Finding out that you have ovarian cancer is a shock. Learning about a relapse can be devastating. You may be more depressed than you were the first time. You could be thinking, “How could this be happening? Haven’t I been through enough already?”
But recurrences happen. Many women are diagnosed with active ovarian cancer months, even years following treatment, while some remain cancer-free. Others go in and out of remission for months, or even years. Although you’ve been down this road before, this is a new journey, and we encourage you to draw on the strength that helped you get through your initial diagnosis.
There are effective medical treatments for recurrent cancer. Ovarian cancer is now thought of as a chronic disease, one you can live with for many years with a good quality of life. So, try to stay positive, empower yourself with information, channel your strength and, most of all, remain hopeful.
Our Ovarian Cancer Resource Guide to Recurrent Disease can help you make informed decisions about your treatment and be proactive in managing your health. While it’s not meant to take the place of communicating with your treatment team, it is a useful tool for facing your recurrence.
We encourage you to reach out to a regional support center in your area. You can also find additional support through our HIPAA-compliant online sharing community, NOCC CancerConnect.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for inspiring messaging, important research information and more, or call 1-888-OVARIAN. Visit our Resources page for additional information.
If you are an accredited cancer treatment facility and would like to become an approved Faces of Hope program center at no charge to you. Complete an application and email it to facesofhope@ovarian.org.
© 2024 National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
