SIGNS OF OVARIAN CANCER (even in the
absence of Ovaries)
THIS IS A MUST READ TO THE END
An Eye-Opener on Ovarian CancerI hope you all take
the
> time to read this and pass it on to all you
can.
> Send this to the women in your life that you
care
> about.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, alas, too late. She wrote a book
to
> heighten awareness. Gene Wilder is her
> widower.KATHY'S STORY: this is the story of
Kathy
> WestAs 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
> s! ame 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 health care. I
thought I
> had done that because I always had an annual
> physical and PAP smear, did a monthly
Self-Breast
> Exam, went to the dentist at least twice a
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 bacteria
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 testsThey 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
> experience, 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 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; DO NOT 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 done in three or six months and
keep a
> close eye on it, just as women do when they
have
> fibroid tumors or when men have a slightly
elevated
> PSA test (Prostatic 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 - catching it
early.Do
> you know 55 women? If so, at least one of them
will
> have this VERY AGGRESSIVE cancer. Please, go to
your
> doctor 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.
Though
> the median age for this cancer is 56, ! (and,
gu ess
> what, I'm exactly 56), women as young as 22
have it.
> Age is no factor.A NOTE FROM THE RN: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 screen (which my
> husband's doctor automatically gives him in his
> physical each year and insurance pays for it).
I
> called the 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 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.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. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT
TO
> SEND THIS OUT TO ALL THOSE YOU CAN. BE IT MALE
OR
> FEMALE, IT SHOULD NOT MATTER, AS THEY CAN
FORWARD IT
> ALSO TO THOSE LOVED ONES THEY KNOW.IF YOU HAVE
A
> PROBLEM WITH FORWARDING SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT
AS
> THIS, HERE'S A LITTLE HINT THAT MAY ASSIST YOU
WITH
> YOUR DECISION ~ JUST PRETEND THAT THIS IS A
JOKE,
> WHICH IT CERTAINLY IS NOT, AND SEND IT OUT TO
ALL
> THE FOLKS YOU WOULD IF IT WAS. THANKS.