Stage iv Ovarian Cancer and Avastin

• By WillieLTH
• Reply 3363715
• September 10, 2012 at 1:08 pm
• Report post

I am a four year survivor, but have not had Avastin.

• By Fant
• Reply 3363747
• September 10, 2012 at 1:20 pm
• Report post

That is great news. I was dx in January and have been taking Carbo/taxal and now on Advastin. Also have had 2 surgeries and would just like to hear from other survivors...sometimes all we hear is the downside of this awful disease..it's good to have hope!

• By Weeksmun
• Reply 3364182
• September 10, 2012 at 3:53 pm
• Report post

I've been taking Avastin for 2 months now - not near as bad as chemo but I'm so sore it hurts to do to much but if it works than I'll take the pain. What about you?

• By Fant
• Reply 3364297
• September 10, 2012 at 4:32 pm
• Report post

I have been taking it every 2 weeks since the end of July (I've had 3 treatments so far) I don't find any soreness..but after sleeping or sitting for awhile I am "stiff" but it gets better with more movement. I can totally relate to where you are coming from..when I was on Chemo I took a Neulasta shot and that was awful but I keep thinking like you "if its working I can deal with it". Thanks for replying.

• By Weeksmun
• Reply 3364884
• September 10, 2012 at 8:46 pm
• Report post

I also took Neulasta and Neupogen for my white blood cells. My dr says the soreness could have something to so w my age - 36.

• By suezq1
• Reply 3365250
• September 10, 2012 at 11:42 pm
• Report post

Hi!
I was stage 3C and finished my last chemo at the end of January. I have been having Avastin as a maintenance drug since the beginning of April. I also am experiencing sore/stiff joints but other than that, the Avasdtin is going well. My blood pressure today was 107/70 and I haven't had any bloody noses! My CA-125 was 7 today. I intend to stay on it as I am willing to try anything to try to stay in remission. I'm 52 ajnd have too much living to do. Hang in there! I hope that it goes well for you.
Take care,
Sue

• By BGP6
• Reply 3365919
• September 11, 2012 at 9:22 am
• Report post

I was dx'd stage IV in July of 2008. I have had two surgeries and been on cargo/taxol, gemzar/taxotere, and single agent Avastin. I am now on doxil. Yes there are side effects to each of these and life hasn't been like I expected at this age (67), but I will keep on fighting for as long as I can.

My side effects on Avastin were slight: arthritis-like pain in my hands, shoulders and neck, fatigue. Mostly it was ok. I did have a bloody nose occasionally, but none of the serious stuff that they warn you about.

Hugs to you.

• By KateHz
• Reply 3365967
• September 11, 2012 at 9:37 am
• Report post

I am stage 4 ovarian and currently on single-agent avastin. Have never been in remission but usually stable. I finished carbo/gemzar/avastin and am now doing a higher dose of avastin only every three weeks. It's not going to cure me but I am hoping for a few months of no disease progression. Except for the hypertension and runny nose, very easy to tolerate. My CA125 is creeping up but slowly so I will stay on it for awhile. Probably try Alimta next. Good luck to you.
Kate

• By kayakala
• Reply 3365986
• September 11, 2012 at 9:44 am
• Report post

Hi fant,
I am stage 4 and have been on avastin a little more than 3 years. First with cytoxin, then as a single agent and since last November, with taxol. Like Kate, high blood pressure and a drippy nose have been my only complaints with avastin. I get it every two weeks also. Best to you!

• By bubbesr
• Reply 3366122
• September 11, 2012 at 10:33 am
• Report post

I am a three year survivor. First I had surgery and carbo/taxol, then when it returned a PARP trial drug and gemzar, then just the trial drug. One year later it returned and I just finished seven months of weekly taxol.....no avastin yet, but we will see when the next CAT scan is done in four weeks.

• By jmohara1122
• Reply 3366534
• September 11, 2012 at 1:13 pm
• Report post

I was diagnosed with Stage IV serous cell in December 2011. I am on maintenance Avastin every 3 weeks. For the most part i feel great, except for painful feet and right knee. I do have dry eyes in the mornings, some nasal issues but not too bad. I just had my 3 month CT scan post Carbo/Taxol/Avastin yesterday and will be getting my CA-125 tomorrow. I see my Medical Oncologist on Thursday to get results... keeping fingers crossed and praying that all is still good :-)

• By gillian21
• Reply 3366579
• September 11, 2012 at 1:30 pm
• Report post

thanks for stories. i start Avastin tomorrow and am on my 5th of 6 chemo.

• By Fant
• Reply 3366868
• September 11, 2012 at 3:27 pm
• Report post

Thank you all for your comments! It is so wonderful of you all to share with me. I am 40 years old with a wonderful husband and two boys (ages 8 and 3) and felt so alone and hopeless when dx. I also have been having the drippy nose but am not sure if it's the Avastin or the things the kiddos bring home from school. ;0)

I am getting Avastin as a single agent now after doing 6 months of "chemo" and am very hopeful that this works. My doctor didn't want me to do anymore actual chemo since I had so much before. It is nice to just be in the chemo room 45 minutes or so vs the 6 hours it took me last time since I had to do Chemo on a slow rate because I have a reaction the first time.

Blessings to you all and lets kick this cancers hinny!

• By schnance921
• Reply 3366975
• September 11, 2012 at 4:17 pm
• Report post

My mom was in remission after a yr and a half she and the dr.s claim the avastin is what kept the cancer at bay. After a few weeks heroncologist moved and she got a new dr. My mom started having extremely bad headaches like someone had a cement bag on her head .. the dr. Took her off of it and soon thereafter her cancer came back:(( but way more aggressive, once ur off of it most likely the cancer will come back. At this time they tried her on a few more chemos and she started to have bowl issues the dr. Here kept telling her to take laxatives etc... it got to the point where she went to see a dr. In ny and got a 2nd opinion she was nearly hours away from her death! She got a major second surgery and was in the hospital up in ny for 2 months. Came home to a rehab near us for another month or two.. so I am grateful for the extra few months we got to spend with her she died peacefully 3 days before her bday :((( she hated bdays anyway noone could've asked for a more peaceful way to die. She left us letters, and a video with lots of childhood pictures and songs to keep is smililing and remember the good times we had. we slept at the rehab for 2 days she was supp. To come home with hospice a day before that. She has shown us signs she is around all the time she fought this cancer for 5 yrs (dr.'s couldn't diagnose her for 2 yrs!!!!!!!) Her first dr. That moved to p.a. swore that she should've never came off avastin the other dr. Could've gave her something for the headaches!!!

• By KateHz
• Reply 3367152
• September 11, 2012 at 5:31 pm
• Report post

My doctor too said when you come off the avastin, the cancer comes back aggressively. I hope that means I can always stay on low dose avastin, even if I add other drugs, like alimta.

• By HeartsToYou
• Reply 3367241
• September 11, 2012 at 6:12 pm
• Report post

Avastin maintenance every three weeks. Has kept me NED for over 18 months!!
You ache from it but small price to pay if you ask me.
My gyn-onc thinks it's what's keeing me NED. Works for me.
Blessings
Hearts

• By HeartsToYou
• Reply 3367320
• September 11, 2012 at 6:45 pm
• Report post

Schnance.....I'm so sorry for your loss! But you are right in that you feel her because she is with you!
She will be with you for awhile and then she has work to do!
Re: the Avastin. My gyn=onc is brillant and I know he's taken people off Avastin if they get
severe headaches. I think with the "thinning blood issue" of Avastin they don't want to
risk some bleeding in the brain. And then maybe you would have lost her sooner, you don't
know. EVERYTHING happens the way it's suppose to happen.
But actually whether or not she was kept on Avastin is "hindsight". Think of it as her job here
was done or she would not be gone!
What a wonderful daughter you were- you can be so proud of that and what a gift you gave
her, speaking from a mother's point of view whose daughter is also struggling with my disease
and yet she is there for me every single step I take in this journey. Hooooray for daughters!!!!
May God comfort and bless you, may he lay his hands upon you and give you peace.
Hearts

• By bluemorpho
• Reply 3367806
• September 11, 2012 at 10:09 pm
• Report post

Hi Fant, I am a stage IV, diagnosed in May 2007. I had sugery then taxol/carboplatin. Nothing since then. I wish the results for you.

• By kayakala
• Reply 3367851
• September 11, 2012 at 10:33 pm
• Report post

Bluemorpho,
That's great that all you have had to do is front line chemo! Where had your cancer spread making it stage 4?

• By bluemorpho
• Reply 3369783 · In reply to 3367851 by kayakala
• September 12, 2012 at 4:20 pm
• Report post

kayakala, it had spread to my diaphragm, liver, spleen, stomach, omentum, in the fluid around lungs and one of the lymph nodes they removed. I had optimal debulking and it was a difficult recovery but now I'm glad they were as aggressive as they were.