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Can you have Ovarian Cancer without a cyst?

Mummyoftwo
  • 2 replies
  • 41 subscribers
  • 447 views

I have been experiencing symptoms for over a year and a half now and have been bouncing around different consultants.

Symptoms consist of bloating and heavy pressure, tummy and right pelvic pain, weight loss, back pain, constipation and urge to pee all the time (microscopic blood is always detected in my sample).

I had my stomach and bladder checked out and it was ok apart from the fact that I am retaining about 70% when I did a defecogram and flow was really slow during a video urodynamics test. My urologist mentioned seeing a mass pushing against the posterior wall of my bladder but doesn’t know what it could be. I’ve had MRI scans and this mass was never mentioned/picked up? 

I have increased my uptake in water and fibre and changed my diet, did the FODMAP but nothing helps with the bloating or toilet issues.

i am really scared that it could be ovarian cancer. I’ve had an ultrasound and transvaginal ultrasound done and a small fibroid was detected. Can ovarian cancer be ruled out if no cyst was picked up or is a laparoscopy and biopsy the only way to really know what’s going on inside? Can a fibroid be mistaken for something else? Is a cyst always present with ovarian cancer? 

  • Hi ,

    My name is Matthew, and I work as part of the Online Community Team. We're the team who work on supporting the Online Community to make sure it stays safe and working well.

    I’m so sorry to read about your ongoing symptoms, and how you have been to see various different consultants with no clear outcome so far.

    Because you are asking for advice relating to a diagnosis, I have moved your question over to our Ask a Nurse forum. One of our qualified Cancer Information Nurse Specialists will be best placed to provide you with advice on your medical query.

    A Cancer Information Nurse Specialist will aim to reply to your question within the next 1 to 3 working days.

    If you need support with anything else in the meantime, please don’t forget you can always call our Macmillan Support Line teams. They’re available from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week, on freephone 0808 808 00 00, by email, or via live webchat.

    All the best,
    Matthew
    Macmillan Online Community Team

  • in reply to Matthew - Macmillan

    Hello ,

    Thanks for getting in touch. My name is Adele, I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurses on the Macmillan Support Line.

    Welcome to our online community and thanks for posting your question.  I see you have joined some of our cancer forums and I hope you have found them helpful and supportive.

    Sorry to hear about the symptoms you have been experiencing.  It is understandable that you are concerned about cancer.  It can also be difficult when you are being seen by different doctors.  Sometimes it can feel that you are receiving different information and trying to make sense of it all can be hard.

    The symptoms of ovarian cancer can include a change to your bowel habit along with bloating, pressure on your bladder and pain in your tummy (abdomen). 

    If cancer is suspected the doctors will arrange different types of tests and investigations to enable them to see if there is any evidence of a mass or changes suggestive of cancer.  Each of these tests show different things and often a combination is used.

    When the sonographer or radiologist performed the ultrasound they would have looked for any changes suggestive of a cancer and not just a cyst.  This can include looking at the texture of the ovaries (and surrounding structures) and any difference in size or shape of the ovary, to build a picture of what is happening. Sometimes they can find things that are not related to cancer, including fibroids.

    Many women (around 2 in 3) develop a fibroid and they are a very common finding on an ultrasound of the womb.  It is very rare for these to develop into cancer (the British Fibroid Trust quote 0.2% risk).

    MRI scans can also be a useful tool in identifying any tumours or changes in the pelvis.  However, as with all investigations, there are some limitations.

    Sometimes a laparoscopy can be helpful, and it is something that your consultants may consider.  It would be worth asking them specifically if they think it would be useful, when you are next seen and they will be able to explain why it may, or may not, be appropriate or necessary to do one.  It can also help detect other conditions which may cause some of the symptoms you describe, for example endometriosis.

    I also think you should ask about the comment made by your urologist.  If you have a nurse specialist at the hospital it can sometimes be helpful to ring them to clarify what they have seen, what they think the cause of your symptoms are and what the next step will be.  Sometimes it can help to prepare for your next appointment, and we have hints and tips about the question to ask your health care team on our website.

    It may also be helpful to talk to your GP as they will have the oversight from all of the different teams you have been seen by and they can sometimes cast light on what is happening.

    When talking to your team it may be helpful to request a referral to a dietician.  They can give advice and support about how to adjust your diet to help your symptoms.  Sometimes keeping a record of your symptoms can also help, as it can identify any triggers that may make things worse and help when you are explaining to the health care team what you are experiencing and how it is impacting on your life.

    We often find we can help more by exploring these questions over the phone. If this is something you think would help, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch via our support line on 0808 808 0000. We are available 7 days a week, 8am-8pm.

    I hope this information is useful. Please don’t hesitate to get back in contact by email, webchat or phone, if you need further information or support.

    The Macmillan Support Line offers practical, clinical, financial and emotional support. You can call us free from landlines and from most mobile phone networks on 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week, 8am – 8pm.

     

    Best wishes, Adele

    Cancer Information Nurse Specialist 

     

    Ref AON/LZD

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