Clear cell vs serous cell

AWK said:

Hi Lily Anne

I was diagnosed with UPSC stage IIIC grade 3 originally, other opinions put me at Stage IVB due to the distance to my furthest met.  Either way the treatments would have been the same.  my cancer was found in Feb. 2013 through an ER visit, surgery in April and I have been in one for or another of treatment every since.  I have been told my disease is progressive as I have never been NED.  I've never asked about prognosis and am aware of the published statistics but don't pay attention to them.  I am a statistic of one.  My goal, and I am accomplishing it - is to live fully with cancer and thrive.  It isn't always easy mentally - especially without a set number of treatments etc but I work at it.  I ride my horse, worked while going through treatments from Dec 2013 until July 2015.  Took a leave in the beginning and am on one now Due to the rigors of the clinical trial I am in.  

It may seem strange but because I have never been NED I have never had to worry about recurrence.  I can appreciate that I haven't had that stress and I am not sure how I would handle it.  I have two good friends going through it; one is in recurrence for Ovarian Serous, the other is still NED after 2 years for high grade breast cancer.  

I am sure other ladies will weigh in with their experiences and how they manage it.  Sending hugs - Anne

You are absolutely right! UPSC ladies like me are in constant fear of recurrence. In my case- stage 3a- even though I presently have no evidence of disease- my gyne oncologist expects me to recur. I am not certain but I think clear cell is a grade 3 cancer just like serous is. Of course, that does not suggest a cure. I am living my life fully as we should all do whether or not we are terminally ill. Bummer, yes, but there are worse experiences in life.

Warmly,

Cathy

I had Clear Cell which is a Grade 3.  Mine was caught very early in a polyp that was removed with D&C.  I subsequently had hysterectomy and no residual cancer was found (lymph nodes, pelvic washings, etc.).  As a result, I did not have any additional treatment.  I am followed at Moffitt in Tampa but so far NED.  Surgery was April 2012.

NoTimeForCancer said:

Thank you, cared1027 for

Thank you, cared1027 for posting!  Can I ask how often you check in at Moffitt?  Is quarterly?  every six months? or just annually?

NoTimeForCancer, for the first 2 years it was every 3 mo and now for the next 3 it is every 6 month.  My follow-up is a pelvic exam and CA125.

Sometimes these two numbers can be confusing, so I just want to clarify that Stage indicates how far the cancer has advanced/grown/spread (i.e., confined to uterus, penetrated uterine wall, lymphovascular involvement, pevlic involvement,  other organ involvement, etc.) and grade is how aggressive the cancer is (what the cells look like, how "different" they are from normal cells).  I believe all of the Type 2 (Clear cell, UPSC, etc.) endometrial cancers are considered Grade 3 (agressive), but one can have a high grade cancer and still have early stage cancer (aggressive cancer, but confined to uterus only).  There are statistics for recurrence for all combinations.  You just don't know where you fall on that bell-shaped curve - you are an individual.

Best of luck to you.

Suzanne

hi lily-anne,

i had clear cell (stage 1a, grade 3), diagnosis 2/7/15, everything-out plus 2 lymph nodes surgery 3/16/15. the tumor was high in the uterus and had penetrated well under 50% of the wall. my lymph nodes were clear and the pelvic wash was clear, so no sign of it outside the uterus. but there were cells in the uterine lymph (which my surgeon calls the "freeway onramp" ). i had 25 rounds of pelvic radiation and 2 of brachy. these were adjuvant therapies, as the surgery took what they could find of the cancer. during my first consult with my rad onc, he said that statistically if i did the pelvic it would reduce my chances of recurrence from 20% to 10% and if i did the brachy it would reduce chances of recurrence at the vaginal cuff from 15% to pretty much 0%. 

since clear cell only happens in 4% of uterine cancers, i don't see those numbers as being particularly encouraging or discouraging. it's just information. but i also don't spend much time worrying about recurrence. at least not consciously. i've noticed that once i recovered from the treatments my anxiety levels got really high for a while. i didn't feel safe in my body and i didn't feel safe in the world. I actually think that was the shock wearing off, in a way. the worst of that has subsided, though not entirely. 

ultimately, i'm with the other ladies w/respect to how i approach life now. for me every heartbeat is a gift, and i'm going to suck every bit of sweetness out of being here, for as long as i can.

hugs to you!

caedmon22

pinky104 said:

Lily_Anne

I was serous cell (UPSC), grade 3, and was diagnosed in stage IVb.  I'm five years out and in remission.  I did have one scare with a suspicious mass, but it hasn't grown, so I'm no longer being checked for it.  I went through three CT scans and one PET scan before the decision was made to stop checking it.  It could be a collection of fluid from lymph node removal.

Pinky, did you have chemo and radiation?

NoTimeForCancer said:

EZLiving, you can do this!

EZLiving, you can do this!  You are not alone, so please ask anything.  I am sorry you had to find us and this site, but the women here are strong and generous. 

Thank you, No Time!  I am ready to begin the fight.  I am finding there isn't a lot of info on UPSC but trust my gynocologist/oncologist knows what he's doing.  I am being treated at a regional cancer center and have a wonderful support system.  I will not let this stop me from living my life to the fullest, one day at a time.  I look forward to "meeting" all you wonderful ladies.

I was diagnosed with UPSC stage2 grade 3 in Oct 2013. It had spread to my cervix but not anywhere else. I completed surgery, chemo and brachytherapy in June 2014 and have been NED since then. Although UPSC is an uncommon cancer, I do not believe it is as rare as clear cell. I only recall seeing 3 or 4 other people on our board that have clear cell uterine cancer.