Typically with ovarian cancer, the first-round of chemotherapy will last anywhere from four to six months. The way women tolerate the chemotherapy varies greatly — some really struggle, while others experience little to no side effects at all.
One great thing about treating ovarian cancer with chemotherapy is that a lot of patients respond really well to the treatment. The goal is to get women into remission, or getting the cancer to the point where it is not detectable using imaging or blood tests. For ovarian cancer, the most common chemo drug is a platinum-based agent, such as carboplatin, cisplatin, or oxaliplatin. Typically, patients with ovarian cancer will receive another chemo drug called a taxane in combination with their platinum-based drug, too.
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