Treatment terminology question

[Jayniiee]

Hello lovely ladies. What does it mean by 'third-line' treatment? Does it mean three lots of different treatment? Say chemo for several weeks being the first? then surgery being second and then further down the line another different chemo would be third line? Just trying to make sense of the recent article from the US about niraparib.

[OvacomeSupport Partner My Ovacome Team]

Dear Jayniiee,

I'm happy to explain these terms for you.

The term "line of treatment" refers to the order that therapies are given after diagnosis.

The treatment you are given when first diagnosed is the first line treatment. This could be a combination of therapies. For example, surgery followed by chemotherapy, or chemotherapy given before then having surgery, are both classed as the first line treatment.

The second line is treatment given if the cancer was to come back (or recur).

Third line treatment is the treatment given if the cancer was to recur again.

I hope this helps make sense of things, but please do let us know if you have any more questions. You can always give the Ovacome support line a call if you'd like to talk this through in more detail. You can call us on 0800 008 7054. We are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.

Best wishes,

Jo

Ovacome Support

[Jayniiee in reply to OvacomeSupport]

Thank you Jo, that makes sense

[ZenaJ in reply to OvacomeSupport]

Thanks for that explanation. I have often wonder what 3rd line meant as well.

[Lyndy2]

Hi Jaynilee

The article I read talked about late stage and gave the example of women who have had 3 or more lines of treatment (I have had 2nd line but in two halves because I got sick in the middle).

Turning it round I suspect they have discovered that Parps have the best chance of working after first line treatment xx

[Jayniiee in reply to Lyndy2]

Hi lyndy, thanks for your reply. Hope you're doing ok x Yes reading between the lines I think you're right. The pharmacist at the oncology dept who sorts out my niraparib hadnt heard about it when i mentioned it today.. Was interested to read they are going to meet in Nov to decide whether to withdraw it for others too

Sending love and best wishes xx

[40279854 in reply to Lyndy2]

Hi Lyndy would you be able tompost a link to this article please?

[Jayniiee in reply to 40279854]

Here you go onclive.com/view/physicians...

[kristinaapril]

I would also like to add that if you start a treatment regime for a recurrence and it fails (ie: cancer is still growing) your next treatment regime would be another line. So for some people - they may be on their first recurrence but are on their third line of treatment because one of the treatment regimes didn't work.

[40279854 in reply to kristinaapril]

Thanks so much, interesting read

[Jayniiee]

Thank you.. It's good to know all this x