Found out my results from my full body CT Scan and pelvis MRI scan.
Good news that my CT scan was clear about from my pelvis. My MRI scan showed my tumour had responded to treatment beautifully but there is a v.small spot of note.
The radiologist cannot confirm if it’s cancer or scar tissue. There is no uptake to this area so my oncologist is positive that the odds point to scar tissue. As a result I am going for a PET scan in the next 2 weeks.
If it is cancer I’ll be referred back to the gyno team for biopsy/exploratory surgery to see if the spot can be removed.
If it scar tissue I’ll be good to go but will be subject to MRI scans for the foreseeable future.
In short more waiting.
I am okay because there is a plan either way AND my Oncologist warned me that I might not get NED at this meeting.
Glad everywhere else is clear
So many women have the same thing at 3 months and then are NED by 6 months!
Everything crossed for you it’s just scar tissue which I’m sure it is xxx
Hi
Thanks for your prompt response . I am 3C1 and am currently receiving Induction chemo. I have had 5/6 sessions and will be starting 25 sessions of chemo radiation soon with a final serving of brachytherapy after that.
I am anxious about the radiotherapy and the risks to bowel/bladder. How did you find it?
@Justpeachythanks aww I’ve been thinking about you knowing your scans have been coming up. This all sounds really positive & I’m so pleased it’s responded beautifully to the treatment. Im keeping everything crossed for your PET scan. Keep us posted! Sending hugs xxxxx
@Peachypeach I am in the exact same situation as you. I had a LEEP done 3 weeks ago with a biopsy of the cervix which informed Cervical Cancer. Now 3 weeks later when I went for my MRI and Pet Scan , the pet scan has picked up a lymph node with hyper metabolic activity but my docs cant confirm whether its cancer or scar tissue from the LEEPprocedure.
I am in such a fix I dont know whether to go get a surgery to remove ALL lymph nodes to check for cancer or straight jump into Radiation and Chemo ?
As my lymph nodes were involved my oncologist put me onto the gold standard treatment of chemorads. I finished all my treatment on 1/11/23
Due to the size of my tumour surgery was never an option. Once you meet with your oncologist they will advise you on the best plan forward.
Had my PET scan today and hopefully this will tell us if the area of concern is scar tissue or if there is hyper metabolic activity pointing to remaining cancer….
Yeah… my issue is that they are not sure if there is cancer in my lymph nodes to begin with! My treatment changes drastically on those findings. And right now doc B says she wants to remove ALL lymph nodes to check for cancer which is scary!
I believe I’m at a similar phase regarding treatment for stage 3C1 sccc; currently receiving induction chemo and immunotherapy, and then the same protocol as you after that’s done (I have two sessions left).
Im also worried about radiotherapy, as I feel I was led to believe chemo would be the difficult part - but now I’m learning all about chemorads and brachytherapy and dilators - this forum has been a lifesaver in terms of information and support ! Here if you ever want to chat
Hi @lallaland
My initial fear was the possibility of damage to bowel or bladder with radiotherapy but yes, the brachytherapy comes with its own challenges ! I guess we just need to take one stage of treatment at a time . How are you finding the induction chemo/immunotherapy?
Yes, I’m really worried about that as well. TMI but it has made me scared to at times bc I don’t want to tear the wall between the bowel and vagina cringe
I had chemo only at first and had a hard time with the first two sessions with fatigue and weakness and overall feeling unwell. But then they added the immunotherapy and steroids, and I have really high markers for Keytruda (immunotherapy), so it’s been going a bit better ! I’ve had side effects of fatigue and just uncomfortable stomach sensations/constipation due to pain meds, but fortunately that’s really been all !
I got my first CT scan back after the third session and my tumor shrank 2cm on each side, and I really believe that’s from the keytruda ! I keep thinking to myself maybe it’ll just disappear completely and I won’t need brachy and/or radiation but I know that I need all the treatments for the best outcome.
How about you ? How have you been doing with the treatments, side effects, life in general thus far ?
hey @lallaland How you doing? We spoke few days ago !
My doctors are talking about introducing immunotherapy at the intial stages of my treatment and I raed that you are going throught immunotherapy? How is that treating you and it it working? Any side effects?
Thanks!
I’m doing well, actually waiting for my chemo/immunotherapy infusion right now
Do you happen to know if you’ll get checked for biomarkers ? If you have certain genes or markers or something, it lines up with the specific immunotherapy they give to you (at least that’s how it was explained to me lol) and it works really well if you have those markers !
Cancer basically hides behind walls so that your wbc/immune system can’t detect it to fight it. What the immunotherapy does is crack open where the cancer is like “here I am !” So that your white cells can see it and attack it with the chemo. So it basically enhances the chemo.
I had two sessions without immunotherapy and it wasn’t so pleasant - fever, malaise, extreme fatigue, feeling like I had the flu.
When they added in the immunotherapy, my side effects were basically gone. I even had more energy. But that could be bc they also give me a steroid for three days to go along with the treatment.
But I’d definitely recommend it being that, for me, it lessened my chemo symptoms and - I can’t know for sure 100% but - my tumor shrank 2cm on both sides by the time of my first 3 month CT scan.
Let me know if you have any other questions or if you end up talking to your doctor about it again !
Hey @lallaland ,
Im glad to hear that you are doing alright and that your body is able to cope with the treatment. more power to reducing that tumor to absolutely making it vanish and I hope you come out clean totally!
My doctor just casually mentioned immunoherapy but we have not discussed it in length. Tomorrow I meet him in person and I will learn a lot more about the next course of action to take. Thanks for explaining it to me in such good details. Are you also receiving radiation along with immunotherapy and chemo to shrink that tumor even further?
Thanks
Just wanted to follow up and ask how your appointment went ? Did you get any further clarity about treatment moving forward ?
I’ve not yet received radiation due to having a large pelvic lymph node tumor. They wanted to shrink that with chemo and immunotherapy first bc it would be too harsh to do with radiation. Unfortunately it calcified though, so I’m not sure about the plan now.
xxx
. I am 3C1 and am currently receiving Induction chemo. I have had 5/6 sessions and will be starting 25 sessions of chemo radiation soon with a final serving of brachytherapy after that.
! I guess we just need to take one stage of treatment at a time 
. How are you finding the induction chemo/immunotherapy?
at times bc I don’t want to tear the wall between the bowel and vagina cringe
but I know that I need all the treatments for the best outcome.
