Welcome to everyone

"ji"~Hope U find someone w/same DX as you~Hope by now U have!

 Dear “ji”

Ironically you posted under the discussion link that said “Welcome to everyone”.  But to be fair, I don’t know how many ladies are still posting here on the “Peritoneal Cancer” site that were here as far back as 2009.  I am a relative “newcomer” being diagnosed with Peritoneal Carcinomatosis in November of 2012.  A PET/CT scan was done when I went for a 2^nd opinion.  That scan and exploratory surgery revealed that the cancer was in my ovaries as well.  Consequently, it was staged as “IV”, and is treated as though I had Ovarian cancer alone. I subsequently underwent pre-op chemo of Carboplatin and Taxol which reduced the tumors to an operable size.  My Cytoreductive surgery was performed on July 1, 2013.  There I had several “non-essential” (they said) organs removed.  I already had my uterus removed at age 36 and my appendics at age 12.  Otherwise they would have been removed as well.  That included removal of my omentum, gallbladder, spleen, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and sections of my intestines.  It is a major surgery, not intended to be curative, but rather to launch a "pre-emptive strike" before it spread to even more places in my abdominal cavity.     I didn’t know I could live without that many things, but I am doing just fine without them and still alive to tell about it! 

 Your put your question out here on July 20^th and have had NO replies.  Therefore, I’m to assume that very few ladies reading this link can relate directly to your particular diagnosis.  So I thought at least someone should acknowledge your presence here. 

 There are references below my name that deal with recurrences from Cervical Cancer.  I’m not finding anything that was dated recently, but will give you the links anyway, and it may help you to research even more—that is if you haven’t done enough already.  I know you want to compare your experience with other women here who have a similar diagnosis.  However, I am not that person, although I’m familiar with Peritoneal and Ovarian cancers.  Shall I say, “They just sneaked up on me without any obvious funny feelings or persistent pain?  So since I presented with Stage IV from the start, I would say, as for me, I must have had a good deal of “silent symptoms” that were working on the inside that I never knew about. 

 By now, I’m assuming that you are under the care of a good medical facility and have a good “gynecologic oncologist” taking care of you.  I am certainly sorry that you’ve experienced a recurrence from your Cervical Cancer diagnosis.  Since I can’t relate specifically, I can only hope that someone here can.  However, I wish you well and can safely say I wish you had never been diagnosed with any kind of cancer—don’t we all? I’m hoping something is “working in your favor” in this often-rocky road.

 Sincerely,

 Loretta Marshall

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1. 
   
   http://www.glowm.com/section_view/heading/The Spread and Staging of Cervical Cancer/item/231
   
   

 

The Spread and Staging of Cervical Cancer

  

Donald G. Gallup, MD Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Memorial Health Medical Center, Savannah, Georgia

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 2.  http://pubs.rsna.org/doi/full/10.1148/radiographics.19.suppl_1.g99oc19s103

 “PELVIC IMAGING - Continuing Medical Education

 Recurrent Cervical Carcinoma: Typical and Atypical Manifestations

 Ann S. Fulcher, MD, Susan G. O'Sullivan, MD, Eileen M. Segreti, MD, and Brian D. Kavanagh, MD 
¹From the Departments of Radiology (A.S.F., S.G.O.), Obstetrics and Gynecology (E.M.S.), and Radiation Oncology (B.D.K.), Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University…”

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3.  http://www.cancercenter.com/cervical-cancer/learning/

 Cervical cancer information - What is cervical cancer?

 “Cervical cancer begins in the cervix, the narrow organ at the bottom of the uterus that connects to the vagina. The cervix dilates during childbirth to allow for passage of a baby.

  Types of cervical cancer

 Learn about different types of cervical cancer.

 Cervical cancer symptoms

Read about common cervical cancer symptoms.

 Cervical cancer risk factors

 Read about common risk factors for cervical cancer.

 Stages of cervical cancer

 Learn about the stages of cervical cancer…”

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4.  http://www.cancercenter.com/cervical-cancer/gynecologic-oncology/

 “What is gynecologic oncology?

 Gynecologic oncology focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cancers of the female reproductive organs, including the ovaries, endometrium, uterus, cervix, fallopian tube, peritoneal, vagina and vulva.

 A gynecologic oncologist is a medical doctor who receives an additional four years of training after completing a residency in obstetrics and gynecology. During this training, he or she acquires highly specialized expertise to stage, diagnose and treat all types of gynecologic cancer.

 In addition to performing specialized surgical procedures, a gynecologic oncologist is trained to provide chemotherapy and comprehensive oncology care to a woman throughout the course of cervical cancer treatment. We specialize in advanced surgical techniques that remove cancer, while sparing healthy tissue.

 The Gynecologic Oncology Program at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) at Midwestern Regional Medical Center (Midwestern) specializes in treating women with cancer of the reproductive organs, including uterine, ovarian, cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers.

Dr. Sybilann Williams, an experienced gynecologic oncologist, leads this exceptional program.”

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