Our Approach to Ovarian Cancer

The ovaries are two small glands located on either side of the uterus. Their job is to store oocytes, or egg cells, and release them as part of the menstrual cycle. When a baby girl is born, her ovaries already contain all of egg cells she will ever have in her life.

Ovarian cancer tends to develop after women have gone through menopause. It doesn’t cause obvious symptoms in its early stages, so many patients don’t realize something is wrong until the cancer is already more advanced.

If you have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it’s important to go to a center that can provide you with a full range of treatment options, including access to clinical trials.

At Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University oncologists and surgeons have the tools and expertise to tailor treatment to each patient’s diagnosis and individual circumstances. As the largest gynecologic oncology program in the Midwest, we see over 600 new patients with ovarian, cervical and endometrial cancers each year. Of these, approximately 100 newly diagnosed patients come to Siteman for their ovarian cancer care, but many others come for second opinions or clinical trial enrollment.  Our ongoing research programs and clinical trials mean that ovarian cancer patients get the most advanced, evidence-based care available.

Like many women with ovarian cancer, you’re probably used to taking care of others. At Siteman, we will take care of you with a multi-disciplinary team.

The Siteman difference

Siteman Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Missouri. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks us among the top cancer facilities in the nation. As an NCI institution, we provide first-class patient care, conduct ground-breaking research, and train exceptional residents and fellows who will go on to become some of the best physicians in the country.

Since its founding in 1999, Siteman has been leading the charge against cancer from the middle of the Midwest. Our Washington University oncologists and scientists have an impressive track record of discoveries that have fundamentally changed how cancer is treated.

Team-based, specialist care

When you become a Siteman patient, you will be treated by a multi-disciplinary team of oncologists who specialize in gynecologic cancers. This means that they care for women with cervical, endometrial, or ovarian cancers, and they study these cancers in the laboratory, searching for even better approaches to treatment. Our specialists serve to make national guidelines for gynecologic cancer.

Patient cases are regularly presented at weekly multi-disciplinary tumor boards, where faculty members from gynecologic oncology, radiation oncology and pathology weigh in and offer their expertise to develop an individualized treatment plan for each patient.

Through this team-based approach, Siteman’s Washington University gynecologic oncologists provide safe, innovative, and comprehensive care. As a Siteman patient, you can have confidence in your treatment plan.

Safer surgeries

Most patients with ovarian cancer will be treated with surgery. Depending on the extent of your cancer, this could mean having a single ovary removed, or it could mean having your uterus and surrounding tissues removed as well. At Siteman, our exceptional Washington University gynecologic oncologists perform minimally invasive procedures whenever possible to minimize risks and encourage faster recoveries.

Genetic counseling

Ovarian cancer is sometimes caused by inherited genetic mutations, most frequently mutations that occur in the BRCA genes. Siteman offers patients the opportunity to pursue genetic testing and counseling to see if mutations are driving your cancer. Identifying a mutation can help your physicians design a more effective treatment plan for you. It can also benefit other members of your family who may not be aware they are at risk.

Clinical trials

Clinical trials are research studies evaluating new drugs, procedures, and protocols. They allow patients to access novel therapies before they are available for general use. Siteman Cancer Center offers more clinical trials than any other facility in the region. When you come to Siteman, your team will see if any trials could be a good match for you. Sometimes, clinical trials can save the lives of patients.

Palliative care

Many patients are reluctant to ask for palliative care, because they fear it means giving up on a cure or remission. But the real goal of palliative care is to help manage symptoms and treatment side effects so you can have a higher quality of life during treatment and enjoy time with family and friends. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of your illness.

Palliative care is provided by a specially trained team of physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers and chaplains who work together with your oncologists. The palliative care team makes recommendations on extended pain management and any other support the patient or family needs. We are always mindful of patients’ and families’ lifestyles and spiritual beliefs and integrate them into the care plan.

Fertility services

Patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer may have questions about their fertility and the impact that treatment can have on it. Some medical interventions, like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, can cause infertility or prevent the ability to conceive. That is why Siteman partners with the Washington University Fertility and Reproductive Medicine Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

The reproductive endocrinologists within the Fertility and Reproductive Medicine are experts in fertility preservation, using egg and/or embryo cryopreservation, as well as in diagnosing and treating infertility issues. The team is the longest standing in-vitro fertilization clinic in the St. Louis area that is a member of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) and collectively is one of the most experienced board-certified infertility specialty teams in the region.

Psychology services

Siteman ovarian cancer patients are eligible for psychology services during and after their cancer treatment. Every psychologist on staff is a psycho-oncologists which means they highly specialized in working with cancer patients and the mental health impacts they may be experiencing like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If a patient is working with a Siteman psychologist, the psychologist will coordinate with medical providers at Siteman to develop and contribute to a comprehensive treatment plan.