Second opinions

MicheleHope

Hello fellow warriors!  I am new to this support community, and have just passed my one year "anniversary" of diagnosis!  It is good to know you are all out there!  I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, stage 3C, and have done the surgery, chemo (carbo and taxol) followed by radiation (external beam and brachytherapy.)  I finished treatments in March, but my very first post-treatment CT scan showed mets to the lungs.  I started on Megace in June, which I seem to be tolerating well.  My concern is that there don't seem to be many options for those of us with late stage endometrial cancer.  Has anyone heard of any new and creative research that might result in promising treatments for us?  

NoTimeForCancer

I cannot offer any input to your question

But I sit here and am saying a prayer for you "fellow warrior".  Hoping one of the other ladies can add something to the discussion, but I love your moniker and believe in hope as well. 

 

MicheleHope

NoTimeForCancer said:

I cannot offer any input to your question

But I sit here and am saying a prayer for you "fellow warrior".  Hoping one of the other ladies can add something to the discussion, but I love your moniker and believe in hope as well. 

 

Thanks for being there!

I don't have time for cancer either!!

HellieC

Sorry, only just seen this

So sorry you have been diagnosed with mets so soon.  That sucks!  Hormone therapy seems to be the mainstay of treatment for ladies like us (I am on my 3rd recurrence, but all in the pelvis).  Either progesterones (such as Megace) or Aromatase Inhibitors (like letrozole) or occasionally surgery and/or radiotherapy for isolated mets.  I'm not aware of any new treatments on the doorstep for us, although there is early research going on in various areas.

But the good news is that hormone sensitive cancers have been known to respond to hormones for years.  Let's hope we both have a ticket to that gig!

Kindest wishes

Helen

soromer

You are right, there aren't many options.

Some second-line chemos, a few clinical trials. Nothing impressive.

But--I'm one for whom the hormones (Megace) have been working.

I had 8 small (max size 8 mm) lung mets found in my first post-chemo CT in Sept 2011, just before I was scheduled for radiation. (Oh, endometrial adenocarcinoma, grade 2, Stage IIIC2 at surgery in February 2011.) The lung mets made the radiation moot. Instead, I started on alternative/complementary therapies AND Megace.

I've had dramatic improvement: NED since June of last year. My oncologist is very encouraged.

I wish there were a fail-safe, one-size-fits-all remedy. There isn't. But some of them do work for some of us, at least some of the time.

I hope you have at least as good results as I from the Megace. The very next CT I had was almost miraculous, and it just kept getting better. That could be your outcome too.

Best wishes!

HellieC

soromer said:

You are right, there aren't many options.

Some second-line chemos, a few clinical trials. Nothing impressive.

But--I'm one for whom the hormones (Megace) have been working.

I had 8 small (max size 8 mm) lung mets found in my first post-chemo CT in Sept 2011, just before I was scheduled for radiation. (Oh, endometrial adenocarcinoma, grade 2, Stage IIIC2 at surgery in February 2011.) The lung mets made the radiation moot. Instead, I started on alternative/complementary therapies AND Megace.

I've had dramatic improvement: NED since June of last year. My oncologist is very encouraged.

I wish there were a fail-safe, one-size-fits-all remedy. There isn't. But some of them do work for some of us, at least some of the time.

I hope you have at least as good results as I from the Megace. The very next CT I had was almost miraculous, and it just kept getting better. That could be your outcome too.

Best wishes!

Second line chemos

You're right, Kate - I forgot to mention second line chemo (no groundbreaking compounds, but taxol, taxotere, carboplatin, doxil etc).  Always in the armoury if we need them, but tough on the body, so hormones are a gentler option!

So pleased that you're still doing well on Megace.

Kindest wishes
Helen

MicheleHope

soromer said:

You are right, there aren't many options.

Some second-line chemos, a few clinical trials. Nothing impressive.

But--I'm one for whom the hormones (Megace) have been working.

I had 8 small (max size 8 mm) lung mets found in my first post-chemo CT in Sept 2011, just before I was scheduled for radiation. (Oh, endometrial adenocarcinoma, grade 2, Stage IIIC2 at surgery in February 2011.) The lung mets made the radiation moot. Instead, I started on alternative/complementary therapies AND Megace.

I've had dramatic improvement: NED since June of last year. My oncologist is very encouraged.

I wish there were a fail-safe, one-size-fits-all remedy. There isn't. But some of them do work for some of us, at least some of the time.

I hope you have at least as good results as I from the Megace. The very next CT I had was almost miraculous, and it just kept getting better. That could be your outcome too.

Best wishes!

Very encouraging, thank you!

Hey, thanks for the feedback. Hearing that others are doing well on Megace gives me hope!  I started on the hormone treatment about a month ago, so my onc wants to wait until mid-Sept to do another CT scan.  I'm not sure if I should be glad for the break, or anxious about not knowing how well the treatment is working!  I feel really lucky to have tolerated the chemo/radiation well.  And so far no weight gain with the Megace.  There are always lots of things to be thankful for, right?!