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Email:
This email says women should demand a CA-125 test for ovarian cancer
each year. It quotes a woman who says her ovarian cancer had been
overlooked when it was misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. The
writer says she insisted on more tests and had a CT scan that revealed
fluid in her abdomen, at which point her doctor ran a CA-125 blood test
and her level came back at a highly elevated 754. The email says: "This
is an inexpensive and simple blood test. Please tell all your female
friends and relatives to insist on a CA-125 blood test every year as
part of their annual exam. Don't take 'No' for an answer. If I had
known then what I know now, we would have caught my cancer much earlier
before it was Stage 3!"
Fact:
Debbie Saslow, PhD, director of breast and cervical cancer for the
American Cancer Society, says CA-125 protein levels in the blood can be
measured as a marker for ovarian cancer, but should not be used to
screen for the disease. “The test is not appropriate for routine
screening because of its poor accuracy; there are some harmless reasons
CA-125 levels can be elevated, and not all women with an ovarian tumor
will have an increased level,” she said.
"Testing is recommended for women at very high risk, such as those with
a family history of the disease," she added. The CA-125 blood test is
routinely used for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer to measure their
response to treatments, as well as to watch for recurrence.
Additional
Resources
Revised: 12/19/2005
Additional Resources
What Is Ovarian Cancer?
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