Having the WORST time - ovarian and vulvar cancer worries

[ylva]

Thank you so much for your reply o_o! No, the sonographer never said anything. She just said I needed to come back in 6 weeks for another ultrasound. I asked her if it was cancer or anything and she said, 'i don't think so', which really frightened me!

Yes, I've been given steroid cream but I'm quite worried about using it in such an intimate area. I suppose I should just do it!

[WiseMonkey]

Hi, yes use the cream, I suspect it's something like Dermol which should settle it down quite quickly. For long term use there are now creams that are very effective but don't thin out the skin like cortisone does. One is called Elidel, which is a topical immunomodulator. It costs more that the steroid cream but is far more user friendly. Lichen Sclerosis is an autoimmune condition so it may be ongoing or you may go through flares of it. If it's well controlled, the likelihood of vulval cancer developing is very low. The Dr should be able to keep an eye on things and test for anything that looks suspicious.

Did the sonographer use dopler imaging, which shows blood flow to the cyst? There is also a blood test CA-125 which tests for ovarian cancer, which you are very unlikely to have. If there was anything really suspicious I think you would have been referred on quickly. There are various types of cysts which are benign and they are far more common that OC. I had cyst removed from my ovary 31 years ago which was benign and it was the size of a tennis ball!

Try to talk to your Dr about the scan results to get a clearer picture and ask about the blood test. Take care x

[ylva]

Thank you so so much for your response WiseMonkey! Such useful information.

I'll ask my doctor about Elidel, that sounds really good. I'm going to try and see the GP every 3 months for a check up of that area. It causes too much anxiety when I have to do it myself.

Yes, the sonographer used dopler imaging and said there was no blood flow to the cyst, so I'm guessing that's a good sign, thank goodness. I haven't been offered that blood test and I guess they would offer it if they were concerned. I'm speaking to my doctor tomorrow morning about the scan results - so nervous about it and keep picturing him saying it looks like something really bad. :-( Wow, I can't believe you had such a large cyst removed. Sounds uncomfortable! It's reassuring to know that you were ok after that.
Thank you so much again! I'll update with how it all went.

[ErinKC]

My mom has the same condition and has had it for many, many years without issues. She's 67 now.

As for cysts, I have fibroids so I get a lot of ultrasounds and I always have a cyst on one of my ovaries. This is really normal. They typically come and go throughout your cycle.