Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

kmmoore
kmmoore Member Posts: 12
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hello Everyone. I was wondering if anyone has experienced a recurrence 6 months following first line therapy. I was diagnosed in July 2006 at age 44 with Stage 3C ovarian cancer. My CA-125 was over 2,000. After a bowel resection and the debulking surgery, my CA-125 went down to 492. After one treatment of carboplatin and taxol, my CA-125 was back in the normal range. It went all the way down to 3 and stayed there until last month (May 2006) when it went up to 19. I had another CA-125 drawn four weeks later and unfortunately, my number has risen to 198. I had a cat scan yesterday and am waiting to hear from my Dr. I know you all know how my family and I are feeling waiting for these test results. We were rather taken aback as to how quickly my numbers rose in just 4 weeks time. The Dr. can't determine the next step until he reads the cat scan. I wonder if they will consider me to be sensitive or non sensitive to platinum since I seem to be on the border of that six month mark. It's been 5 1/2 months since the last treatment. Life was just getting back to normal for our family. My husband and I are worried sick. If anyone has any encouraging words, I would love to hear from them. Thank you.

Comments

  • pshnyc
    pshnyc Member Posts: 45
    Dear Kmmoore - I don't have personal experience with a situation like yours, but I know many women who have had a recurrance shortly after first line treatment who have gone on to remission again...and again...and again. There is another online list with over 1000 women with ovarian cancer from around the world and many of them have experience what you are experiencing. You can access it at www.acor.org - look for the Ovarian Problems Discussion List. You have to register (it's free) but then you will be able to post to the list, read what others are posting, respond, etc. It's a great group - I've been on it for over 3 years and I know you will find lots of support and good information.
    Good luck,
    pshnyc
  • kmmoore
    kmmoore Member Posts: 12
    pshnyc said:

    Dear Kmmoore - I don't have personal experience with a situation like yours, but I know many women who have had a recurrance shortly after first line treatment who have gone on to remission again...and again...and again. There is another online list with over 1000 women with ovarian cancer from around the world and many of them have experience what you are experiencing. You can access it at www.acor.org - look for the Ovarian Problems Discussion List. You have to register (it's free) but then you will be able to post to the list, read what others are posting, respond, etc. It's a great group - I've been on it for over 3 years and I know you will find lots of support and good information.
    Good luck,
    pshnyc

    Thank you pshnyc. I will go to that website. I still haven't heard back about my catscan. It's been a week now. Maybe no news is good news. I can only hope! Kim
  • pshnyc
    pshnyc Member Posts: 45
    kmmoore said:

    Thank you pshnyc. I will go to that website. I still haven't heard back about my catscan. It's been a week now. Maybe no news is good news. I can only hope! Kim

    Kim - good luck on the scan. It's such a scary wait, isn't it?
    Best,
    Pamela a.k.a pshnyc
  • kmmoore
    kmmoore Member Posts: 12
    kmmoore said:

    Thank you pshnyc. I will go to that website. I still haven't heard back about my catscan. It's been a week now. Maybe no news is good news. I can only hope! Kim

    My cat scan was clear! However, my oncologist wants me to have a PET-CT scan this Wednesday. I recently read that sometimes the CA-125 precedes the cancer's showing up on a CT scan by 2 to 3 months. Has anyone ever heard this before? We're praying that the PET-CT is also clear. To Paula2, I'm sorry to hear of your third recurrence. Good luck to you, I hope your treatments go well and that you feel better soon. Take care. Kim
  • kmmoore
    kmmoore Member Posts: 12
    pshnyc said:

    Kim - good luck on the scan. It's such a scary wait, isn't it?
    Best,
    Pamela a.k.a pshnyc

    While my CT scan was clear, my PET-CT unfortunately, was not. My Dr. is putting me on Gemzar. Has anyone had any experience with this drug? What a roller coaster ride this disease can be! Thanks! Kim