Ovarian cancer 3c diagnosed Dec 2008

Sunnyjh

I was diagnosed Dec 2008 with 3c ovarian cancer first treated with standard protocol . Carbo,taxol six rounds. Remission for a year, then metasties .treated last July with carbo, taxol, and avastin. After six rounds, started avastin alone starting jan 2011. It has been ten months on avastin, wondering how much longer it will keep the monster at bay. Anyone out there on the same path, or similar?

Cafewoman53

welcome
Sorry don't have an answer for you maybe someone will be along soon to help you but I just wanted to say hello. This is a great place for questions and sharing.
Colleen

Sunnyjh

Cafewoman53 said:

welcome
Sorry don't have an answer for you maybe someone will be along soon to help you but I just wanted to say hello. This is a great place for questions and sharing.
Colleen

Thanks
Thanks so much for your reply. I am looking forward to joining this group for sharing and receiving information. The reference to the avastin is I am part of a study at Duke. I believe it is so important to share this journey togeather.

Mwee

Welcome
I was diagnosed 3C, May 2006. I was in remission for 3 years. I have been on different chemos for the past 22 months. My CA-125's held steady for a long part of this time and have now come down to near normal. I'm hoping for a break from chemo. I'm so glad that you found your way to this site. I can't tell you how much the loving and knowledgeable survivors that post here have helped me along the way.
(((HUGS))) Maria

Sunnyjh

Mwee said:

Welcome
I was diagnosed 3C, May 2006. I was in remission for 3 years. I have been on different chemos for the past 22 months. My CA-125's held steady for a long part of this time and have now come down to near normal. I'm hoping for a break from chemo. I'm so glad that you found your way to this site. I can't tell you how much the loving and knowledgeable survivors that post here have helped me along the way.
(((HUGS))) Maria

Wow
Wow! I don't think I have heard of a three year remission for 3c. That's wonderful . What chemo combos have you had? Have ther been any breaks for you in the twenty two months? Have you had just the one reoccuance. If you are uncomfortable answering I understand. judy

taiga

Avastin
I was dx. July 2010 stage 3a, grade 3, clear cell. I did 6 rounds of taxol/cisplatin with Avastin and have continued on Avastin every 3 weeks since the first of the year. I'm in a clinical trial (GOG-252)so my Avastin will end later this month. So far, my CA-125 has been hovering around 6-7 and my CTs have been clear. Lots of prayers it stays that way when I stop the Avastin.

Mwee

Sunnyjh said:

Wow
Wow! I don't think I have heard of a three year remission for 3c. That's wonderful . What chemo combos have you had? Have ther been any breaks for you in the twenty two months? Have you had just the one reoccuance. If you are uncomfortable answering I understand. judy

not uncomfortable at all
I went back on taxol/carbo for my recurrence, then doxil. next up was carbo/gemzar. I became allergic to carbo, so I'm now on cisplatin/gemzar. This cocktail seems to be working, or maybe my disease cells are crying "uncle"? I've been able to have an extra week between infusions for the past several months, but I'm hoping for a longer break soon. I dream of a time when I don't have to plan around chemo infusions, but I'm also very grateful for what the chemo has done for me so far.
(((HUGS))) Maria

Sunnyjh

taiga said:

Avastin
I was dx. July 2010 stage 3a, grade 3, clear cell. I did 6 rounds of taxol/cisplatin with Avastin and have continued on Avastin every 3 weeks since the first of the year. I'm in a clinical trial (GOG-252)so my Avastin will end later this month. So far, my CA-125 has been hovering around 6-7 and my CTs have been clear. Lots of prayers it stays that way when I stop the Avastin.

Grateful
I am so glad they have started giving avastin with first chemo's. I did not get it until first reoccurrence. Here hoping good things for you. Judy

Sunnyjh

Mwee said:

not uncomfortable at all
I went back on taxol/carbo for my recurrence, then doxil. next up was carbo/gemzar. I became allergic to carbo, so I'm now on cisplatin/gemzar. This cocktail seems to be working, or maybe my disease cells are crying "uncle"? I've been able to have an extra week between infusions for the past several months, but I'm hoping for a longer break soon. I dream of a time when I don't have to plan around chemo infusions, but I'm also very grateful for what the chemo has done for me so far.
(((HUGS))) Maria

Working
I am so glad that combo is working for you and you have a longer break.Judy

Sunnyjh

taiga said:

Avastin
I was dx. July 2010 stage 3a, grade 3, clear cell. I did 6 rounds of taxol/cisplatin with Avastin and have continued on Avastin every 3 weeks since the first of the year. I'm in a clinical trial (GOG-252)so my Avastin will end later this month. So far, my CA-125 has been hovering around 6-7 and my CTs have been clear. Lots of prayers it stays that way when I stop the Avastin.

Grateful
I am so glad they have started giving avastin with first chemo's. I did not get it until first reoccurrence. Here hoping good things for you. Judy my cancer serous adenocarcinoma grade 3. The trial I am on the avastin does not end until there is a reoccurrence. It's now been ten months with just the avastin every three weeks. That started in jan 2011 after six rounds of carbo,taxol and avastin. We'll see. My best Judy

Jazyfriend

taiga said:

Avastin
I was dx. July 2010 stage 3a, grade 3, clear cell. I did 6 rounds of taxol/cisplatin with Avastin and have continued on Avastin every 3 weeks since the first of the year. I'm in a clinical trial (GOG-252)so my Avastin will end later this month. So far, my CA-125 has been hovering around 6-7 and my CTs have been clear. Lots of prayers it stays that way when I stop the Avastin.

just diagnosed 3c
Hi taiga,
I am writing on behalf of my best friend who was just diagnosed with stage 3c...she had her hysterectomy 3 weeks ago, and is now deciding whether or not to do the GOG 252 trial. She needs to make her decision very soon & is obviously overwhelmed. She went in for her post-op appt yesterday, thinking she was going to be starting the traditional chemo regimine & her Dr. presented her with the 30 pages of trial info... I saw your posts & it sounds like you may have been on the same treatments that she is contemplating (depending on which of the 3 she ends up with). I am not very familiar with all of this, so will probably refer her to you. Any info you can pass along to a newly (& obviously scared & confused) diagnosed person, would be greatly appreciated. Any insight as to what she might expect, possible/probable side-effects, words of wisdom from someone who has been there, done that!! Another consideration she is worried about, with this trial, is the fact that she has lymphodema in her right leg...don't know if you've heard of anyone doing the trial with that condition?? Her dr has not really been able (or willing) to answer all of her questions to her satisfaction at this point, so thought I would reach out to others on her behalf---thank you so much for anything you can pass our way.
PS she is 57, in great shape, works out daily, & has the healthiest diet of anyone I know!!!

AnneBehymer

taxol/carbo Avastin
I was dx june 2011 I just finished my taxol/carbo with avastin and will be getting avastin only starting next week and will be on it for a year and a half. I hit remission after only three treatments so I am going in with the fear that the avastin only wont keep me in remission. So here is to both of us and every woman out there in this trial that we stay in remission.

Anne

Sunnyjh

AnneBehymer said:

taxol/carbo Avastin
I was dx june 2011 I just finished my taxol/carbo with avastin and will be getting avastin only starting next week and will be on it for a year and a half. I hit remission after only three treatments so I am going in with the fear that the avastin only wont keep me in remission. So here is to both of us and every woman out there in this trial that we stay in remission.

Anne

Avastin
Personally, I did not recieve avastin after my initial surgery.the treatment was carbo, taxol for six rounds.irecieved nothing,it wasn't the procedure then. I was a year before it returned. That was Last year june2010. I don't think it was an option until just recently. When the reoccurence came that's when I was offered avastin with treatment. I go to duke, and they are very cutting edge. If it was me and I could recieve avastin early, I definitely would go for it. Their are warnings and risk factors to look for as with all treatments. It just wasn't an option for a lot of us. Maybe someone else will weigh in . Judy

LaundryQueen

Sunnyjh said:

Avastin
Personally, I did not recieve avastin after my initial surgery.the treatment was carbo, taxol for six rounds.irecieved nothing,it wasn't the procedure then. I was a year before it returned. That was Last year june2010. I don't think it was an option until just recently. When the reoccurence came that's when I was offered avastin with treatment. I go to duke, and they are very cutting edge. If it was me and I could recieve avastin early, I definitely would go for it. Their are warnings and risk factors to look for as with all treatments. It just wasn't an option for a lot of us. Maybe someone else will weigh in . Judy

From what I can gather
From what I can gather online, Avastin given to ovarian cancer patients is still considered to be "off label" or experimental. The malignant cells apparently have several pathways by which they can create their own blood supply & Avastin only targets one of those pathways. If the Avastin-targeted pathway dominates in a person, then Avastin will be beneficial in starving their cancer. So far, there doesn't seem to be much of an organized effort to figure out who has the VEGF pathway (as Tethys already discussed in a different thread) and therefore, time & money is wasted on Avastin therapy.

The most exciting thing about Avastin is that it seems to have opened the door for "targeted therapies." The new thinking in the treatment of ovarian cancer is to begin to move away from exclusive use of cytotoxic therapies which are now the standard of care & move towards the inclusion of targeted therapies. We happen to be living at the edge of a transition that may take decades for the tide to turn. Perhaps the time will come when the biochemistry of cancer is so well understood the cytotoxic therapies are abandoned in favor of targeted therapies.

In clinical trials, it would be unethical to withhold a "tried & true" therapy (in our case that would be a platinum drug & a taxane drug) for an initial treatment and directly compare the results with a targeted therapy used instead. So the clinical trials are set up comparing the standard of care drugs with or without the targeted therapy. If a woman with OVCA happens to have failed to either attain or maintain remission on the standard of care drugs AND second-line therapy (such as Doxil, Topotcan or Gemzar) then it seems to be OK to experiment on them with a targeted therapy without cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Sunnyjh

LaundryQueen said:

From what I can gather
From what I can gather online, Avastin given to ovarian cancer patients is still considered to be "off label" or experimental. The malignant cells apparently have several pathways by which they can create their own blood supply & Avastin only targets one of those pathways. If the Avastin-targeted pathway dominates in a person, then Avastin will be beneficial in starving their cancer. So far, there doesn't seem to be much of an organized effort to figure out who has the VEGF pathway (as Tethys already discussed in a different thread) and therefore, time & money is wasted on Avastin therapy.

The most exciting thing about Avastin is that it seems to have opened the door for "targeted therapies." The new thinking in the treatment of ovarian cancer is to begin to move away from exclusive use of cytotoxic therapies which are now the standard of care & move towards the inclusion of targeted therapies. We happen to be living at the edge of a transition that may take decades for the tide to turn. Perhaps the time will come when the biochemistry of cancer is so well understood the cytotoxic therapies are abandoned in favor of targeted therapies.

In clinical trials, it would be unethical to withhold a "tried & true" therapy (in our case that would be a platinum drug & a taxane drug) for an initial treatment and directly compare the results with a targeted therapy used instead. So the clinical trials are set up comparing the standard of care drugs with or without the targeted therapy. If a woman with OVCA happens to have failed to either attain or maintain remission on the standard of care drugs AND second-line therapy (such as Doxil, Topotcan or Gemzar) then it seems to be OK to experiment on them with a targeted therapy without cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Targeted therapy
I absolutely agree that targeted therapy is the future, and we can not get there soon enough. Thanks for all the good info. Judy

Sunnyjh

LaundryQueen said:

From what I can gather
From what I can gather online, Avastin given to ovarian cancer patients is still considered to be "off label" or experimental. The malignant cells apparently have several pathways by which they can create their own blood supply & Avastin only targets one of those pathways. If the Avastin-targeted pathway dominates in a person, then Avastin will be beneficial in starving their cancer. So far, there doesn't seem to be much of an organized effort to figure out who has the VEGF pathway (as Tethys already discussed in a different thread) and therefore, time & money is wasted on Avastin therapy.

The most exciting thing about Avastin is that it seems to have opened the door for "targeted therapies." The new thinking in the treatment of ovarian cancer is to begin to move away from exclusive use of cytotoxic therapies which are now the standard of care & move towards the inclusion of targeted therapies. We happen to be living at the edge of a transition that may take decades for the tide to turn. Perhaps the time will come when the biochemistry of cancer is so well understood the cytotoxic therapies are abandoned in favor of targeted therapies.

In clinical trials, it would be unethical to withhold a "tried & true" therapy (in our case that would be a platinum drug & a taxane drug) for an initial treatment and directly compare the results with a targeted therapy used instead. So the clinical trials are set up comparing the standard of care drugs with or without the targeted therapy. If a woman with OVCA happens to have failed to either attain or maintain remission on the standard of care drugs AND second-line therapy (such as Doxil, Topotcan or Gemzar) then it seems to be OK to experiment on them with a targeted therapy without cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Targeted therapy
I absolutely agree that targeted therapy is the future, and we can not get there soon enough. Thanks for all the good info. Judy

Sunnyjh

LaundryQueen said:

From what I can gather
From what I can gather online, Avastin given to ovarian cancer patients is still considered to be "off label" or experimental. The malignant cells apparently have several pathways by which they can create their own blood supply & Avastin only targets one of those pathways. If the Avastin-targeted pathway dominates in a person, then Avastin will be beneficial in starving their cancer. So far, there doesn't seem to be much of an organized effort to figure out who has the VEGF pathway (as Tethys already discussed in a different thread) and therefore, time & money is wasted on Avastin therapy.

The most exciting thing about Avastin is that it seems to have opened the door for "targeted therapies." The new thinking in the treatment of ovarian cancer is to begin to move away from exclusive use of cytotoxic therapies which are now the standard of care & move towards the inclusion of targeted therapies. We happen to be living at the edge of a transition that may take decades for the tide to turn. Perhaps the time will come when the biochemistry of cancer is so well understood the cytotoxic therapies are abandoned in favor of targeted therapies.

In clinical trials, it would be unethical to withhold a "tried & true" therapy (in our case that would be a platinum drug & a taxane drug) for an initial treatment and directly compare the results with a targeted therapy used instead. So the clinical trials are set up comparing the standard of care drugs with or without the targeted therapy. If a woman with OVCA happens to have failed to either attain or maintain remission on the standard of care drugs AND second-line therapy (such as Doxil, Topotcan or Gemzar) then it seems to be OK to experiment on them with a targeted therapy without cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Targeted therapy
I absolutely agree that targeted therapy is the future, and we can not get there soon enough. Thanks for all the good info. Judy