Washington Township resident Robin Plum marks four years free of ovarian cancer
As of Sept. 1, Robin Plum is four years ovarian cancer-free. Call it a coincidence, but September was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
In 2011, Plum had a tumor growing in her stomach. She had testing done because she was in menopause.
“They removed the tumor and did a hysterectomy,” Plum said. “They removed my ovaries and froze them, dissected them and found cancer in my ovaries.”
Plum added the doctors recommended chemotherapy, but in her mind the cancer was already removed from her body so there was no need to do that. With that decision, she had to keep close tabs on her CA 125s, the amount of cancer antigens in her blood. In August of 2013, her CA 125 elevated to the point where it was recommended she seek treatment.
Considering South Jersey is a medical hub, Plum had options on where to receive treatment. Between television advertisements and testimony from the president of her husband’s union, Plum ultimately decided to visit Dr. Justin Chura at the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Philadelphia. In January of 2014, she met Chura and he outlined what he would do for her. “Another surgery and a few rounds of chemo,” she said. In 10 days, she was in surgery.
Looking back, Plum doesn’t regret her decisions leading up to her time at the CTCA.
“I do not regret turning down doing chemo a few years prior to that,” Plum said. “My experience there [CTCA] was great. I actually looked forward to going there every Friday.”
Chura spoke about the value of seeking a specialized oncologist in this instance.
“Robin coming to seek expertise, GYN cancer care, it does make a difference in the surgery and therapy afterwards,” Chura added. “Part of that is awareness, there are a lot of women who don’t know that GYN oncologists exist.”
Plum’s bond with Chura has stood the test of time. Despite her last treatment being on Aug. 1 2014, she went back to see him earlier this year when she suspected there might be another problem.
“The first thing I did was get Dr. Chura’s opinion, not to take anything away from my primary,” she said.
At the end of the day, Plum hit her four years of cancer-free at the start of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Her last treatment was on August 1, but Sept. 1 marked her CA 125 being stable.
“It feels good,” she said. “The five years is the one they talk about. It felt cool that my anniversary is the same as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.”
