Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignant tumors, often known as the “silent killer”, because its early symptoms are not obvious, and it is often diagnosed when the disease develops to an advanced stage. With the progress of medical technology, the treatment of ovarian cancer has developed from traditional surgery and chemotherapy to multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment including targeted therapy, immunotherapy and personalized therapy. This article will introduce the main treatment methods of ovarian cancer in detail to help you better understand the current situation and prospects of the treatment of this disease.
1. Basic treatment of ovarian cancer The treatment of ovarian cancer mainly depends on the stage of the disease, the type of cancer cells, the overall health of patients and other individual differences. Usually, the treatment of ovarian cancer includes the comprehensive application of surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy. 1. Surgery is the basis of ovarian cancer treatment, especially in early ovarian cancer, surgery can play a radical role. The purpose of the operation is to remove the ovary and the surrounding affected tissue to minimize the number of cancer cells in the body. Depending on the stage of the ovarian cancer, the scope of surgery may include: Oophorectomy: Patients with early ovarian cancer may undergo unilateral or bilateral oophorectomy, depending on the spread of the tumor. Hysterectomy: Often during surgery, the doctor will also remove both the uterus and fallopian tubes to reduce the risk of cancer cells coming back. Omentectomy: The greater omentum is a layer of fatty tissue in the abdomen that ovarian cancer can easily spread to through the lymphatic system, so it is usually removed during surgery. Lymphadenectomy: If cancer cells are suspected to have spread to nearby lymph nodes, the doctor may perform a lymph node resection. For advanced ovarian cancer, surgery is not only part of the treatment, but also can reduce the tumor burden in the body by cytoreductive surgery, thus improving the effect of subsequent chemotherapy. 2. After chemotherapy and surgery, most ovarian cancer patients need chemotherapy, especially those with advanced or residual cancer cells. The purpose of chemotherapy is to reduce the risk of recurrence by killing residual cancer cells in the body with drugs. Commonly used chemotherapy drugs include: Platinum drugs (such as cisplatin and carboplatin): Platinum drugs are the core drugs of ovarian cancer chemotherapy, which can inhibit the growth and division of cancer cells by destroying their DNA. Taxanes (e.g., paclitaxel): Paclitaxel is often used in combination with platinum-based drugs to enhance the cancer-killing effect. The standard chemotherapy regimen for ovarian cancer is usually given every three weeks for six to eight consecutive sessions. Some advanced patients can also be treated by intraperitoneal chemotherapy, that is, chemotherapy drugs are directly injected into the abdominal cavity, so as to improve the local drug concentration and enhance the therapeutic effect. 3. Targeted therapy Targeted therapy is a precise treatment method by inhibiting the molecular mechanism of cancer cell growth and diffusion. Significant progress has been made in the targeted therapy of ovarian cancer in recent years, especially in targeting angiogenesis inhibition and DNA repair mechanisms, which significantly improve the survival of advanced patients. Bevacizumab: Bevacizumab is an anti-angiogenic drug that inhibits the growth of tumors by preventing cancer cells from generating new blood vessels to obtain nutrients. It is often used in combination with chemotherapy and is indicated for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer and the maintenance treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer. PARP inhibitors: Ovarian cancer patients with BRCA gene mutations respond well to PARP inhibitors (e.g., olaparib, nilaparib). PARP is a key enzyme to repair DNA damage. Inhibiting PARP can make cancer cells unable to repair their damaged DNA, leading to cancer cell death. PARP inhibitors are not only used in ovarian cancer patients with BRCA mutations, but also gradually promoted to patients who are sensitive to chemotherapy. 4. Immunotherapy immunotherapy is an emerging therapy that mobilizes the patient’s own immune system to identify and kill cancer cells. Although the application of immunotherapy in ovarian cancer is still in the exploratory stage, some clinical studies have shown that certain immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, may be effective in specific types of ovarian cancer patients. At present, immunotherapy is more often used in combination with other therapies (such as chemotherapy and targeted therapy) in order to improve the overall therapeutic effect. 5. Radiotherapy is rarely used in the treatment of ovarian cancer, mainly for local control of tumors in specific areas. Generally speaking, radiotherapy is mostly used to control or relieve symptoms at specific sites after recurrence of ovarian cancer.
2. Personalized treatment of ovarian cancer With the progress of genomics and molecular diagnostic technology, personalized treatment of ovarian cancer has become possible. Through genetic testing of patients’tumors, doctors can tailor the most appropriate treatment plan according to the specific gene mutations and biological characteristics of tumors. The goal of this personalized treatment is to improve efficacy and reduce unwanted side effects. BRCA gene testing: BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations are closely associated with the development of ovarian cancer, and patients with these mutations respond well to targeted therapies such as PARP inhibitors, so gene testing can help select the most effective treatment options. Genomic analysis: Through genomic analysis of tumor tissue, doctors can discover other possible mutation targets and select the most effective targeted drugs.
3. The prospect of ovarian cancer treatment is gradually changing from traditional surgery and chemotherapy to multidisciplinary and personalized treatment mode. The application of targeted therapy and immunotherapy has brought new hope to many advanced patients. In addition, the prognosis of ovarian cancer is expected to be further improved with the improvement of early diagnosis technology. Future research directions include: the development of early diagnosis technology: to improve the early diagnosis rate of ovarian cancer through the detection of new markers, thereby improving the survival rates. Research and development of new targeted drugs: develop more precise targeted drugs for different types of ovarian cancer. Optimization of combination therapy: Explore the best combination of therapies to maximize patient survival by combining multiple therapies (e.g., chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy).
