Serous cell carcinoma

Good Morning PocketRocket

Welcome to the Community. I am sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with stage 2 serous cell carcinoma.

I had another type called carcinoma sarcoma but from what I believe it is treated in a similar way. It is also a rare one.

I had a hysterectomy in April 2022, followed by 4 cycles of chemotherapy. I then had 25 sessions of external beam radiotherapy.

I am now clear from cancer and just have check ups every 3 months. My next one is the end of May. So although being monitored I am sort of coming out the other side. I am generally recovered from the treatments, I still get some fatigue and aches and pains but they are being monitored.

You are welcome to click on my name if you want to see my story.

The ladies on here were a great support to me when I was having my treatments. Please reach out to the community.

There is an Ask the Nurse section that I have used for medical questions- usually get a reply within a couple of days. If you ever feel like you want to chat things through the phone line is good.

If you are interested there is a chemotherapy thread pinned to the top of the Womb Cancer group that I found helpful.

How are you managing with the chemotherapy?

Take Care

Jane

Diagnosis and treatment - Womb (uterus) cancer forum - Macmillan Online Community 

This is the chemotherapy thread- its at the top of the Diagnosis and Treatment section

Hi PocketRocket, I was diagnosed with serous adenocarcinoma stage 1A before surgery, after surgery they had found some cells in my fallopian tubes so I was regraded at 3A, I have had my first chemo 2 weeks ago, carboplatin paclitaxel combination, I’m told I will have 6 session of chemo 5 weeks of radiotherapy and 3 brachytherapy, serous is rare and aggressive but not unbeatable, I hold on to that hope.

Hi PocketRocket,

Last year I was also diagnosed with Serous Endometrial Cancer, Stage 3c. After a total hysterectomy, removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes and many lymph glands I had 6 sessions of chemo and four brachytherapy sessions, finishing my treatment in December. In February I had a follow up CT scan and given the all clear and told I was officially in remission. My first follow up appointment is 3rd May. I still have a few side effects from the chemo, namely fatigue, achy legs and pins and needles and numbness in my hands and feet. I’m told these symptoms should improve but may take a while.  Nevertheless I feel thankful for the treatment I had and the wonderful nurses, doctors and the surgeon who took care of me. You will get through it! Good luck!

Hello PocketRocket

sorry you find yourself in this place but the forum is really supportive and helpful. 
I am too have serous, diagnosed 4 years ago, and staged 1B. I had the full work’s hysterectomy but no adjuvant treatment. I thought all was well till last autumn when I experienced some abdominal pains and in November was diagnosed with a recurrence. Drat! A massive shock to find myself “incurable”. I started chemo in January and have had 5 cycles of 6 so far. It’s gone well, with side effects bad but not dreadful and I find the 3rd week almost like normal apart from bursts of fatigue and residual neuropathy in fingers and toes.

What I would say is that Serous is rare but they’re finding more ways to treat it. It might be aggressive but there are advances that are sending it packing. No one gives up on you without a fight. The professionals are dedicated to keeping us alive and as healthy as possible. I feel generally positive.

Two tips1) Be informed from reliable sources - eg your consultant and specialist nurses. Ask about new research. There are trials going on all the time. 2) Don’t Google! 

Best wishes

Hi all 

I’m sorry it’s taken so long to come back and to thank Jane for responding. 
Things have moved on for me and I’ve now been told I’m stage 3 c (long story so I’ve updated my profile. 
I’ve just completed 6 cycles of chemo (4 of plaxitaxol/carboplatin and 2 just carboplatin.

I had my CT and MRI yesterday and I have an appt with consultant on Wednesday to get results. If all is going to plan I will be having debulking and  Cytoreductive surgery in the next few weeks followed by 25 radiotherapy sessions and 2/3 brachytherapy. 

I am feeling really nervous about the results of the scans and because of the stage and nature of the cancer, I fear it has spread . I have been getting  lower back pain ( like period pains or contractions)  and my veins are doing funny things. Painful lumps on sites of previous Canula entry points. 

it’s not so much the stage I’m at that concerns me, But more the toll of all the different treatments on my body . I’m taking the treatments one step at a time. The chemo has left me with mild neuropathy in one leg (Has anyone else had that?)

Next step is surgery and with that brings the concern of potential bladder and bowel involvement.

had anyone herd had cytoreductive surgery and is so what should I expect in terms of recovery? 

Thank you for reading this 

Sorry I meant to thank everyone for responding not just Jane .. it really helped to read all your responses and I fear I’m going down the incurable route

Hi PocketRocket, as you will see on my response to you a few months ago, I was diagnosed last year at Stage 3c serous.  Please feel free to look at my profile and read my story. I was told in February I was in complete remission, and a follow up appointment in May went well. My next follow up is in November. I feeling well and have just booked a holiday, my first in 4 years.  All I am trying to say is try not to think the worst, just take it day by day. It’s difficult I know, I’ve been there, believe me we are all here to help you through whatever lies ahead.

Hi Gorleston girl,

I’ve just read your profile. I’m so sorry to hear about your sister. Your diagnosis must have been extremely hard after losing her . It’ sounds like our journeys are fairly similar. Can I ask was your surgery a debulking surgery .. ie. Cytoreductive? And was there any parametrium involvement . 
I don’t appear to have come across anyone on here who has had neoadjuvant chemo .. 

I too had thd numbness and tingling in one leg and both feet but rather than reduce the dose, they stopped the plaxitaxol for my last 2 cycles.. which makes me a little nervous that Trevor( that’s what I call my tumour!) might have regained a little ground without the big guns . 

It will be good to get to Wednesday so at least I’ll get and idea of surgery dates 

I’m so pleased for you that you’re now in remission and it gives me great comfort knowing that despite the nature of serous cell it is possible to  beat this thing!! 

Hi PocketRocket, I think debulking and cytoreductive are just technical surgical terms for removing as much as possible to try and arrive at no visible disease which is what happened in my case and hopefully what will happen in your case. In my case I don’t think there was any parametrium involvement as it wasn’t mentioned in my operation notes.  Your treatment is slightly different to mine in that I had surgery, followed by chemotherapy and then brachytherapy, whereas you have had chemo prior to surgery. My chemo was referred to as adjuvant, not neoadjuvant, so I’m wondering if neoadjuvant chemo means before surgery and adjuvant is after surgery but I could be wrong, I have no medical training! I notice that many ladies on here have had 25 or so sessions of external radiotherapy as well as chemo and surgery. I didn’t have any external radiotherapy, just brachytherapy, which is internal radiotherapy. I think this was because no evidence of disease was found in the pelvic lymph nodes. I’m pleased my story has been helpful to you.