Scared and waiting for results...... is it normal to schedule surgery before lab results come back?

Hello Amy,

 My name is Tami I was diagnosed with Uterine Papillary Serous Carcinoma on May 18 2012 with grade 3 stage 3c. I too was 45 years old. I also had an ablation performed about 4 years ago, when my doctor went in to do my hysteroscopy she saw nothing suspicous. Even though I also had alot of watery, yellowish, foul smelling discharge for a couple months. I believe now the ablation masked my cancer. I was also spotting alot in between my periods ( The ablation never fully got rid of my periods). My gynecologist was in shock when she received the biopsy report, and she immediately referred me to an oncologist gynecologist. If I were you I would wait to see what the biospy says and if it is cancer get a specialist to do your surgery who is experienced in this area and know what they need to do for the best results. Your biopsy results could take that long, but they may come back even sooner. I know it seems like forever when you are waiting. If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask. The girls on this board are great and will also reply to you as well. You can also email me as well. Tami

Dear Amy:

I was also 45 when I was diagnosed.  I went in for a "routine" hysterectomy and ended up with Grade 2, Stage 3 endometrial adenocarcinoma.   Even though I had a laparoscopy and a internal ultrasound, prior to my hysterectomy they did not find anything then.   However, I had asked to have certain tests done (like a CT scan) prior to my hysterectomy and said I didn't need them.  I should of had them done because they may have seen the cancer prior to my hysterectomy.  Because they didn't, I had to have another surgery for staging.

Like the other poster said, make sure your surgeon is a gyn/onc especially if they feel that there is a chance it could be cancer.   Also find out what kind of hysterectomy you are going to have.  Since you have been having troubles I would make sure you would have a total hysterectomy (ovaries, tubes, etc)  Also see if they are removing the appendix and omentum.  Talk about all of this with your provider so that you can make the choice that you feel most comfortable with.  

Waiting for results is so annoying.    Keep yourself busy.    And if it is driving you crazy, call the doctor's office up and aks if the results are in.  Also, ask questions.  All questions are important when you are involved.

Wishing the best for you!

Kathy

(P.S. - I'll be 53 in a couple of months!) 

AmyMarin said:

Thank you, Kathy

Hi Kathy,

Thanks for sharing your story and for the excellent information.  I hadn't even thought about asking for removal of the appendix and omentum.  Sometimes I feel like we have to be proactive and be an advocate for our own health.  I had been telling both of my doctors about my symptoms for a period of several years, and it's taken that whole time even to get to this point of realizing something is really wrong.  Waiting is extremely difficult but I feel calmed by having more and more information, so I really appreciate you taking the time (as well as the other poster Tami) to help others when you have your own busy life to live. Thank you so much, Amy.

Whatever your outcome, I wish you the very best.  Here is a quote I came across that has helped me cope.  It is from Neil Gaiman, one of my favourite British novelists: "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but they tell us that dragons can be beaten.

I was recently diagnosed with endometrial adenocarcinoma. Nothing could have shocked me more, since I have no risk factors (besides being 58), and I was super-fit and completely symptom-free until 24 hours before my biopsy. I went to a major teaching hospital one day after I had a sudden, dramatic, out-of-the-blue bleed. I had inadvertently doubled up with two progesterone pills hours before the bleed, and I was thinking I just shocked my uterus into shedding its rubbish and maybe I should get my HRT adjusted.  

I didn't even pick up a hint that the doctor seemed to know immediately that I had cancer.   I had been scheduled to see a nurse-practitioner in the last appointment of the day on a Friday, but after she talked to me for a few minutes, she said she would go off and find "a doctor" to see me within half an hour. That should have tipped me off to something, in retrospect.

I didn't know that the doctor she found was a gynecological oncologist, who did an immediate biopsy. I thought it was probably some random 4th year resident. Naively, I'm still thinking this is just CYA stuff they have to do to rule out the remote possibility of cancer.  The gyn/onc nailed the single focus when she took the biopsy, and I had the results on the following Tuesday.  I didn't know there were various grades.  I am sure she would have told me if I had thought to ask, but she didn't volunteer that information, and thank heavens for that or I would have been even more terrified.  

When the gyn-onc called to tell me the biopsy was positive, she also informed me that she had already scheduled surgery (Davinci hysterectomy, ovaries, tubes, cervix) for April 18, though if possible she would move that up. It was a huge shock, and I couldn't believe it was straight into surgery with no real discussion.  I asked her if I should get another opinion.  I could, she said, but the biopsy was the biopsy, and no reputable doctor was going to recommend anything other than the huge surgery she had already scheduled me for.  I will say that she was compassionate in delivering the news.  When she called, it was six pm and she said she was on call until 11 and I could call her back over the next five hours as many times as I needed to as I processed the information and came up with new questions.  

Ultimately I had the biopsy, diagnosis, and surgery all in the span of about 3 weeks.  I am still trying to process all of this, but I am greatful that I didn't have a lot of time to be terrified.  I am sure by now you have some information, but from my perspective, I am not sure that any cancer patient ever gets as much useful information as she needs.