What is "Pseudo Cancer"?

@inquirer Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect and to our Support Group for Gynecological Cancers. I have tried to look up “pseudo cancer” in some valid and reliable websites such as N.I.H, with the scenario you described and I could not find anything. I will continue my research.

Have you read through other websites that describe the types of uterine and endometrial cancers?

American Cancer Society: What is Endometrial Cancer?

— https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/endometrial-cancer/about/what-is-endometrial-cancer.html

What has your current oncologist told you about your diagnosis and about the hysterectomy?

My biopsy states, "Atypical glandular cells, consistent with Serous Endometrial Intraepithelial Carcinoma" but also says "ovarian cancer cannot be ruled out". The report also says "abnormal p53 expression". Based on all of that, she casually mentioned that it could be a pseudo cancer. In a blood test, my CA-125 value came back at 6.

I used to work in the molecular lab of a hospital, where we did things like DNA sequencing of cancers. I've read thousands of cancer pathology reports and have never heard the term "pseudo cancer". IMO that's a very strange thing for an oncologist to say after reading the report you cited. Not all gynecological cancers cause increased CA-125.

Thank you for that insight, Val!

@inquirer Thank you for sharing the information from your pathology report. @val64 is excellent at the technical information given her background and her own experiences. I find myself wondering what your first oncologist meant with “pseudo cancer”. I also find that to be a very odd comment to make to a patient. The only thing that comes to mind has to do with the serous endometrial carcinoma located in the intraepithelial cells. From what I read in an article published in Academic Pathology (it was an illustrative and educational case and still provided very helpful information) there was no mentioned of this diagnosis as “pseudo cancer”.

Educational Case: Serous endometrial intraepithelial carcinoma and endometrial cancer:

— https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10123333/

I tend to go to the published peer-reviewed literature whenever possible and use Google Scholar (and not Google by itself).

With your surgery scheduled for Monday, June 9 (is that date correct?) I am hoping your surgical oncologist will have more information to share with you as your tissue will go to pathology.

Thank you, Helen! I read the article. Can't say I understood all terminology, but it was remarkably similar to my situation. Did you understand from the article that some biopsies can be consistent with endometrial cancer, yet turn out to be a pre-cursor to cancer instead? If so, maybe that's what the oncologist is calling "pseudo cancer".

Oh! ...and yes! My hystorectomy is scheduled for Monday, 06/09/2025, but I'm not nearly as afraid of the surgery as I am chemo. That's what lead to me recalling and trying to research the comment about "pseudo cancer". If it is pseudo cancer, was trying to find out if chemo would still be required.

@inquirer I read all of the article too. I thought it was related to your situation too. Like you, I figured the same as you with the biopsy and wondered if the precursor is what the oncologist referred to as “pseudo cancer”. Precursor and “pseudo cancer” are not the same at all. I’m glad you found the article to be helpful.

@inquirer I am scheduled for an MRI the same day as your hysterectomy. The MRI for me is scheduled for my shoulder which I injured from a fall. My shoulder is slowly healing but the MRI will show, I hope, whether there is actual damage to the soft tissue. The X-ray showed no fractures so that was good news.

So, as I am going to the imaging department I will be thinking of you prepping for and going into surgery. I know how difficult waiting for results can be. I’ve been through that so many times and it’s anxiety-provoking.

I am hoping your surgery goes smoothly and that the nurses and doctors are caring and compassionate. I’m also hoping that your pathology report following your surgery comes back soon so that you can meet with your oncologist and figure out what comes next in your treatment plan.

Thank you, Helen. You're right! The anxiety as I await the surgery, results, and treatment plan is extreme. I lost 25 pounds in 4 weeks. I'll be thinking of you, and hoping for the best regarding your shoulder.