Blog#3: Risks Outweigh Benefits for Ovarian Cancer Screening

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/10/risks-outweigh-benefits-for-ovarian-cancer-screening/?hpt=he_c2

 Ovarian Cancer is the fifth most dangerous cancer threatening women today. The majority of women that develop ovarian cancer are over the age of 40. While many women were told that it is important to get regularly checked for ovarian cancer, a new study is showing that a regular visit is not needed. Too many visits can become dangerous due to the way that the test is conducted. To test for ovarian cancer, the doctor will check blood proteins via the CA-125 exam. This exam produces many false positives which results in women receiving surgery that is not needed. Many women not only go through this procedure without needed it, but on occasion there are side effects and complications that result from this.

Ovarian cancer forms on the tissue covering the ovaries and can quickly spread to the abdomen and bladder. It is very important to know the symptoms of ovarian cancer when a woman reaches the age of 40. By knowing the symptoms it can cut down in unnecessary medical exams or procedures. The symptoms include bowel changes, bloating, abdominal pain, back pain, and abnormal bleeding. Web MD provides a list of even more symptoms and how a woman can tell the difference between normal occurrences or cancer. It mentions that these symptoms will be very sudden and will not go away. If a woman experiences these symptoms and is either 40 or above and has a family history of ovarian cancer than it is essential to get a checkup. Many issues that can cause a false positive on an ovarian cancer screening are menstruation, pregnancy, and uterine fibroids. According to Web MD, 1 out of 100 women will develop ovarian cancer. However, this form of cancer is mostly caused due to genetics. Women can still get ovarian cancer without a family history of it, but it is rarer.

 http://www.webmd.com/ovarian-cancer/guide/ovarian-cancer-symptoms