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8 cm cyst, AC125 level is 74
I have an 8 cm complex cyst in my left ovary. I'm having surgery next week to remove it. However, the doc called today to say my AC125 came back as 74 - which apparently is slightly high. So now he wants to remove the whole ovary while trying to keep the cyst in tack, and then send it all to the pathologist to test for cancer.
Does 74 seem high? I'm 38, and a healthy - person besides the pain this cyst has caused me. I've never been pregnant (due to my husband) and am not on BC pills.
Does 74 seem high? I'm 38, and a healthy - person besides the pain this cyst has caused me. I've never been pregnant (due to my husband) and am not on BC pills.
Did it feel like you had diaphragm spams? Like your wind was knocked out of you? If so you need to tell who ever is looking at at your CA 125 you might have diaphragm involvement. It may be nothing or it might be a piece of the puzzle.
Alex
Alex
Sorry to hear about the complications. Did you only spend 1 or 2 nights in the hospital? I am sorry they also took your uterus. My situation was similar but they took all my parts even though the ovarian cyst was benign and there was nothing else wrong. I also had cysts on my kidneys and liver but they did not remove those. What type of hysterectomy did they do - da Vinci, laparoscopic, abdominal?
... I spent yesterday / last night in the ER, because I felt I couldn't breath. I was very confused and my oxygen intake was low. The medications were so strong that I was breathing very shallow.
At the hospital they did a chest xray, EKG, heart ultrasound, and a CT Scan. I only have one kidney (I was a donor 13 years ago) so the contrast dye in the CT scan is a risk to me... so I weighed my options and went forward. They were looking for blood clots in my lungs. Thankfully I didn't have any.
I had/have minimal atelectasis (bottom of my lungs were deflated). So they changed my meds and now I'm doing breathing exercises. This morning I feel more alert and am focusing on deep breathes. But I'm exhausted... in every way.
At the hospital they did a chest xray, EKG, heart ultrasound, and a CT Scan. I only have one kidney (I was a donor 13 years ago) so the contrast dye in the CT scan is a risk to me... so I weighed my options and went forward. They were looking for blood clots in my lungs. Thankfully I didn't have any.
I had/have minimal atelectasis (bottom of my lungs were deflated). So they changed my meds and now I'm doing breathing exercises. This morning I feel more alert and am focusing on deep breathes. But I'm exhausted... in every way.
I had nodules and cysts on my cervix and uterus, so they took those, and did a D&C, and will test those tissues.
I just spent the night in the ER due to me feeling like I couldn't breath. Ugh... this whole experience has been very difficult.
I just spent the night in the ER due to me feeling like I couldn't breath. Ugh... this whole experience has been very difficult.
Glad to hear the surgery went well and frozen section was benign. Hopefully, the pain will subside soon. I assume the "other tissues" being biopsied are also from the cyst and ovary?
The ovary and cyst came back non cancerous from the frozen test.
Surgery went ok, although I had to stay an extra day in the hospital due to pain. I'm home now, but in a lot of pain.
The other tissue samples are getting tested for cancer. Once I get the pathology results I'll post again.
Surgery went ok, although I had to stay an extra day in the hospital due to pain. I'm home now, but in a lot of pain.
The other tissue samples are getting tested for cancer. Once I get the pathology results I'll post again.
Tomorrow (11/5) is my surgery. My doc (a gyn) will do the surgery, but will send the cyst and ovary away for a frozen section during surgery. If it comes back as positive for cancer, the ONC will immediately step up as primary surgeon and perform staging surgery on me.
Either way, other tissues will be collected too, and those results will take a week. I will post an update once I have one.
Either way, other tissues will be collected too, and those results will take a week. I will post an update once I have one.
Yes, the CA125 test is not that accurate. I have a friend whose CA125 was over 1000 and her complex cyst was not cancerous. But her gynecologist removed all her organs anyway. The same thing happened to me for a 9.5 cm complex cyst. Be aware that the removal of any "reproductive" organ(s) can cause serious hormone deficiencies even to the point of a surgical type menopause which has serious health and quality of life consequences. That is why it is best to have just the cyst removed (cystectomy) if it is not cancerous.
The pathology of the cyst can be done while you are in the OR under anesthesia. If the pathology shows the cyst is benign, then there should be no need to remove any organs. Some surgeons do not have good cystectomy skills so will remove the ovary instead.
My surgeon waited for the results (which were benign) but continued to remove organs anyway (with the help of gynecology residents). Of course, if you have a family history / predisposition for ovarian cancer, then removing just the cyst may not be the best option. However, if there is a chance of this being cancer, a gynecologic oncologist should be doing your surgery. My gynecologist referred me to an oncologist for consultation but then disregarded his recommendation but I did not discover that until getting my medical records post-op. I wish I had done things very differently, the first being to listen to my inner voice when some things my gyn said did not compute, and the second, to find my own oncologist. I hope this helps.
The pathology of the cyst can be done while you are in the OR under anesthesia. If the pathology shows the cyst is benign, then there should be no need to remove any organs. Some surgeons do not have good cystectomy skills so will remove the ovary instead.
My surgeon waited for the results (which were benign) but continued to remove organs anyway (with the help of gynecology residents). Of course, if you have a family history / predisposition for ovarian cancer, then removing just the cyst may not be the best option. However, if there is a chance of this being cancer, a gynecologic oncologist should be doing your surgery. My gynecologist referred me to an oncologist for consultation but then disregarded his recommendation but I did not discover that until getting my medical records post-op. I wish I had done things very differently, the first being to listen to my inner voice when some things my gyn said did not compute, and the second, to find my own oncologist. I hope this helps.
Try to hang in there it is hard not to worry. I have a 90% cancer and they found a lump. I was nervous until they found it was a lymph node.
Alex
Alex
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