Diagnosing Uterine Cancer

lp1978, please slow down.  You are getting way ahead of yourself.  If there are concerns it sounds like they are doing tests - which is GREAT - to see what is going on.  Why are they conducting these tests??  I am sure if you give a little more information the ladies will be better able to answer you.

lp1978 said:

Not sure by what you mean slow down

They are checking for uterine cancer. My doctor says I have symptoms that indicate that it could be what is causing my problems and it has effected almost every woman on my mothers side of the family. I simply want to know what other people experienced as symptoms. I am not assuming anything. Looking only for informtation From other women. 

Hello, lp1978,

I am post-menopausal, and my only uterine cancer symptom was a small amount of blood on my panties.  My symptom lasted one day only. I had no other symptoms at all.   I think that symptoms may include abdominal or back pain and possible bloating and cramping. I think I read that if a woman is pre-menopausal, than bleeding between periods could be a sign of uterine cancer.  I am hoping that with further testing- such as an ultrasound and a uterine biopsy- they will find that you don't have cancer. Will your doctor do a CA-125 blood assay test?   My grandmother died from uterine cancer and her daughter, my aunt, died of either uterine or ovarian cancer, so I can certainly understand your fear giving your family history.   It's good that you are diligent with your medical care.  Please keep us posted lp1978.

Wishing you only the best,

Cathy

The thing that led to my diagnosis was bleeding.  However, there were many other things that I later realized were symptoms I had missed.  I was 61 when I was found to have stage IVb Uterine Papillary Serous Carcinoma.  When I hit menopause 10 years earlier, I never had hot flashes.  About a year or two before I was diagnosed, I started getting wicked hot flashes.  I complained to my doctors and they assumed they were a result of menopause. After eating lunch, I was often really tired and had to take a nap for an hour or two.  After being on my feet for a long time shopping, I noticed my belly felt heavier when I got home and climbed up the stairs (of course, I was carrying a lot more weight with the cancer).  I was bloated, which I blamed on being overweight.  About 3 weeks before I started bleeding, I heard something on TV about how bruising could be a sign of cancer.  I thought that if that was true, I should have been diagnosed with cancer long ago.  I almost always had bruises on my legs.  I couldn't remember what I had done to myself to cause them. Also, I noticed a strange fishy smell when I went to the bathroom, which I later found out was from a discharge I wasn't seeing.  It must have been clear in color.  I did have some abdominal pains at times.  I thought I had celiac disease because my mother had it, but I was tested twice and both tests were negative.  I got one little ping of pain every day, once a day, in my left side.  It was probably because my cancer had spread into my ovaries.  

Ten years before my diagnosis, I had a benign polyp removed from my uterus.  There was some thickening of the endometrium at that point, just three months after I had hit menopause.  When I was diagnosed with cancer, I had an ultrasound that showed a polyp, which my OB/GYN said would likely be benign, but it wasn't.  I had a D&C which showed cancer. 

I wish you luck with your diagnosis.

I was 40 when diagnosed but when I look back on it, there were signs of at least hyperplasia. My pathology report indicated hyerplasian with atypia and a large slow growing tumor. I had irregular and very long cycles. The last couple of cycles before my hysterectomy were some of the worst with massive blot clots, clear watery discharge and I had been spotting for 6 months in between cycles. There was always pressure and a dull pain in my bladder area. Sex always caused blood. Even pelvic examinations caused clots and more blood.