My ovarian cancer has come back

Many women find the news that ovarian cancer has returned harder to deal with than their original diagnosis. You may feel upset, angry or depressed. Every woman is different so there is no right or wrong way to react.

If you feel you would like to talk to someone about your ovarian cancer recurrence, Macmillan Cancer Support has an anonymous support line for advice and emotional support: 0808 808 0000. You can also find useful resources on Macmillan's website. 

Although every woman’s experience is very different, you may find it useful to read about other women’s experiences on our blog. 

Treatment

Your oncologist will discuss a treatment plan that is right for you. 

One of the first things they consider is how quickly the ovarian cancer returned after initial treatment.

If your cancer returns more than six months after completing your chemotherapy it will be classified as “platinum sensitive”. This means it can be treated with platinum-based chemotherapy such as cisplatin or carboplatin. This may be the same as the treatment you had originally.

If your cancer recurs within six months of original treatment it will be classified as “platinum resistant”. This means the cancer has become resistant to the initial treatment. It’s important to remember that there are other options available and your clinical oncology team will discuss the best way to treat you. This could include entering a clinical trial if there’s a suitable one available or having targeted therapy, such as Avastin or Olaparib. 

Ovacome is the ovarian cancer support charity. It has created a helpful factsheet that answers commonly asked questions around treatment choices for relapsed ovarian cancer.