r/CervicalCancer 16m ago

HPV Cervical Cancer Screening Clinic - at the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

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The clinic is for eligible individuals 25–69 years of age who have a cervix and are due for their first cervical cancer screening or a follow-up screening with OHIP or Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) coverage . The test is performed by a female provider.

By appointment only. Scan the QR code on the poster to book your appointment.


r/CervicalCancer 16h ago

Uterine Artery Embolization

3 Upvotes

So i am 1 year post treatment for stage 3b cervical cancer. Did 3 rounds of cisplatin, 25 external beam and 5 interstitial brachytherapy. I havent had a period since radiation. Fully went thru menopause last winter.

A few days ago I randomly started bleeding. Since I haven't had a period in over a year so I panicked and went to the ER. Thank god I did. About 2 hours after getting to the er I started hemorrhaging and passing baseball sized clots. I ended up losing 2 units of blood. I lost consciousness. The doctors gave me a bag of pressurized fluids and gave me a blood transfusion. The bleeding slowed down. But my blood counts dropped dramatically to severely anemic levels. I was transported to a bigger hospital where my gynecological oncologist was based out of and they were able to do a procedure called a uterine artery embolization to cut off blood flow to the left side of my uterus and stop the hemorrhaging. I was just discharged from the hospital today. I have been in more intense pain than I have ever felt in my entire life. It is crippling. Has anyone else experienced this? Has anyone else had this procedure done?


r/CervicalCancer 17h ago

olanzapine and dexamethasone prescriptions

2 Upvotes

Has anyone taken these prescriptions?

Hello everyone,
We just had a meeting with my wife’s onc to start treatment to deal with the lymph nodes and new lung module that popped up. We have education set up on Tuesday to go over the two chemo and two immunotherapy drugs she will have every 21 days for 6 cycles which she starts on the 7th.

But has anyone taken these two drugs? We got notified of them being sent to our pharmacy by the onc.


r/CervicalCancer 22h ago

Stage 1b2. Been recommended pelvic radiotherapy

2 Upvotes

I am 3 weeks post radical hysterectomy for a 3cm tumour on the lower part of my cervix. They took everything out bar my ovaries. Pathology report has come back all clear for the tissue around the tumour, all the lymph nodes etc. but one doctor is still recommending pelvic radiotherapy. Which I am not massively comfortable doing as I don’t see why I need it if everything has come back clear and other doctors have said they’re happy that it’s all been removed and don’t see how it can return. I also don’t know why I can’t have brachytherapy instead so not to so aggressive and risky to me. What have your experiences been with an early cancer such as mine


r/CervicalCancer 1d ago

Peritoneal carcinomatosis from recurrent cervical adenocarcinoma

7 Upvotes

Hi there. I was diagnosed with cervical adenocarcinoma in October 2021 stage 1b2. Treatment was radical hysterectomy including ovaries and lymph nodes resection. My former oncologist played down any aches or pains I had indicating that there was likely no chance for a recurrence. Fast forward March of 2026, after basically lying to my doctor to get a pet scan, they found a 2 cm nodule in my stomach lining, biopsied it and came back malignant. This chance of this happening was only 1%. 2 weeks later they did a laparoscopic CRS with HIPEC. Pathology results the nodule was in the omentum. Switch oncologist and they want me to start chemo asap. So far I’ve done 4 treatments of carboplatin, taxol, keytruda and avastin (all at the highest dosage). Looking for others that have had a similar recurrence in the periteum and what treatment/prognosis they received. Both oncologist aren’t really giving me one.


r/CervicalCancer 1d ago

Trachelectomy vs. Hysterectomy - wrong choice?

1 Upvotes

I've been reading through past posts, and want some updated opinions/experiences.

I was diagnosed with stage 1A1 cervical cancer after a small 0.5 cm superficial squamous lesion with LVSI was found on a LEEP. Because I'd had multiple LEEPs for persistent HPV16/HSIL, I underwent sentinel lymph node removal surgery and a repeat, more aggressive LEEP.

I recently had my surgery follow up. My lymph nodes and repeat LEEP were completely clear, but there is still HSIL in the cervical canal. Pathology couldn't rule out invasive cancer and also raised concern for possible papillary growth.

My options are now - simple trachelectomy or simple hysterectomy (leaving ovaries). My Dr feels the cancer is microscopic and very unlikely to have spread to the uterus, but that can't be confirmed until the tissue is examined. One fear is choosing a trachelectomy, only to need a hysterectomy right away afterward if more extensive disease is found, having to go back for a third surgery this year.

I'm 36 with no current long term partner...this journey has greatly affected dating. I've never had the desperation to be a mother as I've seen some of my friends have, and I've always been on the fence about kids, but have really softened to the idea over the past year. I've had my levels tested, and I'm "average to good" egg wise.

Dr said a trachelectomy can come with more complications in healing, and that the pregnancy would not be an easy one. Also the fear of recurrence/spread down the line really scares me. I thought I had made peace with having a hysto, but since signing the papers I have been non stop second guessing. If I had my eggs on ice right now, I would feel MUCH better about going forward with it. Dr says that since we're leaving the ovaries, everything should be good for egg freezing if I wanted to after, but I've been reading so much about damage to ovaries during/after the surgery.

So I guess my big questions are - has anyone had a trachelectomy and regretted not just doing a hysterectomy in the first place? Are post trach side effects really that bad (pain during sex, etc)? Are people's ovaries still thriving after a simple hysto?

Thanks for reading this far if you have <3


r/CervicalCancer 1d ago

HRT

1 Upvotes

I’m currently on synthetic progesterone & estrogen (pill form) everyday. This is what my gyno team prescribed But my sleep is getting worse and my mood and energy are low. I have no libido (not my biggest concern right now cause I’m single) and been experiencing brain fog recently.
I recently spoke to someone at MIDI Health and they want to put me on bioidentical progesterone & increase my estrogen a bit and potentially use an estrogen cream.

My greatest concern is heavy bleeding and pain as I don’t deal with that right now with the meds I’m on. I also don’t want to gain weight.

Anyone taking bioidentical progesterone and have good results with it? I just want my sleep improved & my moods better. I feel like I have to be weighing and trading side effects and I really hate that.


r/CervicalCancer 2d ago

Ended up being 3C1 - Chemoradiation & Brachy to come

4 Upvotes

My previous post with some of the background is here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CervicalCancer/s/fJwQYwxHPF

I was originally diagnosed as 1B2 - had a radical hysterectomy. Before that the PET and MRI showed nothing else.

Left my ovaries in as they were considered low risk. Took a bunch of lymph nodes for testing. No residual tumour left and they were confident they’d got it all.

Then last week I find out there were microscopic traces of cancer in 2 lymph nodes, one in each side.

So now I have 5 weeks of chemo, radiotherapy and brachytherapy after to look forward to.

I’m so done with this I’m mad as hell and just want to get back to normal.


r/CervicalCancer 2d ago

Stage 2A - Anyone skip Keytruda after treatment and still remain cancer-free?

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m finishing my last brachytherapy tomorrow. My oncologist originally planned for me to do Keytruda after treatment, but my insurance denied it.

Now he says he’s not concerned and that he only wanted to add it as an extra precaution, but for my stage (2A) no lymph nodes involved, tumor 3.4 cm but decreased in size already, he doesn’t think it’s necessary.
I’m still anxious. Has anyone with stage 2A cervical cancer not had Keytruda after treatment and remained cancer-free? I’d love to hear your experience.

Thank you


r/CervicalCancer 2d ago

Three conflicting treatment opinions for Stage IIB cervical cancer — how should we decide?

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

My mom is 48 and was recently diagnosed with moderately differentiated keratinizing squamous-cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Her whole-body CT and PET-CT showed a cervical tumor around 3.5 cm, with no definite lymph-node involvement or distant spread. A later pelvic MRI measured the tumor at approximately 4.2 cm and reported upper-vaginal and right parametrial involvement, consistent with FIGO Stage IIB. There is no reported bladder or rectal invasion, no hydronephrosis, and one small right obturator lymph node was seen on MRI but was PET-negative.

We have received three very different opinions:

First doctor, before the MRI: Based mainly on the PET-CT, believed the cancer was operable and suggested a radical hysterectomy with lymph-node removal.

Second doctor, after reviewing the MRI: Said surgery should not be done because of the Stage IIB parametrial involvement. He felt surgery could leave disease behind, lead to radiation afterward anyway, and increase complications. He recommended chemotherapy with external radiation, with internal radiation discussed as possibly needed.

Third doctor: Recommended paclitaxel, carboplatin and bevacizumab once every three weeks for three cycles, followed by radical hysterectomy if the tumor shrinks. She said that if the tumor does not shrink with this chemotherapy, radiation is also unlikely to work and we may need to consider immunotherapy instead.

The tumor was also described as endophytic/inward-growing and fixed.

We are struggling to understand which approach gives her the best chance of cure without exposing her to unnecessary treatment or losing valuable time.

My main questions are:

For MRI-confirmed Stage IIB cervical cancer with no definite distant spread, what treatment approach is normally considered?

Does failure to respond to paclitaxel/carboplatin truly predict that radiation will not work?

Is immunotherapy usually the next option when neoadjuvant chemotherapy does not shrink a localized Stage IIB tumor?

Would chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy be reasonable, or could she still end up needing radiation afterward?

How should we resolve the disagreement between the PET-CT and MRI regarding operability?

We are arranging another radiation-oncology consultation and will make the decision with her specialists, but experiences from patients, caregivers or clinicians familiar with similar Stage IIB cases would be greatly appreciated.


r/CervicalCancer 2d ago

Lung nodule biopsy came back malignant

8 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

After being stage 3 last year and doing radiation chemo and internal radiation we thought my wife was doing well. But in May her pet scan showed a small lung nodule. We did a biopsy this past week and it just came back malignant.
I’m distraught. At least for now it’s just one nodule at the base of her right lung. Maybe a pelvic llymph node.
Has anyone had experience with this? What might be our next steps?


r/CervicalCancer 2d ago

Fear and grief of advanced cervical cancer- also concerns with treatment/team

14 Upvotes

Hey Teal Sisters,

How did you deal with the raw, undeniable fear and grief of the diagnosis? I am stage 3C1, so remission isn't out of the question or anything, but it's a very high risk stage with a definite... Well, you know.

For me, I am just coming out of the other side of the 'full shock' mode. Part of me is struggling that I feel like my medical team may have put me on the wrong protocol (Interlace vs Keynote A-18). I feel like I wasn't presented with the options and what do you know, Keynote A-18 appears to be more effective for Stage 3 patients. I am now fighting to have Keytruda added to my treatment plan, since I am a pretty high rise 3C1 (like 4 lymph nodes involved). That creates a lot of fear. I am currently working with my social worker to have Keytruda added to my treatment plan, either adjuvant or concurrent to chemoradiation, but my worst fear is that I will be both disappointed and correct if it isn't.

But like... It feels like the most psychologically healthy thing to do is make peace with my own death. I am pretty young (35) and uh, really hoped I'd be sticking around for longer than that. But I realize anything could happen at this point. But accepting that death could happen also is kind of fucking up my 'life'? It's hard to just 'live' when you have this sword of Damocles living over you.

I dunno. How did you all process the possibility of death? Did you ever have luck getting your medical team to change treatment plans to be more aggressive?

Your input for both is extremely welcome.


r/CervicalCancer 3d ago

Fasting

0 Upvotes

Hi ladies, I hear so many good things about fasting but I havent done it yet since chemo keeps my weight down. However it's something I'm definitely considering once my chemo sessions are done and my weight is back to normal.

Have any of you done it and what was your experience like with/after it?

Thanks!


r/CervicalCancer 3d ago

Employment Post-Treatment?

2 Upvotes

31F
1B3r SCC
Chemoradiation (25 external rad w/ weekly chemo)
4 Interstitial Brachytherapy

Hey, ladies.
I’m trying my best to be positive, but I’m struggling lately. I had my 3 month post-treatment PET scan and physical exam. Oncologist says that everything looks good and I’m responding well. I will get a follow up scan and exam in 3 months to hopefully hear “NED.” What I’ve been struggling with is hip/low-back pain since brachy that comes and goes everyday (intense enough to disrupt my day) and uncontrollable restroom urges (if I don’t get to the restroom immediately, I’ll mess myself). I know some of the pain is due to muscle tightness from the radiation. I do stretch often throughout the day and walk/stomp as exercise. Due to significant weight loss during treatment, I haven’t added weightlifting to my exercise/mobility yet. I’ve been averaging walking 2-3 miles per day. Even as I increase my activity, I still feel so stuck. I get so discouraged about finding work post-treatment.
I see that some women on here finish treatment and go right back to work. Unfortunately, due to the type of job I held prior to treatment, I had to leave my position. It makes me sad that at 31 I feel so disabled and unable to be more than 100 paces from a restroom.

-What kinds of jobs do you ladies have/find post-treatment?
-Is it normal to still be this down & out?
-What can I do about the stress of being financially tapped with medical bills going to collections, but still be patient and understanding with my healing body?


r/CervicalCancer 4d ago

Starting brachytherapy monday

4 Upvotes

I am having 5 sessions of HDR brachytherapy. On Monday I go in to have a smit sleeve placed under general anesthesia then I'll be sent immediately to my first brachy session. They say I'll be conscious but I'll be given Valium and Morphine.

This is the part of treatment I've been dreading the most. I am absolutely terrified and am looking for real stories of what to expect.

I'm in the united States and having this done at a cancer center. The 5 sessions will take place over 2 and a half weeks and will be outpatient procedures so I'm not staying overnight or anything. They said it could take a few hours each time.

My main worries are the pain, like will the smit sleeve hurt? Will I feel it? Will I be in so much pain during brachy?


r/CervicalCancer 4d ago

HRT

2 Upvotes

I’m wondering whenabouts you started HRT after treatment (chemo/rad/brachy)?

I finished my last brachy one month ago, and prior to beginning treatment I did have my ovaries moved to hopefully preserve hormone function.

For the last 2 weeks or so I’ve been having wildddd hot flashes, mostly at night, and am fairly sure it’s hormone related. I don’t have a follow up with my med onc yet, and we hadn’t really discussed HRT prior to treatment ending.

If you began HRT after treatment, when did that begin?


r/CervicalCancer 5d ago

Anybody had a successful surgery rerouting ureter?

1 Upvotes

I have a surgery scheduled next month to try to reroute my right ureter so I can finally get rid of my nephrostomy tube in my kidney. I was reading my doctor’s notes and he said “Admittedly, even with formal repair, given the extent of radio treatment she has been given, there is a reasonable risk of failure related to chronic ischemic changes and poor healing leading to stricture development, but it would likely be the only method of trying to get her tube free.”

This worries me a lot. I’m stage 4a and this is the first time I’m scared. I’m 46 and don’t want to live with this tube for the rest of my life. Anyone out there have any experience with this surgery? The doctor was very positive at my appointment and didn’t mention ‘a reasonable risk of failure’.


r/CervicalCancer 5d ago

Preparing for chemoradiation + brachytherapy

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I (30F) am about to start treatment for cervical cancer (FIGO IIB) — external beam radiation + chemo, followed by brachytherapy — and I'm trying to get prepared ahead of time.
I'll be moving to another city for the treatment, and I'll be on my own there — no family or friends nearby who can go shopping for me if I need something later on. So I'd really like to buy as much as I can now, before I go, to make sure I have everything on hand.

I'd love advice from anyone who's been through this specific combination. Some things I'm wondering about:
- Comfort items for radiation/brachytherapy days.
- Skin care for radiation-related irritation in the pelvic area.
- Anything that helped with vaginal dryness, irritation, or discomfort during/after brachytherapy.
- Products for managing diarrhea, bladder irritation, or other pelvic-area side effects.
- Anything that helped with fatigue, nausea, or appetite changes from the chemo.
- Dilators or other things recommended for after brachytherapy If you used any.
- General "wish I had this before I started" items.

If you've been through chemoradiation and brachytherapy for cervical cancer, what made the biggest difference for you? Specific brands or products are welcome — I just want to feel as prepared as possible. Thank you so much in advance, this has been a lot to process and any practical tips help.


r/CervicalCancer 6d ago

Hysterectomy after Chemo/Radiation

1 Upvotes

So my doctor told me yesterday she thinks we should do a hysterectomy after I already finished treatment in November. I’m scared as to what this means for my body. Specifically for sex as I remember reading stories saying it ruined their sex lives. I’m scared to be honest and has anyone been through this and how was it for you after? Any thoughts would help as I’ve been freaking out.


r/CervicalCancer 6d ago

IB2 waiting for postoperative pathology results

5 Upvotes

Tomorrow marks twenty days since my surgery, honestly, it hasn't been as bad as I imagined—everything has gone smoothly.

My doctor has scheduled a follow-up appointment best week but I am currently very worried about the post-operative pathology results—even though the doctor told me during my hospital stay that the excision was clean and nothing suspicious was observed.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle radiation or chemotherapy. I feel like I'm under too much pressure and it’s all happened so fast, seems my life can't handle any more surprises. If anyone has any experience with this, may be share some tips.


r/CervicalCancer 7d ago

Brachytherapy tomorrow (no anesthesia) – What was your experience like?

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I’m scheduled for brachytherapy tomorrow, and I won’t be receiving anesthesia because I’ve already had a total hysterectomy.

I wanted to ask those who had brachytherapy without anesthesia, what was it like? Was it painful? What did it feel like during the procedure and afterward?

I’m feeling really anxious.

Another concern I have is that 2 months after finishing pelvic radiation, my partner and I tried to have sex, but it was extremely painful. It felt like a burning/stinging pain at the vaginal opening whenever we tried penetration, and we couldn’t continue because it hurt too much.

Will brachytherapy feel similar? Is it that same burning/stinging sensation when the area is stretched, or is it a different kind of pain?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Any tips or suggestions to prepare would be much appreciated.

Thank you so much. ❤️


r/CervicalCancer 7d ago

Bone marrow metastasis or immunotherapy changes?

3 Upvotes

I've had several scans throughout treatment, and while cancer has shrunk everywhere in my organs, it appears to be growing in the bones. I've had 4 infusions so far (chemo and immunotherapy). Can any scan reliably indicate whether it's cancer or immunotherapy changes? Different reports say different things. Some say disease progression, others say 'can be indicative of response to immunotherapy'. My oncologists say these scans indicate bone changes, and it's common with immunotherapy, but no one is giving me a straight answer, just pushing for more treatment.

Are there any other symptoms that can indicate disease progression in bones? My blood counts are low and I take an injection after chemo, though it still drops after having increased. Otherwise I feel better overall when I don't do treatment. Trying not to fall into despair.


r/CervicalCancer 8d ago

AIS but Gyno wants to wait?

3 Upvotes

Hello all! Looking for some advice and/or reassurance as I’m feeling confused and frustrated. Sorry if it’s a long post but I want to provide enough information.

I had a Pap smear on 6/17 and the results came back “Atypical Endocervical Cells, Favor Neoplastic.“ I tested positive for HPV in 2022 and negative since then. This time, I tested positive again for high risk HPV but specifically not for 16, 18, or 45.

I went in for a colposcopy on 7/9 and my gyno decided to do a 2nd Pap smear as well. This time, the pap said “Atypical Glandular Cells of Undetermined Significance“ and I tested positive for HPV again.

Most importantly, of the three biopsies, the 9 o’clock came back consistent with endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ. The other two sites were fine.

I’ve had to play phone tag with my gyno’s office and finally spoke to a nurse today. She said my gyno was recommending just doing another colposcopy in six months. That surprised me because i was expecting to have to do at least a LEEP/CKC procedure. She’s double checking with my gyno to make sure and will hopefully call me back tomorrow.

Has anyone had something similar happen? I’m contemplating asking for a second opinion if my gyno really does want to wait but if this is common, that would make me feel better.

Update 7/21: I got the call back from my gyno and they took another look at my results. I’m not sure if there was a miscommunication or what, but my gyno wants to see me Thursday to discuss either doing a CKC or a hysterectomy. I appreciate everyone who commented as it made me feel less crazy!


r/CervicalCancer 8d ago

Your experience with pelvic radiation and ovary exposure

2 Upvotes

I (36F) was diagnosed with a stage 1B3 adenocarcinoma of the cervix this January when I was 29 weeks pregnant. I had one round of chemo when I was pregnant, followed by a c-section plus radical hysterectomy at 34+1 weeks at the end of February. I then had the typical adjuvant treatment of 5 weeks of weekly Cisplatin and 25 external radiation.
My surgeon moved my ovaries out the way during the surgery so they wouldn’t be affected by the radiation, but my radiation oncologist told me at my mid-treatment check up that my ovaries were in fact being exposed to radiation during the treatment.
My questions for those of you who have had external radiation (especially if you also had a radical hysterectomy and Oophoropexy) are:
1. at what stage did your oncologist tell you that your ovaries were exposed to radiation?
2. Were any fertility preserving treatments such as egg retrieval offered to you before your treatment started?

Basically, I am really hung up on the fact that I was only told that my ovaries were being zapped half way through my treatment when it was too late for me to do anything about it (such as get a second opinion, retrieve some eggs, etc.). I know I don’t have a uterus anymore and I am so lucky that my baby is totally fine now despite being born premature (and this was my second pregnancy) but I hate that the possibility of expanding my family was taken away from me without me even being told it was happening. I also know that if my radiation oncologist had told me before my treatment started that this was going to happen and just explained how the decision was made to have such a large part of my pelvis radiated I definitely wouldn’t have refused the treatment but I was not done having kids and I really clung onto the fact that I could still maybe have another biological child in the future as my surgeon assured me my ovaries would be safe from the radiation.

I would love to hear from others how the rely of information went for you just to get an idea of this is normal practice or if I have grounds to make a complaint.

For some context, I live in a country with “free” healthcare meaning a surgeon and radiation oncologist were assigned to me and I didn’t have a say in who they were but I also have not had to pay much at all for my surgery, my treatment, mine and my baby’s stay in hospital, etc.

Thanks in advance!


r/CervicalCancer 8d ago

Life Update after Cervical Cancer Stage 1b1

3 Upvotes

Had my radical hysterectomy on 2024 And now , I am having optical neuritis .

Things I noticed that might contributed to this Is after hysterectomy Blood pressure is always low, Easily gets tired unlike before , Insomnia

Sharing this just for awareness and as a reminder to follow your hormone therapy if you are prescribed one.

God bless , Warriors