I'm scared and confused

[mimi467]

Hi there, I am new to this forum and have a few questions.  I am 43 years old, i have 4 boys all c-sections, my first 3 boys were breach, my last was breach and i also had severe placenta previa.  My last c-section was 5 years ago and I ended up losing my uterus due to severe bleeding, I do still have my ovaries and my cervix.  2 months ago I went in to my gyno for my normal checkup, no pain or problems, and upon the pelvic exam the doctor felt something in my left ovary and it was quite tender.  She ordered an ultrasound, i was told that it was just a cyst and that i should come back in a month and have another u/s to see if it had gotten smaller.  I went in about 10 days ago and had the other u/s, i just spoke to the doctor yesterday who said that the cyst had gotten bigger from 5.64 to 5.82 and that that it seems to be a complex multiloculated cyst. She wanted me to take a CA-125 blood test, which i did yesterday.  She did discuss having surgery but thinks I should try taking birth control pills for a month first and then have another u/s, she doesn't think it is cancer but isn't sure what it is, she did mention endometriosis.  I just want to know if anyone has had this happen, what it turned out to be, what questions i should be asking.  Sorry for the lengthy question, i am extremely scared and confused, my doctor says that i don't need to panic and worry but it's too late, i can't think of any thing else.  I would really appreciate any replies, thanks!

[ska4life1986]

i am sorry to read that your scared  and worried try and relax as you will only stress yourself out and that will only give you more problems i had a different cyst then yours so i cant advise but i will try and support you rember you are not alone keep posted it helps to share your stress god bless x

[hopeshell]

I know how you feel...it is scary.  When I was 37 (3 years ago), my doctor found a 6cm complex cyst on my ovary and it did turn out to be ovarian cancer.  The good news is that I was Stage 1 and I am cancer free today.   It is my personal opinion that you should not take the birth control pills or watch and wait.  The general rule is that cysts that are complex and over 5cm should be removed and biopsied.  The fact that yours is multiloculated is yet another indicator that this is not a simple cyst and should be removed.  The only way to rule out ovarian cancer is to completely remove the cyst and send it to pathology.   There is not any blood test or scan that can tell you for sure if you have it.  A CA-125 is sometimes helpful in helping make the picture more clear but you can have malignancy with a normal CA-125 and you can have a benign tumor with an elevated CA-125.  Sometimes doctors are certain you have a malignancy because they can see signs of spread on the scan (like enlarged nodes, multiple masses, etc), but you have to remove the mass to tell if you have ovarian cancer.  Most women who get diagnosed in early stages of ovarian cancer had their doctor tell them they didn't think it was cancer.

It is important that you consult a gynecologic oncologist prior to your surgery so he/she can be available to step in and assist if you cyst is malignant.  I read this advice here on Medhelp before I had my surgery and I am very thankful that I followed it.  Based on my age and the general odds, my gyn didn't really think mine was cancer either prior to surgery.    Time is of the essence when dealing with a malignant tumor.  

Here are a couple of links for you to read about the gynecologic/oncologist info and one will help you find one in your area:

http://www.patientcenters.com/news/ovarian_ten_things.html

http://www.wcn.org/findadoctor/

Don't be afraid to speak up to you gyn and let her know that if it is malignant, you want to be staged in the same surgery.   Let her know what you have learned about the importance of having a gyn/onc in the first surgery and how it affects treatment and survival.  

That said,  remember the odds are with you that it is benign.  I have seen so many women post with cysts like yours and it has turned out to be benign in the majority of cases.  But, since there is a small chance it is not....it is important to do all you can so you will be here for years to come.   You may consider going for a second opinion on your own if your doctor still wants to watch and wait.  

I totally understand the panic.  I was there and still remember the gut wrenching feeling.   There are so many terrible stories on the internet and ovarian cancer is often very deadly.  But, there are many survivors and it can be cured if it caught in early stages.   You will be able to handle this!!!   My kids were ages 4 and 7 when I was diagnosed and I was terrified of the "what ifs."   I worried about some things that never happened.   I'll be praying for you to have a benign outcome!     Hang in there!