Recurrent Ovarian Diagnoses

sd06141997

If someone could give me their thoughts I would really appreciate it very much. I am so worried and hoping to hear from others. In 2020 I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and had a full hysterectomy and six rounds of chemotherapy. My CA 125 score was reduced to 18 and for two and a half years I was in remission. In April of this year my CA score started to rise again and last month I had a scan that revealed my cancer is back. It is showing in my peritoneum and listed as "peritoneal spread", and some may be on my the surface of my liver. I am very scared, Is my outlook worse due to the cancer being in my peritoneum? I wanted to try immunotherapy, but my oncologist is staying firm in the belief that I treat this with chemotherapy mixed with avastin, because my cancer is "chemo sensitive". Once I am done with the chemotherapy, she said I will receive infusions of avastin for about a year. Does anyone have any advice about reoccurrent ovarian cancer and if I should possibly push the immunotherapy over the chemotherapy? I am just not sure what to do.

NoTimeForCancer

sd06141997, I am so sorry to hear you are having to deal with this again. I wish I had seen your post sooner just so you had known someone had heard you. I am a visitor from the Uterine/Endometrial board and like to check in on our gyn sisters.

Do you know if they did any genetic testing on your cancer? If not, please ask. There are drugs that have helped cancers with certain characteristics which is why they talk about tailoring treatments to individuals now more and more. If they find it has dMMR or other mutations, clinical trials are helping with these initial and recurrent diagnoses. Ask about these as well. Push them if you have to.

Yosefa

I am so sorry that you are going through this again. It sounds scary. I was diagnosed last October with Ovarian 3C Serous, and I have been in remission since April after a radical hysterectomy and Chemotherapy. I am on Parp Inhibitor drugs to try and reduce the likelihood of the cancer's return, from 90% to 50%. I am still very concerned with a 50/50 chance of return.

I have a couple of questions for you if you don't mind? Firstly, what stage and type of Ovarian Cancer do you have? Were you also on Parp Inhibitor Drugs? When you say your CA-125 started to rise, what did it rise to before you found the cancer back? Was it still within the "normal" zone? (mine is already rising each month, incrementally, but still well within the normal zone) I assume that you were having regular check-ups at 2.5 years in remission, how often did they recommend? Was the cancer found at a scheduled check-up?

I did see my doctor's assistant for my "survivorship" appointment today, and I asked about immunotherapy and radiotherapy, whether it would be advisable if my cancer returned. She said that (she is not the oncologist however she thinks) as my cancer already reacted well to the Chemotherapy (as evidenced by a sharp drop in CA-125 marker from 2995 to my best 10.3 at the end of 6 infusions), the doctor would probably want me to do Chemo again.

I have decided to see a Naturopathic Oncologist to try and understand how I can help myself through diet and exercise and other natural methods, in conjunction with the medications etc. and following my original Oncologist's suggestions. I will ask about immunotherapy.

Stay strong and positive, as that will help you. Best wishes for going back into remission.