After initial treatment is over, whether it be surgery and chemotherapy or some other course of treatment, “maintaining” health will become a serious, lifelong commitment for any woman who has been through ovarian cancer. This is because with ovarian cancer in particular, after these cancers are put into remission — they often come back. That’s why it’s so important for women to keep in regular contact with their doctors.
There are a number of different methods doctors will use to monitor women after ovarian cancer treatment. Women can expect to be scheduled for regular physical exams, where the abdomen and pelvis are examined to check for any new solid tumors; a CA 125 Test, where the level of a protein called CA 125 (cancer antigen 125) in your body is measured; and imaging tests, such as a CT or PET scan, which can detect tumors in the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Imaging tests may initially be conducted every 6 to 12 months, but become less frequent as a woman stay in remission for more time.
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