Dear Jeanne,
Since Barbs disease was very rare and no primary tumor was found and yet
her lymph nodes from head to toe were diseased as a result of a
metastasis and both jugulars were totally clotted and superior vena cava
clotted and right side of her body was numb and swollen, it wasn't until
about one week after her being in the hospital that some type of
diagnosis was concluded by a tumor board of doctors at our hospital.
She had every tumor marker (ca-125, cea, ca-17, ca-19, etc) cat scans,
mri and ultrasounds and there was no primary to be found. It was then
that the ca-125 tumor marker was elevated at a level of 490. (35) is
normal. AS you know that when this tumor marker is elevated its an
indication that it might be ovarian cancer or an gynecological disease.
Since Barb had a complete hysterectomy in 1979 and complete
oopherectomy, it was not ovarian cancer, and since on physical exams
there were no masses, the doctors were guessing. WE had seen 9 different
opinions to find 3 that would concur with our primary doctor as to type
of treatment and we couln't. Her disease is in a category of 2-3% of all
canceres that are called Carcinoma of An Unknown Primary with stage IV
lymph gland involvement in addition to complications of major vein
clotting.
YOu are right, it was the carboplatin, but primarily cisplatin in which
she had a total treatment of 31 that resulted in the side effects that
caused loss of hearing about 70%, and severe neuropathy. HOwever,
cisplatin eventually worked to a degree that it brought her tumor marker
down from a high of 1000 to 41 in 3 years.
HOpe this little histology enlightens.
God Bless
marty
james kissinger wrote:
>
> Marty, what are the tests that Barb had, CEA I know.
> How much of a loss does Barb have. I remember that my onc. (this was when
> they thought I had ovarian cancer) told us that she would prefer to use a
> silver something rather than carboplastin. Please correct me.. it might be
> of service to someone.
> God Bless, Jeanne
> -------------------------
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