A medical breakthrough brings new hope to women in the advanced stages of ovarian cancer.

In a study through the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors at North Shore LIJ Health System in Manhasset have helped discovered that direct doses of chemotherapy drugs injected into a woman?s abdomen may help prolong the patient?s life by 16 months. In the procedure, a catheter is inserted directly into the abdomen and the tumors are soaked in the drugs.

However, the side effects are very painful and some women in the study found they couldn?t continue the treatment.

Related link New England Journal of Medicine