CA-125--not valuable as general screening test

There is an email making the circuit right now that advises women to ask/demand that as part of their yearly examination a CA-125 blood test be done.  The email suggests that this blood test will provide an early warning of ovarian cancer.  

I wish this were true--but from the information I can gather it appears that it is not the case.  

 According to the information received from the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance the test is important if you have had cancer or if cancer is highly suspected, but it is not valuable as a general screening test nor should it be the only test used to detect ovarian cancer.   

The following link is from Johns Hopkins Pathology

Click here

The signs of ovarian cancer can be vague:

bloating

abdominal pain

frequent urination

difficulty eating

That means that you need to pay attention and be alert to changes in how you feel.  Don't hesitate to go to your doctor with these vague symptoms because early detection will keep you alive. 

Kathy Bates, the Academy Award winning actress talks about her experience with ovarian cancer--it's interesting--and informative.

Click here to listen to Kathy Bates

Talk to your doctor if you think something is wrong.  Be persistent if you have to be.  You know your body.