Recurrent Ovarian Cancer - Questions and Answers (2022)

Dr. Sarah Adams, Professor, Gynecologic Oncology, University of New Mexico, answers questions about managing ovarian cancer recurrence.

[@anglophils645]

Thank you, Doctor, for providing this good information.

[@NanB12]

I had a radical hysterectomy here in Toronto followed by 5 chemos with Taxol and Carboplatin but in my CT scan there is a new tumour in my pelvis. My oncologist says that I am chemo refractory. I think it is residual disease from the surgery. What would be the treatment now?

[@navbharat1443]

Ma'am, what happened to the tumor? Is it removed?

[@anglophils645]

Possible surgery again, and then treatment with Avastin plus another chemotherapy drug, such as Gemzar or ifosfamab. You are not "chemo" refractory, you are platinum refractory. This means that carboplatin and other platinum-based drugs will not work for you. You should also have genetic testing on your cancer, if you have not already, to see whether any PARP inhibitor drugs would be effective for you. Immunotherapy drugs are also being studied for use against ovarian cancer, but so far, they are not working very well, despite the fact they are working extremely well for other types of cancers. Hope this info helps you.