Oh no its back after 7 months

[coochy]

Hi

I'm 48 finished chemo in July for grade 3c ovarian cancer, hysterectomy last Feb went great as surgeon was happy he managed to get everything removed he could see, ca125 went down to 1, last reading about a month ago was 8 however i was getting tummy pains like before so was sent for scan was gutted to find out on Wednesday i have a small tumour between my liver and diaphram, my case goes to the multi-discipliniary team on Wednesday and my oncologist is going to ask it they can operate to remove it but she said its a big operation and i think her worry is putting me through all this and there are other bits still floating about. So it will be operation then chemo or just chemo but if its just chemo then i won't be getting that till the tumour starts to bother me. Just wondering if anyone else has had a tumour there and what's in front of me? Elaine

[Whippit]

It was good to talk Saturday and I'm sure you'll get some helpful responses here. It occurs to me that from my friends' experience if you have over six months' remission you won't be considered platinum resistant which opens up the treatment options. I just wonder whether this little tumour was there seven months ago but wasn't visible and therefore not removed. Just mentioned this as then it seems to me the seven months' remission you've had might seem more positive than had the tumours grown back where they were before.

I hope future meetings with the oncology team prove helpful. It would be good if you don't need chemo immediately. The herbal remedy I took that I mentioned is Iscador (Mistletoe).

Sending loads of love and cheering thoughts. xxx love Annie

[coochy]

Hello Annie you are a fountain of knowledge and i've found a good friend in you. I have had 2 previous scans and i am told they were clear!?!??! Excuse my ignorance but i presume you say i am platinum resistant means the chemo i received hasn't done its job so they should try me on a different chemo? If I'm right then why did my oncologist tell me i will be getting the same chemo again??

Will get on the case re Iscador, give anything a bash eh.

It was lovely catching up on Saturday and i hope you didn't give the plumber too much of a shock lol.

I spent most of my weekend in my summerhouse beside the woodburning stove, its fabby Annie

Thanks again.

Love Elaine xxx

[Hidden in reply to coochy]

What a lot of info to digest and what a worry all of this is. I can't help with your original question, but there are two things which I can add to, I think.

My understanding: if you have a recurrence less than 6 months after the end of your treatment, you're assumed to be resistant to platinum. From what you wrote, it sounds as if this would not be case for you, i.e. it's longer and so you'd not be resistant, and so platinum could be included in future courses of treatment (I think Annie read it like this too).

The other question she raised is whether this tumour might have been lurking there invisibly all the time. This is a really hard idea to get your head round (and I wouldn't try too hard!), but my team have speculated about whether my recurrence might have been there all the time, but invisible ( at that point) as opposed to being a later development.

It's a bit like Alice in Wonderland having cancer! Best of luck to you with this new challenge. xxx

[coochy in reply to Hidden]

Thanks a mill, I will ask my oncologist next week if it could have been lurking about before my chemo finished.

Its a journey one i hoped i would never find myself on, but onwards and upwards hopefully next week i will know what path i will be taking.

You are right Alice in Wonderland indeed, i feel like the mad hatter xx

[Madz]

Hi I finished chemo just under a year ago and my tumours never left as I have some in my lungs and since finishing I have a few more but I am working full time and feeling well - I am on homeopathic remedies and believe in positive affirmations I have days of doubt but hey today I'm ok and your ok and let's take that and enjoy the moment together xxxx

[coochy in reply to Madz]

Hi i am still working full time and hope to keep it up for a long time, i want my life to be normal. I was a very positive person but that did me no good so the "positive" word is hard to swallow. But you are right i am here to day and making the most of it. Thanks Elaine x