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Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors
Summary Type: Treatment
Summary Audience: Patients
Summary Language: English
Summary Description: Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of ovarian low-malignant potential tumors.
Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors
General Information about Ovarian Low Malignant Potential
Tumors
Ovarian low malignant potential tumor is a disease in which
precancerous cells (cells that may, or are likely to, become cancer) form in
the tissue covering the ovary.
Ovarian low
malignant potential
tumor is considered
precancerous (or
premalignant ), a condition that may
(or is likely to) become cancer . This disease seldom spreads beyond the
ovary . When disease is found in one
ovary, the other ovary also should be checked carefully for signs of
disease.
The ovaries are a pair of organs in the female
reproductive system . They are
located in the pelvis , one on each
side of the uterus (the hollow,
pear-shaped organ where a fetus
grows). Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries
produce eggs and female hormones
(chemicals that control the way certain cells or organs function).
Certain factors affect prognosis
(chance of recovery) and treatment options.
The prognosis and treatment options depend on the following:
- The stage of the
cancer (whether it affects part of the
ovary, involves the whole ovary, or has spread to other places in the body).
- The type of cancer.
- The size of the tumor.
- The patient’s general health.
In most cases, ovarian low malignant potential tumor can be
treated successfully.
These tumors are usually found early. Most women, however, survive
even advanced stage ovarian low malignant potential tumors. Patients who do not
survive usually die from complications of the disease (such as a small
bowel obstruction) or the
side effects of treatment, but
rarely because the tumor has spread.
Stages of Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors
After ovarian low malignant potential tumor has been diagnosed , tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the
ovary or to other parts of the body. The process used to find out whether cancer has spread within the
ovary or to other parts of the body is called staging . The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the
stage in order to
plan treatment. Certain tests or procedures are used to determine
stage. Staging laparotomy (a surgical
incision made in the wall of the
abdomen to remove ovarian tissue )
may be used. Most patients are diagnosed with stage
I disease.
(Refer to the PDQ summary on Ovarian Epithelial Cancer Treatment for
information on the stages used for ovarian cancer.)
Recurrent Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors
Recurrent
ovarian low
malignant potential
tumor is cancer that has recurred
(come back) after it has been treated. The cancer may come back in the other ovary or in other parts of the
body.
Treatment Option Overview
There are different types of treatment for patients with ovarian low
malignant potential tumor.
Different types of treatment are available for patients with
ovarian low
malignant potential
tumor . Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some
are being tested in clinical trials .
Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a
clinical trial. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help
improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients
with cancer . When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the
standard treatment, the new
treatment may become the standard treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site. Choosing the most appropriate cancer treatment is a
decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care
team.
Two types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery
The type of surgery (removing the
tumor in an operation) depends on
the extent of the disease and the woman’s plans for having children. Surgery
may include the following:
Even if the doctor removes all disease that can be seen at the
time of the operation, the patient may be given chemotherapy after surgery to kill any tumor
cells that are left. Treatment given
after the surgery to increase the chances of a cure is called
adjuvant therapy .
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy ). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column , an organ , or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy ). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical
trials.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site.
Treatment Options by Stage
Early Stage Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors (Stage
I/II)
Surgery is the
standard treatment for early
stage ovarian low malignant potential tumor . The type of surgery usually depends on
whether a woman plans to have children.
For women who plan to have children, surgery is either:
To prevent recurrence of
disease, most doctors recommend surgery to remove the remaining ovarian tissue
when a woman no longer plans to have children.
For women who do not plan to have children, treatment may
be hysterectomy and
bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy .
Late Stage Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors (Stage
III)
Treatment for late stage ovarian low malignant potential tumor may
be hysterectomy , bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy , and
omentectomy . A
lymph node dissection may also be
performed.
Treatment Options for Recurrent Ovarian Low Malignant Potential
Tumors
Treatment for recurrent
ovarian low malignant potential tumor may include the following:
Changes to This Summary (06/16/2005)
The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.
Editorial changes were made to this summary.
To Learn More
Call
For more information, U.S. residents may call the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers with TTY equipment may call 1-800-332-8615. The call is free and a trained Cancer Information Specialist is available to answer your questions.
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The NCI Web site provides online access to information on cancer, clinical trials, and other Web sites and organizations that offer support and resources for cancer patients and their families. There are also many other places where people can get materials and information about cancer treatment and services. Local hospitals may have information on local and regional agencies that offer information about finances, getting to and from treatment, receiving care at home, and dealing with problems associated with cancer treatment.
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- Bethesda, MD 20892-8322
About PDQ
PDQ is a comprehensive cancer database available on NCI's Web site.
PDQ is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information database. Most of the information contained in PDQ is available online at NCI's Web site. PDQ is provided as a service of the NCI. The NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health, the federal government's focal point for biomedical research.
PDQ contains cancer information summaries.
The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries are available in two versions. The health professional versions provide detailed information written in technical language. The patient versions are written in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Both versions provide current and accurate cancer information.
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Editorial Boards made up of experts in oncology and related specialties are responsible for writing and maintaining the cancer information summaries. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made as new information becomes available. The date on each summary ("Date Last Modified") indicates the time of the most recent change.
PDQ also contains information on clinical trials.
Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific question, such as whether one treatment is better than another. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find new and better ways to help cancer patients. During treatment clinical trials, information is collected about new treatments, the risks involved, and how well they do or do not work. If a clinical trial shows that a new treatment is better than one currently being used, the new treatment may become "standard."
Listings of clinical trials are included in PDQ and are available online at NCI's Web site. Descriptions of the trials are available in health professional and patient versions. Many cancer doctors who take part in clinical trials are also listed in PDQ. For more information, call the Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
2005-06-16
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