Hi folks, I’d appreciate some advice please. My mum has ovarian cancer and is being treated between Buckinghamshire and Oxford. She’s currently on her 6th and final round of chemo. Originally we were told that she would be operated on (debulking surgery) between chemotherapies 3&4, with the remaining chemo sessions being used to “mop up” any remaining cancerous cells post-op.
However when the time came, we were told she was too weak / frail and the operation was too high risk. Instead, we were told the chemo would continue in order to give her time to increase her fitness to a level where they could more safely operate.
We’ve just received a letter from Oxford’s John Radcliffe hospital which explains that her surgery will no longer take place at Oxford due to “resource” issues with surgeons and nurses. Instead, the hospital is working to make arrangements with Northamptonshire General to refer her there.
My concerns are:
1. Could the original deferment of debulking surgery have been due to resourcing issues and how would this have impacted my mum’s treatment? Given that there is no guarantee that the surgery will remove all cancerous cells and that due to NHS funding 6chemo sessions are all that’s been budgeted, there’s a risk that she’ll be left with malignant cells even after surgery and therefore the risk of the cancer returning is extremely high.
2. Does anyone have any idea how good the surgical teams and consultants at Northampton are? I can’t find any comparitive success rates or reviews online. The Oxford team was highly recommended and we fought for her to be treated there.
3. Where are the surgical teams with the highest success rates for ovarian cancer debulking surgery based? We’re in South Bucks but willing to travel into London or out to Berkshire or Surrey or wherever else may be best for mum.
Any help would be great. Thank you.
