My mother got diagnosed with Ovarian cancer in Aug 2019. Mentioned ahead is the symptoms, diagnosis and staging process she went through.
My mother had not been keeping well for a long time. She was frequently down with stomach upset, loss of appetite and stamina, urinary tract infections and increasing belly size, while he overall body seemed to shrink with each passing day. A gentle dab and stroke on the abdomen could feel bumps and knots.
A mention of the daily discomforts and condition to the general physician took no time for him to call for an internal ultrasound and a CA-125 test. The 2 check, if done by a good practitioner can bring out very useful information even as a part of routine check-up.
She had lesions everywhere inside her abdomen and was referred to a surgical oncologist for further evaluation. A PET-CT scan showed the ovaries and uterus were enlarged and peppered with disease. Multiple lesions upto the size of 42mm in an already swelled up omentum (a sac that wraps around all the abdominal organs and glands as a protective sheath). There was about 7-8 litres of ascetical fluid, which had been oozing from the lesion. This made the abdomen look like an over inflated basketball.
Based on the spread of the Disease staging is done. Further, decide the line and method of treatment. Ovarian cancer broadly has 4 stages which are further sub-divided as mentioned below-
(Reference: Ovarian Cancer Stages | Staging for Ovarian Cancer)
Stage 1A- Cancer is in one ovary/fallopian tube, and the tumor is confined to the inside of the ovary/fallopian tube.
Stage 1B- Cancer is inside both ovaries/fallopian tubes.
Stage 1C- Cancer The cancer is inside both ovaries/fallopian tubes and on their outer surfaces and surrounding free fluids.
Stage 2A- Cancer has spread or grown into the uterus or the fallopian tubes, or the ovaries.
Stage 2B- Cancer is on the outer surface or grown into other nearby pelvic organs such as bladder, sigmoid colon, or the rectum.
Stage 3A- Cancer is in one or both ovaries/ fallopian tubes, or there is primary peritoneal cancer and it has spread or grown into organs outside the pelvis with tiny deposits in the abdominal lining.
Stage 3B- same as 3A but with deposits no bigger than 2 cm (about 3/4 inch) across in the abdominal lining.
Stage 3C- same as 3A but deposits larger than 2 cm (about 3/4 inch) across and may be on the outside (the capsule) of the liver or spleen.
Stage 4A- Cancer cells are found in the fluid (malignant pleural effusion) around the lungs with no other areas of cancer spread
Stage 4B- Cancer has spread to the inside of the spleen or liver, to lymph nodes other than the retroperitoneal lymph nodes, and/or to other organs or tissues outside the peritoneal cavity such as the lungs and bones.
Based on the staging process, my mother was at stage 3C. An advanced stage.
While undergoing diagnosis, 4.5L of ascetical fluid was tapped and removed in 2 sittings. No more tapping was suggested since it is rich in vital nutrient. Tapping is supposed to be enough, so as to relieve any abdominal discomfort. Fluid removal directly affects the haemoglobin and platelet.
Next up was the first line of treatment. To be continued in the upcoming post…