How Private Chemotherapy Can Help Ovarian Cancer Patients

Cancers come in many different forms, but one thing they all have in common is that early diagnosis can make a significant difference to outcomes and treatments.

The sooner a cancer is spotted, the less it will have progressed and a particular benefit for the patient can be when a cancer can be treated before it can go through metastasis, the process in which it starts to become secondary cancer by spreading from its original site to other parts of the body.

However, even with early detection, you may need significant treatment. This can include private chemotherapy treatment as part of the treatment process.

New Test Raises Hopes For Early Ovarian Cancer Detection

The prospects of more cases of ovarian cancer being detected early appear to have taken a giant leap forward following new research carried out in the UK and the US.

Scientists at the Universities of Manchester and Colorado have found that a new test can detect biomarkers for ovarian cancer with more accuracy than existing tests.

In Colorado, the tests showed a 93 per cent accuracy for all stage detection and 91 per cent for early-stage cancer. In Manchester, the respective figures were 92 per cent and 88 per cent.

The test was developed by diagnostics company AOA Dx. Reflecting on the results, the company’s chief science officer, Abigail McElhinny, said: “This platform offers a great opportunity to improve the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer potentially resulting in better patient outcomes and lower costs to the healthcare system.”

At present, 90 per cent of women with ovarian cancer have symptoms when the cancer is in stage 1, but only 20 per cent of cases are detected that early.

If you have been diagnosed, it may very well be that the disease has progressed beyond stage 1, which is when the cancer is confined to an ovary or fallopian tube. At stage 2a, it spreads to the uterus and, in stage 2b, can be found in other locations in the pelvic region.

Only at stage 3 does it spread to the lymph nodes, at which point the cancer can reach other parts of the body away from the pelvic region.

The Role Of Chemotherapy In Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Whatever stage you are at after diagnosis, chemotherapy may play a significant role in treatment. This is most commonly used before or after surgery to remove the ovaries.

There are different ways in which this may be administered. Chemotherapy drugs can be given in pill form or administered via a drip, depending on which drug is used and what stage the cancer is at. The drugs are toxic to the cancer cells and can target them effectively.

Understanding how chemotherapy works is important for any cancer patient, but it may be especially true for cancers like ovarian cancer, which is seldom treated with radiotherapy. This is in contrast with some cancers where radiotherapy and chemotherapy are sometimes used in combination.

How Chemotherapy Drugs Work

The main way in which the drugs work is by damaging the capacity of the cancer cells to multiply. Like other cells, they do this by dividing, and different chemotherapy medications will impede this process in various ways.

Some attack the nucleus, where the control centre that launches the process of division is housed. Other drugs might disrupt the chemical processes in division, damage the cells as they divide to stop them from making accurate copies of their DNA (which stops further replication), or damage cells at the point of division.

Because there are these four different ways in which chemotherapy can attack cancer cells, there are multiple options for tackling cancer. That might include using one particular kind of drug to target it in a specific way, or a cocktail of different drugs to launch a multi-front assault on the cells.

In the best-case scenarios, these will remove any remaining cancerous cells after surgery, enabling the patient to go into remission.

Tailoring Treatment To Individuals

Our approach to private chemotherapy treatment is to treat everyone as an individual. This means each patient’s needs are assessed to deliver precisely the right treatment. This is designed to ensure the right drug is given, in the correct dosage and that the treatment is continued for the correct length of time, with adjustments when required.

This will also involve helping you to understand factors such as the side effects of chemotherapy and how you and your loved ones can cope with them. These can include gastrointestinal upsets, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, anaemia and a weakened immune system.

It is central to our approach that you not only get the best treatment, but are kept informed all the way, with full explanations of the treatment, its effects and side-effects. In doing all this, we will provide you with the best care possible.

Learn more about our advanced chemotherapy treatments for different cancers on the Amethyst Group website.