Ovarian Cancer – Overcoming Fear

Dorigo says he knows of patients that have come into his clinic having already gathered information online to understand their disease. This is where he thinks that SurvivorNet will be able to make an important impact. “Providing patients with information…I think videos, like videos that SurvivorNet supplies, are tremendously helpful.” You may find that our resources help give you an informed perspective that helps facilitate some of the first conversations you have with your oncologist following your diagnosis, and that they provide comfort in the face of fear.

Hope for Women with Ovarian Cancer

Dorigo says the one way to keep a positive attitude is to focus on all of the incredible progress that has occurred recently in advancing ovarian cancer treatment. As Dorigo puts it, now is the most promising time to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with more treatments than ever before available to women, from PARP inhibitors to immunotherapy. “I tell my patient that the landscape has changed. We have many more options than ever before when it comes to the treatment of ovarian cancer. Those options do include PARP inhibition, oral drugs, immunotherapies…strategies that we never had before five or ten years ago.”

Trust the Process

Dorigo also recommends patients avoid thinking about long term outcomes, but instead stay focused on the process of tackling the disease. Also, “I ask [my patients] not to think about the long term outcome but to take the diagnosis as an obstacle that they’re facing in life.” He and other doctors hope that this may reduce fear and anxiety about scenarios that have not happened yet, and can help you really invest in this difficult process.

You’re Not Fighting Alone

Dorigo also emphasizes to women that their doctor is there helping fight the disease with them, and you should keep that in mind when selecting a doctor. You should select an oncologist that you want to take on this journey with you, because your health should be just as important to them as it is to you. “We fight with them.” Oncologists hope that their partnership may help lighten the fear of ovarian cancer. Oncologists like Dorigo also engage family members in the treatment process, because ultimately treatment is a family affair. “We engage family members in the conversation. If there’s young children involved it’s very important to talk to the children about the disease.”

All in all, Dorigo and oncologists are positive and hopeful about the outlook for ovarian cancer treatment, especially with resources such as SurvivorNet out there. “Patients like information. Patients like a positive attitude. And there’s all [sic] good reasons to be very hopeful for ovarian cancer patients…There’s a tremendous opportunity to cure patients nowadays, and that’s really what we are here for.”

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

---