Squamous Cell Vulvar Cancer: Who out there has this cancer?

Hola …. Acabo de ser diagnosticada con recurrencia cáncer vaginal ( Adenocarcinoma) después
De casi 7 años cáncer free .
Aparentemente cuando es recurrencia es más difícil y se requiere de una operación mayor
Si los
Estudios
Indiquen que no se encuentre en las paredes de la pelvis y si no pueden operar el tratamiento sería quimio . Estoy bien deprimida y con mucho miedo mis hijos sufren mucho ya que la quimo no lo cura . Por favor alguien que me pueda ayudar que tenga testimonio de lo que me está pasando o algo parecido quiero saber cómo le está lleno todo .

Welcome @annie7837. I'm sorry to hear that you are in such pain and still have 3 weeks until surgery. I'm glad that the tumor has shrunk thanks to radiation and chemo treatments to make the operation possible. Is the pain from the tumor or from radiation or both?

Hi Bobbi @bobette1 It's so good to read your posting and see you back here. The combination of the chemotherapy and radiation is a lot to go through but as your oncologist said these treatments will give you more life and time ahead. How are you feeling? I remember how much pain you were in before and shortly after surgery.

I was diagnosed in Sept 2022 and had surgery 11/21/22 and an in the middle of 6 chemotherapy treatments and 26 radiation treatments. I was told that they thought surgery would be all I would need. I am considered stage 3. What stage is yours?It is very frustrating as u are right not very common and who wants to talk about it. The lead up to the surgery was terrible since the tumor kept growing and where it was located was soooo uncomfortable to sit or work. I am off work now to get through this treatment. Tell me what it was like towards the end of chemo & radiation. I am 54 so they saying by being aggressive makes it so I have more life to live. I get it the waiting made me feel ignored like don’t they know how uncomfortable this is? Please keep in touch. Would love to have someone else to talk to.
Take care of yourself,
Bobbi Gruesbeck

I was diagnosed in August of 2022. I had 6 chemotherapy treatments and 37 radiation treatments. I had to wait 3 months for my PET scan - tumor shrunk but I still have it as well as pre-cancerous cells on the opposite side. I’m in tremendous pain. I am supposed to have surgery March 20th and hoping to have it moved up. This cancer is very rare and would wish there were more forums where we can share experiences.

I had bartholin gland carcinoma. Squamous cell. Who out there has this?

How did your surgery go??

Hello, @afrikachef Your post was moved to this Support Group because there is a wealth of wisdom here for squamous cell cancer of the vulva. I am hoping that other women in this discussion will share their experiences with you.

Our genitals - inside and out - are difficult to talk about, right? If you read through this discussion you'll see that some of the women have said just that. They are frightened, not sure what to ask, and are afraid of how they will feel after surgery. If you read my post from December 16 (above) you'll see how frightened and anxious I was when I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer.

Since your surgery is next week is it correct to assume that you have had a pre-surgical appointment and asked the surgeon what will be removed and what will be spared? Will you have another appointment with the surgeon (gyn-oncologist?) before surgery? If so, please consider writing your questions down and taking a close friend, family member or your partner with you to your appointment. I was so anxious during my appointments that I couldn't keep track of what the cancer care team including my surgeon told me. Having my partner next to me really helped a lot.

What can you do this evening to be kind to yourself? I had a very emotionally rough day today and I just got finished soaking in the bathtub. What is soothing for you?

Next week I will be having surgery to remove an invasive squamus carcenoma of the Vulvar. Sounds like they will be removing my genitals, ugh! Has anyone else gone through this process?

Thank you SO MUCH for this information and taking the time to reply to me. I'm new to this group and forgot to check back!! Your suggestions for writing down questions and asking for a picture is absolutely invaluable! I am definitely going to do that. My first appointment is 1/3. I will let you know what happens if that's okay? Again, thank you Helen. Much love and appreciation, Shannon