Does ovarian cancer have to be removed?
ovarian cancer is a malignant tumour that poses a serious threat to the health of women, and early symptoms of ovarian cancer are hidden, often with ovarian transfer occurring before the symptoms appear, and 70 per cent of patients are at an advanced stage of treatment; 70 per cent of ovarian cancer is repeated within two to three years of initial treatment; and 70 per cent of patients live for less than five years. As a result, ovarian cancer is known as the King of Women’s Cancer, as well as the female “silent killer”. The ovarian removal or not is of great concern to many patients and families.
The ovaries have important physiological functions for women. It is not only a place where eggs are produced and excreted, it is also a place where important sexual hormones, such as estrogens and gestational hormones, are distributed, all of which are critical to maintaining women ‘ s reproductive health, second sexual signs and the physical balance of the body. Thus, ovarian removal has a significant physical and psychological impact on women.
In the treatment of ovarian cancer, early ovarian cancer does not always require ovarian removal. For those who are young and have a strong need for reproduction and whose tumours are limited to one side of the ovaries, the integrity of the membrane, good cell separation, and high-risk factors such as abdominal water, care may be considered for the operation to preserve the function of reproduction. The procedure usually involves the removal of only the side ovaries and fallows, the retention of a normal ovaries and uterus on the side, and the opportunity for the patient to be naturally conceived after the operation. This choice, however, requires great care, and patients need to be closely monitored after the surgery, including regular ultrasound, oncological markers, etc., as there is still a risk of tumour re-emergence in the retained ovaries.
However, ovarian removal is often an important part of treatment for most ovarian cancer patients, especially those in the middle and late stages. When tumours have spread to ovaries on both sides, other pelvic organs or are moved at a distance, ovaries on both sides are removed in order to remove the tumour tissue and reduce the tumour load as far as possible. Because ovarian cancer cells are likely to breed and immerse in their ovaries, if ovarians are not removed, they will continue to grow and spread, posing a serious threat to the lives of the patients. Moreover, ovarian removal allows for better follow-up and integrated treatment, such as chemotherapy, decomposition, etc., and improves treatment effectiveness.
While ovarian removal is important in ovarian cancer treatment, it also poses a range of problems. In addition to the loss of fertility, patients suffer from early menopause symptoms. The sharp decline in estrogen levels can lead to heat, sweat theft, insomnia, emotional fluctuations, and vaginal dryness, among others, and can increase the risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. In order to alleviate these symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients after surgery, hormonal substitution treatment may be provided under the guidance of a doctor, but this requires balancing the potential effects of hormonal use on tumour recurrence.
In addition, the development of medical technology offers new hope for the treatment of ovarian cancer. For example, in some clinical trials, ovarian cancer of a particular genetic type, the target-oriented treatment drug can effectively control the growth of tumours without removing ovaries. There are also emerging treatments, such as immunotherapy, that may change the treatment model for ovarian cancer in the future and reduce reliance on ovarian hysterectomy.
Whether ovarian cancer is to be removed requires a comprehensive consideration of a wide range of factors, including the age of the patient, the need for fertility, the tumour spacing, the pathological type and genetic characteristics. Patients should fully communicate with the medical team to develop the most appropriate treatment for themselves and minimize the impact on quality of life while achieving the best treatment outcomes.
ovarian cancer
