FYI

[Guest guest]

This was sent to me and I thought it important enough to share with

all of you. Although it isn't " alternative " it is an improtant

PREVENTIVE that we must all remember is our best key to a healthy life

 

 

A Simple Test - CA-125

 

Just in case anyone is interested.

 

CANCER AND THE CA 125 BLOOD TEST

 

Years ago, Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer. Her symptoms were

inconclusive, and she was treated for everything under the sun until

it was

too late. This blood test finally identified her illness -- but too

late.

She wrote a book to heighten awareness. Gene Wilder is her widower.

 

Now .... this is my friend Kathy's Story:

 

As all of you know, I have Primary Peritoneal Cancer. This cancer has

only

recently been identified as its OWN type of cancer; but it is

essentially

Ovarian Cancer. Both types of cancer are diagnosed in the same way

with

the " tumor marker " CA-125 blood test, and they are treated in the same

way

(surgery to remove the primary tumor and then chemotherapy with Taxol

and

Carboplatin.

 

Having gone through this ordeal, I want to save others from the same

fate.

That is why I am sending this message to you and hope you will print

it and

give it or send it via e-mail to everybody you know. One thing I have

learned is that each of us must take TOTAL responsibility for our own

healthcare.

 

I thought I had done that because I always had an annual physical and

PAP

smear, did monthly Self-Breast Exam, went to the dentistat least

twice/year,

etc. I even insisted on a sigmoidoscopy and a bone density test last

year.

 

When I had a total hysterectomy in 1993, I thought that I did not

have to

worry about getting any of the female reproductive organ cancers.

LITTLE DID

I KNOW! I don't have ovaries (and they were HEALTHY when they were

removed),

but I have what is essentially ovarian cancer. Strange, isn't it?

 

These are just SOME of the things our Doctors never tell us. ONE out

of

every 55 women will get OVARIAN or PRIMARY PERITONEAL CANCER!

The " CLASSIC "

symptoms are an ABDOMEN that rather SUDDENLY ENLARGES and

CONSTIPATION

and/or DIARRHEA. I had these classic symptoms and went to the doctor.

Because these symptoms seemed to be " abdominal, " I went to a

gastroenterologist. He ran tests that were designed to determine

whether

there was a bacterial infection; these tests were negative, and I was

diagnosed with " Irritable Bowel Syndrome. " I guess I would have

accepted

this diagnosis had it not been for my enlarged abdomen. I swear to

you, it

looked like I was 4-5 months pregnant! I therefore insisted on more

tests.

 

They took an X-ray of my abdomen; it was negative. I was again

assured that

I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome and was encouraged to go on my

scheduled

month-long trip to Europe. I couldn't wear any of my slacks or shorts

because I couldn't get them buttoned, and I KNEW something was

radically

wrong.

 

I INSISTED on more tests, and they (reluctantly) scheduled me for a

CT-Scan

(just to shut me up, I think). This is what I mean by taking charge

of our

own health care. The CT-Scan showed a lot of fluid in my abdomen (NOT

normal). Needless to say, I had to cancel my trip and have FIVE

POUNDS of

fluid drawn off at the hospital (not a pleasant procedure, I assure

you, but

NOTHING compared to what was ahead of me). Tests revealed cancer

cells in

the fluid.

 

Finally, finally, finally, the doctor ran a CA-125 blood test and I

was

properly diagnosed. I HAD THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS FOR OVARIAN CANCER AND

YET

this SIMPLE CA-125 BLOOD TEST HAD NEVER BEEN RUN ON ME, NOT AS PART

OF MY

ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAM AND NOT WHEN I WAS SYMPTOMATIC. THIS IS AN

INEXPENSIVE

AND SIMPLE BLOOD TEST!!!

 

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FEMALE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES TO

INSIST

ON A CA-125 BLOOD TEST EVERY YEAR AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL PHYSICAL

EXAMS. BE

FOREWARNED THAT THEIR DOCTORS MIGHT TRY TO TALK THEM OUT OF IT,

SAYING " IT

ISN'T NECESSARY. " BELIEVE ME, HAD I KNOWN THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW, WE

WOULD

HAVE CAUGHT MY CANCER MUCH EARLIER (BEFORE IT WAS A STAGE 3 CANCER)!

 

INSIST ON THE CA-125 BLOOD TEST; DON'T TAKE " NO " FOR AN ANSWER. THE

NORMAL

RANGE FOR A CA-125 BLOOD TEST IS BETWEEN ZERO AND 35. MINE WAS 754...

(THAT'S RIGHT, 754!) IF THE NUMBER IS SLIGHTLY ABOVE 35, YOU CAN HAVE

ANOTHER ONE DONE IN THREE OR SIX MONTHS AND KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON IT,

JUST

LIKE WOMEN DO WHEN THEY HAVE FIBROID TUMORS OR WHEN MEN HAVE A

SLIGHTLY

ELEVATED PSA TEST (Prostate SPECIFIC ANTIGENS) THAT HELPS DIAGNOSE

PROSTATE

CANCER. HAVING THE CA-125 TEST DONE ANNUALLY CAN ALERT YOU EARLY, AND

THAT'S

THE GOAL IN DIAGNOSING ANY TYPE OF CANCER - CATCH IT EARLY!!!!!

 

Do YOU know 55 women? If so, at least one of them will have this VERY

AGGRESSIVE cancer-and maybe, just maybe, it will be YOU. I hope not!

Please,

go to your doctor THIS WEEK and insist on a CA-125 test and have one

EVERY

YEAR for the rest of your life. And forward this message to every

woman you

know and tell all of your female family members and friends. As the

Nike ads

say, " JUST DO IT! " Please don't think youth will protect you, either.

Though the median age for this cancer is 56 (and, guess what, I'm

exactly

56), women as young as 22 have it. Age is not a factor.

 

Note from Lisa: Well, after reading this, I made some calls. I found

that

the CA-125 test is an ovarian screening test equivalent to a man's

PSA test

prostate screening (which Ron's doctor automatically gives him in his

physical each year and insurance pays for). I called my general

practitioner's office about having the test done. The nurse had never

heard

of it. She told me that she doubted that insurance would pay for it.

So I

called Prudential Insurance Co., and got the same response. Never

heard of

it -- it won't be covered. I explained that it was the same as the

PSA test

that they had paid for my husband for years. After conferring with

whomever

they confer with, she told me that the CA-125 would be covered. So I

am

having this blood test this Friday. For those of you that still have

these

parts, go have the test taken. It is $75 in a GP's office and $125 at

the

GYN's. This is a screening test that should be required just like a

pap

smear (a pap smear cannot detect problems with your ovaries). And you

must

insist that your insurance company pay for it. Gene Wilder and Pierce

Brosnan (his wife had it, too) are lobbying for women's health issues

saying

that this test should be required in our physicals just like the pap

and the

mammogram. "

 

Pass this information along to every woman you know. I am making lots

and lots of copies for all the ladies at work. We need to take care

of

ourselves.