The three main treatments for ovarian cancer are: surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Surgery

The type of surgery recommended for ovarian cancer depends on how far the cancer has spread, the general health of the patient, and whether or not the patient still has hope to have children. The two main goals for surgery are: staging the cancer and removing as much of the tumor as possible. When staging the cancer, doctors different types of tissue to see how far from the ovary the cancer has spread. Staging is important because at different stages of ovarian cancers it is treated differently. Staging must be done right or the doctor may not give the right treatment. During staging the uterus, both ovaries, and both fallopian tubes are removed. The omentum is also removed. The omentum is a fatty layer of tissue that covers the stomach. Ovarian cancer sometimes spreads to this tissue.  Some lymph nodes in the pelvis and abdomen are taken out to see if they contain cancer. Any fluid in the abdominal area will also be removed. The other goal of surgery is to debulk or remove as much of the tumor as possible. The goal of this surgery is to have no tumors larger than 1 cm left behind. A successful debulking surgery means the patient has a better outlook than those left with larger tumors after surgery. Most women will stay in the hospital for 3 to 7 days after the operation and can resume their usual activities within 4 to 6 weeks.

This image shows the procedures done in a staging surgery for ovarian cancer. [12]

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy (often called "chemo") refers to killing cancer cells using drugs. When drugs aren taken as pills, they spread throughout the body and are helpful when cancer has spread beyond the ovaries. When the drugs are injected directly into the abdomen, they go right to the cancer cells. This limits the amount reaching the rest of the body and therefore reduces side effects. Chemo is usually given in cycles of treatment followed by a rest period. Chemo drugs kill cancer cells, but they also damage normal cells, causing side effects.

Some side effects are:

Radiation therapy is when high energy x-rays are used to kill or shrink cancer cells. The radiation may come from radioactive materials placed directly into or near the tumor or from outside the body. Radiation treatment may cause side effects. These side effects include:

§  tiredness

§  nausea

§  diarrhea

The skin might look red and sunburned. It might also be itchy and dry. The skin returns to normal within 6 to 12 months. [5]

This is an image demonstrating how radiation therapy works. [6] 

Research for a new and more effective cure is being done because chemothereapy and radiation therapy kill not only cancerous cell, but healthy ones as well. They are trying to make a "smart" treatment that would only kill cancerous cells.  Molecularly targeted treatments take advantage of how the cancer process can be set in motion by genetic mutations.  When one step is shutt off, the whole process is shut down. Many are designed to target proteins from when the gene was mutated. [7] 

This is a scientest  named Anthony Martinez who is  working on a molecularly targeted treatment which unlike origianal chemotherapy drugs is  molecularly targeted to create fewer side effects. [7]

Another promising topic being researched is Monoclonal antibodies. Antibodies protect our bodies against any threats. Monoclonal antibodies are engineered to attach to cancer cells. Research is being done to not only make them destroy cancer cells but to also deliver anticancer drugs, radioactive substances, and other toxins directly to them. When the antibodies attach to the cancer cells they can give poisons only and directly to the tumor. [7]

Antibody Immune Response [3]