The main treatments used to treat ovarian cancer are surgery and chemotherapy. Radiotherapy is occasionally used if the cancer comes back or doesn’t respond to other treatments.

Your treatment will be planned by a team of specialists who work together to decide which treatment is best for you. This multidisciplinary team (MDT) will include:

• A surgeon who specialises in gynaecological cancers called a gynaecological oncologist.
• A clinical or medical oncologist (to advise on chemotherapy).
• A radiologist (who analyses x-rays).
• A pathologist (who advises on the type and grade of the cancer, and how far it has spread).

The MDT may also include a number of other healthcare professionals such as a:

• gynaecological oncology nurse specialist
• dietitian
• physiotherapist
• occupational therapist
• psychologist or counsellor.

The government recommends that women with ovarian cancer are treated by a specialist gynaecological cancer team. These teams are based in larger cancer centres, so you may have to travel for your treatment.

The MDT will plan your treatment by taking into consideration a number of factors. This will include your age, general health, how well your kidneys are working, the type and size of the tumour, what it looks like under the microscope and whether it has spread beyond the ovary (the stage).

Before you have any treatment, your doctor will explain the aims of the treatment to you. You will usually be asked to sign a form saying that you give your permission (consent) for the hospital staff to give it. No medical treatment can be given without your consent. Before you are asked to sign the form you should have been given full information about:

• the type and extent of the treatment you are advised to have
• the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment
• any other treatments that may be available
• any significant risks or side effects of the treatment.

If you don’t understand what you have been told, let the staff know straight away so that they can explain it again. Some cancer treatments are complex, so it’s not unusual for people to need repeated explanations.

It’s often a good idea to have a friend or relative with you when the treatment is explained. This can help you remember the discussion more fully.

Patients often feel that hospital staff are too busy to answer their questions, but it’s important for you to be aware of how the treatment is likely to affect you. The staff should be willing to make time for you to ask questions. You can talk to the specialist gynaecological nurse at the hospital or to our specialist nurses.

You can always ask for more time to decide about the treatment if you feel that you can’t make a decision when it’s first explained to you.

You are also free to choose not to have the treatment. The staff can explain what may happen if you don’t have it. It’s important to tell a doctor or your nurse if you decide not to have treatment, so that they can record your decision in your medical notes. You don’t have to give a reason for not wanting to have treatment, but it can be helpful to let the staff know your concerns so that they can give you the best advice.

Usually a number of cancer specialists work together as a team and they use national treatment guidelines to decide on the most suitable treatment for a patient. Even so, you may want to have another medical opinion. Either your specialist, or your GP, should be willing to refer you to another specialist for a second opinion, if you feel it will be helpful. Getting a second opinion may cause a delay in the start of your treatment, so you and your doctor need to be confident that it will give you useful information.

If you do go for a second opinion, it may be a good idea to take a friend or relative with you, and have a list of questions ready, so that you can make sure your concerns are covered during the discussion.