Hi everyone, I’ve had a devastating blow yesterday I was due to have a radical hysterectomy due to have cervical cancer. I was diagnosed four weeks ago and I was told that it was a SCC 1b1 less than 2cm. I had a laparoscopic procedure and had the full spinal anaesthetic. When I woke up I knew I hadn’t had the hysterectomy. No catheter, no drain, no incision etc. I was devastated and still am. I’m still in hospital but will be discharged later today. The surgeon said the tumour is 4cm and they couldn’t remove it due to it being so close to the margins. And there’s a problem with the lymph nodes. I need to have a PET scan on Friday and then week after start chemo and radiotherapy together. I’m so terrified I can’t stop crying. I don’t understand how they can say it’s smaller than it is. It’s an emotional rollercoaster of being hopeful then having those hopes destroyed. Everyone is saying be positive but how can I be positive when I’m getting mixed messages all the time. All I’m thinking is I’m 43 and I’m going to die!!
Oh my darling that must’ve been a dreadful shock. But theyve done the right thing.
Chemoradiation is equally as effective and you can be cured!
Take the time to process it all, read through some of the older threads and you’ll see fantastic and inspiring stories of getting rid of this horrible thing.
I have a 3.5cm adenocarcinoma tumor and I’m waiting on the phone call to start Chemoradiation. We might be doing it around the same time so feel free to message me anytime and we can support each other.
Ohh I am so sorry, t I know how devastated you must feel, I felt the same way when I found out I had cancer. Stage 2b with some lymphnodes suspected of cancer too according to my MRI scan.
I had 6 chemo, 25 external beam and 4 internal brachytherapy treatments and I am doing wonderful.
I had little to no side effects of treatment and no side effects after treatment either. It was rough ( mentally) but defintly do-able.
I will be celebrating my 2 years clear in 5 weeks. You can do this!!!
Oh Forestfairy, that must have been a terrible shock for you.
When my tumour was first discovered I was told I could have hysterectomy but scans showed that the 4cm tumour had slightly invaded the parametrium therefore I could was not suitable for hysterectomy as the clear margin needed was not there.
I finished treatment (4 chemo, 25 external radiotherapy and 3 brachytherapy) on Thursday last week. I have coped well with treatment and have had very little side effects.
This is curable and at 43 totally doable I am 55 and coped fine you can do this. If you want to ask any questions please do.
We are all thinking of you.
Take care xx
Oh god thank you so much for your replies. I think I completely spiralled there for a minute and you’ve all reigned me back in. Thank you 
Ahw it sucks doesn’t it. It is scary, but you can do this. Just take it one step at a time and keep in mind this cancer is a curable cancer.
The treatment you will have is the so called golden standard treatment and is really effective.
I was on my 6th day of radiotherapy when I got a major bleed. I had to be admitted and receive a bloodtransplant. They gave me an extra mri to rule out that the tumor had grown but the opposite turned out to be true.
The bleeding was caused by the tumor breaking down already, it shrank half a cm in just 6 radio treatments and 1 chemo.
When I went down for brachytherapy the tumor wasn’t even visible anymore. They really had to perform extra scans to find a .4 mm spot left on my cervix
The first after treatment scan showed no evidence of disease and so were the following 4 scans.
You can do it. It is curable. It sucks, but we are here for you
Hi ForestFairy,
As scary as it sounds, Chemo and Radiotherapy is the ‘gold standard’ and if there is ANY possibility it has spread into the lymph nodes you are much better with this option than an op. I was diagnosed with Stage 1 and lined up for a hysterectomy, and ovary removal. PET scan showed Stage 3 with involvement of lymph nodes. My first though was that I should have a hysterectomy first, but it was explained that it was much safer just to treat the whole body systemically to avoid it spreading or metastasising. I finished my treatment in February this year, with ‘No Evidence of Disease’. It’s what we all want to hear.
I am 64. You’ve got this!
I can empathise with how you must have felt. I was diagnosed on the 2nd August with 1b1. Following the MRI I also had to have a PET scan due to highlighted lymphnodes. PET results showed even more lymphnodes ‘lighting up’ but none significant enough to determine spread.
Here I am, still waiting to start the chemorads treatment, I have an appointment this Friday to discuss my treatment plan.
When I was diagnosed I got my head round having surgery, preparing for hysterectomy and then the onset of the menopause. I’ve just turned 33. It’s a lot to digest. It’s a massive blow to then hear you’re taking a different, and what seems like, a much tougher road in terms of treatment and recovery.
I gues what I’m saying is that I get how you must have felt. I’m starting chemo and radiotherapy real soon so if you want to direct message then feel free 
good luck xx
Hi
Sorry to hear your news.
You are not going to die rewind July 2020 mid pandemic I was given the news 5cm tumour eventually started chemo radiation sept 2020 for 5 weeks then admitted to hospital 2nd Nov for brachy. January 2021 I had a MRI follow up and in February I was was told NED I have 3 monthly follow up’s and I have another MRI this Nov a year post treatment. Be strong you can do it here if you need somebody to talk to.
Surgeons say that it makes no sense to operate on cervical cancer when the tumor reaches the walls of the pelvis and there are metastases in the lungs. In this case, there is only hope for chemoradiotherapy and targeted therapy. Cancer is a bad diagnosis, but it is not always a death sentence. In your case, the chances of a cure are high both with surgery and with radiation therapy. The main thing is not to panic. Weigh all the pros and cons. There are side effects from surgery and from radiation therapy. Moreover, the side effects of all types of treatment may be delayed. You need to get the advice of several doctors. The more you know, the easier it is to choose the right method of treatment. It often happens that the prognoses for this patient will be the same during surgery and chemoradiotherapy. During surgery, it is possible to save the ovaries.
ForestFairy78, I’m sending beams of support!
Hi!
Success in treatment depends on the biological characteristics of the tumor, on the skill of the surgeon or the skill of the radiation therapist. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has a high percentage of probability that the stage will decrease and it will be possible to perform radical surgery. A good surgeon will do a really radical hysterectomy of type III (C2), and not an unnecessary traumatic separation of tissues. A good radiation therapist will correctly calculate and assign the radiation points. Someone helps to achieve a stable remission with chemotherapy+radical hysterectomy, someone after chemoradiotherapy achieves a stable remission.
Surgeons say that a tumor up to 4 cm can be operated on (and someone takes to operate on larger tumors, if there is a response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy). There are also studies that show that 1-3 positive lymph nodes are not so terrible for the prognosis. The combination of factors is more important. One risk factor is better than a combination of several. PET-CT only helps to determine the treatment and clarify the clinical stage. PET-CT can be wrong. Similarly, the doctor may not correctly assess the stage during the examination. Only postoperative histology can tell for sure whether the lymph nodes were really affected by cancer, the parameters and what was the depth of the invasion.
Only postoperative histology can tell exactly what kind of infiltration of the parameter was-inflammatory or tumor. If you have time before starting treatment and choosing a treatment method, find an experienced oncologist for a second opinion. There is a chance to be cured. Tune in to the treatment.
So sorry to hear this 
when I was diagnosed and went for my cone biopsy after my smear all my tests showed that I had high grade cell changes so when I got diagnosed with the big c at only 27 it was devastating as my doctor said he was certain it wasn’t… Its awful when they say one thing and then it turns out to be worse than they originally said.
Sometimes they just can’t tell until they’re about to do something…
The best thing you can do is take things one day at a time and try not to run ahead if yourself. Try to just keep yourself in the moment and your medical team will do the best things for you. Hope everything goes well for you 
Hi all, thank you for your replies and positive stories. I had a consultation with my oncologist today to talk about my treatment plan. They want me to have 5 weeks intensive chemoradiation and after the 5 weeks I’m to have 2 brachytherapy treatments.
The PET scan results show the cancer is in my cervix, pelvis and one lymph gland.
Has anyone had this type of treatment? Xx
Hi @ForestFairy78 !
You’re treatment is nearly exactly the same as mine and very much like many others on here. Reading through others experiences it seems to be the ‘gold standard’ and looks to be very successful. I’m starting mine on Monday.
Oh wow!! I’m waiting to hear about my start date good luck with everything keep us posted as I would love to hear how you’re getting on xx
Shammy, any news when you’re starting treatment? Xx
Hi @Jacks133 , yes I start tomorrow! Chemo day is Tuesday. I’m nervous but very keen to get on with it in the hope it settles my head. Thank you for thinking of me 
OOh that’s exciting - you want rid of this cancer ASAP! Please keep us up to date with your journey. Wishing you all the best for your first radiotherapy tomorrow and chemo on Tuesday. Xxxx
Thank you @Jacks133 I will. It means a lot that you thought of me. I will share my journey as reading other people’s has helped me so much. Its only fair I return the favour x
Good luck for tomorrow. I’ll be thinking about you x
