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Cancershock

My mom (61) was just diagnosed with poorly differentiated endometrial carcinoma stage 3 through a biopsy after bleeding once 11 years after menopause. She is scheduled for a complete hysterectomy on December 9. I am so afraid and worried and am not familiar with the severity of her cancer but I have been reading some of the survival stories and it certainly brings hope. Please reply if you have any info that might be of help for my family or her in the upcoming weeks. So far, the Dr. said that we have to see after the surgery weather or not she will need chemo or radiation. We are hoping it is contained in the uterus. From what I have read it seems most people had to undergo further treatments. Thank you...

MoeKay

I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer (EC) in 1999. Is your mother's surgery being performed by a gynecologic oncologist? This is the most important decision that a woman can make to insure that she obtains the best outcome possible. I believe I owe my life and good health to the fact that I was treated by an experienced gynecologic oncologist.

I did need radiation after treatment due to a number of risk factors for recurrence. However, I have enjoyed excellent health and have very few long-term side effects from treatment.

I believe you must be referring to your mother's EC being "grade 3" rather than "stage 3." EC cannot be staged until after surgery. If your mother's endometrial biopsy or D&C results have found a poorly-differentiated tumor, it would be classified as a grade 3.

Grade indicates how aggressive the cancer cells are, while stage indicates how far the cancer has progressed.

Wishing you and your mother all the best.

MoeKay

Cancershock

Hi MoeKay,
Thank you for your reply. Yes, my mother is seeing a Gyn.Onc, apparently the best in our area! Thanks for clarifying the grade vs stage. That makes more sense to me now. I am happy to hear that you are in good health. This gives me such a better outlook and more hope. I have been fearing the worst. The waiting is so hard. I appreciate your well wishes! Thank you!

MoeKay

Cancershock said:

Hi MoeKay,
Thank you for your reply. Yes, my mother is seeing a Gyn.Onc, apparently the best in our area! Thanks for clarifying the grade vs stage. That makes more sense to me now. I am happy to hear that you are in good health. This gives me such a better outlook and more hope. I have been fearing the worst. The waiting is so hard. I appreciate your well wishes! Thank you!

Hello again, Cancershock,

Please keep us posted on how things are going for your mother. I also wanted to let you know that there is a very active gyn cancer board on www.hystersisters.com which you or your mother might be interested in checking out.

Additionally, I thought I would provide you with a link to an article about my endometrial cancer journey that appeared on the front page of a local newspaper last year at the time of the fifth anniversary of my diagnosis. You may have to copy the link below and paste it into your browser:

http://stpetersuh.com/In_The_News/Featured_Stories/featuredstories45/body_feature45.htm

Take care,

MoeKay

groundeffect

MoeKay said:

Hello again, Cancershock,

Please keep us posted on how things are going for your mother. I also wanted to let you know that there is a very active gyn cancer board on www.hystersisters.com which you or your mother might be interested in checking out.

Additionally, I thought I would provide you with a link to an article about my endometrial cancer journey that appeared on the front page of a local newspaper last year at the time of the fifth anniversary of my diagnosis. You may have to copy the link below and paste it into your browser:

http://stpetersuh.com/In_The_News/Featured_Stories/featuredstories45/body_feature45.htm

Take care,

MoeKay

That's a good article, the kind that papers should print more often. It's hard to get "print" for gynecologic cancers, with the exception of breast cancer, but putting the symptoms out there could just hit the right person, and get her into her doctor's office. Keep up the good work!

cookcathy

MoeKay said:

Hello again, Cancershock,

Please keep us posted on how things are going for your mother. I also wanted to let you know that there is a very active gyn cancer board on www.hystersisters.com which you or your mother might be interested in checking out.

Additionally, I thought I would provide you with a link to an article about my endometrial cancer journey that appeared on the front page of a local newspaper last year at the time of the fifth anniversary of my diagnosis. You may have to copy the link below and paste it into your browser:

http://stpetersuh.com/In_The_News/Featured_Stories/featuredstories45/body_feature45.htm

Take care,

MoeKay

Thank you for the link to your article. I was very upset with myself when my doctor told me about the predisposition of endometrial cancer and obesity. I have battled weight problems my entire life, so I felt that having cancer was my fault. I also was not menopausal when diagnosed, I was only 46. I let the heavy bleeding and excrutiating pain go because I thought I was in the perimenopausal state. I was so surprised to get my diagnosis of cancer. I found out that uterine cancer runs in my family though, my grandmother died from it and my mother's sister and her daughter all had uterine cancer. They were all very thin and fairly healthy. Anway, I appreciate reading your article. I'm looking forward to the day when I can not worry about cancer as much. But I do think women need to be more aware of uterine and ovarian cancers, like all the info published about breast cancer!

Cancershock

My mom had her surgery on Friday. It went very well!! The Dr. Said it looked as if it was all contained in the uterus. Her other organs looked healthy. I am so relieved! They took 3 lymph nodes for a biopsy. We should know more about that Monday or Tuesday. The worst is over now. Thanks MoeKay for sharing your story. These are the stories that give us hope.