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Can Ovarian Cysts Lead To Ovarian Cancer?
Question: Hi,
The ultrasound findings for my mother who is 57 years of ages states: Right ovary appears enlarged and cystic measures 4.6x3.6x3.9cm or 35cc. while the left ovary normal in size and echo pattern and measures 2.3x1.1cm.
Wanted to know if there is anything to fear about from the findings and what chances of ovarian cancer is there from such findings
Regards
XXXX
The ultrasound findings for my mother who is 57 years of ages states: Right ovary appears enlarged and cystic measures 4.6x3.6x3.9cm or 35cc. while the left ovary normal in size and echo pattern and measures 2.3x1.1cm.
Wanted to know if there is anything to fear about from the findings and what chances of ovarian cancer is there from such findings
Regards
XXXX
Brief Answer:
detailed answer below
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
I understand your query. As of now there is nothing to worry about.
Ovarian cysts are not uncommon and most of them are non cancerous. A size of the cyst less than 5-6 cm indicates that the chances of them being cancerous are very low. However the age of 57 does pose a very small risk of cancer.
As of now I suggest that there are a few tests that can be done to help determine if the cysts are cancerous or not. However these tests too have their limitations as they are not always positive in women with cancer and may be postive sometimes in women without cancer.
Neverthless for similar women in my clinic I prefer to do CA125, Beta HCG, AFP and LDH blood tests. If any of these is positive then the likelihood of cancer is increased and so further testing and surgery is needed. However if they are negative then I prefer follow up scans every 2-3 months for 2-3 cycles to see if the cysts are growing. If they are decreasing then nothing needs to be done. If they grow then surgery is an option.
Other findings in cancerous tumors are loculated or variegated appearence and increased blood flow. So please check if the ultrasound report mentions this.
For women with family history of ovarian, breast or intestinal cancer, surgery is a better option as these cancers are genetically linked.
Hope this satisfies your query.
Thanks for using HCM.
Feel free to ask any more questions that you may have.
Dr Madhuri Bagde
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist
detailed answer below
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
I understand your query. As of now there is nothing to worry about.
Ovarian cysts are not uncommon and most of them are non cancerous. A size of the cyst less than 5-6 cm indicates that the chances of them being cancerous are very low. However the age of 57 does pose a very small risk of cancer.
As of now I suggest that there are a few tests that can be done to help determine if the cysts are cancerous or not. However these tests too have their limitations as they are not always positive in women with cancer and may be postive sometimes in women without cancer.
Neverthless for similar women in my clinic I prefer to do CA125, Beta HCG, AFP and LDH blood tests. If any of these is positive then the likelihood of cancer is increased and so further testing and surgery is needed. However if they are negative then I prefer follow up scans every 2-3 months for 2-3 cycles to see if the cysts are growing. If they are decreasing then nothing needs to be done. If they grow then surgery is an option.
Other findings in cancerous tumors are loculated or variegated appearence and increased blood flow. So please check if the ultrasound report mentions this.
For women with family history of ovarian, breast or intestinal cancer, surgery is a better option as these cancers are genetically linked.
Hope this satisfies your query.
Thanks for using HCM.
Feel free to ask any more questions that you may have.
Dr Madhuri Bagde
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi,
Thank you doctor for this advise. My mother has reached menopause quite a few years back and also there are no mention of any other findings from the ultrasound and she also doesn't have any outward problem as of now. Do you suggest any other test in particular for such cases which kind of ascertains if there is any need to panic now or to check if its benign
Thank you doctor for this advise. My mother has reached menopause quite a few years back and also there are no mention of any other findings from the ultrasound and she also doesn't have any outward problem as of now. Do you suggest any other test in particular for such cases which kind of ascertains if there is any need to panic now or to check if its benign
Brief Answer:
detailed answer below
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back,
There is no need to panic as of now.
I always recommend the tests as they do help to rule out cancer in a small percent of women and they are the only available tools as of now.
I also recommend you to discuss these with her gynecologist as she must have examined your mother and we gynecologists can feel the tumor on internal examination in most cases and cancerous ones are different to feel than simple ones. So she may be also able to give an opinion about the findings on examination.
There is no other test and the only other option is removing the tumor and then examining under the microscope to actually see what it is.
Your description indicates that it is more likely a non cancerous simple cyst. So I suggest you get the blood tests done and then if they are negative follow up with ultrasound. If it does not grow then no need to worry.
Do not panic ovarian tumors are common but we just advise a word of caution due to the age and so it is better to get tested.
Hope this answers the query.
I am always here to help you.
Take care.
Dr Madhuri
detailed answer below
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back,
There is no need to panic as of now.
I always recommend the tests as they do help to rule out cancer in a small percent of women and they are the only available tools as of now.
I also recommend you to discuss these with her gynecologist as she must have examined your mother and we gynecologists can feel the tumor on internal examination in most cases and cancerous ones are different to feel than simple ones. So she may be also able to give an opinion about the findings on examination.
There is no other test and the only other option is removing the tumor and then examining under the microscope to actually see what it is.
Your description indicates that it is more likely a non cancerous simple cyst. So I suggest you get the blood tests done and then if they are negative follow up with ultrasound. If it does not grow then no need to worry.
Do not panic ovarian tumors are common but we just advise a word of caution due to the age and so it is better to get tested.
Hope this answers the query.
I am always here to help you.
Take care.
Dr Madhuri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi I had earlier written to this forum in regards to my ovarian cysts that my mother has. Recently doctors had asked her for a CA-125 test.
The results are here and as follows
SERUM CA 125 : 4.2 U/mL
(Chemiluminescence Immunoassay)
(Architect, Abbot)
(94.4% of healthy subjects have values <35 U/mL.)
Wanted to know what it means pls.
The results are here and as follows
SERUM CA 125 : 4.2 U/mL
(Chemiluminescence Immunoassay)
(Architect, Abbot)
(94.4% of healthy subjects have values <35 U/mL.)
Wanted to know what it means pls.
Brief Answer:
The level is low.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back,
The CA 125 is used to know if ovarian tumors are cancerous or not. In most of the cancerous ovarian tumors called epithelial tumors, CA 125 is raised. Your mothers value is 4.5 which is normal. The test is not very sensitive means that it can be false negative in few women with cancer and false positive in a few women without cancer. However it being negative does indicate that the chances that the tumors are cancerous is low and combined with the tumor sizes, I feel that most likely they are not cancerous. So the chances that the ovarian cysts are epithelial cancers is low.
This indicates that most likely the tumors are non cancerous ones.
Hope this helps.
Feel free for any more queries.
Dr Madhuri
The level is low.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back,
The CA 125 is used to know if ovarian tumors are cancerous or not. In most of the cancerous ovarian tumors called epithelial tumors, CA 125 is raised. Your mothers value is 4.5 which is normal. The test is not very sensitive means that it can be false negative in few women with cancer and false positive in a few women without cancer. However it being negative does indicate that the chances that the tumors are cancerous is low and combined with the tumor sizes, I feel that most likely they are not cancerous. So the chances that the ovarian cysts are epithelial cancers is low.
This indicates that most likely the tumors are non cancerous ones.
Hope this helps.
Feel free for any more queries.
Dr Madhuri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
Hi Doc,
Thanks for this response. Post this test is there any requirement for any other investigation that is required to rule out any problems later.
Also i had another query..my younger sister is 25 years of age..is fairly healthy but has very low flow during her periods that generally last for 4 days. Also she has been getting some small eruptions near the labia area-meaning on the outer walls of her vaginal opening. Generally it would happen around the time her periods were due and disappear post that..but this time it has come back early and she is experiencing pain also.
Please suggest what can be done.
Thanks for this response. Post this test is there any requirement for any other investigation that is required to rule out any problems later.
Also i had another query..my younger sister is 25 years of age..is fairly healthy but has very low flow during her periods that generally last for 4 days. Also she has been getting some small eruptions near the labia area-meaning on the outer walls of her vaginal opening. Generally it would happen around the time her periods were due and disappear post that..but this time it has come back early and she is experiencing pain also.
Please suggest what can be done.
Brief Answer:
ultrasound after 3 months needed.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
The other follow up that is needed is a follow up ultrasound after about 3 months to see if the cysts are growing. If they are, then it is better to remove them. If they are not increasing then another scan after again 3-4 months and then according to your doctors descretion will be needed.
About your sister: The eruptions could be due to various reasons. Common ones are warts and herpes infections. Other infections due to bacteria may also present in a similar fashion.
So it is better to seek an opinion of a doctor get examined and then treat them.
Regarding the low flow, we are generally not worried about flow if the preiods are regular. Causes of less flow are genital tuberculosis and small uterus. These are rare causes and most of the time it is physiological [ normal]. An ultrasound done just before the preiods will help determine the size of the uterus as well as the thickness of the endometrium and may aid in diagnosis. TB can be ruled out by a tuberculin or TB IgG test. Personally I feel that if there is bleeding for 4 days then it is more than enough and there is no need to worry.
Hope this helps.
I am always welcome to any more queries.
Take care,
Dr Madhuri
ultrasound after 3 months needed.
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
The other follow up that is needed is a follow up ultrasound after about 3 months to see if the cysts are growing. If they are, then it is better to remove them. If they are not increasing then another scan after again 3-4 months and then according to your doctors descretion will be needed.
About your sister: The eruptions could be due to various reasons. Common ones are warts and herpes infections. Other infections due to bacteria may also present in a similar fashion.
So it is better to seek an opinion of a doctor get examined and then treat them.
Regarding the low flow, we are generally not worried about flow if the preiods are regular. Causes of less flow are genital tuberculosis and small uterus. These are rare causes and most of the time it is physiological [ normal]. An ultrasound done just before the preiods will help determine the size of the uterus as well as the thickness of the endometrium and may aid in diagnosis. TB can be ruled out by a tuberculin or TB IgG test. Personally I feel that if there is bleeding for 4 days then it is more than enough and there is no need to worry.
Hope this helps.
I am always welcome to any more queries.
Take care,
Dr Madhuri
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
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