reacurrance maybe?

Vaginal Cuff Tumor or Atrophy
Dearest Laura,

It could be atrophy too, we all suffer from it because of lack of estrogen. I know I dealt with a lot of vaginal pain during exams before I had a vaginal tumor. I am praying that is all it is, and also lifting your prayer request for having more faith and relaxing. Relax in God's Love ~ Peace ~ Grace

God Bless Bonnie

ladyjogger31 said:

Praying
Hi Laura, Bonnie could be right about the lack of estrogen. I know I suffer from that.My numbers are climbing and I have one more treatment of Doxil.Please try not to worry, easier said than done. I will be saying extra prayers for you.
Hugs and Prayers, Terry

hope you are feeling well.....
emotionally and physically. I will be praying for you

JoanC said:

Laura.

Haven't spoke with you in awhile....My prayers for you are always there...hope the anxiety goes away soon.

*
Atrophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Atrophy is the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body. Causes of atrophy include poor nourishment, poor circulation, loss of hormonal support, loss of nerve supply to the target organ, disuse or lack of exercise or disease intrinsic to the tissue itself. Hormonal and nerve inputs that maintain an organ or body part are referred to as trophic.
(((HUGS)))Joan

Laura My Prayers Too
Laura I am praying too. Hope its nothing. Stay relaxed.
Prayers and Hugs
Sandy

Dreamdove said:

Question for Bonnie
I read these posts everyday but I have read very little about vaginal cuff tumor. I've been in remission for 21 months but the last 2 paptests have come out ASCUS. This last one showed changes from the last one. I'm supposed to retake the test in May. Did you also have abnormal pap tests before this tumor showed up? There is plenty of info online about ASCUS but nothing about someone in my situation who's had ovarian cancer. Does having a vaginal cuff tumor mean secondary vaginal cancer or is it just part of a recurrance of ovarian cancer? Did the cells spread or was it a different cancer? This is what confuses me. It's not that I am expecting to get a vaginal tumor but I just want to be aware and not lie here in ignorance. I've only been able to talk to nurses and the physican's assistant about this since my doctor hasn't been there for my last 3 checkups. He's very busy and apparently (and understandably) priority must be given to cancer patients and not to those in remission coming in just for checkups and paptests. But he does look at my chart and tells them what to do about me. At least I feel good about that. Could you also tell me what your symptoms were before the tumor showed up? Besides the pain. Was there bleeding?

NOrmal paps
I didn't have any different symptoms or didn't realize that they could be linked to vaginal tumor. First, it is ovarian cancer not vaginal cancer, Second, I have normal pap tests, and not sure if part of the pain I was dealing with was from the tumor or from other things. We go through so much it's hard to tell, Last thing I do have some vaginal bleeding, mostly spot off an on but don't know if it is from tumor or not. I discoverd I had the tumor after a ct scan. Hope that helps answer a few of questions. Hugs Bonnie

kris43 said:

Once again, I am so glad I'm on this site. I learn so much! I had my pap a couple of weeks ago and they called and said it was normal. But, I had so much pain while they were trying to do the procedure I was about off the table. The doctor asked if I had problems like this before which is a big no! But now I will keep in the back of my head about these vaginal tumors or atrophy and ask again when I see them in June.

Laura I am so sorry you are going through this all. I declined the Avastin trial because I did not think I could do a year worth of chemo, so you are my hero for trying it.

I was diagnosed at 43 and am a mom to a 22 year old young man. One of my biggest fears during this whole ovarian cancer journey is not seeing him grow more, get married and have children. I think I would miss that more then anything.

You take care and keep us posted on what you find out. Hugs.

Kris

The more info we have the better
I get so much info from this site, I always recommend it to others going thru cancer or surviving it. The doctor, nurses, and physician's assistant don't give me as much insight as I need. They don't have time or they just don't know. I had spotting for over 2 years since my surgery and it always concerned me even though I've been NED for 21 months. I never knew where it was coming from--from my urinary tract (I was irritated there since I started chemo) or my vagina. They didn't really know either. Then I started having abnormal paptests. Even then they didn't know if the bleeding was coming from that or a separate issue. I kept looking up stuff on the internet but could find nothing about someone having had ovarian cancer and having abnormal paptests. I'm still up in the air about it but it helps looking at the experiences others have had on this site. So for the time being I am just re-taking paptests every few months and see what happens. It very likely means nothing since I am 53 and post-menopausal. Probably related to lack of hormones. I didn't even used know I had a "vaginal cuff" after the surgery. I see so much of the ovarian cancer recurring on this site so I still have to be wary and not get too comfortable. If it wasn't for the stupid abnormal (ASCUS) paptests I probably would not be concerned at all. Though I have to add that for a long time I had vaginal soreness, maybe atrophy, but I think it is getting better because I feel better "down there." When I used to have a relationship it was a big concern because I wanted to have a normal life. Thanks for your help, Bonnie

lindaprocopio said:

I hesitate to even post this, but you seem really grounded and stable, and not one to spin off into some bad worrying over a thought that is probably unrelated to you. I'm assuming that all of your 'female parts' were removed during your surgery and there may be nothing left in there that could be exfoliating cells. But I'd feel remiss if I didn't share this with anyone with an abnormal PAP. Of the 10 or so 'UPSC Sisters', 3 or 4 of us (me included) got the first hint that we may have cancer when abnormal cells were found on our annual routine PAP tests. Each of our gyne-ons were 'SHOCKED' and said uterine cancer is NEVER picked up on a PAP test, (yet the combined experience of us that share this rare cancer know that isn't true.) After a lot of personal research, I've learned that apparently gynecologic polyps sometimes 'exfoliate' cells (like your skin exfoliates cells) and they can find themselves in 'the right place at the right time', and can be picked up in PAP tests. For each of us with UPSC that started our cancer journey with an abnormal PAP, it took months of inconclusive biopsies of the wrong parts, and we really knew nothing conclusive until a D&C and pathology was done, and some of these women had no conclusive diagnosis until their hysterectomies.

Like I said, this probably has no relevance to your abnormal PAP, since you've already been 'debulked'. But with your history, maybe they could do a sonogram to rule out any polps anywhere in the peritoneal cavity. Then when you get a clear sonogram you can really put your mind at rest. Please post so I know I haven't 'said' something that will haunt and worry you in the dark of night. I sure don't mean to do THAT! But the combination of post-menopausal spotting and an abnoral PAP would make me want some more snooping around to be done.

Don't hesitate to tell me something I should know
Linda, you never have to worry about upsetting me because I want to be 100 percent aware of what is going on with my body. Afterall, I still have a 14-year old at home and I am her only parent. I'm not going to flake out! I first had an abnormal test in Oct. and then again in Jan. but they could see changes from this last test, yet don't see any cancer cells. I was totally debaulked but even with that, ovarian cancer often comes back in the abdominal cavity where the ovaries used to be. I believe it is possible for cancer cells to meander, as they have done. In my surgery back in Jan. 2007 they had already meandered to my appendix and above my liver, under my diaphram. So couldn't they meander to my cervical cuff, too? Apparently it happened to Bonnie. She said it was still ovarian cancer. That means the tumor on her cervical cuff was ovarian cancer cells, not secondary vaginal cancer, which can happen, too, from what I read. I was told that if my test came back abnormal again (I have a checkup in May) they would discuss what to do. I'm assuming further testing, such as a CT scan or sonogram, though I haven't heard the use of that test for cancer. My CA-125 has been normal. But if they find something, the sooner the better. I don't want to jump on the "panic wagon." I have to admit it drives me nuts not knowing but we all go thru that on here. But the longer I can go NED the better. I still feel healthy and can live a normal life, that's what counts. I don't pursue relationships with men anymore because I had problems with soreness and I didn't have the desire, as much as I would have liked to have it. I used to work with a woman who complained about all sorts of physical ailments but she had no health insurance and couldn't get medicaid because her husband was working. I kept encouraging her to get checked, to find some way of getting care. I didn't want to scare her but I didn't feel comfortable with what she was describing to me. She looked into programs and finally after being misdiagnosed and taking some medication she problem didn't need, she developed a lump on her neck. Well, it turned out to be Hodgekins Lymphoma. It was spread thruout her body. She had to have chemo and radiation and was not able to work. She is still alive, thank god. Currently in remission but she still can't work because of other physical problems. I am glad I kept encouraging her to get tested. Thank you, Linda, for being concerned enough to say something.