Newly Diagnosed: FIGO 2 Uterine Cancer: What does this mean?

Posted by gratefulcat @gratefulcat, Mar 4, 2023

Hi - My recent pathology report showed FIGO 2 for uterine cancer, and I am scheduled for a robotic hysterectomy next week. Does anyone know if these means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body? Has anyone had a cancer journey that started at this grade? Thanks for your help.

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

Grade refers to the appearence of the cells-does not relate to spread. The stage (degree of spread, if any) will be determined by the surgery. Hopefully, you'll be Stage 1, confined to the uterus. I had a robotic hyst. and it
was a "piece of cake", relatively speaking. Wishing you the same.

REPLY

@gratefulcat Your hysterectomy is coming up very soon. I can imagine that you are both worried and anxious. I was very frightened after the doctor called me with the diagnosis. My fear and anxiety went down a little when my appointment with the GYN-Oncologist was scheduled and I knew I was going to get started on treatment. Does this sound familiar to you?

I'm going to call on a few others in our group that can provide you with support @cmb2022 @mary64300 @gynosaur42 @wrightvillebeach @rose53

While we wait for others to respond I'll answer your questions to the best of my knowledge. @esikora already responded to FIGO Grade. That number (1, 2, or 3) is determined by the pathologist who reviewed your biopsy. The FIGO Grade is based on the appearance of the cells and how "organized" they are into a tumor. Here is an explanation.

Endometrial Cancer-FIGO Grade and Stages

-- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/endometrial-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/staging.html

Do you know from the pathology report the kind of uterine cancer that you were diagnosed with? Is it adenocarcinoma (the most common kind)? Or clear cell? Or another type? Here is an explanation of the kinds of uterine cancers.

What is endometrial cancer?

-- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/endometrial-cancer/about/what-is-endometrial-cancer.html

Finally, as @esikora wrote you will know whether or not the cancer has spread outside of the uterus after surgery. All of the tissue that is removed during surgery will dissected and placed on slides for a pathologist to view. So, if your fallopian tubes and cervix were removed during surgery, and cancer is not found in the fallopian tube or cervix, and no where else except for the uterus there isn't spread of cancer. This is called the Stage I. Your course of treatment after the hysterectomy will depend on the Stage. Higher Stage numbers such as II, III or IV means that the cancer has spread and more treatment is recommended such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

I had endometrial cancer (adenocarcinoma, stage 1a) diagnosed in 2019 so this is how I learned much of what I wrote. Well, that along with all I have learned here on Mayo Clinic Connect.

Does this help? Please let me know if you have any other questions.

REPLY

@gratefulcat Hello,
I am sorry you are going through this journey, but the support I have received from here has been so helpful for me.

I had my laproscopic hysterectomy (including my ovaries) just over a year ago. I was diagnosed with Endometriod Adenocarcinoma stage 1A, FIGO grade 2. I felt sore for a couple of days after my surgery, but honestly it wasn't a bad recovery at all. I took 4 weeks off from work, but could have returned sooner. For me menopause was tougher than the surgery (I had no symptoms prior to my surgery).

My surgeon told me after surgery the he felt it was all contained and then phoned me a few days later to tell me the stage and grade and at that time I didn't require any further treatment. I did have a reoccurance in September and completed 31 radiation treatments for that.

I wish you well and hope you will update us after your surgery.

Take care!

REPLY

@gratefulcat Hello. I am so sorry you have to go through this journey. It can be daunting. Helen and cmb said it all.
But here is my experience. A Hysterescopy disgnosis came back with a malignant poorly diferentiated tumor. It was not graded.
At Mayo, the surgeon I saw ordered a CT scan that revealed a 55% invasion of the endometrium and 1 positive lymphnode which resulted in a Stage IIIC.
Because of the lymphnode, the surgeon gave up the laparascopic Hysterectomy for a traditional one so he could see better what was still involved after removing lymphnodes, phallopian tubes, ovaries and the whole uterus.
After surgery, I was also told that he thought he had removed everything that was involved and there was no trace of metastasis. So no radiation needed.
I have a nice scar from the belly button all the way down 😂. But recovery was easy. I imagine yours will be even easier since it is less invasive. Nothing else came back from the pathology but the grade came back as 3 due to the type of tumor (Stage 3C, grade 3) considering the grade (aggressivity and poorly differentiated cells) i am doing adjuvant chemotherapy.
Hang in there. Stage 1 grade 2 is less advanced and less aggressive. There are good chances you will be done after surgery. Everyone is different.
Please tell us how it went for you and dont hesitate to ask questions ! Good luck for surgery 🤗

REPLY
@esikora

Grade refers to the appearence of the cells-does not relate to spread. The stage (degree of spread, if any) will be determined by the surgery. Hopefully, you'll be Stage 1, confined to the uterus. I had a robotic hyst. and it
was a "piece of cake", relatively speaking. Wishing you the same.

Jump to this post

Thank you.

REPLY
@naturegirl5

@gratefulcat Your hysterectomy is coming up very soon. I can imagine that you are both worried and anxious. I was very frightened after the doctor called me with the diagnosis. My fear and anxiety went down a little when my appointment with the GYN-Oncologist was scheduled and I knew I was going to get started on treatment. Does this sound familiar to you?

I'm going to call on a few others in our group that can provide you with support @cmb2022 @mary64300 @gynosaur42 @wrightvillebeach @rose53

While we wait for others to respond I'll answer your questions to the best of my knowledge. @esikora already responded to FIGO Grade. That number (1, 2, or 3) is determined by the pathologist who reviewed your biopsy. The FIGO Grade is based on the appearance of the cells and how "organized" they are into a tumor. Here is an explanation.

Endometrial Cancer-FIGO Grade and Stages

-- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/endometrial-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/staging.html

Do you know from the pathology report the kind of uterine cancer that you were diagnosed with? Is it adenocarcinoma (the most common kind)? Or clear cell? Or another type? Here is an explanation of the kinds of uterine cancers.

What is endometrial cancer?

-- https://www.cancer.org/cancer/endometrial-cancer/about/what-is-endometrial-cancer.html

Finally, as @esikora wrote you will know whether or not the cancer has spread outside of the uterus after surgery. All of the tissue that is removed during surgery will dissected and placed on slides for a pathologist to view. So, if your fallopian tubes and cervix were removed during surgery, and cancer is not found in the fallopian tube or cervix, and no where else except for the uterus there isn't spread of cancer. This is called the Stage I. Your course of treatment after the hysterectomy will depend on the Stage. Higher Stage numbers such as II, III or IV means that the cancer has spread and more treatment is recommended such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

I had endometrial cancer (adenocarcinoma, stage 1a) diagnosed in 2019 so this is how I learned much of what I wrote. Well, that along with all I have learned here on Mayo Clinic Connect.

Does this help? Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Jump to this post

Thank you.

REPLY
@cmb2022

@gratefulcat Hello,
I am sorry you are going through this journey, but the support I have received from here has been so helpful for me.

I had my laproscopic hysterectomy (including my ovaries) just over a year ago. I was diagnosed with Endometriod Adenocarcinoma stage 1A, FIGO grade 2. I felt sore for a couple of days after my surgery, but honestly it wasn't a bad recovery at all. I took 4 weeks off from work, but could have returned sooner. For me menopause was tougher than the surgery (I had no symptoms prior to my surgery).

My surgeon told me after surgery the he felt it was all contained and then phoned me a few days later to tell me the stage and grade and at that time I didn't require any further treatment. I did have a reoccurance in September and completed 31 radiation treatments for that.

I wish you well and hope you will update us after your surgery.

Take care!

Jump to this post

Thank you

REPLY
@mary64300

@gratefulcat Hello. I am so sorry you have to go through this journey. It can be daunting. Helen and cmb said it all.
But here is my experience. A Hysterescopy disgnosis came back with a malignant poorly diferentiated tumor. It was not graded.
At Mayo, the surgeon I saw ordered a CT scan that revealed a 55% invasion of the endometrium and 1 positive lymphnode which resulted in a Stage IIIC.
Because of the lymphnode, the surgeon gave up the laparascopic Hysterectomy for a traditional one so he could see better what was still involved after removing lymphnodes, phallopian tubes, ovaries and the whole uterus.
After surgery, I was also told that he thought he had removed everything that was involved and there was no trace of metastasis. So no radiation needed.
I have a nice scar from the belly button all the way down 😂. But recovery was easy. I imagine yours will be even easier since it is less invasive. Nothing else came back from the pathology but the grade came back as 3 due to the type of tumor (Stage 3C, grade 3) considering the grade (aggressivity and poorly differentiated cells) i am doing adjuvant chemotherapy.
Hang in there. Stage 1 grade 2 is less advanced and less aggressive. There are good chances you will be done after surgery. Everyone is different.
Please tell us how it went for you and dont hesitate to ask questions ! Good luck for surgery 🤗

Jump to this post

Thank you, and I will keep everyone posted. I very much appreciate all of the support here.

REPLY

Hi Everyone - I am almost three weeks post hysterectomy and doing well. My cancer was staged as 1A with a positive pelvic washing which requires follow-up radiation/brachytherapy. During the process, I learned I have a high probability of Lynch Syndrome and will continue with additional cancer screenings over the next few months.

Has anyone experienced brachytherapy for endometrial cancer? How did they feel? Any long-term side effects?

Thanks for your support.

REPLY

Last year I was treated for endometrial cancer - grade 3, clear cell. Fortunately, it was stage 1A. I too was told the there was a possibility of Lynch Syndrome. Because of the clear cell diagnosis, I had chemotherapy which completed in November. In December I had 3 brachytherapy treatments. I had no issues with the treatment. There was almost no pain plus I have had few issues since. My radiologist was very careful about ensuring that my rectum and bladder were not radiated. This treatment was much easier than external radiation.

As for the Lynch Syndrome, I have been working with a geneticist to determine if this is inherited (versus acquired). I have two genes with variants of unknown significance that have been associated with Lynch. This is not enough to prove Lynch. Two of my first cousins have provided their genetic test results. They do not have these variants. I am interested how your medical team is handling the possibility of Lynch.

REPLY
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