Why did they remove my uterus if it wasn’t cancer? DR ELLIE CANNON answers your questions –

For two years I had intermittent bleeding, swelling, back pain and frequent urination and occasional heavy periods during intercourse.

My doctor initially said I needed to lose weight, but later referred me for a complete hysterectomy, assuming it was ovarian cancer.

Tests after the surgery showed that there was no cancer. I actually had ovarian cysts and a fibroid. I was shocked and now I think I messed around with it for nothing. What do you say?

Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect because symptoms can be quite non-specific and mild until it’s advanced enough, so less than half of women who get the disease live longer than five years.

For this reason, if doctors suspect a woman has ovarian cancer, they usually follow her for treatment, as tests may not be conclusive.

Swelling, changes in urinary tract symptoms, and back pain are the classic signs of ovarian cancer. Additionally, fibroids and ovarian cysts may appear as masses on scans that look like tumors.

In these cases, surgery is usually recommended to remove the mass. This also allows surgeons to view nearby organs such as the uterus and remove glands or parts that may appear cancerous.

From the perspective of a difficult-to-treat cancer, this approach makes sense. But if it’s not cancer, it’s a major operation with consequences and complications that you could clearly label as unnecessary.

Medical decision making is fraught with such situations. Not because mistakes were made, but because the scan is often not clear enough to distinguish a tumor from benign tissue.

Often tumors can be difficult to obtain or results may be inconclusive, so surgery is considered in the best interest of the patient in the first place.

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

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

I have osteoarthritis in my right knee joint but want to avoid having it replaced.

I recently read about a treatment called platelet-rich plasma, which involves injecting a series of your own blood into your knee.

Can you give advice on this?

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis that causes the joint to become painful and stiff.

The condition varies widely among people, from mild with few symptoms to very severe where people see surgery as the only viable option.

At this stage, we don’t know how well platelet-rich plasma injections work as there is insufficient evidence.

It is a relatively new treatment in which blood components, plasma and platelets, are taken from a person and injected into the knee.

This is done using an ultrasound machine to ensure the injection is delivered to the correct area in the joint.

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common forms of arthritis that causes the joint to become painful and stiff. The condition varies widely among people, from mild with few symptoms to very severe where people see surgery as the only viable option. [File image]

It is believed that blood cells stimulate the body’s natural healing process and help repair cartilage in the knee.

NHS professionals can offer treatment as long as patients realize it won’t work and is a relatively new treatment.

They should also be checked regularly to make sure they are working and to monitor for any side effects.

There are no major security issues. It is recommended for use in people with milder symptoms at this stage.

Knee replacement involves replacing the joint with an artificial joint – this is a common operation in the UK with a good safety history.

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

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

After a week I have so much pain that I can barely move. I usually suffer.

Oddly enough, I also feel shaky and generally weak. Did I seriously hurt myself?

That doesn’t surprise me, and it’s probably going to be two different things.

When I was a younger primary care physician, I noticed the tendency to see children with infections or viruses often very shortly after a fall or head injury.

Or is it just a coincidence that health problems can happen: you have one thing and suddenly something else pops up.

When I was a younger primary care physician, I noticed the tendency to see children with infections or viruses often very shortly after a fall or head injury. Or is it just a coincidence that health problems can happen: you have one thing and suddenly something else pops up. [File image]

This is especially true for kids who have a lot of bumps and bumps.

However, in the few days leading up to the virus or infection, the fact that someone is a little wobbly, a little more accident-prone and not feeling it can cause them to fall or get hurt.

Then they come down with the symptoms of the virus.

Pain, weakness, and chills are typical symptoms of a virus such as the flu, Covid, or any of the currently circulating winter viruses.

Any serious damage, usually from a fall, is manifested by specific pain or weakness in one area.

If symptoms persist for more than two weeks, it’s worth talking to your doctor.

Do not delay prostate biopsy – it can be vital

Earlier this month, a reader wrote me a letter asking if I should have a prostate biopsy – her doctor suggested it because of the disturbing blood test results, and she was nervous.

A biopsy is a minor procedure done in a hospital. In this case, a needle is inserted into the prostate gland several times to collect tissue samples. It can be done under general or local anesthesia.

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

A biopsy is a minor procedure done in a hospital. In this case, a needle is inserted into the prostate gland several times to collect tissue samples. It can be done under general or local anesthesia. [File image]

After that article, I got a lot of letters from men saying they had biopsies and it wasn’t painful at all, disturbing at best.

Also, they were worried that people would disapprove of my explanation, which was the last thing I wanted. Rest assured, biopsies are routine but also vital.

A biopsy is the only way to know for sure if a man has prostate cancer. If we collect it, we can deal with it.

Treatment is very effective today. If you think you have problems, the worst thing you can do is fail to diagnose properly.

Because when these things get worse, they become harder to treat. And it’s really nothing to worry about.