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Original poster

Vulvar Biopsy/cancer/bartholyns cyst/episiotomy scar

28 replies

nostress · 14/05/2013 14:01

Hi,
I've had a lumpy/itchy episiotomy scar for years (scar for 15 years, became more itchy after ds2 around 10 years ago). My Dr said fentons procedure pointless as would no doubt get more scaring and told me to use biooil. Years down the line now and the area (labia) grew an abscess which my dr thought was a bartholyns cyst & abscess. After 10/days on antibiotics I ended up at emergency gynae clinic. He changed the antibiotics and told me to come back 5 days later. During the follow up appointment he decided to open me up (despite the abscess slowly getting better/reducing) to help clear the remaining abscess. Whilst in there he removed a 'suspicous foreign body/lump'. He also said definately not a barthoyns cyst and that the suspicious lump was causing the abscess. The lump I've had for years (by/on episiotomy scar) and dr hasn't even looked at it and now I'm worried! Biopsy was a week ago & have heard nothing. Dr trying to chase results. I know vulvar cancer very very rare particularly in younger women (I'm 40) but I'd never even heard of it til now and feel a bit cross that my Dr didnt even look when I mentioned itching down there. Also found out now that one of the precursor conditions has symptoms like thrush and I have that ALOT! And no Dr has not done any lab tests to check it is thrush for 10 years +.

Anyone got experience of this?

OP posts:

5madthings · 14/05/2013 14:08

I dont but have a friend on another forum who has had it. As you say its rare but its also highly likely to be treated succesfully.

I know my frirnd had to have radiotherapy and the treatment was very unpleasant but so far all good as the cancer has gone.

Fingrrs crossed for you that its not that xxx

5madthings · 14/05/2013 14:10

My friend was similar in thst they diagnosed cyst etc first i guess that is what these things normally are and not many drs will have experience of vulval.cancer?

I am.not sure if my friend posts on mnet, but i know she reads so i will message her and send her a link to the thread if yoi want? :)

Original poster

nostress · 14/05/2013 14:16

Thanks! Its just the fact that I have had lump so long. But apparently thats common too as its slow growing! And you can have years of 'precancer' before it changes. Some of the treatment (surgical removal of labia, clitorus etc) looks horrific too. Need to stop googling and wait and see!

OP posts:

5madthings · 14/05/2013 14:22

Yes stop googling!

It is slow growing and can be treated succesfully and the surgical options tend to be last resort, radiotherapy works very well but no point in wortying til you have your results and the fact that they havent been in touch with you urgently is a good sign as well perhaps.
Xx

Original poster

nostress · 14/05/2013 14:26

Thanks!

OP posts:

WildWolf · 14/05/2013 14:31

Hello Nostress, I am 5mads friend and I had cancer of the vulva. It involved the batholyn glands but the cancer wasn't in there. It was on the perineum and grew so that the glands were blocked and became infected.

Firstly, PLEASE STOP GOOGLING. You will get worst case scenarios and you don't even know if that's what you've got.

Secondly, I still have all me parts. I had radiotherapy, but it was quite extensive as the cancer was quite large by the time they got round to doing it. It had been partially removed and went berserk when it was cut through leaving me with a tumor the size of a tangerine to sit on.

My gp didn't suspect cancer, even at the speed it was growing. I was told it was a wart, but too big for the gp to remove it. The surgeon also thought it was a wart, which was why there wasn't enough removed. They don't expect cancer in people of our age. ( I was 40 when I was diagnosed.)

Vulval cancer is usually completely curable. I had chemotherapy and radiation. The emphasis was on the radiation, the chemo was to back it up. The chemo that I had did not affect my hair.

Finally, a lump in a gland is usually not malignant. It's usually a stone made of the minerals in whatever the gland secretes.

Fingers crossed it's just a stone.

xxx

Original poster

nostress · 14/05/2013 15:08

HI!
Thanks for that too! Mine to is on perineum. What really freaked me out is after the procedure the consultant had it in a jar and showed me saying "this is a suspicious foreign body(!)". I said "could it be a cyst?" becuase I've had three removed from my face in the past so I guess I'm suseptible. And he shook his head and said no this is a "suspicious lump and it caused your abscess".

Hopefully my Dr will find out soon!

Thanks for the help!

OP posts:

WildWolf · 14/05/2013 15:22

Feel free to message me privately if you want to. :)

digerd · 14/05/2013 18:44

I had a sore small lump on the edge of my vulva towards the bottom near the vagina.
GP told me that cancer of the vulva is always on the smooth inside part and not on hairy bits.

My was on the slightly hairy outer edge and therefore pronounced not cancer. That was a few years ago and although it is still there, it is no longer sore and not grown any bigger.

digerd · 14/05/2013 18:57

I have just googled where the Perineum is, as was not sure, and I do have a rather peculiar lump that developed with age < decades>, but does not hurt.

I realised when first noticed it that that is where I had my stitches after tearing during child birth, many moons ago.

It certainly wasn't lumpy until I got much older

Original poster

nostress · 14/05/2013 20:31

My lump was inside the flesh. Basically where they cut me open (usual position for a episiostomy toward leg not anus). It didnt appear for years but I was told that scars can thicken/grow with age. Its never hurt (until I got the abscess!) just occasionally itchy and also was just there feeling bumpy!

OP posts:

digerd · 14/05/2013 20:56

Got me worried now. It seems that I have no perineum left, and the lump is all I have between the vagina and anus .
My stitching was done in the butchering olden days, so just assumed it had always been like that, but as I've aged everything has changed shape/shrivelled/drooped etc.
I don't have any feeling in it, no itch or sensitivity and feels like a bad piece of stitching bunching the skin into a large knot.
No way I can look at it myself as can't bend anymore with my head between my legs.

WildWolf · 16/05/2013 08:18

Digerd, it could easily be scar tissue, but it's probably worth getting it checked out if only to put your mind at rest.

Footle · 16/05/2013 09:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

nostress · 16/05/2013 11:51

Still no biopsy results! Apparently the consultant's secretary is on holiday until next week so I'm unlikely to hear anything until the end of NEXT week! I've got a mirror permanently set up in my bedroom at the minute! The stitches seem to be healing & I'm hoping they don't need to open it up again.

OP posts:

digerd · 16/05/2013 16:18

OP How dare they be on holiday - what a nervous wait for you.

I have an appt with my local private hospital to see a gyny < the one I saw 10 years ago for something else in the NHS hospital> who specialises in Vulva problems.

I did google as wasn't sure what an episiostomy scar was, but mine was not cut, I tore it myself, refusing to pant as had been 72 hours in agony with a back to back birth and no epidural.

I felt my 2 lumps with my bare finger, and the one nearest to vagina is different - all smooth and plump/soft . Felt that one lower down in my left groin and widens and thickens. Other side feel nothing under it.

digerd · 16/05/2013 16:38

Oh, and the consultant is also on holiday and 1st available appt is 1st June.

Original poster

nostress · 16/05/2013 17:23

Cut or tear would scar no doubt. I had two lumps one long one that was narrow/not so deep near opening and wider other end (sort of v shaped). Sort of smooth on top but jagged deeper. I assumed this was the length of the cut and the widest part was because of deeper tissue. And at the end of that was the lump, I thought it was pea sized but when he showed it to me it was like a kidney bean. Both 'hard' I'd say not soft.

OP posts:

digerd · 16/05/2013 18:12

What day next week did they say you would get the results?
I'm worried about the one going into a groin lump, which I think is a swollen gland, as don't have one the other groin side. But nothing hurts.
At my ripe old age, I feel stupid that I don't know what it down there.

Most things have prolapsed through the vagina from the cervix, including the bladder - but don't think part of my bladder can be sitting on my perineum and another in my groin . But who knows?

digerd · 16/05/2013 18:16

Even I'm too young for the vulva cancer statistics, as it said most are over 85 !!

I did have CIS 30 years ago and a black melanoma soon after on my arm, but nothing since.

Original poster

nostress · 31/05/2013 10:28

A letter arrived this morning from hospital telling me to contact the gp. Rang the gp and they've not received it. Got to call back later. Very very stressed now!

OP posts:

digerd · 31/05/2013 18:12

OP
That is awful! Hope the letter soon arrives at GPs, and it is nothing to worry about.

digerd · 31/05/2013 18:16

After my biopsy 30 years ago, the hospital sent me the letter with the results, telling me I had been booked in to have a bigger op in 3 days time..

QOD · 31/05/2013 18:18

Original poster

nostress · 31/05/2013 19:08

It didnt arrive at the gps so they said they will follow it up monday :(

OP posts:

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