Hrt, spotting

Hi my advice would be to get it checked by your Gp. They class any bleeding post menopause as suspicious.
I wasn’t on HRT when I had my spotting but I thought I was low risk as did my Gp but it came back as I had cancer. 

I don’t want to worry you or cause distress but u would advise anyone with symptoms to get checked . 

Hi Georgia

Welcome to the Womb group.

I would urge you to call your GP on Monday and get a referral.

Please don't rely on the internet or dismiss this as HRT/spotting. 

I wish I could reassure you and say that you have no risk factors and don't worry. 

But.....

You have not had a period for nearly 2 years and would be considered post menopausal. 

You have had 2 episodes of abnormal bleeding/spotting

You have had thick brown discharge.

You have not recently started HRT but have been on it for some time. Some types of HRT can increase the risk of developing womb cancer in some ladies. There are also different types of womb cancer. HRT can sometimes cause some spotting but this is generally to begin with. HRT can however cause some hyperplasia (thickened lining) and this needs checking. 

You have a family history of womb cancer in a first degree relative. 

These factors would suggest you need to be checked on the urgent pathway. It does not mean that you will have cancer, but that you are experiencing symptoms, that in some ladies could lead to a diagnosis so it is important to rule it out. 

Hopefully there is no cancer present but there is something that has caused these symptoms and it needs investigating. If there was cancer present then the earlier you catch it, the better. 

What I would expect to happen next is that your GP would put you on the urgent 2 week pathway and you would go for an ultrasound. This would be abdominal and trans vaginally. The scan would look at the area and take measurements of the endometrial thickness. When I had mine, the results came back the following am so you would hopefully know very soon. 

If anything is spotted on the ultrasound then the next step is normally a hysteroscopy and biopsy. It is the biopsy that is what would confirm or exclude cancer. 

For most ladies the only symptom is bleeding. Some ladies only experience the slightest of pink spotting. I had one episode of bleeding.

Please get checked. The sooner you get checked, the sooner you can hopefully get some reassurance.

Good Luck

Jane

Hi Jane, apologies, I have just edited my post: my last period was April 2024. So technically not even post menopausal. However, when I originally researched this, the advice was even 10/11 months since the last period was considered abnormal because it was out of the norm. 

 Already I have health issues which, take up a lot of time and hospital appointments. My womb is completely folded and tilted right back; I can't imagine poking around in there is going to be easy. Every time I have had a scan (for fibroids, ) it results in them giving up and having to do it internally and even then it turns into a lengthy attempt to see anything at all. I've come away on a couple of scans with 'inconclusive ' because they couldn't properly see anything.

I spoke to a nurse advisor from a helpline who said it was likely my body having its final period, but now it has happened again I wonder if it means I have to reset my menopause clock or worry about having cancer every time I have spotting. The nurse advisor seemed to think that my mother's cancer would not likely be risk factor. 

Hi I haven’t suffered with this so I’m can’t answer your query but I’d like to help by just saying please ask for any procedure that you struggle with to have it under General Anaesthetic.  I can’t have internal examinations of any type and I asked to have my hysteroscopy biopsy under General Anaesthetic and I was offered the procedure under that.  Please don’t struggle...you have to ask for help when you need it and there is nothing wrong in doing so.  For any procedure it is really important to tell them how you feel and to ask for help.  

I hope this helps bless you.  When I have had to ask for a general anaesthetic, if they have had to say no I always ask if they have anything else that can help me.  There is always a way ....xx

Hi Georgia1, I would also strongly urge you to get this checked out. In 2022 I was also on HRT when I suddenly experienced spotting and cramping pain and like you I thought it was a break through bleed. Unfortunately my lovely sister had passed away from womb cancer just three weeks before my symptoms so I contacted my GP for advice. He took this into account and immediately put me on a 2 week pathway. Two weeks later I was diagnosed with Serous Endometrial Cancer. After an operation, chemo and brachytherapy, plus many follow ups and CT scans I am completely clear of cancer. From my own experience I would not hesitate to get this checked out. Best wishes x

Hi Georgia

Am glad you spoke to someone previously but it has now happened again. I still think you need to be checked. 

I understand that that it can be frustrating to have other health issues and having had inclusive results before. 

Even if you still have 3/4 weeks to go to be considered technically post menopausal- womb cancer can happen to younger women and to those who have not completed peri menopause. I know myself that I was put on the mini pill for abnormal bleeding in perimenopause and this effectively stopped my periods. When I had my bleed it was difficult for even the consultant to work out where I was within the menopause. 

I mentioned the possible link to your Mums cancer as this was something my consultant questioned me about in detail as my Mum had another type of cancer that can have a link. She had bowel but he also asked about any other gynaecological cancer and said that there can be a link. 

It is possible to have the examination done under general anaesthetic. 

It is of course entirely your choice but I would urge you to make an appointment to get checked, if nothing else than to get some reassurance.

Jane