Surgery
Surgery for ovarian cancer employs laparotomy, which is a major abdominal operation. It is the primary diagnostic tool for ovarian cancer and also plays a role in treatment. Complete surgical intervention includes the following:
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Surgical staging (examining all tissues and organs in the pelvic cavity for accurate assessment of the disease stage).
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Debulking (removal of as much of the cancerous tissue as possible). This is an important component of ovarian cancer management and should be performed by a surgeon trained in cancer surgery techniques. (Researchers are also studying possible survival benefits with interval debulking surgery, which is a second procedure performed after the initial chemotherapy in patients with advance cancer.)
Ovarian cancer patients are urged to seek the expertise of a qualified gynecologic oncologist (a surgical specialist in female reproductive cancers) and a qualified medical oncologist with special expertise in the chemotherapeutic management of gynecologic cancer.
Surgical Staging
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Surgical staging includes biopsies of the following:
- The undersurface of the diaphragm.
- The omentum (the fatty layer that covers and pads organs in the abdomen).
- Sometimes lymph nodes along the abdominal aorta.
An abdominal wash is performed by injecting a salt solution into the abdominal cavity to facilitate microscopic detection of malignant cells not visible to the naked eye. The surgeon then evaluates the pelvis and abdomen and removes suspected cancer tissue. The entire affected ovary is usually removed (oophorectomy) during surgical staging if the surgeon believes it might be cancerous. The tissue is sent to a laboratory for an immediate evaluation called a frozen section diagnosis. The physician will also examine the bowel and bladder for cancer invasion.
Preservation Surgery in Premenopausal Women with Early Cancer
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