Has this happened to anyone with UPSC

Pat51

Hi Ladies,

I have USPC.  I had surgery and treatment in 2011 and have been NED since then.  I have not posted in while.  My husband recently passed away from melanoma and I have been having a rough time of things.  I went to my GYN for a pap a week ago.  I had a message on my answering machine tonight to call his office.  I knew that I could see my test results online, so I immediately went to look at them.  It says that there are atypical squamous cells on the pap test.  Since I had a total hysto does this mean recurrence???  Has anyone else with UPSC had a pap result like this?  What did it mean for you?  I am panicking and have no one to talk to about this.  I am alone since my husband died.   If anyone has any experience or advise please respond.

Pat

RGW

Abnormal pap

I had UPSC in 2010, with hysterectomy, chemo & radiation. I have had frequent abnormal Pap smears since then. My surgeon says it is probably from radiation changes. i panicked, too when I heard from his office the first time about the abnormal pap. 

Pat51

RGW said:

Abnormal pap

I had UPSC in 2010, with hysterectomy, chemo & radiation. I have had frequent abnormal Pap smears since then. My surgeon says it is probably from radiation changes. i panicked, too when I heard from his office the first time about the abnormal pap. 

RGW

Thanks for the response.  Did your doctor do any test to assure that it was not a recurrence?  Did you have normal paps between the abnormal ones?  I have had all normal pap results up until now.  I thought that nearly 3 years out from diagnosis I was getting to a point where is less chance of recurrence.  Thanks for the reassurance because I am panicking.

Pat

RGW

Pat51 said:

RGW

Thanks for the response.  Did your doctor do any test to assure that it was not a recurrence?  Did you have normal paps between the abnormal ones?  I have had all normal pap results up until now.  I thought that nearly 3 years out from diagnosis I was getting to a point where is less chance of recurrence.  Thanks for the reassurance because I am panicking.

Pat

Pap

I'm trying to remember--I had my hysterectomy in March 2010 & finished treatment in September 2010. I had an abnormal pap in March 2012, but I don't remember if I had any paps before then. It is still somewhat of a blur. My doctor said it was not a reoccurrence, but I was still getting regular PET/CTs at that time, so anything suspicious would have showed up.

 

ConnieSW

RGW said:

Pap

I'm trying to remember--I had my hysterectomy in March 2010 & finished treatment in September 2010. I had an abnormal pap in March 2012, but I don't remember if I had any paps before then. It is still somewhat of a blur. My doctor said it was not a reoccurrence, but I was still getting regular PET/CTs at that time, so anything suspicious would have showed up.

 

Pap

Sometimes my paps are normal, sometimes not.  My dr says they can go back and forth and not to worry.  what I read on the internet supports this but I still find it confusing.  I finished treatment in  August 2012.

Pat51

ConnieSW said:

Pap

Sometimes my paps are normal, sometimes not.  My dr says they can go back and forth and not to worry.  what I read on the internet supports this but I still find it confusing.  I finished treatment in  August 2012.

Ladies thank you for the replies

Thank you ladies for the replies.  It is very helpful to know that this is not necessarily a recurrence.  As you know, that is where your mind immediately goes and panic sets in.  I talked to the nurse today and did not get many answers...new nurse at my doctor's office.  They are scheduling a biopsy of the vagainal cuff for next Monday.  She said that he just wants to check everything out because of my history with UPSC.  I am glad that he is going to test to find out for sure if there is something there or not.  I expect to know the results in about a week.  Perhaps he is being cautious since he does not deal with UPSC very much.  I do not have a gyn/oncologist since there are none in my area, my doctor is a just on ob/gyn but he has been very good during my cancer journey.   I will be on pins and needles until I get the results, but I am praying that I am in a panic for no good reason.

Again Ladies, many thanks for your support. 

Pat

Kaleena

Pat51 said:

Ladies thank you for the replies

Thank you ladies for the replies.  It is very helpful to know that this is not necessarily a recurrence.  As you know, that is where your mind immediately goes and panic sets in.  I talked to the nurse today and did not get many answers...new nurse at my doctor's office.  They are scheduling a biopsy of the vagainal cuff for next Monday.  She said that he just wants to check everything out because of my history with UPSC.  I am glad that he is going to test to find out for sure if there is something there or not.  I expect to know the results in about a week.  Perhaps he is being cautious since he does not deal with UPSC very much.  I do not have a gyn/oncologist since there are none in my area, my doctor is a just on ob/gyn but he has been very good during my cancer journey.   I will be on pins and needles until I get the results, but I am praying that I am in a panic for no good reason.

Again Ladies, many thanks for your support. 

Pat

PAP test

Pat:

My last two PAP smears (May and November) both came back with ASCUS (atypical).   As a result of this, they should have tested you for HPV which is a test they perform if you get an abnormal reading.  My first won was negative but my last one was positive for HPV.   Of course, I was very concerned.   But according to my new doctor which I just got, this only determines your chances of getting cervical cancer.   From all of the readings, it is like a precancer condition and it can take 5 to 10 years before anything (cervical) can develop if at all.    My new doctor said that the PAP will not indicate my recurrence of my uterine cancer. (if it did they would have had other cells found in the PAP smear).    And he usually doesn't do a PAP.  (I had a total hysterectomy)

 

The biopsy you are getting is probably called an endocervical curettage and this is where they will take additional scappings and examine them.   And if they feel it may be something, the treatment is usually zapping it or freezing it.

You can have readings of either squamous or glandular.  Glandular is the glandular cell abnormalities (3 catagories, one which includes adenocarcinoma)   Since you indicated atypical squamous, the doctors probably just want to be cautious since you are not seeing a gyne/oncologist.   

My best to you on Monday.   Take a breath!

Kathy

 

P S.   I was diagnosed in 2005 and had been getting PAP smears every 6 months or at least every year since then.  The only other time I had an abnormal was shortly after brachytherapy treatment, until now.

Pat51

I had to go back for a colposcopy on Monday and had a biopsy of the vaginal cuff done.  I just got the results of the biopsy and I happy to report that the results were negative...no cancer just acute inflammation.  I am very relieved and happy to remain NED at this time.  Thank you ladies for your support.

Ro10

Pat51 said:

I had to go back for a colposcopy on Monday and had a biopsy of the vaginal cuff done.  I just got the results of the biopsy and I happy to report that the results were negative...no cancer just acute inflammation.  I am very relieved and happy to remain NED at this time.  Thank you ladies for your support.

Pat

So happy for your good results.  Continue that dance with NED.  In peace and caring.

ConnieSW

Ro10 said:

Pat

So happy for your good results.  Continue that dance with NED.  In peace and caring.

Pat

Great news.

MTheresa

Pat51 said:

I had to go back for a colposcopy on Monday and had a biopsy of the vaginal cuff done.  I just got the results of the biopsy and I happy to report that the results were negative...no cancer just acute inflammation.  I am very relieved and happy to remain NED at this time.  Thank you ladies for your support.

Pap test

Pat, I'm so happy for you to find that your results were good.

I'm 9 months post-chemo and brachtherapy.  Everything looks good,

but it's hard to rest easy, isn't it?