WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for March, 1999: back pain and twitch in right leg subsequent to chemo (carbo/taxol) for ovca

back pain and twitch in right leg subsequent to chemo (carbo/taxol) for ovca

From: Angela (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Wed, 31 Mar 1999 19:53:35 -0600 (CST)

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I was diagnosed with stage IIIC ovarian cancer in September and underwent a complete hysterectomy,oophorectomy,bowel resection and apendectomy. The surgeon also removed a small growth from my abdominal wall above the liver. I had lymph node involvement and was told that some positive nodes were left. My omentum and ascites were negative for tumor and the surgeons, there were three involved, told me that they examined all of my intestines, organs and abdominal cavity and could find no evidence of any disease. I spent 4 1/2 hours in surgery. My tumor was determined to be a poorly differentiated type which they said was a very aggressive tumor. The oncologic surgeon said that I was optimally debulked. Subsequent to the surgery I underwent a six treatment cycle of carbo/taxol which was completed in mid february. My CA 125 was 1958 prior to surgery and is now 7 after the chemo. It went to 750 after surgery, 120 after the first treatment, 33 after 2nd, 13 after the 3rd, 9 after the 4th, 8 after the 5th and is now 7.

Before I was diagnosed I was having lower back pain which went away after the surgery. I have been pain free until the past week. I now have some pain in my lower back and left hip area. I have also developed a significant twitch in my right leg which only occurs at night when I am resting on a recliner. It happens as I begin to relax and sometimes as i begin to fall asleep. It doesn't occur every night and sometimes is more severe than others.

I don't know if this condition might be a result of the chemo treatments. I tolerated the treatments fairly well although I had to receive them over 24 hours since I had an initial reaction to the taxol. My last treatment, however, was administered on an outpatient basis in a 5 hour period. I did notice some minimal tingling sensation in my feet after the last couple of treatments.

Have you heard of any other women experiencing low back pain and this type of twitching sensation as a result of the treatments or do you think that it might have something to do with a recurrence of the cancer? I am concerned about this and don't know if I should pursue this aggressively. My doctor didn't recommend having any follow up scans or any other procedures after my chemo ended. He said that in my case the CA125 seems to be a sensitive marker and he wants to use this to moniter my progress. Do you feel that a scan might be a wise idea? Also, I would be very interested in your thoughts about the use of PET scans as a follow up to the treatments. From what I have read they appear to be a better procedure than a CAT scan.

I look forward to hearing from you.

--
Angela Caldarone

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