Cervical/Ovarian/Uterine Cancer

[savannahgirl]

Hi my name is Melissa and I have health anxiety. It started 13 years ago when my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She did very well in her treatment and today is healthier than me, I think.   Since then every tiny pain anywhere near my pelvic region is OC and I will be dead in months. I am on Bc pills and get my yearly exams, but the fear is still ever present.  I have read stories on Google (God help me) about women who got Oc even on BC pills. This sends me in a tail spin.  I know BC pills lower your risk but having a parent with it raises your risk so I am "sure" I'm going to get it any second. 

I had an abnormal pap smear last September and retested in February and everything came back clear. BUT, here is the kicker.  My dr said the abnormal test showed Atypical Glandular Cells of Unknown Significance. I was also HPV negative. Of course I trot home and straight to my good friend Dr. Google. Everything and I mean everything I read was devastating.I read well over 100 pages of Google returns.  All women who had these "cells" ended up with either uterine or cervical cancer. It went on about how rare these cells are on a pap test and that Dr's should do a uterine biopsy because that was usually where the cancer was. Of course my Dr just did a repeat pap which Web Md made sure to point out was NOT the protocol. So since then I have been in a tail spin I can not pull out of. I just know my dr made a mistake by not doing the so called "correct" testing. My husband called him and told him how bad I was and he reassured my husband there was nothing to worry about and he is going to check again in 6 months. I have no symptoms, other than what the anxiety has brought up. But I just know something sinister is growing in my cervix and/or uterus and will be dead by July. My IBS has gone haywire. I wake up every morning in a panic attack, racing heart dizzy, terrified to get out of bed. This has been going on since February and I have only had 1 episode that came close to this about 4 years ago when I thought I had pancreatic cancer and was diagnosed with IBS. I was happily able to accept that diagnosis but I can't this one. I keep thinking "how does the Dr know something isn't growing if he didn't do the test that all the other Dr's in the world does with this AGCUS."  My husband is the best you could ask for as he has anxieties of his own, usually not health though. I am exhausted and feel I can't continue.  I'm not on any meds except vitamins. I had no where else to turn until I found this site and realize I am not alone, which helps. Any insight on this would be greatly appreciated. I am at the end of the rope.

[ceh1354]

Hi and Welcome!
One thing you should remember is that the Dr.'s career is on the line if he tells you nothing to worry about and he turns out to be wrong. I'm sure he is doing what is best.

I just went and re-read your post- am I correct that your abnormal pap was in Sept, you retested in Feb and it was normal?? Right? If so, what are you worried about?? If something was wrong, it wouldn't "go away" on it's own. If your latest pap was normal, then nothing is wrong. End of story. IMO, your Dr should not have mentioned that you were AGCUS if it didn't matter after the fact. And of course, you should not have Googled!! 

Here's something else: you wouldn't have advanced cancer and have no symptoms!!

I just went through the Pap thing, after having skipped a few years and believe me, I know the fear. But honestly, I believe you should not be worrying about this. Go in again in 6 months and get checked like your Dr. said and just try to let it go.

[savannahgirl]

I know you are right, thats what I've been trying to tell myself. I also agree you 100% that he should not have told me what the cells were. I think then I would have just re-tested got the clear result and went on with my happy existence.  But because it was such rare cells for a pap, I am in a tail spin. Also since my IBS is put of whack now thanks to the stress, I've been having pains in my left ribs and lower left side that now has me wondering about colon cancer. I HATE HA. When it rains it pours. One symptom and worry leads to another and another. I just want to get back to feeling normal, like I was at the end of December.    My husband keeps telling me to go to a GP for a second opinion, I don't even have a gp, just a gynecologist. I'm terrified this anxiety will follow me into the summer and ruin the summer like it has the last couple of months. 

[mariea]

You poor thing!!  I have hpv and my pap went from mild to moderate in a year and then I had to get a leep.  THen it came back!! I though I was going to get cancer for sure, but it finally went away ..although I have another pap coming up and I'm stressing.  So i know how you feel, but honestly try to relax.  I would talk to your dr and ask for a biopsy. Google is always worst case scenario.  Most likely you are just fine but a biopsy would certainly put your mind to rest.  Keep in mind that this is probably not the first time your dr had a pt with these results.  If every one of them turned to cancer then he would be doing a biopsy on you without you asking. 
IBS is typically caused by muscle tension in the pelvic muscles.  This is not well known, but I know this because I have a chronic pelvic pain where the internal pelvic muscles went into spasm.  I was in physical therapy for years (you have to find a specialized therapist for this) and they talked about ibs.  It is one of the symptoms of muscle spasm.  It causes your muscles to not function properly, so it can slow things down or move things to quickly..hence constipation or diarrhea.  Hypnosis works well to relieve symptoms because it helps a person relax.  SO- it doesn't surprise me that your ibs has flared right now. Any type of stress affects the muscles.  There is a great book by Amy Stein called Heal Pelvic Pain.  IBS is one of the symptoms she mentions.  Good luck and hope everything turns out ok :)

[Slangevar]

Hi Savannahgirl - I'm sorry to hear your mom had ovarian cancer, but how great that she's doing well!  I can imagine that would spark some fears about reproductive cancers.  So let's talk about those:

Cervical cancer: If you're going to get cancer, this is the one to get. Now that you've had an abnormal pap (which is insanely common... you wouldn't believe how many of my friends have had one and they're all fine), your doc will have you come in more regularly for pap smears... probably every 6 months to 1 year. If you continue to get tested every year, your chances of actually developing cervical cancer are around zero.  That's because your doc will identify and treat changes in your cervix LONG before they've had a chance to transform into cancer.

Uterine cancer: Same thing... as long as you go in for regular gynecological exams, your doc will find and treat pre-cancerous changes to that area long before they're able to become a problem.

Ovarian cancer: This one is trickier.  There are three accepted tests for ov/ca: 1) The uncomfortable rectal test where your doc inserts a finger into your rectum to feel for changes to your ovaries, 2) a transvaginal ultrasound, and 3) a blood test (though this has a false positive problem, so it's not used all that often).  I learned at the Revlon Run/Walk for breast and ovarian cancer that most gynecologists do not even perform one of those tests on their younger, asymptomatic patients.

My gynecologist does both of the first tests EVERY TIME I COME IN.  My patient file is like a scrapbook of my ovaries (he prints out photos each time), which is hugely comforting for me. And given that your mom had ov/ca, it's doubly important for you. If this isn't already the case, insist on a trans-vaginal ultrasound once a year.  If your gynecologist tries to convince you it's not important (as many of my friends' docs have done), find another doctor who appreciates why this is important for you.

And that's it. If you get checked out once a year and make sure that your doc does a TV ultrasound, your chances of actually getting reproductive cancer are virtually nil.