Lymph Node Involvement ?????

• By momanderson920
• Posted November 17, 2008 at 1:45 am
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I had a relatively small tumor of 5 cm at surgery on my left ovary which was encapsulated but also had some cancer in the left fallopian tube. I did have a small amount of ascites but the cancer had spread to my periaortic lymph nodes which were 3.5 cm or more and were inoperable. It was the lymph nodes that bumped me up to the Stage III3C I was told. I had the surgery, was delayed 6 weeks from getting chemo due to kidney failure from an allergic reaction to the IV antibiotic given me to treat a postop infection I caught in the hospital. Finally I was given 6 treatments of taxol/carboplatinum every 3 weeks and on a PET scan done 5 weeks after my last treatment there was no visible cancer and my CA125 was 9. My last treatment was July 14 and at my first followup my CA125 was 8. I did have a scare from odd midriff pain in my back and stomach region but a CT scan was negative for recurrence of the cancer. I am currently considered in remission and hope I stay that way.

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• By kmarienap
• Posted November 17, 2008 at 8:28 am
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I was diagnosed in March 2004 with stage 3c also because of 1 lymph node. The surgeon dug deep to be sure. The mass I had removed was a 15 lb. (32c) tumor but encapsulated. It is because of this 1 lymph node that put me into this stage with 6 rounds of taxol/carbo considered residual treatment. Ca125 does not work in my case but have been cancer free thus far. I am considered to be one of the few unusual lucky ones.

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• By dwm26
• Posted November 17, 2008 at 10:02 am
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After surgery on3/31/08 the Dr said it looked like stage 1 After the pathology was done it was bumped to stage 3c with microscopic amounts in several lymph nodes. Last ca125 was 5 and ct was clear.

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• By patsybee
• Posted November 17, 2008 at 10:48 am
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After surgery I was diagnosed IIIC because of lymph node involvement. They had to leave a lymph node behind because it was on my aorta. I was in remission for a year after chemo, and when it returned, it returned to my lymph nodes. Now I am heading for my second remission with Avastin IV and Cytoxan (oral chemo, tablet form every morning). The Cytoxan is interesting to me because it is a mustard gas derivative chemo that is used for alot of lymph node cancers.

My mind is more at rest right now because, finally, something is working.

My doctor calls me "one of those lymph node patients".

My ex husband's wife had swollen lymph nodes and fevers only and after a biopsy of her lymph node they found ovarian cancer, stage IV. She had chemo right away and surgery later. Now she is in her first remission.

About prognosis, I don't know anything about that because no one gave her a prognosis and no one gave me a prognosis and I'm grateful for that.

Patsy

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• By sbender3
• Posted November 17, 2008 at 11:43 am
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I HAD 1 LYMPH NODE REMOVED, ALONG WITH 2 TUMORS, ALL MY FEMALE ORGANS, MY CERVIC, MY OMEMTUM, APPENDIX, ETC. SHERRY

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• By jeaniet
• Posted November 17, 2008 at 12:34 pm
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I had my surgery on 1/23/08. Diagnosed 3C at surgery due to lymph node involvement. He removed 1 large cancerous node, but couldn't remove "multiple" aortic nodes. Had a PET a couple of weeks later that showed another node in neck. Had standard 6 rounds of carbo/taxol, starting on 2/25. Had another PET mid-way thru chemo, in May, and it was already clear. Final chemo on 6/23. PET on August 8th was also clear.
CA 125 does not work for me, so I rely on PETs.
My new gyn/Onc (we moved from CO to CA) told me that numerous PETS are extremely dangerous in the long run due to such extreme exposure to radiation, but I have to chance it. I need to get in and get one since it has been over 3 months since my last one, and I figure it will recurr in those lymph nodes.
Jeanie

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• By youngmom
• Posted November 17, 2008 at 5:37 pm
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I have read on several university sites, that research indicates that stage IIIC OC patients who were upstaged to IIIC due to node involvement have a much more favorable prognosis than IIIC patients who have the larger cancerous implants. I have also read, that even with lymph node involvement, the typical mode of metastatsis is direct extension
(instead of the lymphatic system). If that is the case, I am puzzled why lymph node involvement alone would be classified as stage IIIc. I guess I'd like to see how this all pans out for those of us who have been upstaged.

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• By Freedie22
• Posted November 17, 2008 at 9:12 pm
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This is my understanding of the 4 basic stages:
1-CA within the ovary
2-CA within the pelvis
3-CA within the abdomen
4-CA with distant metastisis

As far as the letters, they indicate the level of lymph node involvement. My mom was diagnosed at Stage IIIC--she had an 8cm tumor on her ovary that was also attached to the outside of the intestines and the outside of her bladder. She also had some on her inferior vena cava (where blood returns to the heart from the bottom of the body). They scraped down her bladder and removed some small pieces of intestine--but, didn't have to cut through the intestine (fortunately). Anyway, I know she had CA cells in her pelvic lymph nodes & I'm not sure what else.

A lot of the posts I read involved CA on the aorta (which I believe to mean the descending aorta--main vessel from the heart provides oxygenated blood to the lower half of the body--reaches from heart throughout abdomen). I believe the reason these cases were staged at Stage III was due to the cells being beyond the ovary & pelvis and within the abdomen--and the C was added due to the level of lymph node involvement. (I know I don't have as good of an understanding of the letters as I do the stage numbers). Hope this helps.

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• By youngmom
• Posted November 17, 2008 at 9:25 pm
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Actually, stage IIIC can mean either cancerous implants of 2 cm or more within the abdomen and/or lymph node involvement. The point is that there are cases where someone may actually appear to be just a stage 1A ( tumor on one ovary ), and if one of their lymph nodes test positive they would be upstaged to IIIC. The research I am referring to talks about women who are upstaged because of the lymph node involvement, meaning without the positive lmph nodes they would be a stage IIIB or lower.

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• By lilwitchfromok
• Posted November 18, 2008 at 8:40 am
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well kmarienap you and i are in the same class as i had the same thing only my tumor was weighed at over 20 pounds and it was in my nodes as well stage lllc also but in remission and hope i stay that way.jay

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• By Freedie22
• Posted November 18, 2008 at 11:06 am
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Are they upstaged because the lymph nodes that are involved are outside the ovary or outside the pelvis? Just curious.

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• By youngmom
• Posted November 18, 2008 at 6:00 pm
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We are upstaged to IIIC because we have lymph node involvement. Mine was one pelvic node. If my node would have been negative, the amount of cancer and other places it was found at would have made mine IIC or IIIA instead of IIIC. To be a IIIC based on amount/volume/location, you need cancerous implants greater than 2 cm to be found in your abdomen ( the few I had were under 2 cm ). There are people who appear as stage IA ( one tumor on one ovary ) who are upstaged to IIIC because testing comes back on their lymph nodes as positive for cancer.

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• By kmarienap
• Posted November 19, 2008 at 10:21 am
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lilwitch, wow! when they told me how big mine was, i thought i had misunderstood due to the anesthesia. i was told that some have been over 50lbs. i just had thought that due to my age that i was just getting a large middle as my mom had. now what i have is normal due to instant menopause! and i thought i was already through that also-was i ever in for a surprise! it was weird as i maintained a steady weight of 120lbs. but you could see my bones in my back. after surgery i was about 99 lbs but now am 130! this is quite an experience isn't it! take care, karen

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