Cancer Has Returned

i was just wondering if any one has  had stage 2 ovarian cancer and had  it   come back and  had it removed again  and wht u had to  go threw if you had to do chemo  and  if u are cancer free now

 

On 2/27/2008 freeatlast wrote:

i was just wondering if any one has  had stage 2 ovarian cancer and had  it   come back and  had it removed again  and wht u had to  go threw if you had to do chemo  and  if u are cancer free now

Sorry to hear that your cancer has returned.  I have Stage 2C ovarian cancer which returned after 4-1/2 years last October but as yet despite scans, colonoscopy, ultra scan etc. they have not found the tumour.  My CA125 levels are continuing to rise and as this has been a good marker for me in the past this makes them confident that there is a tumour somewhere, it's just a matter of finding it so they can remove it and treat me again.

The doctors have reassured me that with an operation and treatment it is possible for me to go into remission again for another 5 or even 10 years. A few patients have continued in remission longer than that so there is hope at the other side.  I don't know what's ahead of me and just pray they locate the tumour soon before it gets out of control.

Don't be scared to ask these questions of your oncologist or specialist and good luck. 

 

i hope  they find where ur tumor is , my heart goes out to u too .they did my scans thats how they found the tumor, they say i have one the size of a half dollar and then theres a spot on my pancres which now they think may be fatty tissue but im  going to tell them to remove it when they get in there  just in case . im looking at about 3 weeks before surgery as my doctors going on vacation   for 2 weeks .they checked  my ca125 i should be getting the results bk tomarrow. they will be putting in a port  if i have to do chemo again he says  , i just cant understand why i keep getting tumors  or anyone eles  ud think there should be a med out there to help prevent it   well good  luck to u too

 

On 2/28/2008 freeatlast wrote:

i hope  they find where ur tumor is , my heart goes out to u too
.they did my scans thats how they found the tumor, they say i have one
the size of a half dollar and then theres a spot on my pancres which
now they think may be fatty tissue but im  going to tell them
to remove it when they get in there  just in case . im looking at
about 3 weeks before surgery as my doctors going on
vacation   for 2 weeks .they checked  my ca125 i should
be getting the results bk tomarrow. they will be putting in a
port  if i have to do chemo again he says  , i just cant
understand why i keep getting tumors  or anyone eles  ud
think there should be a med out there to help prevent it  
well good  luck to u too

I
am sorry to hear that they are unable to find the tumor.  My mom
had the same problem.  Although she has small tumors in her
abdomen, they didnt know until they operated that her bladder, rectum
and pelvic tissue had fused into a solid tumor mass.  Not to scare
you., but the ctscan came out inconclusive (the surgon also saw no real
complication when examing the ctscan), which suprised us when the
surgeon  informed us of this complication, resulting in the
inability to reverse the colostomy.  I wish you the best of
luck.  But they can only tell so much until they actually see it .
  Unfortunately, ctscans are not 100%.  If you are not in the
best physical condition, i would not suggest a second surgery if there
are massive tumor spread throughout your abdomen.  We got several
opinions and my mom underwent surgery first to reverse the colostomy
and second for a debulking.  Because the cancer was worse then
expected she spent 6 hours in surgery and remains in a weak condition.
I cant say that we sometimes dont regret the decision, but I have to
believe that it did make us more aware of her condition and the extent
of her disease.  She was in remission for 8 months when the cancer
returned.  Again, I wish you all the very best.  Be well,
keep fighting.

 

On 2/28/2008 Judy nz wrote:

 

On 2/27/2008 freeatlast wrote:

i was just wondering if any one has  had stage 2 ovarian cancer and had  it   come back and  had it removed again  and wht u had to  go threw if you had to do chemo  and  if u are cancer free now

Sorry to hear that your cancer has returned.  I have Stage 2C ovarian cancer which returned after 4-1/2 years last October but as yet despite scans, colonoscopy, ultra scan etc. they have not found the tumour.  My CA125 levels are continuing to rise and as this has been a good marker for me in the past this makes them confident that there is a tumour somewhere, it's just a matter of finding it so they can remove it and treat me again.

The doctors have reassured me that with an operation and treatment it is possible for me to go into remission again for another 5 or even 10 years. A few patients have continued in remission longer than that so there is hope at the other side.  I don't know what's ahead of me and just pray they locate the tumour soon before it gets out of control.

Don't be scared to ask these questions of your oncologist or specialist and good luck. 

Hi Judy nz,

I had a very similar experience.  After 5 years of being cancer free, my CAT scan showed slight changes in lymp nodes which worried my oncologist.  He searched on year until he found recurrence of ovarian cancer in my neck lymph node.  I was treaded with Taxol/Carboplatin.  I could not tolerate the carboplatin.  I continued on Taxol (Abraxane) for 2 years.  Over the last year my CA-125 was elavated.  We swithced to Doxil just recently.

I am curious, why do they tell you, you  have a tumor when your scans are OK?  HAve you had PET scans as well? How elevated is your CA-125 marker.  If you share some details wtih me, I may be able to help you with my experience. 

May you have all the health in the world.

 

 Thanks Sheina for writing and I hope you are doing well on the new treatment.  As my CA125 levels have been steadily rising for the last 6 months and as this test was a good indicator for me first time round, the doctors are certain that this indicates the cancer has returned.

I have now had two CT scans, a colonoscopy and a ultra scan of my thyroid.  The second CT scan showed a growth deep in the pelvic area that had increased in size since the first scan but because of where it is and the fact that it is still fairly small, they can't do a simple biopsy and are reluctant to operate without a clearer picture so paperwork is being processed at the moment for me to travel to Australia for a PET scan as we do not have a PET scanner here in New Zealand as yet.  Hopefully the PET scan will give them a much clearer indication of what is going on.  Also they want me to go and have another ultra scan of my thyroid and a biopsy as the first scan showed a solid lump which although they don't think is anything to do with the ovarian cancer, they would like to rule it out.

So that is where I am at six months down the track - no better off and worried that in the meantime the cancer may have spread elsewhere.  It all takes so long and I just want to get on and start treatment or whatever, so that I can get on with living.  At the moment my life is on hold - I can't plan anything as I'm always waiting for the next appointment.

Please let me know how your treatment is going and if and when I have anything positive to report I'll write back.

Judy 

On 4/16/2008 Sheina wrote:

 

On 2/28/2008 Judy nz wrote:

 

On 2/27/2008 freeatlast wrote:

i was just wondering if any one has  had stage 2 ovarian cancer and had  it   come back and  had it removed again  and wht u had to  go threw if you had to do chemo  and  if u are cancer free now

Sorry to hear that your cancer has returned.  I have Stage 2C ovarian cancer which returned after 4-1/2 years last October but as yet despite scans, colonoscopy, ultra scan etc. they have not found the tumour.  My CA125 levels are continuing to rise and as this has been a good marker for me in the past this makes them confident that there is a tumour somewhere, it's just a matter of finding it so they can remove it and treat me again.

The doctors have reassured me that with an operation and treatment it is possible for me to go into remission again for another 5 or even 10 years. A few patients have continued in remission longer than that so there is hope at the other side.  I don't know what's ahead of me and just pray they locate the tumour soon before it gets out of control.

Don't be scared to ask these questions of your oncologist or specialist and good luck. 

Hi Judy nz,

I had a very similar experience.  After 5 years of being cancer free, my CAT scan showed slight changes in lymp nodes which worried my oncologist.  He searched on year until he found recurrence of ovarian cancer in my neck lymph node.  I was treaded with Taxol/Carboplatin.  I could not tolerate the carboplatin.  I continued on Taxol (Abraxane) for 2 years.  Over the last year my CA-125 was elavated.  We swithced to Doxil just recently.

I am curious, why do they tell you, you  have a tumor when your scans are OK?  HAve you had PET scans as well? How elevated is your CA-125 marker.  If you share some details wtih me, I may be able to help you with my experience. 

May you have all the health in the world.

 

 

Hello again,

I hope you got some good results and they start the treatment that will be best for you.  They will probably repeat Carboplatin with Taxol first. My understanding is that Ovarian cancer in some cases has become like a chronic disease.  It is manageable in that it responds to treatment but somehow it does not go away.  If they tell you, you need Taxol,  suggest Abraxane (same drug different formula) which is much easier to administer, there are no additional drugs like anxiety, cortisone etc. given with it or afterwards.  

I have had 3 doxil treatments,  my CA125 is high, but it went slighty lower after 2nd treatment.  I won't get the benefit of third treatment for another 2-3 weeks. 

 

Wishing all of us the best my prayers are with all.

 

 

On 5/6/2008 Sheina wrote:

Hello again,

I hope you got some good results and they start the treatment that will be best for you.  They will probably repeat Carboplatin with Taxol first. My understanding is that Ovarian cancer in some cases has become like a chronic disease.  It is manageable in that it responds to treatment but somehow it does not go away.  If they tell you, you need Taxol,  suggest Abraxane (same drug different formula) which is much easier to administer, there are no additional drugs like anxiety, cortisone etc. given with it or afterwards.  

I have had 3 doxil treatments,  my CA125 is high, but it went slighty lower after 2nd treatment.  I won't get the benefit of third treatment for another 2-3 weeks. 

 

Wishing all of us the best my prayers are with all.

 

Hi Sheina

Just spent ages replying to your post and don't know what happened it just disappeared so have to start again.

Let's hope that as your CA125 went slightly lower after the second Doxil treatment that it will continue doing so.  I will be thinking of you and sending your positive vibes.

I am still in the process of having tests - the latest being a biopsy of my thyroid.  Have lost count of the number of tests I have had but the only one I haven't had as yet is the PET scan and I am now waiting to hear something more positive about this.  It has to be put before the hospital board for funding approval as I am in New Zealand and we as yet don't have a PET scanner here so they have to send patients to Australia (and of course that costs!!)  If they turn me down I will go as a private patient and pay for myself.

Once I hear anything more positive I will let you know but this waiting (7 months now!) is really starting to get to me.

All the best to you and all the other ovarian cancer women.

Judy