Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer

Thankfully, none of the women in my family have had ovarian cancer. However, when my mother was in her late 30s, she saw a gynecologist after she developed a sudden, sharp pain in her side and missed her period. He examined her and ran some blood tests. Initially, they thought she might be pregnant or even have an ectopic pregnancy because the blood test revealed an elevated level of the "pregnancy hormone" HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin). But pregnancy was not the diagnosis. An ultrasound revealed that my mother had a benign growth on one of her ovaries called a teratoma. Surgery was immediately performed and my mother was left with one "good" ovary that was closely followed by her gynecologist. She spent Thanksgiving that year giving me "orders" over the phone from the Naval Hospital and we had dinner for 15, thankful that she did not have ovarian cancer. I will never forget the story behind my mother's ovarian "tumor" and I share this information with my gynecologist and other doctors who take a family history, even though a teratoma is not a cancer (because it grows but never spreads). This history, along with the history of breast cancer in my family, has led me to have a trans-vaginal ultrasound once a year to make sure no growths are developing on my ovaries. While the test itself is not painful, it is time consuming. A wand is inserted vaginally and the ultrasound waves penetrate the pelvic tissues so that the radiologist can see the ovaries clearly. This offers ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news