Why did they take my womb away if there was no cancer? DR ELLIE CANNON answers your questions

I suffered from intermittent bleeding during intercourse, bloating, back pain and frequent urination and occasional heavy periods for two years.

My GP initially told me I needed to lose weight, but later referred me for a total hysterectomy for suspected ovarian cancer.

After the operation, tests showed it wasn’t cancer after all. I had actually suffered from ovarian cysts and a fibroid. I was shocked and now I feel like I went through all of this needlessly. What are you saying?

Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect because symptoms can be fairly nonspecific and mild until it’s quite advanced – which is one of the reasons less than half of the women diagnosed with the disease live longer than five years .

So if doctors suspect a woman has ovarian cancer, they will often be quick to track her down for treatment because the tests may not be definitive.

Bloating, a change in urinary tract symptoms and back pain are listed as classic signs of ovarian cancer. In addition, fibroids and ovarian cysts can appear as masses on scans that look like tumors.

In such cases, surgery to remove the mass is usually recommended. This also allows surgeons to see the nearby organs, like the uterus, and remove any glands or parts that might also look cancerous.

Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect because symptoms can be fairly nonspecific and mild until it’s quite advanced – which is one of the reasons less than half of the women diagnosed with the disease live longer than five years . [File image]

From the perspective of a difficult-to-treat cancer, this approach makes sense. But of course, if it’s not cancer, it’s a huge operation with consequences and complications that could be classified as unnecessary.

Medical decision making is fraught with situations like this. This is not because mistakes are made, but because the scanning is often not clear enough to distinguish a tumor from benign tissue.

Often, tumors are difficult to reach or results are inconclusive, so surgery is considered from the outset in the patient’s best interests.

I hear stories like this from time to time, and I’d love to hear from other readers who feel they’ve had unnecessary cancer surgeries.

Please write to me at the address at the bottom of this page and let me know.

I have osteoarthritis in my right knee joint but would like to avoid a replacement.

I recently read about a treatment called Platelet Rich Plasma, which involves a series of injections of your own blood into the knee.

Can you give any advice on this?

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis, causing the joint to become painful and stiff.

The condition varies greatly from person to person — from mild with few symptoms to very severe where surgery is the only viable choice.

At this point, we don’t know how well platelet-rich plasma injections work because there isn’t enough evidence.

It’s a relatively new treatment in which plasma and platelets — components of blood — are taken from a person and injected into their knee.

This is done using an ultrasound machine to ensure the injection is going to the correct area within the joint.

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis, causing the joint to become painful and stiff. The condition varies greatly from person to person — from mild with few symptoms to very severe where surgery is the only viable choice. [File image]

The blood cells are believed to stimulate the body’s natural healing process and promote repair of the cartilage in the knee.

NHS specialists are allowed to offer the treatment as long as patients realize it may not work and it is a relatively new treatment.

They are also said to have regular follow-up visits to check if it worked and to monitor side effects.

There are no major security concerns. At this stage, use in patients with milder symptoms is recommended.

A knee replacement involves replacing the joint with an artificial one – it’s a common operation in the UK with a good safety record.

About six weeks after surgery, most people stop using canes, while full recovery can take up to two years.

I fell down the stairs last week and didn’t see any bruises or bumps at the time.

A week later I am in so much pain that I can hardly move. I am in pain most of the time.

Oddly enough, I also feel shaky and generally weak. Have I seriously harmed myself?

That’s something that doesn’t surprise me, and it’s likely that two different things are going on.

When I was a younger family doctor, I noticed a tendency that I often saw children with infections or viruses very soon after a fall or head injury.

It’s either pure coincidence, what can happen with health problems – you have one thing and something else comes up spontaneously.

When I was a younger family doctor, I noticed a tendency that I often saw children with infections or viruses very soon after a fall or head injury. It’s either pure coincidence, what can happen with health problems – you have one thing and something else comes up spontaneously. [File image]

This is especially true for children, who often have bumps and bruises.

But what can also happen is that in the few days before the virus or infection someone feels a little more shaky, a little more prone to accidents and not feeling it, leading to a fall or an injury.

They then come down with the symptoms of the virus.

Pain, weakness and chills are the typical symptoms of a virus like flu, covid or any of the winter viruses that are currently making the rounds.

Usually, any serious damage from a fall is obvious, with a specific pain or weakness in one area.

If the symptoms persist for more than two weeks, it is worth consulting your doctor.

Don’t put off a prostate biopsy: it could be vital

Earlier this month a reader wrote to me asking if he needed a prostate biopsy – his GP recommended it due to worrying blood test results and he was nervous.

A biopsy is a small operation performed in a hospital. In this case, a needle is inserted into the prostate several times to take tissue samples. It can be performed under general or local anesthesia.

Some men who have a local anesthetic report pain. This is mentioned on the NHS website and my patients have confirmed this.

A biopsy is a small operation performed in a hospital. In this case, a needle is inserted into the prostate several times to take tissue samples. It can be performed under general or local anesthesia [File image]

After that article, I received a barrage of letters from men saying they had had biopsies that were not painful at all–only uncomfortable.

They were also concerned that people might be put off by my description, which is the last thing I want. Rest assured: Biopsies are routine procedures, but they are also vital.

A biopsy is the only way to tell for sure if a man has prostate cancer. If we pick it up, we can tackle it.

The treatment is very effective nowadays. If you think you have problems, the worst thing is not getting a proper diagnosis.

Because when these things fester, they become difficult to treat. And that’s really something to worry about.