what is adnexa?

[n2prayer]

I have had a hyst last sept and I have had pain in my R side when I lay or stand up but thought nothing of it.  I went to gyn for hormone check, I still have ovaries.  She did Trans Vag u/s and they found something.  I looked at the screen and it said 12cm adnexa...I also saw blue and red on the picture.  The doctor said she is not sure what it is but maybe the fallopian tube is full of fluid.  She is doing a CT and a CA125.  What does all this mean??  Is this adnexa the same as Ovary?  I was in a state of shock...not because of this mass but because the word surgery was mentioned..I am just now feeling better from the last one!  I was in a daze all day and then I came home and started looking things up and now I am more confused.  Has anyone ever heard of a fallopian tube filling up with fluid after a hysterectomy?

[chelan2]

Hi when I had an u/s that showed a complex cyst even though the dr went through the report with me I asked for a copy of the report so I could see it myself.  My report mentioned that my cyst was "in the adnexal" which is a region higher up in the pelvic area.  My cyst actually had grown into my fallipion tube, which they didn't discoverer until they did surgery it actually prompted them to do a full laparotomy instead of just a laproscopy.

The dr has ordered a CA125 likely to see if there is a concern for ovarian cancer.  The CA125 does not tell you if you if you have ovarian cancer but can tell the dr if there is further investigation warranted.  Normal values are in the range of 0-35 but elevated #'s can also be from other illnesses such as endometrosis, IBS, infections.  

You should not be afraid to ask questions, even specific ones of your dr and they should be able to give you some information.  If there is any concern that this may be ovarian cancer you'll want to see a gyn-oncologist who specialize in gyn cancers and particularily if you are recommended for surgery you SHOULD have a gyn-onc do the surgery and not a regular gyn.



Take care.

Chelan

[n2prayer]

How did your Pathology report turn out?  was it malignant or benign?

[chelan2]

My cyst ended up being a Stage 1 LMP (Low Malignant Potential) ovarian cancer which is considered to be a cancer but behaves benign - meaning it has a very low chance of spreading or coming back.  My CA125 was 66 prior to surgery.  All my drs didn't think that my complex cyst was ovarian cancer - even when they opened me up and looked - they still thought it was not ovarian cancer.  I had asked for a frozen section pathology - where they do pathology while you're on the operating table.  The docs even closed me up before they got the results because they were "certain" it wasn't cancer.  It just goes to show that they really don't know until they get the pathology back.  My dr says my type is very rare and he has seen only 5 other patients in his 20+ yrs. with it.  I still have regular follow-ups which are important and have had no problems since my surgery in 2002.  In 2003 I opted for a TAH and requested they do staging (take a good look around) to confirm that there was no cancer around, since proper staging was not performed the first time around.  

The most important thing to remember is that most cysts are not cancerous and that even if your CA125 is elevated it may not be cancer.  Also, I emphasized this before but please make sure a gyn-onc is consulted if surgery is suggested and make sure a gyn-onc performs the surgery if there is any chance of it being cancer.



Chelan

[n2prayer]

what is confusing is the doctor did not even mention the word "cyst" she just said there is something there.  She mentioned that it could be my fallopian tube filled with fluid...she seemed baffled at what it could be.  I then remembered on my way out from the appt. that right after my hysterectomy that I had a huge hematoma under my incision...I was not physically black and blue it was a huge mass under my belly and when I turned side ways you could actually see it slide around...it was over a foot long!!!  I had two cat scans done everything checked out ok and they said it would disolve.  She is wondering if maybe part of that clot did'nt "wall itself off" I felt so stupid and was so foggy in my thinking...I was so shocked and unexpecting!  All I know is it is painful in my hip area esp. when I get up from sitting...ouch it hurts!

[madog]

the first signs of my ovarian cancer was the pain that would come and go on my right side, for about 7 yeas that doctors sluffed it off and said it was nothing. they didn't even talk to me about ovarian cancer. i thought, like many women, that my yearly tests were checking everything. well, was i wrong! last october i was having sharp pains when having sex with my boyfriend. then in november around thanksgiving i started being very constipated, and bloating in my abdomen. i went on a cleanse thinking this would help. by the end of december i was having sharp pains on my right side and my intestines, and bloated like i was 2-3 months pregnant. i placed myself into the emergency room - 3 times before doctors admitted me into the hospital. finally, after one week of testing they found cancer in my abdominal fluids and diagnosed me with ovarian cancer. WOMEN YOU NEED TO HAVE AN MRI, THE CA-125 TEST, TRANS- VAGINAL ULTRASOUND, AND BIOPSY, AND RIGHT AWAY!!! DON'T ASK YOUR DOCTOR NICELY, TELL HIM OR HER EMPHATICALLY "I WANT THESE TESTS NOW!!! with ovarian cancer there isn't stage 1&2 - they can only catch it at stage 3-4 without these tests!!!

right now i am going in for my second surgery at mayo clinic. with the first surgery, the doctor didn't give me a full hysterectomy and that was the first question the doctor at mayo asked me "why didn't the first surgeon give you a full hysterectomy." i couldn't answer him. oddly enough, my ovaries are fine but the cancer has encased my my uterus, vagina, bladder and colon. i have been on chemo for 4 sessions and my CA-125 went from 144 (high) to 17 (normal)
i am very happy for that. next wednesday i am meeting with the new surgeon at mayo and having another MRI to review against the old (before surgery).

but what am i to do now. is there anyone out there that is going through what i am going through???  

[101311]

I too have stage 3 ovarian cancer.  I just finished the 6 cycles of chemo that involve using a parintneal port in your stomach.  That was 2 months ago and now I have begun to swell in the stomach and chest