Ovarian cysts post menopause
Common Questions and Answers about Ovarian cysts post menopause
ovarian-cysts
From what I have read most ovarian cysts, even in post-menopausal women, are benign and don't require intervention. This website by a reputable ob/gyn addresses this at the bottom of the webpage with the heading "Can an ovarian cyst form after menopause."
http://www.ovaryresearch.com/ovarian_cysts.htm
Absent a genetic predisposition for ovarian cancer such as BRCA1+ or BRCA2+, a woman's lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is less than 2%, 1.
Are you menopausal now or going through peri-menopause? If you're still having some cycles, then your cysts are probably normal. The cyst size is about the norm for monthly functional cysts. Hot flashes, emotional upheavals, erratic periods and insomnia are some of the usual symptoms of peri-menopause. Your doctor can monitor the cysts, make sure they don't get too large or cause problems.
Ovarian cysts are actually fairly common even after menopause. And most are benign / non-cancerous even complex ones. Most go away on their own so monitoring them via periodic ultrasounds is the standard of care in most cases. 3cm is actually quite small. All three of the cyst types mentioned - hemorrhagic, dermoid, an endometrioma - are always benign. This website explains the various types of cysts - http://ovaryresearch.com/ovarian_cysts.htm. I hope this eases your mind.
Benign cysts can form on menopausal women....and it is my understanding that someone is not in "menopause" until they have gone 12 months without having a period.
Most cysts, well over 90 percent are benign. Not sure what blood test the doctor is taking.
Best of luck and let us know how it goes!!!!
that is a very hard choice..many retain because even post menopause hormones trickle just a bit...personally I had mine removed reason..had , had tons of female troubles and thought take em then I will not have to worry about cysts or ovarian cancer,,,,which must be found very very early to be hopefull for a full recovery.
My gyn says that no period for ONE YEAR = menopause. You are very close to that milestone. Fibroids are supposed to lessen after menopause but you may not be at that advantage point yet. Ovarian cysts are a possibility...they can still occur after menopause although it doesn't make any sense since ovulation is supposed to be over. Maybe something goes terribly wrong with the final ovulation cycle. I don't think even the doctors understand why it happens, only that it does.
Unfortunately, complex ovarian cysts can occur from puberty to post menopause age. So, really, no one is exempt from this type of cyst. There is not a specific age range for these types of cysts. But, most occur in the 40's and 50's. A transvaginal ultraound, CT or MRI can help determine the size and type of cyst.
Stable small left ovarian cyst for 10 years. Post menopausal 12 years. Recent transvag ultrasound shows many new cysts small on both ovaries since last ultrasound 3 years ago. Md said right ovary looked like it was ovulating. Tumor marker labs done and both ovaries to be removed. Uterus is in place. Thanks for help.
My mother just called me yesterday with the same exact issue. She has started to bleed about 2 years post menopause. She contacted her doctor and had bloodwork done yesterday. They also scheduled an appt for April 8th. They want to do an ultrasound, pap and pelvic. They are a bit concerned since this isn't a common thing that happens.
My mother did mention that about 2 weeks prior to her period starting again that she had tender breasts and had felt sad.
Hello,
This mass can be a cyst , benign or malignant mass. Ovarian cysts in post-menopausal women are common but any cysts in a postmenopausal woman should be taken seriously and ovarian cancer should be ruled out by means of CA125 which you have already got done. Ovarian cysts are considered for removal if they cause pain or have tendency to become malignant or there is elevated CA125. Given your history of abdominal swelling, ovarian malignancy can be a possibility.
Ovarian cysts are very common and affect mainly women in their 30s and 40s. Women who are past menopause (ages 50-70) and have ovarian cysts have a higher risk of having ovarian cancer. The only way to diagnose ovarian cancer is looking at the cells under a microscope. There are tumour markers the doctors can test for called CA-125 and CA19-9 (both are blood tests) however numbers can be higher due to inflammation.
MRI following an ultrasound is not routine, no. Checking back 3 years is not routine, either. I don't understand the logic of that at all. The only time I've heard of doctors checking previous films was to check previous mammograms, not previous ovarian ultrasounds (at least not 3 years back). It's not just the sizes of cysts that matter, what about the nature of these cysts?
I started having abdominal pain after a recent fall. I actually thought I had jarred mybladder loose. Anyway the doc ordered an ultrasound. As soon as it was done the tech said we are going to show this to the radiologist and be right back. After sometime she came back and said we found no damage around your bladder but you do have a cyst on your ovary that is almost twice the size of your ovary. She said the radiologist would be calling my doctor this am with this information.
However, I read a statistic that up to 14 percent of women post menopause develop ovarian cysts! Pretty big number even if not common. A hormonal imbalance can cause these cysts. However, they usually resolve between 8 and 12 weeks. If you still have symptoms past that, I'd talk to your doctor again.
It is so fun being a woman. sigh.
I am a 54 post menopause woman with an elevated HCG blood test. I'm definitely not pregnant, what does this mean?
I have been having lower abdomen problems (burning constantly) for about a year. I have been seeing a Gastroenterologist and have numerous test done and have been diagnosed with GERD and Barretts Esophagus and IBS. I take medication and watch what I eat but nothing helps. I had a CT Scan for these problems and it showed a cystic mass on my ovary so I had to go to my Gyn and had a Pelvic Sonogram. I have read that sometimes Ovarian Cancer can have the same symptoms as these other problems.
re near menopause, the remaining ovary would continue to function until you reach menopause if you chose surgery. A laparascopic surgery to remove the cyst and ovary would be the only way to know for sure if the cyst is benign however. Most cysts are benign but size is not the determining factor. I just had a 10 cm cyst removed (laparascopically I might add) 2 weeks ago. She removed the ovary and tube. I was so happy to find out it was benign but also happy to have it out of there.
I am curious why your doctor is going to remove both ovaries and tubes (I assume keeping your uterus)? Ovarian cysts and tumors are almost always benign even after menopause.
The ovaries produce hormones a woman's whole life. Their removal even after menopause has been shown to do more harm than good. One study showed earlier mortality even if removed as late as age 75.
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