I have another 7 weeks to wait until my three month scan.
My scsn after 4 weeks of chemoradiation showed it had reduced from 8cm to 6.5cm the whole tumour is about the size of my fist.
I just wondered is people have had similarly large tumours sbd how successful the treatment was.
My Oncologist said that whilst the hope was to cure me?it was a very large tumour.
Did anyone have a tumour that had infiltrated the parametrium, meaning hey were inoperable, only to have the tumour shrink enough post chemoradiation to be operable?
Hi shewolf
i was hoping someone with a larger tumour would come along when I first saw your post but i do know some of the ladies did have larger tumours that were all clear after treatment.
My tumour was only 3.4 cm but it was hitting the parametria tissue. At the start of my brachy there was still a tumour just under 2cm and I was so worried there would be a residual tumour at my three month scan but the radiation does keep working and I was given the all clear.
I also started to have some really gross discharge after my third brachy and was told it was the tumour breaking up and coming out.
Try not to focus on this too much until you know how the treatment Worked. The radiation works for quite awhile after treatment. Only 5-6% have residual cancer left.
Stay positive, hopefully someone else will also come along and share their story.
Big hugs
Thank you so much, lolli.
I didn't have brachytherapy as I declined it. My Oncologist gave me the two extra weeks of radiotherapy instead. its the waiting that's killing me. I want to book holidays, but don't know if I will be here.
I'm also suffering with another urine infection-I don't know if this is Common, post treatment?
Hi
yes UTI's are a common thing for the first year post radiation as the body is healing itself it has a hard time fighting infections. It is also common to get more colds and such as the immune system is a lot Weaker.
As for your holidays. I would say go ahead and book. Even if you need further treatment of any kind I'm sure it will not make any difference if you postpone a week or so. your dr will understand completely and a holiday will do you wonders.
The waiting sucks big time, funny how we must endure the wait as it is worse then the treatment. Stay positive, live your life and the rest will come anyways so enjoy not fret over stupid cancer.
Lots of love
Hi
i was diagnosed April 2016 my tumour was 6cm by 5cm. It was growing down into my cervix, I had a cancerous nodule in my vagina & it had spread into one lymph node. I had chemo, radiotherapy & brachytherapy. I was scanned 5 weeks after treatment ended & the tumour had shrunk to 5mm by 4mm. Following a biopsy there was still some cancer cells present so I opted for a radical Hysterectomy & lymph node removal. everything removed was cancer free I am now in remission. My cancer was stage 3b so feel lucky with the outcom. Still recovering but determined to stay positive. Latest scan shows I have some 'Incidentals' on the lining of my lung not sure what this means but my Oncologist told me there is nothing to worry about but I am worrying! Has anybody else had this?
Hi. Mine was just under 7cm and one of the specialists told me it was a very large tumour. I felt as if she was telling me not to hold out much hope.
I think , as with other things, size doesn't really matter!!! When they are treating it, they just treat a larger area, bigger doesn't necessarily mean that it is worse than a smaller one. Carmel had one the size of a melon
Hi
i am a 2b survivor of over 8 years.
I was diagnosed in Jan 09 with a large 6cm tumour, it was fast growing grade 3 (aggressive) and had started to invade the parametrium wall. My consultant abandoned my hysterectomy 5 minutes into the operation when he realised the tumour had started to spread into nearby tissue. it was very difficult to get my head round swapping to chemo/radiotherapy for a cure, but thankfully here I am 8 years clear. I was told on my 2nd of 3 brach that the tumour had shrunk dramatically, however I was never given sizes. I had a MRI scan 3 months after treatment finished which confirmed NED. I know that radiotherapy keeps working months after treatment finishes and recall many ladies confirming this happened in their case.
I agree the waiting is torture, this forum was my lifeline and so many ladies helped pull me through the treatment and subsequent wait for a 'cure' Stay positive,(easier said than done, I know x)
Lisa x
I'm not sure how helpful this is, because I was never told the size of the tumour and I didn't think to ask.
I was staged at 2B/3 with lymph node involvement on the left side of my pelvis and my para aorta node. In one conversation with my Consultant she said, 'It's not so much the size of your tumour We've successfully treated bigger tumours, but one of your pelvic lymph nodes and in particular the para aorta node are very enlarged.' (The left pelvic node had significantly affected my ability to walk, but she was especially concerned by the size of the para aorta node.) This was why they initially said to me that the realistic aim was to 'manage' the cancer rather than to expect a 'cure'. I was pretty terrified at the beginning of it all and throughout treatment. The risk of spread beyond my pelvis via my lymphatic system was pretty high and is still a recurrence risk.
My week 5 pre-brachytherapy scan showed that everything (including the para-aorta node) had shrunk by 'at least 50%' and by the time I went for my second brachytherapy I was told that the main tumour had visibly shrunk even more. Although the team viewed that as a great result, I was disappointed. Only a week and a half to go, but still 50% left, not so great to my mind. I was resigned (and prepared myself mentally) for a second round of combination chemo.
At my three monthly check up last week I was told it had all gone. None of us were expecting that.
I don't know how much the Brachytherapy contributed to further shrinkage relative to the external radiotherapy & chemo, but it really is only aimed at the main tumour and is unlikely to have affected my enlarged lymph nodes. I put that down to the external radiotherapy & chemo. I know you had two more weeks of external rather than the Brachytherapy, but external radiotherapy is first line treatment with chemo being 'the cherry on the top' as my Consultant put it. It's pretty effective these days. Quite a lot of radiation also carries on doing it's thing for weeks & months after formal treatment ends.
I don't want to give you platitudes. Given the lymph involvement that I've had, it's far too early for me to know how things will be over the next few months & years. That said, my body has already responded far more positively to the treatment than had been envisaged by my Oncology team and subsequently, me. There is hope.
Thank you again, Lolli. The UTI's are getting me down. i have restarted vitamins and cut out the Coke. Water only for a little while won't harm.
However despite feeling rubbish, took your advice and booked a holiday to Azerbaijan-yes I know it's weird but trying to visit every country before I go!
Thanks again.
Thank you Bardley. That sounds like good news.
I hope you get to the bottom of the 'incidentals' does she mean damage from radiotherapy?
I wish you luck with this.
Thanks Philleepa, my tumour was 8x 6 or the size of my fist.
I also felt that my Oncologist wasn't giving me any hope.
Can I ask had your cancer metastasised to your parametrium or pelvic lymph nodes? I am wondering if the chemo radiation evet works enough to have a hysterectomy-if it hasn't shrunk it completely.
Thank you lemongrass.
As my cancer had invaded the parametrium that's very helpful.
I hope you continue in remission
Thank you Cheery1, this is very helpful.
i got my diagnosis a month after you do I just hope I get as good news as you!
My scan after 4 weeks chemoradiation showed the main tumour had shrunk by 1.5cm and the lymph nodes had also shrunk. I'm just not very patient!
I hope August continues to bring you good news.
Hi
i saw my Oncologist Tuesday he advised the CT scan showed a thickness on the lining of my lung. He didn't seem overly concerned & said it could be an infection or nothing at all. Going to scan me again at the end of June to see if still there (not sure what will happen if it is!) I feel ok but am worried it could be the start of something else. Trying not to google but it's hard........
not easy this cancer journey :(
thanks for your support
i was diagnosed stage 2b ( my tumour was 6x6 spreading into parametrium) this time last year .had chemo radio bracy plus full hysterectomy opted to take the lot for remaining suspicious residual cells had my all clear february :) the tumour shrank to half the size after chemo/rads and first braccy and then showed halfed again on second was literally tiny after 3rd from what i saw on my record yeah i peeked x
Thanks Belle 2345, I hope you continue in remission.
hey, my tumour was 8cm , i had my last treatment in october i also had the extra radio sessions instead of the brachy, i have had 2 mri scans since and the tumour has remained gone, my consultant only wants to scan me one more time ,, i go on holiday in 2 weeks :) one thing this had taught me is to live life to its full, if you want to do something just go ahead and do it, hope everything goes ok for you i am more than sure that it will, good luck,
Tasha x
Don't google-all sorts of whack jobs on there. I had people telling me not to have medical treatment and to rely on sorting out my pH instead or to take cannabis!
I have a scan mid/end of June so hopefully we can celebrate each other's good news x
Thank you Tasha- that's great news and very helpful- my Oncologist pushed brachy, but as a rise survivor there was no way I could go through it. It's good to hear you are in remission and I hope I'm as lucky as you, having had the sand size tumour and same treatment.
Have a lovely holiday-I'm off to Lanzarote on Tuesday and Azerbaijan in June-going to pack as much in as I can!
