Stage III BRCA1 Ovarian Cancer: Patty's Patient Story
This ovarian cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage III
- Biomarkers
- BRCA1 mutation
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery, chemotherapy, targeted therapy and a clinical trial
- Outcome
- In Memory
Treatment course, step by step
- Patty had surgery soon after diagnosis, including hysterectomy and tumor removal.
- She then received 18 rounds of chemotherapy.
- After several recurrences, she received additional chemotherapy and later joined a clinical trial of olaparib plus BKM120.
What happened, in summary
Patty Klein was in her late 40s when severe pain in her side led to imaging and a diagnosis of Stage III ovarian cancer. The pain came from fluid building up in her abdomen. After diagnosis, she learned that she carried a BRCA1 mutation, which was also found in several of her siblings.
About a week later, Patty underwent surgery that included a hysterectomy and removal of visible tumors. She then received 18 rounds of chemotherapy, including treatment delivered directly into the abdomen. Her care team initially found no evidence of cancer, but the disease returned 6 months later.
Patty went through additional courses of chemotherapy, with periods when the cancer again appeared to be gone before returning. Facing another recurrence, she searched for clinical trials and ultimately joined a Dana-Farber study of olaparib plus BKM120. The oral treatment had limited side effects and allowed her to keep working and traveling.
Patty became a strong advocate for research funding and wider access to clinical trials. She later died.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by AACR. 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