Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer - How Does it Work?

There are three main treatments for ovarian cancer, once a diagnosis is made. These are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. In some cases it will be recommended to have two or even all three of these treatments. When chemotherapy is recommended, it is usually given after the surgery in 6 doses spaced 3 weeks apart. This is called "first line" because it is the first time chemo is administered.



The chemotherapy drugs are injected intravenously, often by way of a port which your oncologist will place in your chest or arm. Sometimes intraperitoneal chemo is used which injects the drugs directly into the abdomen.



The standard initial therapy suggested by doctors uses a combination of a platinum-based drug such as carboplatin or cisplatin along with a taxane such as paclitaxel or docetaxel.



Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells that are left in your body after surgery, but they also damage normal cells, as the drugs do not differentiate between normal and diseased. The simple explanation is that they work by destroying rapidly-dividing cells which is a description of cancer cells. Unfortunately, other cells in the body also fall under this category and are also damaged in the process. The hair follicles are an example, which is why most patients experience hair loss. It is only a temporary condition though and the hair will begin to grow back almost immediately after the chemo is stopped, although in some cases it will look different at first. Other healthy cells that are damaged include red and white blood cells, platelets (which are needed for clotting), and cells that line the gastrointestinal tract. This can often cause the nausea which is so common with the treatment.



Because the chemo drugs can damage the bone marrow that normally produce cells, patients can experience low blood cell counts and often must take yet another medication to encourage the bone marrow to begin producing cells again. The combination of all of these drugs sometimes causes people to have mild forgetfulness and memory loss often referred to as "chemo brain." This should go away once treatments end.

Ovarian Cancer Chemotherapy

Ovarian cancer is the very common cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Chemotherapy is the better and very effective treatment to cure it. It is often given after surgery if the cancer was not removed at operation or if there is any high risk of tiny cancer cells left behind.



For ovarian cancer, chemotherapy treatment can be given after surgery as well as before surgery. This treatment is given for early stage of ovarian cancer to reduce the chance of cancer comeback. Chemotherapy uses one or more several drugs to kill cancer cells and they work by stopping the reproduction and division of cancer cells. Sometimes combination of drugs is also used to get better results.



The anti cancer drugs kill the remaining cancer cells after treatment or stop the growth or spread of tumors. Drugs can be given by direct injection into a vein, as pill and through catheter that enters the bloodstream and travel through out the body.



Chemotherapy depends on your weight, height and the function of your kidney. It is given in stages. For first stage and above that, it is very common practice. You have to receive drugging six times for at least six weeks separately.



There are many drugs available today that can treat recurrences effectively. Chemotherapy gives various side effects but there are many new medications available to reduce these side effects. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for ovarian cancer beyond stage first.



There is no guarantee that the cancer will not comeback after chemotherapy, but it can reduce the chance of reappearing. The risk of reappearing of cancer depends on each woman's situation. Your doctor can help you to know whether it will comeback or not. It is the only treatment that can reduce the risk of cancer if there is any little chance of your cancer coming back.



For ovarian cancer chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin and paraplatin used. Except these drugs such as topotecan, liposomal doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, etoposide, ifosfamide, hexamethylmelamine etc are also used.



However there maybe some unwanted side effects including kidney failure and nerve damage due to these drugs. Every woman needs to consult with their doctor about the individual chance of the cancer coming back and option of curing it without chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy in ovarian cancer

Fighting cancer is a disease that afflicts every year up to 25000 women in the United States. This disease begins with tumors in the ovaries, but the disease spreads to attack, not only cancer after all other parts of the body. Some women have their ovaries removed to detect the disease at an early stage. But at some point in the disease, surgery is unnecessary, and best hope for the patient is chemotherapy.



The problem with chemotherapy is doing very uncomfortable, even painful, and many women through all survival rates discourage victims of ovarian cancer. For others is nothing still value to try to combat the chance to live.



Before deciding if chemotherapy for you or not, is that it is better to know the facts:



Chemotherapy of ovarian uses powerful chemicals to kill cancer cells in the body. Give to these chemical substances your body sometimes by oral medications, but increasingly is pumped directly into the bloodstream with a needle and IV tubes.



Chemotherapy is uncomfortable. It is the rule that it feels much worse before the start to feel better. Patients often badly chemotherapy. They tend to lose their hair.



These effects occur because chemicals to kill the cancer cells also kill healthy cells at the same time. You think that cancer cells eliminating are healthy cells in the first place. For this reason, it is very important for chemotherapy patients take care of your body and maintain that fit their healthy cells, to stay at the top.



But after work with chemicals, they begin to feel better. In fact, even in cases where the chemotherapy to treat cancer, which many doctors prescribe more chemotherapy because even in situations where not all cancer cells are killed, destroyed the chemotherapy, cancer symptoms are enough of them is still the patient some relief.



One more important thing is who knows of chemotherapy of ovarian cancer are: no matter what if send and give a better opportunity to combat the disease to other people. Session emits any better as ovarian cancer chemotherapy of ovarian cancer in seeking a better understanding of the medical community. Made new could be discovered during treatment may one day his daughter, his grandson and many other women that come later from-regardless if it helps chemotherapy.