Ovarian Cancer Facts & Best OC Hospitals~Reply to "Cncersucks44" re mom w/Stage IV OC

LorettaMarshall · August 2017

Hello Dear Daughter – We’re glad you have come here to pay a visit, and hope to learn more about your mother’s cancer. However, you have posted on a site that is 15 years in the making with over 51,000 reads. It is not the best link to find good answers. You seem to be asking “TammyC51” about how she is doing. However, she only came on one time back in February and hasn’t been heard from since. So in the future, it would be best if you start your very “own” cancer topic forum, and ask your questions. In that regard, I am going to answer you on a new topic line and in the future, this would be the best place to post future inquiries.

I’m sorry to hear about your mother. We all share the same sense of shock and bewilderment at learning that we have been diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, and that sometimes has happened to us without any previous warning signs. Such is the case for OC, because there are no standard tests to warn us of “impending danger”. And yes, as the stages of OC are defined, if the cancer is located in more than one major organ, it is defined as a Stage IV cancer. And just for the record, I was diagnosed with Stage IV Peritoneal Carcinomatosis/Ovarian Cancer Stage IV in late 2012. I had no previous hint of problems. But I won’t go into detail about me here—only to say I know what your mother will be going through.

My best choice would be to give you a few references that you can read and study so that you will know more about tests and treatments.

First of all, you might fill us in on the age of your mom, where she has been diagnosed, and if she has had a SECOND opinion. It’s very important to have a SECOND opinion, and preferably to consult with a gynecologic oncologist who has special training in the female reproductive organs. So you might tell us where she has been seen, and what recommendations for treatment have been made so far?

So with that, please read some of the references below my name, and write anytime with questions. There are plenty of women here with OC in different stages who will be able to tell you how it has been for them, and what treatments they have found helpful and able to tolerate. You will see one reference published by USNews&World health report listing the best hospitals for Gynecology. Some may think there is only one “best” hospital in the US for cancer. The ratings will vary depending on the type of cancer a person has and not just “cancer” in general. So you would be most interested in finding major medical facilities were Ovarian Cancer is one of their specialties. This report ranks hospitals, as well as doctors, on their particular specialty. So all hospitals are not equal. So I’m hoping that your mother will seek treatment at the best hospital possible. You haven’t told us where she lives, who her doctors are, what type of treatment has been recommended, or what she might have been through already. Such things would be of interest to us in better understanding what she is dealing with.

Hoping that your mother is at a medical facility where Ovarian Cancer is one of their top specialties. If not, that is where she should be. I’m sure many here will be saying a silent prayer for both you and your mom and other family members. It is a “life-altering” experience and a “wake-up call” to remember to “smell the roses along the way” while we have the good health to take a leisurely stroll. We have to find things to be thankful for every day now, and not dwell on the past and brood over what we’ve lost. We can’t unscramble eggs and going forward as well informed as possible and for me, a true dependence on the Lord, has given me soul peace in the midst of my own cancer.

Love Loretta (age 78)

(Peritoneal Carcinomatosis/Ovarian Cancer Stage IV) pre-op chemo of Carboplatin/Paclitaxel (Taxol) then Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) July 1, 2013- since then targeted radiation on 3 cancerous nodes on my Liver, and 3 different regimens of chemotherapy to date. Am in a holding pattern as of now, definitely not in remission, but not choosing to jump into another chemo cycle at this point. Quality of life is my goal, and chemo isn’t always a magic bullet, as we all well know. However, presently it’s the only “game in town!”)

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1. http://www.gomn.com/news/mayo-clinic-says-get-a-second-opinion-first-ones-are-frequently-wrong/

“Mayo Clinic says get a second opinion – first ones are frequently wrong

by Melissa Turtinen - April 4, 2017 12:17 pm

If you’re diagnosed with an illness, you might want to get a second opinion.

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester did a study (published in a medical journal Tuesday) and found as many as 88 percent of patients who came to the clinic for a second opinion for a complex condition left with a new or more refined diagnosis, a news release says.

The Mayo Clinic says a different or more detailed diagnosis can change someone’s care plan “and potentially their lives.”

The study looked at 286 patients who were referred from primary care providers to Mayo Clinic’s General Internal Medicine Division in Rochester between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2010. Here’s how the types of diagnostic errors breaks down:

Only 12 percent of patients left the Mayo Clinic with the same diagnosis.
In 21 percent of cases, the diagnosis was changed completely.
In 66 percent of patients, their diagnosis was refined or redefined…
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2. http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/gynecology

BEST HOSPITALS FOR GYNECOLOGY

“You can find information here about 332 hospitals in Gynecology that see a significant number of challenging patients; listed hospitals had to treat at least 50 such Medicare inpatients in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The 50 top-scoring hospitals are ranked. The rest are listed alphabetically. “

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3. How We Rank Hospitals

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4. https://www.cancer.gov/types/ovarian/patient/ovarian-epithelial-treatment-pdq

“…Ovarian epithelial cancer, fallopian tube cancer, and primary peritoneal cancer are diseases in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissue covering the ovary or lining the fallopian tube or peritoneum.

The ovaries are a pair of organs in the female reproductive system. They are in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus (the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a fetus grows). Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries make eggs and female hormones (chemicals that control the way certain cells or organs work).

The fallopian tubes are a pair of long, slender tubes, one on each side of the uterus. Eggs pass from the ovaries, through the fallopian tubes, to the uterus. Cancer sometimes begins at the end of the fallopian tube near the ovary and spreads to the ovary.

The peritoneum is the tissue that lines the abdominal wall and covers organs in the abdomen. Primary peritoneal cancer is cancer that forms in the peritoneum and has not spread there from another part of the body. Cancer sometimes begins in the peritoneum and spreads to the ovary…”

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5. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/questions

“Learning that you have cancer can be a shock and you may feel overwhelmed at first. When you meet with your doctor, you will hear a lot of information. These questions may help you learn more about your cancer and what you can expect next.

What type of cancer do I have?
What is the stage of my cancer?
Has it spread to other areas of my body?
Will I need more tests before treatment begins? Which ones?
Will I need a specialist(s) for my cancer treatment?
Will you help me find a doctor to give me another opinion on the best treatment plan for me?
How serious is my cancer?
What are my chances of survival?

For questions about other topics, see our complete list of

6. Questions to Ask Your Doctor about Cancer…”

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7.https://www.cancer.gov/types/ovarian

Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer—Patient Version

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9. http://news.cancerconnect.com/types-of-cancer/ovarian-cancer/

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10. http://news.cancerconnect.com/types-of-cancer/ovarian-cancer/ovarian-cancer-overview/

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11. http://news.cancerconnect.com/types-of-cancer/ovarian-cancer/stage-iv-ovarian-cancer/

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