Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer
- CarboTaxol is a two-drug chemo combination most common for treating ovarian cancer
- Hair loss is a common side-effect, as well as tingling in fingers and toes
- Bone marrow suppression can suppress immune function
- Selective social isolation recommended
Anyone facing chemotherapy is, understandably, concerned about side-effects such as hair loss, nausea, and vomiting. Doctors work to combat these side effects with medications and other therapies, so it’s important to stay in close contact and report any reactions you experience during treatment.
“When I talk to patients about chemotherapy, I explain that many of the side effects they fear, like nausea and vomiting, are manageable,” says Dr. Erin K. Crane, a gynecological oncologist at Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte.“They tend to be well controlled with medication.”
“The two drugs we use most commonly,” she says, “are called carboplatin and paclitaxel. And we call those CarboTaxol for short.”
While this can cause hair loss, Crane says, they do have options to help women maintain as much hair as possible. Cold caps, a new technology, is one option. The devices cool the scalp and, in studies, were shown to prevent hair loss in 50 percent of patients who used them, after four rounds of chemotherapy.
“Taxol can cause neuropathy, or tingling in the fingers and toes,” she notes. “So it’s important to monitor that throughout treatment and adjust the dose if it becomes an issue for women.”
“Chemotherapy can also cause bone marrow suppression,” says Dr. Crane, “which can decrease the ability to fight off infections.” She advises patients to social-distance, especially around anyone who shows signs of illness. It’s also essential for patients to be proactive about contacting their oncologist is they have a fever, signs of infection, or simply don’t feel well.
Chemotherapy is usually given every 21 days or every three weeks. The infusion itself of the two drugs takes about six hours. “With a combination of the infusions and surgery, we typically give 6 chemotherapy treatments. It takes about 6 months to get through the whole process,” says Dr. Crane.
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Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer
- CarboTaxol is a two-drug chemo combination most common for treating ovarian cancer
- Hair loss is a common side-effect, as well as tingling in fingers and toes
- Bone marrow suppression can suppress immune function
- Selective social isolation recommended
Anyone facing chemotherapy is, understandably, concerned about side-effects such as hair loss, nausea, and vomiting. Doctors work to combat these side effects with medications and other therapies, so it’s important to stay in close contact and report any reactions you experience during treatment.
“When I talk to patients about chemotherapy, I explain that many of the side effects they fear, like nausea and vomiting, are manageable,” says Dr. Erin K. Crane, a gynecological oncologist at Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte.“They tend to be well controlled with medication.”
Read More “The two drugs we use most commonly,” she says, “are called carboplatin and paclitaxel. And we call those CarboTaxol for short.”
While this can cause hair loss, Crane says, they do have options to help women maintain as much hair as possible. Cold caps, a new technology, is one option. The devices cool the scalp and, in studies, were shown to prevent hair loss in 50 percent of patients who used them, after four rounds of chemotherapy.
“Taxol can cause neuropathy, or tingling in the fingers and toes,” she notes. “So it’s important to monitor that throughout treatment and adjust the dose if it becomes an issue for women.”
“Chemotherapy can also cause bone marrow suppression,” says Dr. Crane, “which can decrease the ability to fight off infections.” She advises patients to social-distance, especially around anyone who shows signs of illness. It’s also essential for patients to be proactive about contacting their oncologist is they have a fever, signs of infection, or simply don’t feel well.
Chemotherapy is usually given every 21 days or every three weeks. The infusion itself of the two drugs takes about six hours. “With a combination of the infusions and surgery, we typically give 6 chemotherapy treatments. It takes about 6 months to get through the whole process,” says Dr. Crane.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
