Ovarian Cancer Surgery in India, Cost Treatment Surgery Top Hospital Best Doctors in India 2024

What is Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer occurs when a cancerous tumor is in a woman’s ovary. In most cases, there are no known causes. There are often no symptoms, but ovarian cancer warning signs include ongoing pain or cramps in the belly or back, abnormal vaginal bleeding, and nausea and bloating. Depending on the cancer stage, ovarian cancer treatment includes surgery and chemotherapy.

Ovarian cancer usually happens in women over age 50, but it can also affect younger women. Its cause is unknown. Ovarian cancer is hard to detect early.

The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better your chance for recovery. But ovarian cancer is hard to detect early. Many times, women with ovarian cancer have no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage and hard to treat.

Causes and Indications for Ovarian Cancer Treatment:

It’s not clear what causes ovarian cancer. In general, cancer begins when healthy cells acquire a genetic mutation that turns normal cells into abnormal cells. Healthy cells grow and multiply at a set rate, eventually dying at a set time. Cancer cells grow and multiply out of control, and they don’t die. The accumulating abnormal cells form a mass (tumor). Cancer cells invade nearby tissues and can break off from an initial tumor to spread elsewhere in the body (metastasize).

There are many theories about the causes of ovarian cancer. Some of them came from looking at the things that change the risk of ovarian cancer. For example, pregnancy and taking birth control pills both lower the risk of ovarian cancer. Since both of these reduce the number of times the ovary releases an egg, some researchers think that there may be a link between the release of eggs and the risk of getting ovarian cancer.

Also, we know that women who have had their tubes tied (tubal ligation) or who have had their uterus removed (a hysterectomy) have a lower risk of ovarian cancer. One theory to explain this is that some cancer-causing substances may enter the body through the vagina and pass through the uterus and fallopian tubes to reach the ovaries. This would explain the effect of removing the uterus or blocking the fallopian tubes on ovarian cancer risk.

Another theory is that male hormones (androgens) can cause ovarian cancer.

Ovarian Cancer Surgery:

Surgery for ovarian cancer uses laparotomy, a major abdominal operation. It is the primary diagnostic tool for ovarian cancer and also plays a role in treatment. Complete surgical intervention includes the following:

Surgical staging (examining all tissues and organs in the pelvic cavity for accurate assessment of the disease stage).
Debulking (removal of as much of the cancerous tissue as possible). This is an important component of ovarian cancer management and should be performed by a surgeon trained in cancer surgery techniques.

Surgery for ovarian cancer is usually quite a big operation. The type of surgery you have depends on the stage of your cancer. But you are most likely to have your ovaries, fallopian tubes and womb removed. This is called a ‘total abdominal hysterectomy’ and ‘bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy’. The surgeon will also remove a sheet of tissue from inside the abdomen. This tissue is called the omentum, so this part of the operation is called an ‘omentectomy’.

If your surgeon finds any cancer in your pelvis or abdomen during your operation, they will remove as much as possible. This is sometimes called ‘debulking’. The less cancer there is, the easier it is for chemotherapy to kill off any that is left behind.

Types of Surgery for Ovarian Cancer:

There are several types of surgery for ovarian cancer. The type of surgery recommended will depend on the extent of the ovarian cancer and the woman’s plans for having children. Examples of this type of surgery may include:

Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: A surgical procedure to remove one ovary and one fallopian tube.
Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: A surgical procedure to remove both ovaries and both fallopian tubes.
Total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the uterus, cervix, and both ovaries and fallopian tubes.
Partial oophorectomy: A surgical procedure to remove part of one ovary or part of both ovaries.
Omentectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the omentum (a piece of the tissue lining the abdominal wall).
Tumor debulking: A surgical procedure in which as much of the tumor as possible is removed. Some tumors may not be able to be completely removed.
Lymph node biopsy: Ovarian cancer staging during surgery (to find out whether the cancer has spread) generally involves removing lymph nodes

Ovarian Cancer Treatment:

There are three main forms of treatment for ovarian cancer:

Surgery to remove cancerous tissue.
Chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells using strong anti-cancer drugs.
Radiotherapy to destroy cancer cells by high-energy radiation exposure.

There are also many combinations of these treatment methods and it is usually worthwhile to get a second opinion about treatment before entering into a specific program. Treatment depends upon a number of factors (e.g., stage and grade of the disease, the histopathologic type, and the patient’s age and overall health).

Surgery– Treatment for ovarian cancer usually involves an extensive operation that includes removing both ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the uterus as well as nearby lymph nodes and a fold of fatty abdominal tissue known as the omentum, where ovarian cancer often spreads. Your surgeon also removes as much cancer as possible from your abdomen (surgical debulking).
Chemotherapy- After surgery, you will probably receive cancer-killing drugs (adjuvant chemotherapy). The standard approach combines two agents, a platinum-based drug (either carboplatin or cisplatin) and paclitaxel for approximately six cycles given three to four weeks apart. Mayo Clinic researchers helped establish this standard regimen.
Radiation therapy- Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells. The use of radiation therapy to treat ovarian cancer has declined in recent years, but doctors use it in certain cases, such as when you have a recurrence of cancer at the original site or if you can’t tolerate chemotherapy. Doctors may use whole abdominal radiation to treat ovarian cancer that remains or recurs in your abdomen. Mayo Clinic is one of a few medical centers offering this treatment.

Ovarian Cancer Symptoms:

Ovarian cancer symptoms are often vague. Women and their doctors often blame the symptoms on other, more common conditions. By the time the cancer is diagnosed, the tumor has often spread beyond the ovaries.

You should see your doctor if you have the following symptoms on a daily basis for more than a few weeks:

Bloating
Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly
Pelvic or abdominal pain

Other symptoms are also seen with ovarian cancer. However, these symptoms are also common in women who do not have cancer:

Abnormal menstrual cycles
Digestive symptoms:
- Constipation
- Increased gas
- Indigestion
- Lack of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sense of pelvic heaviness
- Swollen abdomen or belly
- Unexplained back pain that worsens over time
- Vaginal bleeding
- Vague lower abdominal discomfort
- Weight gain or loss

Recovering from Ovarian Cancer Treatment Surgery:

It takes time to recover physically and emotionally from cancer surgery. This is particularly true if you have had your womb and ovaries removed. When you go home from hospital, be prepared to take it very easy for the first couple of weeks. You should be able to start driving again anytime from a month after your surgery. But this is very individual. Do talk to your surgeon about your recovery period. And don’t feel you should be back to normal if you don’t feel like it.

Recovering from ovarian cancer surgery takes time, mentally, emotionally and physically. This is especially so if a woman has a complete hysterectomy whereby all her sexual reproduction organs, except her vagina, have been removed.

Patients that are able to go home must take the first two weeks easy. Most of that time is best spent with the feet raised up. Standing in one spot for too long is not recommended. Other things to avoid include lifting heavy weights, doing housework and vacuuming and driving.

It can take about 4 to 6 weeks to heal internally. After that a low level exercise plan can be undertaken, but keep the heavy lifting to a maximum weight of 4kg.

Ovarian Cancer Surgery in India

Ovarian Cancer Surgery in India depends on the extent of the ovarian cancer and the woman’s plans for having children. The type of surgical procedure depends vastly on the stage at which the ovarian cancer is diagnosed and how widespread it is. The several types of Ovarian Cancer Surgery in India are:

Unilateral Oophorectomy: in low grade carcinomas, which are detected in the early stages, this procedure is viable, where, the procedure involves, only the removal of the affected.
Bilateral Oophorectomy: this procedures entails the removal of both the ovaries
Salpingo-Oophorectomy: this practice, involves the removal of the affected ovary/ovaries along with the fallopian tube/tubes.
Total Abdominal Hysterectomy: the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, omentum and the lymph nodes are excised out. (usually a total abdominal hysterectomy is performed along with a salpingo-oophorectomy and an omentectomy)
De-Bulking Surgical Procedure: in malignancies that have reached an advanced stage, where resection is not feasible, as much as possible, the malignant tumor is excised out. This method is called the de-bulking procedure.
Interval De-Bulking: the aim of this procedure to excise out any cancerous tissue that has been left behind after the first operation. In the intervening period, between the two surgeries, chemotherapy is resorted to, to shrink the cancerous growth, so as to make the excision easier. It is followed up by chemotherapy sessions.

What is the Cost of Ovarian Cancer Treatment Surgery in India?

India offers a low cost Ovarian Cancer treatment surgery for international patients.
India’s favorable exchange rate and the cost of healthcare services are at an extensively lower cost than that of other countries. If you’re coming from a Western country such as the United States or Britain, medical procedures in India will generally cost a fraction of the price as compared to prices back home.
Prices in India are reasonable and affordable, be it accommodation, food or even shopping.

From comfortable and affordable hotels to five-star accommodations, India provides you with a choice to budget or splurge.