Uterine Cancer Wisdom from Fran Drescher: Ask about a Trans-vaginal Ultrasound

Her Experience with Uterine (Endometrial) Cancer

Although Fran Drescher is best known as the actress from television's hit show "Nanny", I remember Fran from the movie Hollywood Knights in 1980, the first "R-rated" movie I ever saw (we had just had just had cable TV installed with HBO!). She has become a huge advocate for women's health issues and has the voice to make a difference.

Fran's Health Story

• Fran was living with symptoms of Uterine (also known as Endometrial) Cancer for more than two years, visiting more than eight doctors without a diagnosis.  By the time she was finally properly diagnosed, the cancer had advanced so far that she had to have a radical hysterectomy.
• She has spent the past the six years sharing her important wisdom from personal experience with this devastating cancer.She wrote a book about her experience and did a few blog postings on Yahoo's Blog for Hope.

What Worked

• Emergency surgery was still able to catch it at Stage 1 and she didn't have to have radiation or chemotherapy. She has been given a clean bill of health.

What Didn't Work

• The cancer had advanced so far that she had to have a radical hysterectomy.
• In her blog post, she said "I had staining between periods and cramping after sex, which is actually pretty classic for uterine cancer. But every doctor I went to thought I was perimenopausal, because nothing showed up on my ultrasounds, pelvic exams or blood tests."

What She Would Do Differently Next Time

• Insist on asking her doctor for a trans-vaginal ultrasound. Responding to the controversy that it is not cost effective due to the multitude of benign conditions that constantly appear and dissolve in a woman's reproductive organs, Fran states, "I would rather be told that there is a cyst on my ovary that should be watched then be told nothing at all."

The Test to Ask About

• The trans-vaginal ultrasound. She explains "this imaging test is like putting a set of eyes on the fingers of the doctor giving the manual pelvic. It has a much greater facility to determine the presence of abnormalities and should become a standard diagnostic tool."

Books

• Fran wrote a book on her experience called "Cancer Schmancer".

Articles

• "Five Tests Worth Paying For: Health Insurance Usually Won't Cover Them, But These Tests May Very Well Save Your Life" in the Wall Street Journal
  

Websites

• Johannaslaw.org: She is a big supporter of an education-based bill (HR 1245) targeted at both women and doctors to recognize the early warning symptoms for gynecologic cancer and the tests that are available. 

Going to the Doctor

• Fran listed 15 great wisdom nuggets about going to the doctor, during last years "Blog for Hope" on Yahoo. I'm including a few of the more interesting nuggets below but click here to see the complete list:
  
  • #6. If you are getting a second opinion, or being referred to a specialist, get involved in the transport of your previous test results. Imaging tests come on disc, or film or are digitized and I recommend you pick them up from one place and hand deliver them to the other. The less middle men involved the less opportunity for screw ups. Also have copies of all lab work results and doctor evaluations as well.
  • #7. Prepare a list of questions that you or your loved ones want the doctor to answer. Don't expect to remember everything, you won't, so start your medical "grocery" list immediately and add to it as you think of the questions.
  • #13. Whenever going for a second opinion, and I believe this is an absolute must, go outside of your doctors hospital to get a totally objective opinion . BTW the idea of insulting or upsetting you primary physician is B.S. Any worthwhile doctor will expect it and regardless, it's you body, your health, your life so do it!
  • #14. If you are diagnosed with cancer, your research must be extremely diligent. The internet will point you towards the medical leaders in the field of your particular disease. The same names will come up again and again in research studies and medical reports. These are the doctors you should be talking to. Call any and every important and powerful person you know or know someone who knows. We are all six degrees of separation from someone who can help you get through to a hard to get to specialist.

Help others by posting feedback and sharing your health wisdom in the comments below.