Ovarian Cancer

[milkshakeandchips5]

Hi!

My mum received an ovarian cancer diagnosis yesterday. She’s late 60s and has been in and out of the GP for 12 months with symptoms. Seen by male doctors (including a private doctor) who only looked at gastric issues and actually recommended CBT as a solution before seeing a female GP who switched to the gynaecology route and here we are.

We have no details yet. No appt scheduled with an oncologist. Just the GP confirming from a CT scan that it is cancer. The GP was nice but very much spoke about treatment not a cure and referred to chemo vs. surgery.

I may be reading into things too much but I wondered if it’s normal for a GP to confirm diagnosis? My brain is telling me that things must be bad / very obvious for her to be so confident and also to use such language but I don’t know if this is normal. I wondered if others may have experience or if I’d get lucky and find a GP who could tell me their thoughts?

The GP has confirmed the diagnosis on the basis of a CT scan, and (I'm assuming) a CA125 blood test. The Cancer Antigen levels usually rise with OC, and this combined with the CT scan usually gives a definitive diagnosis. I hope your mum is okay xx

Sending very best wishes for your Mum @milkshakeandchips5 .

I had ovarian cancer 10 years ago. It’s not necessarily a death sentence, don’t automatically assume the very worst case scenario. Sending you and your mum my best wishes. 💐

@Robotalkingrubbish thank you. We live in hope. Chemo is working but surgery isn’t an option (it’s small but very dispersed). Hoping we can find a way to keep it stable for as long as possible:

It is a rough road. I hope you are feeling well and long May it continue.

I’m sorry to bring this thread up after so long but my mum has just been given the same news, we are left in some kind of limbo and she’s now got fluid on her lungs but we aren’t being told anything! How is your mum doing OP? As a family we are absolutely devastated and no one is telling us anything until next Thursday when we have a meeting as a family with a consultant

Hi

I don't have a great update. Mum has surgery in September but they basically opened her and closed her back up. We actually went for a second opinion recently and they want to try again but have no idea if this is a good idea but also feels like there is no option. Chemo has worked a little but not great. It's a shitty shitty disease and it makes me feel so angry which is useless but maybe easier than feeling sad.

Sorry to read :(
Ive got consistently elevated ca125

They / i thought they ruledout OC with transvaginal in july
But now some poss stuff has shown on an mri :(
V scary

I also have gall stones

And liver issues

I am so so sorry to hear this.

I can't comment on the GP diagnosis point, but I wanted to reply as what you have written in terms of the 12 months of symptoms is practically identical to what my own mum experienced.

She visited the GP regularly and persistently over an 18 month period, was thoroughly investigated for gastric issues but no one mentioned gynae, despite that fact that with hindsight she had classic ovarian cancer symptoms.

For the last 6 months prior to diagnosis the doctor prescribed sertraline for anxiety and gave her the number of the sliver line, a counselling service for older people.

In the end she was in so much pain she took herself to A&E, and it was only there that she was given a scan and diagnosed. The lack of awareness of ovarian cancer by GPs is concerning.

Dr has sent a report to gynae last night and i pushed 4 a gynae referal again since jul.and saw one in Sept but she put me in 4 ct abdomen scan and discharged me from gynae. ( ct abdomen scan bought up other issues)
Im.ringing a gynae secretary this am and stressing urgency etc

My poor body hss been through so much

So sorry to hear about your mum

Hi,

Have you considered a second opinion? We did this for my mum (I mentioned this earlier). The Consultant did the surgery yesterday and was able to remove all signs of cancer. The best second opinion we could have had.

So sorry I’ve not replied to the initial message I posted, it’s been a god awful rollercoaster and I’m just going through day to day helping my parents out, mum has her fluid drain today and a biopsy next week, all they keep telling us, is it’s complicated and we aren’t sure what to do, but they won’t tell us what is complicated or even what stage her cancer is at, so after my initial message we are still in the same limbo but she’s now having fluid drained.

I’m so happy to hear you mum had all the cancer removed, it’s such a horrible journey for families and a devastating battle for the cancer sufferer xx

This makes me so angry 😡

I'm so sorry to read that this happened to two families on this short thread alone