Chemotherapy in stage III ovarian cancer with ascites build up

My mother has recently been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She has undergone lapratomy with removal of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus and omentum.There was gross disease about 1.5 cm found on on the omentum. The omentum has been removed.The histopathology report confirms no metastasis to the lymph nodes or any other organ. The primary surgery has been successful in removing all the gross disease from the body however there is ascites build up which is positive for malignancy. I would like to know what is the best course of action now and whether there is a real chance of this condition being rectified by chemotherapy. Is a total cure possible. Also if there are any alternative therapies that have been found useful can you recommend them.

[devingel]

Hi this message was from the son & I am the daughter adding to the question. We have heard that ovarian cancer recurs often even after chemotherapy. What are the measures we can take after chemotherapy in order to prevent recurrence. Detox treatment to get rid of the by products of chemo from her bbody...use of antioxidants in her diet, other dietary concerns etc...

[gpawelski]

One approach to individualizing patient therapy is chemosensitivity testing. Chemosensitivity assay is a laboratory test that determines how effective specific chemotherapy agents are against an individual patient's cancer cells. Often, results are obtained before the patient begins treatment. This kind of testing can assist in individualizing cancer therapy by providing information about the likely response of an individual patient's tumor to proposed therapy. Chemosensitivity testing may have utility at the time of initial therapy, and in instances of severe drug hypersensitivity, failed therapy, recurrent disease, and metastatic disease, by providing assistance in selecting optimal chemotherapy regimens.

All available chemosensitivity assays are able to report drug "resistance" information. Resistance implies that when a patient's cancer cells are exposed to a particular chemotherapy agent in the laboratory, the cancer cells will continue to live and grow. Some chemosensitivity assays also are able to report drug "sensitivity" information. Sensitivity implies that when a patient's cancer cells are treated with a particular chemotherapy agent in the laboratory, that agent will kill the cancer cells or inhibit their proliferation.

The goal of all chemosensitivity tests is to determine the response of a patient's cancer cells to proposed chemotherapy agents. Knowing which chemotherapy agents the patient's cancer cells are resistant to is important. Then, these options can be eliminated, thereby avoiding the toxicity of ineffective agents. In addition, some chemosensitivity assays predict tumor cell sensitivity, or which agent would be most effective. Choosing the most effective agent can help patients to avoid the physical, emotional, and financial costs of failed therapy and experience an increased quality of life.

Fresh samples of the patient's tumor from surgery or a biopsy are grown in test tubes and tested with various drugs. Drugs that are most effective in killing the cultured cells are recommended for treatment. Chemosensitivity testing does have predictive value, especially in predicting what "won't" work. Patients who have been through several chemotherapy regimens and are running out of options might want to consider chemosensitivity testing. It might help you find the best option or save you from fruitless additional treatment. Today, chemosensitivity testing has progressed to the point where it is 85% - 90% effective.