Grade3 aggressvie

Hello there, 

Welcome to the club that nobody really wants to join. Having said this there are lots of ladies who I am sure will reply to you shortly.

The first thing is I advise you not to google information because a lot of it is not up to date & the other thing is that everyone is different.

I have endometrial cancer, Stage 2 Grade 3 serous which is an aggressive type, & I had my hysterectomy in November 2015 followed by chemo & brachytherapy the latter being radiotherapy.I am happy to say that so far for me things are ok.

You will not know for certain the grade & stage of your cancer until after your hysterectomy when the Histology Dept. sends the results to your Oncologist & usually this would be approx. 3/4weeks after your operation. This is also when a plan would normally be arranged for further treatment. However all hospital trusts have their own way of working so it could be slightly different.

I hope that things go well for you in the meantime I am sending you a hug.

Take care, Georgette xx

Thank you georgette. I am glad things are going well for you. I'm finding this hard I had colorectal cancer 7 years ago and things seemed to move faster. It's the waiting that's hard. I got renal function blood tests tomorrow then hopefully my CT scan soon after. Then the operation .Xx

Hi

oh how I wish they’d drop the word aggressive. It sounds so, well, aggressive. It’s one of those words that means one thing to health professionals and quite another to patients. To me, this word conjured up an image of the blob from outer space, consuming everything in its path. In reality, it’s not really like that. Paint dries faster than an aggressive cancer spreads. 

Let me see if I can help you untangle the terminology. I had to do all the same learning as you are doing now when I was diagnosed with grade 3 womb cancer five years ago. It’s a steep learning curve. 

Cancer doctors treat each of us based on our individual profile. They look at the grade, which means how likely it is to spread. They determine this by looking at the cells from your biopsy under a microscope. They also look at the stage, which is how far the cancer has spread. They only know this after the operation when pathologists have had a good look at what’s been removed. They also take into account your health and whether you have other conditions such as heart disease. They take all this into account and then refer to guidelines drawn up by an international group of gynae cancer specialists and based on the best research evidence to decide the best course of treatment for you. 

I was diagnosed with grade 3, stage 3c2 meaning it was likely to spread and had already reached my cervix, fallopian tubes and lymph nodes in my pelvis by the time it was diagnosed. I had cancer in a lymph node that they couldn’t remove so they threw the kitchen sink at me. I was treated with chemo, radiotherapy and brachytherapy (radiotherapy that’s focused on the top of the vagina - a likely place for recurrence). 

I think it’s useful to read about womb cancer and how it’s treated. 

There’s some good info here

https://eveappeal.org.uk/gynaecological-cancers/womb-cancer/understanding-womb-cancer/

and here 

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/womb-endometrial-cancer

But I think in general it won’t help you at this stage to look much further. The stats are scary for this kind of cancer and it’s important to remember that statistics apply to populations- not individuals. They can’t tell you what’s going to happen for you. And besides, looking for comfort in numbers is like trying go quench a thirst with salt water. 

You are about to enter a state of limbo, waiting for scans and operation dates and so on. Everybody finds this really tough. My best advice is to keep busy. See friends. Do those jobs you have been meaning to do. Heck, iron tea towels if that’s what it takes. Spend some time getting in shape if you can. A walk in the fresh air everyday and ten minutes spent on pelvic floor excercises is time well spent. 

And keep in touch. There is always a virtual hug and a virtual shoulder to cry on here as well as practical advice from those of us who’ve been there before you. 

Lots of love 

xxx

Me again. I just read your reply to georgette. It’s not a today question but at some point I’d suggest you talk to your oncologist about genetic testing. There is an inherited condition called Lynch syndrome that raises the risk of womb and colon cancer. 

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/diagnosing/causes-and-risk-factors/genetic-testing-and-counselling/lynch-syndrome.html

Thank you so much Daloni .It's good to be able to chat in private. Not told family yet wsitwai to see what I am up against xx

Thank you so much. I've added it to my list of questions in my little book xxx

Thank you for saying that about the use of aggressive.  I have just been diagnosed this week with stage 3 'aggressive' womb cancer under the fast track system, following post menopausal bleeding.  Everything is happening so fast my surgery is planned for 2 weeks' time, my CT scan next week and to complicate matters we are moving in the next week, which has been nearly two years in the planning. My daughters are supporting me, as my husband doesn't seem able to, but I don't want to burden them too much now as I will need their support post operation, especially as this is being carried out in a different county.  

I so hope that aggressive doesn't mean as it sounds.

Hi

I am sorry to hear about what you’re going through. It can feel a lonely place. As I recall, the two week wait you now face is actually one of the toughest times of all. I hope you’ll feel better once this is over, the surgery is done and treatment is underway. 

Do I see from your user name that you’re a crafting type? I do hope so. I can honestly say that crafting has played a big part in saving my sanity through all the treatment I’ve had over the last five years. It keeps both my hands and enough of my brain busy when I don’t have much energy for anything else. I have learned new skills and made some lovely things. Recently I’ve been learning patchwork and quilting. I’m going to try to post a pic of my latest creation with which I am inordinately pleased 

good luck with everything