Please stay in touch and let me know what drs say. Its an odd situation at best when one has an elevated ca125 for a non cancerous condition, Good luck in a way, there are many many things Id rather deal w than ovarian cancer. Its a very difficult disease to beat.Although improvements are continuing to happen. We have an entire forum on ovarian cancer if either of you are interested. Its hosted by some wonderful loving people.
I did some more research on the CA 125 test and it seems that the normal level is less than 35. Unfortunately benign fibroid tumors can cause an elevation in the CA 125 level so therefore it is not really recommended as a test for malignancy unless there is already a known cancer present.
I will take your advice and talk to my doctor as to what other tests I can have done.
I did some more research on the CA 125 test and it seems that the normal level is less than 35. Unfortunately benign fibroid tumors can cause an elevation in the CA 125 level so therefore it is not really recommended as a test for malignancy unless there is already a known cancer present.
I will take Cherie's advice and talk to my doctor as to what other tests I can have done.
The issues Patti is facing acn infact be 2 seperate things. Unfortunatley for us women it seems our female systems sometimes goes a bit haywire after the age of 40. I wish not to cause fear but it would be possible to have noncancerous fibroids and cancer elsewhere for example the ovaries,
We shall not assume the worst however. Fibroids are almost always begnine. There are other ways to treat them besides a drastic hysterectomy. Leupron is an option it puts one into a chemically induced menopause that would hence cause the fibroids to shrink. There is a surgery called leep that removes just the fibroids, I dont know anatomically how either of your fibroids are it matters if they are 'ON" "IN" or "THREW" the uterus.
On and in can usually be removed surgically wo comprimising the uterus,,,threw is touchy,.
ultrasounds are a mid grade test at best.,..a cat scan or mri would give a 100% better picture as to what is going on.
Patti, you will likely need some biopsys to see where the suspicious tissue is comming from..could be cervix-uterus, endometrial or ovarian..and please dont panic could be something very easy to take care of, I would recommend you post your ca125 results on our ovarian cancer forum. they know alot more about those results than I, my specialty is hysterectomy and recovery.
best wishes to both.
Patti,
I am in your same shoes. I am 37 years old and have always had my yearly exam. This year though I started feeling abdominal pressure during intimacy. When I told my gyno, she recommneded an ultrasound. I was just told I have a 9cm fibroid at the top of my uterus. I was told over the phone that a hysterectomy might be necessary. I of course felt awful. Like you, I also started doing some research. Luckily at this point I have not had any of the awful symptoms associated with fibroids so I am opting to keep my uterus and on the advice of my gyno, I am just going to keep tabs on the size of the fiboid. I am however still concerned about the cancer possibility because I have not had the CA125 done. I hope to get that done next month. Hopefull the results will show that it is infact just a fibroid and not a cancer.
Best of luck to you.