Ovarian Cancer Treatment
When you receive ovarian cancer treatment at UT MD Anderson, a multidisciplinary team of some of the nation’s foremost experts customizes your care. This team of specialists communicates and collaborates at every step. They customize your ovarian cancer treatment to be sure you receive the highest chance for successful treatment with the least impact on your body.
Our physicians have extensive experience in treating every type of ovarian cancer, including recurring and rare ovarian cancers. We offer the latest, most advanced therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapies, targeted therapies and immunotherapies.
Surgery usually is the first step in treating ovarian cancer. It is crucial that your surgeon be experienced in this delicate procedure. Studies have shown that patients with ovarian cancer have better outcomes and better chances for survival when the largest amount possible of the tumor is removed.
The gynecologic oncology surgeons at UT MD Anderson are some of the most experienced in the nation. This gives them a level of expertise that is available at few other cancer centers.
Pioneering research
Our experts are constantly researching newer and more advanced ovarian cancer treatment, including working to understand it on the molecular and genetic level. In some cases, we can offer gene therapy and targeted therapies that are available at only a few places in the nation.
We are proud to house a prestigious federally-funded Ovarian Cancer SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence) program. This means we can offer a wide variety of clinical trials for new therapies.
Ovarian cancer treatments
If you are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, your doctor will discuss the best options to treat it. This depends on several factors, including:
- The exact type of ovarian cancer
- The stage of the cancer
- The size of the tumor after surgery (debulking)
- Your desire to have children
- Your age and overall health
Surgery, followed by chemotherapy, is a common treatment for ovarian cancer. One or more of the following therapies may be recommended to treat ovarian cancer or help relieve symptoms.
Ovarian cancer surgery
Surgery is the main treatment for ovarian cancer. Often, ovarian cancer surgery is done to remove or biopsy a mass to find out if it is cancer. Once cancer is confirmed, the surgeon stages the cancer based on how far it has spread from the ovaries. If the disease seems to be limited to one or both ovaries, the surgeon may immediately remove the ovarian cancer and will biopsy the pelvis and abdomen to find out if the cancer has spread.
It is often obvious during the surgery whether ovarian cancer has spread; if it has, the surgeon will remove as much of the tumor as possible. This may help other treatments work better. This is called debulking.
The ovaries, uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and omentum (fatty tissue around these organs), and any other visible tumors in the pelvic and abdominal areas may be removed during debulking. The spleen, lymph nodes, liver or intestines also may be removed partially or completely. Sometimes debulking is not possible because the patient is not healthy enough or the tumor may be attached to other organs. In these cases, any tumor left will be treated with chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy for ovarian cancer
Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, control their growth or relieve disease-related symptoms. Chemotherapy may involve a single drug or a combination of two or more drugs, depending on the type of cancer and how fast it is growing.
You may need chemotherapy after surgery to destroy ovarian cancer cells that are still in the body.
Learn more about chemotherapy.
Intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IP therapy) for ovarian cancer is a way to give chemotherapy drugs. It may be used if a small amount of tumor is left after debulking. Sometimes IP chemotherapy works better than regular chemotherapy. In IP treatment, concentrated chemotherapy is put into the abdominal cavity through a catheter (tiny tube) or implanted port. This allows it to come into contact with the cancer and the area of the body where the cancer is likely to spread. The drugs also get into the blood and travel through the body.
Radiation for ovarian cancer
Radiation therapy uses powerful, focused beams of energy to kill cancer cells. There are several different radiation therapy techniques. Doctors can use these to accurately target a tumor while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
Although radiation therapy rarely is used to treat ovarian cancer, it may help destroy any cancer cells that are left in the pelvic area.
Learn more about radiation therapy.
Ovarian cancer targeted therapy
Targeted therapy drugs are designed to stop or slow the growth or spread of cancer. This happens on a cellular level. Cancer cells need specific molecules (often in the form of proteins) to survive, multiply and spread. These molecules are usually made by the genes that cause cancer, as well as the cells themselves. Targeted therapies are designed to interfere with, or target, these molecules or the cancer-causing genes that create them.
UT MD Anderson is among just a few cancer centers in the nation that are able to offer targeted therapy for some types of ovarian cancer.
Learn more about targeted therapy.
Immunotherapy
The immune system finds and defends the body from infection and disease. Cancer is a complex disease that can evade and outsmart the immune system. Immunotherapy improves the immune system’s ability to eliminate cancer. There are many different types of immunotherapy and some are available only in clinical trials.
Learn more about immunotherapy
Our ovarian cancer clinical trials
UT MD Anderson leads the nation in innovative research into the causes, prevention, detection and treatment of ovarian cancer. In fact, we are one of the few cancer centers in the nation to house a prestigious federally-funded Ovarian Cancer SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence) program. This means we can offer a variety of clinical trials of new treatments for ovarian cancer.
Learn more about clinical trials.
Learn more about ovarian cancer:
- Ovrian cancer overview
- Ovarian cancer symptoms
- Ovarian cancer diagnosis
- Ovarian cancer stages
- Ovarian cancer research
Featured Articles
Ovarian cancer is treated in our Gynecologic Oncology Center.
UT MD Anderson patients have access to clinical trials offering promising new treatments that cannot be found anywhere else.
Featured Podcast:
What is personalized ovarian cancer treatment?
Amir Jazaeri, M.D., and Roni Nitecki Wilke, M.D., discuss how a minimally invasive procedure called a second-look laparoscopy can help detect MRD, and how clinical trials and immunotherapy could play a role in personalized ovarian cancer treatments.
Stage III ovarian cancer survivor: Don’t ignore your symptoms
When I was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer in July 2023, it hit me like a thunderbolt. Ovarian cancer doesn’t run in my family. But I’m adopted. So, I didn’t have any way of knowing that I carry the BRCA1 genetic mutation, which makes you more likely to develop both breast and ovarian cancers.
If I had known that before my diagnosis, I might have done things a little differently. That’s why I tell people today not to ignore their symptoms — no matter how odd or minor they might seem. And don’t try to guess what’s causing them yourself. Ovarian cancer has so many symptoms that can be other things. Go to the doctor, get examined and find out for sure.
My ovarian cancer symptoms
My ovarian cancer symptoms started with bloating, though I didn’t realize it at the time. I’m a small person, so it was pretty easy to notice. The bloating started in December 2022. By the time I was diagnosed with cancer the following July, I felt like I was 10 months pregnant. There was also a weird hardening in my abdomen.
The next thing I noticed was weight loss. As a society columnist for a local newspaper, I attend a lot of galas, so I own several ball gowns. I was sitting at my makeup desk one day getting ready for one, when I realized that the top of my dress was too big. It was really weird.
I have never worried about my weight. I don’t even own a scale. And I wasn’t trying to diet. Yet all of my clothes were suddenly falling off of me. Even my rings wouldn’t fit anymore. I had to have all my ball gowns taken in. By the time a nurse finally weighed me at the doctor’s office, I was stunned. I was down to 111 pounds. I have weighed 120 pounds my entire adult life.
My ovarian cancer diagnosis
Despite the bloating and weight loss, it wasn’t until I went to a local emergency room that I finally learned I had ovarian cancer. I’d been diagnosed with a mildly prolapsed bladder just a few months earlier and had surgery scheduled to correct it. But a week before the procedure, I noticed something protruding from my vagina while I was in the shower. I was terrified.
The ER physicians performed CT scans of my abdomen and pelvis. It took them a long time to get back to me. Once they finally did, they said, “Well, you definitely have a prolapsed bladder. But we also believe that you have ovarian cancer.”
Little did I know that a prolapsed bladder was the least of my worries. It turned out that the reason for the prolapse was two giant masses in my abdomen: one on each ovary. The one on the left was the size of a football. The one on the right was the size of a small watermelon.
Why I chose MD Anderson for my ovarian cancer treatment
Once I understood that cancer was the real issue, I knew I was going to MD Anderson. Given its reputation, I didn’t even think about going anywhere else.
I called and made an appointment at MD Anderson League City, which is the location nearest my home on Galveston Island. There, I met with gynecologic surgeon, Dr. Gwyn Richardson.
She confirmed my diagnosis of stage III high-grade serous ovarian cancer. She recommended a debulking surgery to remove my ovaries, uterus and as much of the cancer as possible. I would also need chemotherapy. But Dr. Richardson warned me that if the cancer had already spread too much, she’d have to stop the procedure and take a different approach. If things went well, though, the surgery would last about seven hours.
I knew it was a good sign when Dr. Richardson gave me a thumbs-up as she walked into the recovery room. But I didn’t breathe easier until I asked her what time it was and she told me late evening. We high-fived, and I just started crying. I knew then that I truly had a chance of surviving this.
Life as an ovarian cancer survivor
My bladder never fully recovered from having so much pressure put on it. Just four months after the hysterectomy, it became dislodged again. So, I have to use a device called a pessary to hold it in place.
I’ll keep taking a PARP inhibitor called olaparib for the next two years to reduce my risk of recurrence. I also get a blood test every three weeks to monitor my CA-125 levels.
The good news is that it turned out the cancer hadn’t spread at all. It was only in my pelvis. So, Dr. Richardson got it all out. I had six rounds of chemo afterward to kill any microscopic cancer cells that might’ve escaped and rang the bell to celebrate my last infusion on Jan. 18, 2024.
I am still cancer-free today. But I also still can’t quite believe that I went into the hospital thinking I had one thing, only to learn that I had something totally different.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or by call 1-877-632-6789.
Ascites: 8 things to know about this ovarian cancer symptom
Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal space of the abdomen. Though it can be caused by several non-cancerous conditions, when seen alongside a pelvic mass, ascites is often a sign of peritoneal carcinomatosis, a classic symptom of advanced-stage ovarian cancer.
So, what causes ascites? Can it be treated? And, does it ever develop anywhere else?
We went to Travis Sims, M.D., a gynecologic oncologist specializing in ovarian and other gynecologic cancers. Here are eight things he shared about this ovarian cancer symptom.
How is the word ascites pronounced?
It’s pronounced “as-SYE-teez.”
What causes ascites?
Ascites are thought to be caused by a combination of:
- high levels of fluid production in the peritoneal cavity
- an obstructive process involving the peritoneal lymphatic system and increased vascular permeability –– or the exchange of fluids between organs and tissue.
It is largely caused by increased levels of a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
Does ascites ever develop anywhere else in the body?
Ascites, by definition, is the pathological accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity. But fluid can also accumulate in other parts of the body. If fluid accumulates around your lungs, for instance, that is called a pleural effusion.
Are any other cancers associated with the development of ascites?
Several, but the ones I am most familiar with are:
- ovarian cancer
- fallopian tube cancer
- primary peritoneal cancer
- endometrial cancer
Can any conditions other than cancer ever cause ascites?
Yes. Chronic hepatitis, liver failure, congestive heart failure, and pancreatitis, to name but a few.
How is ascites typically diagnosed?
In our patients, we often discover ascites during a physical exam.
Ascites can cause the abdomen to become very distended. We can often perceive a “fluid wave,” or movement of liquid beneath the surface when assessing patients with it. Patients may also complain of shortness of breath, abdominal tenderness and pain, loss of appetite, indigestion, fatigue, constipation, or back pain.
We can confirm the presence of ascites with imaging, such as an abdominal ultrasound or a CT scan of the abdomen.
Can ascites be treated?
Yes. Patients can undergo a procedure called therapeutic paracentesis, in which a needle is inserted into the abdomen to drain off the fluid. This can relieve their immediate discomfort, but the fluid tends to return without treatment of the underlying cancer.
In patients with advanced or recurrent cancer that is no longer responding to treatment, a catheter can be placed in their abdomen. This allows the patient to drain off fluid whenever they are uncomfortable or having painful symptoms.
What’s the one thing you want people to know about ascites?
Unfortunately, ovarian cancer is a disease that we cannot screen for. That’s why it is important to pay attention to your body. If you have unexplained abdominal distention, pain, or any of the other symptoms mentioned above persistently for a couple of weeks, please talk to your doctor.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.
What does ovarian cancer pain feel like?
Symptoms of ovarian cancer are so vague that roughly 80% of cases are diagnosed only after the disease has reached stage III or IV.
Abdominal pain is one of its top five symptoms. But what does ovarian cancer pain feel like? Does it ever come and go? And, when should you see a doctor?
We talked with Pamela Soliman, M.D., a surgeon who specializes in ovarian and other gynecologic cancers. Here’s what she shared.
What does ovarian cancer pain feel like?
Some patients describe it as a constant pain or a dull ache in their lower abdomen.
But many also report discomfort or bloating in their upper abdomen, even though the ovaries are situated much lower in the pelvis.
Does ovarian cancer pain ever come and go?
It can, but pain doesn’t have to be constant for it to ring an alarm bell. When pain lingers for more than two weeks and won’t go away with medication, that’s a big red flag.
So, if the pain doesn’t get better on its own after a couple of weeks, it’s important to let your doctor know.
What other conditions do patients tend to confuse with ovarian cancer pain?
- gas
- indigestion
- GERD/acid reflux
- gallstones
- menstrual cramps
What are the most common ovarian cancer symptoms?
In addition to abdominal pain or discomfort, there are four others. Some people use the acronym “BEACH” to help them remember.
B is for Bloating
Pay attention if it seems fairly consistent and can’t be explained by eating foods known to produce gas, such as beans or broccoli. Tumors use some of the food you eat to nourish themselves, too, so your face may get thinner while your abdomen gets larger.
E is for Early satiety
You can’t eat as much as you normally would because you feel full quickly, but your clothes still feel tight and you’re gaining weight.
A is for Abdominal pain or discomfort
This could also feel like acid reflux, gas, menstrual cramps, ovary pain or pressure in the pelvis.
C is for Changes in bowel or bladder habits
Diarrhea is one of the most commonly reported symptoms of ovarian cancer. But you could also be constipated or feel the urge to urinate more often.
H is for Heightened fatigue
Take note if you feel exhausted even after getting enough sleep, especially if you’re too tired to engage in normal daily activities.
What’s the one thing you want people to know about ovarian cancer pain?
A lot of women have ovarian cancer symptoms, and then they go to the doctor, and it turns out they’re fine. But if your symptoms persist, please let us know. Don’t just assume everything’s OK.
We rely on our patients to tell us what they’re experiencing so we can order additional testing if needed. So, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to advocate for yourself.
Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.