Best Of

Hi All, 

I'm a 69 year old survivor of HGSOV 3C since early 2017.  Recurrence in December 2018 and now on a clinical trial the past year and a half.  Outside of the standard checks and balances with this disease, and the IVs associated with my first round of chemo, the trial requires monthly blood draws and semi-monthly scans. I've always been an easy "poke" when it comes to blood draws and even IVs even though, apparently, I'm considered a triple threat (veins are very narrow, very deep and they move out of the way of the needle).  But I did notice toward the end of my chemo that it was beginning to become more difficult for them to get my IV inserted.  I thought over time that would improve but I'm now at a place where the mere thought of a blood work or CT scan gives me major heart palpitations.  The past six months it's taken multiple tries to find a vein and more recently, even when they do, the vein collapses mid draw or before scan dye can be infused.  My last scan required 7 tries, ended up with 2 collapsed veins, and then finally the vein they thought would work ended up blowing as soon as the dye began infusing.  That one left with 2ccs of dye in the soft tissues of my arm; fortunately not enough to cause any major pain or trauma but enough to make me want to run from my next CT next week!

I have tried all the tricks; over-hydrating for days before the scan,  warm compresses on my arms, balled up fists. Nothing seems to make them pop.  At my last blood draw this week it took 15 minutes to even find a vein worth trying!  Yes, if I have to go back into chemo I will insist on a port.  But for the sake of one blood draw a month and a scan every two to three months it doesn't seem reasonable to undertake that procedure.  

Has anyone else had issues like this?  What have you done to try to overcome the problem?  Love to hear from you....at least to know I'm not alone.  

Hi @Courtenay.  I see that you have not had many comments about peoples' experience with Lynparza. Are you still looking for information about the drug?  Lynparza is one of a new class of drugs called PARP inhibitors.  PARP inhibitors interfere with the ability of DNA in the cancer cells to replicate itself.  This can lead to cancer cell death and has been found to be more effective in BRCA positive cancer.  The benefit of Lynparza is that it has been shown to increase the length of remission - the time between the end of one round of treatment and when the disease recurs.  This is called "Progression Free Survival" or "PFS".  I can give you more information about these results if you are interested. 

At the national level, Lynparza has been approved for use in the treatment of BRCA positive recurrent ovarian cancer and pubic funding of the drug has also been recommended specifically for those with platinum-sensitive, relapsed BRCA-mutated high grade serous epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who have completed at least two previous lines of platinum-based chemotherapy.  However, even though public funding has been recommended, each province now decides whether or not Lynparza will be funded by their specific health insurance program.  This is why funding may be available in some provinces but not others.

You don't mention whether or not your doctor has recommended that you take Lynparza or whether they have discussed with how it would be paid for.  To gain access to Lynparza, the drug needs to be prescribed by your doctor. The physician or you, as the patient, would then need to contact AstraZeneca’s Patient Assistance Program for information on financial coverage, including coordination of coverage at 1-877-280-6208.  Your doctor should have all this information and know how to go about it.

Do you have any other specific questions?  What are things you are considering as you make this decision?