is it possible for parasites to cause ovarian cancer?

[mokk68]

I was diagnosed at 39 with ovarian cancer 3 years ago.  My question is a little more out there though.  My three children, ages 7, 10 and 12 respectively at the time, and my husband suffered the same symptoms that I did (with my son being the first)--complete with two pelvic lumps.  The symptoms were myriad.  A small sampling of which were as follows:  multi-colored diarrhea, tenesmus, bloating, fever, hives, rashes, fatigue, pelvic fluid on a sonogram for my 12-year-old, short-lived cachexia of a strange nature...started around the eyes, progressed to face, then neck, then shoulders, downward ending in buttocks at the end.  The abdominal bloat also subsided (for the rest of them) in a weird way, starting at the space between the rib cage where an upside-down V formed, then a slow "draining out" followed, ending after about 2 weeks in a pelvic "puddle" that took about another week to subside.  All very strange.  The entire process lasted about 3 months from the first stomach rumblings to the final "convalescence" phase.  I was operated on just after the upside-down "V" appeared in my abdomen and diagnosed with stage IIIC cancer.  My situation has actually kept me from being able to connect with other ovarian cancer patients because of the strangeness of my experience.  I mean, we even had what appeared to be little whitish worms and subsequently took Vermox, which worked wonders, all after the fact.  I need to know, does the fact that all of us had these odd symptoms point to a potential parasite infestation?  Do parasites cause ovarian cancer?  Was it another infectious process?  Obviously, there had to be an infectious process here somewhere.  I worry that this undiagnosed illness could return.  Not so much for me, but for my children.  Unfortunately, I have never gotten any sensible answers from the several pediatric specialists I've consulted...and I had to consult MANY because my eldest daughter was so ill with it she nearly had to be home-schooled for months.  I tried to discuss this with my own doctors, too, of course, but before I could voice my concerns/questions, the subject was abruptly dismissed due to my diagnosis.  Infuriating.  I am well aware that this is exceedingly unusual, so any input you can offer would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks very much.


This discussion is related to Are these symptoms to do with Ovarian Cysts.

[mokk68]

Thanks for your response:)  I tried to post a reply last night, but my computer is misbehaving and nothing showed up, so I'm rewriting.  The situation really is complex,  an example of which would be that the doctor and the nurses I dealt with (I left him eventually) told me my immune system was and is top notch so it was unusual that I should get this disease.  The other thing is my children and husband didn't have cancer, so no immune system depression for any of them, yet they experienced the symptoms in the same way I did.  Really, it is so strange.  I always said that if my children and husband hadn't had the exact same things going on, I would've/could've been diagnosed much sooner!  Which is just hideous to contemplate, but inescapably true.  I already knew the symptoms of ovarian cancer, just because I am a woman and keep up on these things, and this was definitely different...not only were the 70-ish symptoms really not in line, even though some of them could be construed as ovca symptoms, but because the kids/husband had the same complaints....a fact that I cannot stress enough.  Which led me to consider that maybe parasites do/did cause this.  Had I had any family history of any kind of cancer (nothing on either side of 2 very large families... Italian and Irish, so I mean large LOL), or had I had any risk factors (I had none), or had I been an older woman, I could probably let it go and would not be considering parasites as a causative factor.  But, alas, it is all I am left with.  I know, I know, I will probably never get an answer, and I hate that, but it doesn't stop me from thinking about it (I think too much!), and until I can reconcile it I will continue to seek answers. I feel that researchers should begin to at least consider infectious disease as a possible causative factor for this disease.  I am doing very well, by the way, thanks so much, and again thanks for your reply.  (I'm thinking of re-sending this post to the doctor's portion of the forum----not that it will help, but you never know).  Best wishes to you, also.

[hopeshell]

I don't think parasites cause ovarian cancer.   They don't know the cause though.   They know things that increase your risk for getting ovca, but not anything that directly causes it.   I think it sounds like a conincidence that your family had this infection just prior to dx.  The fact that your immune system was already compromised by ovca likely led to a blurring of your symptoms from the two conditions.  You probably were more in tune with the ovca symptoms from the acute nature of the parasite infection.   That is just my opinion.  I can see how it would make you wonder though.   I hope you are doing better with your ovca...and those darn parasites stay away!!!  It sounds horrible.  Best wishes.