Peritoneal cancer is often treated in the same way as ovarian cancer. The treatment you receive will be based on the stage and grade of your peritoneal cancer and its size and location, in addition to your age and general health. This may involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and targeted therapies.
- Surgery – involves removing the cancer and any other affected tissue, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. Surgery is one of the primary treatments for peritoneal cancer
- Chemotherapy – involves the use of anti-cancer drugs which are taken orally (by mouth) or injected into the body. In some cases, chemotherapy may be delivered directly into the abdomen through a catheter (known as intraperitoneal chemotherapy). The type of chemotherapy delivered is often similar to those used for the treatment of ovarian cancer
- Radiation therapy – uses high-energy particles to target and destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be used to treat cancer that has come back or those that don’t respond to treatment and to relieve symptoms such as bleeding, pain or discomfort
- Targeted therapies – focuses specifically on treating the peritoneal cancer through targeting cancer cells, and not healthy cells. You may receive targeted therapy if your peritoneal cancer is advanced, has come back or has spread to other areas of the body