New here , i had radical hysterectomy 3 weeks ago . Diagnosis stage 1C Grade clear cell . MDT said they couldnt decide if I needed chemotherapy as clear cell although rare and nasty didn't respond well to chemotherapy. Decision should be mine after talking to oncologist. Appointment in three weeks.
Question has anyone else had to make decision like this ? What did you decide and why ?
Hi Freckles
Welcome to the Ovarian group.
I am sorry to hear of your cancer and I hope that you are starting to recover from the surgery.
I had my hysterectomy in 2022 for womb cancer.
My cancer was staged at 1b and like yours was also a grade 3 cancer.
I had 4 cycles of chemotherapy and this was followed by 25 sessions of external beam radiotherapy. The treatments offered for womb cancer and ovarian are similar.
The reason I went along with the chemo was because I wanted to do everything possible to reduce the chances of a recurrence. I was told it was better to do the chemo while it was adjuvant rather than wait and if it recurred - to have the chemo then. The chemo decision was because it was a grade 3 cancer. A grade 3 cancer can behave more aggressively and it can have a higher chance of recurrence. I was told that the chemo would hopefully mop up any stray cancer cells that may remain in my body- before they had the chance to possibly travel through the blood/lymphatic system and possibly set up elsewhere. There are no guarantees with having chemo, I was told it was still possible to have a recurrence but that the chemo made it less likely. So the chemo was a sort of mop up stray cells- these cells that sometimes remain would be so small that they would not be picked up on a scan.
Chemo was tough at times but it was doable and where there were some side effects- they were on the whole manageable with medication. The chemo used for gynae cancers seems to be paclitaxel and carboplatin on a 21 day cycle. So day 1 is at the hospital and the next 20 days are at home. I did scalp cooling so kept a lot of my hair.
I did ask what could happen if I didn't opt for the chemo and was told that for a grade 3 the chances of recurrence were higher and that although chemo could be used later- it would be more a case of treating and trying to get into remission- rather than be curative.
So although my cancer began in a slightly different area, there are similarities between our experiences. I am glad that I went ahead with the chemo and am now 4 years post treatment. It is a personal decision whether to go ahead with chemotherapy and no one can make the decision other than you- but my feeling would be to do everything possible at this stage. I remember being told it was far better to try to reduce the risk of recurrence rather than try to deal with one that could happen.
I remember after my surgery the thought of having further treatment did not appeal at all and I just wanted the cancer journey and hospital visits finished. With a grade 3 cancer there are normally follow up clinics- mine were every 12 weeks for 2 years. After that I was put on patient led follow up.
I wish you well whatever you decide to do.
if it would help to talk things over, please do give the Support Line a call.
Jane
