Hello;

I was diagnosed with Uterine Cancer (stage 2)just before Christmas and I am waiting for the hospital to call me with the date of my hysterectomy operation. I have spoken to many women who have had this and they all tell me that it's the most common Cancer in women and that after the operation I should be fine. I was resigned to this until my doctor told me that they have no way of knowing if the Cancer has spread to other parts of my body until they analyse the lymph-nodes after the operation, now I am driving myself crazy thinking I have it elsewhere maybe in my stomach. I am an over weight person and always had a big stomach but since I read that one of the symptoms of stomach cancer is swelling of the abdomen I keep thinking I might be swollen.

Since they seem to tell all women having this operation that they need to analyse the lymph-nodes to detect if the Cancer has spread, can someone tell me what the percentage is of women who have this operation and have it it spread elsewhere ? I am not sleeping nights worrying about this.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thank you

Francine

I waw diagnosed with endometrial (uterine) cancer in 1997, stage IIB. I had a hysterectomy and radiaiton treatment and the cancer hads not returned. If you have to have cancer, it's one that is more easily treatable than some others.

One of the risk factors for uterine cancer (the most common form is endometrial) is being overweight. Your doctor is right that they won't know if there is cancer in the lymph nodes near the uterus until the pathologist looks at them after your surgery. You have a good doctor if he is going to take lymph nodes out, too; some doctors don't bother. I hope that you are seeing a gynecological oncologist, or plan on seeing one for a second opinion. My regular gynecologist, who did my hysterectomy, listened to the gynecological oncologist and did scans/ultrasounds to make sure that the cancer had not spread far outside my uterus.

See http://www.oncologychannel.com/endometrialcancer/diagnosis.shtml and http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/endometrial for more information on endometrial cancer.

Hello;

I was diagnosed with Uterine Cancer (stage 2)just before Christmas and I am waiting for the hospital to call me with the date of my hysterectomy operation. I have spoken to many women who have had this and they all tell me that it's the most common Cancer in women and that after the operation I should be fine. I was resigned to this until my doctor told me that they have no way of knowing if the Cancer has spread to other parts of my body until they analyse the lymph-nodes after the operation, now I am driving myself crazy thinking I have it elsewhere maybe in my stomach. I am an over weight person and always had a big stomach but since I read that one of the symptoms of stomach cancer is swelling of the abdomen I keep thinking I might be swollen.

Since they seem to tell all women having this operation that they need to analyse the lymph-nodes to detect if the Cancer has spread, can someone tell me what the percentage is of women who have this operation and have it it spread elsewhere ? I am not sleeping nights worrying about this.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Thank you

Francine
There truly is not anyway to tell from statistics whether or not your cancer is widespread or contained until after the doctors biopsy the area. But, I know a person who has had cancer and was diagnosed in 4th stage. She has had many operations to move the cancer as it was found. She has lived twice as long as the statistics said she would and she is still going strong. To look at her you would never guess she has had cancer and still does. Cancer is a condition. The treatment is not always a picnic, but it is not always a death sentence either. Statistics are good for raising funding for research, and to account for groups of cases, but it is primarily a private disease and you do not have to be one of the statistics, you can always be an outliar and rise above the numbers. Please remember you are NOT a statistic.

Trishpm
How do you find a gynacologist oncologist?????????????/

Thanks

Suggi

My mom's dr told her that if her uterine sarcoma is to far gone, she must see a gyno. oncologist. My mom is 58 and her uterus is HUGE. They are doing surgery as soon as next Thursday. She looks like she is carrying 3 babies in there. The tumors just grow like a baby and stretch that uterus out and in turn it makes your belly look HUGE!! Take care...

Listen. This is your body and you have do everything possible to get the right surgeon and care. If anyone has any doubt or knows going into surgery that cancer is suspected, go straight to a gyn/oncologist. If you were initially dx. by your gyn than ask that doc or go to the nearest large hospital and ask for a referral to a gyn/onc. I got on the website of the largest cancer hospital and bingo.. a self referral form was right there for me to complete. They make it very easy. Get your pathology reports and fax them to the new doc. Ask for a quick appt. since you've already been dx. It sounds like they may have said "grade 2" instead of stage 2. With uterine cancer (endometrial), they biopsy the tissue during a uterine biopsy. That tissue is sent to the pathologist who exams the cells. They average out the cells.. pre-cancerous-more cancerous. (simple example). To have a grade 2.. you have some 1's and you might have some 3's.. grade 1 is the slowest growing, grade 4 is the fastest growing.

Once that is done, they almost always recommend a total hyst and removal of ovaries, tubes, and often part of the upper vagina. A good gyn/onc will also examine and biopsy the surrounding lymph nodes, do a good pelvic washing and take a look around inside for any other suspicous areas. They send this all to the lab while you are on the table. If they find that what was taken from your uterus is limited to the endo lining, they will stage you 1-2 depending on how deep it invaded into the lining. If it is found in other areas, the staging goes up. Where this thickening or mass in the uterus is found counts as well.. if it's near the cervix, they will want to check that area and the vagina as well..possibly take the top 1/3 of the vagina. If it's up high, then that isn't as necessary. Get a copy of your path reports, locate a gyn/onc that has ties to the largest hospital with a good cancer program and go. Do not just agree to have your old family doc do it. Gyn/onc are the best for disecting off of the bladder and bowel and whatever else our uteruses and ovaries sometimes get stuck to. The complications after if it isn't done right are not fun to live with.

As others have said, "if you have to get cancer, this is a good one".. it's true, but.. you have to take responsibility for having it treated by the best. Don't get pushed. A couple of weeks will not make a difference if that's what it takes to get seen by a good specialist. Keep us posted.