Ovarian Cancer Support Group

It is more than likely acites.. a build up of fluid in the abdomen which is sometimes a side effect of OC. I have had this recently and it does cause some strange sensations, such as a wobbling, jelly-like, flipping, feeling inside. It can also account for the bloating. A doctor should be able to tell you if it is acites by a simple physical examination.

I recently started a course of chemotherapy and the ascites went after the first treatment. Had it not gone I was going to have it removed.. which is done with a needle. This is a simple procedure and can relieve the pressure and make you feel a lot more comfortable.

Has your mother had a scan done? Really hope things turn out well for your mother and that this has been caught in early stages. it sounds like it might have done, as the CA125 is still quite low. Please let us know how you get on.. Best wishes.. Inka

Hi, I had a CA125 of 500 and I also had acites. Acites was the main reason for my problems. A lot of bloating that got so bad, I was getting heartburn.

I was diagnosed with OC stage 1c, which is early compared to a lot of people.

I hope your mother is similar, keep us informed.

Abfab
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Please let me know if I can offer any information in this age category. My mother is 82 and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Her CA-125 was 500+, so you can find some peace in that your mother's is lower. The CAT scan revealed a grapefruit sized tumor on one of my mother's ovaries. She was severely bloated, causing the doctor to guess that her ovarian cancer was Stage III or IV. However, once she had a few treatments, and then they performed the surgery, he discovered it was Stage I. Unbelievably, the tumor was completely gone. After surgery my mother's CA-125 had dropped to 88, and continues to drop now that she is having more chemo. She is extremely frail and has lost over 30 pounds, but she is doing so well. The doctor said he could not be more pleased with her progress, and has given her a great prognosis. he has assured her that she will live as long as she would have lived normally without the cancer. Our experience is so different from what we read initially. We were told that he survival rate for elderly women was very low, but the oncologist explained that this was because they were already in poor health when they discovered the cancer or their doctors did not treat them aggressively because they did not feel they could survive the treatment. If our mom is in decent health, she should do very well with the proper treatment. We got my mother to a gynecological oncologist right away, and that helped a lot. Ask around in your area to find the best possible doctor for her.

My Mom is in hospice. The oncologist would not do chemo without a tissue sample. But, because of her heart, they were reluctant to do any surgery of any kind. They did do a needle biopsy of the smal cyst which was "nondiagnostic".

She is so ill -- lots of nausea which hospice finds difficult to control. Very sensitive to meds.

Perhaps we should have been more aggressive. However, we were told: no tissue then no chemo.

She is so ill that she cannot eat ---

Thanks for you thoughtful comment. Sounds like your mom is doing well. I have read lots of research which indicates that older folks do well if treated.