With any type of cancer, the earlier the cancer is detected and diagnosed, the better your chances of survival. Ovarian cancer can be benign or malignant. Since the symptoms of this disease can be very general or mimic other conditions, if you suspect you have ovarian cancer you need to be tested. One way to screen for ovarian cancer is with a blood test.
Identification
Blood tests for ovarian cancer should be used in combination with ultrasound, physical examination, biopsies and pelvic exams to determine the presence of cancer.
Most Common Blood Test
The most common substance that is looked for in the blood is CA-125. This is substance is found in higher concentrations in tumor cells, including on the surface of ovarian cancer cells. It can also be found on normal tissues as well.
The Process
As CA-125 is produced by the body, it is released into the bloodstream. You will need to visit your doctor's office to have a blood sample drawn. This sample is then tested to determine the level of CA-125 in your blood.
Accuracy
According to the Ovarian Cancer Center at John Hopkins Medical Center, the blood test for CA-125 is only about fifty percent accurate. This is especially true during the early stages of ovarian cancer. As a patient enters stage two and higher, the accuracy rate jumps to eighty percent.
Considerations
A CA-125 blood test that shows a level greater than 35 U/ml is considered elevated. Since this test can be falsely positive or negative, it should always be followed by other tests. An elevated CA-125 level can indicate cancers other then ovarian, and it can also be indicative of other medical conditions.
Other Blood Tests
Studies are being conducted to discover the correlation between other substances in the blood and ovarian cancer. This includes BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, OVXI antigens and LPA. However these tests have yet to be proven accurate.
Tags: blood test, Blood Tests, ovarian cancer, ovarian cancer