Ovarian Cancer

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What is Ovarian Cancer?

Ovaries are organs that produce female hormones and eggs and they are located in pelvis, one on each side of the uterus. Ovarian cancer usually originates in the ovaries or in the nearby areas of fallopian tubes and peritoneum. Most ovarian cancers start in the epithelial cells. If left untreated, the cancer can spread to other parts of body and called metastatic ovarian cancer.

Symptoms of ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer may cause certain symptoms early, or as it grows larger. The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
Pain in the pelvis or abdomen
Indigestion
Abdominal bloating
Frequent or urgency to urinate
Constipation
Feeling of fullness or trouble eating

Screening & Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer

Women should be alert to any changes in their body and discuss them with their doctor. The earlier ovarian cancer is diagnosed, the more likely that treatment will be successful. Recommended tests for suspected ovarian cancer are:
General health tests: This includes family and medical history taking, genetic counseling and testing, nutritional status, and abdominal and pelvic exam.
Blood tests: This includes complete blood count, blood chemistry profile with liver function tests, total serum protein, CA-125 and other tumor markers like HE4.
Imaging tests: Imaging of abdomen and pelvis is done using CT or MRI to detect the stage or spread of the disease.
Imaging of chest: is done using x-ray or CT to check for any metastasis/ spread to the lungs or pleura.
Tissue biopsy tests or paracentesis: A biopsy of the suspected tissue in the abdomen may be done using fine needle aspiration or core biopsy or paracentesis (removal of fluid from the abdomen)to confirm the presence of ovarian cancer. This is usually performed only if upfront chemotherapy is planned.

Stages of ovarian cancer (FIGO system)

The stage provides a common way of describing the cancer, knowing the stage helps guide your treatment plan.

Stage I

Cancer is in one or both ovaries only.

Stage II

Cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread to other organs in the pelvis (uterus, fallopian tubes, bladder or bowel).

Stage IIII

Cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread beyond the pelvis to the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) or to nearby lymph nodes.

Stage IV

The cancer has spread further to distant organs such as the lung or liver.

Treatments for ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is treated by a team of gynaecologic oncologist like Dr. Monika and medical oncologist.

Surgery:

Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (USO): For early stage and low-grade ovarian cancer, the gynaecological oncologist tries to save the unaffected ovary and fallopian tube and removes only the affected one.
Total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH) and Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO): Most women with advanced ovarian cancer will undergo surgery to remove both ovaries and fallopian tubes and the womb, including the cervix, respectively.
Debulking or cytoreductive surgery: The surgeon will try to remove as much of the cancer as possible, if it has spread to other areas in pelvis or abdomen.

Therapy:

After surgery, chemotherapy either in the form of intravenous (IV) or intraperitoneal (IP) is recommended for most cases of ovarian cancer. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is given for stage 3 epithelial ovarian cancers only.
It is treatment with drugs that target a specific or unique feature that helps cancer cells to grow.
Sometimes, immunotherapy, which increases the activity of your immune system, is employed using drugs like pembrolizumab.

Dr. Monika Pansari

Gynecologic Cancer Surgeon

Dr. Monika Pansari

Ovarian Cancer Surgeon in Bangalore
"Being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer can be challenging. Lots of thoughts come to mind. Do Not Worry.
I , Your Sakhi - Your Friend, am available to guide you & support you in this fight against cancer and Together We Will Win"
I am on a mission to help Women Cancer Patients and thats why I founded Sakhi Oncology.
Do not hesitate to reach me or call me.

To know more, get in touch with a specialist immediately.

Why choose Sakhi Oncology?

Founded by highly experienced female cancer surgeon
Expertise in diagnosing and treating hereditary, rare, or complex cancer cases
Compassionate and experienced team of cancer experts
Latest treatment methods
Personalized Patient care and treatment
High patient satisfaction rate
Counselling & Patient Support Group

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Dr. Monika Pansari conducts consultation at Richmond Road, Koramangla & Kengeri as listed below.
Note: Dr Monika Pansari will be joining Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore from 15 Jan 2024. She will no longer be available at Gleneagles Global Hospital.

Fortis Hospitals

154/9, Bannerghatta Rd, opposite IIM-B, Sahyadri Layout, Panduranga Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560076
Mon - Sat   : 1 pm to 4 pm
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No. 105, 5th Block, 17th C Main Road, KHB Colony , Koramangala, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560095
Mon - Sat   : 5 pm to 7 pm
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Testimonials
Dr Monika is awesome!! Not only is she an excellent surgeon but most importantly to us as patient and caregiver, she has been warm, empathetic, and very supportive. She has always made time to answer our questions and been encouraging throughout my wife's cancer journey. We are very grateful to her.
Ajay Nangalia
My mom was suffering with endometric carcinoma. Dr Monica guided us with a right treatment and operated my moms surgery successfully. She was available to answer our queries after the surgey as well. She was sweet and helped us curing the disease. Really happy with the service.
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Frequently Asked Questions

In the Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) system, the cancer stage is defined by 3 main areas of cancer growth:

  • The extent of the primary tumor
  • The spread of cancer to nearby lymph nodes
  • The spread of cancer to distant organs

Stage 1: is where the cancer is only in one or both ovaries but has not spread to any other organs or tissues in the body. It is further divided into 1A, 1B, and 1C (1, 2, 3).


Stage 2: is where the cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread to other organs or tissues within the pelvis. However, it has not spread outside the pelvis or to any lymph nodes. It is further divided into 2A and 2B.


Stage 3: Cancer is present in one or both the ovaries, which has also spread outside the pelvis to tissues in the abdomen. It can also spread to the peritoneum or lymph nodes in the back part of the abdomen behind the peritoneum. It is further divided into 3A1 (i, ii), 3A2, 3B, and 3C.


Stage 4: Cancer has spread to areas far from pelvis and abdomen like in lungs, brain or skin or even other organs and distant lymph nodes. It is divided into 4A and 4B. The cancer grade is a rating of how much the cancer cells look like normal cells. The cancer grade describes how fast or slow the cancer will likely grow and spread. It is divided into grade 1, 2 and 3 with 1 being least aggressive and 3 most aggressive and likely to spread.

Dr. Monika and her team will give you specific instructions on how to prepare for your surgery. You maybe asked to discontinue some medications for a short time. You will be asked not to eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery. You will be given general anesthesia just before surgery. Surgery may take 3 or more hours to complete depending on how much tissue needs to be removed.

Complete recovery after surgery varies from person to person and extent of the surgery. You will need few days of hospitalization post surgery to recover. You may feel pain and tenderness in your abdomen and pelvis, which may last for a few weeks. Within few weeks, you may be able to return to normal activities.

Every surgery has risks and side effects. You should discuss the risk with your surgeon before opting for treatment plan. Common side effects of surgery include pain, leg swelling, trouble urinating and constipation. If you haven’t gone through menopause, then removal of both the ovaries can cause symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, mood changes, trouble sleeping,
vaginal dryness, weight gain and night sweats. Talk to your gynecologic oncologist to find ways to help you feel better.

Disclaimer Statement

This website is built with intention of providing basic details about the various diseases. The contents of the website is not meant to replace an in-person consultation. Please follow the advise of your doctor via in-person consultation. This website will not assume any legal responsibility for the patient’s medical condition.
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