Ultrasound results - Cancer: Breast Message Board

4isenuf · 07-08-2001, 10:45 AM

Hi. For those of you who read my latest post, I had my ultrasound last week. They found a fibroid tumour. My symptoms had been bloating, low back pain, constipation, sometimes gas, and menstrual cramp type pain throughout the month. No heavy bleeding, which is why I was suprised they found a fibroid. I always thought heavy bleeding was the main symptom. My biggest worry, and still is, is ovarian cancer. Even though I am low risk for it... I am 34, have four kids, took the birth control pill for four years before having my first baby, then for two more after, breast fed them all, and have no cancer in my family, I still worry about it. I work in the medical field so I know how "silent" it is. I have already been diagnosed with IBS, which is commonly misdiagnosed when someone really has ovarian cancer. Anyway...sorry to ramble

. I was kind of suprised when I had the ultrasound. I thought they were going to do a vaginal ultrasound, but they said they could see everything just fine with the external ultrasound. I asked how my ovaries looked and he said fine, he just sees some "follicular cysts". When my doc saw this she said that my symptoms of very painful ovulations indicate a ruptured cyst. How can they tell these are just follicular cysts? Would they have been able to see any other abnormalities indicating ovarian cancer with this ultrasound? This possibility has not even come up with my doc because I am so low risk. I asked about the CA-125 test and she said with endo.(which she also thinks I have) and fibroids the test will come out abnormal, and she would have to do a laporoscopy, which she wants to avoid if possible (for my sake, not ins. sake. I have a PPO so it is not HMO related) Does everyone think I have ruled out ovarian cancer with the tests I have had? Thanks for the support. Janet

flowernail · 07-28-2001, 02:08 PM

Janet, I would push for the CA-125 anyway. If it is not elevated, that information will be reassuring. If it is you may want to push for a biopsy.
I have ovarian cancer. 15 years ago I had one ovary removed because we were not sure if the growth on it was dermoid or malignant. Ultra sound showed that it was made of soft tissue. The doctor then was insistant that we check it out because. I was told that surgery was the only way to rule out ovarian cancer. It turned out to be a dermoid cyst. I wish he had taken both ovaraies then.

In 2000, I had a fibroid the size of a softball between my uterus and bladder. Ovarian cancer was growing on the firbroid and wrapped around my sigmoid colon. When they did an ultrasound, (external) the technologist saw a normal ovary. But the abdominal pain I was having led to a colonoscopy which found the tumor on the colon and actually detected malignancy inside its lining. Surgery followed with a staging of IIIC.
After a year of chemotherapy which showed some limited response, I am on tamoxifen. It seems to be helping, but I will probably not survive this disease. I too was low risk. My only risk factor was my age. I come from a huge family, and there has been no cancer in any branch. Be aggressive about this. Your symptoms warrant it. Good Luck!