Have Adenocarinoma In Situ

[RileyD]

I was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma in situ (cervical) after a laser cone biopsy in April this year.  I have recently had a lot of gastrointestinal problems with a lot of gas severe enough to leave work early in some occasions.  These symptoms have plagued me since March.  I've been very bloated moving up a pants size with a 4 pound weight gain.  I had an endoscopy last week that revealed no issues.  After hearing the symptoms of ovarian cancer, is there any possibility that my previous adenocarcinoma in situ has spread to cancer in my ovaries, or are they totally isolated conditions?  Should I be checked?  I had my three month pap smear this Monday, and I gave my gynecologist the list of symptoms which he suggested were due to my "healthy" diet. Should I look for another opinion or ask for an ultrasound?

Thank you!!

RileyD

[Mary 53]

  
I may have to write to you a few times, since I keep thinking of more things to say after reading your info again.

I want to clarify that I don't think that the adenocarcinoma in situ (Cervical ) that you had would necessarily ever cause one to have Ovarian Cancer (my opinion). I do think that Ovarian Cancer and Near-Cervical Cancer are isolated incedents. But, having said that, what I was refering to as far as the two being connected is the fact that some practitioners believe that too much Estrogen (and not in balance with Progesterone) can cause the problems that I had. It is a theory of course, but it was also the assumption in my case. But, then, I was older than you at the time of my Dx. and I was in Perimenopause, which is defined by hormonal fluctuations and Imbalances. This is not to say that imbalances cannot occur in younger women and so in doing your research on this topic, you might want to Google some of the key words (hormones, Cervical Dysplasia, Ovarian issues, etc) and see what you come up with.

Sometimes all of the information out there can put one into overload, but I will say that having the Internet at our fingertips beats spending hours in a darkly lit corner of a Hospital library (obviously speaking from Personsonal experience) looking up symptoms and reasons for the problems we as women face. So, in my case, was the cervical dysplasia caused by an imbalance of Estrogen to Progesterone ? And, although I don't think that the cells in my case "Spread"...  did the same Imbalance then cause the troublesome cyst from which Malignant cells were drawn? I don't know. But, I think there is a strong case for it.

I am glad you had a second opinion from another doctor already. "Have children now and then have a hysterectomy" sounds a bit abrupt and radical. In your case I do like the "watching closely" scenario in that if you are in fact hoping to start a family, you would for sure want to watch for further cervical dysplasias in order to catch things quickly for many reasons. But, one reason is that in my case I had a LEEP procedure done and the doctor knew I was not intending to have more children and so she was able to take more tissue from the cervix without worrying about destroying some of my ability to produce the mucous necessary for fertilization. She called the night before the surgery to ask me about this.

I also want to clarify that in this case, I did say that "watching" might not be bad, but I know from the stories of my friends on this board that sometimes "watching" is not a good thing...especially if you feel you are being brushed off by your doctor. Advocate for yourself.

And, don't worry what they will think (although I do understand that)...as one member and a friend of mine, Dian, says on this forum, "You have one chance to get this right."

I was brushed off by my doctor. I switched doctors. It was a few months later that the bad cells in that cyst was found during a laporoscopy. Oh, and thanks for explaining the procedure you had. I knew it rang a bell, but I could not think of what it was.

On the HPV issue, I think they would have told you if your problems were related to HPV. In my case, I had been reading about HPV (there was not as much info on it back in the 90's ...at least that I could find in those dark library corners!)...and, just asked. They said that no HPV was found. You could always ask, but again, I am pretty sure they would have said something if it was.

I hope this helps a bit more.

Take care, Mary

[RileyD]

Thanks Mary.  I'm only 31 with no kids, so I think my gynecologist things that I'm too young for these things and I'm his first case of adenocarcinoma in situ of atypical glandular cells (instead of squamous).  So I think he's a bit surprised.  He's encouraged me to consider having kids right now (I've been married for four years) so I can have a hysterectomy.  But I went to an oncologist who told me that a hysterectomy won't help anything considering there's other areas that cancer can grow that a hysterectomy does not remove.  So we have to just keep checking my pap.

An endoscopy is the scope that travels down the esophagus down to the small intestine to check for things such as an ulcer.  They took biopsies looking for an ulcer or possibly Celiac's disease.  Since I've been bloated with stomach pain and issues of constipation, they thought to check Celiac's.  

I already feel like my gynecologist thinks I'm a hypochondriac since I insisted on seeing an oncologist after my adenocarcinoma in situ diagnosis, so I think I'd have to see someone else to get an ear to listen to me.  I know it's my health, that I shouldn't worry about what others think.  But at the same time, I want to be sure that I have valid concerns and that I'm not worrying over something unnecessarily.  

No one ever did an HPV test.  Should I have had one?  Even the oncologist didn't do one and just said I had it since I have adenocarcinoma in situ.  

I appreciate your response.

Thanks!

[Mary 53]

Hi,

I think you will get various opinions regarding this, but my opinion is that you should have this looked into.

I was Dx. with Severe Cervical Dysplasia when I was 45 (I am 55 now). I Had never had a bad Pap and this was not related in any way to HPV. Two years later, I had a hysterectomy after a biopsy of a cyst on my ovary showed malignant cells (there is a bit more info in my journal under "why I am here." No more cancer was found....

My opinion is that if the two things (near cancer and/or malignant cells) are connected, it is because of a severe hormonal imbalance. I would get a second opinion and hope that they do an Ultrasound to check for cysts.

Having said that, would an endoscopy have seen cysts? It has been awhile since I have had issues, so I am not terribly sure what an Endoscopy is.

Certainly not trying to alarm you... but, Knowledge is Power.  Wishing you the best.

Mary