There's a big importance placed on CA125 by women affected by ovarian and some womb cancers. It's like a little flashing beacon that gives us an insight into what's going on in our bodies. Or so we think. I am beginning to discover it is more complicated than that.
CA125 is a blood protein that is present in many ovarian and ovarian-type cancer cells in higher concentration than normal cells. But it is…
I always knew that the best rucaparib had to offer was a window. I'm grateful it has given me one - but we now have the first signs that the window may be closing.
As I've written before, my consultant tracks the progress of the cancer by measuring a blood protein called CA125 that goes up and down as the cancer waxes and wanes. It is a funny protein that can rise in response to other stresses to do with the menstrual…
It's very nearly six months since I started on Rucaparib. In that time, the drug has been licensed for use in the US and now has a trade name, Rubraca. There's gradually more information around and it seems like my experience of three to four months of hideous fatigue, mild nausea and a disgusting taste in my mouth is pretty normal.
I'm now at the stage that I can tell women coming along behind me to stick with…
It's a couple of months since I wrote a blog entry. That's because I had two months between appointments this time. It's been great taking some time off from hospital and in the interim I have been trying to get back to work (partially successful - I've managed a few jobs and it's been good getting my brain back into gear but the fatigue still gets in the way).
This week I got the CA125 test result…
It sounds very undramatic, I think: I have achieved a partial response. But it's amazing. It means my tumours have shrunk by half since starting this therapy in mid November 2016 and my CA125 is down from just over 580 at the start to 56 in mid January. The cancer is in retreat.
That was the news yesterday and I must say I did feel like cartwheeling round the cancer centre. As I sat grinning over a cup of tea in the…
