Reccurent Ovarian Cancer

My mom has reccurent Ovarian Cancer within a year. So now the doctor is planning to do Taxol + Cysplatin. He doesn't expect that it would prevent another reccurence though and wants to do a clinical trial. I talked to the doctor about Parp Inhibitors and he's for the idea, but he doesn't think my mom is a carrier of the BRCA gene. Could we still do it? Does it work with chemotherapy? Also, does anybody have any experience with MD Anderson hospital?

My mom is stage 3C with grade 3 cells. Also, if there are any other clinical trials someone knows about? The list is a little overwhelming.

Thank you!

[westajul]

Hi,
I have been going to MD Anderson for a couple of years but have not been involved in clinical trials.  My experiences have always been positive ones. I am hoping others who have participated in clinical trials at MD Anderson will respond. I can tell you that MD Anderson does not feel like a hospital and they always have taken good care of me and always answer all my questions. The drawback is sometimes they forget that what they are talking about is new to you and they get technical and assume you are as famililar with everything as they are...so don't be intimidated and ask all the questions you have. The docotrs and nurses I have dealt with have always treated me as a person not a number. I do not live in Houston and at first i was worried how my  gyn oncologist at MD Anderson and my Oncologist where I live would work together but they both have been great. They keep each other informed on their thoughts and neither is offended that I have another oncologist. If you need any other info on MD Anderson let me know. Julie

[doicat]

Hello HalaN

I'm so sorry to hear about your mom's recurrence.  I have just gone off a clinical trial at MD Anderson and though the trial did not work for me, I highly recommend you going there to see what they may have to offer your mother.

As for the PARP trials...well, if she is not BRCA positive the PARP trial would not be helpful for her ( I was tested and am negative) and she would not be eligible for those trials.  But remember that this targeted therapy would not benefit her anyway if she is negative.  She needs to be tested for that first.  It's a simple blood test and takes about 4 or 6 weeks for results.

Your doctor seems to be an advocate of trials so I would suggest that you ask him about looking into what is available out there, whether at MDA or elsewhere that he would think could benefit your mother.  Trials come up often and close often...all trials will include some preapproved chemo, so she would be getting some standard of care chemo plus whatever trial drug.  

I am a very big advocate of trials....especially with ovca because after the standard fails...it's just a **** shoot. The chance for a cure lies in trials.

Like I said, I'd recommend MDA to anyone, but there are also other hospitals out there, Mayo, Sloane,,,,Cancer Center of America that all have various trials going on...If you can get her doctor to help you look at the available trials going on that would be great.

Let me know if you have any questions on MDA...Like West/Julie said...it's a great place.  

I wish you the best.
Teresa