“Cervical cancer?”
So I have cervical cancer, stage 1. I have had the conization surgery which got most of it but because there is still a little left (if that makes sense) my dr wants to keep a close eye on it. He said that since I am only 27, and still want kids to start trying and then get a hysterectomy. My parent's doctors are telling me I need to have a hysterectomy and that having a child is too risky. All I want is to be a mom. I just want a second opinion.
Female | 27 years old
Medications: Sertraline
Conditions: Cervical cancer
3 Answers
Close follow up.
You are asking the question if it is safe to have a child in the presence of subtotally resected cervical cancer.
In general a hysterectomy is a curative procedure for cervical cancer. It is unclear why your doctor was unable to clear the cancer with clear margins.
Anytime that cancer is left without clear margins there is a risk of the cancer growing locally or spreading to other organs. My first recommendation would be resection of the cancer.
However, you desire to have a child. A hysterectomy would prevent this. The thinking of your doctor about following the cancer is unclear.
My suggestion would be to obtain a second opinion from an otherwise experienced surgeon about a re-resection of remaining cervical cancer with a clear margin.
Good luck.
In general a hysterectomy is a curative procedure for cervical cancer. It is unclear why your doctor was unable to clear the cancer with clear margins.
Anytime that cancer is left without clear margins there is a risk of the cancer growing locally or spreading to other organs. My first recommendation would be resection of the cancer.
However, you desire to have a child. A hysterectomy would prevent this. The thinking of your doctor about following the cancer is unclear.
My suggestion would be to obtain a second opinion from an otherwise experienced surgeon about a re-resection of remaining cervical cancer with a clear margin.
Good luck.
Dr. Jessica Scotchie
OB-GYN (Obstetrician-Gynecologist) | Reproductive Endocrinology
Chattanooga, TN
You should absolutely get a 2nd opinion if you are uncertain about the recommendations of one provider, your history is complicated given your age and different providers may have different opinions about the same situation. It doesn’t mean one is wrong or right, it means you need to hear the pros/cons of having a hysterectomy versus closely monitoring the cervix for progression of disease – if you are open to having a hysterectomy and are open to having children through the use of a gestational carrier or using adoption, then you could have a hysterectomy and be assured you won’t get cervical cancer recurrence. But if having a child in your own body is something you deeply want, then you need to think about whether it is worth the risks of having recurrent disease, for the benefit of potentially having a child from your own body.
You may want to consult with both a 2nd GYN Oncologist as well as a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility expert to understand reproductive options (the infertility specialist won’t speak to the cancer recurrence risk but could educate you what is involved with using a gestational carrier).
You may want to consult with both a 2nd GYN Oncologist as well as a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility expert to understand reproductive options (the infertility specialist won’t speak to the cancer recurrence risk but could educate you what is involved with using a gestational carrier).
