Recurring colon cancer in ovary
Comments
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yes...meabrub said:They found my ca on my ovary
My appendix cancer (under the colorectal umbrella) was found in a tumor surrounding my ovary. Somehow, some cancer cells got there and grew.
I'm doing great now (Total hysterectomy...)
I was diagnosed in 0ctober 2007 with Stage 4 colon (at the age of 42) that had metastasized to the ovary. I had 12 rounds of folfox/avastin. I am almost 3 years out and currently No evidence of disease(scan Nov. 1) So I am not only surviving but right now thriving and enjoying life . My onc has a patient that is 10 years out and doing great...similar to you in the fact that the ovarian mets were found later not at initial diagnosis.
Hope this helps to encourage you to hang in there!!
Smiles,
Dawn0 -
You'll do fine!
I was diagnosed in March 2010 with stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 43. The cancer was detected on the ovaries first and then they realized the primary souce was colon. I had a complete hysterectomy at that time and have now completed 11 rounds of chemo. Get rid of the cancer and you will do fine. Stay positive!!! You are in my prayers.
Hugs,
Sara0 -
Thank you so much this helpsdmdwins said:yes...me
I was diagnosed in 0ctober 2007 with Stage 4 colon (at the age of 42) that had metastasized to the ovary. I had 12 rounds of folfox/avastin. I am almost 3 years out and currently No evidence of disease(scan Nov. 1) So I am not only surviving but right now thriving and enjoying life . My onc has a patient that is 10 years out and doing great...similar to you in the fact that the ovarian mets were found later not at initial diagnosis.
Hope this helps to encourage you to hang in there!!
Smiles,
Dawn
Thank you so much this helps me. I was just sitting here crying as I was trying to find stats on-line. Congratulations on making it 3 years out. I'm sure you'll have many more as enjoying life is key I bet
Thank you so much again you've really uplifted me!
Rita :~)0 -
Thank you Thank you Thankmsccolon said:I was initially diagnosed in 2004, recurrence to right ovary in 2006. The surgery went really well, the tumor was the size of a soccer ball by the time we removed it. I'm still here!
mary
Thank you Thank you Thank you!!
My tumor is bigger then a babies head they tell me. Its so scary to have it come back and I so needed to hear your story to give me hope!! Thank you so much !! I think I'm gonna love this site :~)
Rita :~)0 -
Mary did they also follow upmsccolon said:I was initially diagnosed in 2004, recurrence to right ovary in 2006. The surgery went really well, the tumor was the size of a soccer ball by the time we removed it. I'm still here!
mary
Mary did they also follow up your surgery with chemo? If so do you remember what the combination was?0 -
follow up chemoritaclough said:Mary did they also follow up
Mary did they also follow up your surgery with chemo? If so do you remember what the combination was?
We did FOLFIRI as a follow up. Note that when I was first diagnosed, after the surgery, they started me on FOLFOX but we had to stop after 3 treatments due to toxicity. They continued with just the 5FU and Leucovorin to end up the 6 months. This is why we went with the FOLFIRI next time around, and I have had the same combo again later.
mary0 -
survivor
I had a total hysterectomy when my colon tumor was removed. Had tumor engulfing overy. I am 6 years from first emergency surgery , also had spread to lymph nodes. Doing well. Good luck to you! I was 45 at time of surgery. I wonder if more attention should be paid to possibility of doing a hysterectomy at time of colon resection as a preventive measure against spread, it seems to be more common than thought.
Pam0 -
I think you may be right PamPamPam2 said:survivor
I had a total hysterectomy when my colon tumor was removed. Had tumor engulfing overy. I am 6 years from first emergency surgery , also had spread to lymph nodes. Doing well. Good luck to you! I was 45 at time of surgery. I wonder if more attention should be paid to possibility of doing a hysterectomy at time of colon resection as a preventive measure against spread, it seems to be more common than thought.
Pam
I think you may be right Pam as they told me there was possibly a cancer cell hiding there last year when I went through my colon resection and first round of chemo. I'm thinking cancer cells can hide? lol. Okay well then lets play hide and seek a little closer or better yet lets get rid of those possible hiding places jeesh! Notice most people that have this appear or reappear there are pre-menopausal? I think there's something to this.
I'm so glad to come here a read and re-read these stories. I just found out Tuesday they think its my cancer recurring and I am really battling the thought I'm not going to live more then a couple years. I can't thank you all enough. You give me sooo much hope!!!0 -
Ritaritaclough said:I think you may be right Pam
I think you may be right Pam as they told me there was possibly a cancer cell hiding there last year when I went through my colon resection and first round of chemo. I'm thinking cancer cells can hide? lol. Okay well then lets play hide and seek a little closer or better yet lets get rid of those possible hiding places jeesh! Notice most people that have this appear or reappear there are pre-menopausal? I think there's something to this.
I'm so glad to come here a read and re-read these stories. I just found out Tuesday they think its my cancer recurring and I am really battling the thought I'm not going to live more then a couple years. I can't thank you all enough. You give me sooo much hope!!!
I have an enlarged ovary which is likely cancer. I have not had surgery for removal of any cancer; I was going to have surgery for my 2 colorectal tumours Sept/09 but after chemo + radiaion to reduce those tumours, they determined I had spread to my liver + wanted to address that. I have been on folfiri + avastin since September /09. GOod luck with next steps.0 -
Hey Rita!
Hehe... ok, I'm jumping in here but have to say that I did NOT have the cancer spread to my ovaries, most likely because I had an "oops" hysterectomy (totally different story, nothing to do with colon cancer) back in 2001... 5 years before we ever found the colon cancer. So who knows if it would have spread to my ovaries or not. BUT, something you said was soooo true.... cancer finds all kinds of hiding places and it's impossible to eliminate all the hiding places because that would mean taking out every organ and tissue in the body (although, once again I must wonder if that wouldn't be the ultimate diet plan that would work for me .
But... hiding places. I guess the one thing those of us who are stage 4 (only that number because the cancer has spread from the primary location) have to remember is that once we are stage 4 that means there ARE cancer cells throughout our body, all looking for those hiding places so they can take up home and start to grow. Our modern technology, as wonderful as it is, can only detect cancer cells once they have gotten big enough to detect... and for them to do that, it means they have taken root somewhere and started to grow. So, we can't treat, surgically or with treatments, something we can't detect. When one is in a stage of not being able to detect the cells, that is the infamous acronym "NED" (No Evidence of Disease). The key word here being "evidence"... our technology can not detect any cancer cell that is big enough to detect, but alas, id does not mean the cancer has left the building. People sometimes confuse being NED with being "cured", or thinking they are cancer-free... and then are devastated when the cancer comes back. The cancer never left, it was just too small to detect.
So, does that sound depressing? Not at all. We all have been diagnosed with cancer... and we all are at different stages. Stage 4, of course, is not the best diagnosis to be given but it does NOT mean guaranteed death, although highly unlikely we will ever get rid of the stigma that it does. If anyone is going to die from their cancer, they are most likely a Stage 4 patient, but Stage 4 does not mean an automatic death sentence. What it does mean... is we have the advantage over all our friends and family and community that we are now on the medical system's radar. We are being watched like hawks and the minute cancer does rear it's ugly little head, no matter where in the body, our medical team jumps on it and treats it. Depending on where and what... it may require surgery to remove it, followed up by chemo/radiation to make sure the ground is now sterile... or it may mean non-surgical methods. Some may end up doing chemo for long periods of time to make sure those pesky cells are killed and any others that are floating around in our system
Treatments are our friends. NED does not mean cancer-free, but it does mean a break from treatments (they aren't going to treat something they can't see and waste the ammunition that we might need later). Stats can be scary, but we are all individuals so do not fall into a nice, tidy stat. Youth, health and a positive attitude go a long way to supplementing any medical procedure/treatment.
If I listened to the stats, which I did at first because I was terrified, and they only scared me all the more... I would not have left the hospital. I was given the talk to get my affairs in order WHILE I was in the hospital because there was a good chance I wouldn't be leaving the hospital alive. Talk about terrified. But I came through with flying colours... no sooner started my chemo/radiation treatments and was told as a Stage 4, the prognosis is not good -- 2 month - 24 months max. That was back in Mar 2007.
I am on the oral pill, Xeloda, because two tumours have decided to start growing in my lungs and they found a growth in my kidney. Ok, the lung tumours we knew about... the kidney growth is new. Am I terrified? Naaaa... it means the darn cells have taken root so we have to treat them. I go for a CT scan on Fri and will find out next week if the Xeloda is doing it's job in shrinking the lung tumours. The kidney one... we shall see if the chemo affects it, if not, then it's not colon cancer... if it responds, then we know it's a colon cancer met. Either way, it is being treated, as are the ones in the lungs. Do I like knowing I have these? No! But I'm confident that we can keep them under control... and that's the goal. If we can keep it under control until I'm oh, in my late 80s, then I'll be a happy camper
Hang in there... and try not to panic every time you hear something new and/or scary. Modern Medicine is fabulous, but can be scary if you are the recipient.
Oh... and welcome to the BOARD!! Lots of fabulous people here
Cheryl0 -
When I was dx in 2003.. I
When I was dx in 2003.. I had stage IV colon cancer and the tumor was on the outside of my colon, would never have been found by a colonoscopy. But it was connected to both of my ovaries, and was the size of a loaf of bread. The surgeon removed as much as he could, and gave me a complete hysterectomy. Needless, to say I did chemo and radiation, and have been NED since 2004!! So don't give up the hope.
Love,
Gail0 -
GailGlv49 said:When I was dx in 2003.. I
When I was dx in 2003.. I had stage IV colon cancer and the tumor was on the outside of my colon, would never have been found by a colonoscopy. But it was connected to both of my ovaries, and was the size of a loaf of bread. The surgeon removed as much as he could, and gave me a complete hysterectomy. Needless, to say I did chemo and radiation, and have been NED since 2004!! So don't give up the hope.
Love,
Gail
What a great story! I am glad you are doing so well.0 -
You are all so fabulous!! ItAnneCan said:Gail
What a great story! I am glad you are doing so well.
You are all so fabulous!! It just goes to show you everyone is uniquely different and no treatment does the same thing for everyone. One thing we can all have in common is that we realize how special each and every day we are blessed with is. Not everyone truly lives like this could be your last so enjoy it no? Truly we are blessed. Thank you all your a blessing in my life!!!0 -
You are all so fabulous!! ItAnneCan said:Gail
What a great story! I am glad you are doing so well.
You are all so fabulous!! It just goes to show you everyone is uniquely different and no treatment does the same thing for everyone. One thing we can all have in common is that we realize how special each and every day we are blessed with is. Not everyone truly lives like this could be your last so enjoy it no? Truly we are blessed. Thank you all your a blessing in my life!!!0 -
You are all so fabulous!! ItAnneCan said:Gail
What a great story! I am glad you are doing so well.
You are all so fabulous!! It just goes to show you everyone is uniquely different and no treatment does the same thing for everyone. One thing we can all have in common is that we realize how special each and every day we are blessed with is. Not everyone truly lives like this could be your last so enjoy it no? Truly we are blessed. Thank you all your a blessing in my life!!!0 -
You are all so fabulous!! ItAnneCan said:Gail
What a great story! I am glad you are doing so well.
You are all so fabulous!! It just goes to show you everyone is uniquely different and no treatment does the same thing for everyone. One thing we can all have in common is that we realize how special each and every day we are blessed with is. Not everyone truly lives like this could be your last so enjoy it no? Truly we are blessed. Thank you all your a blessing in my life!!!0 -
Hi Rita, I was dx in 3/08
Hi Rita, I was dx in 3/08 with what was thought to be ovarian cancer, as the ovaries were so enlarged with tumor, but, surprise, it was colon cancer! Needless to say I had a complete Hyst. and resection at the same time! I am doing well, I still have small mets to my lungs and am doing drug trials, but feel really good and am encouraged by my docs! Best to you! You can beat this! Jean0
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