Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Angela's Survivor Story
This ovarian cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage III
- Sex
- female
- Treatment
- surgery and chemotherapy
- Outcome
- Cancer-Free / NED
Treatment course, step by step
- Underwent surgery to remove a 7-inch mass from the left ovary, after which ovarian cancer was diagnosed.
- Completed 4 rounds of carboplatin and etoposide chemotherapy over almost 13 weeks.
What happened, in summary
An MD Anderson employee was 32 when a routine well-woman exam led to the discovery of a 7-inch mass on her left ovary in 2018. She had noticed some bloating but had attributed it to a recent course of antibiotics. Ultrasound and MRI initially raised the possibility of a fibroid or ovarian cyst, and she went into surgery expecting the mass to be removed.
She learned in the recovery room that the mass was ovarian cancer. Biopsies of surrounding tissue also contained cancer cells, and she was diagnosed with a Stage III germ cell tumor, a rare type of ovarian cancer. After recovering from surgery, she sought treatment at MD Anderson.
Her oncologist discussed chemotherapy options and selected a regimen based on her individual circumstances. She completed 4 rounds of carboplatin and etoposide over almost 13 weeks. She described the diagnosis as frightening and initially felt scared, angry and hopeless, but gradually focused on what she could do to move through treatment.
She had been cancer-free since January 2019 at the time of the story. Her experience reinforced the importance she placed on regular preventive exams and paying attention to changes in the body, particularly because her ovarian mass had caused few obvious symptoms.
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