By Sandra Ray, Staff Writer
Testing for the cancer isn’t that easy either.
While regular pap tests can help screen for certain
types of cancer, it isn’t a reliable indicator of
ovarian cancer. Usually by the time a doctor can
detect ovarian cancer with a pap smear, the cancer
is already in advanced stages. Regular health exams,
however, can help physicians determine if there are
changes in the size of the ovaries or uterus. Tumors
in the ovaries that are still in the early stages
may not be detected early, though.
Women with several risk factors or a personal
history of breast cancer could be screened with a
vaginal ultrasound and possibly blood tests that
screen for “tumor markers.” Tumor markers can
include testing for increased amounts of CA-125 or a
protein in the blood that is generally higher in
women who have ovarian cancer. There are still many
clinical trials to develop further lines of research
along blood tests so that quicker methods of
detection can be brought to light.
Treatment:
Surgery is usually one of the first lines of
defense when fighting ovarian cancer. Surgical
options depend heavily on how far the cancer has
spread and the type of ovarian cancer that is
present. Some of these options can include removal
of one or both ovaries, a total hysterectomy – which
includes removal of the uterus as well as the
ovaries – or cutting away the tumors in the tissues,
leaving as much of the reproductive system intact as
possible.
One thing to remember is that once a surgeon
starts to remove tissue, he needs to have approval
to remove as much as he feels necessary in order to
prevent the cancer cells from spreading. Cancer that
is not removed can quickly spread as a result of the
surgery. Discuss how much surgery needs to be
performed, especially if the woman is still young
enough and wants to continue bearing children after
treating the cancer. Bear in mind that once the
procedure starts, the surgeon may need to do more
tissue removal than first anticipated. Discuss the
possibility that the surgery will be more extensive
than first anticipated.
Depending on the stage of the cancer and the
success of the surgery, chemotherapy and radiation
treatment may or may not be necessary. Chemotherapy
uses high-powered medications to destroy
cancer-causing cells in the body. Unfortunately,
chemotherapy does not discriminate between cancer
cells and non-cancer cells, so normal cells are
often killed during treatment as well. There are a
number of side effects of chemotherapy that include
nausea, vomiting, anemia (low red blood cell count),
hair loss, and decreased white blood cell and
platelet counts. Medications are available to combat
these side effects, with the exception of hair loss.
Generally hair will begin to grow back after
chemotherapy is completed.
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