April 08, 2021 - Ovarian cancer has been in the news much more over recent years, due to the number of women who have developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder for feminine hygiene. The primary type of ovarian tumors are epithelial tumors, accounting for 85-90 percent of all ovarian cancers.
There are subtypes of epithelial tumors as well; epithelial ovarian cancer can spread to the lining and organs of the pelvis, or even to the lungs, liver, brain, bones, and skin. Below are the types of ovarian cancers along with their typical treatments and survival rates:
- Epithelial Serous Ovarian Cancer—Low-grade serous ovarian cancer is relatively rare, accounting for about one out of every ten cases of epithelial ovarian cancer. Epithelial serous ovarian cancer tumors are slow-growing and may be found in younger women. The most effective treatment is surgery, although hormonal therapy and chemotherapy may also be used.
- Epithelial Serous Invasive Ovarian Cancer—This is the most common form of epithelial ovarian cancer, accounting for six out of every ten cases of epithelial ovarian cancer. Epithelial serous invasive ovarian cancer is generally treated with chemotherapy and surgery.
- Epithelial Fallopian Ovarian Cancer--It is now believed that most epithelial serous invasive tumors originate in the fallopian tubes. The treatment for epithelial fallopian ovarian cancer is a combination of chemotherapy and surgery.
- Epithelial Endometrioid Ovarian Cancer—In as many as a third of all ovarian endometrioid cancers, there may also be an independent endometrial cancer or endometrial hyperplasia. Chemotherapy is generally used for this type of cancer, as well as surgery and hormonal therapies.
- Epithelial Mucinous Ovarian Cancer—Mucinous ovarian cancer tumors make up a small number of epithelial ovarian cancers and are usually treated either with surgery and chemotherapy, or with surgery alone. Mucinous tumors are usually large and tend to remain confined to the ovaries.
- Epithelial Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer—Clear cell ovarian cancer is rare, accounting for only about four percent of all ovarian tumors. A combination of surgery and chemotherapy are generally used to treat clear cell ovarian cancer, however, this type of cancer can be more aggressive than other types.
- Epithelial Undifferentiated Ovarian Cancer—Some epithelial ovarian cancers are deemed undifferentiated, or unclassified, because they have cells that are underdeveloped; this type of cancer is treated with a combination of surgery and chemotherapy.
- Epithelial Borderline Tumors—Borderline tumors are a separate group of epithelial tumors that are slow-growing and less likely to spread around the abdominal organs. Even when borderline tumors spread, they do not damage the tissues around them. Surgery is generally the treatment of choice for epithelia borderline tumors.
- Peritoneal Primary Cancers—Peritoneal primary ovarian cancers do not originate in the ovaries, but in a part of the body known as the peritoneum—a large, thin, flexible sheet of transparent tissue that covers the organs inside your abdomen. This type of cancer can spread to the ovaries as well as other organs in the abdomen. Women with peritoneal primary cancer usually have a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, or neoadjuvant therapy (chemotherapy prior to surgery to shrink the tumor before removal).
- Fallopian Tube Primary Cancers—Primary fallopian tube cancer is the rarest of all gynecologic cancers, affecting women of all ages, but primarily those between the ages of 40 and 65. The diagnosis of fallopian tube primary cancer is more common in Caucasian women than in African American women. Several targeted therapies have recently been approved for the treatment of fallopian tube cancer, including Bevacizumab, Entrectinib, and Larotrectinib.
Newest Treatments for Ovarian Cancer - New chemotherapy drugs and drug combinations are being tested as treatments for ovarian cancer. Drugs are being developed that can keep cancer cells from becoming resistant to chemotherapy, and work is being done to keep DNA from being damaged by chemotherapy. Carboplatin is preferred over cisplatin to treat ovarian cancer, and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy is being found to be effective for ovarian cancer. Targeted therapy uses drugs to identify and attack cancer cells while doing little damage to normal cells.
If you have been diagnosed with baby powder ovarian cancer, you could potentially benefit from speaking to an experienced baby powder ovarian cancer attorney who can determine whether your cancer is the result of using talcum powder and whether you should file a baby powder ovarian cancer lawsuit.