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Can endometriomas have cancer?
I went to the Gyn/onc yesterday. He said the Radiologist believed that I had a endometrioma, based on his viewing of the ultrasound. Immediately the Dr. asked if I wanted more children (I'm 31 yrs old). We have been currently trying to concieve. The suspected endometrimoa is 6-7cm in size. I told the gyn/onc, "lets just remove it", of course along with my ovary. He said well that's what I would usually do, but your other ovary is having issues as well (other simple cysts and a smaller complex cyst) He said that he can't be 100% sure that its benin unless he takes it out, but most likely it is fine. He said that we could try to concieve for the next three months, and have another u/s at the end of that time, and take it from there, or he could take a scope and biopsy a little peice of it? (can he do that without spilling it?) If its non cancerous leave it in there until we get pg, and monitor it during the pregnancy, maybe remove it during the second trimester if needed. He was very hesitant about removing my ovary unless it was very necessary basically because the other ovary doesn't look so good either. I have no history of endometriosis, but in the last six months my periods have been heavy, clotty, spotting in the middle of my cycle. I also should add that I found out I have low thyroid which I'm medication for now. Thanks for letting me think out loud. Not sure what I'm going to do.
I was diagnosed several years ago w/ endometriomas ~ I thought I was losing a kidney (debilitating wicked pain 24-7-365).
Since I am uninsured, I was only able to afford one ultrasound to confirm. The ob/gyn wanted me to take another US and then cauterize w/o removal of the ovary. Again, didn't (and still do not) have the money for that. I have never wanted to be on BCP, ever, but she prescribed Yaz (now I really worry about losing a kidney ~ it can cause too much potassium and permanently damage your kidneys).
At least my non-functioning days have dwindled from 250 to maybe 12-20 days a year (which still seems like too many) when I am still uninsured and taking care of my elderly parents full time.
The pain is starting to creep up again, maybe the Yaz is no longer making my chocolate ovary behave. I see the doc in less than 3 months; I will inform her of the pain.
Anytime I have lower back pain, I have to just be still ~ I'm afraid I'll pop the darn thing ~ what a horrible internal mess that would be ~ Can you die from that?
I've "heard" your organs will meld together with the tarry material (acts like glue) and then the effected organs may no longer work properly.
Since I am uninsured, I was only able to afford one ultrasound to confirm. The ob/gyn wanted me to take another US and then cauterize w/o removal of the ovary. Again, didn't (and still do not) have the money for that. I have never wanted to be on BCP, ever, but she prescribed Yaz (now I really worry about losing a kidney ~ it can cause too much potassium and permanently damage your kidneys).
At least my non-functioning days have dwindled from 250 to maybe 12-20 days a year (which still seems like too many) when I am still uninsured and taking care of my elderly parents full time.
The pain is starting to creep up again, maybe the Yaz is no longer making my chocolate ovary behave. I see the doc in less than 3 months; I will inform her of the pain.
Anytime I have lower back pain, I have to just be still ~ I'm afraid I'll pop the darn thing ~ what a horrible internal mess that would be ~ Can you die from that?
I've "heard" your organs will meld together with the tarry material (acts like glue) and then the effected organs may no longer work properly.
Gosh, I almost missed your question. Since Medhelp has expanded, I spend more time over on the Hysterectomy site, but I started here years ago and will always feel at home on this forum.
I will send you a message and let's see if someone on another forum may have an answer for you. Even though I had Endometriosis, I am not terribly familiar with it, but we'll see if there is some help out there.
Sometimes these older threads (origional thread was from a few years ago) get missed, but I know they pop up easily when people are looking for infomation. May I suggest starting a new thread on the Ovarian Cyst forum for starters?
As I said, I will send you a message... I have some thoughts on this.
Take care, Mary
I will send you a message and let's see if someone on another forum may have an answer for you. Even though I had Endometriosis, I am not terribly familiar with it, but we'll see if there is some help out there.
Sometimes these older threads (origional thread was from a few years ago) get missed, but I know they pop up easily when people are looking for infomation. May I suggest starting a new thread on the Ovarian Cyst forum for starters?
As I said, I will send you a message... I have some thoughts on this.
Take care, Mary
I've been reading over these threads and thought maybe someone has some insight as to my situation. I'm 31 years old, have one little boy, have had 2 laporoscopies last year due to endometriosis and just went under the knife again yesterday. The reason was that I found a lump or mass in my left abdomen, fairly close to the surface. My gyn sent me to an oncologist for a 2nd opinion. He believed it to be an endometrioma because it was very near my c-section scar. I've not heard of any endometriomas this close to the surface. Of course they are going to biopsy it, but it's still early and would like to hear someone else's opnion.
-Tanya47
-Tanya47
I just wanted to say thank you for all the information and advice you all have given me. I'm very grateful.
I did not have a chance to read that article yet. But I find it very interesting to read your comments about magnesium. About 15 years ago, when I lived elsewhere and was treated by another gyn, I mentioned to her that I believed there was a specific time of my monthly cycle when I craved chocolate, and asked her if I was imagining this effect or not. As soon as I asked, she replied that she found my question very interesting, as she had read an article which detailed a study regarding women and trace mineral supplements. She elaborated that the study indicated that when a woman can correlate a time in her monthly cycle to repeated chocolate cravings, then it was likely the woman was deficient in magnesium. She recommended that I take a daily vitamin supplement that contained magnesium. The cravings ended.
I cannot correlate my personal leg cramp history with progesterone or estrogen dominance issues, but I do know that having a proper balance of progesterone makes a tremendous difference in my feelings of well-being, my ability to handle stress, and my ability to sleep restfully at night. Yes, we are indeed finely tuned machines!
I cannot correlate my personal leg cramp history with progesterone or estrogen dominance issues, but I do know that having a proper balance of progesterone makes a tremendous difference in my feelings of well-being, my ability to handle stress, and my ability to sleep restfully at night. Yes, we are indeed finely tuned machines!
Mary53 is right. But be advised that hormone supplementation might not be the answer or solution for everyone. Testing had shown my doctor and I that I had estrogen dominance, so I was taking a bioidentical progesterone; I had been taking it for several years when I developed my endometrioma. What luck!
Lissy,
I was looking up some information about your situation. I think it especially caught my eye when you mentioned the recent problem you are having with thyroid. I have heard for years that a deficiency in our own progesterone that is produced when we ovulate can be a factor in endometriosis. And, I know, especially in my own situation that thyroid can become more problematic when levels of natural progesterone are low. I have no naturally producing progesterone since I underwent a radical hysterectomy six years ago, so I supplement that with a prescription of bioidentical progesterone. I need to increase my dose since the low measure of the hormone has had an adverse effect on the treatment for my thyroid. There is more to that in my case, but as far as the progesterone goes, I know it is a factor.
Anyway...I googled the words bioidentical progesterone and endometriosis (I tried to google endometrioma, but the powers that run google changed it to endometriosis)...and I found a great article that I wanted to steer you to. It may not offer the exact help you are looking for, but it was the best explaination of just what endometriosis is and how it is caused and how it can be helped. It was the third "Hit" down on the page and I hit the "cached" thing so that the words I googled would be highlighted. The article is by Carolyn Dean. Hope you find it helpful. The first two websites that showed up were good, too, but some of the words were cut off...and, again, I just really liked the Dean article.
I was wondering if there is a concern that you might not be ovulating every month? You mentioned that you were trying to conceive. I am not a doctor...so, this is just a thought, but I thought it was important that I mention it. When you don't ovulate, you can get such an excess of estrogen you can end up with "estrogen dominance" and that can create havoc inside your body. When we were trying to conceive a second child, I found out that I was not always ovulating after there was concern that I was having a miscarriage...excessive bleeding that when biopsied showed that I had not even ovulated. And, in retrospect, I was in estrogen dominance. I had many of the symptoms.
Well, you have been on my mind for a few days since I read your post. I hope you get some answers. I know that this is not easy to go through. Keep being an advocate for youself as it sounds like you are!
Take care...Mary
bioidentical progesterone and endometriosis
I was looking up some information about your situation. I think it especially caught my eye when you mentioned the recent problem you are having with thyroid. I have heard for years that a deficiency in our own progesterone that is produced when we ovulate can be a factor in endometriosis. And, I know, especially in my own situation that thyroid can become more problematic when levels of natural progesterone are low. I have no naturally producing progesterone since I underwent a radical hysterectomy six years ago, so I supplement that with a prescription of bioidentical progesterone. I need to increase my dose since the low measure of the hormone has had an adverse effect on the treatment for my thyroid. There is more to that in my case, but as far as the progesterone goes, I know it is a factor.
Anyway...I googled the words bioidentical progesterone and endometriosis (I tried to google endometrioma, but the powers that run google changed it to endometriosis)...and I found a great article that I wanted to steer you to. It may not offer the exact help you are looking for, but it was the best explaination of just what endometriosis is and how it is caused and how it can be helped. It was the third "Hit" down on the page and I hit the "cached" thing so that the words I googled would be highlighted. The article is by Carolyn Dean. Hope you find it helpful. The first two websites that showed up were good, too, but some of the words were cut off...and, again, I just really liked the Dean article.
I was wondering if there is a concern that you might not be ovulating every month? You mentioned that you were trying to conceive. I am not a doctor...so, this is just a thought, but I thought it was important that I mention it. When you don't ovulate, you can get such an excess of estrogen you can end up with "estrogen dominance" and that can create havoc inside your body. When we were trying to conceive a second child, I found out that I was not always ovulating after there was concern that I was having a miscarriage...excessive bleeding that when biopsied showed that I had not even ovulated. And, in retrospect, I was in estrogen dominance. I had many of the symptoms.
Well, you have been on my mind for a few days since I read your post. I hope you get some answers. I know that this is not easy to go through. Keep being an advocate for youself as it sounds like you are!
Take care...Mary
bioidentical progesterone and endometriosis
Wow...you now have the honors in my book of being a mind reader!!! Seriously, I was hoping you would put in your two cents on this. I know that you have done a lot of research on estrogen dominance, and progesterone, etc...So, thank you. Don't know if you had a chance to see the article that I mentioned, but they do list other things to do to try to avoid endometriosis..or perhaps it was a list of other possible causes. I beg forgiveness since I would have to read the article over again, but it was interesting none-the-less.
Again, I was so glad you added to the thread...oh, and I wanted to thank you too for the advice on extra calcium regarding leg cramps. I just found out thanks to the saliva/blood test (that I did for the hormones and thyroid), that I am very low (STILL!!!) on progesterone. Whenever I start getting the leg cramps I add a little more progesterone and get relief, but I also add the calcium (since before the testing I was not certain where my progesterone level was) so for a while, I relied heavily on the calcium and it did bring relief. The calcium and the progesterone together really helps. I have been taking magnesium since my surgery. In my case, it helps balance the calcium and adds to the density of bone. Interestingly, in the article I mentioned, the doctor spoke of magnesium deficiencies and endometriosis.
Finely tuned machines, these bodies of ours!
Take care, Mary
Again, I was so glad you added to the thread...oh, and I wanted to thank you too for the advice on extra calcium regarding leg cramps. I just found out thanks to the saliva/blood test (that I did for the hormones and thyroid), that I am very low (STILL!!!) on progesterone. Whenever I start getting the leg cramps I add a little more progesterone and get relief, but I also add the calcium (since before the testing I was not certain where my progesterone level was) so for a while, I relied heavily on the calcium and it did bring relief. The calcium and the progesterone together really helps. I have been taking magnesium since my surgery. In my case, it helps balance the calcium and adds to the density of bone. Interestingly, in the article I mentioned, the doctor spoke of magnesium deficiencies and endometriosis.
Finely tuned machines, these bodies of ours!
Take care, Mary
Also it sounds like they grow quickly which is worrisome, I don't want it to get so big that I need to have a hyster. In April it was 4cm now at the end of August it is 6cm. I'm also going to research some alternative treatments.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. My Dr. is a gyn/oncologist. I think I'll make an appointment with a infertility specialist. Thats good to know that the percentage of endometriomas being cancer is rare if that is indeed the type of cyst I have.
Is your doctor a fertility specialist, or a gyn working in a fertility clinic? If not, then my suggestion is to have an appointment and consultation with a specialist. Then, if you, your significant other, and your doctor decide that surgery is in your best interest, then I also recommend having a gyn surgeon with oncology surgery experience perform the surgery. We only get one chance to do these things right that first time.
The simple answer to your question, however, is yes. It is a rare complication, but endometriomas can be found malignant in a small percentage of cases. I recall reading a report from Europe while researching prior to my own surgery in 2004; the report indicated a slightly increased chance of cancer in left ovarian endometriomas. I had an endometrioma, ovary, and fallopian tube removed in my surgery. Like you, I had never had symptoms indicating that I have endometriosis, but we learned during surgery that I do. When my symptoms triggered a visit with my doctor, an ultrasound showed the mass to be about 6 cm. By the time of my surgery a few weeks later, it had more than doubled in size. Endometriomas can be fast growing.
The simple answer to your question, however, is yes. It is a rare complication, but endometriomas can be found malignant in a small percentage of cases. I recall reading a report from Europe while researching prior to my own surgery in 2004; the report indicated a slightly increased chance of cancer in left ovarian endometriomas. I had an endometrioma, ovary, and fallopian tube removed in my surgery. Like you, I had never had symptoms indicating that I have endometriosis, but we learned during surgery that I do. When my symptoms triggered a visit with my doctor, an ultrasound showed the mass to be about 6 cm. By the time of my surgery a few weeks later, it had more than doubled in size. Endometriomas can be fast growing.
Your situation sounds VERY SIMILAR to mine.
I am 32 and just had a laparotomy to remove my cantaloupe sized endometrioma and right ovary& tube, uterus, cervix, and part of left tube. BUT we didnt' know it was an endometrioma until the dr. removed it and biopsied it. Everything was benign.
I had never been told I had endometreosis, but than again - I just dealt with my abnormal periods and never asked for help.
All of this to say: get more info from your dr. I was told and have read (again and again) that any "complex cyst" over 5 or 6 cm should be removed and biopsied. Removed b/c it can rupture or torsion can occur and biopsied b/c they just don't know until they biopsy it if it is malignant or not (no worries - 99% are benign). how was your cyst discovered? Did you go in b/c of your symptoms and he felt it and then did the ultrasound or was it found on a routine exam?
Knowledge is your best tool. Don't be afraid to drill your dr. with questions - its your body and your life. You should only make informed decisions. I have found that the people on this site are extremely helpful and I got more info here than a lot of other places (b/c the women have been through it and/or are going through it).
I have heard of a lot of women who get cysts removed while pregnant...although I don't know much about the risks, etc. I do know that if have a large complex cyst - you should be careful with having sex - b/c you don't want to rupture the cyst. I was having symptoms for months b/f i finally saw the dr. By the time I saw the dr. - mine was softball sized and i was told to not have sex or do ANYTHING at all to minimize risk of rupture. By the time I got into surgery (a little over a week after the diagnosis) - my cyst had grown to cantaloupe size.
Everyone's case is different. The best thing I think you can do - is drill that Dr for answers - arm yourself with information and be decisive.
Good luck to you and don't be afraid to ask quesitons on this site - we all want to help!
Laura
I am 32 and just had a laparotomy to remove my cantaloupe sized endometrioma and right ovary& tube, uterus, cervix, and part of left tube. BUT we didnt' know it was an endometrioma until the dr. removed it and biopsied it. Everything was benign.
I had never been told I had endometreosis, but than again - I just dealt with my abnormal periods and never asked for help.
All of this to say: get more info from your dr. I was told and have read (again and again) that any "complex cyst" over 5 or 6 cm should be removed and biopsied. Removed b/c it can rupture or torsion can occur and biopsied b/c they just don't know until they biopsy it if it is malignant or not (no worries - 99% are benign). how was your cyst discovered? Did you go in b/c of your symptoms and he felt it and then did the ultrasound or was it found on a routine exam?
Knowledge is your best tool. Don't be afraid to drill your dr. with questions - its your body and your life. You should only make informed decisions. I have found that the people on this site are extremely helpful and I got more info here than a lot of other places (b/c the women have been through it and/or are going through it).
I have heard of a lot of women who get cysts removed while pregnant...although I don't know much about the risks, etc. I do know that if have a large complex cyst - you should be careful with having sex - b/c you don't want to rupture the cyst. I was having symptoms for months b/f i finally saw the dr. By the time I saw the dr. - mine was softball sized and i was told to not have sex or do ANYTHING at all to minimize risk of rupture. By the time I got into surgery (a little over a week after the diagnosis) - my cyst had grown to cantaloupe size.
Everyone's case is different. The best thing I think you can do - is drill that Dr for answers - arm yourself with information and be decisive.
Good luck to you and don't be afraid to ask quesitons on this site - we all want to help!
Laura
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