Just had a call from a physician’s assistant at Virginia Mason, giving me a heads up on what my surgeon will talk over with me on Thursday. My results were reviewed this morning by the Tumor Board, with my surgeon and another oncologist from her office there, along with chemo and radiation physicians (and probably others). The cancer is confirmed as a high-grade (read aggressive) undifferentiated sarcoma. The good news is that the lymph nodes were all clear. I’ll have to learn more about what “undifferentiated” means, but presume it means that it was spread around rather than concentrated in a specific, well-defined tumor.
The recommendation is going to be that I undergo both chemotherapy and radiation. Wasn’t really expecting that—I thought it might be one or the other. So now my treatment window has just expanded by quite a bit. They also want to get a CT scan of my chest to provide baseline data, should the cancer decide to move.
I will get more specifics on Thursday morning—on the results and the treatment. That tango lesson is going to provide really good distraction tonight! (Last lesson—I’ll have to find something else to distract me over the next couple months).
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2 comments:
Dear Kae,
Last April I was diagnosed with uterine sarcoma. To be exact, it is a Mixed Mullerian. You want to know exactly the Stage, Grade, and type of tumor. Undifferentiated means that it was not nicely round and in tact. It is not as good as a differentiated. I also had an undifferentiated. My Stage was IIb and Grade 3. Not good but better than stage III or IV. You become grateful for what you get!
Go to the NIH and American Cancer Society pages and look up uterine sarcomas. They are more aggressive tumors than the common adenocarcinoma uterine tumor. Get a really good GYN/Oncologist as a surgeon, one who has done A LOT of surgeries. Get a second opinion if you don't feel good about your doc. Otherwise, do what they recommend because that is all they know right now. Also, I did immune boosting drinks, green drinks etc.
Read the great book that came out last year by a young gal who has tumors that are inoperable: Crazy Sexy Cancer. She has a website too.
Let me know if there are any other questions you have of me. I just turned 58, I'm cute, fun, silly, I teach, and I'm still alive.
Jan
Dear Kae,
I had Stage IIb, Grade 3, Mixed Mullerian tumor which is a carcinosarcoma which it sounds like you have. I was diagnosed last April and now it has been a year that I am still here.
Sarcomas are not good, but depending upon your Stage and Grade, you can figure that all they are doing for you is the right thing. If you have questions let me know. I went through a complete hysterectomy, then radiation (25x and then bracytherapy) then high dose chemo. It was all a lot but I worked through most of it so that should give you a lift. No one knows much about cancer really, so hone up on keeping your immune system strong and go through what they tell you because that is the best they have.
I can share more if you want.
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