The treatment for ovarian cancer depends on the type of ovarian cancer you have, the stage of the cancer, whether you wish to have children, whether you have a gene fault, your general health and fitness, and your doctors’ recommendations.
Learn more about:
- Overview
- Treatment options by types of ovarian cancer
- Other treatment options
- Making treatment decisions
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Radiation therapy
- Palliative treatment
Overview
Ovarian cancer is most often treated with surgery and chemotherapy, either on their own, or in combination. Whether you have surgery or chemotherapy first will depend on several factors. Targeted therapy drugs may be offered if you have certain genes changes in your tumour and/or if you have advanced cancer that could not be completely removed with surgery.
Treatment options by type of ovarian cancer
| epithelial – stage 1 |
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| epithelial – stages 2, 3 and 4 |
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| stromal cell |
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| germ cell |
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| borderline tumour |
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Other treatment options
Some women with ovarian cancer may feel that they are not given as many options for treatment as there are for other types of cancer. Currently there are several treatment options for ovarian cancer that have been proven to work.
Research is continuing into treatments for ovarian cancer.
In some cases, you may be able to join a clinical trial to access new treatment that are being investigated.
→ READ MORE: Surgery for ovarian cancer
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More resources
Dr Nisha Jagasia, Gynaecological Oncologist, Mater Hospital Brisbane, QLD; Sue Hayes, Consumer; Bronwyn Jennings, Gynaecology Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant, Mater Health, QLD; Dr Andrew Lee, Radiation Oncologist, Canberra Region Cancer Centre and Canberra Hospital, ACT; A/Prof Tarek Meniawy, Medical Oncologist, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, WA; Caitriona Nienaber, Cancer Council WA; Jane Power, Consumer; A/Prof Sam Saidi, Senior Staff Specialist, Gynaecological Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW
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