After your treatment is finished, you will have regular check-ups and possibly scans or x-rays. These check-ups will probably continue for several years. If you have any problems, or notice any new symptoms in between these times, let your doctor or specialist nurse know as soon as possible.

A trial has been done to see whether regular testing of blood levels of CA125 is helpful in detecting a recurrence of ovarian cancer. The data from that trial is currently being analysed. At the time of writing it is not known whether regular testing of CA125 can detect recurrence earlier and whether this can improve survival for women who have been treated for ovarian cancer. Some women may be offered regular CA125 testing, and other women may only have CA125 testing if they have signs or symptoms that could be due to a recurrence of the cancer.

For people whose treatment is over apart from regular check-ups, our section on life after cancer, gives useful advice on how to keep healthy and adjust to life after treatment.

If the cancer comes back

If the cancer comes back, treatment with chemotherapy is often used to keep the cancer under control for a time. This can sometimes be effective for several years. Many different types of chemotherapy can be used in this situation. Sometimes, the same chemotherapy drugs can be used that were given initially, such as carboplatin. Sometimes, different drugs will be used.

Surgery may also be used to remove tumours.