New here and a lot of questions

YandY

My sister just had a CT last Friday, here is what the report says: "lesion in the left hepatic lobe lateral segment appears as a metastasis. while the bilateral ovarian cystic neoplasms described below. likely metastatic ovarian cancer. the lesion at the tip of the pancreatic tail is non specific"

We will have the first appointment with gyno/cono tomorrow morning.

So my questions are:
1. Is this the final diagnosis? Any other tests to be done?
2. She has ascites and drained 1.5 liter 1 hour ago, the fluid will be tested.
Can doctor make decision based on the result?
3. What the CA-125 number will tell?
4. How does the staging determined, the biopse is a must?
5. Normally how soon will you start treatment?
6. How do we as family members do to support her?
This is so overwhelming at this moment, I’ve been searching web these 3 days, got a lot of books, and found this message board. My sister and I both have no kids and we planned to live close to each other after we retire. Now this! So sad…
Y

TDodds68

Questions
I am new to all this myself I can try to answer some questions but there are much more experienced ladies here that may be better at answering this than me.

The fluid they took an hour ago that is going to be tested is more than likely being sent to path to see if it is cancer if so benign or malignant. Based on those results the Dr. will make decisions on what else to do. The CA-125 is a blood test which if it is elevated can point to ovarian cancer. The staging basically tells you how far the cancer has spread and can tell you what your chances are of recovery. When they start treatment depends on what they have to do. I can only tell you what happened in my case I went to ER on May 4th with abdominal pain thinking it was food poisining after they did ultrasound found a mass they did a CT scan and CA-125 CT showed mass 15cm on left ovary and one on right .08 they said it was complex and CA-12t was over 2838 they did surgery on May 7th to remove masses and send to path. Found out a week later it was malignant they set me up for chemo after I healed from surgery. June 12th have to do 6 rounds 3 weeks in between I have my 4th treatment tomorrow.

As far as support just be there for her when she needs you. My husband has given me my space when I needed it to cry or whatever but when I needed him there he has been there for me. She may need someone to go with her to appts to take notes or help with questions and write the answers down. I went to my first appt with a list of questions and wrote the answers down. It is just so overwealming if you don't write questions down when you think of them or write the answers down you won't remember them. It is just too much to take in at one time.

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saundra

Dear Y,
I do hope you go with your sister and ask these question of the gyn/onc. I had three metastasis 2.5 tumors in my liver that were "inoperatable" . They did a needle biopsy to diagnose ovarian cancer as I had spots all over the abdomen as well. When cancer spreads to distant organs (like the overry to the liver) it is considered "Stage IV". That is not a death sentence as you can read on this board of experienced ladies.
You can click on my picture and read my history.
The liver tumors were burned out with radio frequency ablation and have not come back. I had my surgery at Baylor in Dallas, a large teaching hospital.
There is a lot of waiting for appointments, tests, test results, action. It took me about 2 months to get off the pity pot and start fighting this chronic disease. (((Hugs))) Saundra

YandY

saundra said:

Dear Y,
I do hope you go with your sister and ask these question of the gyn/onc. I had three metastasis 2.5 tumors in my liver that were "inoperatable" . They did a needle biopsy to diagnose ovarian cancer as I had spots all over the abdomen as well. When cancer spreads to distant organs (like the overry to the liver) it is considered "Stage IV". That is not a death sentence as you can read on this board of experienced ladies.
You can click on my picture and read my history.
The liver tumors were burned out with radio frequency ablation and have not come back. I had my surgery at Baylor in Dallas, a large teaching hospital.
There is a lot of waiting for appointments, tests, test results, action. It took me about 2 months to get off the pity pot and start fighting this chronic disease. (((Hugs))) Saundra

Thank you all
Thank you all for the responses.
The surgery is scheudled for tomorrow. Doctor told us there is a big mess in uterus area, he will do "hysterectomy" and "debulking". We will find out exactly what are those. If this is ovarian cancer, doctor says, he would say it's stage IIIC.
What's your weight on remove both ovaries if he does not find any tumor?
Thank you all again and wish the best for everyone.
Y

saundra

YandY said:

Thank you all
Thank you all for the responses.
The surgery is scheudled for tomorrow. Doctor told us there is a big mess in uterus area, he will do "hysterectomy" and "debulking". We will find out exactly what are those. If this is ovarian cancer, doctor says, he would say it's stage IIIC.
What's your weight on remove both ovaries if he does not find any tumor?
Thank you all again and wish the best for everyone.
Y

I would remove the ovaries. Save problems later. Saundra

JoanC

YandY said:

Thank you all
Thank you all for the responses.
The surgery is scheudled for tomorrow. Doctor told us there is a big mess in uterus area, he will do "hysterectomy" and "debulking". We will find out exactly what are those. If this is ovarian cancer, doctor says, he would say it's stage IIIC.
What's your weight on remove both ovaries if he does not find any tumor?
Thank you all again and wish the best for everyone.
Y

Y,
Remove both ovaries and uterus would be my answer. Good luck tomorrow.
(((HUGS)) joan

YandY

Surgery is over
Okay, it's done, all removed, plus appendix and 1/4 of liver. She has PPC and will start chemo in 3 weeks. Any tips? Thank you all so much.