Community Connection: Ovarian Cancer Canada is looking for volunteers! Could you help?
OVdialogue – consider joining our team in the role of Peer Support Volunteer. Over a few hours each week, you would be part of a team that helps connect people, support conversations and are thought leaders for OVdialogue. This is your opportunity to give back to those who have/continue to support you through the tough times, share your unique experiences, and help celebrate successes. For more details of what this entails, please reach out to @Mfallis ([email protected]).
OVdialogue – consider joining our team in the role of Peer Support Volunteer. Over a few hours each week, you would be part of a team that helps connect people, support conversations and are thought leaders for OVdialogue. This is your opportunity to give back to those who have/continue to support you through the tough times, share your unique experiences, and help celebrate successes. For more details of what this entails, please reach out to @Mfallis ([email protected]).
Synchronous primary malignancies
Hi, I was diagnosed in Oct 2018 with Stage 3C ovarian cancer. I survived a 7.5 hour surgery including a sBSO, hysterectomy, omentectomy, total colectomy and permanent ileostomy. 25 day hospital stay. Had to leave residual disease in my mesentery. Fast forward through 6 rounds of paclitaxel and carboplatin ending in May 2018 with two sessions of blood transfusions and lots of leg and muscle pain... summer "off" treatments only to find, via CT, persistence of disease with new deposits on the dome of my liver and in my mesentery. Have had one round of Caelyx and about to have the second of potentially six rounds, depending on tumour response. The wrench in the works was a biopsy of a lesion on my scalp in October, only to find it was a malignant melanoma, Breslow.depth 1.3 mm, amelanotic. Did scary research. Waiting in head CT and excision of lesion with skin grafting, and sentinel lymph node biopsy. I am scared if there are lymph node mets, as targeted or immunotherapy may be incompatable with my current chemo regime for the ovarian cancer. Amazingly, I am relatively discomfort and pain free. The Caelyx is certainly not as hard on the body, so far, as the first chemo. Has anyone else had the experience of a second primary cancer while being treated for the first one?
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Hi @JanCan. You have certainly been through a lot in the last year! It all sounds quite rough but amazing that you are relatively discomfort and pain free! I have not heard of anyone with this kind of experience with ovarian cancer and melanoma at the same time. It must be very scary particularly if the treatment options may be incompatible. I'm sure all the doctors will be trying to figure out the best approach for you, if needed. Hang in there. Let us know how it goes.0
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Hi update to my November post. Had melanoma excision, skin grafting and sentinel lymph node biopsy. Deep Breslow 7.5 mm. Metastatic to node, stage 3c. Waiting for medical oncologist to figure out compatable therapies melanoma vs ovarian. This Tuesday's CT scan showed failure of Caelyx chemo after 3 rounds as I hàve continued growth of liver and peritoneal lesions. Liver biopsy scheduled for Monday to determine if liver mets are ovarian or melanoma or both... that will determine a course of therapy. Melanoma is BRAF positive, which opens up the possibility of targeted therapy. Doctors are puzzling over me but I am encouraged by there determination to do something for me! Posting daily gratitude journal to Facebook is part of my mental therapy...31 days so far. Also taking a songwriting course and signed up for fiddle lessons. Onward and upward.0
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Hi JanCan, just saw your post. I'm a new member here and interested to find out what kind of OVC are you?0
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Stage 3c High grade serous carcinoma0
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Hi JanCan, Thanks for the answer. I hope the treatments start to work for you. Good Luck0
