Ovarian Cancer - Please help calm me down.

[MrsFruitcake]

Have had terrible lower abdo pain on and off for about a year (since I stopped taking the pill coincidentally), mainly around time of ovulation and on the 5-6 days leading up to my period. I also need the loo more often than most but I put that down to having my children and it's not new to me.

I went to my GP last week who did an internal. He says he's worried that there is pain in my right ovary and has referred me to the gynae consultant at the hospital in 2 weeks - appt. is 26th March. Last night I read that the referral times for GPs suspecting cancer at 2 weeks and now I'm terrified.

Part of me is rational about it - he'd have told me if he suspected anything sinister right? But the other part is hysterical with fear. I already told my GP I was terrified of getting sick and leaving my children and now I am overplaying the whole thing in my head.

What shall I do? I am considering ringing my GP tomorrow and asking him straight out. Does anyone have any experiences please? Just need to talk to someone I think.

MrsFruitcake* - I didnt want to leave your post unanswered. Of course you are very understandably worried but it could be many things that are causing these sort of symptoms. Endometriosis and fibroids for example.

PM me if you like as I have quite a lot of experience of this issue because of my DW.

Oh you poor thing how stressful.
There is very little point asking your doctor if he thinks it's ovarian cancer because he doesn't know.
Yes there is a small possibility that you have ovarian cancer. There is always a possibility that any pain/lump is cancer.
It is far more likely that you have an ovarian cyst or some other benign abdominal problem.
Your doctor is right to refer you and for you to be seen within 2 weeks. That's great care. But they want to exclude cancer as opposed to presuming you have it.
You are not going to reassured until cancer is excluded are you? I have been there and it's crap. Just try and hold it together.

If you've got Ovarian Cancer it is not the end of the world either. It is extremely treatable and most women recover.

It's so scary isn't it? Good luck X

mrsfruitcake Why don't you pop over to the tamoxifen thread? In general health chat. We're a bunch of ladies who have or have had cancer, mostly breast cancer but other cancers too. We can hold your hand and give you some support while you wait for your appointment. It's a good place to rant and let out all those feelings and fears, and we all know what it's like cos we've all had to do that wait for appointments. Big hugs for you, cos it is super scary x x

I just wanted to add that I have a good friend who had treatment for ovarian cancer a few years ago. She is fine, she had chemo, which made her very tired but she has not had any recurrance at all.

As someone else said it is often very treatable. I would also agree that it's far more likely to be a cyst or something harmless.

I hope you manage to get through the next few days till your appt and that when you go to see the consultant, they are able to provide some decent reassurance

Take care x

I had very similar symptoms and had the same worries...along with my GP

Had blood test and scans....

Turned out I had early fibroid changes.

Don't worry....it could be something else and probably is something else.

Did your GP not send you for a scan also or is he waiting for the consultant to arrange this?

Your symptoms could well be fibroids, about which I know nothing, or a cyst. I have had a few cysts and the symptoms are similar. I have irregular bleeding and other symptoms with my cysts too.

I am on my fourth cyst now and I still get referred in the 'oh gosh its cancer get her there in two weeks' timescale everytime I turn up with the same symptoms.

It is terrifying and I do understand, I am seeing my consultant on the 23 March and having been so blase above, it had better be just a cyst!

Try not to worry and please don't Google!

Good luck.

My cousin had ovarian cancer; got chemo as an outpatient, had dn2 and is fine now.
Keep calm

I had strong unexplained pains in my right hand side which turned out to be an ovarian cyst. I know you can't help the thought of cancer being in the back of your mind,but try not to let it worry you.

My grandmother has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and she kept saying 'but I don't have any pain'. Her symptoms were extreme tiredness, loss of any appetite and bloating around her abdominals. Hope this reassures you, she had no pain in that area whatsoever.

Try not to worry hun( I know it's hard) but like the others said, it could be anything, probably more likely to be a cyst. timbuk is right, I have heard pain isn't usually a symptom of cancer. Keep us posted.

Hi Mrs Fruitcake
It would be wrong of me to offer any false hope but I think my story proves that even when things seem bleak, it is not always the worst case scenario.
I was aware that I had a fibroid, it was discovered when I had a miscarriage so at first I wasn't too concerned when I started to experience much heavier, prolonged and extremely painful periods. There was also a history of early menopause in my family. However, I began suffering with very bad backache and although my stomach was generally bloated, I noticed a swelling on the left side. One Friday in February last year I went to the doctor and by the following Wednesday I was at the hospital with an urgent appointment to see a gynaecologist/ oncologist. I was told there and then that I would need a total abdominal hysterectomy. I had blood tests and scans which confirmed that I had large cysts on both ovaries, multiple fibroids and endometriosis. It was a very stressful time, especially as I had lost my Dad to cancer less than a year previously.Also, my scan results were encouraging as there were no obvious signs of cancer but my blood test results were telling a different story.Apparently this result can be influenced by hormone fluctuations or other gynaecological conditions and so is not always reliable but being told that my " cancer marker" was raised was a shock.
I had my hysterectomy in April last year and thankfully the hystology showed everything to be benign. I really hope this offers you some reassurance.
Take care

A fibroid or a cyst is more likely, especially as the pain is linked to your cycle. Your gp is being good by erring on the side of caution and getting you seen quickly.

How old are you? Ovarian cancer before menopausal age is VERY VERY unlikely... however, an ovarian CYST is likely, given your symptoms.

Try and take some deep breaths. I'd put money on it that you do NOT have cancer.

Thanks for all the replies. DH has done a very good job of calming me down and although I am still worried, I'm going to wait until the my appointment with the Consultant before worrying any more. I could ring my GP but I am going to try not to and trust that he's been honest with me.

The pain is still quite bad today, especially in the right side. However, my period arrived yesterday and the pain hasn't really diminished, despite me expecting it to.

Shine - I am 36.

I get ovulation pain and have endometrious and adenmyosis, my right ovary is full of cysts and I have fibroids. I get pain in my right ovary all the time. It could be any of these that you have. Try not to worry.

Good luck x

I had this pain and it was a large cyst. I was referred for a scan which of course is needed. It may be that he is referring you quickly due to concern of a cyst that might rupture rather than cancer.

I totally understand your worry and anxiety, I had something similar and was convinced that it was ovarian cancer..... went to see the consultant and was scanned, and it was just a small cyst. Things have cleared up since then, though I still do have the occasional month where I have terrible ovulation pains that seem to carry on and on (as though mylower abdomen has been through the mangle and it remains sensitive for weeks, iyswim......).

Best of luck.

I have had ovary pain since I had my second baby 3 years ago. Before then nothing. It really, really scared me at first but I went for a scan and there was nothing there! No problem at all!

I have a cyst on my ovary, symptoms very similar to yours xxx

If I were a gambling woman I'd bet on it being a cyst or endometriosis - very senior gynae doc and lecturer at Kings College Hospital told me that these cause cyclical pain like you describe

I'm not a medical bod though.

I've had to wait for an appointment like this and it feels like forever - best thing you can do is stay busy as much as possible and hopefully the time will pass more quickly.

Hey mrsfruitcake how are you feeling now? I've had a similar thing for a while now. Frequent pains, always on right side. Became excruciating a couple of months back so got sent for bloods and a scan. Bloods came back ok, ok doesn't mean all is good though. I have my scan this Thursday. I've waited 5 weeks due to having to rebook. It should have been 3 weeks. Typically my pains have disappeared in past 2 weeks but I'm sure they'll be back. Whilst I have many symptoms of ovarian cancer I don't fit into the high risk categories so I'm convincing myself it'll be a cyst or similar.

Good luck for your appointment

Mrs F

How are you today?. I actually think it is more likely that something else (it could well be endometriosis) as the underlying cause here. Also your symptoms have been going on for about a year as well and it is linked to your cycle (as endo often is too).

Hope all goes well at your appointment.

jerin

Endometriosis if it is there, is not detected on any ultrasound scan so if this comes back as clear you need to see a cons gynae anyway. Endo is usually only diagnosed through a keyhole surgery op called a laparoscopy.

Oh thanks atilla. I'm guessing I get results as I'm having the scan as if there's cysts or fibroids visible they'll say or be obvious? If nothing shows up would I need to go back to gp and ask for a referral? Or would it be automatic?

(sorry for hijack...)

Hi OP. I had the same symptoms as you last year. I had an ultrasound scan (and also an internal probe) and it turns out I had Hydrosalpinx (fluid in my fallopian tubes). This resulted in me eventually getting a tubal abscess.

I was absolutly convinced that I had Ovarian Cancer before I had the scan and blood tests done and it was a horrible time. I was admitted into hospital for 5 days and put on an intravenous drip and once the abscess cleared up I had both of my tubes removed.

Both tubes were clear before I got pregnant (I had a laparoscopy before getting pregnant) so the consultant said the fluid had built up from the scar tissue after my c-section.

I don't know if you had a c-section but thought I would share my experience. Best Wishes to you x