My mom was diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer and I am terrified.

Hissy_Fitz said:

Dear Chris....
My mother's
Dear Chris....

My mother's heart goes out to you. You are so young to have this terrible burden thrust upon you. I hope there are other family members available to help you and your mom get thru the months ahead. Chemo can be tough, but so is childbirth, and look how well that turned out for all us moms!

To answer some of your questions, although neither I nor any of the others here are physicians, Ovarian Cancer is staged according to its location, primarily. Stage IV is what they call it when the cancer has spread outside the immediate (abdominal) area. Here is a cut and paste that might help explain it better.

Stage IV: In this stage the cancer has spread to the inside of the liver, the lungs, or other organs located outside of the peritoneal cavity. (The peritoneal cavity, or abdominal cavity is the area enclosed by the peritoneum, a. membrane that lines the inner abdomen and covers most of its organs.). Finding ovarian cancer cells in the fluid around the lungs (called pleural fluid) is also evidence of stage IV disease.

Since your mom had a hysterectomy over a year ago, her primary cancer is probably in the peritoneal cavity, in which case there is no single tumor, but instead what they call "caking" - a splattering of thousands of cancer spots that most often cannot be completely removed surgically. My doctor described it as looking like "someone threw a handful of mud into a shoe box," and another said it appeared like someone had poured black Jello into the patient's abdomen, and it set up.

The chemo kills fast-growing cells all thru the body. It will kill the cancer cells, too - not because they are cancer, but because they are fast-growing cells, just like hair and fingernails. It will shrink the tumor on her colon, as well. And that one can perhaps be removed surgically. If it's "on" her colon, rather than "in" it, then that's good news.

I was diagnosed last Sept with Stage IIIc (just a hair away from Stage IV). I had the big surgery (complete hysterectomy and de-bulking, plus bowel re-section because I had a couple of small tumors in my bowel.) After 6 treatments (Carbo/Taxol) I am officially in remission, which is great, but 85% of us respond well to first line treatment, and of that 85%, most of us will have a recurrence within 12 months. So I am cautiously optimistic at this point. I am doing a year of what they call "maintenance" chemo (low dose of Taxol), which we hope will push back any potential recurrence.

I'm sure your mom has had a CA125 test. That is a tumor marker that gives the doctors an idea of how active the cancer is. Mine was 4000 before surgery, and is now 6. Normal is 0-35.

Some people say don't read the statistics, they will just drive the despair that a cancer diagnosis already brings with it. I can't help it, though. I read it all.....good and bad. And I take what I feel is helpful and factual and leave the rest. Women die of Ovarian Cancer. There is no denying that. But not ALL women die from it - even women diagnosed at Stage IV. But I'm not going to die today, or next week, or next month, and neither is your mom. Today I am happy and healthy and more alive than I was this time last year, because I got a huge wake-up call, along with the cancer diagnosis. However many days I have, I want them to all count, whether I die of cancer or a falling meteorite. This is the day the Lord has made......let us rejoice and be glad.

Carlene

Hi Carlene
I just wanted to know how the decision was made for you to go on maintenance chemo when you were cancer free. I also was diagnosed with IIIC ovarian cancer and no such treatment was ever even talked about. I have been NED since Oct. 2009. I am feeling fine but sure wish there was something I could do to help myself instead of just waiting. Thanks for any advice you could give me. Much love, Elaine

ChrisMcG said:

Thanks
Thanks for you response. I'm very glad to hear about your mom. My mom is doing very well after her first dose of chemo, and I know she can and will beat this! Thanks again.

strong
We all need to stay strong. My mom was told today that the doxil she is on for her 2nd line of chemo might not be working. It is such a tough battle she is fighting. One step at a time, we will continue to move ahead.
Love to you all,
Eileen

eward said:

strong
We all need to stay strong. My mom was told today that the doxil she is on for her 2nd line of chemo might not be working. It is such a tough battle she is fighting. One step at a time, we will continue to move ahead.
Love to you all,
Eileen

Just read your post Eileen,
Just read your post Eileen, I hope and pray your mom beats the odds and gets better.

Love Tina xx