Relapse Questions ????

[Memmers]

My mom has been in remission since her last chemo treatment of May 2007.  She was dx in late Dec2006 with Stage 2a had surgery and started her chemo in Jan and had 6 cycles.  I always have at the back of my mind that damn word "Relapse".  We just found out that a beautiful dear friend which we met because of this disgusting disease, has relapsed.  My mom was so positive seeing that they caught it early but now knowing of someone we know personally that has relapsed, she is starting to freak out.  I always wonders when u do relapse, where does the cancer spread.  I always wondered what use the CA125 blood test has if they had a full Hyster.  Also if you do relapse once your treatments are over do they put you on maintenance chemo.  I hate hate this uncontrolable disease.

[Memmers]

God Bless !!!

[milashka]

There are quite a few women who beat the odds. A friend of mine's mother had OvCa stage 4 in the 1970s, and is still alive today in her upper 80s - with no recurrence. I think these cases are rare, but they are real, and whose to say if one of us is not one of those rare cases.

I know my stuff because I lived with it for 5 years. I research a lot as it pertains to me, and read other women's stories. These forums are a great resource of information and support.

I can only urge your mom - and you - to try to live in the now. You know, they always say that the now is all we EVER have - the past is gone and the future is not here yet. I always look back and forward, but have been getting a lot better at concentrating on TODAY. It gets me through alright.

[Memmers]

You are amazing, thanks so much for the info.  You sound like you know your stuff.  I guess we just have to hope that my mom stays in remission longer.  I always look at Patrick Dempsey's mom as reassurance that anything is possible.  I think she was dx with Stage IX and she's still with us.  Thanks again and God Bless !!!

[milashka]

The cancer usually resurfaces anywhere in the abdomen - common sites are in or on the intestines, liver, omentum, pancreas, lymph or lungs. Sometimes it can come back in the brain. Just because it came back, say, in the liver, it does not make it liver cancer - they can tell because the cells can be traced back to the same cancer cells as original diagnosis.

The CA-125 measures a protein that is typically shed by OvCa cancers (and sometimes by other cancers too). So having had a hysterectomy does not safeguard against a relapse or render the CA-125 useless. BTW, the marker levels can also be affected by other diseases and inflammation, but once someone has had OvCa, and the marker has been shown to be a good marker for that patient, it can be used with relative accuracy in monitoring for response to treatment or relapse.

Treatments for recurrence vary greatly, and depend on many, many things. The longer the remission, the more likely it is that the first treatment will work again, so usually that is what is being done - a repeat - provided that the health of the patient allows it. If it doesn't work this time, there are other options but many women have remissions in-between treatments.

I have lost several chemo friends in the last 5 years. It freaks me out too - I feel certain that I will be in their boat soon especially since my marker has been creeping upwards. But you can't think that way - no one knows what the future holds - everyone's response is different, everyone's relapse, if there is one, is different, and there is no predicting anything.

I learned to live the life between check-ups to the fullest. I can actually really enjoy life. I just hate the two weeks around the follow-up visits, when the fear descends on me.