Worring for no reason???

tecara

Long story short a year ago I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on the cervix. A cold knife cone was done and the margins came back clean. 4 months later first pap after the CKC came back clear. The past month of so I have had cramping. I have been on depo for years so haven't had periods or cramping in many many years till now. It is like menstrual cramps and sometimes bad enough I have to take medication. Could this be a sign that the cancer is back?? Or am I worrying for nothing?? I have another follow up appointment for another pap next week. I will let my Dr. know about the cramping.

Thanks for the input.

longtermsurvivor

Cold knife cone and follow up
Cold knife conization is used for both diagnostic and treatment purposes. It provides a speciman that the pathologist can determine whether you had invasive cervical cancer, or any one of several PREcancerous changes on the cervix. If you were determined to have invasive cancerr, cold knife cone would not be a treatment for that problem. Invasive cancer of the cervix is treated either with radical hysterectomy or with radiation. Never with cold knife cone. The terminology is confusing, as one of the precancerous lesions of the cervix is actually called "carcinoma-in-situ". This term sounds like cancer but is actually not. It is actually a precancerous change.

This is just a complicateed way of saying that, if you only had a CKC, you did NOT have cervical cancer. This is obviously good news for you, but my words are likely to leave you confused. So let me suggest you go back to the doctor who did your proceedure and have another discussion about your original disease.

Having said all that, cramping like you describe is nonspecific. It certainly doesn't presage cancer, nor a recurrance of an old problem. I'd think given what you've said above, a rediscussion off your situation is in order, but I wouldn't be terrified off the new symptom.

Wishing you the best.