Thursday, October 8, 2009

Test results

The last couple days have been a roller coaster, let me take you on my ride....

Yesterday I found out (in an unofficial way) my cervical cone biopsy results. They came back squamous cell carcinoma in situ. Knowing that carcinoma in situ means "cancer in place" I freaked, but I hadn't heard from my gynecologist yet, so I was trying to be optimistic.

My gynecologist called me right before I left this morning and told me the path report came back showing severe dysplasia, but he got clear margins, so I'm good to go. I see him in 4 weeks. I didn't say anything to him about what I already knew, since I was told unofficially.

Then I went to see my surgeon. EGD and colonoscopy were both normal. H. pylori biopsy was negative. That was all good, THANK GOD!

We scheduled to have my port removed next Wednesday. My oncologist would like it to stay in for a while, but I told him it is in my way of reconstruction, so it is coming out. If I need one, I can always have a new one put in. I won! lol

I then told my surgeon about my cone biopsy results. I told him my oncologist's office said "Carcinoma in situ" meaning cancer in place (Stage 0) and my gynecolgist called it severe dysplasia. I asked if they were the same. He said No, they are close, but there is a difference. The treatment may not change, but there is a difference that my gyne needs to clarify and I will need to be watched.

I left there and stopped over to my oncologist's office. I got a copy of my path report and it says "severe dysplasia/squamous cell carcinoma in situ (CIN 3)" Some of the ladies there think I should go to Pittsburgh for a second opinion from a gynecologist oncologist. In their mind, they are thinking cancer. I did not talk to my oncologist about this.

So at that point I was really confused.

I then decided I would turn to a friend from my breast cancer board (YSC) who is an OB/GYN. I told her what was going on and she explained it to me like this....

"CIS (carcinoma in situ) and CIN III (severe dysplasia) are barely distinguishable. CIS, while it does have a similar name to DCIS (stage 0 breast cancer), is not considered cancer. It's very confusing since the word carcinoma is in the name. It's a fine line and maybe it's just semantics, but it is where the line is drawn in the world of cervical cancer. CIS and CIN III are both part of high grade SIL (squamous intraepithelial lesion) and are both severe dysplasia. Nothing more (fortunately!). To be considered cervical cancer, there must be documented invasion. No invasion=no cervical cancer. In the gyne world, this is a clear distinction."

So, I can finally breathe easy. I DO NOT have cervical cancer!!!!!

Stage 0 is not considered to be part of the cervical cancer staging system because there are abnormal cells only in the surface layer of the cervix. The cells have not spread away from where they started or begun to grow into the deeper tissues of the cervix. So it is not an invasive cancer. But some doctors still call it stage 0.

I will just need to follow up with my gyne for regular exams to make sure the dysplasia does not return.

1 comment:

  1. I'm glad your news is good but for crying out loud, how many more of these things are you supposed to handle? Seriously, there's got to be someone who could use a little dose. Hang in there!

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