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Update on the Prevention and Treatment of Ovarian Cancer

Judith A. Smith, PharmD, BCOP

Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer among women and the number one gynecologic fatality. The etiology of ovarian cancer is still an enigma. Three common hypotheses under investigation include the ovulation, the pituitary gonadotropin, and the chronic inflammatory processes. Chemoprevention strategies used for ovarian cancer include oral contraceptives, aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and retinoids. Surgical strategies are also used in the prevention of ovarian cancer. The primary treatment for patients with ovarian cancer is surgery with optimal tumor debulking, and for patients with advanced disease, this is followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The standard practice is to follow surgery with six cycles of paclitaxel plus carboplatin. The second-line chemotherapy agents have had minimal long-term benefit for treating ovarian cancer. Hence, treatment with investigational agents remains the best option for patients with recurrent disease due to lack of alternative curative treatment.

Key Words: Ovarian • gynecologic • cancer • chemotherapy • chemoprevention

Journal of Pharmacy Practice, Vol. 16, No. 3, 149-156 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/0897190003016003002


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