In general, radiation therapy is not used for first-line therapy in ovarian cancer in the United States. Radiation therapy can be used after primary debulking therapy for ovarian cancer with a technique known as whole abdominal radiotherapy. There is a debate regarding the use of whole abdominal radiotherapy in patients with low-volume stage III or IV disease, and this treatment is not typically used in the United States. In this treatment, the entire abdomen must be included in the treatment field. Because certain tissues cannot tolerate large doses of radiation, whole abdominal radiotherapy must be given cautiously. Early side effects of this treatment include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea with some abdominal cramping, and lowering of white and red blood cells and platelets. Late effects are lung scarring (fibrosis) because the upper abdominal field can include the base of the lungs; liver toxicity, which shows as elevations in some liver function blood tests; and effects on the gastrointestinal tract that may result in chronic diarrhea, decreased absorption of nutrients, and, in some cases, blockage of the intestine that may require surgery.
Reprinted with permission from The Wellness Community
The Wellness Community’s Patient Active Guide to Living with Ovarian Cancer
Treatment of Recurrent Disease
Q&A By Deborah Armstrong, M.D., Medical Oncologist at Johns Hopkins
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