Question to Jessie!

wackygal

Veteran Member

Joined : Jul 2003

Posts : 857

Posted 10/21/2004 11:00 PM (GMT 0)

hey there Jessie- I saw your comment about the cysts ("If you have a tumor all types of sonograms can pick it up. Unlike a breast sonogram, a pelvic does not miss things. They clearly see the ovaries, uterus and even the thickenss of the uterine lining.") and I had a question... do sonograms pick up ov ca in the early stages? I am so confused about ov ca and WHY they say it is "virtually undetectable" until a Stage IV.....doesn't that mean sonograms *can't* pick up abnomalities??

I am not trying to be argumentative, I truly want to know, since, if I could just get a pelvic ultrasound every 6 months or so, and that would give me peace of mind that we'd find something in it's very early stages, I might opt for that....but I don't think that's the case, which is why I am asking you... I know you are the "cyst guru"!!!! ;-)

thank you thank you!
Stef

jessiecat

Veteran Member

Joined : Jan 2004

Posts : 693

Posted 10/21/2004 11:32 PM (GMT 0)

I think the stat that "most OVCAs are only caught at stage 4" is based on the fact that a woman doesn't have any SYMPTOMS to warrant getting a pelvic sonogram. So by the time she feels pain, the tests are done and they see the tumor it is already at stage 4.

Women with polycystic Ovaries have larger than normal ovaries. But with ovarian cancer your ovaries can appear large too.

Remember when you got the doppler? If you had a tumor that would indicate ovarian ca, the doppler would have picked up blood flow to the tumor. Meaning it had its own blood supply which is NOT a good thing.

A simple cyst does not have its own blood supply.

I don't know if bi-annual sonos would help. Margaret321 might be a better one to ask. But I have been followed like that on and off since I was 15 years old. I have watched so many sonos done on me I can name the parts they are looking at- it is actually fun to freak out the techs.

But they always measure the size of my ovaries. Let's say yours were 3cm by 2cm last month. And you went again in February and they were 6cm by 5 cm- a doc would want to do an exploratory lap to check them out.

But the "virtually undetectible" I believe is for the SYMPTOMS not the actual physiological findings.

What I was trying to tell Ellen in that post is the sonos can pick up pretty much everything- including the thickness of her uterine lining and I believe that is where they found a concern- a thickening of the uterine lining.

Did any of this make sense?

You can ask me anything you want as long as it doesn't have to do with math or geography.

love,
jess

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