radiation..1 time a week internal for 3 weeks (cuff)

maryln3

just was told no cancer in nodes but i need radiation...this 1 time a week outpatint does anyone know abou it

also i can get pelvic fo 25 days...

the dotor said how much insurance that it will not come back do i want to do

my choice...i always buy the most insurance any suggestions

lindaprocopio

I had 28 rounds external pelvic & 3 internal brachys.
I have had no lasting digestive or sexual side effects at all since my radiation ended July 1st. I get a little swelling in one ankle and foot when I am on them all day which my gyn-onc says is a reaction to the combination of having 25 lymph nodes removed and the rest radiated during the pelvic radiation. It could get better or could get worse, but it's not bad now as long as I put my feet up as soon after it starts swelling as I can. I do use a vaginal dilator every day since having the brachy radiation, and you will have to also if you have internal vaginal radiation. It's no big deal, but it is a life-long routine change.

I am Stage III-c, and my gyn-onc was still surprised that I had so much radiation; but then he is a CHEMO advocate for UPSC, and I know that you are not considering chemo. (right?)

So that's a lot of radiation for Stage 1 cancer. I personally would do it, but I am also in excellent physical shape (besides the Stage 3 cancer! HA!) and have been able to tolerate all of my treatments pretty well with almost no side effects. And I personally have to know that I did everything I could to kill this cancer and be cured forever. And I have Stage III-c UPSC, so I really felt I didn't have a choice. You honestly do have a difficult choice to make at Stage 1.

I caution you, if you decide to do this, to make sure that those 25 rounds of pelvic radiation are IMRT. IMRT is so much less harsh that the more conventional beam radiation and protects your bowels and bladder and bones so much better. And if you do the internal brachys, try and get the less damaging kind that is positioned with a CT-scan each time and doesn't require a rectal marker or catheter. If you plan to be this aggressive, you need to make sure that you cause as little permanent damage as you can to everything else EXCEPT the cancer cells.

maryln3

lindaprocopio said:

I had 28 rounds external pelvic & 3 internal brachys.
I have had no lasting digestive or sexual side effects at all since my radiation ended July 1st. I get a little swelling in one ankle and foot when I am on them all day which my gyn-onc says is a reaction to the combination of having 25 lymph nodes removed and the rest radiated during the pelvic radiation. It could get better or could get worse, but it's not bad now as long as I put my feet up as soon after it starts swelling as I can. I do use a vaginal dilator every day since having the brachy radiation, and you will have to also if you have internal vaginal radiation. It's no big deal, but it is a life-long routine change.

I am Stage III-c, and my gyn-onc was still surprised that I had so much radiation; but then he is a CHEMO advocate for UPSC, and I know that you are not considering chemo. (right?)

So that's a lot of radiation for Stage 1 cancer. I personally would do it, but I am also in excellent physical shape (besides the Stage 3 cancer! HA!) and have been able to tolerate all of my treatments pretty well with almost no side effects. And I personally have to know that I did everything I could to kill this cancer and be cured forever. And I have Stage III-c UPSC, so I really felt I didn't have a choice. You honestly do have a difficult choice to make at Stage 1.

I caution you, if you decide to do this, to make sure that those 25 rounds of pelvic radiation are IMRT. IMRT is so much less harsh that the more conventional beam radiation and protects your bowels and bladder and bones so much better. And if you do the internal brachys, try and get the less damaging kind that is positioned with a CT-scan each time and doesn't require a rectal marker or catheter. If you plan to be this aggressive, you need to make sure that you cause as little permanent damage as you can to everything else EXCEPT the cancer cells.

radiation
you seem to be well versed so i ask you thios question


since my cancer did not hit the nodes what do u think of this

what if i do no radiation....if i get rADIATION TO CUFF ONLY AND CANCER COMES BACK IN YEAR OR 2 I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE RADIATION AGAIN..(IS THAT TRUE RADIATION ONLY ONCE)

SO WHY NOT DO NOTHING AND WAIT AND SEE IF IT COME BACK...AND THEN IF IT OCMES BACK I WILL GET RADIATION AND CHEMO....

I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS AN OPTION UNTIL 9/8/09

ENOMERIAL I AM TOLD USUALLY DOES NOT SPREAD ?????

THANKS FOR TELLING ME WHAT TO WATCH FOR I PRINTED IT OUT SO I WILL HAVE IT WHEN I MEET THE SPECOALIST

lindaprocopio

maryln3 said:

radiation
you seem to be well versed so i ask you thios question


since my cancer did not hit the nodes what do u think of this

what if i do no radiation....if i get rADIATION TO CUFF ONLY AND CANCER COMES BACK IN YEAR OR 2 I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HAVE RADIATION AGAIN..(IS THAT TRUE RADIATION ONLY ONCE)

SO WHY NOT DO NOTHING AND WAIT AND SEE IF IT COME BACK...AND THEN IF IT OCMES BACK I WILL GET RADIATION AND CHEMO....

I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS AN OPTION UNTIL 9/8/09

ENOMERIAL I AM TOLD USUALLY DOES NOT SPREAD ?????

THANKS FOR TELLING ME WHAT TO WATCH FOR I PRINTED IT OUT SO I WILL HAVE IT WHEN I MEET THE SPECOALIST

I specifically asked if the pelvic area could be radiated again.
I was told by the radiation oncologist that, with IMRT radiation, the same region CAN be radiated again if there is a recurrance in that region, as IMRT can 'back off' the specific area that was radiated the first time and still taget the new tumor.

Please don't let the discussions about UPSC guide your decision here. You have a lower grade type of endometrial cancer than UPSC, don't you? UPSC is a Type 2 / Grade 3 cancer; while 90% of uterine cancers are Type 1 cancers. The women here with UPSC have to consider chemo and radiation even if they are Stage 1 because UPSC starts travelling microscopically in your body almost immediately, and if you wait until it 'seeds' everywhere, it's almost impossible to get rid of it all later on. But if you don't have UPSC, please don't let all of our UPSC discussions color your decision.

Fran60

Insurance against cancer
If you have UPSC I would advise you to go for chemo and radiation. I had Stage 1a in 2006 went through surgery and had 4 radiation treatments (internal) one treatment each week. The cancer returned this year. I had a ct scan in April and my lungs were flooded. You want to make sure this does not come back as now they tell me it is not cureable. I will be fighting this. I am hoping to get it in remission again, but no guarantees. I just had my 5th round of chemo and had a scan and it is working but I know I can only do so much chemo. I am not trying to scare you, but I would do all precautionary treatments.

MoeKay

What has your treatment team
What has your treatment team said your chances of recurrence are with and without the external pelvic radiation? Also, what did they say the likelihood of a cure would be if you decided not to have the external radiation now, but only after you experienced a recurrence?

MoeKay

maryln3

lindaprocopio said:

I specifically asked if the pelvic area could be radiated again.
I was told by the radiation oncologist that, with IMRT radiation, the same region CAN be radiated again if there is a recurrance in that region, as IMRT can 'back off' the specific area that was radiated the first time and still taget the new tumor.

Please don't let the discussions about UPSC guide your decision here. You have a lower grade type of endometrial cancer than UPSC, don't you? UPSC is a Type 2 / Grade 3 cancer; while 90% of uterine cancers are Type 1 cancers. The women here with UPSC have to consider chemo and radiation even if they are Stage 1 because UPSC starts travelling microscopically in your body almost immediately, and if you wait until it 'seeds' everywhere, it's almost impossible to get rid of it all later on. But if you don't have UPSC, please don't let all of our UPSC discussions color your decision.

HI LINDA, YOU ARE CORRECT IHave ENDO.CANCER. WHEW I WAS SO HAPPY WHEN I READ YOUR REPLY...
I WILL MEET WITH THE RADIOLOIGIST 9-8 HE WAS REFEERRED BY SECOND SURGEON AND THEN REFER BACK TO FOX CHASE CANCER CENTER LOCATED 2 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE AFTER THOSE 2 APPT I KNOW I WILL BE CLEAR..THNAKS AGAIN FOR TAKING TIME TO REPLY..
MARYELLEN
ENDO CANCER STAGE1C DIAGNOSE 6/2009

Unknown

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

maryln3

unknown said:

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

HI PATRICIA
YES I AM FEELING BETTER, THE SECOND SURGERY KICKED MY BUTT, MY STOMACH AREA IS SORE..THE 5 HOLES ARE COMPLETELY HEALED..SO I GUESS THE MUSCLES ARE SORE...BOWELS ARE SLUGGISH...

BUT I AM DEFINITELY BETTER THIS WEEK..

SO YOU THINK I WAS NOT CALM???? LOL YOU ARE SO RIGHT..I HAD TO GET IT TOGETHER ..

howdybooth

maryln3 said:

HI PATRICIA
YES I AM FEELING BETTER, THE SECOND SURGERY KICKED MY BUTT, MY STOMACH AREA IS SORE..THE 5 HOLES ARE COMPLETELY HEALED..SO I GUESS THE MUSCLES ARE SORE...BOWELS ARE SLUGGISH...

BUT I AM DEFINITELY BETTER THIS WEEK..

SO YOU THINK I WAS NOT CALM???? LOL YOU ARE SO RIGHT..I HAD TO GET IT TOGETHER ..

Get imrt
MaryEllen
please consider the radiation. My sister had stage 1b, grade 2 and the cancer hadn't spread passed the uterus. Everything removed in Feb no radiation, no chemotherapy. The cancer showed back up in late June on the vaginal cuff. Dr is baffled, but we sure wish now that she had been given the choice of more treatments. Ask for imrt and do it soon, your INS may deny and you will want to fight them. Best of luck with your decision.