cancer after surgery

[madsis]

My sister has ovarian  cancer classified as  stage 3c. She had undergone surgery two months back. At that time ca 125 was 1300 . After surgery it came down to 290.  She has also undergone two chemo  sessions. Is it a positive sign. Can she be cured fully

[madsis]

thanks alla for all the encouraging and positive words.you are right, this disease brings positive outlook towards life and one moves towards healthy lifestyle.

[HVAC]

The six is the magic number. It gets harder with each one but you just concentrate on counting them off. I got really sick after three. I stopped eating during chemo which was bad, I have had many chemos after the carboplatin/ taxotere but none is as rough.

I did not have a great attitude but I got through it. My first hospital did not care about how sick I was getting. I was angry as all get out but that anger got me through. It also got me to change hospitals which saved my life.Whatever attitude any woman has is the right attitude. If you hate the chemo that is natural. Over time I have accepted my illness and am happy.

It also is good to have a goal to help get through it. Something to look forward to. Seeing a relative, a trip, anything. For me it was camping on the outer banks of NC. Last year it was adopting a Dalmatian puppy. This year Europe.

It is rough I will not lie to you. Alternative treatments on there own can be risky. Some women do diets or herbs and the like. You can try them with treatment. Without treatment there is a risk.

Alex

[Azl49]

Hi madsis, I have the same stage (3c) and diagnosis as your sister. As my oncologist said after I had completed post-surgery chemo, " the chances of complete cure are small but not a zero". I researched  researched the subject thouroughly and agree with his statement. There are a lot of studies and statistics published and, although every case is unique and any person may have luck of falling into that small "completely cured" statistical bucket, there are reasonably proven clinical correlations with better survival rates. Two stand out: first, "optimal debulking" (meaning only a few residual rumors less than 1cm left) versus "suboptimal debulking" (that is when surgery was not able to remove everything and tumors more than 1cm, or 1/2" , left). Second correlation: ca125 level falling to normal (less than 34) after 1st or 2nd chemo cycle. Ask her surgeon and oncologyst or read reports. Unfortunately, this disease is of that kind that no Dr can tell with certainty if she is completely cured. The fact is that the majority of patients have it come back, and the question is not "if" but "when". The longer it stays away, the better are chances. If it does not return 12months after completion of 1st line platinum chemo, the chances get better. She will be monitored after chemo, ca125 every 2-3 months, and scans if needed. So the overall treatment of OVCA is much improved in the past 20 years. The arsenal of chemo medications is not so bad, although nothing beats the standard 1st line regimen of platinum+taxanes. But they are there, including new type ( so called targeted chemo) that include immunotherapy. So life goes on even if the cancer
recurs. The "if's" and "when's" are beyond control of a human being. Even best Dr's have to go with trials and best guesses as the disease is not well understood. The best thing the patient could do is to maintain healthy lifestyle in order to have the best possible "performance status" -  to be best prepared if a new chemo round is necessary, and to develop right mental attitude to the situation. Because no matter what, life is beautiful and precious. There is even a positive thing about this cancer: it makes you realize how good life is and gives you a chance to live it to the fullest. Regards, Alla

[madsis]

Seven months back, she wasalso diagnosed having pulmonary hypertension  and now ovarian cancer. She has undergone two chemo sessions, 3rd is due at the end of the month. Is it possible to be cleared completely of cancerous cells after third cycle. Recommended chemo cycles are 6. Are alternative therapies like immunotherapy possible in this case. Any effective therapy available apart from chemo?

[madsis]

Seven months back, she wasalso diagnosed having pulmonary hypertension  and now ovarian cancer. She has undergone two chemo sessions, 3rd is due at the end of the month. Is it possible to be cleared completely of cancerous cells after third cycle. Recommended chemo cycles are 6. Are alternative therapies like immunotherapy possible in this case. Any effective therapy available apart from chemo?

[HVAC]

She probably can't be cured with 3c. Ovarian cancer is considered a chronic cancer. It is not like breast cancer. She can go into remission. They are thinking it might be a blood bourne cancer. The other theory is it is in the ascites the fluid in the abdomen an goes from organ to organ.

I have 3c but also have the BRCA mutation which makes cancers cells. The first six chemos was the worst. I took 8 months off after the first six because I was so under weight. My disease progressed. Then I did a year of Doxil, 4 months of Carboplatin on its own and now Lynpraza. None of the last three have made me lose hair. Besides fatigue I have done okay. I just went swimming for an hour. I can swim for an hour and a half non stop. I ride horses, walk my dogs, and am going to Europe for three weeks. I got a dalmatian puppy last year.

I have it in my liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. It progresses slowly. They have made great strides in the last five years. Each case is individual. You can't go by statistics. People are not statistics. I have beat the statistics so far.

I live a normal life. No one would know I have cancer. I am 52 and live a healthy life style. I eat well and exercise. I was really angry at first but now I have accepted things and I am very happy. One key for me is having things to look forward to. I have gone on camping trips. I have friends with vacation homes in the mountains and at the beach.

Alex