Has your doctor been straightforward about your survival?

signatera is just another tool I am using for my own piece of mind. I have no evidence of disease but that can change at anytime. I still have my chemo port in and it won’t be remove until November, if there’s no reoccurrence. I was told I have a 50% chance of reoccurrence at this point.

I'm going to jump back in to this excellent discussion and share how I look at my chances of survival.

I was diagnosed with endometroid carcinoma, FIGO Grade 1, Stage 1a, in 2019. My surgeon (gyn-oncologist at Mayo Clinic) told me that the 5-year survival rate of my women with my diagnosis is over 90%. Good news. And yet I had a recurrence in 2021. That recurrence lowered my 5 year survival rate. Here I am 4 years later returning for my periodic cancer surveillance appointments and the worry about another recurrence or a new primary cancer never completely leaves my mind.

I have learned that I am not a statistic. That's too rational for my emotional mind. I have had a fear of flying in an airplane for many years. I do it anyway and while the fear has lessened over the years it is still there. Telling me that more people die in auto accidents than plane crashes doesn't help me. That's just too rational and does not speak to how I feel as in my emotions.

I'm doing all I can to live a healthy life. I follow my medical providers recommendations. I make a point to keep family and friends as my first priority. I got on a plane to spend 10 days with my brother. And I have reconnected with friends from high school and university.

I do want my doctors to share all the information including survival rates with me. As anxious as I am in these medical encounters I watch and listen to my doctor. Do you look at your doctor's face and body language when you ask questions? Do you ask someone to go with you to your appointments to track and understand what is so difficult to understand at the time?

I get the same answers. The truth is we don't know how long we will live. I think this is especially true with all the therapies that have been opened up to gynological cancers in the last 5 years. If you go out to PubMed you're not going to find much that has been written. That is new about the long-term survival of people who are receiving these new therapies. It just doesn't exist.

I have mixed Cirrus clear cell uterine cancer. I hit the jackpot two very rare deadly cancers all in one spot. But I have decided that my survival hinges on what I do. And I am doing everything the oncologist recommends as far as chemotherapy and maintenance. I'm also working with a holistic doctor and I have corrected so many issues within my own body just by allowing a functional /holistic doctor direct my overall health. My bet is I'm going to be the unicorn. I'm going to survive this disease. I don't care what oncologist tell me I'm doing it.

How do you like that for sassy answer? LOL

What are the 2 types you've been diagnosed with, and were both stage 4?

Until about a week ago I was extremely sad and depressed… I was angry all the time because of this diagnosis 6 months ago.
But now I’m feeling like I HAVE to get back to new “normal” or I’ll be wasting my precious time.
Talk to a therapist, try an uplifting “gummy” (no one’s judging here) try anything to change your attitude, take a trip! Live your life NOW! Find a partner who will encourage and participate in activities to help you to get out, do things that you are able to do . After accepting what I really could not change except my attitude, I wake up excited to get moving!
Good luck, tell friends that you need an uplift, they will respond. Walking in sunshine is very therapeutic. All my best to you.

Hello; I also have Uterine serous Carcinoma. It is stage 2c(m)—(m) means the cancer has a p53 mutation. P53 is part of our bodies’ tumor-fighting reaction to cancer and a mutation means that my P53 is not functioning. I will start 6 rounds of chemo soon to fight it.

Pathology report showed that I also have Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma. However, my gyn/onc indicated that since I had the hysterectomy, no additional treatment is needed for that.
So for now, I’ll focus on preparing myself for chemo to fight the USC. The goal is to prevent recurrence as USC has a high recurrence rate.

Yes..It’s a LOT to absorb and deal with sometimes. I have my moments which is normal (crying in the shower), but overall I stay active, keep positive thoughts and live each day as the blessing that it is.

i have 4B serous endometrial. just finished the 6 rounds and everyone IS different but i had no horrid symptoms (i lost hair, but...). just do what you can (gargle with salt/baking soda, cold things on feet, eat well). started on life-long (probably) 3-weeks herceptin infusions yesterday. hopefully my pee will stop smelling so badly now that the toxin are done (for now).