New, worried about my mom

Yeo said:

Hi Duffie

So sorry about your mom's cancer diagnosis.  You have the good fortune in that you have found an excellent resource here, as the women in this room are amazingly knowledgeable and supportive.  I was just diagnosed myself last fall.  The treatment for uterine cancer seems to be pretty similar across the board with surgery first, if it is operable, then 6 rounds of chemotherapy and maybe then some radiation therapy.  It is all very doable and it probably won't be anything like you think, way less dramatic for me than what I expected but there were tough days.  Before anything will be decided in your mom's situation they have to find out the stage and grade, which usually means a biopsy and/or surgery.  This is a long journey but you will meet a lot of great people along the way. 

Hugs and prayers for your mom.  

Margaret

Welcome Duffie, I am sorry your mother is dealing with this.  You HAVe come to a good place.  You don't say WHAT KIND of cancer your Mom has. There are more than one kind.  By far the most common kind is endometrioid and it often does not require treatment after staging surgery.  If caught early it doesn' need treatment.  The more agressive kinds are much rarer.  It is hard to wait for the results of the surgery.  You can read about preparing for surgery day here, and ask questions.  The first post on this page has lots of links to information about the process your Mother is beginning.  She has lots of hope at this point though.

duffie said:

Thank you Forherself and Yeo

Thank you Forherself and Margaret for your warmth and kindness. The only thing the doctor said to her today is uterine cancer. She calls the oncologist tomorrow for the next steps and appointment.

I'm very sorry for asking what may be a stupid question: is it possible to get an idea of the stage from how long she has been bleeding. It has been off and on for 6 months. The coronavirus affected her going to see a doctor.

An oncologist might guess at stage during the first pelvic exam, but it is only his guess and more than likely will change after surgery. The tissue removed by surgery gets tested to determine how far the cancer has spread and staging defines that extent. It takes a while after surgery for those results to be finalized because the tissue is sometimes tested at several labs before results are considered final and a treatment plan determined. It's a tough waiting period, but you want them to get it right because treatment is based on those results.

They can usually tell you what grade and type of uterine cancer from the initial diagnostic test, however, and that can also give a clue as to how aggressively the cancer is likely going to need to be treated. Type 2 and grade 3 cancers need aggressive treatment (surgery and chemo at a minimum) because they are more aggressive than type 1 and grade 1 or 2 cancers.

Pre-op testing like MRIs, PET, and CT scans also give the surgeon an idea of how extensive the surgery needs to be. Often the surgery can be done robotically with a shorter, easier recovery time, but sometimes the uterus is enlarged and they'll have to do an open abdomen procedure.

This is usually a very treatable cancer, but there are a lot of variables to contend with, so you need to expect this to be a one-step-at-a-time process that is going to disrupt your life for several months to a year depending on what the final pathology results reveal. Preparing for surgery and recovery is the first step and where to direct your focus for now.

duffie, thank you for coming back and letting us know about your mom.  

It is scary, overwhelming, and sometimes tough, but she will see that this line of treatment is doable.  Chemo (Carbo and Taxol) are pretty standard as is radiation.  Please come back again with any questions on treatment, etc..there are a lot of good tips from the women here.

None of us would make it through this without the love and support of our family and friends.  

You've already been given some good advice. I was on a Keytruda/Lenvima combo for 5.5 months. The Keytruda did cause fatigue, it was an every 3 weeks infusion that took about 30 minutes. I did develop thyroiditis after about 3.5 months from the Keytruda and was put on Synthroid. I was recently taken off the synthroid after being off the K/L combo for 3.5 months. I believe most of my side effects were from the Lenvima. 
I have read on other boards of several ladies taking Keytruda alone with good results. Responses to chemo and immunotherapy is very much dependent on each individual.

Sending hugs and prayers you and your mom!

Donna D