Ovarian Cancer Support Group

Stage 1 it is contained in one ovary and stage 4 means that is has spread to other distant organs and/or the lymph system. I am also stage 4 and it is considered advanced. There are stages in between.

This is devastating news for you, but please be encouraged that these days OC is treated more like a chronic illness than a death sentence. The fact that your mother is having surgery is also encouraging as many tumours at this stage are inoperable. Operable tumours have a better prognosis.

It's most likely that your mother will be offered chemotherapy after the surgery. There are lots of treatment options these days with several different, very effective, chemo drugs available. Though OC isn't considered curable at this stage, remissions are possible and also periods when the cancer is considered 'stable' for a time.

It's a lot to take in all at once and everything happens so quickly.. Building a good relationship with the team that will be caring for her relieves a lot of the worries.. as you learn to leave the worries to them.

Try to build lots of better things into each day, this will help to keep you all strong as stress and worrying about the things that you don't understand can really wear you down.. It all gets clearer in time as you understand more..

I have had OC for over nine years now and am currently going through my third course of chemo.. I was originally stage one and I was in remission for over seven years..

I hope this is useful to you and I will be wishing for all the best for you and your family.. Please keep us informed so we can support you in this.. lots of wonderful women here with lots of info and experience to share.. big hugs to you. Inka

http://ovarian-cancer.emedtv.com/o...

This is a link that you might find useful with lots of uop to date information.

My mother was initially diagnosed with what they thought was stage 4, but it was discovered that she had stage 1 when they did surgery. Of course her doctor elected to do 9 treatments of chemo before operating, because my mother's body was filled with so much fluid, he said she could not endure the surgery. So, I agree with Halli, it is good news if they are planning to operate.

There is such hope with ovarian cancer now with all the wonderful new treatments, you and your mother can have hope!

My mother is 82, and she is doing well after the surgery, except for an enormous weight loss. But there are things they can do for this problem, and we will find out more when we talk to her doctor next week before she starts her final chemo following surgery.

How is your mom?