health alert for gals

well, i know that most of us religiously go for our annual physical and pap smear and perhaps, monthly self-breast examination. however, i've also learned that screening for ovarian cancer is important because one in every 58 women regardless of age will get ovarian cancer.

in order to detect ovarian cancer in the early stages, gynecologic oncologists suggest the CA125 test in combination with a pelvic/rectal exam and a transvaginal sonogram as part of a diagnostic exam for ovarian cancer screening. CA125 is a substance sometimes found in an increased amount in the blood, other body fluids or tissues that may suggest the presence of some types of cancer. the blood test is used to measure the level of CA125, the most common tumor marker in ovarian cancer. the problem with CA125 is two-fold. in half of the ovarian cancer cases that are diagnosed early - that is, when the cancer is limited to the ovary - the CA125 is normal. additionally, there are many false positives such as endometriosis, menstruation, pregnancy, liver disease, or other pelvic infections, which result in a higher CA125 level.

therefore, the best method is the combination of pelvic/rectal exam, transvaginal sonogram and the CA125 test.