Surgery over and doing well - post op check up on Tuesday

JVN_03092012
JVN_03092012 Member Posts: 13
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1
on April 25th, surgery(Da Vinci) went well - was home the next day, off all pain meds on the 3rd day home and spent last week resting (actually spending extra time with the grandkids - which is the best medicine anyway). Only real issue is the itching of the incisions but I am happy with that is all I have to complain amount. Tumor was contained within the uterus but he still removed the ovaries, tubes and pelvic lymph nodes.

So on Tuesday - I will get the reports back on the lymph nodes but am very hopeful based on what the doctor said the cancer was contained tumor and I may not have to do any other treatment. I have been doing research and found a study where with surgery for a grade 1 tumor & 3 treatments of Brachy therapy(internal radiation) - there was 100% for 5 yr survival. I really like those odds but I can not find any data where surgery only was done. Trying to decide should I push for the radiation or not just to make sure.

Any ideas where I could find the information I am looking for.

Comments

  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #2
    so glad
    that you came through surgery well. Best wishes for an uneventful journey.

    Mary Ann
  • LizGrrr
    LizGrrr Member Posts: 127 Member
    #3
    Odds
    My gyn onc gave me these odds after de-bulking (UPSC IA) and 3 rounds of carbo/taxol:

    65% if nothing further was done
    50% if I had 25 radiation treatments
    30% if I had 3 more rounds of carbo/taxol
    15% if I did both the radiation and the additional chemo

    Given my relative youth (I'm 45) my onc and the radiation onc recommended external radiation rather than brachytherapy. I tolerated the treatment well with just fatigue and diarrhea - no burning to the skin, no bladder issues, no vaginal discomfort.

    I've now had one of the three additional chemos with two to go.

    HTH,
    Liz in Dallas
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #4
    LizGrrr said:

    Odds
    My gyn onc gave me these odds after de-bulking (UPSC IA) and 3 rounds of carbo/taxol:

    65% if nothing further was done
    50% if I had 25 radiation treatments
    30% if I had 3 more rounds of carbo/taxol
    15% if I did both the radiation and the additional chemo

    Given my relative youth (I'm 45) my onc and the radiation onc recommended external radiation rather than brachytherapy. I tolerated the treatment well with just fatigue and diarrhea - no burning to the skin, no bladder issues, no vaginal discomfort.

    I've now had one of the three additional chemos with two to go.

    HTH,
    Liz in Dallas

    odds
    Liz, so the more treatment you get, the LOWER your odds of recurrence?
  • Kaleena
    Kaleena Member Posts: 2,088 Member
    #5
    I don't know if this will
    I don't know if this will help, but here is my information:

    45 years old at diagnosis after having a "routine" hysterectomy
    Then needed a staging surgery after cancer was found - final diagnoses Endometrial Adenocarcinoma - Grade 2, Stage iiia
    (Found in the uterus and left ovary). Nothing else found at the staging surgery.

    Took a "preventative" treatment of Carboplatin/Gemzar spread out over six months. (I was allergic to Taxol). A year later they decided to give me 3 brachytherapies. (No real reason other than it was questinoable of where it originated from). Radiation/Oncologist would not do pelvic radiation because how much I scar. I did get a port for treatment.

    I will be 52 in June.
  • light42day
    light42day Member Posts: 62 Member
    #6
    Kaleena said:

    I don't know if this will
    I don't know if this will help, but here is my information:

    45 years old at diagnosis after having a "routine" hysterectomy
    Then needed a staging surgery after cancer was found - final diagnoses Endometrial Adenocarcinoma - Grade 2, Stage iiia
    (Found in the uterus and left ovary). Nothing else found at the staging surgery.

    Took a "preventative" treatment of Carboplatin/Gemzar spread out over six months. (I was allergic to Taxol). A year later they decided to give me 3 brachytherapies. (No real reason other than it was questinoable of where it originated from). Radiation/Oncologist would not do pelvic radiation because how much I scar. I did get a port for treatment.

    I will be 52 in June.

    Surgery over and doing well
    I'm so glad your surgery went well and you're recovering now. I hope your Path report comes out postive and you need no further treatment, too.

    I also had the DaVinci surgery back in Feb. and it went very well. My cancer was contained to the uterus and I had no lymph node involvement but a positive pelvic wash so I chose to do 3 rounds of Taxol/Carbo to give me close to a 1oo% cure rate.

    My Gyn/Onc told me that she does'nt like to do Radiation unless there's a really good reason for it so they can use it at a future time if there's any recurrance of the cancer.

    Wish you the best!
    Peg
  • LizGrrr
    LizGrrr Member Posts: 127 Member
    #7
    daisy366 said:

    odds
    Liz, so the more treatment you get, the LOWER your odds of recurrence?

    odds
    yes - the more treatment the lower the chance of recurrence. I was horrified that after surgery and 3 rounds of chemo I still had a 65% chance of recurrence

    Liz in Dallas
  • jazzy1
    jazzy1 Member Posts: 1,379
    #8
    daisy366 said:

    odds
    Liz, so the more treatment you get, the LOWER your odds of recurrence?

    Mary Ann
    I think too depends on how aggressive our cancer type is....yours and mine are both aggressive --- UPSC and MMMT. For one thing mine is staged 3C, found in 1 pelvic lymph node only, and he wanted to be as aggressive as possible to beat this devil.

    Unfortunately there's not really a "one treatment for all" method, and all we can hope for is a good, qualified OB oncologist to guide us. I've got the best in my area, so have more of a comfort level. He as well deals with MMMT, even has a few active and past patients with same type cancer.

    Jan
  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    #9
    JVN glad you made it through the surgery well
    I too had the DaVinci surgery and did very well. Wishing you good results on your pathology report. Continue to take it one day at a time. In peace and caring.
  • pakb56
    pakb56 Member Posts: 141
    #10
    Good wishes...
    Sending good thouhts your way for your post op tomorrow.

    Take care...Pat
  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #11
    pakb56 said:

    Good wishes...
    Sending good thouhts your way for your post op tomorrow.

    Take care...Pat

    Treatment for Stage 1a
    depends on the type of cancer and grade. I had endometriod adenocarcinoma Grade 1. My stats are 95% chance of no recurrence with surgery alone. The risk of treatments is higher than my risk of recurrence. I have had pelvic exams and paps every 4 months. It's been just about 2 years, so now even that has been reduced to every 6 months. Yahooie.

    But the more aggressive grades and Type 2 endo cancers (UPSC, MMT, clear cell, etc.) typically have adjuvunct treatments even at Stage 1a because the risks of recurrence are lowered significantly with treatments.

    Do you know what type and grade of cancer you had?

    So glad your surgery is finally behind you and hope you have a great post op visit tomorrow.

    Suzanne
  • SettledSue
    SettledSue Member Posts: 55 Member
    #12
    I just had my first
    I just had my first brachytherapy yesterday and it wasn't bad at all. It took less than an hour (the actual radiaton was in me only 6 or 7 minutes) and it didn't hurt. So far no side effects.

    Since my cancer is Stage 2b and Grade 3 (clear cell) I am agreeing to whatever treatments my oncologists suggest, which are two more brachytherapy treatments and up to six rounds of chemo.
  • JVN_03092012
    JVN_03092012 Member Posts: 13
    #13
    Double Whammy said:

    Treatment for Stage 1a
    depends on the type of cancer and grade. I had endometriod adenocarcinoma Grade 1. My stats are 95% chance of no recurrence with surgery alone. The risk of treatments is higher than my risk of recurrence. I have had pelvic exams and paps every 4 months. It's been just about 2 years, so now even that has been reduced to every 6 months. Yahooie.

    But the more aggressive grades and Type 2 endo cancers (UPSC, MMT, clear cell, etc.) typically have adjuvunct treatments even at Stage 1a because the risks of recurrence are lowered significantly with treatments.

    Do you know what type and grade of cancer you had?

    So glad your surgery is finally behind you and hope you have a great post op visit tomorrow.

    Suzanne

    Double Whammy-
    I had endometriod adenocarcinoma Grade 1 also and the stats I got are the same (95% chance of no recurrence with surgery alone). It had only invaded 2 mm of the uterine lining out of 30mm. It also sounds like I will have the same follow-up go back in 4 weeks (6 weeks post op) then every 3-4 months for the next 12-18 months then every 6 months up to 5 years. I feel VERY BLESSED.

    I was talking to a friend the other day and she said something about me being a cancer survivor which was weird to hear. I think because I never felt sick, had pain or have to go through any other treatment like many of the others on the site I just did not think of myself as a survivor and still don't in many ways. But when my GYNO ONCOLOGIST stated I was now his patient and so unless I had the need to go back and chat my regular GYNO there was no reason to go back to her. This is when it started to sink in.
  • JVN_03092012
    JVN_03092012 Member Posts: 13
    #14
    Double Whammy said:

    Treatment for Stage 1a
    depends on the type of cancer and grade. I had endometriod adenocarcinoma Grade 1. My stats are 95% chance of no recurrence with surgery alone. The risk of treatments is higher than my risk of recurrence. I have had pelvic exams and paps every 4 months. It's been just about 2 years, so now even that has been reduced to every 6 months. Yahooie.

    But the more aggressive grades and Type 2 endo cancers (UPSC, MMT, clear cell, etc.) typically have adjuvunct treatments even at Stage 1a because the risks of recurrence are lowered significantly with treatments.

    Do you know what type and grade of cancer you had?

    So glad your surgery is finally behind you and hope you have a great post op visit tomorrow.

    Suzanne

    some how double posted

    some how double posted
  • daisy366
    daisy366 Member Posts: 1,458 Member
    #15
    SettledSue said:

    I just had my first
    I just had my first brachytherapy yesterday and it wasn't bad at all. It took less than an hour (the actual radiaton was in me only 6 or 7 minutes) and it didn't hurt. So far no side effects.

    Since my cancer is Stage 2b and Grade 3 (clear cell) I am agreeing to whatever treatments my oncologists suggest, which are two more brachytherapy treatments and up to six rounds of chemo.

    JVN
    Yes, you are very blessed. I am so happy that things are well with you.

    Now enjoy "dancing with NED"!!!

    Mary Ann
  • LaurelWillow
    LaurelWillow Member Posts: 13
    #16
    SettledSue said:

    I just had my first
    I just had my first brachytherapy yesterday and it wasn't bad at all. It took less than an hour (the actual radiaton was in me only 6 or 7 minutes) and it didn't hurt. So far no side effects.

    Since my cancer is Stage 2b and Grade 3 (clear cell) I am agreeing to whatever treatments my oncologists suggest, which are two more brachytherapy treatments and up to six rounds of chemo.

    Settled Sue
    I hope that treatments continue to go well and that you have few long-term effects. May your body remain healthy and strong to be able to fend off the invading cancer.

    Best wishes!
  • light42day
    light42day Member Posts: 62 Member
    #17
    LaurelWillow said:

    Settled Sue
    I hope that treatments continue to go well and that you have few long-term effects. May your body remain healthy and strong to be able to fend off the invading cancer.

    Best wishes!

    Post-op check up
    I'm so glad you're doing well and need no further treatment! Hope you stay that way and never need any again!

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