Thanks for posting your fathers update, Vicky! Im so very sorry reading everything he has been thru!!! Im sure this has been very hard on everyone.

It sounds like he has been thru one thing after another for your father. After going thru so much its often difficult for patients and caregivers to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. Just hearing the dreaded "you have cancer", is traumatic to most of us.

As far as whats next IF your father has a recurrence... it would be treated with either surgery and/or in some cases rads. Patients who have already had rads can and do go thru rads again. Some OC patients with recurrences or mets to other areas (especially the lungs) may be candidates for the newer immunotherapy drugs Opdivo or Keytruda. That type of chemo works for some but not others, its made to work with someones unique immune system which gets very complicated. After going thru surgery and/or rads to eliminate the OC, patients get followed by their doctors for 5 years with scans and thorough exams to watch for any irregularities. This is done after waiting for 3 months after rads or surgery to hopefully avoid getting a false positive which unfortunately can and does happen. The scans light up red for inflammation and infections just like they do for cancer. One important thing about being followed for 5 years... IF the cancer returns it usually is found very early making it much easier to treat. Just remember... IF is the biggest 2 letter word, it does NOT necessarily mean your father will have another cancer diagnosis, fortunately most do NOT!!! Every single person here regardless if they're a patient or a caregiver has the same recurrence fears. For many, therapy and/or meds help to get past this fear and of course time heals all wounds. About all any of us can do to move past the constant fear of recurrence is to focus on the positive, making the most of every day. It helps to know we are not alone in this, we're all in this together and when we are feeling low, its perfectly ok and understandable to lean on others. Thats one of the very best things about OCF, the lifelong friendships and strong bonds formed over some of the most horrific experiences.

Please dont be a stranger! We're here for you as well as your father and family. Best wishes with your fathers continued recovery!!!