Advanced Ovarian Cancer Presenting With Dermatomyositis
This ovarian cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Biomarkers
- CA-125 3169 at diagnosis; later CA-125 rise with progression
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- chemotherapy and targeted therapy
- Outcome
- Setback / Progression
Treatment course, step by step
- She received carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab, followed by maintenance bevacizumab.
- A strong response meant interval debulking surgery was not performed.
- Nodal progression was treated with carboplatin and gemcitabine, producing a partial response before progression 5 months later.
What happened, in summary
A 50-year-old woman developed a worsening skin rash and muscle weakness over 3 months, making it difficult to lift household objects or climb stairs. Autoimmune testing did not identify a cause. Imaging then showed advanced ovarian cancer, and her CA-125 was markedly elevated at 3169. A pelvic lymph-node biopsy confirmed high-grade serous carcinoma.
She received palliative carboplatin, paclitaxel, and bevacizumab. Prednisolone was used for the associated dermatomyositis. The cancer responded so strongly that interval debulking surgery was not performed, and she continued maintenance bevacizumab with surveillance. Her muscle symptoms improved, although skin flares sometimes accompanied cancer activity.
A later CA-125 rise prompted imaging that showed small-volume nodal progression, followed 3 months later by multiple retroperitoneal nodes. Carboplatin and gemcitabine produced a partial response, but the cancer progressed again after 5 months. Liposomal doxorubicin was planned at the latest follow-up.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by PMC / PubMed Central. Read the original in full
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Collections this story belongs to
- Bevacizumab for Ovarian Cancer 19 stories
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