Shanghai ovarian cancer chemotherapy program a success
A chemotherapy program for patients with ovarian cancer, developed by the Shanghai Cancer Center, can reduce relapse as well as prolong survival, the hospital announced after the World Ovarian Cancer Day on Friday.
Ovarian cancer is the top cancer in female reproductive systems, and more than 70 percent of patients are diagnosed in the terminal stage. The disease also has fewer symptoms in the early stages and develops quickly, so less than 40 percent of patients can survive for more than five years, doctors said.
“Surgery and chemotherapy are the major treatment for patients with ovarian cancer, however, 90 percent of patients suffer relapses within five years,” said Dr Wu Xiaohua from the Shanghai Cancer Center.
The hospital’s female cancer team developed a three-phase chemotherapy program, which lasts for 18 durations. As a result, only 20 percent of patients have a relapse within five years.
“Compared with traditional chemotherapy, the second phase of the program can kill cancerous cells, which are not sensitive to first-line medications, and the third phase kills the resting cancerous cells to reduce the risk of relapse,” Wu said.
Wu’s team is conducting genetic research on Chinese people with ovarian cancer for classified treatment.
Since 2014, the team has researched 826 patients and found 28.5 percent of Chinese patients have a mutation of BRAC genes. This is higher than Westerners. The discovery can provide information for more targeted ovarian cancer prevention, screening and treatment.
Dr Wu Xiaohua is on a surgery.
