Hi I have had 2 courses of chemo. Currently NED. I have stage1A clear cell aggressive cancer. No BRCA gene.
my oncologist has suggested I go onto the above drug and I am trying to find out the pros and cons and whether or not it would be of benefit to my circumstance on my cancer journey.
are you able to advise/give any info on effectiveness or otherwise to help me make an informed decision?
thank you
Dahlia 2270
Dear Dahlia2270
Thankyou for reaching out to us here at Macmillan Cancer Support. My name is Rae and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists.
Making treatment decisions and weighing up the pros and cons of treatment can be difficult. You are doing the right thing by gathering information and talking to other people to help you make the right decision. The most valuable resource that you have are your cancer team, as they have your medical notes, so please feel that you are able to go back and talk to them again.
I can see that you are part of our ovarian cancer forum, so I am going to take from that information you have stage 1A clear cell ovarian cancer.
According to NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) if the patient has a high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer and has responded to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy Niraparib can be accessed through the Cancer Drugs Fund managed access agreement. Taking a maintenance treatment aims to stop the cancer from growing coming back, and therefore reducing the worry associated with that.
Niraparib aims to block the mechanism where damaged cells try to repair themselves. As you know, all treatments come with a list of side effects, but it is your cancer team’s job to help you manage these side effects if you have them.
Your cancer doctors should be able to provide you with evidence of effectiveness and why they are offering you this drug. There is evidence that treatment with niraparib does boost progression free survival. This was seen in patients with a mutated BRCA gene and other biomarker subgroups, which is why speaking to your team is suggested.
Going through a cancer diagnosis and treatments can be a very challenging time. It is really important that you take note of your emotions and seek help if you need to.
We have local Macmillan information and support centres you can locate here. There is also a Cancer Care Map that enables you to search support available. If you feel that you need extra support we also have free specialised counselling available.
Best wishes
Rae, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
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