Mom diagnosed with OVCA

[Borgs]

My mom had her surgery yesterday and unfortunately the tumor was cancer.  Needless to say, we are all upset.  She did have breast cancer a few years ago however, so we were a little more prepared this time than last.  I wrote a few weeks ago.  She is post-menopausal, had a complex cyst and she started to develop a lot of fluid within the last two to three weeks.  The cyst was the size of a soccer ball and she had over 4 liters of ascites.  Doctor said he did not feel or see any cancer in any of the other surrounding organs, and that from his eye, it seemed to be totally entombed in the tumor, and that other than the huge mass on the ovary, the other ovary looked as if to be healthy tissue.  He said you can never tell though and we will have to wait for pathology with all the biopsy samples.  He said it grew extremely fast and the fluid rapidly onset within the last few weeks.  Questions- can we guess the stage of this thing now, and how long will it take to get the path results?      

[Borgs]

Hi Petunia-
It seems our only difference is my mom had surgery done by a GYN and general surgeon and not a Gyn/Onc- I am terrified of this but what is done is done I guess.  She is at home.  She came home Thursday morning. We are waiting for her Doctor appointment, with the GYN who did the surgery, this Thursday.  That is where we are hoping to learn her stage.    She was in a lot of pain from surgery, but every day she feels better and walks a little bit more around the house.  She lost a ton of weight, which is scaring me, so she looks rather frail and sickly. She did get her appetite back though so I am hoping she packs on some weight soon.  My very best to you and your mother.  

  

[nolabean]

Hi, I posted stage on another thread along with my path report from initial surgery. It said 1C, however, (and I forgot to mention this on the other thread) all of the docs involved in my case agreed that my staging was an educated opinion. This is due to the fact that my ovary had ruptured thus spewing tissue around the abdomnial cavity.

[petunia0580]

borgs,
our mother's stories are so similar...mine also had breast cancer a few years back.  She went to her OB and he wanted to operate right away with a general surgeon.   We did talk her into a gyn/onc and she had her surgery last tuesday...
How is she doing now?  Is she at home?

[Borgs]

Thanks so much.  If you don't mind me asking, what stage were you?  I looked up the lvwcc website with my mom and she is encouraged.  My parents live in Northampton (where I grew up), near Allentown and Bethlehem.  I now live in Jenkintown/Wyncote, a Phila. suburb, just moved out there from Philadelphia.  I have a fear she will need to have second look, in that I don't have much confidence in her OB/GYN, the Dr who did the initial surgery to remove the tumor, and what he saw while in there.  I wish my mom would have gotten the second opinion before she had surgery this past Tues.

[nolabean]

OK. My saga is not the usual, woman has symptoms...goes to doc, so I will skip over the first 7 months and go right to "Enter Dr. Abdulhay". After the initial surgery and chemo I saw him for the first time, my biggest regret was that I did not know about him from the very beginning. Anyway, at this juncture, he gave me 3 choices, 18 more months of chemo.....ah, NOT even an option, do nothing and just monitor the situation.......too chicken for that, or have the second look surgery. It lasted more than 8 hours, he is very thorough. Took biopsies and washings of everything in me.Of course, it left me with adhesions and a belly full of titanium staples for life, but it was the best option for me at the time. I can't believe your Mom lives in Atown. I also lived in Norristown and Conshy when I was a teenager and work in Phila.

[Borgs]

Awesome.  I will let her know.  This is great stuff.  Can you tell me a little bit about "second look"?

Thanks so much!  

[nolabean]

I forgot, Dr. Abdulhay's website is www.lvwcc.com, notice he is also a professor at MCP Hahneman. By the way, he is orignally from Turkey, speaks with no accent and has an extremely calming, soft voice. His name is pronounced "Ab dool high".

[nolabean]

Sorry, I'm at work, so I'm trying to type fast. If you or your Mom have ANY questions about Dr. Abdulhay, PLEASE feel free to ask me. Your Mom will receive the BEST possible treatment with Dr. A., the man is a saint! I know this may sound very weird, but there is something almost mystical about him, I have never met such a kind man, not to mention the fact that he is pure medical genius. In my humble opinion, no one could give your Mom better care, not at Fox Chase, UP, MD Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering, or anywhere else.

[nolabean]

I used to live in Allentown! There is a FABULOUS gynonc there, Dr. Gazi Abdulhay, he did my second look surgery. He is one of the best in the country AND he has a "bedside manor" that cannot be beat. He will provide the very BEST care for your Mom.
nolabean

[Borgs]

Thanks so much.  The Gyn said after surgery the tumor was cancer.  I assume they did the quick microscope scan in the OR.  He then said he checked the other organs for cancer and didn't see or feel anything.  She had over 4 liters of ascites removed.  He took samples of 7 spots, and the omentum was removed, as well as a total hysterectomy.  She had her tubes tied about 20 years ago.  

[Borgs]

Thanks Jan214.  We still haven't gotten the staging, but my mom finally said today that regardless of what stage she is in, she will consult with a Gyn/Onc.  I am just hoping the Gyn didn't make any mistakes during debulking and at least knows the difference between healthy tissue and cancerous tissue.  If the cancer is in the ascites, I guess we will just have to live with that and move on with the chemo.  My mom lives in the Allentown, PA area but I live in Philadelphia so I am planning to try to convince her to come down here to Fox Chase Cancer Center, Penn, or Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.  I would appreciate referrals though.      

[Jan214]

We have all been through this and as much as I LOVE my gyn, she wouldn't have dreamed of doing my surgery.  If you tell us a city and state maybe someone on here can recommend a gynonc.  She really does need to consult with one now.  No matter what her stage is, she will want to keep following up with a gynonc.  They know what they are looking for and at. As for the gyn, not being able to see or feel it anywhere, I hope that is the case but he is not really qualified to make those kinds of assessments.  Gynoncs have 3 extra years of school just in oncology and their CE load is enormous.  I am rambling because this is very important and your mom has to quit being stubborn and do what is in her best interest.  Good luck to your family.
Jan

[rmarie]

I take it the biopsy said that it was ovarian cancer.  So even if the Gyn says it isn't indicated, you should meet with one.  The only women who are pretty much exempt are stage 1A so they should be recommending Carboplatin and taxol.  Wait for Dr. Goodman's reply.

[Borgs]

Hey-
She hasn't gotten the path reports back from the initial surgery yet.  We expect them any day now, so we don't know the stage yet.  I will insist she meets with the best oncol. in the area if the staging indicates chemo will be needed.  Thanks so much.  Best to you.  

[rmarie]

Who will be doing your mom's chemotherapy?  He isn't qualified to do it, she should had a referral to an oncologist soon, so she can get started.  All my best to you and your mother.  Marie

[Borgs]

Thanks Chris.  Best wishes to you.

[Borgs]

Thanks Chris.  Best wishes to you.  To my horror, it was an OB/GYN who performed the surgery, with a General Surgeon there with him.  I know, that is terrible, but my mom was too stubborn to get a second opinion and she likes her Gyn for some reason so she stuck with him.  Anyway, yesterday, I was not impressed with his lack of compassion, but who knows, he might be a good doctor.  He told me that it was "good" that he didn't see or feel it elsewhere and that he got many good samples of tissue to test, but he did seem concerned about the great amount of ascites (over 4 Liters).  He also did say that in his experience with these tumors, usually he will see it has spread to other organs.  He didn't indicate the type of cancer.  

[ChrisP2236]

It's better to wait for the pathology report than to try and guess the stage - my stage was on the path report.  Usual turnaround time is about two days but it can take longer to get back to the dr and the dr to get it to the patient.  Because it was thought I was fine after my initial surgery I wasn't informed I had cancer until three weeks later when I went for a check-up visit.  My gyn hadn't checked the report until right before she saw me - not sure if it was because she was so sure it wasn't cancer or she had just gotten the report.  Did they tell you what kind of cancer she has yet?  Also, did a gyn/oncologist perform the surgery?  If not, she will want to find one for further treatment.  Best wishes to her and all of you.  Chris