could my girlfriend have ovarian cancer?

[concernedboyfriend1]

Hello, I am concerned for my girlfriend, she has large ovarian cysts and her family has a history of cancer. Her mother had ovarian cancer that started out as cysts, she had to have a full "removal" of parts. My girlfriend is constantly stating she has sharp shooting cramps in her ovaries, she can feel them go to her stomache and back. She is only 19, and refuses to go to the doctors because she is afraid to be told she needs surgery, she thinks any surgery will make her infertile. So 1) are these any signs of cancer? and 2) will surgery make her infertile? she has also been on b.c. for about a year, to control the pain of the cysts

[AnnieBrooke]

I believe I have read that ovarian cancer is almost symptomless until later in the disease, and then the symptoms are things like a bloated stomach.  Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled pockets in space left in the ovary where the egg has popped out, and they do hurt like heck.  Not the same set of symptoms as cancer.  The surgery for cysts (if it is even done, a lot of time the doctor will not do anything besides put the woman on the pill) is to draw out the fluid from the cyst, often just with a needle.  It will not make her infertile.  The cyst is not the ovary.