Anon - Thank you for writing and seeking information. I too have cancer, and I prefer to have straight facts and information in order to make the best decisions. Navigating the Internet for information can be very confusing and frustrating, and I'm happy to help you.
For those who aren't familiar with this, uterine cancer is cancer in the womb, the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows during a woman's pregnancy. There are two different types of uterine cancers: endometrial cancer and uterine sarcomas.
LIVESTRONG provides the following information on the last two stages of uterine cancer:
Stage III uterine cancer means the cancer has spread beyond the uterus but still remains in the pelvis, according to the National Cancer Institute. The cancer may have spread to lymph nodes in the pelvis but not to lymph nodes elsewhere in the body. Additionally, the cancer also has not spread to the rectum or the bladder. The American Cancer Society adds that the cancer may have spread to the fallopian tubes, the ovaries or the vagina. Uterine cancer in this stage has a five-year survival rate between 47 and 58 percent.
Stage IV
Stage IV is the most advanced stage of uterine cancer. In stage IV cancer of the uterus, the cancer is growing inside the bladder and/or the rectum and has invaded other organs of the body, such as the intestines, bones or lungs; it may also have spread to lymph nodes outside the pelvis. When uterine cancer has advanced to stage IV, it becomes difficult to treat and has a five-year survival rate of less than 20 percent.
You can read more at http://www.livestrong.com/article/109438-stages-uterine-cancer/#ixzz0qJL32p3l
Your question on life expectancy is more difficult to answer because the answer depends on how far the cancer has progressed, your age, your overall health, and other factors. Your physician is really in the best position to provide an estimate for you. If you have reason to question the information he gave you then you could seek a second opinion from another oncologist.
There are reports on clinical trials that provide data on survival lengths during clinical trials but that data isn't relevant to your situation.
You might find support groups will provide some of the type of information you're seeking. They can be hard to find and it may take some research to find one that you're comfortable with. Here's one you may want to try, the members seem to be very supportive of each other. http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Uterine-Cancer/support-group
There is a branch of medicine that assists people in dealing with end of life planning, care and issues. It's called palliative care and the physicians are palliative doctors.
Compassionate palliative care succeeds best when there's a team approach. The team usually includes the palliative doctor, nurses and other professionals, and they:
* Prescribe treatments to control pain and other uncomfortable symptoms.
* Assist with difficult medical decisions, helping you weigh the pros and cons of various treatments.
* Coordinate care with your other doctors and help you navigate the often-confusing health care system.
* Guide you in making a plan for living well during this time, based on your needs, concerns and goals for care.
* Help you and your loved ones find emotional and spiritual support.
You can learn more about this type of care here:
http://www.palliativedoctors.org/
You can search for a palliative physician here:
http://www.association-office.com/ABHPM/etools/publicdir/search.cfm
Palliative physicians work very closely with hospice services, so you may also want to contact a local hospice provider to see if they can assist you.
I want to honor your request for information on the stages you will go through. It really is your decision on exactly how far you want to take this. Here is a link on the processes the body goes through when dying from cancer. If you don't feel ready to read this at this time you don't need to, but you will have it. http://www.livestrong.com/article/18037-expect-last-stages-cancer/
You probably will have more questions, no problem, just write back. I'd like to help you as much as possible as you go through this. Please let me know if this information has helped you and any other thoughts that this may bring up.
Comment Reply
Anon - Thank you for writing and seeking information. I too have cancer, and I prefer to have straight facts and information in order to make the best decisions. Navigating the Internet for information can be very confusing and frustrating, and I'm happy to help you.
For those who aren't familiar with this, uterine cancer is cancer in the womb, the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows during a woman's pregnancy. There are two different types of uterine cancers: endometrial cancer and uterine sarcomas.
LIVESTRONG provides the following information on the last two stages of uterine cancer:
Stage III uterine cancer means the cancer has spread beyond the uterus but still remains in the pelvis, according to the National Cancer Institute. The cancer may have spread to lymph nodes in the pelvis but not to lymph nodes elsewhere in the body. Additionally, the cancer also has not spread to the rectum or the bladder. The American Cancer Society adds that the cancer may have spread to the fallopian tubes, the ovaries or the vagina. Uterine cancer in this stage has a five-year survival rate between 47 and 58 percent.
Stage IV
Stage IV is the most advanced stage of uterine cancer. In stage IV cancer of the uterus, the cancer is growing inside the bladder and/or the rectum and has invaded other organs of the body, such as the intestines, bones or lungs; it may also have spread to lymph nodes outside the pelvis. When uterine cancer has advanced to stage IV, it becomes difficult to treat and has a five-year survival rate of less than 20 percent.
You can read more at http://www.livestrong.com/article/109438-stages-uterine-cancer/#ixzz0qJL32p3l
Your question on life expectancy is more difficult to answer because the answer depends on how far the cancer has progressed, your age, your overall health, and other factors. Your physician is really in the best position to provide an estimate for you. If you have reason to question the information he gave you then you could seek a second opinion from another oncologist.
There are reports on clinical trials that provide data on survival lengths during clinical trials but that data isn't relevant to your situation.
You might find support groups will provide some of the type of information you're seeking. They can be hard to find and it may take some research to find one that you're comfortable with. Here's one you may want to try, the members seem to be very supportive of each other. http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Uterine-Cancer/support-group
There is a branch of medicine that assists people in dealing with end of life planning, care and issues. It's called palliative care and the physicians are palliative doctors.
Compassionate palliative care succeeds best when there's a team approach. The team usually includes the palliative doctor, nurses and other professionals, and they:
* Prescribe treatments to control pain and other uncomfortable symptoms.
* Assist with difficult medical decisions, helping you weigh the pros and cons of various treatments.
* Coordinate care with your other doctors and help you navigate the often-confusing health care system.
* Guide you in making a plan for living well during this time, based on your needs, concerns and goals for care.
* Help you and your loved ones find emotional and spiritual support.
You can learn more about this type of care here:
http://www.palliativedoctors.org/
You can search for a palliative physician here:
http://www.association-office.com/ABHPM/etools/publicdir/search.cfm
Palliative physicians work very closely with hospice services, so you may also want to contact a local hospice provider to see if they can assist you.
I want to honor your request for information on the stages you will go through. It really is your decision on exactly how far you want to take this. Here is a link on the processes the body goes through when dying from cancer. If you don't feel ready to read this at this time you don't need to, but you will have it. http://www.livestrong.com/article/18037-expect-last-stages-cancer/
You probably will have more questions, no problem, just write back. I'd like to help you as much as possible as you go through this. Please let me know if this information has helped you and any other thoughts that this may bring up.
Take care, Pat
June 8, 2010 - 5:53pmThis Comment
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