Ovarian Cancer Survivorship Support Services

Survivorship Support for Ovarian Cancer Patients

Studies have shown that a significant percentage of cancer survivors deal with chronic health problems that may be related to their cancer treatment. The most commonly cited problems are chronic pain, fatigue, cognitive impairment and depression.

Promoting optimal health begins with your first visit to Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA). Many ovarian cancer patients arrive at CTCA experiencing side effects that have gone untreated.

After a thorough self-assessment is taken to obtain a baseline measurement of how you are feeling and which side effects you are experiencing, the cancer Survivorship Support team begins planning for all issues related to your upcoming ovarian cancer treatment.

Early Intervention

With every cancer type and every treatment approach, there are a few predictable results for long-term and late side effects. We help our patients and their caregivers plan for those risks.

We believe that early intervention yields better results for patients, and that proactively planning for long-term side effects can improve your strength and support healing. The goal of our ovarian cancer Survivorship Support Program is to provide you with options, and develop a treatment plan accordingly.

Survivorship support treatment planning takes into consideration, and plans for, the possibility of three categories of side effects:

• Short-term: Nausea, low blood count, hair loss, weight loss, etc.
• Long-term: Surgical scar tissue, hot flashes, neuropathy, etc.
• Late Effects: Secondary tumors, premature aging like osteoporosis and quality-of-life issues.

Our ovarian cancer Survivorship Support Program provides you with options. Sometimes, it’s as simple as education that teaches you to cope with a potential side effect of ovarian cancer treatment, like hot flashes. Other times, we’ll conduct more in-depth research to identify available options and how they might fit your needs. Our team continually works to educate you about how you can optimize your health throughout your journey.

Addressing Fertility and Sexual Function Concerns

Ovarian cancer can affect fertility and sexual function for some women. We will work with you to discuss fertility options from the beginning of treatment. We can refer you to fertility providers and clinics in your hometown, and discuss a variety of fertility procedures, including freezing eggs and donor programs.

We’ll also work with you to address your sexual function concerns during and after ovarian cancer treatment. Because the ovaries produce the majority of a woman’s hormones, issues like vaginal dryness, low libido and pain during intercourse can result after treatment. We provide a variety of prescription and non-prescription options to improve sexual function, as well as counseling for intimacy issues.

Continued Care from a Distance

Because it may not always make logistical or financial sense for our patients to travel to CTCA for post-treatment care, we have more than 1,500 “Care Partners” throughout the United States. These practitioners are familiar with CTCA and our philosophy of patient-centered care. They work with us to improve the lives of our patients. Our community care partners throughout the country include: oncologists, internists, chiropractors, family physicians, physical therapists, massage therapists and psychologists.

Every patient has a choice about whether or not to participate in the cancer Survivorship Support Program. If you choose not to participate and change your mind later, you can always join the program at any time in the future.

The Survivorship Support team at CTCA is trained by the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Survivorship Program. The team serves on the NCI’s panel and assists other medical institutions across the country in developing their cancer survivorship programs.

Next Topic: Ovarian Cancer Treatment Outcomes