Is it fibroids or ovarian mass?

[waterwoman1952]

I am a 59 year old menopausal woman with a mass. When lying down I can feel the outline, it feels as though
it is the size of a canteloupe. Now my question is 2 weeks ago My GYN felt it and had me to return for a ultrasound. She stated she thought it was a ovarian mass and had me to take the ca125 test which showed no
signs of cancer. The symptoms I am having is large abdomen, fullness, and empting my bladder often. Her office
called to set up a MRI and the test was  $2,300 the receptionist asked me if I could put on my credit card. Ob-
viously everyone is not paying therefore I felt as though I am paying for others. I do want help, but with 2 teenagers
and not working that much I felt I could wait and do my own research. I have been on line hours reading and trying
to figure out do I have a fibroid or ovarian mass. I have no pain, and I exercise often so there is no weight gain. I
weigh 161 and I am black, and standing I am 5'7" tall. I am a beleiver in holistic medicine and rather than cut the darn thing out I would like to see if I can shrink it naturally. Somebody please help me, please


This discussion is related to symptoms from ovarian cyst or fibroids?.

[dian07]

Holistic medicine is great......I think it is wonderful.....but.... a cantaloupe size growth needs to be removed whether it is malignant or benign.  I didn't have an mri before surgery to remove a grapefruit size growth from my ovary.  The ultrasound made it clear I had something that didn't belong there......that's all I needed to know, and that's all my gyn/oncological surgeon needed to know.....that was six years ago.  
I am doing well, and hope you have the same results after moving ahead with your present situation.  I had no pain or real symptoms either.  I did have brief spotting after intercourse, however.  I knew something was up.
Please get in there and find out what is going on....get that growth out and get on with your life.
Take care and let us know how you are doing.
Peace.
dian  

[manneca]

I would be very careful. I know the MRI is expensive, but ovarian cancer if caught early is curable (the 5 year survival rate is over 95% at stage 1). My ovarian tumor was 7.5 pounds, I had gained about 10 pounds. My CA-125 was normal the entire time. It has never gone above 35. It is reliable only for certain kinds of ovarian cancer, and then primarily to make sure the treatment is working.

Have you thought about negotiating the price down? I assume you don't have health insurance that covers it. You might begin by asking for the same price as if you did have health insurance. (My costs are about 25-50% of what they would be without insurance and that's the total cost, not what I pay.)

I'm sorry you are dealing with this. Please be careful with your health. It may well be nothing serious, but I'd hate for you to take the chance and it be cancer.

[ireneo]

I don't know of any natural things you can take or do to reduce a growth that size. Some women who get frequent small ovarian cysts are put on birth control pills for a period of time to stop the cysts. But something the size of your growth can only be removed, not shrunk with diet or vitamins.

I had a cyst that was 7 cm and my doctor insisted on surgery. By the time surgery rolled around it had grown to 10 cm, the size of an orange. Obviously much smaller than yours. The problem with a mass that size is it could cause a blockage or put pressure on something and reduce the blood flow to that organ, ending up with dead tissue. All in all, it could get a  lot more complicated than just the lump.

I hope you'll find someone that can help you make the decision, will explain everything clearly and resolve this problem soon. Even fibroids can cause problems so don't let it go.

[kcd86]

I am sorry you have to go threw this it is very stressfull to have this hanging over your head. Keep in mind most cysts are benign!!  
My wife was recently Dx with granulosa Cell cancer( GCT) Jan 2010 and I know what it feels like to not know what the next step is. Here is a quick overview.

Tests like sonograms, Cat scans and MRI's along with blood tests like CA125, Inhibin A&B, MIS and CEA are just used as a guides for the Dr's to help assist in making a diagnoses(Dx).
The blood test CA-125 is a test used by Dr's as a guide to determine if you have the most common form of ovarian cancer, approximately 80% of all ovarian cancers are epitheal ovarian cancer which is cancer of the cells on the surface of your ovary. Please keep in mind that CA-125 can be elevated if your menstruating and some other causes of inflamation..
There are other types of ovarian cancer that are hormone driven and depending which form a person has there will be excess symptoms of that specific hormone. This is the type my wife was Dx with granulosa cell ca. These group type are called sex cord -stromal tumors. These type of tumors have specific markes that the Dr's use just like ca-125 to aide in their dx of epitheal ovarian ca. They are Inhibin A&B and MIS. Please keep in mind if and only if you have a dx of these form of tumors there is a missconception that these tumors are always benign, which is completely false> They are just slow growing tumors as opposed to epitheal.
Unfortunately with any type of suspected ovarian mass/tumor/ suspicious cyst(s) surgery will be the only way for the Dr's too make a definitive Dx.
*****It is NOT recommended to biopsy any ovarian mass/tumor/suspicious cyst as it can rupture and seed the pelvis with cancer cells if that what it turns out to be. **********
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Since there is some suspicion  I would immediately find a good GYN/Oncologist surgeon. I am not suggesting what you have is cancer but studies have shown that treatment of ovarian cancer by nongynecologic oncologists and by low volume surgeons is associated with suboptimal surgical management. I would reccomend going to a large tiertiary hopsital where they see large volumes of patients.  This is not to make you worry even more but to make sure that the Dr who treats you has vast experience with diagnosing and treating various types of GYN / Onc issues if that is what it turns out to be. If the Dr wants to remove the cyst/mass via laprascopic procedure #####PLEASE make sure they have much experience with removing these INTACT! All too often I read posts from patients who say their Dr thought it was a cyst and removed it haphazardly causing a rupture and seeding of the pelvis with cancer cells, only to be found on pathology post removal. ######
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Next: From experience I would be asking for an MRI of the abdomen/pelvis ,MRI's are very precise when read by a **Radiologist that specializes in GYN/ONC**, My wife went to a radiology practice that does all types of MRI's and the Radiologist read her MRI as a fibroid because they thought it was not attached to the ovary they call it a " pedunculated fibroid. I then took her to Sloan Kettering in NYC(specializes in cancer only) to see a GYN/ONC surgeon who had the MRI repeated by a GYN/ONC Radiologist who called her DX to the tee which was confirmed after surgery.
The best advice you see all over these posts is you have to be your own advocate, be aggresive and stay on top of your phycicians. Get copies of all your tests/results as you are entitled to them. Post with any other questions you have this site has some very knowledgeable people on it. I wish you all the best.
Kevin