Ovarian Cancer Support Group

Hello.. sorry to hear you are having face further chemo and that the cancer has spread.. doctors don't know everything and should stick to medicine and leave fortune telling to cookies.. Medicine changes every day and there are so many new ideas and research going on.. into whole new and hopeful approaches.

I am also on doxil, though I have no ovaries and the cancer is now in my Lymph nodes. I read somewhere recently that they are looking into treating recurrences according to where it appears, but sounded very experimental still and a way off.

I do know that the cancer cells that are now in the lymphs are the same as the original cancer cells which were found in the ovary. It might encourage you to know that after three rounds of doxil my CA125 has come down from 666 o 119. I know that Lindamae is also getting great results from it. I have been stable since April and with three more doses to go, I am hopeful to d even better.

Avastin seem to be giving some women here fantastic results and is a drug I would like to give a go, but isn't available in the UK for OC yet..

Welcome back to us and hug.. Inka xxx

Hello SallyG, It has been awhile. So sorry about you having to go through chemo again. Doxil it seems is the second line drug of choice. Many people do well on it. I agree with Inka, It is still the OVCA cells that are affecting you. Avastin is doing wonders for some people these days. However not all ins. co will pay for it, since it is not approved for OVCA specifically. It is for some other Cancers. Maybe you can ask you doctor about it. Love and hugs. Anita

Hi Sally, good to hear from you. I know lots of women taking Doxil for recurrence and it seems to be helping them. I don't know of any of them where their doctor has told them they only have a certain amount of time left to live. I hope you will consider getting a second opinion--ask for it. If you need a ride or something like that you may want to call the Cancer Society as I believe they can of great help with many things.. Keep talking to us, we really do care. love and purrs,
Rhoda and Scottie (my kitty)

Everyone as usual gave Great Advice. I was too on Doxil and it wasn't working for me so we changed treatments. If insurance payes for it I am going on Avastin. NO WAY would my Dr Krivak tell me a specific timetable for survival. He keeps on trying and trying!! Get a second opinion because if one thing doesn't work maybe something else would. My tumor was growing on Doxil and we stopped it immediately instead of going the whole round. How dare your doctor say that to you!!

It must have been crushing to get that news,especially after two years! It is my understanding that no matter where the rreoccurrence shows up ,it is still cells from the primary site-so if your first occurrence is ovararian,then all future occurrence will contain Ovarian Cancer cells-sray strong and be kind to your =self tresmariposas

It does sound as though your doctor, by her comments, took away your hope. As you've already read from others' comments there are more treatments out there. Additionally, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (www.canceradvocacy.org) says that all cancer survivors have the right to hope. They have free literature and I encourage you to request it.

I would be very upset if my doctor told me that I only had two years to live - especially since you were feeling well. Most of us are realistic about ovarian cancer but I know that I am hopeful that there are treatment options that I have not yet accessed. Have you considered getting a second opinion? It might be worthwhile just to see if another doctor offers you more hope. Best wishes, Janet

Sally, you must have good communication with your doctor. This is a team effort between you two, and so you should be able to ask questions about possibly switching to another drug.

I know how you feel. I was on the taxol/carbo combination and my CA 125 didn't move much after 3 treatments. I wondered why I was being put through more when the CA 125 wasn't dropping and yet I was suffering horrible side effects.

My onc. told me to take it to the 6th round and gave me his reasons for doing so.

I have had an erratic CA125, but it finally did start coming down many weeks after all chemo was done. Perhaps you are not getting the full effects of the Doxil right now but it is having impact on the cancer, which you may see when all Doxil treatments are finished.

These are questions you need to ask the dr. "Have you seen instances where the CA125 doesn't come down much when a patient is on Doxil, but after all the treatments are done, it can move down?" Ask those kinds of very direct questions.

Big hugs to you,
MaryAnn

I had heard that doxil can take several doses before we can see the benefits and was expecting that to be the case with me. I was very surprised to see how effective it has been and hope it will prove to be the same for you. There are other options beyond doxil, but I think it is worth giving it a go first.. that way we would have tried it all.

I wanted to stop my platin/taxol treatment as it didn't seem to be doing much good.. but then it struck me that if I did give it up I would be wondering for ever if I should have done.. this way I know I gave it my best shop and didn't miss anything out.. xxx

Hello Sally:

I can't give you much advice on chemo other than Avastin seems to be a miracle drug for most of the patients who have had it. However, I would like to say that Mother began chemo in February after a January diagnosis. There was a lady in the chemo lab whose ovarian cancer had advanced to her brain. Her husband explained to us that she had at the most six weeks. My mother had her last chemo today, and I inquired about this lady's condition. The nurses said she was in total remission that the chemo had worked miraculously, and she was doing great. You just never know . . . it's a mystery, but this is a reminder that there is always HOPE! I think we all should live as though we are living our last day anyway . . . not a bad way to view life! Our thoughts and prayers are with you! XOX