Can ovarian cancer be cured?

Written by Liu Liang
Oncology
Updated on September 15, 2024
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Whether ovarian cancer can be cured depends on the clinical stage of the patient, as well as the patient's sensitivity to treatment, among other factors. If it is a case of early-stage ovarian cancer, curative surgery can be performed. After surgery, based on the pathology, it can be decided whether postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy is necessary. Patients with early-stage ovarian cancer who undergo surgery or postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy may have hope for a cure. However, if the cancer is discovered at a late stage where it has spread extensively, such as widespread metastasis to the pelvic area, or even to distant organs like the lungs or liver, then the treatment for these patients is primarily chemotherapy. A cure is not achievable; the treatment aims to alleviate symptoms and prolong the patient's life. Thus, for patients with late-stage ovarian cancer, treatment cannot achieve a curative purpose.

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How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?

Ovarian cancer is discovered through transvaginal ultrasound of the adnexa uteri revealing ovarian tumors, or through imaging studies such as abdominal CT scans or MRIs showing ovarian tumors, combined with tumor markers, particularly the ovarian epithelial cancer tumor marker CA125, which will be significantly elevated. Generally, with these findings, ovarian cancer can typically be clinically diagnosed. Confirmation, however, requires pathological diagnosis, which involves obtaining a biopsy of the tumor. This can be done through a puncture biopsy or through pathological examination after surgical excision to confirm ovarian cancer. Additionally, some patients with ovarian cancer present with substantial ascites at the time of discovery. If cancer cells are found in the abdominal fluid, combined with a significant increase in CA125 and imaging studies showing ovarian tumors, ovarian cancer can also be diagnosed.

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What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?

In the early stages, ovarian cancer often doesn't show many symptoms and can be detected during gynecological examinations. However, as it progresses, symptoms such as abdominal bloating, lumps in the abdomen, and ascites may occur. The severity of these symptoms depends on the size and location of the tumor, the extent to which it has invaded nearby organs, the histological type of the tumor, and whether the malignant tumor, ovarian cancer, has metastasized to other areas or is accompanied by other complications.

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Ovarian Cancer Dietary Precautions

The occurrence of ovarian cancer is not greatly related to dietary habits, so there are no special dietary restrictions or forbidden foods for patients with ovarian cancer. In Western medicine, unlike Traditional Chinese Medicine, which mentions certain "stimulating foods," there are no such prohibitions. Therefore, the diet for patients with ovarian cancer is the same as for anyone else, only requiring a balanced, comprehensive nutrition, and a combination of meat and vegetables. There are no special dietary considerations needed.

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Can ovarian cancer be detected by transvaginal ultrasound?

Ovarian cancer can generally be detected through a transvaginal ultrasound. During this procedure, we can find cystic or cystic-solid, or a solid mass in the ovaries. If a blood test for tumor markers shows a significant increase in CA125, especially in combination with a large amount of ascites, we must strongly suspect ovarian cancer. In such cases, patients should undergo a tumor biopsy. By taking a biopsy and confirming it pathologically, we can definitively diagnose ovarian cancer. Therefore, most ovarian cancer patients can indeed be detected through a transvaginal ultrasound.

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Is chemotherapy effective after the recurrence of ovarian cancer?

After the recurrence of ovarian cancer, most patients can still benefit from chemotherapy again, as ovarian cancer itself is relatively sensitive to chemotherapy compared to other types of malignant tumors. If the recurrence occurs more than six months after the initial treatment, the same chemotherapy drugs used initially can still be chosen. However, if the recurrence happens within six months, the chemotherapy plan should include different drugs that were not used previously.