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Hi There,
Thank you and yes I do have everything in order to ask the surgeon. Some questions will not pertain until after surgery and the staging comes in. I have researched about every report done, test, research group etc. on this cancer on the internet (hours and hours over the last 3 weeks) that I have been able to find and access all the way back to the 1970's. Speaking of which seems the overall survival rate has not really increased much if at all in that time period. Which I think is odd considering radiation for treatment was not even thought of back then. In addition hasn't there been new chemo drugs and also immunotherapy? One would think survival rates would have increased. Plus research from the 70's a couple research groups reported 1,3,5, 15 and even 20 year survival rates. You really do not see any current day or even last 10 yr research groups looking into more than a 5 yr survival stat. Wonder why that is.
I will ask about getting brachytherapy right after surgery if it is conductive of a better outcome in recurrence or not. I have read both reportings from various different research facilities and none really seem to have a steady overall conclusive answer one way or the other. I would say 50% say yes it does help right after surgery and 50% say it didn't matter to have it. With data like that it really does not help one way or the other.
I would think "personally" that it may be beneficial to have done right after surgery even if they have you listed as low risk for recurrence. I will though for sure talk it over with my Oncology surgeon.
Question: Did they mention to you that this may be your only recurrence or now since you had this one are you susceptible to having another?
Did they change your staging from intal once you had your recurrence to cuff?
Thanks so much.
Replies to "Hi There, Thank you and yes I do have everything in order to ask the surgeon...."
Hello. Based on my experience with my mom's endometrial cancer, I learned that once radiation is administered, it cannot be offered again as a treatment if the cancer recurs. When I was diagnosed last year with low-grade endometrial cancer, my oncological surgeon advised against radiation. He clearly explained that it would not make a difference and could do more harm than good.
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@idaho1960 I asked the radiation oncologist about recurrence and survival rates during my first appointment with him. He said that with this recurrence my survival rate was about 85% over 5 years. That was in contrast to what my surgeon told me at the initial diagnosis when the survival rate was explained as 95% over 5 years.
After the recurrence and the radiation therapy my Survivorship Treatment Plan was "reset". Had I not had the recurrence it would be 5 years since my first diagnosis in 2019 and I would no longer be under active surveillance. But with the recurrence in late 2021 my clock as reset to 5 years. In early 2022 after I finished radiation my active surveillance schedule for check-ups was every 4 months with physical exam and CT. I did that for 2 years, as recommended by the radiation oncologist. Since no evidence of disease has showed up during that time I am now seen every 6 months with a CT on an annual basis.
Both my original surgeon and the radiation oncologist told me that I am at risk for other primary cancers including lungs, and colorectal, breast and kidneys. That was written in my Survivorship Plan that I received after my hysterectomy in 2019.
My staging was not changed in my records after the recurrence to the vaginal cuff.
With everything you have included in your posts here I will say that you are far more prepared for your initial appointment with the oncologist then I was in 2019. I was so frightened about the initial diagnosis that I didn't even think about the chance of recurrence and where recurrence might occur.
In many respects how cancer is diagnosed and staged will come down to how the tissue is prepared in the lab and the pathologist who examines the gross specimen and the slides. You can ask your oncologist about that and especially whether they talk directly with pathology after surgery.
I share with @gynosaur42 in offering a hug and best wishes.