In some cases, particularly since ovarian cancer is typically not found in the early stages, the cancer may continue to recur following a specific treatment. If this is the case, your doctor may recommend another type of treatment, i.e., if you have tried chemotherapy and it does not appear to be working well, your doctor may recommend radiation or hormone therapy. Another type of treatment may at least be able to shrink the tumor enough to allow you to have a better quality of life and live longer. Unfortunately, when many different ovarian cancer treatments have been tried, and the cancer has not gotten any better, this may mean the ovarian cancer cells have become resistant to treatment. If this is the case, you must weigh the potentially limited benefits of trying a new treatment against the side effects which could make you feel worse than the cancer itself.

Decisions like this can truly be the most difficult part of your battle with cancer—when you have gone through many different treatments, and nothing appears to be working. Since this is your life, you are the one who will have to decide whether a new treatment that isn’t very likely to either improve your health or your chances of survival is worth trying. Your doctor will be able to give you the risks vs. benefits of trying a new treatment, as well as the treatment’s chances of success. As an example, if your doctor tells you a new treatment has only about a 1 percent chance of working, it is important that you carefully weigh all the issues, and think about your reasons for choosing such a plan of treatment. Whatever decision you make, it is also important that you ask for treatments for such symptoms as nausea and pain—known as palliative care. 

Palliative Care

While palliative care can help relieve symptoms, it is not a cure. Palliative care can accompany ovarian cancer treatment—or can actually be the treatment. The primary difference between palliative care and treatments targeted for your ovarian cancer is purpose. The primary purpose of palliative care is to help you feel as good as you possibly can for as long as possible. This can include drugs to control pain and nausea. In some instances, however, a cancer treatment may actually be considered a palliative treatment as well. As an example, radiation is sometimes used to relieve bone pain which results from cancer which has spread to the bones. Chemotherapy could be used to shrink a tumor which is blocking the bowel or another major organ, however the goal with these palliative treatments is not to cure your cancer, rather just to make you more comfortable.

Some women may choose to have hospice care, which is a type of care which treats the person, rather than the disease, focusing on the quality of life, rather than the length of life. In most cases, hospice care is given at home. Mental attitude also pays a part in your quality of life. While your hope for a cure may not be very positive, you may still have time to engage in interactions which family and friends which are filled with meaning and happiness. This could be the time to do some of the things you have always wanted to do—and stop doing the things you no longer want to do. 

Baby Powder (with Talc) Ovarian Cancer: Was Your Ovarian Cancer Related to Talcum Powder?

Ovarian cancer, like any cancer, is a frightening disease. Women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer may have many questions about the disease itself, as well as questions regarding the latest news about talcum powder’s link to ovarian cancer. Decades ago researchers found talc fibers imbedded in the ovarian tissues which were removed from women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. This suggests that talc fibers can migrate up through the vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes, into the ovaries, where they create significant inflammation. Inflammation has been linked to many different types of cancers, including ovarian cancer.

Johnson & Johnson, after losing three talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits, and facing another 1,200, continues to maintain talcum powder is safe to use for feminine hygiene, and says they will appeal the decisions—one for $72 million and one for $55 million. Despite this, numerous studies have placed the increased risk of ovarian cancer among women who use talcum powder for feminine hygiene at 30-40 percent. During the trials, there were internal memos introduced which suggested J & J was aware of the potential link between ovarian cancer and talcum powder, yet disregarded that risk and failed to warn women of the potential dangers.

What Damages are associated with a Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Claim?

If you were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and you used talcum powder for feminine hygiene, you could benefit from speaking to an experienced talcum powder ovarian cancer attorney. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and, if warranted, possible punitive damages as well.