Ovarian Cancer: Home Treatment

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Home Treatment

During medical treatment for any stage of ovarian cancer, there are things you can do at home to help manage the side effects that may be caused by the cancer or its treatment. Home treatment may help manage the following common problems. If your doctor has given you instructions or medicines to treat these symptoms, be sure to follow them. In general, healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep and exercise can help control your symptoms.

• Home treatment for nausea or vomiting includes watching for and treating early signs of dehydration, such as a dry mouth, sticky saliva, and reduced urine output with dark yellow urine. Older adults can quickly become dehydrated from vomiting. Chemotherapy medicines used to treat ovarian cancer can cause severe nausea and vomiting. Your doctor also can prescribe medicines to control nausea and vomiting. Contact your doctor if you have ongoing nausea and vomiting. For more information on how to deal with these side effects, see:

  Cancer: Controlling nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.

• Home treatment for diarrhea includes waiting to eat for several hours after having diarrhea to rest your stomach and watching for signs of dehydration. Check with your doctor before using any nonprescription medicines for your diarrhea.
• Home treatment for constipation includes drinking a lot of fluids and including fruits, vegetables, and fiber in your diet each day. Do not use a laxative without consulting your doctor.

Other issues that may arise include:

• Sleep problems. If you have trouble sleeping, some tips for managing sleep problems may be helpful, such as having a regular bedtime, getting some exercise during the day, and avoiding naps.
• Fatigue. If you have very little energy and become weak easily, you can help your fatigue by getting extra rest, eating a well-balanced diet, and reducing your stress.
• Urinary problems caused either by ovarian cancer or its treatment. You can help manage your urinary problems by eliminating caffeinated drinks from your diet and establishing a schedule of urinating every 3 to 4 hours, regardless of whether you feel the need.
• Hot flashes, especially if both ovaries were removed in your surgery. Some tips for managing hot flashes include drinking cold beverages rather than hot ones, limiting your intake of caffeine and alcohol, and dressing in layers so you can remove clothing as needed.
• Hair loss. This may be unavoidable, but using mild shampoos and not using damaging hair products will lower the irritation of your scalp.

Many women with ovarian cancer face emotional issues as a result of their cancer or its treatment.

• Finding out that you have cancer and having treatment are stressful. Managing stress may include expressing your feelings to others. Learning relaxation techniques may also be helpful. Relaxation techniques—such as meditation—and support groups may be helpful.
• Your feelings about your body may change following treatment for cancer. Managing your body image issues may involve talking openly about your concerns with your partner and discussing your feelings with your doctor. Your doctor may also be able to refer you to organizations that can offer additional support and information.

Not all forms of cancer or cancer treatment cause pain. If pain occurs, many treatments are available to relieve it. If your doctor has given you instructions or medicines to treat pain, be sure to follow them. Talk to your doctor if prescribed medicines are not controlling your pain.

For mild pain, you can take pain relievers that you can buy without a prescription, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (for example, Advil or Motrin) or similar medicines. Or you may try an alternative therapy, such as biofeedback, to help your physical and mental well-being. Be sure to tell your doctor about any home treatment you use for pain.

Some women who have advanced-stage cancer may choose not to have treatment because they decide that for them the time, costs, and side effects outweigh the benefits. Making the decision about when to stop medical treatment aimed at prolonging life and shift the focus to end-of-life care can be difficult. For more information, see the following topics:

Care at the End of Life

Hospice Care

Last updated:	July 10, 2007
Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Reviewed By:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Ross Berkowitz, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC