pelvic exenteration

My daughter has had all the treatments for cervical cancer, Chemo, external and internal radiation, Total hysterectomy and now it's been 10 weeks since surgery and there is another tumor. Her oncology surgeon is recommending Pelvic exenteration. Is there anyone out there who has been through this procedure or knows of anyone who has it done? We were told this last Thursday and my daughter still hasn't decided what she should do. I really need some advice.

 

On 6/10/2009 DebGrammy_4 wrote:

My daughter has had all the treatments for cervical cancer, Chemo, external and internal radiation, Total hysterectomy and now it's been 10 weeks since surgery and there is another tumor. Her oncology surgeon is recommending Pelvic exenteration. Is there anyone out there who has been through this procedure or knows of anyone who has it done? We were told this last Thursday and my daughter still hasn't decided what she should do. I really need some advice.

Hi, I can only speak as a nurse and as someone who visits patients in a cancer hospital that face these types of difficult decisions every day.  Your daughter has an incredibly heart wrenching decision to make and it has already been a difficult road for her.  I don't know where you live but she need to first make sure that the cancer has not spread beyond the central pelvic region, if it has, the surgery will be for nothing.  The surgery of course involves urinary diversion and rectal diversion as well.  Obviously it is a complicated surgery a prolonged recovery and a difficult emotional issue for your daughter.  The surgery can be successful but I would be darn sure that you go to a major oncology facility that have surgeons on staff who do this surgery on a regular basis with a record of minimal complications.  

 I will say a prayer for you and your daughter.  It will not be easy but whatever decision your daughter makes will be the right one for her.   God Bless and be strong and supportive, no matter what she decides.

Hello,

 

I am responding to the Mother whose daughter has cervical cancer and was recommended a total pelvic exenteration.  This is a difficult decision to make but apparently it has been very successful in some cases which is the reason I chose to have one. My problems were similar and my recurrence was so huge it encompassed my bladder and bowel. I have to say that I am alive and well today after three years and have been able to meet the challenges with a positive, optimistic attitude of I can do!  I don't know where she is being treated but would suggest a comprehensive cancer care center with surgeons well trained to do this procedure.  Any questions you may also e-mail me privately at

--Message edited by CancerCompass staff. For personal protection, email address and phone number removed. Consider private reply. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html--

 or call me and I will return the call. Don't  hesitate to call for help if you need it!  Joanne

On 6/10/2009 DebGrammy_4 wrote:

My daughter has had all the treatments for cervical cancer, Chemo, external and internal radiation, Total hysterectomy and now it's been 10 weeks since surgery and there is another tumor. Her oncology surgeon is recommending Pelvic exenteration. Is there anyone out there who has been through this procedure or knows of anyone who has it done? We were told this last Thursday and my daughter still hasn't decided what she should do. I really need some advice.

 

 

On 6/10/2009 DebGrammy_4 wrote:

My daughter has had all the treatments for cervical cancer, Chemo, external and internal radiation, Total hysterectomy and now it's been 10 weeks since surgery and there is another tumor. Her oncology surgeon is recommending Pelvic exenteration. Is there anyone out there who has been through this procedure or knows of anyone who has it done? We were told this last Thursday and my daughter still hasn't decided what she should do. I really need some advice.

Please get a 2nd opinion about the pelvic exenteration.  I received two more opinions and I went with the 3rd doctor who I had two years prior when I was first diagnosed with cervical cancer.  He was not agreeable to this operation at all.  I am so glad I listened to him because my tumors came back in two totally different areas, my neck and my pelvic area so the pelvic exenteration operation would have been a complete disaster and more upsetting.  Do you realize what that operation entails.. please make sure this is truly what all the doctors are agreeing to.  Get at least two more opinions.

Karen

 

On 6/10/2009 DebGrammy_4 wrote:

My daughter has had all the treatments for cervical cancer, Chemo, external and internal radiation, Total hysterectomy and now it's been 10 weeks since surgery and there is another tumor. Her oncology surgeon is recommending Pelvic exenteration. Is there anyone out there who has been through this procedure or knows of anyone who has it done? We were told this last Thursday and my daughter still hasn't decided what she should do. I really need some advice.

I wanted to add one more thing... the tumors I had were treated with chemo and 4 months later, I am in remission.  So please really think about the pelvic exenteration operation.

Karen

We did get another opinion and he recomended she do the surgery. My daughter is so scared. They said they would check her lymph nodes before doing the exenteration and if there was cancer in the lyph nodes they wouldn't go any farther with the operation. What kind of Chemo did you have the second time?

 

On 7/7/2009 DebGrammy_4 wrote:

We did get another opinion and he recomended she do the surgery. My daughter is so scared. They said they would check her lymph nodes before doing the exenteration and if there was cancer in the lyph nodes they wouldn't go any farther with the operation. What kind of Chemo did you have the second time?

I had carbo and taxol for 4 months every 3 weeks.. my last chemo was 4/30.  It just seems like such a severe operation and who knows where the cancer will come back...Do you trust her doctors?

Not really. Her original doctor gave her a 30 percent chance of curing the cancer and the second doctor gave her a 50 percent chance of curing. We went to see the first doctor and told him we got a second opinion, he said that he recieved a call from the second opinion doctor and now he says she has a 50 percent chance, why is the percentage higher now?  I asked her doctor about giving her taxol and he said they would use cisplatin mixed with something else ( I can't remember the exact name ). Taxol is a better choice I think. Do you know if we can demand taxol or not?

 

On 7/7/2009 DebGrammy_4 wrote:

Not really. Her original doctor gave her a 30 percent chance of curing the cancer and the second doctor gave her a 50 percent chance of curing. We went to see the first doctor and told him we got a second opinion, he said that he recieved a call from the second opinion doctor and now he says she has a 50 percent chance, why is the percentage higher now?  I asked her doctor about giving her taxol and he said they would use cisplatin mixed with something else ( I can't remember the exact name ). Taxol is a better choice I think. Do you know if we can demand taxol or not?

When I had my first round of chemo and radiation over 2 yrs ago, they gave me cisplatin and a low dose chemo and I had that for 6 weeks every single day for the radiation and chemo was once a week.  I think it's whatever the dr orders.   I had taxol this time... It just depends on your doctor and the severity of the cancer I would venture to say.

Karen

Her cancer is really aggressive. She says she can feel it growing. She is so scared and she is so skinny.