Where is this all headed?

My sister was diagnosed with stage lllc ovac on 4 May 09. Her surgery was relatively successful; however, an 8cm cyst was left on her diaphragm. She is currently ready for her 3rd round of chemo. With the disease left on the diaphragm, is she at stage IIIc or IV? She has limited sounds in the lower right lung.  What's happening? She is a T9 paraplegic (complete) and we have been unable to find any helpful information regarding ovarian cancer in a paraplegic woman. Is it possible that she may experience difficulties related to her paralysis?

[Annekathryn Goodman, M.D.]

HI There,
information is power.
I wold suggest that you and your family organize a family meeting to meet with the doctor taking care of your sister.
If you do not already have it, with your sister's permission, you (or she) should ask for a copy of her records including operative note, pathology report, postoperative scans, CA 125 values and the change in CA 125 with chemotherapy.

You should write down a list of questions
example:
- what is stage of disease
-what is prognosis
-how well is chemo working and so   on.

I cannot answer these questions without more information

As a general statement, paraplegia does not affect the behavior or course of a cancer.

best wishes