Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

ovary cancer metastasis

My sister (27yrs) was diagnosed ovary cancer stage 1c after surgical removal of cyst in March. She undergone TAHSBO and started Carboplatin for six cycles. But her platelet count is too low and doctor said it is Ok to stop the treatment, so she finished her 5th cycles in August.  Now she got a tumor in her abdomen, doctor suggest no surgery and 6cycles of topotecan
Please kindly let me know if it is a right choice not to have any surgery now? Any better option to increase the prognosis? Great thanks.
3 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
242604 tn?1328121225
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi There
she should definitely get genetic testing
The prognosis is usually better for women with BRCA related ovarian cancer

Unfortunately, there are not any great medications to help boost the platelets.

I usually consult a hematologist who specializes in bone marrow problems in situations like this. You should ask your sister's doctor about that
best wishes
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thanks for your reply
She does not have any medical conditions.Apart from low platelet count and low wbc count, she can sleep, eat,no vomiting,no hair loss during last chemo. Any possibile reasons cause low platelet count on her first line chemo?

Actually,my uncle got breast cancer and my dad got cancer too. If my sis really got those genes ,does it mean it  is harder to cure if she got cancer ?
Lastly, are there anything we could  do to  improve the platele count to help her finish this chemo ?

Thanks again
Helpful - 0
242604 tn?1328121225
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Dera Jean,
I am so sorry to hear about your sister. That is a very scary situation. Do you have information on the exact type of cancer that she has?
for instance is it an adenocarcinoma (which is in the category of epithelial ovarian cancer)? or a germ cell tumor? or a sarcoma?

It is very unusual to see a cancer return within a month of finishing chemotherapy.

I am not familiar with how the health system works in Hong Kong. Is it possible to get a second opinion?

Topotecan is a well known drug for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (adenocarcinomas such as the subtype serous - this is the most common subtype)

However the leading side effect of topotecan is dropping the blood counts and one of the blood count components is the platelets.

It is also very unusual for a 27 year old on first line chemotherapy to have low platelets.

Does your sister have any other medical conditions such as malnutirtion, hepatitis, HIV, or other infections?

Finally, have other family members had breast, uterine, or ovarian cancer? Age 27 is very young to get epithelial ovarian cancer. Could your family have a genetic risk of getting these caners? if so, other family members such as yourself should be checked by pelvic ultrasound. Your sister should have gene testing to look for a mutation that is hereditary.
I have pasted a few links for you to look at.
best wishes

http://www.ovarian.org/types_and_stages.php

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA

http://www.chemocare.com/bio/topotecan.asp

Helpful - 0

You are reading content posted in the Ovarian Cancer Forum

Popular Resources
Learn how to spot the warning signs of this “silent killer.”
Diet and digestion have more to do with cancer prevention than you may realize
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.