Hysterectomy

plrptc
plrptc Member Posts: 32
edited March 2014 in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
I am scheduled for a hysterectomy on the 15th of this month. I have been diagnosed with grade 1 uterine cancer. My doctor says that the staging of the uterine cancer will be done during the hysterectomy.
I have seen postings by other members that additional cancer was found immediately after surgery. Am I understanding these postings correctly? Could I be facing additional cancer diagnoses?

Comments

  • Teemac
    Teemac Member Posts: 26
    #2
    GOOD QUESTION
    HI I AM IN THE SAME BOAT. MY SURGERY IS THE 11TH. MY DR TOLD ME THE SAME THING. I ASKED IF I WOULD NEED TO HAVE CHEMO OR ANYTHING AFTER THE SURGERY AND HE SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO SEE AFTER. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SURGERY I WILL KEEP YOU IN MY PRAYERS.

    TEE
  • plrptc
    plrptc Member Posts: 32
    #3
    Teemac said:

    GOOD QUESTION
    HI I AM IN THE SAME BOAT. MY SURGERY IS THE 11TH. MY DR TOLD ME THE SAME THING. I ASKED IF I WOULD NEED TO HAVE CHEMO OR ANYTHING AFTER THE SURGERY AND HE SAID WE WOULD HAVE TO SEE AFTER. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SURGERY I WILL KEEP YOU IN MY PRAYERS.

    TEE

    Thank you
    Thank you Tee. I too wish you all the best with your surgery and will keep you in my prayers as well.
    I look forward to seeing posts next week from you with the wonderful news of a successful surgery! :)
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980 Member
    #4
    plrptc said:

    Thank you
    Thank you Tee. I too wish you all the best with your surgery and will keep you in my prayers as well.
    I look forward to seeing posts next week from you with the wonderful news of a successful surgery! :)

    The grade and stage are better determined after surgery.
    After your surgery, the pathologists have a lot more tissue to analyze and you can get a really definitive diagnosis. Until they get in there and remove a bunch of lymph nodes to test, it's hard for them to be sure that your cancer is confined to your uterus, as stray cancer cells can show up microscopically elsewhere and they can't know that until they have the lymph nodes to slice up and look at. So the STAGE of your cancer is really determined definitively after your surgery, although you have every reason to be optimistic that it will remain Stage 1.

    The other thing that gets confirmed or possibly changed after the surgery pathology is the GRADE of the cancer. The GRADE looks at how aggressive the cell type is, and thus how likely it is that your cancer will recur. Many women with Grade 3 aggressive cell types like clear cell and papillary serous go ahead and do chemo and radiation even if they are Stage 1, in order to better assure that all stray cancer cells are dead. I was Stage 3c, but with a Grade 3 cancer cell type, I would personally have done adjuvent chemo and radiation even if I was Stage 1.
  • plrptc
    plrptc Member Posts: 32
    #5
    lindaprocopio said:

    The grade and stage are better determined after surgery.
    After your surgery, the pathologists have a lot more tissue to analyze and you can get a really definitive diagnosis. Until they get in there and remove a bunch of lymph nodes to test, it's hard for them to be sure that your cancer is confined to your uterus, as stray cancer cells can show up microscopically elsewhere and they can't know that until they have the lymph nodes to slice up and look at. So the STAGE of your cancer is really determined definitively after your surgery, although you have every reason to be optimistic that it will remain Stage 1.

    The other thing that gets confirmed or possibly changed after the surgery pathology is the GRADE of the cancer. The GRADE looks at how aggressive the cell type is, and thus how likely it is that your cancer will recur. Many women with Grade 3 aggressive cell types like clear cell and papillary serous go ahead and do chemo and radiation even if they are Stage 1, in order to better assure that all stray cancer cells are dead. I was Stage 3c, but with a Grade 3 cancer cell type, I would personally have done adjuvent chemo and radiation even if I was Stage 1.

    Thank you
    Thank you for your reply...very informative.
    I have thought of so many questions since meeting with me doctor. Everyone on this site is so very helpful and compassionate.
    My best to you.

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