Referral for query ovarian cancer

[Bourdic]

Via A and E visits this weekend I have to see my GP tomorrow to start the 2 week cancer referral for suspected ovarian cancer. I don’t need to spell out how I’m feeling but would welcome advice - I live in Surrey - any advice on which hospital to ask to be referred to? Or should I go privately for diagnostic stage? I have a highly recommended person in London. Just in bits at the moment - added to which was due to leave for 5 week holiday in NZ and Oz next Sunday so have insurance company etc to deal with not to mention contacting friends over there and then there’s my dd to tell . Just some help/advice/ handholding please

Hi, I had this recently (October) mass on USS elevated ca125 - have you had this test? I ended up going to a private spire clinic (I’m in Liverpool) and had surgery.

I don’t have advice as I’m not from your area but I know what you’re going through, stay strong and think positively. X

Thanks for responding- I have the report from the US today and it says to have the ca125 blood test- how long did it all take up to the surgery?

My ca125 results came back the same day as they’re classed as urgent, from USS to surgery it took 17 days.

Sorry meant report from CT scan - I’ve yet to have the USS

Hi Bourdic. I have ovarian cancer - hopefully you don't. Can I ask what took you to A&E?

Don't dismiss your holiday just yet. I wouldn't normally suggest going private but if you can get your CA125 blood marker and an ultrasound tomorrow or Wednesday this would provide further clarification. Feel free to ask me anything.

Hi Twitter GP hasten blood this morning for CA125 but can’t get me an NHS scan this week. I went to A and E because of pain in left side/flank/ left side back which is OK with paracetamol during the day but I can’t control it at night - very uncomfortable dull ache/ pain

Hasten = has taken

It could well be a cyst. Pain is not top of the list of symptoms for OC. I got to stage 4 without any pain at all. Take a look at info on cysts here

Thanks for the link - I def need a transvaginal US then and take it from there - I’m still thinking the holiday is a non starter because of the pain and the worry that even if it’s just a cyst it might cause problems like bursting mid flight

Good luck, and try not talking yourself into worst case scenarios! (easier said than done). And I wouldn't say anything to your DD yet. Keep me posted.

Thanks - will do

Hi I had the same symptoms. They discovered a endometrial cyst on my ovary. My ca125 levels were only slightly raised at 37.

Hi, my mum has stage 4 and the only symptom she had was the sudden onset of a swollen tummy (think 9 months pregnant).

Her ca 125 was taken and was 1400 at diagnoses

I had very similar symptoms as you weekend before last. The only reason I did not attend a&e is because I couldn’t drive myself and I didn’t want to wake partner and children.
I saw emergency dr. They gave antibiotics. For some reason I had/have worried myself that is was something more than a urine infection causing such pain.
I returned to GP and requested a scan as pain still present. The pain has subsided a lot since this time last week. Now just a back ache.
I think I need the scan for reassurance that nothing else is going on.
From the other posts I feel a bit reassured.

OP don't want to minimise your anxiety at all but the referral is really to check nothing is wrong. It doesn't mean you HAVE got cancer. It just means this is to rule it out.

I had an ovarian cyst which eventually went after 2 years- but scanned every 4 months- just to be sure.

C125 is only accurate for advanced OC and even then it's only 80% accurate.

If you want a private scan in Lndon, recommended at the Lister Chelsea, King Edward V11 Marylebone, or 132 Harley St (women'e health centre.)

Thanks Jingle and everyone who’s contributed. I’m just so tired because of the pain stopping my sleeping although with paracetamol I’ve been pain free until about 4ish now the dragging dull achey pain just won’t shift. Haven’t been able to do anything re scan as waiting for GPS referral letter but thanks for further ideas re scanning centres. I had a phone call this afternoon from a local hospital that the Aand E consultant had made my 2 week referral to ( I wasn’t clear about that) and I’m seeing a consultant there next Monday but no scan has been arranged.

Have you considered a kidney stone? Your symptoms fit

I'm not trying to diagnose you of course. However you see to be joining up dots at the moment which don't quite go together. As a previous poster said, this referral is definitely not because it's a foregone that you have OC

Also has anyone suggested IBS?

I know that IBS is diagnosed after other things have been excluded but abdo pain is likely to be so many things that are not cancer.

Your GP is being very careful, but you are not being scanned because they suspect cancer; you are being scanned to have a good look at your insides and exclude many things.

Ovarian cancer is often 'silent' which is why it's called the silent killer- so no pain till it's advanced.

Please keep this mind- unlikely to be cancer and much more likely to be something far less serious.

Kidney stones were first suspected on Saturday and ruled out by the CT scan yesterday. The radiographers report said there was the 4.5cm lesion which could be a cyst but required an USS so that’s where I am at the moment . Probability wise it’s an overian cyst but as is being said it has to further investigated

You should be able to walk in to any scanning place and have a transvaginal ultrasound on the same day. Babybond can get you in the same day if you call them: it’s exactly the same equipment as they use in NHS hospitals (or better in many circumstances!). Anywhere that advertises pregnancy scans should do one for you.

I had elevated CA125 and a cyst: it was just a plain follicular cyst and the levels were due to endometriosis.

If the pain is nearly going with paracetamol alone then I don’t think it would prevent you going on holiday. Maybe add paracetamol in to the mix, or speak to your GP about other pain management options (once you are reassured of the cause of the cyst/pain).

Hope you get an answer soon and feel better and can enjoy your holiday x

DH went to surgery this morning and a referral letter was written. I’ve been lucky enough to get the last remaining appointment at a private hospital in South London for this evening.

Anywhere that advertises pregnancy scans should do one for you.

This isn’t true lots of these pregnancy scan places don’t have trained sonographers and sometimes USS still need radiologists/consultant sonographers to look at findings.

Yes I agree NOT. I’m glad I finally was able to access a ‘proper’ hospital. The consultant did the scans and is sending the report to the GP. I’m just fed up that we had such trouble getting the surgery to just accept they had to do a lette before I could book the scans

They are qualified (and most of them are moonlighting from the NHS) and if they find something they have a specific protocol to follow for urgent referral. Exactly the same as when you have a scan by a radiologist/sonographer in a hospital: they do the scan, sometimes give you an answer there and then and then send it off for review by specialist consultant.

I’m glad you were scanned so quickly by a Consultant, but that’s not usually accessible to people and private scanning places are a quick way for people to get answers/reassurance if they have a few weeks wait for an NHS scan.

@Bourdic
Did the consultant give you any ideas of what they saw?
I have had loads of scans- once every 4 months for a small ovarian cyst- and they would talk me through what they saw at the time THEN write to my consultant ( or have a chat if they were in the building at the same time while I was there.)

I agree there are levels of scanners/ radiologists; mine is a consultant and I feel far more reassured by that rather than someone who is just a technician. Im not sure of the level of qualifications but you can be a radiographer and do scans etc which is very different from a radiologist who is a dr with additional training.