Suspected colon cancer spread to ovary or ovarian spread to colon-any advice so gratefully appreciated

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Hello,

I’ve just turned 56, no health issues and following a post menopausal bleed on 13th October, was referred for an ultrasound which showed a mass on my left ovary with malignant features.

Subsequent CT scan has revealed a thickening of my colon, shadow over my hip bone and a nodule that is causing concern (said they were unsure whether this was in/outside the intestine just below my stomach). Blood tests have shown all tumour markers to be abnormal but they have not given me any figures

initially, I was only told of the ovarian mass and the nodule by the Gynaecologist. A week later I saw the Gastroenterologist to discuss the nodule and he was surprised I was unaware of the colon thickening. He has booked me for a colonoscopy for tomorrow, in his exact words ‘I need to ascertain if the primary site is the ovary or the colon’. I was so shocked I couldn’t speak, nodded at the instructions for the colonoscopy and left.

I chased the Gynaecologist the following day (last Friday) for my blood results when out of the blue he mentioned the shadow on the hip bone and that he was trying to find a radiologist to do a bone biopsy but, as yet, the radiologists he had spoken to did not feel they were the right one to carry out the procedure. He said he would call me Monday, now Wednesday and no call. My partner has called his secretary and left a message.

I am losing confidence and wondering what else they have not yet told me.

I have just about held it together but today have had an absolute meltdown, I am shaking uncontrollably and can’t stop crying. Having really dark thoughts that I simply can’t shake.

Any help or advice you can share to help me cope please.

court over 3 years ago

Hi P Lily

Welcome to the forum . What a difficult time you are having . Gathering the information together at the beginning causes so much anxiety.

However once a treatment plan is pulled together others report it helping a lot . To put that into context if you click on my user name you can read my mum’s story as she navigated a bowel cancer diagnosis that had spread first to her liver then to her lung .

However despite a difficult start she made great progress gaining shrinkage through chemotherapy and then was able to bring in other treatments to assist . You will see quite a few patients on bowel cancer treatments for five and six years and continuing to do well .

It is very easy and totally understandable to think the worst but there is a lot of different treatments now to gain stability where possible and this can open up other options. They will come up with a good plan for you however this stage is very hard and I think everyone here would agree with that .

Our helpline staff cover the emotional aspects too so if you need a chat please consider phoning them .0808 808 0000 . Your GP is also part of your team and good at helping in these early days .

Take care ,

Court

Helpline Number 0808 808 0000

P Lily over 3 years ago in reply to court

Hi Court

Thank you so much for your reply, and for sharing your Mum’s story- it has given me hope.

I will also get in touch with my GP as you suggested. I just can’t think straight at this time, I seem to reel through every emotion at a great speed.

Thank you again for reaching out, I am so grateful.