Tumour

[Madmolly]

Have the majority of women after treatment managed to have their tumour reduced to recommended size of 1c

[Lyndy]

Not entirely sure I understand your question (nice pic btw). I think results of treatment vary quite widely. My oncologist told me that most people respond well to first line but the problem they face is that it is so good at coming back. Hope you are feeling as good as you look xx

[Madmolly in reply to Lyndy]

Thanks Lyndy I hope that's the case and as long it has shrunk they will operate

[LittleSan]

Gosh, I've never heard of that recommendation before. I thought the goal was just to aim for NED (no evidence of disease) or the closest that you could get to it. I've been on the forum a long time, had the disease for over 8 years and my mum had it too so I'd have thought that if it'd had been a recommendation, it would have been more commonly used.

Hope you're well. Xx

[1916]

Hi molly

I haven't heard that one , I was told if they are stable and not increasing with mine they were looking for that. But hey you look great Molly .

Love Ann xx

[Madmolly in reply to 1916]

Thanks Ann just recently diagnosed 4 x 3c tumour on right Overy also oventum, peritoneum and 3 lymph nodes presently on carboplatin taxol and avastin only had one doze due 2nd on 3rd Dec then 24th Dec then MRI to see if shrunk prior to op I am 72 years old it's all quite new to me but am finding this site a great support thanks

[1916 in reply to Madmolly]

Your doing well Molly

And certainly don't look your age wow.

Love Ann xx

[Cinderella]

Hi Molly, I have never heard of any 1c being a recommended size of tumour. Treatment will either reduce the size of tumour to no evidence of disease or to some disease present. I was diagnosed with stage 4 in May 2012 and was told I had no evidence of disease in October 2012 after having neoadjuvant chemotherapy and debulking surgery. When I had surgery for one metastasised lymph node in 2017, my CA 125 immediately dropped to 17 from 135. I did not need any chemotherapy and again I was told there was no evidence of disease. I have had no recurrence since March 2017. I hope this helps answer your question. You look really great and wish you all the best. Samixa X X

[Madmolly in reply to Cinderella]

Hi Cinders diagnosed stage 4 ovarian cancer in O ctober. Was randomly selected by computor for trials ICON 8B which is every 3 weeks carboplatin, paclitaxel and Bevacizmab (Avastin) and surgery is planned 4 to 6 weeks after the start of Mt 3rd cycle of treatment. My tumour on right ovary is 4cm x 3cm and I

Am led to believe they prefer the tumour to have shrunk until at least 1cm before surgery I will also receive debulki g and it is on my peritoneum 1 lymph node behind liver 1 on left clavical and 1 on my aorta. This is all new to me. After surgery more chemo

[Cinderella in reply to Madmolly]

Hi Molly, as I understand it chemotherapy is given before surgery to ensure that the tumours reduce in size so that it is easier to remove them as whole tumours during surgery. If the tumour is too large there could be a danger of it all not being removed in one bulk. I do not think there is a specific size that a tumour needs to reach before surgery is performed as long as it is small enough to be removed easily. Take care and wish you all the best.

[Madmolly in reply to Cinderella]

Thank you again cinders due my next lot of chemo on Tuesday also feel I could do with another drain off of ascitis but not sure how long after treatment I can do this but will ask the question. My next bout is on Xmas eve and hope to have scan soon after that to establish if I'm ready for surgery. Thank you for explaining. Look after yourself x

[Cropcrop]

Hi Molly, you have certainly got us a bit flummoxed here. I think you’re the first person to have asked this question of us.

It is possibly a new protocol you have been made aware of and it may be applicable to certain forms of our disease but it is not one I’ve heard of before, I think some clarification is needed before any of us can give a concise answer, maybe our lovely administration team could throw some light on this?

I hope you are doing as well as you possibly can be. Take care ❤️Xx Jane

[Di16]

I'm afraid I don't understand about 1c being a recommended size. When I was diagnosed my tumour was very large, but it was staged at 1c because it hadn't spread anywhere else except for a few cells in some ascites. The size of the tumour didn't make any difference to the stage. If it had spread anywhere else, it would have been stage 2, 3, or 4, whatever the size. Perhaps a call to the Ovacome helpline would help? Di

[bamboo89]

Its not unusual for women who have inoperable, or very difficult to surgically remove, cancer, to be given chemotherapy prior to surgery in the hope/expectation that the cancer will shrink to a more manageable size for surgery. Usually, its 3 doses of chemo, scan, surgery, then top up chemo, more or less, but I haven't heard of anyone being given an actual size of tumour that they would like it to shrink to before they'll operate. So far as I was aware, the midway scan is just to ascertain whether the chemo that's been given has done enough to shrink the cancer to a removable size, whatever that size may be. Perhaps there's a reason they mentioned 1cm, but if you get the midway scan done and they say its shrunk but still more than 1cm, I'd certainly be asking why that's relevant.

Miriam

[Madmolly]

Thanks Miriam I will certainly be asking lots of questions and as you state I will be getting a scan and will take it from there thanks for your response

[bamboo89 in reply to Madmolly]

I don't know where you're having your treatment, but if they insist it has to be under 1cm, and they won't operate if its not later on, seek a second opinion elsewhere. Hospital oncology departments vary in terms of whether they'll operate or not, so you may find another hospital would do the surgery.

Fingers crossed the chemo is effective... good luck

Miriam

[Madmolly]

Thanks Miriam all being well I hope to have op in Feb I am with the Beatson at Anniesland Scotland and the hospital is the Royal Alexandria in Paisley

[delia2]

I had surgery before chemo and they defined optimal debulking as leaving less than 1 cm of cancer after surgery. That is relatively easy for the chemo to destroy.

[Madmolly]

Delia2 thank you so much for clarifying this for me much appreciated

[Mommoo65]

Hi Molly. My oncologist doesn't do an after treatment CT or Pet so I would not know. I know they removed everything that was visible. And I am 4 years post treatment so I just hope nothing is growing at all.

[Madmolly]

A while before surgery so hope everything small enough to go ahead thanks for replying

[Hidden]

Hi Molly. Firstly, just for the record, my first op was 8 years ago, tomorrow ! Very pleased to have got this far (one recurrence).

Anyhow, to come to the point, I'm sure my surgeon told me that he considered it to be a successful op, as he'd taken it all back to 1cm. That must've been for the 1st op, which was the hysterectomy & attached bits & pieces. I then had 3 months chemo, then back in for a 2nd op : being the main tumour & I suppose it's associated bits & pieces too. He told me he was going to take out more bits than he later told me he had taken out. However, he said the main tumour was "bigger than a baby's head". Then I had a further 3 months chemo. Hope this helps more than confuses. Good luck with it all.

[Madmolly]

Pauline thanks for explanation I think they want to get my tumour to 1cm but I have still to discuss what else will be removed. I will get debulki g and I have clusters on my peritoneum but neep to ask if they will e doing full hysterectomy. Mt ca 125 levels went from 5872 to 700

which means the.. Tumour is shrinking but will not get realistic reading until Cat scan in Jan I am oc stage 4. Just had my second round oc chemo yesterday am on trials with added avastin. Good to hear your doing well