Chemotherapy is used to shrink ovarian cancer and slow cancer growth. Chemotherapy is recommended for most women after the initial surgery for ovarian cancer.

Medication Choices

Different chemotherapy drugs are given in different ways. Some are taken by mouth (oral), some are injected into a vein (intravenous, or IV), and others are injected through a thin tube into the belly (intraperitoneal). Oral and IV chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the medicines enter the bloodstream, travel through the body, and kill cancer cells both inside and outside the ovaries. In intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy, the drug is put into the body in the same area as the cancer. It is not a systemic treatment, but a little of the medicine still gets into the bloodstream.

Extensive research and clinical trials have studied the different chemotherapy medicines used to treat ovarian cancer. There are several drugs to treat ovarian cancer. Some are used alone, and some are combined with other drugs. Your doctor will recommend chemotherapy treatment that is specifically tailored to you.

Chemotherapy is recommended after surgery for most women with ovarian cancer. The current standard of treatment is 6 cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin or cisplatin. These medicines are injected into a vein (intravenously, or IV). Each chemotherapy cycle is scheduled every 3 to 4 weeks, so chemotherapy may last 4 to 6 months. Carboplatin is used more often than cisplatin because it has milder side effects. The use of carboplatin or cisplatin with paclitaxel is considered the most effective treatment for ovarian cancer.^{3, 22}

Carboplatin

Cisplatin

Paclitaxel

Other medicines that may be used if ovarian cancer recurs include:

Cyclophosphamide.

Doxorubicin.

Gemcitabine.

Topotecan.

Treatment of ovarian cancer with chemotherapy can cause nausea and vomiting. Your doctor will prescribe medicines you can take with your treatments and when you get home, to help relieve any nausea that you may have.

What To Think About

Most chemotherapy causes some side effects. Home treatment may help manage your symptoms. If your doctor has given you instructions or medicines to treat your symptoms, be sure to follow them. In general, healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep and exercise can help control your symptoms.