Just diagnosed with Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma: What to expect?

I was 67 when first diagnosed and am now 81. My cancer was Stage3c2 and grade 3 tumor, about the worst. I had an excellent gyn/onc, very thorough, and very supportive. I did not hide myself, I went to deep water aerobics three times a week, missing only the week of chemo. I did not have any nausea thanks to many meds. Five meds by infusion before the actual chem and four more to take every 6 hours for the three days following. I never had a cough or sniffle throughout the treatment. I am truly blessed. I do have neuropathy in both sensory and motor nerves and have used a walker for most of the 14 years. We have traveled and I have seen grandchildren grow up, graduate from universities and make their way in life. I still do those water aerobics, lead a Bible study, go to church, make hand stitched quilts.

Hello Helen,

Thank you so much for checking on me. <3 I had my CT scans done a week ago - a chest scan, and abdomen/pelvic scans with and without contrast. I got all of the results back, and I am ecstatic. My chest was clear - nodes are clear and no suspicious nodules, and I saw this:

"No adenopathy or ascites. Normal caliber abdominal aorta. Unremarkable IVC."

I looked up what adenopathy is, and it means lymph nodes. My pelvic nodes are clear. 🙂

I see Oncology tomorrow for my consult, so hopefully I will have additional news then, but I am still in a state of happy shock from seeing this. All of my other organs were fine - except for a small kidney stone, and two compression fractures in my back. I also have a fatty liver, and I went on medication two days ago to address that.

I will write tomorrow or Tuesday to let you know what the plan is for treatment. Thank you again so much! 🙂

Hello @ejrdevries Thank you for sharing your journey through endometrial cancer. I'm happy to know that your gynecologist referred you to GYN/ONC. My gynecologist did the same right away. Your journey provides hope for all of us, including myself (recently diagnosed with recurrent endometrial cancer). Like you I was presented with a cancer survivorship plan. My plan included recommended visits every 6 months (my cancer was Stage 1a with no evidence in lymph nodes) and I went back for visits as I was supposed to. It was at a recent visit when the recurrent cancer was discovered. I'm starting radiation on December 6 (25 days) followed by 3 brachytherapy visits (internal radiation). After that I will go back every 3 months in my new and then longer periods of time if no other cancer is diagnosed. You are 14 years out from your original diagnosis with no evidence of cancer. This is wonderful news. This gives me and I hope others who visit Mayo Connect hope that treatment does work.

If I may ask how old were you when you first diagnosed in 2007 and how is your life now?

Blessings to you and yours as we approach Thanksgiving.

Hi @andrea69 I've been thinking about you and wondering if you heard back from the GYN/ONC. Do you have some new information to share? How can I help?

Good morning Helen,

Thank you so much for your reply. I spoke with a physician yesterday, who is filling in for my doctor who is currently on vacation. She told me that she had already sent a referral to the GYN/ONC department, so hopefully I will be speaking with them soon. I do have a copy of the pathology report, and it is indeed quite confusing in spots - especially the marker terminology, so I will def. have questions about the terminology.

I wish I could have children, but they told me I was walking a fine line between being menopausal and post-menopausal. One of the biggest risk factors I have right now is obesity. I have been told that I am indeed a candidate for robotic/laparoscopic surgery, but it seems whenever I breach the subject, they shy away from it. I am going to strongly press for it now. I am conscientiously dieting and have lost a fair amount of weight, and my goal is to lose at least 10-20% of my overall weight. Hopefully they will see that as an indication I am serious about getting this surgery and that I am doing everything I can on my end to get this excess weight off.

I will give the GYN/ONC today to get back to me. If I don't hear from them, I will give them a call tomorrow. I keep reminding myself that my doctor did tell my husband that "she got it all", and that the muscle underneath the concerning area was clean, pink and without discoloration or erosion. It did sound positive, so I am hoping that is an indication of everything as a whole.

Many, many thanks and blessings to you. I will report back when I have some more info.

Andrea

Hello, @rose53 I'm so happy to hear back from you and to know that you feel good about your decision. Your experience at Mayo is much like my own. The physicians, nurses, and all staff I encounter are helpful and listen to me. Yes, the uncertainties you face are anxiety-provoking. Your faith and your prayers will sustain you.

I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers on November 17.

Blessings to you,

Helen

Hello everyone. Its finally approaching for that day to have my surgery at Mayo Jacksonville on the 17th of this month. I feel I have made the right decisions to go with Mayo. After visiting for the first time for my consult, I could not be more pleased at how nice and uncomplicated my visit was. The staffs, nurses were very pleasant and so helpful. I'm still anxious of the unknown but sharing thoughts with those who have reached out, thank you for your encouraging words. I thank you: Teresa, Nature girl, Ellen, Eileen, ejohn, and Colleen. Bless you all.