Stage III Ovarian Cancer: Rachel's Patient Story
This ovarian cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage III
- Biomarkers
- CEA 125 reported as 1800
- Sex
- female
- Treatment
- surgery
- Outcome
- Care Ongoing
Treatment course, step by step
- Underwent an approximately 6-hour laparoscopic surgery on February 19 in which the left ovarian tumor was removed.
What happened, in summary
Rachel was 31 when a year of infertility led to the discovery of ovarian cancer. She had experienced bloating, increasingly painful and heavy periods, night sweats, and difficulty conceiving, but routine pelvic exams and bloodwork had previously appeared normal. In January, an internal ultrasound found a mass on her left ovary. A tumor marker she described as CEA 125 was 1800, compared with a normal value below 35.
Because the mass would also interfere with a pregnancy, her doctor moved quickly to surgery. Rachel underwent an approximately 6-hour laparoscopic operation on February 19. The tumor, which she described as about the size of a grapefruit, was removed from the left ovary. After waking from surgery, her husband told her it was cancer. She later learned the diagnosis was Stage III ovarian cancer.
The diagnosis was a major shock. Rachel had gone into surgery hoping the mass might be endometriosis and had been focused on the possibility of needing IVF. Instead, she and her family suddenly had to absorb a cancer diagnosis and the uncertainty that came with it. Her experience reinforced how easily ovarian cancer symptoms can blend into everyday gynecologic or digestive complaints.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by The Patient Story. 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