Why Doxil

mathteach1

I have ovarian cancer for two years and am now taking Doxil. My cancer has spread to my rectum and intestines. My question is why am I taking Doxil when my cancer is not in my ovaries, since all my female organs are gone? I was also given maybe two years to live and am very depressed about that and cannot stop crying.

lindaprocopio

Two years is a long time; new treatments & maybe a cure
Two years is a long time when cancer treatment research is FINALLY moving ahead at a rapid pace on so many new targeted therapies and different ways of suppressing and killing cancer cells. Please have hope. You don't want to waste one day of your precious life in dispair.

Believe me, I know the pain you post about. Statistically, the rare form of uterine cancer I have is every bit as recurrent as ovarian cancer, but is even more aggressive. I read a brand-new report that shows an 80% recurrence rate average for my stage (Stage IIIc) of my cancer (UPSC); and an average 15 months life-span after initial recurrence of the cancer. ARGH! That's pretty grim! But although this may be a brand-new report, it is a tabulation of data from 1966 to 2009, so I feel it is skewed by all of the old less effective treatments administered years ago. I've seen small 2009 clinical trials where the same stage/cancer has a 5-year survival rate of 60% to 73%! And who knows what survival rates will be with 2011 drugs?! Your oncologist can't know what new treatments may be there for you before 2 years go by.

(((((Big hugs)))))

saundra

Welcome and ask all you want
Your question on Doxil, since you have had a hysterectomy is because the cancer cells invading you rectum and intestines is still "Ovarian" cancer cells left over in the abdomen after initial treatment. My doctors have never given me a time limit on the earth and in my opinion, only God knows the date of my departure.
My current tumor has the same pathology as the original one on my ovary even though it is on the colon near the rectum.

(((HUGS))) Saundra