Loosing my mum to Metastatic Ovarian Cancer
Hey everyone. Last month my mum was admitted to hospital, and sadly she passed away about a month later. Her cause of death was metastatic ovarian cancer along with a UTI/infection.
When she was first admitted, she was very bloated from ascites, and she felt much better after the fluid was drained. She was weak though, and could only walk short distances before becoming exhausted. Her kidney function initially improved after treatment because both kidneys had previously been blocked. However, things then declined rapidly after another infection developed following the stent procedure.
The doctors said E. coli was present in her body, and within about a week her kidneys failed and she passed away peacefully. One thing that felt strange throughout all of this was that she never really complained of pain in her body.
I still struggle to understand how everything escalated so quickly. The doctors explained that the cancer was very advanced and aggressive, but part of me keeps wondering whether anything could have been done differently.
Below is her report:
CT scan showed strong suspicion of advanced gynecological cancer (likely ovarian/peritoneal origin).
Large amount of fluid in the abdomen (ascites) causing bloating.
Cancer spread seen across abdominal lining/fatty tissue (“omental caking”).
Enlarged lymph nodes in the abdomen.
Both kidneys swollen because urine flow was blocked (bilateral hydronephrosis).
Bladder wall looked abnormal and possibly involved by tumour.
Enlarged uterus with fibroids.
Fluid around both lungs, more on the left side.
No obvious cancer spots seen in liver, pancreas, spleen, bones, or lungs.
Small abnormal area found in the right breast needing further assessment.
Biopsy findings:
Tissue taken from the omentum confirmed cancer spread in the abdomen.
Cancer described as a high-grade malignant tumour (aggressive and fast-growing).
Features most consistent with a high-grade carcinoma, likely gynecological in origin.
Additional laboratory staining tests (immunohistochemistry) were being done to confirm the exact cancer type.