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A QUESTION ABOUT CHEMO & RISING CA125
Hi Everyone.... I just have to say I love this forum and its very helpful and informative...
I was diagnosed in late 2005 with OC Stage 3C... I had about 4 reoccurences... and of course on chemo on and
off again... I wanted to see what everyone felt out there... Right now I have been on Topotecan for the last
4 almost 5 months... I never went into remission with this treatment however, my oncologist said it was stable as it was hovering around 101, 91, 93 and now went up 50% to 156. I just had another PET Scan this past Monday with no changes from my PET Scan in early March (which was the best PET i ever had) !!! So now there are no changes.. however, the CA125 went up by 50%....I am wondering if i should even continue the chemo for now... What do you think? I am open to all your opinions and suggestions and feedback. I went to get a 2nd opinion this past week with my recent pet scan.. He said my oncologist is doing everthing he would do... its just trying to get the right combo of drugs...But i really would like to have a break. Would you take a watch and wait approach... or continue on another chemo when no significant disease is showing up.... I am soooo mentally confused... I dont know what to do anymore... Look forward to hearing back from you... I appreciate your time and comments... Be Well.
Bebe709
P.s. I have been in remission in the past... however, i am not allergic to carbo... dioxil had an allergic reaction in the
first 10 minutes....
I was diagnosed in late 2005 with OC Stage 3C... I had about 4 reoccurences... and of course on chemo on and
off again... I wanted to see what everyone felt out there... Right now I have been on Topotecan for the last
4 almost 5 months... I never went into remission with this treatment however, my oncologist said it was stable as it was hovering around 101, 91, 93 and now went up 50% to 156. I just had another PET Scan this past Monday with no changes from my PET Scan in early March (which was the best PET i ever had) !!! So now there are no changes.. however, the CA125 went up by 50%....I am wondering if i should even continue the chemo for now... What do you think? I am open to all your opinions and suggestions and feedback. I went to get a 2nd opinion this past week with my recent pet scan.. He said my oncologist is doing everthing he would do... its just trying to get the right combo of drugs...But i really would like to have a break. Would you take a watch and wait approach... or continue on another chemo when no significant disease is showing up.... I am soooo mentally confused... I dont know what to do anymore... Look forward to hearing back from you... I appreciate your time and comments... Be Well.
Bebe709
P.s. I have been in remission in the past... however, i am not allergic to carbo... dioxil had an allergic reaction in the
first 10 minutes....
bebe
I was dignosed stage IV ovarian cancer in Nov 2005. I had normal surgery and 2 liver ablations to remove tumors from my liver. I have never had a remission and was told that I probably never would. I have also been on chemo nonstop since diagnosis. My CA continually goes up and down. Depending on the chemno and how long it works. When my counts start rising again, then it is time for new chemo. At diagnosis, my CA was at 1800. The lowest chemo has gotten it since is 157. But it has also gotten as high as 1500. When it reached that high, I kind of freaked out. But my Dr had a CT scan run and everything looked the same. So he said that as long as I was not full of big tumors then we would not worry to awfully much. As you know, with late stage diagnosis, there is always microscopic cells present that just do not want to go away. so many times when the CA begins to rise, it is activity of the microscopic cells and switching chemo helps to stop them before they get organized.
I understand that you would like a break from chemo but if that is what is needed to slow down the microscopic activity, then you should do just that.
Good luck.
Chris
I was dignosed stage IV ovarian cancer in Nov 2005. I had normal surgery and 2 liver ablations to remove tumors from my liver. I have never had a remission and was told that I probably never would. I have also been on chemo nonstop since diagnosis. My CA continually goes up and down. Depending on the chemno and how long it works. When my counts start rising again, then it is time for new chemo. At diagnosis, my CA was at 1800. The lowest chemo has gotten it since is 157. But it has also gotten as high as 1500. When it reached that high, I kind of freaked out. But my Dr had a CT scan run and everything looked the same. So he said that as long as I was not full of big tumors then we would not worry to awfully much. As you know, with late stage diagnosis, there is always microscopic cells present that just do not want to go away. so many times when the CA begins to rise, it is activity of the microscopic cells and switching chemo helps to stop them before they get organized.
I understand that you would like a break from chemo but if that is what is needed to slow down the microscopic activity, then you should do just that.
Good luck.
Chris
Hi Bebe,
I was diagnosed OVCA stage 4B in 2007, and except for a very short remission, I've been on chemo for 2 years.
I've been on Topotecan for the past 10 months and my Ca125 went down consistently, until three months ago when it start to climb, a few points every month, now it's at 17.3 which I understand is still within normal range, but the steady increase is problematic for me.
Since it's always been a good marker for my disease progression, my oncologist was concerned. He now says that Topo. is no longer working, and we have to turn to another chemo regime, Gemzar and Avastin together.
I'll be having a CT scan this coming Tuesday, and even if it shows no cancer progression, we'll have to discontinue Topo, because he feels that there is something now going on in my body.
My choices are to start the new regime immediately, or take a break and watch the CA and check me every month until it reaches 25 and then start chemo, I'm seriously leaning toward the break and the watch and wait. This would allow my bone marrow and my body to recover a bit before we assault it again.
I'm so weary of constantly thinking of chemo and cancer, even a month of other thoughts will will be wonderful.
I hope my personal story has been helpful to you in your decision making, good luck to you.
jane
I was diagnosed OVCA stage 4B in 2007, and except for a very short remission, I've been on chemo for 2 years.
I've been on Topotecan for the past 10 months and my Ca125 went down consistently, until three months ago when it start to climb, a few points every month, now it's at 17.3 which I understand is still within normal range, but the steady increase is problematic for me.
Since it's always been a good marker for my disease progression, my oncologist was concerned. He now says that Topo. is no longer working, and we have to turn to another chemo regime, Gemzar and Avastin together.
I'll be having a CT scan this coming Tuesday, and even if it shows no cancer progression, we'll have to discontinue Topo, because he feels that there is something now going on in my body.
My choices are to start the new regime immediately, or take a break and watch the CA and check me every month until it reaches 25 and then start chemo, I'm seriously leaning toward the break and the watch and wait. This would allow my bone marrow and my body to recover a bit before we assault it again.
I'm so weary of constantly thinking of chemo and cancer, even a month of other thoughts will will be wonderful.
I hope my personal story has been helpful to you in your decision making, good luck to you.
jane
please check your private messages... thanks... looking forward to hearing back from
you soon.
bebe709
you soon.
bebe709
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