Cervical Cancer Statistics on TV (Recap of Lost Posts, Topic Created by pinky104 on Nov 09, 2018)

This recap includes posts that were lost during CSN's data outage from 10/29/18 to 1/30/19.

 pinky104

Nov 09, 2018 - 2:03 am

I heard something on TV last night about statistics from a study that was done in England on cervical cancer patients.  They found that patients who had laparoscopic surgery or robotic surgery for cervical cancer fared worse than those who had open procedures.  The rate of death for those with open surgery was 4% where it was 9.1 for those with laparoscopic or robotic surgeries.  I can't recall what they said about the time frame in which this happened.  Maybe someone else on here can clarify.  Anyway, I started wondering if there might be similar statistics which they may eventually find between different types of surgical approaches in uterine cancer cases.  I had open surgery, and I'm still alive with my IVb UPSC where I probably shouldn't be according to the stats. Makes me wonder why....       

 

MAbound

Nov 09, 2018 - 6:38 am

I've wondered about that, too

I've wondered about that, too. What I've always wondered is how they remove the uterus through such small inscisions and I found this:

How is laparoscopic hysterectomy done?

Laparoscopic surgery requires only a few small (about one-half inch long) incisions in your abdomen. A laparoscope inserted through one of these incisions allows the surgeon to see the pelvic organs. Other surgical instruments are used to perform the surgery through separate small incisions. Your uterus can be removed in small pieces through the incisions, through a larger incision made in your abdomen, or through your vagina (which is called a laparoscopic vaginal hysterectomy).

It's that part about removing the uterus in small pieces I find concerning. Does that increase the chances of cancer cells being spread within the body cavity when they do that?

 

CheeseQueen57

Nov 09, 2018 - 7:32 am

Chopping up uterus

It is my understanding that they remove the uterus through the vagina. That’s what my doc said although I ended up being cut open. Indeed cutting up the uterus in someone who has cancer would be a problem and really they never know when performing a hysterectomy whether a person has cancer sometimes. That’s why they outlawed that more elation procedure. But many women got metastatic cancer before they stopped doing that

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/us/amy-reed-died-cancer-patient-who-fought-morcellation-procedure.html

 

zsazsa1

Nov 09, 2018 - 8:40 am

Yes, I saw that study when it

Yes, I saw that study when it came out recently.  They don't know why.  I wondered about this, too.  But I had asked my surgeon how they removed the uterus through the vaginal incision without spilling tumor out the fallopian tubes.  She said that they use a bag - that they put a bag in through the vaginal incision, maneuver it to enclose the entire uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries (all detached beforehand via the laparascopic incisions), and then pull the bag out the vaginal incision, so that the entire specimen is received in one block.

 

LisaPizza

Nov 10, 2018 - 11:35 am

It  make you wonder. I think

It  makes you wonder. I think there are some differences with cedoesrvical cancer, because they do a radical hysterectomy whereas they typically don't for uterine cancer. But I wonder if some of that risk might carry over for women with uterine cancer with cervical involvement. 

 

BluebirdOne

Nov 10, 2018 - 5:33 pm

Radical hysterectomy

I had a radical hysterectomy (removal of the cervix) with my stage 1a USPC. I also had a clean pap just a few weeks prior so there was no cancer there. I think because of it being UPSC, they wanted to be very thorough. What might end up being a problem for me is that during my diagnostic hysteroscopy, the doctor merrily removed my cancerous tumor, thinking it was just a fibroid. I went into surgery thinking it was a large fibroid, and that they were going to do a biopsy of the lining. Immediately post surgery my doctor declared that I only had a fibroid he was able to remove it, BEFORE THE PATHOLOGIST DIAGNOSED IT AS USPC, and how lucky I was. Two days later I got the grim call. Both my husband and I were flabbergasted at his incompetency.  I have talked about this procedure and the potential for spreading this tumor as he was removing it with every single doctor since because I am so worried. No one has any answers as they didn't do the surgery, they didn't see how it was performed and they can't render an outcome.  So I am living with the very real possiblity that even though I am 1a this doctor may have spread the cancer cells EVERYWHERE. I did have 4 rounds of chemo and 3 of brachytherapy which the doctors said should take care of any stray cells, but I worry. A lot. 

 

pinky104

Nov 10, 2018 - 12:53 am

Question on that procedure

That's very interesting about the bag.  I wonder how they keep it closed.  Do they use twist ties or rubber bands, ha, ha?

 

NoTimeForCancer

Nov 11, 2018 - 8:35 am

I asked my gyn onc after the

I asked my gyn onc after the surgery 'how' they did it and he told me the bag too.  He said no one does morcellation any more, but my mom used to say, "never and always - those are fighting words".  Below is a link to the NBC news story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbcQhejYNCo