UPSC Fighters- My Mom's story of hope! NED after 4 years

We UPSC ladies love to hear success stories since most of the statistics are pretty grim.  Congratulations to you and your mom and many, many more years of NED!!  I do believe the only way we're going to kick UPSC's butt is through ovarian cancer treatments - there are just so many more of them than us.

Love,

Eldri

NoTimeForCancer said:

Wow, thank you treebee!!!  Do

Wow, thank you treebee!!!  Do you know, and can you provide the details, of the "dose dense" treatment?  The same chemo (taxol/carbo) weekly for how long?  

So happy for your mom and your family.  Continued NED for her.

I start dose dense for 18 weeks next week. It's Carbo/taxol for one week, two weeks of taxol, then repeated for six rounds. Each Carbo/taxol combination is the start of a new round. The taxol is a lower dose. 

treebee said:

hi again, yes it was 18

hi again, yes it was 18 weeks.  It is notable that they call it dose dense because the chemo stays in your body longer despite it being a less toxic dose given weekly vs. a more toxic dose every three weeks.  I personally believe that it does not give the cancer a shot at growing back like the 3 week does... who knows, I am not a doctor but I urge each one of you to ask your doc and insist on the new standard for ovarian.  Hearing the recent news, they are now saying ovarian cancer may have originated from a different source, the bottom line - they do not know due to lack of research.  The dense dose worked for my 73 year old mom and I hope and pray it will work for you amazing women!

 

Diagnosed 6/13 Stage 3 grade 3C. DeVinci hysterectomy, chemo, internal rad. I have not hear it referred to as dose dense but I had weekly chemo for a total of 18 treatments from August 15 2013 to Jan 9 2014. Mine was 1st week full carbo and 1/3 taxol; week two 1/3 dose taxol and same week 3. My blood counts would drop so low that we did the series of 3, next day neulasta shot and one week off. Did this six time. My gyny/onc said that this course of treatment had a slightly higher success rate and was a little less brutal on the body. Week one would be rough and two and three not great but a little bit easier. I had two blood transfusions; one in Oct and one late Dec or early Jan that was just enough  to get me through last treatments. It worked for me with just the extreme fatigue. Eating was a challenge but had very little nausea; just no appetite. I did take Claratin(Costo equilevant) and got through the neulasta shots with no problem at all. Each time I would be scared to death about the pain and it just did'nt happen. I don't want to ever be that tired again in my life. I am now two years Ned and feel good. Last year shoulder surgery; then fell seven weeks later and fractured the humerus where I just had the major surgery. I was in as much pain with that as I was tired with chemo. It just intensified the CRS.

Last year my daughter had four chemos 3 weeks apart after her double masectomy. She had a little more good time maybe than I did but she also only had four and it was a very different chemo. However; we have both experienced bald, just not at the same time. Mother daughter portrait would have been great.

Take care - thinking of all of you - those looking through the rear-view mirror and those scared to death at the beginning of this journey. I'm tough but sure couldn't hold back all the tears that first chemo. I have the greatest gyny/one in the world with a staff that could not be topped. After each checkup I make a run through the chemo room just to get a hug from my nurses.

Joanne

treebee said:

hi again, yes it was 18

hi again, yes it was 18 weeks.  It is notable that they call it dose dense because the chemo stays in your body longer despite it being a less toxic dose given weekly vs. a more toxic dose every three weeks.  I personally believe that it does not give the cancer a shot at growing back like the 3 week does... who knows, I am not a doctor but I urge each one of you to ask your doc and insist on the new standard for ovarian.  Hearing the recent news, they are now saying ovarian cancer may have originated from a different source, the bottom line - they do not know due to lack of research.  The dense dose worked for my 73 year old mom and I hope and pray it will work for you amazing women!

 

Hi, did your mom ever do any kind of radiation therapy or vaginal brachytherapy in combination with the "dose dense" treatment?