When you read about the success rates of various treatments, you will encounter a number of new words and phrases. You will want to know how your cancer is responding to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. For instance, a complete response means that on x-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan the tumor appears to be completely gone as a result of treatment. A partial response usually means that the tumor has decreased in size by at least 50%. Stable disease means that the tumor(s) did not grow or shrink much, and progressive disease means that the tumor is growing in spite of the treatment you received.
When the disease progresses in spite of a specific therapy, that usually means the therapy will be discontinued or a new treatment will be started. However, with ovarian cancer, stable disease (showing no signs of progression) can also be a desirable response that may provide an interval of relatively healthy time between treatments.
Your doctors may use the words apparently cancer-free if your tumor disappears after first-line treatment. First-line therapy refers to a treatment, such as a particular type of chemotherapy, that is the first therapy received, and it will be used before any other treatments. Multimodality or combined modality therapy, which includes the use of a chemotherapy regimen along with surgery and/or radiation, is evolving as first-line (first choice) therapy for some patients. Palliative therapy is given to relieve symptoms, improve quality of life, and, hopefully, extend life when cure is not probable.
The conversation you should expect to have with your doctor should include a discussion of the goals of therapy and what you desire in your treatment plan so that, together, you can reach an agreement on what approach you would like to take.
Reprinted with permission from The Wellness Community
The Wellness Community’s Patient Active Guide to Living with Ovarian Cancer
|
