Anyone have family history of uterine cancer?

I am scheduled for my hysterectomy on 9/26 for adenomyosis possibility and endo possibility. Just not sure if my ovaries will be intact or not when I wake up.
I have a maternal grandmother who was diagnosed with uterine cancer at 35 and died from the cancer spreading at 40. Has anyone had a similar situation and did your doc take the ovaries? I would like everything out so I don't have to worry about any gynocological cancers.

Hi Gemini,

I'm so sorry your grandmother lost her battle with cancer, especially at such a young age, and I know that has to put more stress on your own upcoming surgery.

The closest thing I have experienced to what you are turning over in your head is my mom. My mom had cervical cancer that resulted in a radical hysterectomy. When I had my hysterectomy, I talked to my doctor a lot about that and if I was going to be able to keep my ovaries. I decided, with the guidance of my doctor, to keep them if they were healthy.

Unfortunately, removing everything doesn't guarantee that you won't develop any gyn cancers in the future. I urge you to discuss your concerns with your doctor and I pray that you find comfort in the decisions you have to make.

s, Deb

Thanks Crossfire-

I did talk to my doc today. He told me that unless my ovaries looked suspicious, he would leave them in. If in the future, I am having problems he said he could remove them. I felt better after I talked to him. He reassured me that no matter what happens, once he is in there, he can get a pretty good picture of my gyno. health. And if there are any future problems, he is only a phone call away.

Thanks for your story. HOw ar you doing now that it has been a year? Have you been doing well? I hope all goes well for me.

for your story.

I am scheduled for for a TAH on September 21 because of fibroids. This was discovered on June 2nd as a result of an ultrasound. My gyn does not want to take any chances. She wants to take out my ovaries as well. I am 47 years of age. She said it's not worth keeping my ovaries because why run the risk of one day contracting ovarian cancer, becuase ovarian cancer is one of the ugliest cancers to battle. We took my mother to her hometown in the next province to us at the end of June. She is 91 years of age and never knew the reasons of her parents' death. All that she knew is that her mother died on the operating table when she was 9 years of age and her father dropped dead in the yard when she was 12 years of age. Well, long story short, we were lucky enough to come across a "hospital registery" from the hospital that my grandmother died in, on our search. The entry showed that she died having a hysterectomy! She was 50 years of age (in 1923). After ordering and receivng the medical death certificates for my grandparents (my grandfather died of a stroke) it was discovered that my grandmother had uterine cancer. This is sitting in the back of my mind now (not the dying on the operating table part, but the possibility of the uterine cancer). I'm sure that all the pre-tests, scrapings, etc. that were done up to this point would have detected uterine cancer, but I guess I won't know for sure until I wake up from my surgery. I ask for your prayers that I am cancer free. Thank you.

Hi gemini31!

I see you're in Milwaukee! I visited your city for the first time ever in September of 2003, when I went there for a Bruce Springsteen concert in Miller Park.

Getting to the point...my mother and one of her sisters came down with uterine cancer when they were in their mid-60's. Both had hysts and are cancer-free and healthy! I asked my gyn whether the fact that uterine cancer was in my family made me more likely to get it, and he replied by holding his hand out and tipping it back and forth which I understood to mean, "not really." My doctor neither encouraged nor discouraged an oopherectomy. I did it because cancer of many types is prevalent in my family, and I have a personal terror of OvCa because of a family friend suffering horribly before ultimately dying from it. :cry:

I hope you wind up happy with your surgical decisions and outcome.

Many s and Best Wishes,

Hi Gemini31
Have you discussed your concerns with your doctor? If you have not, you should. Taking everything out does not guarantee you will not have a gyn cancer later. I am sure your doctor my be reluctant to remove your ovaries due to your age. If you keep them, you can ask for close monitering and have them removed when you are older. This is a decision only you and your doctor can make.

s and ers
Jane