Surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies are common treatments for ovarian cancer. However, other treatments for ovarian cancer, including immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiation therapy, may be appropriate for some people.
Which treatments are considered depends on your ovarian cancer type, biomarkers, previous treatments, where the cancer is located, and your overall treatment plan.
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Last medically reviewed: August, 2026
Ovarian cancer includes several different diseases, and there is no single treatment plan that applies to everyone.
In addition to ovarian cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies, some people may receive:
These treatments are not used in the same way for every type of ovarian cancer. Your health care team will consider the biology of your cancer, previous treatments, biomarker results, and treatment goals when recommending options.
Immunotherapy is cancer treatment that helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
One type of immunotherapy used in cancer treatment is called an immune checkpoint inhibitor.
The immune system normally uses checkpoint proteins to prevent immune cells from attacking healthy cells. Cancer cells can sometimes use these checkpoints to avoid being attacked.
Checkpoint inhibitors block these signals, allowing the immune system to better recognize and fight cancer cells.
For ovarian cancer, immunotherapy is generally used only in specific treatment settings or when the tumor has certain biomarkers.
The American Cancer Society provides more information about immunotherapy used to treat ovarian cancer.
Biomarker testing can help identify people whose cancers may be more likely to benefit from certain immunotherapies.
Biomarkers that may affect immunotherapy options include:
Not every person with ovarian cancer needs testing for every biomarker. Your health care team can explain which tests may be appropriate for your diagnosis.
Learn more about genetic and biomarker tumor testing in ovarian cancer.
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that targets PD-1, a checkpoint protein found on certain immune cells.
Blocking PD-1 can help immune cells recognize and attack cancer cells.
In 2026, the FDA approved pembrolizumab with paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, for certain adults with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer whose tumors express the biomarker PD-L1 with a combined positive score, or CPS, of 1 or higher and who have received one or two previous systemic treatment regimens.
Pembrolizumab may also be an option for certain advanced cancers with biomarkers such as MSI-H, dMMR, or TMB-H when the requirements for those FDA indications are met.
Other uses of pembrolizumab may be considered in certain situations. For example, pembrolizumab has been used with bevacizumab and oral cyclophosphamide for recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. This combination is not specifically FDA approved for ovarian cancer but is included as an option in NCCN treatment guidelines.
Pembrolizumab has also been used in some people with recurrent small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type.
Dostarlimab (Jemperli) is another immune checkpoint inhibitor that targets PD-1.
It may be considered for certain advanced solid tumors with dMMR that have progressed after previous treatment and when there are no satisfactory alternative treatment options.
Whether immunotherapy is appropriate depends on your exact diagnosis, biomarker results, previous treatment, and other factors.
🎥 Watch: How is immunotherapy used to treat ovarian cancer?
Sarah Taylor, MD, explains how immunotherapy helps the immune system recognize and fight cancer cells and how this treatment may be used for ovarian cancer.
Immunotherapy can cause side effects because it changes how the immune system works.
Possible side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors may include:
In some cases, immunotherapy can cause the immune system to attack healthy organs and tissues. These reactions can become serious and may affect the:
Infusion reactions can also occur.
Report new or worsening symptoms to your cancer care team promptly. Immune-related side effects can sometimes develop during treatment or after treatment has stopped.
Hormone therapy, also called endocrine therapy, uses medicines that lower hormone levels or prevent cancer cells from using certain hormones to grow.
Some ovarian cancers use hormones such as estrogen to help them grow. Testing the tumor for estrogen receptors can help determine whether hormone therapy may be an option. For cancers that are sensitive to estrogen, lowering estrogen levels or blocking its effects may help slow cancer growth.
Hormone therapy is not commonly used for every ovarian cancer type. It can be particularly important for certain ovarian stromal tumors and may also be used for low-grade serous ovarian cancer.
Treatment decisions may take into account:
Learn more about ovarian cancer types and subtypes.
Different hormone therapies work in different ways.
Aromatase inhibitors lower the amount of estrogen produced by the body.
Examples include:
Aromatase inhibitors may be used for some ovarian stromal tumors and low-grade serous ovarian cancers.
Tamoxifen prevents estrogen from stimulating cancer cells in certain tissues.
It may be used to treat some ovarian stromal tumors and, less commonly, some advanced epithelial ovarian cancers.
Fulvestrant (Faslodex) binds to estrogen receptors and blocks the effects of estrogen on cancer cells.
It may be considered in some people with low-grade serous ovarian cancer.
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists, also called LHRH or GnRH agonists, lower estrogen production by the ovaries.
Examples include:
These medicines may be used in selected hormone-sensitive ovarian cancers.
🎥 Watch: How is hormone therapy used to treat ovarian cancer?
Nita Lee, MD, MPH, explains how hormone therapy affects hormone receptors and how information from biopsy and surgery may help determine whether hormone therapy could be part of an ovarian cancer treatment plan.
The side effects of hormone therapy depend on the specific medicine being used.
Possible side effects may include:
Some hormone therapies have additional risks. For example, tamoxifen can increase the risk of serious blood clots, while long-term use of some aromatase inhibitors or LHRH agonists can contribute to bone loss.
Talk with your health care team about the side effects associated with the specific medicine being considered and whether you will need monitoring for bone health or other concerns.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to damage or destroy cancer cells.
Radiation is not used as the primary treatment for ovarian cancer. However, it may be helpful in certain situations.
For example, radiation may be used to:
Radiation may be especially useful when treatment needs to focus on one specific location rather than cancer throughout the body.
The American Cancer Society provides additional information about radiation therapy for ovarian cancer.
External beam radiation therapy is the type of radiation most commonly used for ovarian cancer.
A machine outside the body directs radiation toward the area being treated.
The number of treatments and treatment schedule depend on where the cancer is located, the goal of treatment, and the radiation dose being used.
Brachytherapy, sometimes called internal radiation, places radioactive material inside the body near the cancer.
Brachytherapy is not commonly used to treat ovarian cancer.
🎥 Watch: How is radiation therapy used to treat ovarian cancer?
Nita Lee, MD, MPH, explains when radiation therapy may be used for ovarian cancer, including its role in reducing symptoms or treating cancer that returns in a specific area.
Radiation side effects depend on the part of the body being treated, the amount of radiation used, and the treatment schedule.
Possible side effects may include:
Side effects often improve after radiation therapy ends, although recovery varies.
Tell your radiation oncology team about symptoms you experience. They can help manage side effects and explain which symptoms need prompt attention.
The treatment that is right for you depends on more than your cancer stage alone.
Your health care team may consider:
Your treatment plan may include more than one approach. For example, immunotherapy may be combined with chemotherapy in certain situations, while hormone therapy may be used over a longer period for some hormone-sensitive cancers.
Clinical trials may also provide access to new treatment approaches or new combinations of existing treatments.
Learn more about ovarian cancer clinical trials.
💡 Prepare for a conversation about ovarian cancer treatment
Understanding why a treatment is being recommended can help you take a more active role in decisions about your care.
NOCC’s Questions to Ask Your Doctor: How Can I Prepare for Treatment? guide includes questions about treatment options, side effects, additional testing, second opinions, clinical trials, and other considerations.
Consider asking:
Ovarian cancer treatment is increasingly individualized. Surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies remain important treatment approaches, but immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiation can also play an important role for selected people.
The best treatment depends on the biology of your cancer, where you are in treatment, and what you want to achieve from treatment.
Ask your health care team to explain:
Explore additional NOCC information and resources:
Immunotherapy is not commonly used for every ovarian cancer.
It is most likely to be considered when the cancer has certain biomarkers or meets the requirements for a specific treatment indication.
For example, some ovarian cancers with PD-L1, MSI-H, dMMR, or TMB-H may have immunotherapy options.
Clinical trials are also studying additional ways to use immunotherapy in ovarian cancer.
They are different types of cancer treatment.
Immunotherapy helps the immune system recognize or attack cancer cells.
Targeted therapies interfere with specific proteins, pathways, or other features that cancer cells use to grow and survive.
Biomarker testing may help determine whether either type of treatment could be appropriate.
No.
PD-L1 testing may be important in certain treatment settings, including when considering pembrolizumab for some people with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
The biomarker testing recommended for you depends on your ovarian cancer type, treatment history, and available treatment options.
Ask your health care team which biomarkers have been tested and whether additional testing may be useful.
Hormone therapy can be particularly useful for some ovarian stromal tumors and low-grade serous ovarian cancers.
Whether hormone therapy is appropriate depends on the cancer type, tumor characteristics, previous treatments, and other factors.
No.
Hormone therapy for cancer is intended to reduce hormone levels or block the effects of hormones that may help cancer grow.
Hormone replacement therapy is used to replace hormones that decrease because of menopause or other medical conditions.
Although the terms sound similar, they have different purposes.
No. Radiation is not commonly used as the main treatment for ovarian cancer.
It may be helpful for treating cancer in a specific location or relieving symptoms such as pain caused by cancer that has spread.
Sometimes.
Radiation may be considered when recurrent ovarian cancer is limited to a particular area or when treatment of a specific tumor could help relieve symptoms.
Whether radiation is appropriate depends on where the cancer has returned, previous treatments, and your overall treatment plan.
Sometimes.
Certain immunotherapies may be given with chemotherapy. Hormone therapy may be used separately in selected hormone-sensitive cancers. Radiation may also be coordinated with other treatments depending on the situation.
Your health care team will determine which combinations are appropriate and safe for you.
Learn how targeted therapies act on specific features of cancer and how biomarker testing may help identify personalized treatment options.
Learn how clinical trials study immunotherapy, targeted treatments, new drug combinations, and other approaches to ovarian cancer care.
Explore surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and other approaches that may be part of an individualized ovarian cancer treatment plan.
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