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Ovarian Cancer Home |
Survival Rates |
Medical Staff |
Diagnostics |
Treatment & Technology |
Case Conferences |
Clinical Trials |
Support Groups |
Cancer Education |
Patient Stories
Winning Against Ovarian Cancer
For more than a decade, Hoag Cancer Center has been the leading provider for the treatment for women with gynecologic malignancies in Orange County, including cancer of the ovary. With a multidisciplinary approach that includes prevention, early detection, the use of promising new therapies, participation in laboratory and clinical research, and extensive complementary care, the team at Hoag Cancer Center provides ovarian cancer patients with every diagnostic and therapeutic advantage.
Hoag’s comprehensive site-specific ovarian cancer program provides:
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Survival Rates
The superior care provided to Hoag ovarian cancer patients is illustrated by the cancer center’s outstanding survival rates. The five-year relative survival rate for Hoag ovarian cancer patients is nine percentage points higher than the most recent national figure, and is higher for every stage of disease.
As the graph above illustrates, during the past 15 years survival for Hoag ovarian cancer patients has been consistently higher than the national figure. The apparent recent decline in survival is an artifact due to the exclusion of ovarian cancer of borderline significance from survival data in the last few years. Hoag patients with ovarian cancer have better survival outcomes than nationally for every stage of disease, as shown below.
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Medical Staff Expertise
Hoag’s expert team of board-certified gynecologic oncologists, gynecologists, radiation oncologists and medical oncologists provide the latest in state-of-the-art surgical procedures and treatment options for patients with ovarian cancer.
Additionally, Hoag’s expert medical staff is complemented by its highly trained team of certified oncology nurses who are dedicated to delivering patient-centered care, Hoag’s nursing staff ranks among the nation’s top nurses, as validated by Hoag’s designation as a Magnet™ hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Hoag-Affiliated Ovarian Cancer Experts
Obtaining your cancer care from a medical team that treats a high volume of patients with your specific cancer type has its advantages – namely, successful patient outcomes.
Studies show that physicians who treat large numbers of patients with a specific disease achieve better patient outcomes. During 2005-2006, three Hoag-affiliated gynecologic oncology surgeons (Drs. Rettenmaier, Brown, and Micha) performed more than 95 percent of the ovarian cancer surgeries performed at Hoag. Higher than national survival statistics attest to their expertise.
Hoag’s expert medical team and higher than national figure survival rates are just two reasons why patients diagnosed at Hoag remain at Hoag for treatment. And not only do Hoag patients recognize the cancer center’s excellence in cancer treatment, patients at other medical centers do as well. Every year a significant number of patients diagnosed elsewhere come to Hoag for treatment or second opinions.
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Diagnostics
Hoag’s state-of-the-art diagnostic services give patients convenient access to a full spectrum of technologies that enable doctors to pinpoint the nature and extent of the disease – and the best treatment plan for each individual patient.
Utilizing highly sophisticated minimally invasive technologies, Hoag radiologists acquire detailed images that help define the nature and extent of disease to assist the gynecologic cancer team in the development of the most effective treatment plan for each individual patient.
Some of the advanced imaging techniques at Hoag include:
Early Detection/Hereditary Cancer Program
Although there currently is no single procedure for early detection of ovarian cancer supported by national professional associations, Hoag physicians offer CA125 testing and pelvic ultrasound for monitoring patients at a known high risk for ovarian cancer.
Additionally, the Hereditary Cancer Program at Hoag Cancer Center offers genetic counseling and testing when appropriate to patients in families with an apparent genetic risk for ovarian and related cancers.
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Treatment/Technology
Hoag Cancer Center’s expert medical team works together to determine the best course of treatment for each individual patient. From minimally invasive surgical options to the latest in state-of-the-art radiation therapy and systemic therapy, Hoag’s comprehensive approach to ovarian cancer has resulted in relative five-year survival rates for ovarian cancer patients that are eight percentage points higher than the national figure.
Surgery
Surgery is a vital component of successfully treating patients for ovarian cancer. That’s why Hoag Cancer Center offers the latest in surgical options, including robotic surgery when appropriate. These surgical techniques provide comprehensive staging and maximum tumor removal. Some patients may be candidates for minimally invasive staging utilizing the da Vinci®S HD™ Surgical System and laparoscopic techniques.
Radiation Oncology
Hoag Cancer Center’s radiation oncology program is yet another example of the center’s commitment to excellence in ovarian cancer treatment. The entire first floor of the cancer center is dedicated to radiation oncology, where a highly specialized team of medical experts deliver the latest in state-of-the-art radiation therapy to patients.
The most progressive options available for ovarian cancer patients include:
- 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy/Image-guided Helical IMRT
- Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
- Gamma Knife for brain metastasis
Hoag’s radiation oncology program offers a full spectrum of leading-edge radiation treatment options. Hoag radiation oncologists work closely with gynecologic oncologists to tailor treatment plans to the needs of individual patients. For a complete list of radiation oncology services, please click here.
Systemic Therapy
Systemic therapy, administered through intravenous and intraperitoneal routes, is an important component of care for the ovarian cancer patients with regional or distant metastatic disease. For most ovarian cancer patients, systemic therapy is delivered by the same gynecologic oncologists who performed their gynecologic surgery. In addition Hoag has 30 board-certified medical oncologists on staff.
Treatment of Metastatic Disease
Although the spread of ovarian cancer is usually limited to the abdomen at the time of initial diagnosis, it has the potential to spread to other organs including the liver, lung, bone, and brain. Systemic chemotherapy is typically used in the treatment of such patients, but increasingly, local therapies are being used to eliminate certain areas of metastatic cancer.
For patients with small numbers of metastases to the liver, surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation and tomotherapy are all treatment options, in addition to systemic therapy or intrahepatic chemotherapy.
Isolated lung metastases may be treated by surgical resection, preferably video-assisted thoracic surgery, radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation or radiation therapy.
Bone metastases are typically treated with radiation therapy, whereas brain metastases can usually be effectively treated by Gamma Knife.
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Multidisciplinary Case Conferences
Periodically Hoag holds multidisciplinary gynecologic oncology case conferences to provide an opportunity for collaborative care planning for selected ovarian cancer patients that require multidisciplinary care.
This forum provides an opportunity for all aspects of a patient’s care to be discussed by a team of cancer specialists, including gynecologic oncology surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, nurses and support staff.
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Clinical Trials
Clinical trials for patients with gynecologic cancers are offered by Hoag-affiliated gynecologic oncologists Drs. Micha, Rettenmaier and Brown. Clinical trials including patient-specific vaccine trials, are periodically offered through Hoag Cancer Center. To learn more about Hoag Cancer Center’s Clinical Trials Department and any trials currently open to ovarian cancer patients, please click here.
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Gynecologic Cancer Support Group-Women Helping Women
The Gynecologic Cancer Support Group provides a forum in which patients are able to focus on the unique concerns faced by women with gynecologic cancers.
The group meets twice monthly and is open to newly diagnosed patients, patients undergoing active treatment and patients who have completed treatment. Click here to view the Hoag Cancer Center monthly Events Calendar.
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Cancer Education
To learn more about ovarian cancer, please visit the website of the National Cancer Institute.
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Patient Stories
This area is currently under development.
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 Newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer?
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