Medical test options for post menopause spotting, cramps

aardvark2118, thanks for sharing your story. May I ask how thick your uterine lining was when you had the hysteroscopy and d&c?

Helen, thanks for your reply. Fortunately, I was able to get my August 25 GYN doctor consult appointment moved up to this Monday, July 31. I appreciate you and val64 sharing your experiences. This gives me a good idea of questions I should be asking the dr. How thick was your endometrial lining when you had the D&C?

Helen, did you have any issue with a narrowing of your vagina?

My situation was somewhat different, but the two main options that I know of are an office biopsy and a "hysteroscopic D&C," which is done in the hospital under anesthesia. I had both of these, or rather, I had a failed attempt at an office biopsy, and then a month later had a D&C. From reading this forum, it sounds like failed office biopsies are quite common. It should be somewhat comparable to a pap smear, except that they have to push the little plastic stick through the cervix. Not being able to get through the cervix seems to be the cause of failures. I learned on this forum that some doctors have women put misoprostol pills in their vagina prior to the office biopsy to soften the cervix, which apparently reduces the failure rate.

My 2 cents worth is that you should definitely at least have a biopsy: you don't just have slight endometrial thickening, you have symptoms too. If a D&C is possible with your vaginal narrowing, it might also make sense to go straight to that, in the hope that they might scrape out whatever is causing your problems, even if it is "benign."

I had spotting for 2 months and decided to see a gynecologist. When he examined me he had me come back the next day. He had me take 2 pills an hour before my appointment. He did an ultrasound and a biopsy. He thought it was a polyp it was a tumor, the biopsy showed that I have endometrial cancer. His wife who is an obgyn/ gynecologist oncologist took me in to see her right away. My appointment with him was the end of June. I saw her on the 12th of July, I’m being operated on tomorrow July 31. Having a complete hysterectomy and removal of some lymph nodes to make sure it hasn’t spread. Mine is grade 1. When the operate and have everything tested then I’ll know what stage it’s in. I would not wait. I would find another Dr fast. He told me my uterine wall had thickened and wasted no time in getting me to see an oncologist once the biopsy came back positive

@leeosteo No, there was narrowing of my vagina going into the D & C and as far as I know the uterus was accessible through my cervix. I was asleep and when I woke up the D & C was complete. I did have some abdominal pain but that was from the carbon dioxide introduced into the uterus during the hysteroscopy and once the carbon dioxide dissipated the pain went away completely.

@leeosteo I reviewed the ultrasound report and it indicates that endometrial thickness was 18mm at the fundus which is the top of the uterus opposite of the cervix. The report indicates « abnormal endometrium. Worrisome for malignancy. Further evaluation is advised ». I had the D & C 4 weeks later and that’s when the pathology report indicated endometrial adenocarcinoma.

My endometrial lining was at the high end of what was considered « normal » for post-menopause. My gynecologist wasn’t alarmed by the ultrasound because he thought I did not have the usual risk factors but in fact I did. I was menopausal about about age 57 and I have never had children. These are two risk factors.

In retrospect I know the endometrial cancer was caught pretty early because I had a radical hysterectomy within two weeks of the D & C and the cancer was endometrioid adenocarcinoma, Stage 1a, FIGO Grade 1.

It’s great that you got your GYN consult moved to July 31. Will you please let me know what you find out at your appointment? I’ll be thinking about you on Monday.

I had spotting for 2 months and decided to see a gynecologist. When he examined me he had me come back the next day. He had me take 2 pills an hour before my appointment. He did an ultrasound and a biopsy. He thought it was a polyp it was a tumor, the biopsy showed that I have endometrial cancer. His wife who is an obgyn/ gynecologist oncologist took me in to see her right away. My appointment with him was the end of June. I saw her on the 12th of July, I’m being operated on tomorrow July 31. Having a complete hysterectomy and removal of some lymph nodes to make sure it hasn’t spread. Mine is grade 1. When the operate and have everything tested then I’ll know what stage it’s in. I would not wait. I would find another Dr fast. He told me my uterine wall had thickened and wasted no time in getting me to see an oncologist once the biopsy came back positive