Mom VERY recently diagnosed

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  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #22
    cehjames said:

    hi ladies from the UK and US -q's re treatment
    new
    hi there, i live in London in the UK and my mum was diagnosed late October with primary peritoneal cancer. her NHS oncologist started her straight away on carboplatin, 6 treatments each 3 weeks apart. we went to a private oncologist (highly recommended at the London Oncology Clinic in Harley Street) for a second opinion because we also have private medical insurance.

    The private oncologist said that he agreed with carboplatin as the best treatment, but that as PPC is a diagnosis of exclusion she should have had tests done to exclude the primary site being elsewhere (bowel, stomach or breast). i asked him about the IP chemo and the use of taxol in addition to carboplatin and he said that the IP chemo is not proven to be effective and if the carboplatin does not get rid of it then they will try taxol next. BUT on all the american sites where people have posted comments i have been onto trying to research this disease people seem to talk a lot about these two things:

    Combination therapy with taxol and a platinum chemo either carbo or cisplatin as a first line therapy seems to be the standard in the US
    AND
    A combination of IV and IP for either/both of these drugs.

    SO -My question for any of you amazing ladies on this site is: why do you think the standard first line treatment is different in the UK and the US? i cannot understand why it should be different here. Also, they said that as my mum is stage 3a, there is not really any point in surgery because the bits of cancer are too small. i am hoping this is a good thing! Tina - what hospital are you at if you dont mind me asking?

    we are all keeping positive and i am making sure that she does not just sit at home and fret. a puppy is my next idea...

    thank you for any thoughts you may have that can help me get the very best treatment for my wonderful young mum who is just 59.

    Clare

    IP/IV
    At the age of 41 I was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian. After debulking surgery I had 5 rounds of IV carbo and taxol 3 weeks apart. I then had an IP port placed and recv'd 3 rounds of cisplatin IP and taxol IV. Despite all of this I just had my first reoccurence being out of chemo for 8 months. BAH HUMBUG!

    Oh, and I did get a puppy too. Just added more work to my list of daily chores :-) My two young kids love him though!

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