What were your first signs of endometrial cancer?

I had massive abnormal bleeding. by the time my gyno could see me i had to be hospitalized due to severe anemia for a blood transfusion.

while in the hospital all the doctors thought it was most likely cancer but they could say which one (cervic, ovary, endometrial).

they took a uterine biopsy and sent me for a CT scan - both came back with endometrial cancer and i had a radical hysterectomy.

I was more than fifteen years post menopausal, and had very light spotting started on a Friday. I called my gynecologist on Monday and saw her on Tuesday. The physical and ultrasound examinations were normal. She did biopsy and one week later abnormal results came back. She called immediately and also called the surgeon’s office, and I saw the surgeon that afternoon. A total hysterectomy was scheduled within a month. The pathology report came back ten days later after the surgery and I was diagnosed with stage IIIb endometrial cancer. I recommend see a gynecologist right away when having post menopausal spotting or bleeding.

@jc100 Thank you for sharing your symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Your gynecologist acted quickly which is so reassuring. Did you have any other treatments after surgery?

Yes. I had six rounds of chemo in conjunction with immunotherapy. After chemotherapy completed, immunotherapy continued for a total of twelve months. The plan was to have immunotherapy for twenty four months, but it had to be discontinued because of adverse side effects. My last infusion was on 12/2/24. My recent CT did not show recurrence.

By the way, I also had three rounds of brachytherapy. No side effects from it.

I was 50 and hadn't yet begun menopause. One day I saw a spotting of blood, nothing much, on my underwear. I mentioned it to older siblings and they said it's probably perimenopause symptoms. Then I didn't get it again for several weeks. The next time there was a bit more blood so I called the insurance company nurse. She said maybe go get it checked out but maybe it was perimenopausal symptoms. So I didn't go. At that time I had a sinus infection so I went to get it checked and the nurse practitioner asked me questions about whether I had begun menopause yet because of my age. I then told her about the spotting and said it's probably perimenopause...she said maybe not. You should go to the gynecologist. I thought she was being overly cautious so didn't go. Shortly after, my sister, three years older, was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, metastasized in her bones and liver. It was too advanced by this time to do much. That was my wake up call. I went to my gynecologist who seem perturbed that I came for a biopsy for just some spotting. But he had to do it. About 5 days later he called and said it came out positive for endometrial cancer. I then had a radical hysterectomy, no chemo or radiation. I send you my best wishes .

Thank you for your kind wishes! My best wishes to you as well.

@jc100 Thank you for sharing your adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. It's wonderful that your most recent CT did not show any evidence of disease.
Do you get very nervous before each of your exams with CT? (I get very nervous).

@chrissiebee It's very sad that your sister's diagnosis was breast cancer in an advanced stage with mets that had spread. I can see how this would alarm you and got you to follow up on the spotting and bleeding. What is it with some medical practitioners that do not take our symptoms seriously? Not every symptom is a serious but some are and with enough critical thinking after talking with patients these practitioners can help us to solve the puzzle of our symptoms. Fortunately I haven't had that experience but I know plenty of people who have.

My sister Irene went to her PCP and called him a number of times because of severe pain in her sternum. He told her she probably pulled a muscle when she had a cold a few months before. Never gave her an x-ray or anything. The pain increased and she was on a trip. She called him from there and said she needs something for the pain. She was flying back home and in the airport waiting room when the man sitting next to her asked her if anything was wrong she looked so distressed. She told him about her pain and the location. He said a friend had the same type of pain and it ended up being cancer. When Irene got home and called the doctor, she asked him straight out: Could this be cancer? He said if you're so concerned, I'll send you
to a doctor for a second opinion. (Still no test given). He sent her to one of his buddies for the second opinion, and he said he agrees with her doctor, it's probably a pulled muscle in her chest from coughing. Fast forward to a couple of months later, she finally got a liver biopsy. I just don't recall what happened that they finally tested her since during this time I, too, had endometrial cancer and eight months later breast cancer Stage 1. The liver biopsy showed
her liver was filled with cancer. Also had a test on chest which showed her sternum was partially deteriorated due to the cancer spreading to her bones. It was too late for her. She fought it like a trooper, but passed away about eight months later. That was in 1997 so I tried to lose my anger at the doctors but it took a long time.
I was misdiagnosed with lung cancer, had a biopsy which was negative, but the surgeon still wanted to do a thoracotomy...a very difficult
surgery to recover from for me. It turned out it was not cancer but Valley Fever. I live in the part of California where it's not that uncommon. It's diagnosed by a simple blood test which I was not given before having lung surgery. A portion of my lung was removed when it was
discovered it was only Valley Fever spores that I had in my lung. I'll stop here but there was another misdiagnosis with me. This should be enough to warn people to be very proactive with their medical care. Thanks for listening.