To JATOO, Please advise

[Hazel30]

Dear Jatoo, I would like to hear your advise/opinion on my Moms situation.  I will appreciate any advise.  Your knowledge may be very helpful to my Mom.

My Mom is 47 and is almost 9 months from treatment (taxotere/carbo). This week we've found out that she is having a recurrence.  CA-125 has been slowly rising and is currently at 26.  Its been going up by 5-7 points the past 3 months.  CT Scan report says slightly enlarged iliac chain lymph nodes.  Every thing else looks clear. No ascites or lesions.  We met with her gyn/oncl yesterday to hear his treatment plan.  His first recommendation is a clinical trial called MOBAR 003.  Second option is back on taxotere/carbo.  She had a very good response to these drugs and had minimal side affects.  Im a litle confused as to what we should do.  He also stated that the recurrence is growing back very slowly and is not aggressive.  
Im not sure as to why he would recommend a clinical trial as his first option.
I always thought that they are mainly recommended to those that have been through other chemo drugs with no or little success or for platinum resistant women.

[Hazel30]

Hi Jatoo,  I just reread your post again.
Are you recommending that we should wait a while before we do anything clinical trial or chemo?  Do you think that by waiting the recurrence will progress more.  Isnt it beneficial to kill what ever is there now until it grows more?  

I think she is starting to feel some symptoms now.  The past few days shes been saying that she feels a little short of breath.   This was one of her major symptomps prior to diagnose.  Shes been also very pink on her face.  What do you think thats all about?

Thanks Jatoo

-Fiana

[Hazel30]

Thands for the reply.  Im going to reply to your post in numbers like you so that its clear.

1.  I know everything is still in normal range and NED, but she is having a recurrence and Im glad its not worse then what it is.  Her enlarged lymph nodes are measuring 1 x 1.4 cm.

2.   Yes, the carob/taxotere  right now is our first choice.

3.  I know clinical trials are good and without them we'll never find a cure or even  something that can extend every womans remission.  But I think at this point my Mom as other options and maybe just stick with chemo.  The clincal trial MOBAR 003 can be found on www.clinialtrials.gov or google it. It comes up the first or second search.  Yes, MOBAR 003 is a phase II trial  and is monoclonal antibody.  They are seeing if it works alone or combination with carbo.  My Moms situation is not quite like your wife but her ca-125 is rising every week.  Her doctor says if given 2-3 more months ca-125 will be up there.  But he wants to attack ,whatever is there, asap.  

4.  I havent been able to find any success rate on this trial, but given the info I gave you,  what would you do.  My  fear is that we put her on this trial and it does nothing for her, then at that point the cancer had time to grow more and more and of course makes it harder to put her into a good long remission again.  
Would your recommend for me to try for taxotere/carbo/avastin or just stick to carbo/taxotere?
I want only the best for her and will go above and beyond.

5.  I will absolutely pray for your Wife and every woman out there with this diseas.  I pray every day that we find a cure fast & quick for your Wife and my Mom to take advantage of it.

Thanks again for all your info, you seem very knowledgable about it all.  Your Wife must love you very much and know how lucky she is to have you.  Thanks again for helping all the ladies on this site with your research.  We all  appreciate it.

[Jatoo]

Dear Fiana:

1. Your mom is very fortunate to have you as a daughter. I understand very much your concerns because we didn't know ourselves what to do when my wife had recurrence. In principle your mom is right now NED (no evidence of disease). Her scan looks normal, except what a slightly enlarge lymph nodes mean since there is no measurement and my wife was measured at 1.5 x 1.5 cm and with a CA 125 of 300. Your mom's CA 125 is also normal. My wife's CA 125 had to double almost every week or two and that is a clear sign of recurrence.

2. Another thing going good for your mom is she is past the 6 months and is even getting close to one year. Which means that she is not platinum-resistant and the Carbo/Taxol can work again with her. We have a friend who almost recurred after a year and is I think on Carbo/Taxol and by around the second treatment her CA 125 is back to normal.

3. Clinical Trials are good. Almost all drugs come from clinical trials. But I have not heard of MOBAR 003 not even in Goggles. You have to ask your doc whether it is biological, hormonal or chemo drug. Ovarex MAB is a monoclonal antibody (biologic) is on clinical trial trying to delay recurrence. On phase II it has a success rate of 50%. I would say clinical trial is a must if we have to find a cure for OvCA. I wouldn't be surprise if a clinical trial on a combination of Avastin/Tarceva/Phenoxodiol/low dose chemo or chemo combo (can be any combo among Taxol/Carboplatin/Taxotere/Doxil/Gemzar,Topotecan, etc.) would be in the market pretty soon and be a final cure for Ovarian CA.

4. If the clinical trial were on Ovarex MAB, I would put my wife there given your moms condition and pull her out immediately as soon as CA 125 goes beyond normal (35). Then I would let her go again to Carbo/Taxol. If she does not go to a clinical trial, I definitely would put her back to Carbo/Taxol once her CA 125 has exceeded 35. If the CA 125 remains normal after a month, I recommend a PET CT scan. Then we can go from there since there are so many options.

5. Your being proactive Fiana would greatly help your mom. That's how we got Avastin for free. I have only one request from you and that is to pray for my wife as I will do for you mom. I hope this helps.

All the best,
Jatoo

[Hazel30]

another question:  How can we go about receiving taxotere/carbo + Avastin through his center?  I asked him and he said the trial is no longer available. BUT we dont want the trial we just want I guess what you call of label.

thanks again
Fiana

[Hazel30]

We actualy would be more willing to do a trial with taxotere/carbo + Avastin but he said that trial is booked, I guess in our area.  This trial that he recommends is being conducted out of his cancer center.  Im assuming he has nothing to gain from it since they are free and are offered by the government.  Do you think taxoter/carbo alone is a good plan of action in her case.  We are most likely not going to do this clinical trial that he offered because I realy didnt get much info from him as to why he thinks this will be beneficial for my Mom.  We are seeking a second opinion next week.  

Thank Yo so Much
-Fiana