Suspected Endometrial Cancer: Cervix won't open to do biopsy

Posted by debra54 @debra54, Feb 1, 2023

The lining of my uterus is thick so they tried to do a biopsy but my cervix would not open and they mentioned having a hysterocmy but I'm not sure about doing that without knowing if it's cancer or not.

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conkea | @conkea | Feb 4, 2023

In reply to @conkea "Any info on serous stage. Understand very small,percentage is serous." + (show)

Now my gyn tells me they will not know stage until hysterectomy and serous is a typ of carcinoma. Very confusing. Does anyone know ant info on this.

val64 | @val64 | Feb 4, 2023

In reply to @conkea "Now my gyn tells me they will not know stage until hysterectomy and serous is a..." + (show)

Sorry to hear that you're going through this. I'm sending good wishes your way.

"Serous" is a "type" of endometrial cancer and also a type of ovarian cancer, along with "endometrioid", "clear cell" and a few others. The type is determined by a pathologist looking at the cells from the cancer specimen under a microscope. Different types look different from each other. The type can be determined from a small specimen, such as a biopsy.

The "stage" refers to how far the cancer appears to have spread. They can only tell what the stage is after they do a CT and/or PET scan, and also test the hysterectomy specimen for whether there is cancer in places other than inside the uterus (or ovaries if it's ovarian cancer), such as the outside the uterus, lymph nodes, or the fallopian tubes. If the cancer is confined to the site where it originated, that's stage 1. The higher the stage, the further it has spread.

debra54 | @debra54 | Feb 4, 2023

In reply to @tjperry "Before my endometrial biopsy they had me insert two pills into my vagina by my cervix..." + (show)

Thank you so much for info. Did you have your biopsy done in the office? I was put to sleep in hospital for a failed biopsy.

tjperry | @tjperry | Feb 5, 2023

In reply to @debra54 "Thank you so much for info. Did you have your biopsy done in the office? I..." + (show)

My biopsy was done in my doctor's office.
For your situation, did they say because of the failed biopsy attempt that they can only do a hysterectomy now?

tjperry | @tjperry | Feb 5, 2023

I appreciate your details about your experience. Thanks for sharing! I am nervous about tomorrow, but also anxious to get treatment started because I will then be closer to being finished! I will let you know how it goes!❤️

rose53 | @rose53 | Feb 5, 2023

In reply to @debra54 "Thank you so much for info. Did you have your biopsy done in the office? I..." + (show)

I had a biopsy right there during my yearly pap smear exam because of bleeding. It was so painful but we wanted to save time and find out right away.

debra54 | @debra54 | Feb 5, 2023

In reply to @tjperry "My biopsy was done in my doctor's office. For your situation, did they say because of..." + (show)

Yes but I'm going to get a second opinion and hope they can succeed in getting my cervix open for a biopsy.

debra54 | @debra54 | Feb 5, 2023

In reply to @debra54 "Yes but I'm going to get a second opinion and hope they can succeed in getting..." + (show)

I was just told about my abnormal bleeding, which is only seen in a urine test but I found out that I've had this bleeding for the past 6 yrs

debra54 | @debra54 | Feb 5, 2023

Can a PET scan see inside of the uterus?

Helen, Volunteer Mentor | @naturegirl5 | Feb 5, 2023

In reply to @debra54 "Can a PET scan see inside of the uterus?" + (show)

@debra54 A PET scan, CT scan, or MRI- any of these can show the interior of the uterus. Which scan a physician orders would depend on what they want to see and what they are looking for. I'm going to tag @val64 as she is very good at providing scientific explanations.

I do know that some insurance companies (BC/BS, for instance) refuse to pay for a PET scan (more expensive and involved) until a CT has been done. This has happened to a few people I know. The reason is that the insurance company wants to pay for the less expensive scan that might show what the physician is looking for and then order a PET scan because of what the CT did or did not show.