Medications
Chemotherapy
is
used to shrink
ovarian cancer and slow cancer growth. Chemotherapy is
recommended for most women after the initial surgery for ovarian cancer.
Medication Choices
Different chemotherapy drugs are given in different ways.
Some are taken by mouth (oral), some are injected into a vein (intravenous, or IV), and others are injected through a
thin tube into the belly (intraperitoneal). Oral and IV chemotherapy is called
a systemic treatment because the medicines enter the bloodstream, travel
through the body, and kill cancer cells both inside and outside the ovaries. In
intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy, the drug is put into the body in the same
area as the cancer. It is not a systemic treatment, but a little of the
medicine still gets into the bloodstream.
Extensive research and
clinical trials have studied the different chemotherapy medicines used to treat
ovarian cancer. There are several drugs to treat ovarian cancer. Some are used
alone, and some are combined with other drugs. Your doctor will recommend
chemotherapy treatment that is specifically tailored to you.
Chemotherapy is recommended after surgery for most women with ovarian cancer.
The current standard of treatment is 6 cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin or
cisplatin. These medicines are injected into a vein (intravenously, or IV).
Each chemotherapy cycle is scheduled every 3 to 4 weeks, so chemotherapy may
last 4 to 6 months. Carboplatin is used more often than cisplatin because it
has milder side effects. The use of carboplatin or cisplatin with paclitaxel is
considered the most effective treatment for ovarian cancer.3, 22
-
Carboplatin
-
Cisplatin
-
Paclitaxel
Other medicines that may be used if ovarian cancer recurs
include:
-
Cyclophosphamide.
-
Doxorubicin.
-
Gemcitabine.
-
Topotecan.
Treatment of ovarian cancer with chemotherapy can cause
nausea and vomiting. Your doctor will prescribe
medicinesyou can take with your treatments and when
you get home, to help relieve any nausea that you may have.
What To Think About
Most chemotherapy causes some
side effects. Home treatment may help manage your symptoms. If your doctor
has given you instructions or medicines to treat your symptoms, be sure to
follow them. In general, healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet and
getting enough sleep and exercise can help control your symptoms.
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