hiya ... firstly im sorry to here your mum has this desease.. But i can give you information that just might give you the hope you are looking for.... In 2003 i was diagnosed with primary breast cancer... i had 6 mths chemotherapy and 5 wks radiotherapy... i was lucky so i was told as it had not gone into my lymph node but they removed it anyways.... (i lost both my grandmother and my aunty with breast cancer that had spread from the breast to the ovaries and beyond.... my aunty passed down some vital information before she died....(she was a nurse) anyone in the family who was unfortunate to get breast cancer to have their ovaries removed straight away... well for near on 2 years i requested that my ovaries be removed... but only got the answer that because my breast cancer wasnt hormone reflective i didnt need to have them removed....well basically in march 2005 iwasnt feeling too good i was bleeding irratically and having pinky blood in between periods... and i felt totally drained... i had a routine cervical smear test which showed abnormal cells... i decided to ask for an hysterectomy and to have my ovaries removed... the doctor still thought i was too young but decided to ask the geneology department given my past history of breast cancer and having a family history of the desease what my chances were of getting ovarian cancer.... the result was 1 in 4 so as you can imagine both my doctor and myself agreed to go ahead......i had the operation and found that i had cancer on both ovaries...but the cancer at that point hadnt gone anywhere else... i was given chemotherapy again but after 4 treatments i was experiencing tiredness in my limbs and was told it was nerve damage due to taxatere....(sorry this is long windered but i hope to give insight to many people) after my treatment stopped i felt great... i got my self a job and things were looking up.... i was scheduled to have breast realignment....but that was put on hold... at the beginning of the year (2007) i saw my oncologist who told me if the cancer was to come back i would probably see something in the coming year... at the time i was aware of a lower abdominal pain when i was finisheing urinating...i was treated for a urine infection... this aching continued and i was treated again... the aching still did not go away...i started to gain weight quite quickly and my tummy started to bloat.... i visited my gp who diagnosed ibs (irritable bowel syndrome) i was given medication for it but the symptoms increased and so did my tummy size ...i saw a 2nd doctor who diagnosed the same but made an appointment to have a ultrsound scan on the 12th september.... in the mean time i went to A and E and a x ray was took of my abdomen... the doctor diagnosed gas ! i went for the ultrasound and was told i had fluid around my liver and that it most certainly wasnt ibs ! i returned the same day for an MRI scan which showed i have carcinoma nodules on my peritoneam, liver, and spleen... and the swollen tummy was malignant acites.... i was taken into hospital and had 5.7 litres of fluid drained... i was told that i may well fill back up... i was given capecitabine(chemotherapy) orally. I have to take it for 2 weeks and then 1 weeks rest... continuing... after just four treatments i am in complete remission !the carcinomas have completely disappeared and the fluid never returned... i am still continuing to work and feel absolutely great....I know everyone is different and respond to drugs differently... but im living proof it works... and i can stay on the drug indefinately....i hope this gives you hope and to anyone else reading this... if youre concerned and have unexplained symptoms dont leave it to chance...it may not be anything serious... but it also could be ....early diagnosis is paramount with Cancer....good luck and health to all ....regards
Mandy Angel