Uterine cancer? I am scared

[Lisa1960]

Hi, I posted last week regarding pmb and my wait for results and procedures.
I am 55 and didn't have a period for 12 months. Last summer I started having periods again and breakthrough bleeding. These have continued since then.
I have just had the results of my tvs scan (after 5 weeks) which shows no masses, but a fibroid and a womb thickness of 6.1 mm. I am due to have a hysteroscopy and biopsy this week. I am overweight and almost diabetic.
I am very scared I have uterine cancer.

Try to keep calm. Don't imagine the worst.
It's more than likely that you are still in peri. If you have had more than one period and it feels like a period and not just breakthrough bleeding on its own, the chances are it's your hormones. No one can say of course but you will find out soon.
Even if you have a thickened lining, that's not necessarily a risk- the rule is anything over 5 mm ought to be investigated so you are only just over that!

If it's just hyperplasia then the treatment is simple- tablets- which will shed the lining.

If it is cancer, then the cancer would be endometrial- limited to the uterus lining - and it's over 90% curable when caught early, so you are not going to die from it- to be blunt.

Maybe this is a wake up call to do something about your weight? Is your GP offering you support? being overweight post menopause does increase your risk of all female cancers by quite a lot- breast, endometrial etc.
Can you get support to help make some healthy changes?

Thankyou PollyPerky, its impossible not to worry but you have helped reassure me. Its hard because I don't have anyone to share my concerns with

I was told if you were unfortunate enough to get cancer, then womb cancer was the one to get as the cure rate is high and normally surgery is all that is needed.
Have you been on www.menopausematters.co.uk there are similar stories to yours, it might help to read those.
Not sure if I am right, but I think fibroids can cause bleeding.

I understand Lisa :)
I am sure you are worried, anyone would be, and I have had those tests, just like you. So I have been through the same scary thought process.

I think in my previous posts to you I said that the '12 month rule' is there to pick things up, but that's because there has to be some cut-off point for bleeding after a long gap. It doesn't mean any bleeding after 12 months is always sinister - some women may go 13 months and have another period, others might go 15 months - but there needs to be some yardstick and 12 months is it!

As I said earlier, maybe now is the time to take control of what you can control and change- by losing weight, which is linked to endometrial cancer, because fat cells produce oestrogen and oestrogen stimulates the endometrium and makes the lining grow. That could be another reason why you are still having periods at a later than average age.

Let us know how you get on!

p.s fibroids don't cause bleeding but they increase the surface area of the uterus so bleeding may increase in amount if you have large fibroids.