Had Breast Cancer With Mastectomy. Radiation Done. Found Cyst On Ovary. Concerned For Cancer

Posted on Mon, 11 Mar 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 Answered on

Wed, 3 Apr 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I recently had breast cancer with mastectomy in July. Finished with radiation and chemo. Have had an approximately 3 cm cyst on my left ovary since last January. Has very minimally increased in size and is considered hyperechoic with a daughter cyst inside. Some pain, but not constant. Currently monitoring it, but concerned about malignancy. Do complex cysts usually mean cancer?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (1 hour later)

Hi XXXXXXX.
Complex cysts usually dont mean cancer,most of them are benign and there is no need to be concerned. Considering your genetic predispostion for malignancies there is a need for detailed and repeated examinations of this cysts. It means that the most important factor which tells us about its nature is its size. Every cyst causes lower abdominal pain and irregular bleeding sometimes, malignant and benign both.
Guidelines suggest that some of image tests CT, ultrasound or laparoscopy should be done every 4-6 months to evaluate size and growth tendency of cyst. If it compress any organ around it, becomes torsioned or bleeds actively then it must be surgically removed. So just dont worry, if it shows any suspect sign it will be found in time.
Blood tests may also be helpful: especially tumor marker Ca-125 test and hormone levels. Tamoxifen can cause hormonal imbalance and benign ovarian cysts but this is not reason for stop taking it.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions I will be happy to help

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar