Women's Health

Secondary Cytoreductive Surgery May Benefit Platinum-Sensitive Ovarian Cancer Patients

A second surgery can completely remove malignant cells

What is the purpose of this second surgery anyway? Some of you may wonder why a second surgery is necessary in the first place. After all, the intention of the first surgery was to cut out most of the tumor, so why do we have to go back in? Usually, people who have cancer that requires secondary surgery are those who have more advanced tumors. These tumors have invaded neighboring healthy tissues, or have grown to such an immense size that it was impossible to take out all at once due to the huge amount of bleeding that would ensue. For that reason, there are many instances where a surgeon simply can't safely take out a cancerous tumor at the first attempt. This is where chemotherapy and radiation can step in. They help to reduce the size of the tumor so that at a later date, surgeons may be able to take out the rest of the malignant cells with better safety and efficacy.