Hi there. Thanks for your reply. It's for cervical and it's squamous cell carcinoma. Had two cone biopsies so I believe most of it is removed and hoping not much left  if any but one margin wasn't clear so might be some residual disease there. It was quite small but doesn't keep me from worrying about it. Trying to get surgery sorted. Flying back to Toronto as they seem more experienced there with it there. 

How are you doing now? Did you have any issues after leaving your nodes removed (lymphadema or anything?) Did the pathology show any spread to the nodes? Did you nrrd adjuvent therapy ( chemo/radiation etc)? Thanks for sharing it's so helpful!

Hi.. Thanks for your reply.

Yes I researched it and chance of recurrence is higher with laparoscopic particularly in tumors over 2cm. Mine was nothing near that (0.5mm deep x 2mm diam and 3.5mm x 1mm diam) I had two cone biopsies and each found a little tumor.. multifocal they call it. After the first one they recommended simple hysterectomy. But one margin wasn't clear of precancer, so another doctor said get another cone biopsy to make sure there isn't more cancer there. I did that and they found a little more. That wasn't expected and disappointing. They then recommended radical hyst done abdominally and removal of pelvic nodes. It seemed extreme so I started my research. My MRI and pet scan didn't show anything so we knew it wasn't big (scans usually don't show anything less than 5mm) and no sign of spread. 

Other places wouldn't do it that way. I'm in Perth Australia, but I'm from Toronto Canada. I spoke to a doctor in Europe and one back in Toronto. They both said they would do sentinal node biopsy to try and avoid removing all my pelvic nodes, as well as do it laperoscopically because it was small enough to do that safely. Also they wouldn't do radical, at the most modified radical, removing a little more tissue not full amount. I find the recommendations so different it's worrisome .. That one isn't enough and the other is too much. I guess it boils down to the standard of practice where you are, which has alot to do with how often they perform the procedure, the skill and experience etc. They do it way more in a Toronto and so I've decided to go there. My family are all there too. I fly out tonight. I will confer with one more doctor there and then decide what to do and who to go with. I know that going laparoscopic the skill of the surgeon and the technique is  really important for cervical cancer so I will be asking a lot of questions. I hope you're doing well after your surgery. Did you have any issues after removal of you nodes? Lymphadema or anything?  What did the biopsy results reveal. Was there any spread to the nodes? Did you need any adjuvent therapy (radiation/chemo)? Did you have lvsi or anything?

Did they tell you the grade of the cancer cells (1,2 or 3..the aggressiveness of the cancer)? How did they find yours, did you have any cone biopsies? Thanks for sharing your experience it's really helpful :)

You have certainly done a lot of research I was exactly the same though. I think the treatment goes on your staging so I was staged at 1B1 originally which they reccomeded a abdominal hysterectomy for. I'm based in the UK, but this would be standard anywhere in the world.  

I was petrified of lymphadema and wanted the sential node biopsy, but there were delays with my diagnosis on the NHS and by the time I went private my new surgeon had booked me in for an operation date without seeing my scans as so much time had been wasted, if I wanted the sential node biopsy there would have been a greater delay which I could afford time wise.  I would definitely recommend this option if you can get it. I'm still petrified of lymphadema now but have started shaving my legs again!

I choose my surgeon and couldn't recommend her enough, i think more than what type of operation you have you need to find a consultant that you trust and listens to you. This was the biggest thing for me. I trusted my surgeon and her opinion 100%. My operation went well, I had no real complications (I had terrible problems with my catheter) no lymph node spread so no further treatment was needed.

6 months later they found cancer in both ovaries (I had kept these) then had 6 sessions of chemotherapy.

I'd had clear smears even one on November and went to the doctor with abnormal bleeding in the January thats how mine was found.

I hope your flight back was ok, let me know what treatment you decide on.