Ovarian cancer - diagnosis and management.

BACKGROUND

Epithelial ovarian cancer presents most often as late stage disease due to a lack of effective screening tests and vagueness of symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

This article outlines the diagnosis and management of ovarian cancer.

DISCUSSION

Women with suspected ovarian cancer are best managed in a gynaecological treatment unit offering multidisciplinary care. Surgery is usually needed both to make a diagnosis and for definitive treatment and referral to a specialty trained gynaecological oncologist is appropriate. Most women will also require chemotherapy. Ovarian cancers have good sensitivity to several drugs but relapse rates are high. This means that ovarian cancer is now seen as a chronic disease with often several episodes of remission, relapse and treatment. The psychological impact of this diagnosis both on the woman and her family are significant and best dealt with proactively.