Ovarian Cancer: Lissa's Survivor Story
This ovarian cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Treatment
- chemotherapy, surgery and hormone therapy
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- Received chemotherapy locally before surgery for the 2024 recurrence.
- Underwent debulking surgery on April 11, 2024, with 18 abdominal tumors removed.
- Started a daily hormone therapy pill to reduce the risk of another recurrence.
What happened, in summary
This patient was first diagnosed with a granulosa cell tumor, a rare ovarian cancer, in early 2005 and received treatment locally. The cancer stayed under control for about 12 years before recurring in 2017. After another recurrence in 2024 and uncertainty about how to proceed locally, the patient returned to MD Anderson for specialist care.
Chemotherapy given locally before surgery had reduced some of the disease. On April 11, 2024, the patient underwent complex debulking surgery. The surgical team removed 18 tumors from the abdomen. Some had been attached to the liver and colon, but none proved invasive, so an ostomy and liver resection were not needed.
At the latest update, the patient had no evidence of disease, tumor markers had fallen significantly, and there were no treatment side effects. A daily hormone therapy pill was being used to reduce the risk of another recurrence. Because granulosa cell tumors can return after long intervals, the patient expected to need lifelong monitoring and emphasized the value of seeing clinicians experienced with rare ovarian cancers.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by MD Anderson. Read the original in full
How we source and attribute stories Accuracy and limitations
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team. Read the full disclaimer