Aa
scared to death...
I am looking for reassurance for sure but i am looking for the truth too. I am a disabled veteran with tons of my own problems many of them of the mental variety... The only thing i have on this planet that i care anything about is my fiancee. she is 31 in good health (or so we thought) she has been diagnosed with a "large ovarian complex cyst" the ultrasound tech seemed to panic a bit yesterday when she found it. it measures 10cm x 8cm. we were sent to her regular doctor today and that doctor sent her directly to an obgyn doctor who told us it looks suspicious. he then informed us that it will need to be removed but because of the fact that it has walls inside and nodules in it as well he doesn't feel comfortable with it being removed by our local hospital or surgeons and scheduled her an appointment at a cancer treatment hospital.. he said her abdomen is not full of free floating liquid which is good but when hard pressed (and trust me i can be pretty good at hard pressing especially when im scared... i don't like being scared much) he would not budge on a percentage of the likelihood of this being cancer. im not looking for people to blow smoke and i do understand that there are no 100 percent promises until its out and biopsied (i am crazy but crazy isn't stupid!). but what are we really looking at here? her symptoms include long term diarrhea, some bloating down there but not a lot no urination frequency issues. i just want to know what people here that have been through this think... i just buried the last of my close friends to lung cancer a month ago, my mom is gone i have no kids or family she is truly the only bright spot in my life and if i lose her frankly i may as well go with her.
Try to stay positive through this bump in the road. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your loved one. It sounds like there is still more questioning to be handled with the doctor. I go to a gny/onc. These surgeons specialize with ovarian cancer and the removal if needed. My "cyst" after total hysterectomy turned out to be a 20 cm x 20cm borderline tumor with micropapillary cells. These are cancer cells that develop invasive implants but are slow growing. I am watched very carefully q 3 months.
Ditto on HVAC's comments. If she does not have a genetic link for ovarian cancer, then the chance of this being cancer is VERY LOW at 1.4%. As a woman whose sex organs were removed unnecessarily for a complex ovarian cyst 9 years ago and having connected with many women with similar stories, your fiancee is at risk of losing her ovary or all of her sex organs unnecessarily.
Most ovarian cysts, even suspicious looking complex ones, are benign. Based on everything I have learned since being over-treated, it is critical to find the "right" surgeon to have the best possible chance of keeping all her organs if the cyst is benign. By "right" I mean a surgeon who has good cystectomy (cyst removal) skills and strong ethics to preserve the sex organs, not only for their importance for fertility but also their importance for life long health.
The ovaries produce hormones into a woman's 80's (just as the testicles do for a man) and are essential for every aspect of health. The uterus and uterine ligaments have anatomical (bladder and bowel placement and function) and skeletal (spine, hips, rib cage alignment) functions as well as sexual functions. Removal of any part (an ovary, the uterus, the tubes) can permanently disrupt normal functioning.
Gynecologic surgical consent forms are usually open-ended giving the surgeon discretion on what can be removed. Patients can only protect themselves from unnecessary removal of organs by specifically stating their wishes on the consent form and having the surgeon sign off on revisions.
Hysterectomy and ovary removal are two of the most overused surgeries in the U.S. with only 2% done for a cancer diagnosis.
Best of luck in getting good treatment. And I hope the cyst is benign!
Most ovarian cysts, even suspicious looking complex ones, are benign. Based on everything I have learned since being over-treated, it is critical to find the "right" surgeon to have the best possible chance of keeping all her organs if the cyst is benign. By "right" I mean a surgeon who has good cystectomy (cyst removal) skills and strong ethics to preserve the sex organs, not only for their importance for fertility but also their importance for life long health.
The ovaries produce hormones into a woman's 80's (just as the testicles do for a man) and are essential for every aspect of health. The uterus and uterine ligaments have anatomical (bladder and bowel placement and function) and skeletal (spine, hips, rib cage alignment) functions as well as sexual functions. Removal of any part (an ovary, the uterus, the tubes) can permanently disrupt normal functioning.
Gynecologic surgical consent forms are usually open-ended giving the surgeon discretion on what can be removed. Patients can only protect themselves from unnecessary removal of organs by specifically stating their wishes on the consent form and having the surgeon sign off on revisions.
Hysterectomy and ovary removal are two of the most overused surgeries in the U.S. with only 2% done for a cancer diagnosis.
Best of luck in getting good treatment. And I hope the cyst is benign!
If she does not have the BRCA 1 mutation is a 1.4% chance it is cancer. They send women with complex, large cysts to oncologist because they are better at getting them out. Many large cysts are not cancerous. There are very few symptoms for Ovarian cancer. I threw up and lost weight.
I would not worry about cancer just yet. Because ovarian cancer is over looked doctors are overly cautious.
If worse case scenario it is cancer life is not over. I have it and live a normal happy life. Each case of cancer is different. If they get it early it can be treated and it can go away. Mine was found late. I had an ultrasound and I was in surgery in 5 days. I had cancer in 14 places now I have it in one because of treatment. I have friends with all kinds of cancer and I feel lucky to have ovarian. I have been in chemo for years and my only symptom now is I get tired.
No one knows what life holds. Many cancer scares are just that scares. You have to take it one step at a time.
The oncologist is the one to listen to.
Alex
I would not worry about cancer just yet. Because ovarian cancer is over looked doctors are overly cautious.
If worse case scenario it is cancer life is not over. I have it and live a normal happy life. Each case of cancer is different. If they get it early it can be treated and it can go away. Mine was found late. I had an ultrasound and I was in surgery in 5 days. I had cancer in 14 places now I have it in one because of treatment. I have friends with all kinds of cancer and I feel lucky to have ovarian. I have been in chemo for years and my only symptom now is I get tired.
No one knows what life holds. Many cancer scares are just that scares. You have to take it one step at a time.
The oncologist is the one to listen to.
Alex
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