Tag Archives: CA-125

Angelina Jolie Pitt: Diary of a Surgery

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Once again, the HBOC community is buzzing. If you haven’t already seen, Angelina Jolie Pitt has published another NY Times Op-Ed. This time about her choice and reasons for undergoing a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of fallopian tubes and ovaries). She explains that she has been planning to have this procedure for some time, but recent test results pushed her to go through with it to reduce her risk.

She is careful to point out that this choice is her own and right for her after carefully considering options, but may not be for others. Surgery is not the only option.

I did not do this solely because I carry the BRCA1 gene mutation, and I want other women to hear this. A positive BRCA test does not mean a leap to surgery. I have spoken to many doctors, surgeons and naturopaths. There are other options. Some women take birth control pills or rely on alternative medicines combined with frequent checks. There is more than one way to deal with any health issue. The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally.

I am again so thankful that she chose to share with the world her genetic status and decisions related to her health. She is bringing global awareness to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, what many organizations have been striving to do for years. Also empowering women and families facing hereditary cancer to discuss and seek out options available to them.

As I read and react to her piece, I think of my own family history and my health. I lost my mother to ovarian cancer a little over a year ago (29 year old sister to breast, great grandmother to ovarian, and have an aunt undergoing treatment for colorectal). We do not carry any of the known genetic mutations that increase risk of cancer (we are uninformed negative; read old post on the topic), however, my doctors and genetic counselor are convinced something is there, just hasn’t yet been identified. I am managing my healthcare assuming same. In just a few days I will be meeting with my oncologist for the regular bi-annual appointment, which will include the same blood test Jolie Pitt mentions as well as an ultrasound. I know that just like her, the moment those results are abnormal, my surgery will be scheduled. I have also done lots of research and considered other options, but already know this surgery is the right answer for me personally. It will greatly reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, just as the prophylactic mastectomy does for breast cancer. When is the question. I dread the aftermath, which includes surgical menopause, and have thus far been putting it off. Cross your fingers for me.

For more information about genetic mutations, hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, screening and prevention options, local support group finder, and much more, visit the FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered website. Talk to your doctor about your family history and whether genetic testing is right for you. To find a genetic counselor in your area, check the National Society of Genetic Counselors website.

World Ovarian Cancer Day

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May 8, 2013World Ovarian Cancer Day: today is the first official World Ovarian Cancer Day.

Did you know that ovarian cancer has the lowest survival rate of gynecologic cancers? Almost a quarter million women are diagnosed each year and it is responsible for 140,000 deaths.

It is important to know the symptoms, which are often misdiagnosed. Do you know what they are? From the World Ovarian Cancer Day website:

  • Increased abdominal size / persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
  • Difficulty eating/feeling full quickly
  • Abdominal or pelvic pain
  • Needing to pass urine more urgently or more frequently

Early diagnosis greatly increases a woman’s chance of survival, however, women are usually diagnosed at a late stage as often the symptoms are attributed to menopause or digestive issues. This is all so familiar to me.

My mother’s story

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while already know that my mother is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment for ovarian cancer. She was diagnosed less than a year ago, in June ’12.

Just like described above, she thought her discomfort and swollen belly were related to digestive issues. She was experiencing abdominal pain on her left side and frequently had to use the bathroom. A colonoscopy was scheduled to investigate what in her GI tract was causing this problem. The doctor was unable to complete the procedure – in the five months since her last abdominal/vaginal ultrasound, a tumor developed in her left ovary and grew so large (the size of a balled-up fist) that it restricted the large intestine.

The initial surgery removed a few outlying lumps, but majority of the mass was left intact. As of today, she completed six chemo treatments in Fall ’12 and five of six treatments in Spring ’13. Her doctors are optimistic and believe that her prognosis is good.

I’m scared. Our small family is devastated. My mother is weak and in pain. My father is struggling to support her physically, mentally, and emotionally. My sister (and her son) moved in with my parents to help however she can. I am helplessly watching and trying to support them all from thousands of miles away. I have hope that she will beat those awful odds that are against her.

Ladies, please talk to your doctor. Start those ultrasounds if you aren’t already doing them, especially if breast and/or ovarian cancer are prevalent in your family.