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Anyone with experience of ovarian cancer tests?

2 replies

Snugglepalace · 20/03/2017 11:16

My sister has just rung me in a right state.
This morning she had a hospital appointment for a follow up of a cat scan she had 3 weeks ago. She had an us scan a few weeks previous which showed a large ovarian mass/cyst/tumour? Her blood test ca125(?) I think is about 60.
Anyhow,this morning they are telling her that they can't tell from the cat scan if it's benign or malignant and she needs to go to another hospital in a day or two for further tests.
Does anyone have experience of this? She is coming over in a while and I want to help her.
She was at the appointment on her own and I don't think she has taken everything in.
She's only 41.

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sufferingicecakes · 20/03/2017 12:48

My friend currently has ovarian cancer, she had a very large mass and it was discovered at stage 4, her CA125 was well over 500. So whilst 60 is raised it is not sooooo high in ovarian cancer terms. It is interesting that they waited 3 weeks to call her back in. If they were alarmed surely they would have called her back sooner? A cyst does indeed raise CA125 in many cases and sometimes a large cyst contains only a small cancerous area so if it is the worst it may have been caught at an early stage.

It sounds like they are sending her to a specialist centre, which they did with my friend. They really cannot tell, often until it is removed, whether it is benign or not; they are obviously being cautious. If it was the worst case scenario then there are so many different types with differing prognosis that it is a waiting game.

Sorry I cannot be of more help but I do really hope that it is a harmless cyst. It is going to be a very difficult time for you sister with all the waiting but you can provide a lot of support, offering to go with her to appointments and researching for her - just being someone she can talk to.

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Snugglepalace · 20/03/2017 14:48

Thanks suffering, I too am hoping the fact the ca125 is only 60 (nurse told sister many of their patients levels are 500+) and that they've waited 3 weeks to see her are a positive sign!? She has to have another mri this week and a biopsy, so fingers crossed. I wish your friend all the best, what a horrible time for her.