened. To maintain it, doctors recommend using the following remedies:
- Infusion of hop cones.
- Beetroot juice.
- Infusion based on propolis and a golden mustache.
Experts do not recommend experimenting with health and follow the advice of friends. It is important to know that many plants can, on the contrary, accelerate tumor growth and provoke the appearance of metastases.
Finally
Ovarian cancer is a malignant pathology, which at an early stage of development is often asymptomatic. In this regard, most women go to the doctor even when the oncological process spreads throughout the body.
The treatment regimen for ovarian cancer is based on the results of a comprehensive diagnosis. The main method of dealing with the disease is surgery. The volume of surgical intervention directly depends on the severity of the pathology. Before and after surgery, radiation or chemotherapy can be prescribed. Additionally, oral administration of targeted and anticancer drugs is indicated.