Showing posts with label neuropathy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neuropathy. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

2021 SGO Virtual Meeting Sunday March 21, 2021

I am happy to share with you Tweets that cover the work presented during the last full day session of SGO was on Sunday, March 21, 2021.

One session, Time to Return to the Drawing Board, reported clinical trial results that did not meet their aims. Understanding where a drug or treatment may have failed to provide the results expected is as important as those trials that meet aims.

 Atezolizumab

Falretuzumab

 

Durvalumab and Trememlimumab

Additional sessions of interest.

Barriers to Quality of Care - Poster 

Uterine lavage and early detection

Post operative opiods use model 

Neuropathy and genetic variants 

Gross resection and OS / NACT

Vulvar Cancer Studies 

Endometrial cancer 

Cediranib and Olaparib NRG GY012

IUD

 Enzalutamide


Here are some articles from various sources that go more into depth about studies discussed at the meeting. 

Medscape article on hormone IUD and endometrial cancer https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/sgo/91740

Vulvar cancer patients with sentinel node micrometastases, radiation therapy (RT) to the groin after local excision led to extremely low rates of recurrence, a phase II trial suggested https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/sgo/86603 

ABV-500 small molecule in OC https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/sgo/91739

 

Thank you so Eisai for supporting patient advocates at the annual meeting . 

Thank you SGO leadership for making us feel welcome and for all the gyn oncs who answered our questions.  

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing!

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Tuesday, June 5, 2018

#ASCO18 Twitter Highlights June 4, 2018

Many gyn cancer research topics as well as survivorship issue  were covered on Monday at the ASCO Annual Meeting.

If you were at the meeting and think I missed any important developments please share a link to it in my comments section below.

Genetics / Genetics Counseling




Risk Reducing Surgery




CA-125


Endometriosis and Cannibis Treatment
Mindfulness

Neuropathy


Patient Reported Outcomes- Pain
Enodmetrial Cancer- Posters

Ovarian Cancer - Posters

Fertility Preservation

Metformin in Cancer Treatment

HIPEC

Palliative Care

Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy - OC

 Further details may be found at 
https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/160515/abstract

Cediranib and Olaparib for recurrent OC
Further info may be found at
https://meetinglibrary.asco.org/record/160525/abstract


Thank you to all the researchers , advocates, and cancer centers who tweeted from this year's Annual Meeting.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!


 
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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Ovarian Cancer Research at the Cancer Survivorship Research Conference- Part 4


The focus of this conference was survivorship but I did find two posters that dealt with ovarian cancer survivorship in particular.

Impact of Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy on Quality of Life Among Ovarian Cancer Survivors: Results from the Population-Based Profiles Registry

This study was done in the Netherlands.  I had the opportunity to speak directly to Lonneke van de Poll-Franse, PhD one of the researchers . She told me that the number of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the Netherlands was 800 just slightly more than the number diagnosed each year in New Jersey. I thanked her for doing research on a subject so important to ovarian cancer survivors. The conclusion of the study as reported on the poster was that “Neuropathy symptoms were experienced by 51% of women with ovarian cancer who receive chemotherapy even up to 12 years after the end of treatment and seriously affect their health related quality of life.”

The second study, done in the United States is an ongoing GOG study. The GOG group is now part of NRG Oncology.


Baseline Characteristics of Ovarian Cancer Survivors Enrolled in a Lifestyle Intervention Trial: Lives Study

The LIVES study  is recruiting women with stage II –IV ovarian cancer from 230 GOG clinics. The study has recruited 20% of its goal . Women were randomized to the lifestyle intervention group or the control group.  In the lifestyle group the womenwill receive information about healthy lifestyle and nutrition and is delivered via the internet using a special interactive platform. More information can be found at http://ovarianlives.org/


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!



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Monday, November 11, 2013

Scars


Recently the #bcsm community discussed the invisible scars of breast cancer. It was an interesting and fast paced chat on Twitter. Later one survivor described her scars in a blog posted on Nancy’s Point  http://nancyspoint.com/breast-cancer-is-a-string-of-losses/ . I tweeted that gyn cancer survivors have invisible scars too and then decided to write about it here. 

Scars can be both visible and invisible. I have a number of visible scars. I have a scar on my neck from thyroid surgery in 1982. From my initial hysterectomy and debulking surgery in 2005, I have an eight inch vertical scar that begins at my belly button. From my liver resection and spleenectomy in 2008, I have two scars. One that travels 10 inches horizontally across my abdomen below my rib cage and another 4 inch vertical scar that meets up with the scar from my hysterectomy.The scars together have the shape of a capital letter T. 

These scars are starting to fade since my last surgery. But harder to fade are the scars that are invisible to others.These scars are very individual just as every woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer has a similar but different journey with the disease. Some of these scars can be physically painful while others can be emotionally painful. 

My first invisible scar is the neuropathy in my toes. Sometimes my toes are numb and sometimes my toes feel as if someone is sticking a knife into them. No one can tell when my toes are  bothering me but me, unless of course you have caught me taking off my shoe and rubbed my toes. 

I have trouble remembering the names of everyday things. Instead, I describe what it is I am talking about. I have written about this happening a few times in this blog. I read things and reread things and reread things again. I write entries for this blog and leave blank spaces because I can’t remember specific words. It takes me multiple tries to write what it is I want to say. ( Three days to draft, reread, rewrite this entry.) When I give talks I write the speech and then practice it over and over again. I am happy when my family can tell me the word I am missing and help me out.  But at times not remembering has brought me to tears.  I am sure that the invisible scar of chemobrain as survivors call it or cognitive impairtment as professionals call it  is due to the life-saving 16 chemotherapy treatments that have put me in remission. 

Instant menopause has brought it’s own set of invisible scars. Sure I was 50 and not having another child when my ovaries, uterus etc were removed but that doesn’t mean  the physical changes that have occurred due to the surgery are any less painful. Some women in their 20s and 30s are dealing with loosing their fertility. Some of us are experiencing hot flashes sooner than expected and some of us are dealing with issues that are difficult to talk about even with our physicians. 

Then there is the invisible scar due to worrying about a recurrence or waiting for the other shoe to drop. This scar is invisible to others most of the time. It is my own personal worry. Is that gas or bloating? Is that pain under my ribs from scar tissue or is It back? Why am I urinating more frequently? Most times I can talk myself back from the edge by telling myself that I have a plan which includes seeing my doctor frequently enough that if It does come back we will treat It quickly. Sometimes this scar does become visible as “scanxiety”. I am not a pleasant person to be around when it comes time to have a CA-125 blood test or a CT scan. Until the results are in and I get the all clear for 4 more months I am a nervous Nellie. 

I also have an invisible scar from loss. Being in the club of ovarian cancer survivors automatically brings along with it loss.  Support groups and involvement in local ovarian cancer organizations has afforded me the opportunity to share this journey with some pretty incredible women. We have helped each other along the way with hugs, phones calls, e-mails and laughs. But along with this joy there is the pain of their loss. Every death takes it toll. Would I rather to have never met these woman? No not at all. It was wonderful having them in my life. 

Those around us may think that since we aren’t in active treatment cancer no longer impacts our lives. But for those of us living with a cancer diagnosis and treatment may be sad or scared or nervous long after. We may put on a happy face to our family or friends because we don't want them to worry. Sometimes we can deal with these scars ourselves and sometimes we need help from support groups, social workers or therapists. We are not weak when we reach out for help  but rather we are exhibiting strength in recognizing these invisible scars. 

Dee 
Every Day is a Blessing! 
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