Libi

I am 54 years old and on 18/07/10 undergone a total laparascopic Vaginal assisted hysterectomy (TLVAH) and bilateral salpingooophrectomy further to an endometrial biopsy showing endometrial complex hyperplasia with Atypia (perimenopausal bleeding)

I was told by my gynacologist that I had precancerous changes although there was a small risk that, if the pathology showed concurrent cancer at time of pathology evaluation and that the cancer had gone through more than a third of the muscle wall, I would need further surgery to remove some lymph nodes.

Meanwhile I have received results that showed Endometrium: "partially autolytic,mostly inactive and Adenomyosis." As far as I am able to understand, autolysis is a process that destroys the cells of the specimen sometimes to such an extent that interpretation pathologically can be extremely hampered and even at times impossible. I understand it is advisable therefore to ensure that the specimen is treated (I believe with formalin) in order to prevent this autolysis either by the surgeon or the laboratory.

I also note on my results there is an absence of a comment such as simple hyperplasia/ complex hyperplasia/ simple hyperplasia with atypia/ complex hyperplasia with atypia/ or cancer all of which were previously explained to me as a continuum in the changes that took me to a diagnosis of pre cancerous changes in endometrium.

I understand that the pipelle endometrial biopsy only samples a small amount (4-12%) of the endometrium and am therfore extremely anxious that this result indicates that due to autolysis it was impossible for the laboratory to determine the histopathology and now it is also impossible to determine if it was concurrent cancer or worse still invasive cancer.

Should I speak to my gynacologist about checking my lymph nodes in any case?

Many thanks
Libi