CA 125 is 242, 5 cms left ovarian cyst, remove ovary, too?

Pelvic sonogram showed 5 cms cyst on my left ovary, the report says it could be chocolate cyst or hemorrhagic cyst. Going to try to see the GYN today. Can a 5 cms cyst cause constant pain in lower abdomen and low back? I am trying to tolerate the pain as much as I can, worst is when I wake up in the morning. Do birth control pills actually shrink the cyst?

Yes a cyst of that size can cause pain. I had a 6 cm by 6 cm cyst on my right ovary two years ago and it was painful. Two years before that I had the same size cyst in my right ovary. That was excruciating.

Birth control pills are suppose to control endometriosis. Unfortunately it didnt for me.

What's your treatment plan? I thought normally once cysts get above 4 cm surgery is the only option. Have the cyst surgically removed.

Sorry to be a downer.

Thank you. Going to see my GYN today, to see what options she proposes. Did you end up getting yours removed surgically?

I did. First laprascopy had the cyst drained (80 cc of fluid) and clean up of severe endometriosis. Went on Lupron for six months to shut down my reproductive system to heal. Lupron only provided two months of relief. Pain was overwhelming.

Two years later I elected to have my right ovary removed due to cyst on it. Mild endo removed.

Then this year I elected for full hysterectomy. My doc found endo and scar tissue that had pulled my left ovary down below my uterus. Ugh.

Wow..all this must have been so hard for you. It is so depressing when there is pain all the time. Mine is not overwhelming for last couple of days, but was bad before then. I also feel more tired than usual. Can't wait to see the GYN, will update here on what she says. Thank you so very much for sharing.

My GYN wanted to monitor the cyst and see if it shrinks in a month or so, but she also ordered a CA 125 test to be on safe side. It came back as 242, and she asked me to go and see a GYN/Oncologist asap. He is suggesting that we better remove the cyst, and while he is in there, he will also remove any endometriosis if he finds any. I was wondering if we should wait for a month, but because of CA 125 count, he does not think we should. What is experience on this forum - is that count high enough for cancer?

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Originally Posted by srishti1775 ...is that count high enough for cancer?

Yes and no. The CA-125 is very unreliable for premenopausal women. In fact, it is better used to monitor cancer treatment in women with known ovarian cancer. Otherwise, it can be very inconclusive as there are so many reasons for an elevated CA-125 including active endometriosis.

Personally, with a possible cancer concern I would follow the advice of a gynecological oncologist. If you are unsure about the opinion of the one you saw, get a second opinion from another gynecological oncologist and go from there. When there is a possibility of cancer you don't want to wait too long, but you also want to make wise decisions as there is no going back.

Because you do have an endometriosis diagnosis, you also want to make sure any surgeon will be able to excise any existing endometriosis. Some gynecological oncologists are able to this so you could take care of two issues at once but be sure to ask the oncologist prior to surgery.

Try not to panic, but you should also be persistent about your situation.

Thank you so much. He did tell me that he will remove endo also, but I am going to confirm one more time on Monday.

I have a 5 cms chocolate cyst on my left ovary, and CA 125 count is 242, so they want to remove the ovary. My gynecologist oncologist says that it would be better to remove the entire ovary, since if he removes cyst, there is still a chance that some cells could wander around. I am wondering if it is worth it to lose an entire organ, and if I should just go for removal of cyst.

Because there is a cancer concern, it is very unlikely you would find a surgeon who would be willing to leave the ovary behind unless it could be determined in advance that the cyst is definitely not cancer. As your oncologist stated, removing just the cyst could leave behind tissue that could be a concern if pathology determines you do have a cancer issue.

Have you scheduled a second opinion? Another oncologist might decide the cyst is definitely not cancerous and could then offer you different options.