What tests did your doctor do before surgery?

I found out I have a 15 centimeter big mass that is malignant.  The gynecological oncologist /surgeon my Doctor referred me to did not order any tests other than the ultrasound where this was found (on my right ovaries).  I had what my primary doctor now thinks was a pulled muscle on my upper right side and the radiologist noticed a lump and scanned lower.  What tests are standard for this BEFORE surgery?

How can you find out a doctors track record of successes and failures?

 

Hi ya!! i was diagnosed with cervical cancer 3 weeks ago, so I'm not sure what pre-op test are best suited for you but I first had a biopsy done & yesterday I went for a MRI. I think the MRI was the best test so far as they results were so positive. They could see exactly where my tumor is, the exact size of the tumor. They also found that my cancer was confined to this area & it had not affected my lymphnodes. My next step is surgery, which I will have in 2 weeks tme.

Hope this helps, never settle for only one explaination if you do not feel comfortable... go with your gut instinct.

Good luck.

Did you have the camera ultrasound up your vagina? I did and while the tech was doing the test I asked him "Am I going to be on the internet tonight?" His nurse cracked up but because of what he saw, he wasn't laughing. Two volleyball-sized cancerous tumors. But hey, have a sense of humor and your cancer recovery rate will be better.

 

 

On 6/25/2009 Caron wrote:

Hi ya!! i was diagnosed with cervical cancer 3 weeks ago, so I'm not sure what pre-op test are best suited for you but I first had a biopsy done & yesterday I went for a MRI. I think the MRI was the best test so far as they results were so positive. They could see exactly where my tumor is, the exact size of the tumor. They also found that my cancer was confined to this area & it had not affected my lymphnodes. My next step is surgery, which I will have in 2 weeks tme.

Hope this helps, never settle for only one explaination if you do not feel comfortable... go with your gut instinct.

Good luck.

Good luck, hun. And I hope your outcome is as good as mine. Two volley-ball sized cancerous tumors BUT they were low malignant tumors which procedure calls for no further treatment and I have a 97% chance that they got it all. But because I have an excellent surgeon at UCSD, she does not want to chance that 3% coming back. Sooooooooo I have to go in every 6 months for the rest of my life to make sure.

But they did diagnose me with depression. And I told them the many things that had happened to me after my OC diagnosis. My 16 y.o. that has been bullied for three years now received another cyber text bully message and I had called the vice principal and reported the cyber bullying AGAIN which is illegal since January of this year. Then shortly thereafter, our house was broken into and my daughters room was trashed. Every drawer turned upside down, bedding stripped and the mattress on the floor. All her makeup stolen along with her hair straightener, Ipod, Ihome and her old cell phone broken into three pieces. This bully hit her mark because my daughter was and is still terrified.

Then her biological grandmother found her on Facebook. Like she could not have considered my daughter's feelings and waited until she turned 18?? Then her biological mom called her and told that the reason she did not see her was because of me. That I told her that my daughter's grades were not good enough. Pathological liar offensive word removed . There are no grades in July as per our agreement for the once a year visit.She did not make one visit and she blamed this on me.

I was going through, well you know what I was going through emotionally, and just did not need this extra baggage  before surgery. So this made me sad. Pick on me but do not pick on my kid!

So I haven't been sleeping or eating well and I asked my doctor for sleeping pills. No, she said I needed to make an appointment in a week so she can talk to me about barbiturates and alcohol. I had just told my surgeon, in confidence, that I was using alcohol as a pain reliever after my pills ran out and the traitor told my primary doctor. And I specifically asked her if this conversation was confidential. So this made me sadder. I can't trust my surgeon to keep her mouth shut.

Thanks for letting me vent. Now I think I will cancel my appointment with my primary next week and get some sleeping pills on the black market. F.... her and her traitor friend my surgeon.

Oh and while I was updating my emails to my friends last night, the bully passed by our house and yelled f... you at the top of her lungs. Woke up my husband and probably many of our neighbors so I did not get one minute of sleep last night because I overreacted emotionally. I am going to file restraining orders on the bully and her boyfriend and pray that there will be no additional violence toward my daughter. Wish me luck! ): and hopefully they will back off.

I just know that if these things had happened before my diagnosis, I would have been able to handle things better emotionally.

 

Thanks.  I read about that thanks to postings like yours and insisted my primary care doctor order those tests even if the surgeon/gynocology oncologist did not.  It turns out the mass is even larger - 22x 19x 16x.  So I have something the size of a watermelon...and here I just thought I was over weight.  Can you tell me about after the surgery?  How much pain, how fast to recover, how are things going?  Are there any special preparations?  I live in two states.  In state A, after surgery I would have to climb 24 steps but the surgeon(at least on paper ) is better qualified, but this is the doc who did not order any extra tests and when I demanded them of my doc it turns out the cancer is bigger.  In state B, there is a comprehensive cancer center, but the doctor seems less well qualified, I would have to drive 3 1/2 hours away to get home, but our building when I get there has an elevator.

What is a comprehensive cancer center anyway?  is it really much better?

 

On 6/26/2009 Libertykid wrote:

Thanks.  I read about that thanks to postings like yours and insisted my primary care doctor order those tests even if the surgeon/gynocology oncologist did not.  It turns out the mass is even larger - 22x 19x 16x.  So I have something the size of a watermelon...and here I just thought I was over weight.  Can you tell me about after the surgery?  How much pain, how fast to recover, how are things going?  Are there any special preparations?  I live in two states.  In state A, after surgery I would have to climb 24 steps but the surgeon(at least on paper ) is better qualified, but this is the doc who did not order any extra tests and when I demanded them of my doc it turns out the cancer is bigger.  In state B, there is a comprehensive cancer center, but the doctor seems less well qualified, I would have to drive 3 1/2 hours away to get home, but our building when I get there has an elevator.

What is a comprehensive cancer center anyway?  is it really much better?

Comprehensive Cancer Center got better up to date, state of the art equipments and better care team of drs for you.  It is a lot better.  They dont use old txt book treatment as regular hospital.

Best wishes.

Victoria

Hello Dear-

I had a CT scan because of the ascites. I looked 6 mos. pregnant! It showed the location and size of ovarian cancer tumors on ovary uterus and abdominal wall. When the fluid was drained (9 lbs.!) ovarian cancer cells were found there. Those were the only tests. Later when it spread to some lymph nodes in my neck 8 months later a biopsy was done but no surgery. Just chemo.

Good luck,

Ann

When my dr wasn't sure I had ovarian cancer, I got a regular ultrasound, a transvaginal ultrasound, a CA blood test, and a day later, an MRI. Once the MRI results came back, my dr booked the surgery a few days later. I guess the test results looked like I had cancer so they wanted to rush to surgery. I was feeling fine and never thought I would be told the day after surgery that it was ovarian cancer and a complete hysterectomy was done! I hope your doctor is a Gynecological Oncologist! They have a better chance of getting the cancer out of the body due to their knowledge of the area. I wish you luck : )