Diagnosed Ovarian Cancer 11/28/05

My mother-in-law and very dear friend was just diagnosed yesterday with ovarian cancer which has spread to her lung with an additional mass on her pelvis and she is regularly coughing up blood. She has not been told the stage yet but we're assuming stage IV. She is currently on her way from Mayo in Scottsdale to M.D. Anderson in Houston for a second opinion. The physician she saw in Scottsdale told her to come home to Alaska and wait until after the holidays to begin chemo (once a month for six months). He said the chemo works the same whether the mass is 2cm or 6cm. This sounds crazy to me! Shouldn't she begin treatment immediately? Is he, in an indirect manner, suggesting chemo will not help? Any info. would be greatly appreciated. We're absolutely devastated and going crazy.

Your mom's cancer does sound advanced, but that is typical
with ovarian cancer - it is often not found until the disease is
advanced, because the symptoms mimic symptoms of other
disorders, and are often mild. But you cannot know if she is
stage IV or not until she has had surgery. I assume she is being
scheduled for surgery, if not, I would want to know why, as that
is very unusual.

Also, I would not recommend delaying chemo one day. There
are stage IV patients who have had long and successful
remissions, but delaying the chemo could jeopardize her
chances. I would get her to MD Anderson a.s.a.p. and make
sure you ask all these questions. I personally shudder to think
of waiting a month or more. In my own case, I was a stage lllC,
and within a week of diagnosis, I had surgery, and two weeks
after surgery, I started chemo. You don't want to delay on this.
It could be that the doctor is throwing in the towel and
assuming your mom will die in six months or a year, so he may
figure just send her home and let her enjoy the holidays. But I
assure you it is worth the fight, and she may respond very well
to the chemo and enjoy a long remission.

Tell her to go online to the ovarian cancer discussion board at
ACOR. You have to sign up for it, but it's free and it is an
invaluable resource. Go to www.acor.org and locate the ovarian
cancer list. Click on that and follow the instructions to join.
There are many knowledgeable women on that list that can
help you and your mom. Best wishes for her recovery.