Ovarian Chemotherapy In General
Today’s chemotherapy drugs are injected by vein (intra-venous), taken orally or administered directly into the abdomen (intra-peritoneal). Some may have research roots from decades ago, but most have been refined to improve their effectiveness.More drugs are available today, making it possible to treat recurrences effectively. In addition, there are many new medications which reduce side effects making the experience far more tolerable. The bottom line is that for ovarian cancer beyond stage I, chemotherapy is the MAIN treatment. Cure is possible only if it works.
My ovarian cancer guide pages certainly explore other things that you can do to improve your chances of cure and sustain a good quality of life. However, make no mistake about it. Your best bet for cure of advanced ovarian cancer is through chemotherapy.
When is Chemotherapy Given?
Chemotherapy for ovarian cancer might be given after surgery (adjuvant), before surgery (neo-adjuvant), or in some cases alone (palliative). Although the standard practice is to give chemotherapy after surgery has removed as much of the bulky cancer (de-bulking or cyto-reduction) as possible, there may be situations where neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is a better idea. Also, keep in mind that very early stage ovarian cancer may not require chemotherapy at all.How Much and How Often?
If chemotherapy is required, the planning process includes when, how often and how much. When it is given depends on the role of surgery in your treatment plan. The dose is calculated based on your height and weight and usually how well your kidneys are functioning (to excrete the remainder of chemotherapy and its metabolites).For stage II and up, six cycles of chemotherapy is the most common practice. This means receiving the drugs six times, roughly three weeks apart. Depending upon which drugs are used, this might be modified a little. Some drugs are given weekly or several days in a row, but each set of treatments is still called a cycle.
