Stromal ovarian tumors originate in the ovarian cells that produce hormones. They account for around 7% of the total diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer. Ovarian stromal tumors are generally detected quite early on as compared to ovarian tumors that occur in other parts of the female reproductive system. Symptoms associated with these tumors include abnormal and excessive bleeding from the uterus, swelling in the abdomen, an increase in testosterone production, growth of facial and body hair, and pain in the abdomen.

Treatment for ovarian cancer stromal tumors may include the following:

1. Stage I stromal tumors
All patients diagnosed with stage I stromal tumors undergo surgery to remove the tumors. In most cases, the doctor only needs to remove the ovary that has the tumor and not both the ovaries. Post-surgery, patients have to come back for frequent checks to make sure that cancer does not return.

Stromal tumors have a high rate of recurrence in the following cases:

• Stromal tumors with burst cysts
• Extremely large-sized tumors
• High-grade cancer tumors with poorly differentiated cells

Post-surgery, women are often given the option of choosing between chemotherapy and high observation.

Chemotherapy helps tackle any remnants of the cancer cells post-surgery. The number of cycles of chemotherapy is determined by the doctor. In some cases, chemotherapy is done before the surgery in order to reduce the size of the tumor. This makes the surgery easier.

2. Stages II, III, and IV stromal tumors
These are more advanced stages of cancer and require immediate surgery to debulk the tumor. Surgery is followed by chemotherapy and may be accompanied by hormone therapy as well.

The number of cycles and duration of chemotherapy depends on the stage of cancer. Hormone therapy works to stop the female reproductive system from producing its hormones through hormone-blocking drugs. These drugs may be given as injections into the bloodstream or can be taken orally in the form of pills. In most cases, hormone therapy is recommended for women who aren’t strong enough for chemotherapy. In rare situations, radiation therapy is advised, wherein the radiation is used to kill cancer cells.

Stromal tumors are recurrent in nature. If the patient has a relapse, the treatment course that is quite similar.

Stromal tumors generally affect young women. Fortunately, this type of cancer is detected early on in most cases. This helps in the overall prognosis for the patient. In fact, women with stromal tumors which have been detected early on have a survival rate that is around 95% over a 5 year period. If there is a history of cancer, specifically ovarian cancer in your family, do get annual check-ups. This will help ensure that you get the right diagnosis and get access to the best treatments on time.