Pre-op biopsy? Why is it necessary?

Shelia, I hope you get answers. I think it is odd for your main gyn. to send you over there and not tell you exactly why. More than odd, I think it is mean and cruel.

My CA-125 is slightly elevated and I have a white nodule on my very enlarged ovary. They are not doing a biopsy and I wondered why. I now realize it is because of the location of my ovary. They will have to take my uterus out just to get to it. I will have one of the best gyn onc. surgeons assist my gyn. in the surgery and she will do everything that needs to be done if the section comes back as cancer. To my knowledge, they can do a frozen section (at least that is what it used to be called) while they are in there during the surgery. They told me if it was not cancer, they would proceed with a normal hyst. If it was cancer, she would then take out the omentum, the lymph nodes and take tissue samples from all around my abdominal area, and examine all my other organs for signs of cancer. The final path will take about a week to get back in my case. I have heard anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to a month on path reports. I guess it depends on what they are looking for and where it has to be sent. In my case she said it would go before a tumor board and 12 or more Drs. would review my case. It would take about a week for the process. Too long to wait for me, but she assured me I would rather wait and have a full diagnoses than hear multiple answers.

It's all very scary to me but I try every moment to focus on the positive. I'm glad I didn't have a biopsy so I didn't have 1 more thing to worry about. I am just getting ready and hoping this is just a routine hyst, all my paths will be clear and I can go on about my life. I pray the same is the case for you too.

Sandra