On 12/19/2007
barbiegirl wrote:
"After several mths of heavy periods and cramps my ob/gyn recently did a tissue biopsy which showed stage 1 endometrial cancer. I am 49, never had children and dont plan to start a family now but I was shocked when the oncologist told me after my first appt (with only a pelvic exam and no further diagnostic tests) that I would need a total hysterectomy. I have been advised to get a second opinion before having the surgery and my question is, shouldnt the doctor have done more tests to confirm the biopsy reports?? You hear about mistakes in the lab and with no family history of cancer and nothing but this test to show isnt there some further test that can be done? Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated as my surgery is scheduled for 1/3/08. Thanks.
An endometrial biopsy that shows cancer is the definitive test for endometrial cancer and usually reliable. If you doubt the diagnosis, ask that your slides be sent to another pathologist for a second pathological opinion, perhaps at a major cancer center. If you are satisfied that your diagnosis is correct,
you should have a gynecological oncologist do your surgery. It is better to have the surgery done right than done quickly; a gyn oncologist will sample para-aortic nodes to be sure the cancer has not spread, but some regular gynecologists will not do this. You can find a gyn oncologist near you at
http://tinyurl.com/5bv3 . Before surgery, you should have imaging such as CT scans to see that the cancer has not spread to other organs. Exact staging for endometrial cancer can only be ascertained through hysterectomy. See
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/endometrial more information about endometrial cancer. You should expect to be cured of this cancer.