Just been diagnosed

Hi Carla and welcome to the group.

What a shock that must have been to get the news over the phone like that-I do feel it’s much better to be told something like that face to face so you have more chance to take it in and ask questions. 

Your results will be discussed at a meeting called a multi disciplinary meeting where all the different specialisms are represented-radiologist, oncologist etc to discuss the way forward and what treatment should be done.

Usually this is done after scans have been completed, but you don’t mention having had any scans? It might be that they believe you have a very early stage cancer and no scans would be required, but that’s only a guess. I’m presuming you had a biopsy which led to your diagnosis? 

I can’t tell you not to worry, because it’s natural when you hear the word cancer, but I do advise you not to think of any worst case scenarios before you know anything further, and please don’t use google to try to find out any answers-it will not be helpful! 

Be assured that your team will be planning the best possible treatment for you, and cervical cancer is a very treatable disease. Try not to assume anything until you know more. I understand how scary this is for you, but the best thing to do is sit tight until they tell you the next steps.

Try not to let your thoughts run away with themselves-we all do, but things are rarely as bad as our fear and imagination would have us believe. 

I was diagnosed more than 3 years ago and have been through this cancer twice and been successfully treated. There will be lots of other positive stories like mine. Keep us posted with how things go and you’ll find a lovely group of supportive ladies to help you in this group. xx

Thanks so much for replying. So basically ive not been right down there since my youngest who is 17 months, i jst thought thats what it was like after a baby. I finally went to doctor 17th dec when she examined me found a lump the size of a lemon and sent me to emergency.  I then had ct and mri scan and they thought it was a fibroid which i had removed within a day or 2. I got out of hosp 23rd of dec and got told ill get call with results but pretty sure fibroid, then i got the call on  monday night so i was not expecting it atall.

The surgeon who called is the one that done my op, he says he has passed me to cancer doctors and will have a meeting on 19th (yest). I thought i would have heard yesterday but no. So ive no clue what the plan is im really anxious. He did say in the phone they will prob wont to do more scans to see if it is spread and mensioned a hysterectomy and chemo or radio. I jst feel like ive so many questions and nmbeen told this in a 5min conversation and then nothing since. Im so worried xx

Hi Carla

I have to say I’m shocked at the way this has been handled, and so sorry that you’ve been left with no information. They will have sent the lump to be examined, and discovered the cancer but this was a terrible way to find out. I’m astonished that on the basis of the scans they did they didn’t take a biopsy before going ahead with your operation. Something the size of a lemon should have warranted further investigation I would have thought. Do you mind my asking where the lump was? Did the doctor see it on your cervix? 

You will be assigned to a consultant who should have a face to face appointment with you to discuss everything fully. Hopefully you will get an appointment for this shortly now that the meeting has been held, and this should not be a telephone appointment.

It is likely that you will have more scans, as they cannot decide on the right treatment without that. A hysterectomy is only possible for stage 1 cancer, or possibly early stage 2, and they will need to determine the stage before deciding if that’s possible. Otherwise the standard treatment would be chemo and radiation. 

Radiation is the main treatment for cervical cancer, with low dose chemotherapy alongside this but again the exact treatment will depend on stage and whether the cancer has spread. 

No wonder you are worried and anxious-but we’ll try and support you here as much as we can. xx

Thanks so much. Yes he says stage 1 but ive been looking up different stages of it myself,  i know i shouldn't but i think its likely to be 1b2 as it was 3.5cm in my notes. Ye they did mension biopsy at the time but just says we will go ahead and take it away as it's just a fibroid.  I think my surgeon was in shock aswell. How long do you think i will be waiting before i get any information or an appointment.  Im 31, im jst so scared for my children x

Yes the lump was on my cervix, it says on my notes i got discharged with, remooval of fibroid,  down a bit it says possible cervical cancer but most likely fibroid x

What??? They thought it might be cancer but didn’t do a biopsy?? That’s honestly really shocking. They shouldn’t go removing lumps of that size without being very sure what they are. xx

Do u think thats a bad thing they have already removed it? If they took biopsy it would still be there and could maybe be spreading? I dont know to be honest you know more than me, im jst scared they take ages to get back to ma and it moves from stage 1 to stage 2. How long does it take to moce stsges? Also i had a normal smear test in 2019 and i known its suppose to be a slow growing cancer so if that was normal in 2019 and were now jst at 2022 how did i have a lump the size of a lemon i dont understand that xx

They were not even going to remove it in December,  they said unless you are heavy bleeding we will leave you till jan feb, and i says no i am actually bleeding alot and thats why thwy done surgery next day x

I don’t want to scare you, but it can be dangerous to cut into, or cut out a tumour because it risks cancer cells escaping and spreading. Taking the biopsy to confirm what it was would have been safer I would have thought.

You can be diagnosed at any stage from 1 to 4 initially-unfortunately it’s not the case that every cancer is diagnosed at stage 1 and then  progresses up the stages. Cervical cancer is typically a slow growing cancer, but there are several different types of cervical cancer and not all act in the same way. 

A smear test isn’t a diagnostic test for cervical cancer, and it can be that a normal result doesn’t pick up everything that’s going on. So maybe if there was something starting there it couldn’t be seen at that time and so nothing was picked up. xx

I might just phone me initial surgeon today and see he csn find out anymore for me x