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Gynecologic cancers: What do you wish you had known?

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, May 22 12:18pm

@naturegirl5, mentor of the Gynecologic Cancers support group was featured in this month's Mayo Clinic Health Letter forcused on gynecological cancers, risk factors and new, life extending treatments. See the link attached below

As Helen shares in the article, post menopausal bleeding was the symptom that led to her diagnosis. Thank goodness she and her doctor took action and she got a biopsy right away.

What symptoms led to your diagnosis? What do you wish you had known and would like to share with someone new to this unwanted journey?

Shared files

Mayo Clinic Health Letter-Special Report on Gynecological Cancers-May 2026 (Mayo-Clinic-Health-Letter-Special-Report-on-Gynecological-Cancers-May-2026.pdf)

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Gynecologic Cancers Support Group.

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robings | @robings | 1 day ago
In reply to @naturegirl5 "@robings I've gained weight since I had my total hysterectomy for endometrial cancer in 2019. In..." + (show)
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@robings I've gained weight since I had my total hysterectomy for endometrial cancer in 2019. In addition to the increase in your waist size did you gain overall weight?

In my local community I have an excellent primary care physician who answers questions and spends all the time we need together. However, if I'm referred within the community I have a similar experience to what you described. I find that I have to do the work to make sure everything is in place for whatever the treatment will be.

This is not all the case at Mayo Clinic where care is coordinated between and among medical providers and departments. It's an 8 hour drive for us to go to Mayo Clinic and it's worth it. When I've had these excellent experiences at Mayo Clinic I often arrive home wondering why so many medical practices operate in their own silos and do not adopt the Mayo Clinic model.

What is APC treatment? Was that related to the endometrial cancer?

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@naturegirl5 thank you … argon plasma coagulation to help stop rectal bleeding due to radiation proctitis … I feel sorry for the young generation of females that will be doing an at home Pap smear! MY GOD THERE IS SO MUCH MORE A SKILLED PHYSICIAN NEEDS TO CHECK - skin (lichens sclerosis), anus, heavy menstrual bleeding discussion (precursor to endometrial cancer)

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ffr | @ffr | 10 hours ago
In reply to @robings "@ima1survivor thank you … they said it was fat come on they do ct scans and..." + (show)
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@ima1survivor thank you … they said it was fat come on they do ct scans and know why - I’d think I was the first woman who ever had a total hysterectomy for cancer -?they see informing patient I think as a liability issue. In any case women REQUIRE an outpatient clinic for medical support after breast and gynecological cancers (recurrence, skin, radiation proctitist effects)

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@robings I TOTALLY AGREE with your last sentence and I have said it for a while now. Next week I will say it to my oncologist when I go for my six month exam. (It won’t change anything, but still, I need to say it!)

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