Hi everyone,
Im new here. I don’t have a cancer diagnosis but I’ve had 4 lletz procedures for CGIN. The last one cleared the SMILE cells but the CGIN ones remain.
I’m on the waitlist for hysterectomy but struggling to come to terms with things as I’m only 41.
I suppose I’m looking for reassurance that a hysterectomy is the right thing. My heart is trying to catch up with my head about it.
Keen to hear from anyone with similar experience.
Best Wishes
Hi Emzo9dbcd4 and welcome to our group.
I’m sorry to read you have been through so many procedures already and are now facing a hysterectomy. I’ll start by saying my experience was not the same, but we do have ladies in the group who have gone through a hysterectomy when precancerous cells persist and hopefully you will hear from them. I haven’t to my knowledge come across anyone in this group who has had 4 LLETZ procedures-I think the most I’ve seen in the group is three.
CGIN cells are cells which start in the glands and could develop into a type of cervical cancer called adenocarcinoma, which is not as common as the more usual squamous cell carcinoma, so the thinking behind having the hysterectomy will be to try to avoid this when other treatments have not been successful.
I appreciate that it must be daunting facing a major surgery at your age, but it is easier to treat this now with a hysterectomy before cancer develops. CGIN cells start in the glands in the cervical canal and can sometimes be difficult to detect because of their location. It’s possible for cancer to develop there and be missed on a screening test, so it would be usual to offer a hysterectomy as a final option to make sure they are cleared.
The hysterectomy would hopefully finally get rid of the cells before they develop further, although it’s not a cure for hpv itself, as that cannot be “cured”. It’s not possible to have continual LLETZ procedures, as some of the cervix is removed each time, and it becomes impossible to do any more of them.
I’ve had adenocarcinoma myself, and have had major surgery which included a hysterectomy, so I would say that treating the cells now by surgery is easier than having treatment for this cancer if it develops.
It will be a tough decision for you I’m sure in terms of losing your fertility, but I hope you’ll be able to get some replies from others who have gone through this and can share their experiences.
Sarah xx
