What should I do if I have an ovarian tumor

What should I do if I have an ovarian tumor? The treatment method of ovarian tumor is a very troublesome problem for women who are suffering from it for the first time, because there are many treatment methods for ovarian tumors. So let's take a look at how gynecologists recommend the treatment methods of ovarian tumors!

Treatment of ovarian tumors

1. Benign tumors In principle, once diagnosed, benign gynecological tumors should be promptly operated on (except for uterine fibroids). Surgery can almost always achieve good results and the patient can recover quickly. However, the choice of surgical method is different from that of malignant tumors in principle. This type of surgery aims to remove the tumor and should try to preserve the function of the organ. For example, for benign ovarian tumors such as teratomas, only the tumor can be removed during surgery, and the affected ovary can be preserved, so that the patient can remove the tumor and still maintain the function of both ovaries. For another example, for uterine fibroids with surgical indications, the fibroids should be removed as much as possible to preserve the reproductive function.

2. For malignant tumors such as vulvar cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer, in principle, surgical treatment is required; while for cervical cancer and vaginal cancer, whether surgery can be performed depends on their clinical stage, whether they have invaded surrounding organs, and whether there is distant metastasis.

Surgical treatment of malignant ovarian tumors:

Simple surgical resection can cure the disease in the early stage, while in the late stage it can reduce the size of the tumor, relieve symptoms, and lay the foundation for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and biological treatment.

There are three types of surgery for ovarian malignancies: diagnostic surgery, therapeutic surgery, and palliative surgery. The purpose and scope of surgery should be determined based on the histological type of the tumor, clinical stage, and specific conditions of the patient. The thoroughness of the initial surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer is closely related to prognosis.

1. Staging surgery. Early ovarian cancer should undergo comprehensive staging surgery or restaging surgery to clarify the stage, which is of great significance for judging prognosis and guiding treatment.

2. Cytoreductive surgery. It is mainly suitable for advanced ovarian cancer. Ideal cytoreductive surgery can significantly improve the patient's prognosis. The surgical procedure is the same as comprehensive staging surgery. The main purpose of the surgery is to do the best to remove the primary and metastatic lesions of ovarian cancer, so that the diameter of the residual tumor is less than 2 cm (the minimum requirement for ideal cytoreductive surgery), and to remove part of the intestinal tract if necessary.

3. Surgery to preserve fertility. About 7% of epithelial ovarian cancer patients are younger than 35 years old. Traditional treatments believe that total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy should be performed. However, if possible, young patients always hope to preserve their fertility, maintain normal endocrine function and a good self-image. Traditionally, the indications for surgery to preserve fertility are: ① Young patients with fertility requirements; ② Stage Ia; ③ Well-differentiated (G1) cells, non-clear cell carcinoma; ④ The contralateral ovary has a normal appearance and negative anatomical examination; ⑤ There are conditions for follow-up. If the patient can fully understand and agree, the indications for this surgery can be appropriately expanded.

4. Secondary exploratory surgery. This refers to a laparotomy performed again after satisfactory cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer, at least 6 courses of chemotherapy, and no clinical or auxiliary examinations show signs of recurrence. The purpose is to understand whether there are recurrence lesions in the pelvis and abdominal cavity; to evaluate the effect of chemotherapy, and to decide whether to consolidate chemotherapy or switch to other chemotherapy regimens. However, studies have shown that even if the "secondary exploration" is negative, recurrence will still occur, and the "secondary exploration" cannot improve the patient's survival rate.

5. Surgery for recurrent ovarian cancer. The therapeutic value of reoperation for recurrent ovarian cancer, its surgical indications and timing are still controversial. It is currently believed that it is mainly suitable for: ① Relieve intestinal obstruction; ② Eliminate recurrence foci that are more than 12 months old; ② Resection of isolated recurrence foci. The principle of treatment for patients with recurrent cancer is palliative treatment, giving priority to quality of life.