Research for ovarian cancer is ongoing. The following advances may still be under investigation in clinical trials and may not be approved or available at this time. Always discuss all diagnostic and treatment options with your doctor.
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.
Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy is a treatment that targets faulty genes or proteins that contribute to cancer growth and development. 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 either made 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.
Last Updated: January 21, 2009
