Interview OV19

Age at interview: 65

Age at diagnosis: 59

Brief Outline:

Ovarian cancer diagnosed in 1997 following diarrhoea, pain, weight loss and vaginal discharge. Treated by surgical removal of ovaries and womb followed by chemotherapy.

Background:

Hospital theatre sister, divorced, one adult child.

Attributed her symptoms to bowel cancer.

Sometime in 1997, maybe even a bit in the year before, I had bowels symptoms, which I had had lots of times before, so I really didn't take much notice of them. But I did lose a lot of weight, and I didn't do anything about it, mainly I think because you're frightened. And I did think I had bowel cancer. So eventually, in about late June I went to see a - he's not a bowel consultant but I went to see him because he's a friend of mine - and he said, told me that it was, a gynaecological problem.
 

Decided against going in a clinical trial because she wanted to avoid the severe side effects of paclitaxel (Taxol).

And then I had, six months' chemotherapy, Platinum, I had. I could have had the - I can't remember what it's called, the one that comes from the yew tree - but it was a trial, and it was only hit and miss whether you got it or not, and there's a lot of very bad side effects with it, I can't remember what it's called now.

Is it Taxol?

Yes. Taxol, that's it. And I had had alopecia before and I really didn't want to lose my hair, I mean, you know, you get stupid things you think about. You know, does it matter whether you lose your hair or not? But I didn't want the side effects, so I said I'd just have the Platinum.

I think that Taxol was fairly new then, and they offered me a chance to go into the clinical trial and, but they pick you, I know they pick you out of a hat so you're either on it or you're not. And and, explained all the side effects to me and I felt I couldn't cope with them at that moment. And the carbo' whatever it's called, is, had less side effects, which is what you get anyway if you weren't picked out of the hat, so I said 'I don't want to go on it'. They gave me time to think about it, and I said 'no I don't want it'.