primary peritoneal?

eward

blondecat said:

?????????????????
Gerri also had a hysterectomy some 29 years ago, leaving one ovary that can no longer be found on ultrasound. Did your mom seem to respond better to chemo after her surgery? I keep thinking how Gerri mentioned she had a "spot" on her esophagus, and a "spot" somewhere else that I cant' remember.... and sand is sand...and if they get it out and blast it with chemotherapeutic drugs, why on god's earth cant' they kill it off?

chemo/surgery
I have read that optimal debulking surgery can be a good prognostic indicator. I truly believe it was better for my mom to have surgery first. Everyone is different, though. Gerri's doctor may have reasons for starting chemo first. My mom was initially told she was not a candidate for surgery by her regular oncologist. She, also, was scheduled for chemo first. When she went to Rotmensch, he said she WAS a candidate for surgery. She had surgery and started chemo 3 weeks later. At the time of my mom's surgery, Rotmensch told us he was able to get 95% of the cancer out, which he considered optimal debulking. The rest was that sand-like appearance on her liver and I am not sure where else. Plus she had the cancerous fluid in her lung at diagnosis. My mom has really worked hard to educate herself about diet and how that affects the cancer and her response to chemo.

I asked the same question initially about why they can't kill it off completely. From what I understand, once it has spread distantly, there are little cancerous cells circulating in the body that the chemo can suppress, but not get rid of completely. Maintaining stable disease becomes the goal.

lindaprocopio

Barbara53 said:

think positive
Chemo is all about going after the small stuff, down to the microscopic level. Carbo/taxol is standard first-line, also used in lung cancers and a few other bad boys. It is not 100 percent, but most women get a very good initial response.

Your post a few up here was pretty much demanding a cure for cancer. I vote for that, too!!!

On age: My mom, 3c/4 feb 09, turned 80 last month, now watching tv in her bedroom. Not doing great, but still here. Think positive.

OVC can EXFOLIATE like your skin exfoliates.
I think when they talk about it being 'like sand' they are referring to the cancer exfoliating cells that scattered everywhere, each cell capable of latching on somewhere, or travelling through your lymph or blood systems, and making mischief later somewhere new. That's why a systemic treatment like chemo is a part of the initial strategy. You need to try and kill as many of those microscopic cells as you can. Carbo/taxol is good stuff, the 'big guns' that help most of us achieve remission that can last months or can last years.

For me my initial remission only lasted 5 1/2 months but I made the most of that blessed time travelling to Greece, Turkey, and Italy; and having "Camp Grandma" with my grandkids; and taking my extended family to the beach for a week. And, the best news I can add, is that EVEN IN TREATMENT, life is good and meaningful and busy and full. I still travel and work and have fun, with chemo just a regular interruption in my busy life. I know my life has been seriously shortened. But I have made my peace with that and am content with my journey. Your friend may surprise you with her ability to accept her own mortality, universal and inevitable for all living things, after all. (((Hugs)))

pattysoo

PPC
My tumors are gritty and sand-like. The chemo therapy caused them to be "calcified". I had carbo/taxol too and it seemed to cause a remission, even though my particular cancer is low grade. (low grade doesn't always respond well to chemo) I had surgery first and it was not optimal. Recovering from surgery, and then dealing with the effects of chemo were all made tolerable by the support of my friends and family.They brought food, books, flowers, and most importantly companionship. Someone stopping in to visit, play a game, watch a movie...those were the best. Also there was a lot of support given to my husband, my primary caretaker. Stick by your friend. Help her discover the foods she can enjoy and then bring her those foods. Small frequent meals help. I had difficulty keeping weight on initially, but that's all remedied now. Treatments vary from person to person, and we all respond differently to treatments. Ovarian/peritoneal cancer has many different forms. If you can get a more exact diagnosis (type of cell and grade) then you can do some research to help your friend figure out the right treatment(s). Good luck to all of you.

Margo12

lindaprocopio said:

OVC can EXFOLIATE like your skin exfoliates.
I think when they talk about it being 'like sand' they are referring to the cancer exfoliating cells that scattered everywhere, each cell capable of latching on somewhere, or travelling through your lymph or blood systems, and making mischief later somewhere new. That's why a systemic treatment like chemo is a part of the initial strategy. You need to try and kill as many of those microscopic cells as you can. Carbo/taxol is good stuff, the 'big guns' that help most of us achieve remission that can last months or can last years.

For me my initial remission only lasted 5 1/2 months but I made the most of that blessed time travelling to Greece, Turkey, and Italy; and having "Camp Grandma" with my grandkids; and taking my extended family to the beach for a week. And, the best news I can add, is that EVEN IN TREATMENT, life is good and meaningful and busy and full. I still travel and work and have fun, with chemo just a regular interruption in my busy life. I know my life has been seriously shortened. But I have made my peace with that and am content with my journey. Your friend may surprise you with her ability to accept her own mortality, universal and inevitable for all living things, after all. (((Hugs)))

Your experience with carbo/taxol
Though I don't have ppc (I have a rare sweat gland cancer that metastasized to both lungs) - I will be starting carbo/taxol at the end of December. I trust my doctors and believe this is necessary but am also very anxious about how I will handle it. Your comments are reassuring and so helpful. Thank you!