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Stage 4 endometrial cancer with ascites
My sister has stage four endometrial cancer. She does not yet have a treatment that will stop the growth of the cancer. One of the worst places that the cancer has metastasized to is the liver. She is having major problems with ascites. She cannot eat more than a few bites of food, and then vomits. Where can I find more information about ascites??
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@cindysj I'm very sad to know that your sister has been diagnosed with this advanced stage of endometrial cancer. While we wait for responses and information from others Mayo Clinic Connect members let me please offer my support to you for going through this with your sister. I went through advanced stages of cancer with both of my parents and there was only so much I could do. I learned that being present at their side and holding their hand was soothing for both of them.
Are you her caregiver and so trying to figure how best to support her? Is hospice or palliative care involved? What does your sister's cancer care team suggest?
Here is some information on ascites including diagnosis and treatment.
Johns Hopkins Medicine
-- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/ascites
Swelling, Edema, and Ascites from the American Cancer Society
-- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/swelling/edema-ascites.html
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5 ReactionsThank you so much for your reply. My sister may be out of options to slow down the growth of cancer. She was dismissed from a clinical trial last week. Tomorrow she is meeting with her original oncologist/gynecologist. She has been having lots of trouble with vomiting. At some point she was told that it’s because the cancer has metastasized to her liver. .. causing Ascities. When she meets with the physician tomorrow, she expects to be advised to enter hospice. Meanwhile, she has been unable to eat any food at all without vomiting. I would really like to help her. She lives in Minneapolis; I live in Florida. The two articles that you gave me a link to were helpful. I spent quite a bit of time doing Google searches before reading the two articles that you gave me a link to. I spent quite a bit of time doing Google searches before I posted here. Thanks again.
@cindysj, being a long-distance caregiver is hard. Your sister is lucky to have you scouring the internet and researching on her behalf. I'm also glad that your Google search brought you to this forum for understanding, support and information.
I hope that your sister's physician consult today gives her some guidance and relief from the discomfort the cancer is causing. Hopefully a diruetic or draining the fluid is an option for her that reduces the ascites and stops the vomiting, even it temporarily.
Do you know if residential hospice is an option for her or will she have providers coming to her at home? And, how are YOU doing?
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3 Reactions@cindysj You are a loving sister to care for and about your sister from such a distance. Are you currently in Minneapolis with her or does she have other family or a spouse to go to her appointments with her?
I’m glad you found us here on Mayo Clinic Connect and we can provide you with support and information. Google searches can be helpful but then again can be frightening and inaccurate. I look for respected and valid sources such as Mayo Clinic, NIH, Cleveland Clinic and others with .org, .gov or .edu (and mostly steer clear of websites that are .com).
Has your sister seen her GYNOncologist yet? If so, what recommendations did they make? And how are you doing today?
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3 ReactionsThank you for your reply. After meeting with her GYN/oncologist yesterday, my sister has decided to try a new drug therapy. She was told it would have about a 20 to 30% success rate with her history. I am extremely confused about this because somehow it’s supposed to reduce the ascites… But she’s been told that her liver is covered in tumors.
When talking about hospice, she was talking about three options… Stay at home, move to a senior life, care situation, or move into a hospice center. No need to make that decision now.
Thank you for your support.
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1 ReactionSadly, Judy does not have any siblings who live nearby. I live in Florida, her other siblings, live in Portland, Maine and San Francisco. When she has important medical appointments, our sister-in-law in San Francisco get on the phone and takes notes. The sister-in-law has the most medical knowledge compared to any of the other siblings, myself included.
Judy did have an appointment with her gyno/oncologist yesterday. She has decided to do one more treatment. She was told that the success rate of this given what the doctors have learned about her cancer in the last year will be about 20 to 30%.
Today I have a lot of anxiety about her decision, but I fully support it. I’m not sure how this is going to help with the Ascities. Last week she has 6 L removed. She is very optimistic that the Ascities will stop. Thanks for asking about me.
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1 Reaction@cindysj This is a very difficult position for you and your family who are all so far away from your sister. Since your sister decided to go ahead with the new drug therapy it sounds like her GYNOncologist is thinking about all possible options to discuss with Judy. I’m curious where your anxiety about Judy’s decision comes from? You wrote that the new drug therapy may not help directly with the ascites but could it help to reduce the cancer tumors? I’m not a medical professional so I don’t know what helps to reduce ascites other than treating the source. I have known people who have ascites due to liver disease (not cancer, it was cirrhosis) and the ascites reduced when the liver disease was treated.
In my experience the anxiety is present when we worry about our loved one whether we are present at their side or far away from them. I tried to help both my mother and father make decisions about their own respective health problems but in the end it was their own decision. I had to learn to give up the « control » and realize that even if I thought I would do something differently it wasn’t up to me. I was frustrated, sad and yes, very anxious. Does this sound at all familiar to you?
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3 ReactionsI also have ESS endometrial cancer, stage 4. Meta in my lungs. I had the big surgery and then was put on an
aeromatase inhibitor to keep it from growing.
If you want my doctors name I can give it to you thru email.
I am in Austin Texas
Prayers and positive energy to your sister.
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3 ReactionsTell her to add Losartan to her regimen with Dr. concurrence. Also lowers BP. That can be managed pretty easily.
Cheap with minimal side effects but should increase effectiveness of Chemo treatments and reduce ascites.
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3 ReactionsHave her research the use of Losartan to reduce ascites.
Mark
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3 Reactions