Help! Overwhelmed

[coop1969]

I had my debulking surgery about a week and a half ago. My doctor said the surgery allowed her to take all visible cancer. The frozen section came back with "favours poorly differentiated carcinoma". My family doctor read this online and showed up at the hospital telling me that she was not familiar but knew it was very very serious and I should think about what I want to do with my time.

I told my surgeon who said it was too early to know what we are dealing with and was sad that my family doctor had told me this. I now have to wait until December 3rd to meet with my surgeon. But I can't get my head around this. It sounds like they don't actually know what kind of cancer I have and that they think this is metastasis from somewhere else. Has anyone else had this kind of thing happen? Am I in some sort of rare scenario here and have months to live?

I had no symptoms. My tumour markers were normal. I had a history of severe endometriosis and adhesions. I cannot believe this is where I am. I do not know how to cope.

[Fluffyjumper]

Hi coop1969.

I’m sorry that this has happened to you. Your family doctor should not have said that. It’s good news that all visible cancer was removed. You need to concentrate on recovering from your surgery. The 3rd December is not far away and I’m sure that your oncologist will come up with an appropriate course of treatment.

Are there are Macmillan nurses you can speak to? Macmillan provide a useful counselling service and are there if you need to cry/vent/express concerns.

Waiting is the hardest. It will become easier once you and your oncology team know what they’re dealing with.

[Sunsetime]

Hi , I’m so sorry you find yourself in this situation. Your family doctor is not being helpful at all and as she is not familiar would have been better saying nothing. It’s so overwhelming waiting for results and not knowing what’s happening next. It is positive that all visible cancer has been removed and there will be a treatment plan for sure. You have done the hard bit getting through the operation . I know it’s not easy, but try to focus on recovery and staying in the present. When I was waiting for results I found mindfulness helped, it’s not for everyone but there are many apps out there. I’m not sure what country you live, but there are helpline numbers macmillian and Ovacome who can help to talk about what you’re going through and there is always here too . Take care xx

[ColinsGirl]

Dear Coop1969, I second what the others have said - your GP would have been wiser to say nothing at all since her knowledge does not seem to have extended beyond anyone else’s with access to Google! Waiting is horrible, especially when you are recovering from major surgery and feeling incredibly vulnerable. Focus on your recovery and what the surgeon has said rather than anything your GP has Googled. I found that at the beginning of my diagnosis things were so hazy- you will have more clarity once you’ve seen your surgeon on 3rd. It sounds as though you are in great hands there. Macmillan fabulous, and you have us too. I had my hysterectomy and debulking surgery at the beginning of September - you will feel better little by little. Know we are with you. Xxx

[Doglover1410]

I agree with the others, very unhelpful of your GP to worry you like that.

Just concentrate on recovering from the op and wait (not easy I know!) until you speak to your surgeon.

Wishing you well xx

[DianaPrince_]

I'm not a doctor but I think "poorly differentiated carcinoma" refers to the grade of cancer. And it's not bad news as such. It's just tells about how they need to treat it. There are more treatment options for high grade vs. low grade.

Stage vs. Grade in Cancer

Stage: Refers to how advanced the cancer is in terms of size, spread, and whether it has affected nearby lymph nodes or distant organs.

Staged from I to IV:

Stage I: Cancer is localized to its original site.

Stage II: Cancer has grown larger or spread to nearby tissues.

Stage III: Cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or surrounding areas.

Stage IV: Cancer has spread to distant parts of the body (metastatic).

Grade: Refers to how aggressive the cancer appears, based on how abnormal the cells look under a microscope.

Graded from 1 to 3 (or low to high grade):

Grade 1 (low grade): Well-differentiated; cells look similar to normal cells. These are typically slower growing and less aggressive. I always see this as a tortise, slow lumbering harder to stamp on.

Grade 2 (intermediate grade): Moderately differentiated; cells are more abnormal and grow faster than Grade 1.

Grade 3 (high grade): Poorly differentiated; cells are very abnormal and grow aggressively. "Poorly differentiated carcinoma" refers to this grade. For me, this is more a like a rat, fast but weak, you can stomp all over it with chemo.

High-Grade Tumors (Grade 3) - are poorly differentiated. They are more aggressive in behavior, but more likely to respond to treatment AND there are lots of treatment options.

Both the stage and grade are critical for creating a personalised treatment plan.