Hyperplasia with atypia

Hi LozMcD

Welcome to the Womb group.

I am sorry to hear of your bleeding and the time it has taken to actually have a diagnosis. 

Hyperplasia can be of different types but is not cancer. Hyperplasia simply means that the endometrial lining is thicker than they would like it to be and this is likely why you had such heavy bleeding.  Where it occurs with atypia it means that there is a higher chance, in time, in some ladies it could lead to a later cancer diagnosis. That is why you have been offered treatment. Its to try to deal with it now, rather than risk it becoming cancer in the future. 

The hormone coil is normally the first choice for this and it can work well. The progesterone will hopefully reduce the hyperplasia. it would be normal to have continued monitoring to check whether it is working. If it does not then there are still options such as a higher dose of progesterone - sometimes tablets alongside the coil. Hyperplasia can happen when the hormones are out of balance so the progesterone should help counteract the oestrogen. Although I understand losing weight is not that easy- it will help reduce the overall oestrogen. 

I can understand your worries about having children but the treatment that is being tried is to hopefully deal with the hyperplasia- before there is the need for considering a hysterectomy. Although a hysterectomy can be offered as a treatment for some ladies, it would normally be for ladies who are older and have children. The hormone treatment they are offering is sometimes offered to ladies who have actually gone on to develop early stage and grade cancer- to give them time to have children. Yours is still very much at the stage where they are trying to deal with the hyperplasia- in case it went on to cause problems later on.  

I would expect them to fit the coil fairly soon and then for you to be offered a repeat scan; biopsy in 3-6 months to see how it is doing. 

Fingers crossed it will work well for you. There are several ladies on here who have been on the same treatment as you and hopefully they will see your post and be able to share their own experiences. 

Do give the Support Line a call if you feel like it would help to talk it through with one of the nurses. They are there from 8am-8pm each day. 

Jane

Thank you so much! 

I am aware that it’s not technically cancer but when I heard abnormal cells it was quite scary and the gynaecologist did refer to it as pre-cancer. I hope it’s still okay that I have posted in here. 

I appreciate how much information was included in your response, it’s comforting to know that it doesn’t mean I won’t be able to have children. 

I’ve been feeling so low and deflated and scared I didn’t really know where else to turn to

Sorry to hear of your experience to date, it must have been so difficult for you when nothing was being done. You’ve done the right thing in reaching out here, and as Jane says hopefully some other ladies who have been through same treatment as you, will be happy to share their experiences with you. Wishing you all the best for now getting this sorted. 

Absolutely the right place to post. And please continue to post here whenever it helps. Yes- hyperplasia atypia is a pre cancerous condition- that is why they want to treat it- just in case it could become cancer in the future. It is scary but hopefully with treatment the hyperplasia can be treated and then having children may well be possible in the future.

The hormone treatment is sometimes used for ladies who have an early stage and grade cancer to enable them to preserve their fertility for a while to enable them to have a child.

There have been ladies on here who have endometrial cancer and have been using the coil and the cancer has been reversed. 

That's really positive thank you so much