Cancer Education Blog

I’m done with Ovarian Cancer Treatment, now what? 

It’s understandable that women who have recently gone through treatment for ovarian cancer want the answer to this question. While the thought of remission can bring a sense of relief, there are also questions and concerns about what it means to be an ovarian cancer survivor--What lifestyle changes will I have to make? Will there be fertility challenges? What are the chances my cancer will come back?

If you have recently finished ovarian cancer treatment it is important to remember to give yourself time to adjust to any physical and emotional changes you are going through. Eventually, ovarian cancer survivors re-establish a daily routine--and you will too, at your own pace.

In 2013, the US Supreme Court ruled against one company owning the patent on genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Changes in these genes are associated with a high risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer. The ruling cited that human genes are not eligible for patents because they are a product of nature. Since this ruling, the world of cancer genetic testing has opened up both scientifically and financially.

Prior to the Supreme Court ruling, only one commercial laboratory was able to offer testing for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Since the patent has been overturned, multiple laboratories have started to offer testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 and from this, multigene cancer panels have emerged. Multigene cancer panels allow testing for many additional genes associated with breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, and various other cancers.