Five Things You Must Know About Ovarian Cancer Screenings

Wouldn’t it be great to know if you were ill before you felt sick?  Well, that’s exactly what a health screening does. Health screenings provide a way for your doctor to detect disease, disorders and conditions before you ever have any signs or symptoms. Health screenings, like mammograms and Pap tests, have saved the lives of many women by detecting breast and cervical cancer in their earliest stages.

Mammograms and Pap tests are so important to your health that we dedicate the months of October and January to raising awareness. What about ovarian cancer though? Is there a screening test for ovarian cancer that you aren’t aware of? Read on to discover five things you must know about ovarian cancer screenings.

1. Ovarian cancer screenings do not exist

Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no simple or reliable way to screen for ovarian cancer. Currently, there is not a screening test that would identify ovarian cancer in a woman before there were signs or symptoms. The American Cancer Society reports that only about 20 percent of ovarian cancers are found in the early stages of the disease.

2. Your annual pelvic exam won’t detect ovarian cancer early

A pelvic exam is usually done along with your Pap test at your annual physical. During a pelvic exam, your doctor examines the vulva and the internal reproductive organs like the vagina, cervix, uterus, Fallopian tubes and the ovaries. Although a pelvic exam can be useful, it is extremely difficult to feel small tumors in the early stages of ovarian cancer. The Pap test can detect cervical cancer in its early stages, but it does not provide your doctor with any information regarding ovarian cancer.

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 3. Knowing your body is the best ovarian cancer screening

I’m sure you’ve heard that getting to know your own body plays a key role in having good health.  Well, in the case of ovarian cancer, knowing your own body may be the only…

key to detecting the disease. Experiencing signs or symptoms of ovarian cancer may be the first indication of ovarian cancer. Along with knowing how you feel, knowing your family history can help raise your personal awareness for ovarian cancer.

 4. Sharing ALL of your signs and symptoms Is vital

It’s important to share everything that is not normal for your body with your doctor.  Your doctor is trained at putting the pieces together, so even if you think a symptom is not that big of a deal, let your doctor decide whether it is, or isn’t. There is no such thing as TMI (Too Much Information) when it comes to sharing your health with your doctor. Here are some of the common signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer:

• Nausea and indigestion
• Pressure in the pelvis or the low back
• Frequent urination
• Constipation or bowel movement changes
• Changes or loss of appetite
• Feeling tired or low energy
• Changes in menstruation

Many of these common signs and symptoms sound like they could be cured with a tablespoon of Pepto or some herbal tea. However, most of the symptoms of ovarian cancer are not experienced until the disease has spread into other parts of the body. That’s why it’s crucial to tell your doctor about ALL of your…

symptoms.

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5. These Tests May Help Your Doctor Find Ovarian Cancer.

Although there has been a great deal of research conducted to develop a screening test for ovarian cancer, there hasn’t been much success.  However, there are two tests that are used when abnormal findings are present on the pelvic exam, and/or signs or when symptoms are reported:

The Transvaginal Ultrasound (TVUS) – An ultrasound wand is inserted into the vagina and the soundwaves from the wand create a picture of the uterus, ovaries and Fallopian tubes. The TVUS can help find a mass in the ovary, but it can’t tell if the mass is cancerous.

The CA-125 Blood Test – CA-125 is a protein that is found in the blood.  Oftentimes, this protein can present in high levels in women with ovarian cancer. However, the CA-125 test has not been found to be a reliable screening test for ovarian cancer. High CA-125 levels are common with other conditions like endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, and every woman with ovarian cancer does not have high levels of CA-125.

Today, there is not a single test that can detect ovarian cancer.  Your best defenses against this disease once again are practicing self-care, knowing your own body and sharing all of your health information with a doctor you can trust.  Ladies, let’s do our part to fight ovarian cancer!