Ovarian cancer treatment
The main treatments for ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal cancer are surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapies.
Treating ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer
The main treatments for cancer of the ovary, fallopian tube cancer or cancer of the peritoneum are:
Depending on the stage of the cancer, the aim of treatment may be to cure the cancer or control it for as long as possible. Your cancer doctor and specialist nurse will explain the aim of treatment to you.
Sometimes hormonal therapy or radiotherapy is used to improve symptoms. Your cancer doctor may also talk to you about taking part in a clinical trial to research new treatments.
The treatment you have will depend on:
- the type of cancer you have
- its stage and grade
- your general health
- your personal preferences.
Cancer treatments can cause an early menopause. They can also affect your ability to get pregnant (fertility). If you still want to be able to get pregnant, talk to your cancer doctor before treatment starts
We understand that having treatment can be a difficult time for people. We are here to support you. If you want to talk, you can:
- Call the Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00.
- Chat to our specialists online.
- Visit our ovarian cancer forum to talk with people who have been affected by ovarian cancer, share your experience, and ask an expert your questions.
Related pages
Treating borderline ovarian tumours
Most borderline tumours are found at an early stage and can often be cured with surgery. No further treatment is needed, and these tumours rarely come back.
Rarely, borderline tumours behave more like a low-grade cancer. If this happens, you may need more treatment.
Ovacome has more detailed information about borderline ovarian tumours.
Treating stage 1 cancer
Some stage 1 cancers in the ovary or fallopian tube can be cured with surgery.
If you want to get pregnant in the future, you may be able to have surgery to remove only the affected ovary and fallopian tube. This is called fertility-sparing surgery. It is only possible for very early stage (stage 1a), low grade cancers.
If the cancer is stage 1c or high-grade, you will have surgery, but not fertility-sparing surgery. Your doctor may advise you to have chemotherapy after surgery. This is to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.
Related pages
Treating stage 2 to 4 cancer
You will usually have surgery and chemotherapy. You may also have treatment with a targeted therapy drug.
Surgery
You usually have surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. If the cancer has spread to other areas in the pelvis, you may need more surgery.
Sometimes you have chemotherapy before surgery. This is to shrink the cancer and make it easier to remove. You may have chemotherapy into the tummy area during surgery. This is called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy or HIPEC.
Chemotherapy
You have chemotherapy to:
- after surgery – to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back (adjuvant chemotherapy)
- before surgery – to shrink the cancer in the places where it cannot be removed (neo-adjuvant chemotherapy)
- to treat any cancer that cannot be removed during surgery
- during surgery – to help treat cancer cells in the tummy area (HIPEC)
- as your main treatment – if surgery is not the best option for you.
If you have chemotherapy before surgery, you have a CT scan halfway through the course of chemotherapy treatment.
If the cancer has shrunk enough, you have surgery before having more chemotherapy. If not, you finish the whole course of chemotherapy.
Targeted therapy drugs
You may have targeted therapy with or after chemotherapy, to help control the cancer. This is called maintenance treatment.
You may have maintenance treatment with a targeted therapy drug called bevacizumab. You have this if the cancer has spread or come back. You have bevacizumab into a vein as a drip (infusion).
You may have a type of targeted therapy drug called a PARP inhibitor. You have these if the cancer has responded to chemotherapy. You usually have PARP inhibitors after the first course of chemotherapy. But you may have PARP inhibitors after chemotherapy has finished, if the cancer comes back.
You may have bevacizumab with a PARP inhibitor called olaparib.
Treating cancer that comes back
If cancer comes back, it can usually be treated again with chemotherapy, targeted therapy and sometimes more surgery.
You may have several courses of chemotherapy and targeted therapy over several years. This can help to keep the cancer under control and improve any symptoms. Sometimes doctors will talk to you about hormonal therapy if you do not want more chemotherapy or want to delay it.
Treating symptoms of advanced cancer
Sometimes ovarian cancer may cause discomfort or pain. It may also cause bowel problems and fluid to gather in the tummy. Treatments can help manage and reduce these symptoms. For example, you may have radiotherapy to reduce pain or bleeding in the pelvis. If you have fluid in the tummy (ascites), a doctor can drain it to make you feel more comfortable.
Your cancer doctor and specialist nurse will help to make sure your symptoms are controlled. This is called supportive or palliative care. You may see a specialist palliative care doctor or nurse for expert help with your symptoms.
We have more information about coping with advanced cancer.
About our information
This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer.
-
References
Below is a sample of the sources used in our ovarian cancer information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at informationproductionteam@macmillan.org.uk
Ovarian cancer: recognition and initial management. Clinical guideline [CG122] Published: 27 April 2011 Last updated: 02 October 2023 www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg122 (accessed May 2024)
Ovarian cancer: identifying and managing familial and genetic risk. NICE guideline [NG241]. Published: 21 March 2024 www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng241 (accessed May 2024)
A. González-Martín, P. Harter, A. Leary, D. Lorusso, R. E. Miller, B. Pothuri, I. Ray-Coquard, D. S. P. Tan, E. Bellet, A. Oaknin & J. A. Ledermann, on behalf of the ESMO Guidelines Committee. Newly diagnosed and relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Published August 17, 2023. www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534(23)00797-4/fulltext (accessed May 2024)
Date reviewed
Our cancer information meets the PIF TICK quality mark.
This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.
The language we use
We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.
We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:
- use plain English
- explain medical words
- use short sentences
- use illustrations to explain text
- structure the information clearly
- make sure important points are clear.
We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.
You can read more about how we produce our information here.