Bowel obstruction with Peritoneal Cancer
Hello,
My mother has peritoneal cancer and has finished chemo. She is now doing infusions, but they are not eliminating stomach issues and the beginnings of bowel obstruction. These things did get better with chemo. Does anyone have advice about how to deal with the particular stomach and bowel pain that comes with this awful cancer? Also, I am trying to help her get in touch with a palliative care specialist. Does anyone have any advice about what I should be asking of such a specialist, especially in regards to the bowel obstruction that is part of this cancer? Thanks, Shelley
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I hope you found advice. I’m just dealing with this my self. Have not gotten boweL obstruction but just getting ready to start treatment with Chemo & Advastin …not sure what to do.
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Hi, WIllow oaks,
This is one of your friends from the uterine board!
I visit this page occasionally, but there is never much response here. Like the woman before you hasn’t been back to this site since her post in September 2021.
I started checking this after my second surgery because my final dx was :Stage 11, Fallopian tube cancer and secondary peritoneal. 4 tiny tumors were found in my pelvis.
Information about peritoneal cancer is sparse everywhere. I did a lot of searching online, but mostly found stuff about (primary) peritoneal …not as a metastasis of uterine or ovarian, or even FTC.
hugs, A
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Thank you! I’m finding it a hard search as well. They didn’t mention anything but pencil tip size spots we will watch but the peritoneal tumors are extensive they said . My doctor indicated what she plans may reduce or clear some. Others I’ve come across seem to have found ways to continue to live. I’m praying and hoping.. Let”s keep in touch on what we find. Maybe more will see this and weigh in.
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Thank you! I’m finding it a hard search as well. They didn’t mention anything but pencil tip size spots we will watch but the peritoneal tumors are extensive they said . My doctor indicated what she plans may reduce or clear some. Others I’ve come across seem to have found ways to continue to live. I’m praying and hoping.. Let”s keep in touch on what we find. Maybe more will see this and weigh in.
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Good morning, WO!
I’m glad you have a plan and there’s hope! I think as long as the drugs have some effectiveness people are OK. With this cancer, as with ovarian and others that I refer to as “out an about” as opposed to being contained with an organ, I think it’s harder to determine what someone’s prognosis might be.
I’ll let you know if I see something new!
❤️, A
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Nice to see you both here from the uterine board!
I’ve also had difficulty finding info regarding the metastasis from endometrium to peritoneal carcinomatosis.
I was originally Stage 2 Grade 2 endometrial cancer. 65% myometrial invasion and cervical stroma involvement. Total hysterectomy W/lymph node dissection. 18 lymph nodes all clear. Followed with 28 EBRT/2 Brachytherapy.
Less than 6 months after radiation I was dx with metastatic cancer. 3 lesions (1.7 cm, 2.0 cm and 6mm) abutting various areas of my bowels and a later one showing up on one of my lungs (6mm) Biopsy confirmed endometrial cells.
I’ve just finished up 6 rounds of Carbo/Taxol concurrent with Dostarlimab (possible placebo as part of trial). I’ll then continue with the (possible) Dostarlimab and add oral (possible) Niraparib until disease progression or end of trial in 3yrs. As of last CT 2/14, all abdominal lesions had virtually resolved themselves and the lung spot was reduced to 3mm. I’m hoping my next scan at the end of this month will show NED.
With these positive response rates, I’m less terrified than I was last October, but I’m concerned about the really short time I had before this recurrence and will the next be even shorter?
Meanwhile, hubby and I just booked a cruise for Dec!! So…we’ve got that going for us…lol!
How are you all managing?
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Thank you! I’m finding it a hard search as well. They didn’t mention anything but pencil tip size spots we will watch but the peritoneal tumors are extensive they said . My doctor indicated what she plans may reduce or clear some. Others I’ve come across seem to have found ways to continue to live. I’m praying and hoping.. Let”s keep in touch on what we find. Maybe more will see this and weigh in.
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TeamT
Thanks for joining us with your update info! Praying the best for you on that NED. It’s good they are starting to investigate more treatments. I hope some prove effective & less harmful than the harsh drugs we’ve all experienced & are soon available as SOC options. All this certainly opens our minds to new habits of getting healthier so our own bodies can handle the treatments plus tackle these awful dangerous cells. A Cruise sounds wonderful. I’m hoping my treatments work around being there for my 2nd granddaughter to arrive. I also have a short trip planned before learning of this reoccurrence…if there is a way …I’m going to still go. It’s hard to find the faith & hope to keep trying to have as normal life as possible…but I’m determined to do my best.
Hope all goes well!
Willowoaks
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WO,
I just spent the day with my granddaughter. She just turned 3 last month. One of the things that was crushing me in early days, was the idea that I might not be here long enough for her to remember me. My daughter, her mother, is getting married next month to a fantastic man, my stepson just got married to a wonderful young woman this past weekend. To begin with, I wasn't even sure I'd be here that long. When is your 2nd granddaughter arriving?
Is your Dr considering you as a candidate for the Cytoreductive Surgery/HIPEC ?
That was my first thought, but my G/O said I wasn't a candidate. Highly experimental and not enough info for Metastatic Endometrial Cancer , although that procedure is done at this cancer center. It is done for other cancers. I'm being treated at University of KY Markey Cancer Center.
Oh, and just an example of how life keeps moving on regardless, my oldest child Phillip, a son, is now my oldest daughter Devon. She? They? decided to come out to me on the day that my other? daughter shaved my head (with my tiny granddaughter holding Grammy's hand for the whole process). AND their Dad, my ex-husband has recently relocated from California here to KY and now lives just up the road. Fortunately, we get along just fine and my current husband of 12 years also likes him. I have so many stories! You can't make this stuff up...lol.
Hang in there and please keep me posted,
Ginnie
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Hi TeamT!
I'm originally from Ky & considered checking out U of K Treatment so it’s interesting to have you weigh in. My doctor said I’m not a candidate for Cytoreductive Surgery/HIPEC and that no one would do that & insurance wouldn’t cover it. I did ask. Doubt if they do it locally an hour & half away in Memphis where will likely go. I do have a second opinion at MDANDERSON planned for next week. I did my original CT scan, Surgery & preventive trial radiation there. I locally did the original follow up preventive chemo for what was 1A and NED after surgery in Memphis. I will stay local if I get SOC recommendation from both places and not into a more hopeful trial. I will ask about adding Metformin this time & will consider fasting if no one disagrees & I can do it. I’ve used natural supplements to manage sugar that does remain averaging in the low highs above normal range but stays under 7.2. But Metformin may help control this type of cancer spread so I may need to add it and likely drop supplements that might make numbers go too low…though low numbers so far have never been an issue
what did U of K plan for treatment? Were there any trials going on there that I should look into. Have to admit I’m not going to wait much longer to throw what ever I can find at this cancer. It isn’t the slow growing kind.
Sounds like you have a great family around you! I do too but they are all 3-6 hours away in Kentucky, TN & even Washington. I’m basically on my own here with 3 dogs, 2 outside cats & a flock of pond duck & geese.
My granddaughter will be delivered on Apr 26th. She will have a 7 year old big sister. My son will be proposing to his sweet girlfriend officially when her ring arrives in a few months. So maybe there will even be a few more grand children down the road. I’ll do all I can to keep being here for them. Your family sounds much like my best friend Sara’s back in KY. She has a sweet niece that is now her nephew. I don’t really get all this but I’ve always taken people as they come. Last I knew God wants us to respect, love & care for one another….I trust that the God of & that is All Life can handle it and make any other calls about things I don’t understand. Being all I should be is a big enough challenge for me. Congratulations on all those new developments. How exciting life issues. Only after steroids at treatment did my numbers shoot over the 200s range but my natural supplements & diet usually had them down in 24 hours after treatment. Upon learning of this reoccurrence I’ve been using Supplements that mimic cancer treatments & fight inflation…better than just sitting and waiting to start something I hope. I’m using 400mg if Clinical OPS grape seed extract Terry Naturally brand….it’s supposed to target starving blood vessels from cancer cells while rejuvenating healthy ones but interferes when I start treatment maybe so will discontinue it a while before if I do Avastin. I’m taking CuraMed 750mg Terry Naturally brand for inflammation with Curcumin ( I will ask about continuing this as it may assist SOC treatments). I also take BosMec 500 Boswellia (frankincense) for inflammation & black elderberry along with omegas 3/7… and my go to white mulberry & alternate blood boost formula that has various natural sugar controls and vitamins. I will discontinue things that might interfere prior to start of treatment & continue or add any that might help upscale treatment or prevent treatment damage.
Monica
at Willow Oaks
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Hi, Ladies!
Huh…I wonder about that HIPEC. I haven’t been in a place where I needed to ask about it…and hope I never am…but I did read quite a lot about it. I think they just don’t have enough data yet.…research studies take years to get and analyze data.
It sounds like it might be great at first, like, wow, my abdominal and pelvic organs would literally be swimming in deadly hot chemo. That’ll get those nasty cancer cells! And of course the sad reality is that all your other healthy organs would be swimming, also. And that’s NOT good!
And I’m sure there’s not a doctor on every corner with the expertise to pull it off without killing you.
My prayers are with y’all! ❤️, A
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Well several of us have been told we don’t qualify for that procedure for uterine spread to the peritoneal so far. It’s also a 10 hour open surgery procedure & that has its own risk. I like your sense of humor about it though. Sort of feel that way with all the treatments… dang if you do but likely worse if you don’t. Hope whatever is offer puts a reversal on this. I too pray you never need it.
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I am going through chemo for my stage 3 ovarian/peritoneal cancer. I had bowel obstruction for 4 days after the 2nd chemo. On the 4th day My doctor asked me to take 2 tablets of Senokot-S and one dose of Mira-lax. It worked. But I had been taking 1 tablet Senokot & 1 Miralax and doubling the dose on the 4th day helped. Check with your doctor before doing anything. Blessings
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Hello, My mom has stage 4B colorectal cancer that has spread to lungs, liver and peritoneum. Apparently she is not a candidate for surgery or HIPEC. She starts chemo tomorrow. She will get 5 different drugs that take an hour each. She is at the Brown Cancer Center in Louisville, KY. We love her team and assume this is the right protocol. Her liver biopsy has also been sent off for sequencing. We thought about running her case by MD Anderson to make sure not missing anything treatment options. Would this be worth doing? Of course, the internet isn’t very encouraging for prognosis once cancer gets in the peritoneum. Can this be stopped for more good years of life? Her primary is in the sigmoid colon where things are getting tight so hoping chemo helps prevent a bowel obstruction. Is there anything else we should be thinking or asking about? Thank you!
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Ellemay,
(This is copied from the Colorectal Board, but I thought this board might find it useful as well) 🙂
I am so very sorry to hear of your mother's struggles. You are correct, that diagnosis isn't very encouraging. I have Recurrent Endometrial Cancer that has spread to the peritoneum (peritoneal carcinomatosis). Also, not a candidate for surgery. You asked about other's experience with chemo for this type of cancer. As reported above, every person reacts differently. Personally, I did very well with only constipation (watch out for that, it happened almost immediately for me), neuropathy and fatigue.
Your mother might also be a candidate for a clinical trial if she is so inclined. When the options become limited, that is something to think about. I have been participating in a trial since I started chemo last November. My chemo ended in March, but I have continued taking oral medication (or placebo) since then.
Best of luck and please continue to keep us posted.
p.s. I have been receiving my treatment in Lexington at the Markey Cancer Center at UK. They are right up there with MD Anderson if you want to take a look closer to home.
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