I just found out I have cervical cancer

• By Eimaj
• Posted June 29, 2009 at 4:33 pm
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Hello christiecsr,
I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I had cervical cancer and had a radical hysterectomy 5 months ago. I am old enough to be your Mother and think it is so unfair that you have to face this at such a young age. I live in Salem, Oregon. We are not that far away from each other and I would be happy to meet with you, if you need the support.

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• By hopeandprayers
• Posted June 29, 2009 at 4:43 pm
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Christiecsr, I am very sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with cc. I was diagnosed last June with stage 1b1 cc. I was married two yrs. to my second husband, when we got the news. It sounds like you have a good man, and that you have been together a long time. Don't let this change your mind. Plan your wedding, honeymoon and take things day by day.
There may still be a possibility that you can have children. Hold onto that thought. Some women have their eggs harvested, so they can be used later.
Best of luck to you and let us know how things turn out.

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• By simplynat
• Posted June 29, 2009 at 5:04 pm
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Hi there, have you had a chance to look into a trachelectomy? I don't know what stage you are at but if it is early invasive then you might be a candidate for this procedure which would preserve your uterus (and possible fertility).
Hang in there, wishing you the best.

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• By christiecsr
• Posted June 29, 2009 at 7:51 pm
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Thanks everyone for your support.

I did look up the trachelectomy and the doctor has mentioned that. I would be okay with this and am hoping that it will be the worst case scenerio.

I have some really important questions to ask on Wed.

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• By mich
• Posted June 29, 2009 at 8:49 pm
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So sorry to hear you are facing this devastating news.

I was diagnosed as stage 1b2 last summer. I am 31 and have one child. I too was very concerned with fertility preservation.

I can forward you some information, but in summary, a trachelectomy can be considered for up to stage 1b1. There are also many other options available to preserve fertility.

I can send you a personal message with more information if you are interested.

Thinking of you, Mich

P.S. there is an option of posting your message for members only. You may get more replies if you change this setting. :)

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• By PJ2
• Posted June 30, 2009 at 1:32 pm
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The good news, is that if there was ever a time to be diagnosed, this is it. Ten years ago, they would have pushed you into a hysterectomy, which is what they tried to do to me. I resisted. However, now you have the option of a trachelectomy, which might be a good viable choice for you. Make sure whatever you decide, you at least get a second (or third) opinion from another doctor, as you want to be sure all your options are explored, considering you are so young.

It is my experience that at your age, doctor's will usually push for something that preserves your fertility first, shoudl you want to have children (and since you do), they will try their best to work with you on that.

I had CIS 10 years ago, stage 0, and I have had two children and I am pregnant with my third right now. I had a LEEP back then (as they didn't to trachelectomies 10 years ago) and was told I would be back and need a hysterectomy in 2 years at the least, but 10 years and as far as I know, no reoccurence.

My pregnancies were both high-risk and required some best rest and such, but I made it through. Also, since 95 percent of my cervix was removed, I am unable to dialate to deliver vaginally, so I had to have planned c-sections, which really weren't so bad. Especially since I was still able to get pregnant and carry to term. Pregancy options are something you will also want to discuss in the course of your decision, as you want to be informed and aware what you will face after treatement, assuming you do not have a hysterectomy. It is always good to get future info, because so many doctors talk about the immediate, rather then your future reproduction after cancer.

In the meantime, hang in there and if you have any question, holler. We are all good about hollering back!

PJ

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• By christiecsr
• Posted June 30, 2009 at 3:09 pm
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I just spoke with my doctor on the phone and she is now telling me that a trachelectomy is a new procedure that they don't know very much about. She sounds like she is recommending hysterectomy. She actually told me unles I would never consider adoption I should think about the hysterectomy. I can't believe I am 27, six weeks until my wedding, and about to go back to school for a year and am hearing this.
She is going to send me to a doctor that performs them so I can talk with him and I see a specialist tomorrow. I can';t believe this is happening to me.

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• By chamomile
• Posted June 30, 2009 at 4:51 pm
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christiecsr: I'm sorry that you're going through this. What did your doctor say was your stage, tumor size, and type of cancer? This can make a big difference in treatment options. Not all doctors do trachelectomies, but that doesn't mean that you should not explore this option. You just may need to do a little research to find another doctor....and you really should get multiple opinions anyway.

I was 30 when I was diagnosed. I don't have any kids and I want to preserve my fertility. I was stage 1a1 adenocarcinoma. My doctor has worked with me and my goals and I have had 2 cones and I am being monitored very closely in lieu of other treatment. A trachelectomy would be my next step (if needed). My doctor is not comfortable performing it (and it hasn't been done in my city), but he understands that and would help me find another doctor who is qualified to do it. If need be, I would travel to another state b/c it is that important to me.

Please don't let one doctor push you into a hasty decision. You do have time to decide. Good luck tomorrow. Keep us posted.

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• By simplynat
• Posted June 30, 2009 at 4:52 pm
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Hi Christie, I am sorry that you are dealing with this and I don't mean to jump up and get excited but in my opinion if this doctor is immediately dismissing a trachelectomy you NEED to get a second opinion! Yes trachelectomies are a 'newer' procedure but they are becoming much more increasingly common and are a valid method of addressing (early invasive) cervical cancer. Quite frankly, immediately jumping to a hysterectomy is old school and not up to date with current medical procedures. I live in Canada and currently there only two cities in which I could have a trachelectomy. If it ever came to it my gyn-onc already said she would refer me to another doctor to have one performed and this was without my even asking for it, she was the one who suggested it. If this doctor is dismissing the procedure because it so-called 'new' then to be blunt, I think you need to find yourself another doctor.
Best wishes to you.

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• By corellin
• Posted June 30, 2009 at 8:08 pm
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Christie -- I agree with the others that you definitely need a second opinion. In some places, they will even just do a cone for microinvasive cancer for some women who want to preserve fertility. The trachelectomy would be a more radical procedure than the cone, but less radical than a hysterectomy. It's important to fully understand your diagnosis and then find out ALL your options from a specialist who's really competent and skilled.

Here's a link to a University of California at Irvine study that followed three groups of women treated for microinvasive cancer -- one with radical hysterectomy, one with simple hysterectomy and one with a cone procedure. 3 out of 4 women who had the cone were able to get pregnant and none had recurrence of cancer in the 4 years followed. They had to meet certain criteria to qualify for cone only, so this may or may not apply to your stage of cancer.

http://www.imaginis.com/cervical-cancer/news/news11.19.01.asp

I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this right before your wedding. How stressful!

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