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Help for a friend

18 years ago

I trying to help my friend who has been diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. She is considering intraperitoneal therapy (called a belly-wash) where the drugs are delivered directly into the abdominal cavity and would very much like to talk to someone who has gone through this. She has researched this online - understands it from that point of view. Anyone?

Here is a link that might be useful: Therapy

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Comments (2)

amicus
18 years ago
Firstly, I hope your friend will have lots of love and support from family members and friends like yourself after receiving such devestating news. Unfortunately, after reading the link you provided, it appears that this is an extremely difficult to tolerate treatment, and I guess it comes down to which might mean more, quality of life or improving the odds of buying more time. You mentioned that your friend is stage 4 and it lists stage 3 as part of the criteria, so perhaps she should find out if she would even qualify for this treatment before investigating it further. If she can qualify, maybe she could get the opinion of at least 2 physicians as to whether a stage 4 cancer would also receive the same benefit of possibly prolonging her life, meaning will the outcome justify the side effects? My cousin lived five years (receiving just the standard chemo treatment) after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, despite being given less than 18 months. Of course no one knows whether she would have had longer if she had done both, but her quality of life was pretty good until the last few months. I wish your friend the best possible outcome and hope if she does go that route that it will turn out to be the best decision.
lindac
18 years ago
I know someone who was alive and well 4 years after recieving such a diagnosis and doing the "belly wash" treatments. I presume she is still well, but don't know. She is a friend of a friend and I had lunch with her.
Her first clue that something was seriously wrong was a severe cough....was treated for pneumonia before they discovered it was mestasticized ovarian cancer.
Sorry, I don't even remember her name let alone how to contact her.
I would tell your friend to go for it.....what does she have to lose...and much possibly to gain.
Linda C
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