What if it IS a cancerous cyst?

Hi, everyone.

I asked two different nurses this question (as I didn't get a chance to ask my ObGyn before she left) and they both gave me two different answers. So I'm wondering if any of you know which is true and which isn't...or if they meet somewhere inbetween. I'm sorry if this question is stupid to ask. I have a huge football sized fluid filled cyst inside of me that's making me a tad crazy!

Basically, I'm wondering *what if* this cyst inside of me IS cancerous? I'm going to be having open surgery to have it removed, and I know in some cases they can tell you right after if it was cancerous, and then in other cases, you have to wait a few weeks to find out. But, if the cyst is cancerous, does that mean that only the cyst was cancerous...or does that mean I have cancer in my body now? I guess maybe the similarity may lie with something like having melanoma, if caught at an early stage, can just be cut out. But if allowed to grow, can infect your whole body.

All my tests came back normal...but yeah, we all know how accurate those are, lol.

[MarieMichele]

It's highly likely that a very large cyst that is fluid filled is benign.  The cysts more likely to have cancer are irregular in shape/structure and show some solid characteristics on ultrasound.  Nobody likes the huge fluid filled cysts either because all that mass could be hiding features I just described (although it's rare).

Ovarian cancer is categorized into a number of stages.  The best stage has it all contained within the cyst and when it is removed, all the risk and danger is removed, too, with no follow up treatment or chemo required. The other stages are varying degrees of cancer invasion to the exterior of the cyst and other parts of the body.  Then there are "borderline" results which then have to be further categorized so that some kind of treatment plan can be developed, sometimes chemo, sometimes more surgery to prevent reoccurrence, sometimes just a schedule of follow up exams, depending on what rating is assigned to the condition.

That is why more urgency is recommended to remove cysts that are suspicious, not going away, causing symptoms, or are big enough to hide something.  Faster action improves your odds of catching and removing a problem that is so sneaky even a doctor cannot tell it is there until it is removed and tested.  Unfortunately, this fear is going to stay with you to some degree until the surgery is behind you.

The ladies on the ovarian cancer community can answer your "what if" questions much better than any of us here.  Why not start a thread there asking if any of them were diagnosed with a fluid filled cyst that later tested positive for cancer.  I'm hoping none, but I really don't know for sure.  Although, fair warning, going there could just make you more crazy with worry. That forum has the women who did get a bad diagnosis and it will seem like it is a much more common disease than it really is.  It is still  considered to be quite RARE and the odds are still in your favor.  You are very YOUNG and that is also in your favor.

Do you have a scheduled date yet for surgery?  If so, let us know so we can send up a few prayers for you for a good outcome.  Treat the normal test results as a good sign.  Highly elevated results would be much worse news and you don't have that hanging over your head.  I'm thinking positive thoughts for you!

[toumie]

Thank you so much, MarieMichele, for taking the time to reply and for your wisdom on the matter. I know that I'm still young and the odds are likely on my side, and that I shouldn't eat myself alive over this. But it's hard not to, you know? Some days the anxiety is worse than others, lol.

The surgery still hasn't been scheduled. They haven't called me yet either. So I'm assuming it didn't look very severe to them, other than the size of it. The pain hasn't been bad lately either, just mostly my back, so I'm handling it okay so far.

Yeah...I thought about going over to the Ovarian Cancer section of the forum, but I decided against it. I'm naturally a very nervous person and possibly a hypocondriac, lol. So I don't want to freak myself out anymore than I already am.

Thank you again for well wishes!

[TrudieC]

Great advice from MarieMichele.  I sure hope you can get an early surgery.  It is nerve wracking living with the pain and the worry.