Staying Strong
- Billiards legend Jeanette Lee, 52, who was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer in 2021, has announced that she survived a heart attack this week. Thankfully, Lee is out of the hospital and appears to be in good spirits
- Although Lee’s current treatment status and cancer activity are unclear, the mom of three initially went through chemotherapy and a succession of surgeries to help slow the spread of the disease.
- There have been some amazing developments in medicine over recent years with PARP inhibitors, which can help treat advanced ovarian cancer. These drugs help prevent cancer cells from repairing their damaged DNA (genetic material), causing them to die off.
- It’s important if you take PARP inhibitors, or any other ovarian cancer treatment for that matter, to be open with your doctor about how you’re feeling. Let your doctor know about any side effects you experience, especially ones that are uncomfortable or that don’t improve.
The mom of three, who is known as the “Black Widow” in the pool world, shared the update with her Instagram followers over the weekend.
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“Wishing you a speedy and thorough recovery,” one supporter commented. “I’m so sorry you’re missing wonderful events, but thankfully you’ll be here for future ones! Your girls are absolutely beautiful.”
“I’m so sorry you’re going through this,” another fan wrote. “Praying you have a quick recovery and deep healing. ♥️
A few days later, Lee posted a photo outside by a pool, looking chic in a black-and-white striped bathing suit, black hat and sunglasses, with a bandage on her left upper chest area.
“Love you all!! Hope to see you in August with a much stronger heart!”
Jeanette Lee’s Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis
When Jeanette Lee was first diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer at age 49, the former no. 1 female pool player in the world announced she was going to fight with the “same resolve” she used to rise to the top of the male-dominated sport.
“I intend to bring the same resolve I brought to the billiards table to this fight,” Lee told the American Poolplayers Association (APA). “[Late broadcaster] Jim Valvano so eloquently told us to ‘Never give up.’ I owe it to my three young daughters to do exactly that.”
Although Lee’s current treatment status and cancer activity is unclear, the Brooklyn native, who currently lives in Tampa, Florida, went through chemotherapy and a succession of surgeries to help slow the spread of the disease.
Hope for Treating Ovarian Cancer
There have been some amazing developments in medicine over recent years with PARP inhibitors, which can help treat ovarian cancer. These drugs help prevent cancer cells from repairing their damaged DNA (genetic material), causing them to die off. PARP inhibitors work best in women who have a genetic mutation called BRCA, but are now given to a larger group of women regardless of genetic make up.
Dr. Lynn Parker from Norton Cancer Institute previously spoke with SurvivorNet about the pros and cons in using this drug. “PARP inhibitors are expensive, but there are ways to access those medications.”
“Like with any medication, they have potential toxicities or side effects,” she said. So I think that as a patient being aware of what is possible is important.”
Lee did not disclose further details about her heart attack, but in general, cancer treatments like chemotherapy can be hard on the heart, so it’s important for your care team to monitor it following treatment.
PARP Inhibitors for Ovarian Cancer Treatment: Weighing Risks and Benefits
As for PARP inhibitors, Dr. Parker explained that some women will be able to handle side effects better than other, but says “there are different doses that can be utilized and looking at the timing of when you’re using it … if you’ve just completed chemotherapy, you may be more fatigued or weak than you would [normally] be in a few months.”
She said she typically gives patients a lower dose of PARPs for the first few months after chemotherapy and then works them up to a higher dose, but it depends on the patient’s individual situation.
It is best that women discuss these treatment options with their own doctors.
Common PARP Side Effects and What to Expect
As for side effects and what to expect from PARP inhibitors, “Fatigue is very common,” says Dr. David Engle from Baptist Medical Group to SurvivorNet. “GI upset, whether it be nausea, indigestion, poor appetite, diarrhea, all very, very common, and perhaps nausea is one of the most common side effects that we see for many of these drugs.”
RELATED: Managing Side Effects During PARP Inhibitor Treatment
Fortunately, many of these side effects will decrease or even go away over time.
“Sometimes over a month’s time, if we can help the patient either with medication to prevent their nausea or if they’re able to tolerate the fatigue, many times, these symptoms will resolve over four to six weeks of treatment. The body just kind of gets used to this as the new normal, and those symptoms will start to abate.”
Managing Side Effects During PARP Inhibitor Treatment
One of the more serious side affects is anemia, or lower blood cell counts, and it can also affect our platelets.
Just like in chemotherapy treatment, “These are lab tests that we frequently draw every week for the first month the patient is placed on these medications, looking to make sure that they are not becoming anemic or their platelets are not becoming too low,” Dr. Engle explains. “If they can maintain these markers of your blood levels for the first month, then oftentimes we’ll go to month-to-month evaluations on those.”
It’s important if you take PARP inhibitors, or any other ovarian cancer treatment for that matter, to be open with your doctor about how you’re feeling. Let your doctor know about any side effects you experience, especially ones that are uncomfortable or that don’t improve. There may be an option to manage your symptoms and make you feel better.
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