How To Treat Ovarian Cancer

Cystectomy

A woman with ovarian cancer may need to undergo a cystectomy, a procedure used in patients who have very early-stage ovarian cancer isolated to a cyst in only one of their ovaries. This type of surgical intervention is done when the patient desires to become pregnant in the future, as it preserves the affected ovary. A cystectomy may not be possible in all patients affected by early-stage ovarian cancer. There is a risk that the malignancy-containing ovarian cyst becoming ruptured during the cystectomy, so extra care is taken to ensure the mass does not spill into the pelvic cavity. Because a cystectomy is only beneficial in cases where the patient wishes to become pregnant in the future and the cancer is isolated to a cyst, it is one of the least common surgical procedures to be performed. Most cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed when the patient is in the later stages of the disease.