Results Day

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VickiReed
VickiReed Member Posts: 66
in Ovarian Cancer #1
Just getting back from Houston. I met with the good doc to hear the results of my scans , X-ray and labs. The cancer is back. I am platinum resistant. My options are
Doxil or go into a clincal trial. I am going to meet with them soon at MD Anderson to see about the clinical trial. The CA is on my (left side)diaphragm and in my abdominal wall (right side). New CA-125 is 53 up from 46 a week ago. At least I don't have any fluid build up yet.

Comments

  • Lisa13Q
    Lisa13Q Member Posts: 677
    #2
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    Dear Vicki
    I am soo sorry to hear this news....OVCA is a bugger isn't it? The good thing is there are many many second line treatments now. LibbyP has been on Doxil about a year now and it is doing the trick. Also, they say Doxil has few side effects. Please keep us posted, I know this can be difficult news, but you will fight through....
  • kikz
    kikz Member Posts: 1,345 Member
    #3
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    Lisa13Q said:

    Dear Vicki
    I am soo sorry to hear this news....OVCA is a bugger isn't it? The good thing is there are many many second line treatments now. LibbyP has been on Doxil about a year now and it is doing the trick. Also, they say Doxil has few side effects. Please keep us posted, I know this can be difficult news, but you will fight through....

    Sorry for the news
    but I know you will persevere. I will send prayers and good thoughts your way.

    Karen
  • Christine B.
    Christine B. Member Posts: 137
    #4
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    kikz said:

    Sorry for the news
    but I know you will persevere. I will send prayers and good thoughts your way.

    Karen

    Good Thoughts
    I am with Karen sending up prayers and good thoughts for better results to come your way.
    Chris
  • JoanC
    JoanC Member Posts: 231
    #5
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    Vicki
    Prayers and (((hugs))) coming your way. I hate cancer!!!
  • Rookerbird
    Rookerbird Member Posts: 100
    #6
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    Similar Path
    I'm platinum-resistant too. My Dallas onc sent me to Dr. B at MDA for a second opinion, and they chose Doxil. After 3 infusions, the tumors shrank by about 75%. Just had my 5th infusion, and am tolerating it with steroids and vigilant following of hand/foot icing and other guidelines from Doxil.

    Wishing you luck and peace with your decision.

    -Kathy
  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #7
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    Hi Vicki
    Sorry to hear your results. 53 is still very low and you have no fluid so they are all positives. Second line treatments are a great option and you never know after you have been on these you might be able to go back on carbo/taxol again.

    Keep your chin up Tina xxx
  • Cafewoman53
    Cafewoman53 Member Posts: 735 Member
    #8
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    Sorry for the bad news
    I'm sorry for the bad news, how soon did you recur? I hope your second line treatment kicks a** , like it does for so many of the ladies here ! Good Luck
    Colleen
  • Mum2bellaandwilliam
    Mum2bellaandwilliam Member Posts: 412
    #9
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    Cafewoman53 said:

    Sorry for the bad news
    I'm sorry for the bad news, how soon did you recur? I hope your second line treatment kicks a** , like it does for so many of the ladies here ! Good Luck
    Colleen

    Vicki , :( what sad news , I
    Vicki , :( what sad news , I am so sorry , it's a shocker to have it return quickly like that. Put those gloves back on and fight with all you've got. Is this your 3 month scan or baseline after treatment ? (( hugs )) Liz xx
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #10
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    Vicki...
    I am really bummed
    Vicki...

    I am really bummed by this. Would the clinical trial be one arm receiving standard of care treatment (such as Doxil) and the other arm gettng SOC plus another drug?

    Sounds like they found it pretty early, so that's good. No fluid build up is especially good.

    Please let us know what they offer you, and which you choose. MDA is a great place. My TX doctor trained there and sends women to Houston for second opinions all the time. I admire physicians who have small enough egos that they are willing to do that.

    Carlene
  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
    #11
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    Hissy_Fitz said:

    Vicki...
    I am really bummed
    Vicki...

    I am really bummed by this. Would the clinical trial be one arm receiving standard of care treatment (such as Doxil) and the other arm gettng SOC plus another drug?

    Sounds like they found it pretty early, so that's good. No fluid build up is especially good.

    Please let us know what they offer you, and which you choose. MDA is a great place. My TX doctor trained there and sends women to Houston for second opinions all the time. I admire physicians who have small enough egos that they are willing to do that.

    Carlene

    What you might do while you are waiting
    Dear Vicki

    To have to wait for your next treatment to begin must be agony for you. I don't know if you are already following an anti-inflammatory diet; however, such a diet may slow down your tumors while you are waiting.

    The following information was found on the cancernetwork.com web site:

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Enabling Characteristics and Emerging Hallmarks

    Hanahan and Weinberg have added two characteristics that confer the “functional capabilities that allow cancer cells to survive, proliferate, and disseminate." The first characteristic is genomic instability, which facilitates a higher than normal mutation rate and aberrations in the genome.

    The second is the immune system’s creation of an inflammatory state. Certain tumors are highly infiltrated with the cells of the immune system and a picture has emerged whereby immune cells promote tumor progression.

    http://www.cancernetwork.com/breast-cancer/content/article/10165/1839598?GUID=46D3165F-DEA9-4DC1-AC8C-338D45915432&rememberme=1&source=NL

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Up until now, I thought inflammation was a just a normal part of the body's healing response rather than a co-conspirator with cancer! Refined sugars promote inflammation while fish oils are anti-inflammatory.

    Remember you still have a lot of health going for you. Stay strong.

    Carolen
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    #12
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    Dear Vicki
    We'll be waiting to hear whether it's the Doxil or clinical trial. I reoccured almost two years ago and am being held stable with treatments. No fluid build up is good.... you go fight like a girl!
    (((HUGS))) Maria
  • VickiReed
    VickiReed Member Posts: 66
    #13
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    Cafewoman53 said:

    Sorry for the bad news
    I'm sorry for the bad news, how soon did you recur? I hope your second line treatment kicks a** , like it does for so many of the ladies here ! Good Luck
    Colleen

    It was four months since my
    It was four months since my last Taxol/Carbo treatment.
  • VickiReed
    VickiReed Member Posts: 66
    #14
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    carolenk said:

    What you might do while you are waiting
    Dear Vicki

    To have to wait for your next treatment to begin must be agony for you. I don't know if you are already following an anti-inflammatory diet; however, such a diet may slow down your tumors while you are waiting.

    The following information was found on the cancernetwork.com web site:

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Enabling Characteristics and Emerging Hallmarks

    Hanahan and Weinberg have added two characteristics that confer the “functional capabilities that allow cancer cells to survive, proliferate, and disseminate." The first characteristic is genomic instability, which facilitates a higher than normal mutation rate and aberrations in the genome.

    The second is the immune system’s creation of an inflammatory state. Certain tumors are highly infiltrated with the cells of the immune system and a picture has emerged whereby immune cells promote tumor progression.

    http://www.cancernetwork.com/breast-cancer/content/article/10165/1839598?GUID=46D3165F-DEA9-4DC1-AC8C-338D45915432&rememberme=1&source=NL

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Up until now, I thought inflammation was a just a normal part of the body's healing response rather than a co-conspirator with cancer! Refined sugars promote inflammation while fish oils are anti-inflammatory.

    Remember you still have a lot of health going for you. Stay strong.

    Carolen

    Thanks Carolen
    I will check it out. It looks like some interesting reading.
    I am not on the anti-inflammatory diet yet but it is on my mind and I am going to
    drag my juicer out today. Thanks-
    Vicki
  • VickiReed
    VickiReed Member Posts: 66
    #15
    Options
    Rookerbird said:

    Similar Path
    I'm platinum-resistant too. My Dallas onc sent me to Dr. B at MDA for a second opinion, and they chose Doxil. After 3 infusions, the tumors shrank by about 75%. Just had my 5th infusion, and am tolerating it with steroids and vigilant following of hand/foot icing and other guidelines from Doxil.

    Wishing you luck and peace with your decision.

    -Kathy

    Best of Luck with your
    Best of Luck with your treatment. Is Dr B , Dr Bevers? If so, don't you just love
    him. So happy to have such a good and compassionate team helping me through this.
    Also so glad to be withing driving distance to such a great hospital.
    Did they mention how many treatments you will take of the Doxil?
  • mopar
    mopar Member Posts: 1,972 Member
    #16
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    VICKI
    So sorry to hear, Vicki. But I'm glad you still have options, and I'm sure there are more as well. Sending you lots of prayers and hugs, Vicki. Keep in touch when you can.

    Monika
  • LPack
    LPack Member Posts: 645
    #17
    Options
    Doxil has been working for
    Doxil has been working for me. I did have 8 treatments and then my last treatment which was March 28th I had a CA125 taken. It is up to 43 - so above normal. Had CT scan yesterday morning and will see my doctor April 25th for exam and then suppose to have #10 doxil treatment.

    But since I am on a clinical trial IF I show evidence that the disease is progressing the trial will be over. I have had a clean CT scan the last two times - I am sure if anything is going on it will show. My physical exam does confirm that 1 cm tumor in sigmoid junction everytime. (boo, hiss)

    And this last time, I had severe stomach issues with doxil. Doxil does effect the mucous membrane which is not only your nose and throat, but also your internal organs and genital and anus areas. This time I think my total insides was burnt with the Doxil. And you know I don't complain much and I have a high tolerance of pain. ☺

    It probably has been cumulative for me as I have not experienced any side effects that have not been managable. This time was different.

    Guess my body is saying enough is enough!

    Living for Eternity,
    Libby

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