Endometrial Recurrence

Crackle234 · New User Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 2

In January of 2006 my Mom had a total hysterectomy and was diagnosed with Stage 1A grade 2 endometrial cancer. She is 54, has never smoked or been overweight and is otherwise healthy. 18 lymph nodes were removed and sampled and were all negative for the disease, a wash was also negative. As a result, she had no additional treatment after the surgery. She began experiencing some back and hip pain last year and in the fall a catscan showed that she had a few enlarged lymph nodes in her pelvis. A biopsy was negative and the next catscan was stable to the first. A catscan 3 months later showed that the lymph node had grown and the biopsy this time was positive for a recurrence of the disease. We are shocked because we were told she was such a low risk for a recurrence. Has anyone else been though this? What happens now?

In · Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 6:58 am Post subject: Re: Endometrial Recurrence

Crackle234-

Firstly- I'm so sorry about your Mum, she sounds like she has been through alot, and has survived so much- she has amazing strength.

Secondly- I'm not sure what is going to happen. All i can say is be with her, ask a million questions, no matter how silly. Be strong and do what you both must do, for you. I'm guessing they may try chemo etc. But as of the area I'm not sure. I would asume that they would remove the lymps and around areas to see how far the spread is....

Get her to a Oncologist- and be there too, Get all the options then acess then.

Let me know how things go- we are always here, or you can always PM me here on the forum.

Inica
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Thinking of you Inica

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Hellie · New User Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 1 Location: UK

Hi Crackle234

I am 49 years old and I am currently undergoing treatment for recurrent endometrial cancer so thought my experience might help you and your Mum.

I had a total hysterectomy in 2001, when I was 43, due to abnormal cells (not actual cancer) being found. But it appears that there must have been some microscopic cancer cells present back then which no one could find, which have now come back in my vaginal vault (the "empty" area in your pelvis where the womb used to be, sitting on top of the vagina).

Your Mum was treated correctly following her hysterectomy - the current clinical thinking is not to offer follow up radiotherapy if the cancer is early stage/low grade as risk of recurrece is low and it's better to "save" it as a possible treatment for the future, in the rare event that the cancer comes back. So she hasn't missed anything that she should have had.

The treatment she is offered now will depend on where the recurrence is sitting in the pelvis. I have just completed a 6.5 week course of radiotherapy to try to "zap" my tumour down to nothing. This seems to be the preferred treatment if the tumour is isolated and relatively small (mine is one "blob" about 3 cms and doesn't appear to have invaded any organs or lymph nodes).

If the tumour is bigger or more widespread in the pelvis, then chemo and/or surgery are also options with or without radiotherapy.

I have spent hours on the internet trying to find out more about this type of recurrence and, in a nutshell, the consensus seems to be that pelvic recurrences are often good responders to treatment and are regularly considered as candidates for treatment with "curative intent" (meaning they are aiming to completely cure it rather than control it) which must be good news!

This must be a difficult time for you and your Mum. I know how I felt when it came as a bolt out of the blue after 6 years with no problems (and I was under the impression that I'd never had cancer!). But it sounds like your Mum has great strength and, together, you will beat this!

I hope my experience helps you both - but remember every case of a recurrence is different and the treatments offered are highly individual to each patient. So if your Mum is offered something else, then don't worry - they will be trying to do their utmost to make sure that they zap this wretched thing for her!

Take care
Kindest wishes
Hellie

In · Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:48 am Post subject: Re: Endometrial Recurrence

Hellie,

Thank you for sharing your experiance and advice. Great to have you here on the Forum (well you know what I mean).
You sound like you have An Amazing attitude and alot of strength, keep it up.
_________________
Thinking of you Inica

*Administrator*

~Nose Cancer~
~Car Accident- Broken Back, Ribs, Spleen
Sternum~
~Continous Cervical Cancer~

My Story-
http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=6731

Smile

9 Lives and still kicking Smile

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