Hi my mother had a hysterectomy at stage 1 ovarian cancer and chemo a few years ago.
Last year she was diagnosed with fluid on the stomach and started aggressive chemo. Now she is on chemo tablets for life term.
What she cannot explain to me is what this actually means prognosis wise. I have googled for some context and I believe it therefore must mean advanced stage cancer.
Any insight much appreciated
Hi Perpes,
Thanks for getting in touch.
My name is Eileen, and I am one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialists working on the Macmillan Support Line.
It’s understandable that you want to know more about your mum’s stage of disease and prognosis. It can be difficult dealing with uncertainty and a lack of clear information.
As we are not part of the NHS and don’t have access to your mum’s medical information, we can only speculate about what the situation might be.
When cancer causes an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal area this is referred to as ascites. The underlying cause can be cancer cells irritating the lining of the abdomen causing it to produce too much fluid. Another cause can be blockage of lymph nodes in the area which results in fluid not being able to drain as normal. Ascites can also be due to cancer that has spread to the liver or by other types of damage to the liver.
The fact that your mum has had further chemotherapy and is now on maintenance treatment would suggest that her cancer has spread from its primary location and is now considered treatable but not curable. When ovarian cancer comes back the aim of treatment is to control the disease and alleviate symptoms the cancer is causing. Treatment may control the disease for several years.
Your mum’s prognosis will depend on how her cancer is responding to treatment. Her team will assess response to treatment by monitoring how your mum is feeling and by using blood tests and scans to check for any sign that her disease is progressing.
As we can only provide general information it may help for you to speak to your mum’s treatment team. If your mum gave her consent, you could speak to her Clinical Nurse Specialist or Consultant. They would be able to explain in detail the stage of her disease and how her cancer is responding to treatment.
I hope this was helpful but please know that you can call one of our nurses to discuss things further.
Take care and best wishes,
Eileen
(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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