Radiation or not after surgery for endometrial cancer?

Hello, MarceyW I had 2 rounds of vaginabrachy. The applicator is a white cylinder, somewhat painful going in, but must fit very snugly against you, is the logic. I don’t remember being offered local anesthetic. Otherwise, I was taken good care of. The radiation beam is one inch all around the cylinder, so it very localized. I got through it fine, but around 11 pm crazy itching started. I mean, enough to send you to the hospital. I’m still not sure why, I may have had a reaction to either the radiation (likely) or one of the creams, one of which may have been hydrocortisone based. The itching stopped about 3-4 hours later, then I was fine. I believe it was worse during the second vaginabrachy. It’s something you myst do to protect yourself from further cancer, so better get it done. I also had 28 sessions if true beam radiation on my pelvis, 2 small chemos if cisplatin and 4 large chemos of carboplatin and paxclitaxil. Good luck, ok 😉

@marceyw I'm circling back to ask what you decided to do. Did you decide on the brachytherapy? Or did you get another opinion?

I had radiation and brachytherapy. I found the brachytherapy to be very painful not everyone has this issue I think it must depend on whether you are sexually active and have given birth. I was neither since my husband had prostrate cancer in 2003. I had severe pain and bleeding when I had a bowel movement after the initial radiation and before the brachytherapy . December 31st 2023 I had blood when I had a BM a lot, contacted gastroenterologist and was told if I continued to have it to call him. I didn’t. Yet I noticed when I wiped I had a smearing of pink in my bowel area and I hadn’t had a BM. Called my gastroenterologist and he recommended I see a colorectal surgeon to check me out. On the morning of the appointment I had some bleeding. The specialist used two scopes and didn’t see any blood at all or any issues. He said it could probably be proctitus caused by the radiation. COULD didn’t say absolutely. So I contacted my gastroenterologist and I am scheduled for a endoscopy and colonoscopy in December the last one was done in 2022 just to be sure?
I have an appointment with my oncologist tomorrow so I want his thoughts on additional tests since I now have stomach issues and I am paranoid that it could be cancer again, I have had 3. I had a pet scan and a Ct last year but as I already know things can be missed. Sorry! I got carried away. If you have additional questions just ask.?

I too was just diagnosed with stage one. CT scan showed no abnormality.
I haven't even heard from the oncologist. worried about prognosis. Whether hysterectomy will be enough.
also wasn't told if I should avoid exercise.
am interested to know if there are questions people wish they'd known to ask as they began treatment.

@jeanadair123 From this post it looks like you had an appointment with your oncologist on March 27th or 28th? What did you find out and is there a plan to address hour stomach issues? Are your symptoms due to the radiation therapy you had?

Hello, @tg24. I had a radical hysterectomy for endometroid adenocarcinoma in 2019 including oopherectomy and sapinectomy. I was staged 1a, Figo Grade 1. was told to avoid exercise other than walking for a few weeks. I also was told not pick up anything heavier than a grocery bad for that time period.

Have you heard from your oncologist since the hysterectomy so you know what the pathology showed? Do you know kind of endometrial cancer you were diagnosed with? When was the hysterectomy? Did you talk with your oncologist about whether any other treatment is recommended?

I explained my situation to my oncologist and how worried I was about pancreatic and stomach cancer? He reassured me that the CT and Pet Scan would have shown the pancreatic. I am having a colonoscopy and an endoscopy on Tuesday to see what the issue is? Since we don’t know what is causing this? He said it could be proctitus but to wait until I get my colon and endoscope results if all is well we we discuss further causes for my problems? My girlfriend just had a colonoscopy and her gastroenterologist checked for microscopic colitis it’s swelling of the large intestine so I shall ask my gastroenterologist who I love dearly to take a biopsy. Will update Wednesday or after I can my pathology reports.

Thanks for your response! I haven’t had the hysterectomy yet. Got the news Friday morning but haven’t spoken with oncology. I want this to happen asap but want to know what questions to ask. I understand from my ob/gyn that it will most likely be laparoscopic hysterectomy and they will check lymph nodes at that time. She said stage 1 adenocarcinoma which i believe is the slow growing type.?

@jeanadair123 Another quesiton: I am having other symptoms—low grade fever for weeks, exhaustion, cramping like menstrual cramps and trouble sleeping, though the latter is probably just a whirling mind. Did you have any other symptoms besides bleeding?
Thanks.

I think I probably did not say when I had my uterus cancer. It was 2009, I had a recurrence in 2016.
At the time of my original cancer, I just had some bleeding. I went to the gynecologist and she did a biopsy in her office, sent it to be analyzed, and it came back. Stage one grade 2.
People tell me that after the surgery they had brachytherapy no one said I should have that after my surgery it was taken for granted that it would not occur again since there was only a one percent chance. If you have Brachytherapy one has to use a dilator so in the future, they will be able to examine you. If you are sexually active, then you can alternate them, because my husband had prostrate cancer I had to use the dilator once a day. for the first two years and then gradually I was able to cut down the days and I only use it twice a week now. Stage one is good, I don’t remember having any cramping etc. maybe some of your issues could easily be coming from stress it works in strange ways I wonder whether that is my problem also as I am really stressed right now but doubt that caused my bleeding in my rectum.
Sometimes when I don’t know what to ask I put the question in my search bar for whatever ails me and ask what questions should I ask. I was definitely sore after the surgery and it was hard to get in and out of bed. Make sure when you have your check ups that your dr always uses a speculum I had issues after 4 years when I moved to a different state I saw 4 doctors until I found someone who would use one and guess what I had recurrence.