Primary peritoneal cancer

Hi my name is Lyn and my mother was diagnosed with PPC in Jan 2006 and passed away on October 21, 2007.  She fought a long hard battle untill the very end.  We were all able to be with her at home when she passed away.  This cancer is a horrible cancer that needs to be more recognized.  My mom was sick and compplaining of the very symptoms related to PPC months before she was diagnosed.  She was 77 and she did not do well with the chemo treatments but continued untill they told her there was nothing more that they could do.  S he was given 3-6 months in Aug and died in October.  Has anyone out there lost a loved one to this horribloe cancer?

Lyn

Hi,

My name is Annie, and I have a very similar story to you Lyn.  My mother was diagnosed with PPC at the end of January, 07, yet she only made it to November 4,2007.  She was 59.  It was also a long and arduous year for us.  My grandmother was diagnosed with colon cancer in the same week of January, and so, we moved my mom to my grandmother's house, and I quit school to move in and take care of them both. 

We Even went all the way to seek alternative treatment in Arizona. My mother developed a blood clot in her leg during the plane trip there, and we had to take her to the ER as soon as we landed.  She was in a new hospital, with none of her own doctors for about 3 1/2 weeks. The last 2 weeks of her life, we spent in hospice (Hospice of the Valley was amazing to us, and The Sherman Home in Pheonix was more like a nice hotel with only 13 rooms) and then under hospice home care for the last two days.   

This cancer is so rare, and so aggressive.  I really want to do something to help more people know about it.  It is also genetic, so even if we can't do something for those who have unfortunately not won this battle, we can do something for those who haven't even started it yet.  I want to make a donation that will specifically fund research of PPC so that it may be disconnected from Gynecological cancers and treated as it's own entity, which I believe would be more effective.  I can't seem to find anywhere that would specifically use my donation in this way.  Does anyone know of such?  

 Annie

HI Annie I am sorry to hear about your mother.  I heard from my moms doctor that it was not genetic.  I will have to look further into it! 

Lyn

My mom was diagnosed with stage IV PPD on December 21, 2004.  She started chem in January 2005, and continued with chemo every three weeks for one and a half years.  She had her last chemo on June 22, 2006, and boy did we celebrate.  We were blessed to have six months of her being pain free/symptom free.  on December 21, 2006, exactly two years from the date of her first diagnosis, we were told that her cancer had come back with a vengence.  It had spread to  her liver. Her oncologist at MD Anderson was very optimistic, but it just was not meant to be.  She had one more round of chemotherapy in early January 2007, went into the hospital two days later and finally came home on hospice February 20, 2007.  She went to be with her Lord and Savior on February 25, 2007, with her family at her bedside. 

 This is such a devastating cancer.  My mother had symptoms for awhile, but the doctors just did not connect the dots.  She had had a complete hysterectomy at age 25, and they did not even think to do a CA-125, until my sister, who is a OB/GYN nurse, insisted that they do.  

I do have to praise MD Anderson in Houston.  We are not from Houston, and our local oncologist told her to go home in December 2004, and to wait, that there was nothing that they could do.  

My prayers are with anyone who has to deal with PPC.