Taking a break from treatment after next chemo cycle.

Morning all

Saw my Oncologist yesterday. It was a useful meeting with my CNS and a trainee midwife there as well (I was asked if I had a problem with the midwife being there but no)

I asked about potential trials. Apparently my tumour’s aren’t the sort that Dostarlimub will help so that’s ruled out. He’s going to look into the trials of Atezolizumab to see if that could work for me. In the meantime new treatments are constantly being tested and evaluated.

I’ll have my last chemo cycle on 25th March and a few weeks later a CT scan to see how much more the tumours have regressed. I saw the CT scan of 19/11 and the one done on 27/1 and the difference in size was quite startling, that was after just 3 cycles so there should be further lessening to see.

I’ll then be monitored by three-monthly blood tests looking for an increase in my CA125 markers. It was 100 at its highest and at the last blood test down to 19. I’ll see my Oncologist in person every 3 months to discuss the blood tests and if I feel anything unusual in the meantime to let him know immediately.

So he’s hopeful I could be treatment free until Christmas but warned me in the nicest possible way the tumours will be back so I’ll probably be back on the same chemo regime but perhaps fewer cycles. I forgot to ask if that’ll mean hair loss all over again - but heh-ho another wig beckons.

I’m having a blood transfusion next Tuesday due to my anaemia - what a palaver - got to have Covid swab on Saturday. Then Tuesday to chemo suite, have a blood test, wait for an hour for results (That’s if the lab’s quick), then the transfusion should take an hour, then another blood test then a covid swab before I leave in preparation for my Chemo on Friday. My veins’ll be collapsing!

I did ask if these tumours/lesions were as a result of escaping microscopic malignant cells during the hysterectomy procedure but he assured me this wasn’t the case, they were too advanced. I then said no-one in my biological family has ever had cancer as far as I know and they all lived into their 80’s & 90’s - just my luck!

Hugs to all, Barb xx