Doctors are working to learn more about ovarian cancer, ways to prevent it, how to best treat it, and how to provide the best care to people diagnosed with this disease. The following areas of research may include new options for patients through clinical trials. Always talk with your doctor about the diagnostic and treatment options best for you.

Early detection. Because the best chance of successful treatment is when ovarian cancer is detected early, ongoing research is focused on finding approaches to screen for ovarian cancer at its earliest stages.

Risk reduction. Doctors are studying whether vitamins A and D and drugs that stop inflammation, such as COX-2 inhibitors, may reduce a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Preventive surgery. Current clinical trials are looking at surgery to remove the fallopian tubes (bilateral salpingectomy) as a way to reduce a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer.

Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy is a treatment that targets the cancer’s specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment that contributes to cancer growth and survival. Learn more about targeted therapy.

Gene therapy. One promising area of research is discovering how damaged genes in ovarian cancer cells can be corrected or replaced. Researchers are studying the use of specially designed viruses that carry normal genes into the core of cancer cells and then replace the defective genes with the functional ones.

Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy) is designed to boost the body’s natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses materials made either by the body or in a laboratory to bolster, target, or restore immune system function. Researchers are examining whether immunotherapy drugs, such as interferon, may boost the immune system's ability to kill cancer cells. Cancer vaccines are another type of immunotherapy currently being tested for ovarian cancer. Learn more about immunotherapy.

Supportive care. Clinical trials are underway to find better ways of reducing symptoms and side effects of current ovarian cancer treatments, in order to improve patients’ comfort and quality of life.

Learn more about common statistical terms used in cancer research.

Looking for More about Current Research?

If you would like additional information about the latest areas of research regarding ovarian cancer, explore these related items:

• To find clinical trials specific to your diagnosis, talk with your doctor or search online clinical trial databases now.
• Review research announced at recent scientific meetings.
• Read ASCO’s latest Clinical Cancer Advances report, which highlights top research findings over the past year.

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