Low-grade serous ovarian cancer is serious

Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (LGSOC) Treatment Options

Let’s talk about treatment

**A serious understanding of treatment begins with knowing your low-grade serous ovarian cancer treatment options.**

While low-grade serous ovarian cancer (also known as LGSOC) has a slower disease progression, each patient’s journey differs. Therefore, your treatment will likely be tailored by your health care provider, and treatment outcomes will vary.

Before you start treatment

Ask your doctor if they have experience treating people with LGSOC. If your doctor does not have experience with LGSOC, you may want to seek additional expert opinions. For example, you could talk to your doctor about arranging a consultation with an LGSOC expert.

Talk about genetic testing. An ovarian cancer specialist can tell you whether genetic testing is right for you. Different genetic tests include those that look for germline mutations (mutations that are inherited from a parent) and somatic mutations (mutations that are not inherited).

Genetic testing can help inform treatment options. Test results will show if you have mutations (changes to your DNA) that allow you to qualify for clinical trials and treatments for people with specific mutations

Ask if genetic testing is covered by insurance. Work with your doctor’s office to find out what testing costs your insurance will cover. Your doctor’s office can also act on your behalf and work with your insurance company to try lowering costs

Before you start treatment

• Genetic testing can help inform treatment options. Test results will show if you have mutations (changes to your DNA) that allow you to qualify for clinical trials and treatments for people with specific mutations

• Ask if genetic testing is covered by insurance. Work with your doctor’s office to find out what testing costs your insurance will cover. Your doctor’s office can also act on your behalf and work with your insurance company to try lowering costs

Initial treatment options

These treatment options are recommendations from professional guidelines. Your doctor will use these guidelines to select the most appropriate treatment for you.

Surgery: One or both of your ovaries, your fallopian tube(s), and/or your uterus may need to be removed. In some cases, multiple surgeries may be needed to address complications related to your cancer. After surgery, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy: This is medicine that stops cancer cells from growing. It can also stop healthy cells from growing, which is why you may experience side effects like hair loss and nausea, for example. Certain types of chemotherapy may work better than others for LGSOC, so talk to your doctor about what is right for you.

Hormone therapy: These are treatments that block estrogen and can help slow the tumor’s growth.

Angiogenesis inhibitors: These cancer medicines block the growth of blood vessels that help tumors grow.

The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor(s). Always consult with your doctor(s) when making treatment decisions, as they know you and your treatment needs best.

Initial treatment options

These treatment options are recommendations from professional guidelines. Your doctor will use these guidelines to select the most appropriate treatment for you.

Hormone therapy: These are treatments that block estrogen and can help slow the tumor’s growth.

Angiogenesis inhibitors: These cancer medicines block the growth of blood vessels that help tumors grow.

Treatment options for cancer that comes back

When your cancer comes back after initial treatment, it’s considered recurrent. Your doctor may try another treatment after your cancer comes back, even if you’ve already had surgery or chemotherapy.

Some options for treating recurrent disease are:

• Clinical trials

• Chemotherapy (you may or may not have had it before)

• Additional surgery

• Targeted therapy (some treatments require the presence of certain mutations, or changes to your DNA, to work)

• Hormone therapy

Things to keep in mind during treatment

Cancer treatment can be overwhelming. It can affect your mental and physical health, including fertility. Your sexual health and mood can change throughout your treatment journey.

For more information on how cancer can affect your life during treatment and beyond, we’ve created a helpful page with resources on coping with LGSOC and LGSOC treatment.

A guide to living
with LGSOC

Talk to your doctor about LGSOC

Download a helpful
doctor discussion guide

Talk to your doctor about LGSOC

Download a helpful
doctor discussion guide

References

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2. Dictionary of cancer terms: recurrent cancer. National Cancer Institute. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/recurrent-cancer

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4. Gershenson DM, Bodurka DC, Lu KH, et al. Impact of age and primary disease site on outcome in women with low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum: results of a large single-institution registry of a rare tumor. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33(24):2675-2682. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2015.61.0873

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8. How chemotherapy drugs work. American Cancer Society, Inc. Updated November 22, 2019. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/chemotherapy/how-chemotherapy-drugs-work.html

9. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) for Ovarian Cancer Including Fallopian Tube Cancer and Primary Peritoneal Cancer V.1.2023. ©National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Accessed February 23, 2023. To view the most recent and complete version of the guideline, go online to NCCN.org.

10. NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines^®) for Ovarian Cancer Including Fallopian Tube Cancer and Primary Peritoneal Cancer V.4.2022. ©National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Accessed February 23, 2023. To view the most recent and complete version of the guideline, go online to NCCN.org.

11. NCCN Guidelines for Patients®: Ovarian Cancer, 2022. ©National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.nccn.org/patients/guidelines/content/PDF/ovarian-patient.pdf

12. Norton TR, Manne SL, Rubin S, et al. Prevalence and predictors of psychological distress among women with ovarian cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22(5)919-926. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2004.07.028

13. Ovarian epithelial, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer treatment (PDQ^®)–patient version. National Cancer Institute. Updated July 7, 2022. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.cancer.gov/types/ovarian/patient/ovarian-epithelial-treatment-pdq

14. Slomovitz B, Gourley C, Carey MS, et al. Low-grade serous ovarian cancer: state of the science. Gynecol Oncol. 2020;156(3):715-725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2019.12.033

15. Social & emotional impacts of cancer. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://www.mdanderson.org/patients-family/life-after-cancer/social-emotional-impacts.html

16. Somatic & germline mutations. Cleveland Clinic. Reviewed May 24, 2022. Accessed February 23, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23067-somatic–germline-mutations

17. U.S National Library of Medicine. Search results: low-grade serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary. ClinicalTrials.gov. Accessed October 18, 2022. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=Low+Grade+Serous+Adenocarcinoma+of+Ovary&term=&cntry=&state=&city=&dist==