Unexpected Twist: Cancer Mimics Pregnancy

A woman's life took a shocking turn when she discovered she wasn't pregnant, but instead, had a rare form of cancer. She had gone to the doctor after three months of heavy, irregular periods. Her periods had always been normal before this. Doctors initially thought she might be pregnant because a pregnancy test came back positive, and she had a lump in her stomach. But further tests showed it wasn't a baby at all. Instead, there was a large growth on her right ovary. Surgeons quickly removed the growth, along with her uterus, ovaries, and nearby lymph nodes. Tests confirmed it was a very rare cancer called non-gestational ovarian choriocarcinoma (NGOC). NGOC is tricky to diagnose because it can cause symptoms similar to pregnancy, like vaginal bleeding and high levels of a pregnancy hormone called hCG. It's different from the more common gestational choriocarcinoma (GOC), which comes from cells that were part of the placenta during pregnancy. The good news is that in this case, the cancer was caught early and hadn't spread. After surgery and two rounds of chemotherapy, the woman's hCG levels returned to normal. Doctors will keep a close eye on her to make sure the cancer doesn't come back. But this isn't the only reason a pregnancy test can give a false positive. Early pregnancy loss, leftover hormones after an abortion, certain medications, and even user error can all lead to incorrect results. So, while this case is rare and scary, it's important to remember that there are many reasons why a pregnancy test might not be accurate.