Blood tests (C12 marker??) scan etc for post menopausal bleeding...

[Janeymoo50]

I just might need some reassurance (but my over imagination is not helping).
My wife (of just 5 weeks today) is 54. She had her last period 14 months ago and has had the hot sweats (and moodiness bless her) for about a year.

We went on honeymoon and literally the day we got back she started bleeding. It lasted four days and was like a full on period.

She spoke to her surgery and they said to come in and have an ultrasound. We went 10 days ago, she had an internal scan too where the nurse said her lining was within normal levels but that there were some possible cysts.
A few days later her Dr called and said he'd seen the scan and was sending to a specialist within two weeks. We have the appointment next Monday. She also had bloodtests on Friday including one which she saw on the screen as a C12 marker (I have no idea what this is).

She's also been tired etc (I put this down to long hours but still....)

Has anyone had any experience of this?
I just get this awful nagging anxiety inside thinking it's going to turn out to be something really bad.

Please try not to worry. Your wife's GP is following protocol. Any bleeding more than 12 months after no periods (in women who are menopausal age) has to be investigated.

It's good that she has a referral because a nurse is just that- not a specialist- so it really needs someone more experienced to look at the scan results. But if the lining was fine then the odds are everything else is fine too. Endometrial cancer would show on a scan and ovarian cancer doesn't cause period like bleeding.

It sounds as if your wife has had a late period. The '12 month rule' is a cut-off point but obviously many women have a late period beyond 12 months, but they have to decide on some cut off point for investigations.

The cysts they saw may simply be that- ovarian cysts that are normally benign and would fit with a recent period. The blood test she had would be the C125 which is for ovarian cancer but it is very unreliable and even with advanced cancer is only 80% accurate (for a positive result.)