Uterine biopsy not enough tissue extracted: Now What?

Have you had any blood work done?

I expect to be getting another vaginal ultrasound soon, due to recurring, intermittent lower belly pain. Seeing colorectal doctor next week for gastro issues. Not sure if they are related or the same thing. I was planning to return to my primary for the belly pain….idk. I get the feeling it’s an ovary. I had terrible cyst pain, before menopause.

I had an ultrasound in late 2018 that was normal, but noted trace fluid.

I hope you can get some answers. I’m pretty anxious about my situation and will be glad to sort it out. I hope yours does as well.

@tclare15 This is very puzzling. Personally I would be very unhappy about those pathology results that indicate there wasn't enough tissue to actually test. My partner is a pathologist and I know what he would say in this case as he gets really annoyed when physicians do not do adequate biopsies. In addition the radiologist who read your ultrasound made that recommendation because I'm presuming they could not rule out cancer given the ultrasound.

When I had postmenopausal spotting I first had an ultrasound that showed a thickened uterine lining. My gynecologist went right to hysteroscopy and dilation and curetage (D&C). In retrospect I'm glad he did that as then there was plenty of tissue to test in pathology. I was diagnosed with endometroid adenocarcinoma, FIGO Grade 1. I'm not suggesting that this is what you have but only that without enough tissue to test on biopsy you have inconclusive results. Would you want to consult a different gynecologist? Is that a possibility? If it were me I would not want to wait until or if there are more symptoms such as spotting.

What are you thinking you will do?

I am definitely going to seek care elsewhere. I fortunately live near two very good university hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area, and will seek further followup at Stanford as soon as their new patient office opens in the morning at the Gynecology clinic. Hopefully, I'll be able to get some answers and help there. I'm just pretty frustrated with how this was all handled, and know that I need to be pretty pro-active about getting what I believe I need. I just hope that if a hysteroscopy and D& C is the next step, there will be enough tissue left over to test. that is my worry at this point. At my age, if there is any abnormality/pre-cancer noted, it would be my choice to get a hysterectomy. But, I know that is not a simple care-free procedure and I definitely need some good guidance.

Thank you for your kind words and I wish you well in your seeking answers to your issue also. To answer your question, I've not had any blood workup, but I am going to seek followup at a major university hospital here in the Bay Area and hope to get the help I need there.

@tclare15 Yes, you do have some very good choices of other clinics in the Bay Area. I'm thinking you had an endometrial biopsy in the your gynecologist's office? If that's the case it's likely that only a small piece of tissue was removed and so more testing should be possible. I agree that you'll need to advocate for yourself and I think with your persistence you will get better care and guidance. My brother receives his cancer surveillance care at Stanford and he's been very pleased with his doctor and the clinic.

Thank you...that is certainly re-assuring! Yes, I had my biopsy done in office, and I appreciate your comment that there may still be hope that enough tissue remains. What I really want is a biopsy of that lesion which was obvious on the ultrasound, but may be gone now due to the biopsy procedure...but that is water under the bridge now. I really appreciate the feedback. Thank you so much.

@tclare15 Would you let me know what happens with an appointment with a different gynecologist? Just another suggestion too. I know from friends and family in the Bay Area that it can take months to get in with a new provider. Well, that seems to be true most everywhere now. Would your primary care provider help by providing you with a referral once you establish where you would like to go? That’s how my brother got in so quickly with Stanford.

Oh today was a good day..I was able to get the necessary referral to Stanford AND I went there in person today with all the images and reports to the scheduling office and was able to get a 40 minute in-person consultation scheduled for mid next week! My mother would have said my guardian angel was looking out for me. I'll use this time now to clearly write out my concerns and what I think might be a good plan of action so I'm ready for that appointment.

@tclare15. Yes, your Guardian Angel was surely by your side today. This is fast work and it's great that your exam will be next week. What day is your exam and what time? At that day and time you can bring up the image of the members of this Support Group in a circle around you to bring you peace and blessings. Your Guardian Angel will be present.

When I went for my first consultation at Mayo Clinic I had written my questions ahead of time. My surgeon was so comprehensive that I had very few questions when she had finished talking with me. Still the preparation I did greatly helped with my anxiety before the appointment.

Thankyou for that very comforting message! I expect that my appointment on the morning of Feb. 7th will be just a sit down consultation. There probably won't be an examination at that appointment, but I don't know for sure. We will go over what the ultrasound actually showed, what was done, and what needs to be done.