End of maintenance chemo and CA125 numbers

Lmm041
Lmm041 Member Posts: 33
in Ovarian Cancer #1
CA125 has stayed 3 and below though out maintenance treatment. The last one is Aug.18. The question is: Should I EXPECT a rise? Is the chemo keeping the number artificially low?
Cindy

Comments

  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member
    #2
    Don't know
    the answer but 3 is a darn good number, I hope you are feeling well and enjoying your summer. Aslong as your ct scan shows ned you will be fine...val
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #3
    Yes....that's exactly what
    Yes....that's exactly what happens. Your CA125 will gradually increase, in all probability, then level off when it reaches your normal.

    Mine went as low as 4.8 on maintenance, hung out around 7 for a long time, then moved up a couple of points a month until it topped out at 13. Now it's back to 9. I have been off maintenance since the end of January.

    Carlene
  • Songflower
    Songflower Member Posts: 608
    #4
    Hissy_Fitz said:

    Yes....that's exactly what
    Yes....that's exactly what happens. Your CA125 will gradually increase, in all probability, then level off when it reaches your normal.

    Mine went as low as 4.8 on maintenance, hung out around 7 for a long time, then moved up a couple of points a month until it topped out at 13. Now it's back to 9. I have been off maintenance since the end of January.

    Carlene

    Maintenance
    Hi, I am from the Uterine board; have serous which is just like ovarian. What do you take for maintenance?

    Diane
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #5
    Songflower said:

    Maintenance
    Hi, I am from the Uterine board; have serous which is just like ovarian. What do you take for maintenance?

    Diane

    Diane...
    I did a year of
    Diane...

    I did a year of Taxol - once per month. It was about 7/8 of the first line dosage, so almost the same.

    My doctor has since stopped using Taxol as maintenance, however. Now he favors Avastin. I did really well on the Taxol - no side effects, except hair loss. He actually had a lot of patients who elected not to do the 12 additional Taxol treatments because they did not want to go another year without hair. To me, it was a no-brainer.

    Carlene
  • Tethys41
    Tethys41 Member Posts: 1,382 Member
    #6
    Songflower said:

    Maintenance
    Hi, I am from the Uterine board; have serous which is just like ovarian. What do you take for maintenance?

    Diane

    Hi Diane
    I did 11 rounds of Avastin as maintenance after chemo. The doctor prescribed 15 rounds, but I called it quits after 11. We were blaming some side effects on the Avastin, that turned out to be related to something else. Avastin caused me no discomfort except a runny nose.
  • jbeans888
    jbeans888 Member Posts: 313
    #7
    Question
    When do the Docotor's decide a person needs maintenance chemo? Does everyone need it? When they suggest going on it does that mean your not NED? Thanks

    Joyce
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #8
    jbeans888 said:

    Question
    When do the Docotor's decide a person needs maintenance chemo? Does everyone need it? When they suggest going on it does that mean your not NED? Thanks

    Joyce

    Some doctors embrace
    Some doctors embrace maintenance and some do not. Does everyone need it? Who knows.

    It's only prescribed for women who are NED, following first line chemo.

    Carlene
  • Lmm041
    Lmm041 Member Posts: 33
    #9
    jbeans888 said:

    Question
    When do the Docotor's decide a person needs maintenance chemo? Does everyone need it? When they suggest going on it does that mean your not NED? Thanks

    Joyce

    maintenance chemo
    My doctor wanted me in a clinical trail for regular Taxol maintenance vs. some kind of super duper Taxol they are working on, but it was already closed. He gave me the option of doing the regular Taxol maintenance on my own, which I jumped on. Now it is almost over and I am really, really scared. Wish I could stay on it forever. Who cares about the hair!! (and toe nails! lol)
  • jbeans888
    jbeans888 Member Posts: 313
    #10
    jbeans888 said:

    Question
    When do the Docotor's decide a person needs maintenance chemo? Does everyone need it? When they suggest going on it does that mean your not NED? Thanks

    Joyce

    Thanks ladies. I appreciate
    Thanks ladies. I appreciate it as always.

    Joyce
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #11
    Lmm041 said:

    maintenance chemo
    My doctor wanted me in a clinical trail for regular Taxol maintenance vs. some kind of super duper Taxol they are working on, but it was already closed. He gave me the option of doing the regular Taxol maintenance on my own, which I jumped on. Now it is almost over and I am really, really scared. Wish I could stay on it forever. Who cares about the hair!! (and toe nails! lol)

    Me, too, Lmm...
    I pleaded
    Me, too, Lmm...

    I pleaded with my doctor to let me do just 6 more months of the Taxol. He said there is no evidence it prolongs life. I asked, "If it pushes back recurrence, how is that not prolonging life?" And his response was, "That's a good question." The reason there is no evidence is that they pulled the plug on the clinical trials before the data was analyzed. So we will never know.

    And he pointed out that "Someone has to pay, and insurance probably won't, because 12 consolidation treatments are considered standard." I said I would pay for it, if my insurance wouldn't, but he said, "I don't want to bankrupt you, and the toxicity is just too great." Boo...hiss.

    Carlene

Discussion Boards