You Should Know About the CA-125 Cancer Test

The CA-125 cancer test may not be a household name to you, but it probably should be, especially if you’re a woman or there are women in your household. You see, the CA-125 cancer test is one of the best weapons we have against ovarian cancer - a lab test that, when properly used, can spot the signs of ovarian cancer and help people get the treatment they need.

Of course, cancer is the great silent killer of our times. Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer among American women. The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance says that some 20,000 American women contract ovarian cancer yearly. 15,000 of them die from the disease.

As with prostate cancer, colon cancer and other kinds of cancer, regular cancer screenings are critical to survival. The five-year survival rate for women with ovarian cancer is a mere 45%. However, this rate increases to a much rosier 93% when a CA-125 cancer test or other cancer screening identifies the disease early, before it has a chance to spread. Testing is critical, and you don’t need a prescription for a health test like the CA-125 cancer test.

The CA-125 Cancer Test Should Be Part of Your Early Detection Routine

Unfortunately, many health professionals and medical textbooks still hold to the obsolete notion that ovarian cancer has no symptoms during the earliest stages. The truth is that there are many symptoms, including:

• gastrointestinal upset, including indigestion, gas and nausea
• changes in bowel movement
• mysterious weight gain or loss
• pain during intercourse
• lack of energy and breath
• low back pain
• a sudden “full stomach” sensation during or after eating
• loss of appetite

A regular CA-125 cancer test can complement your awareness of these other symptoms. If others in your family have suffered from ovarian cancer, make sure you monitor these symptoms and get CA-125 cancer tests regularly. Ask your doctor about lab tests and the frequency of your CA-125 cancer test routine.

How Does the CA-125 Cancer Test Work?

The CA-125 test monitors a substance that is secreted by cancer cells and normal cells that are in an inflamed condition. The cancer test derives its name from the abbreviation “CA,” which stands for “cancer antigen.”

However, lab test customers should know that the CA-125 cancer test is not a perfect cancer screening test. It’s about 80% accurate, but it’s possible that the CA-125 cancer test returns a positive result when the subject is cancer-free or returns a negative result when the subject does have ovarian cancer. Possible “red herring” conditions that can cause a false positive CA-125 cancer test are: pregnancy, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease and menstruation.

It’s important that the CA-125 cancer test is used as part of an early detection routine, not as a complete standalone cancer screening. Don’t hesitate to protect your loved ones and yourself from the insidious threat of ovarian cancer. Find one of our locations nationwide and and order a test - the CA-125 cancer test specifically. If you have any questions, check our lab testing FAQ or email our health testing experts. Good health to you!

Cancer screenings: fear is the killer

Cancer screenings are one of the most important kinds of laboratory tests you can take. What’s so important about cancer screenings, you ask?

A personal cancer screening story

A favorite uncle and aunt of mine used to live overseas with my cousin James. James and his parents were a treat, if one rarely seen. They never complained, and always had a ready smile or joke. Honest people for whom every moment was a simple pleasure.

And so it was, because Aunt Mary had cancer. She never got a cancer screening; she just lived with the pain, perhaps afraid of what a cancer screening would tell her, perhaps already believing that the cancer would kill her before age 50 and devastate the family. Rather than tell her husband and get a cancer screening, she kept the disease hidden, preferring to avoid cancer treatments and enjoy the time she had.

Cancer screenings shed light

Our grief at her passing was accentuated knowing that she could’ve lived a full life with a timely cancer screening like one of the three cancer screenings offered by HealthCheckUSA. An early cancer screening would’ve allowed her to get a doctor’s diagnosis, avoid long chemotherapy and strike at the cancer pre-emptively. HealthCheckUSA really can be your best defense against disease.

The HealthCheckUSA cancer screening difference

Cancer screenings at HealthCheckUSA provide you with important advantages. They generally cost much less than the lab tests you’d order at a hospital because there are no hidden markups. A fully accredited medical reference laboratory analyzes every cancer screening result. These are the same cancer screenings ordered by physicians. However, with HealthCheckUSA cancer screenings, you control what tests you take and when.

Nothing beats the peace of mind of a HealthCheckUSA cancer screening. If you suspect you might be at risk for ovarian cancer, colon cancer or prostate cancer, order a health test at our website today.

Prostate cancer has a new nemesis in prostate cancer survivor Arnold Palmer. The foundation he created to fight the spread of prostate cancer and promote prostate cancer screening is called Arnie’s Army Battles Prostate Cancer. During Palmer’s professional golf career, where he was widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers who ever lived, his enthusiastic fans were called “Arnie’s Army.” Now Palmer has put those fans to work raising money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Arnie’s Army also holds charity golf events that are designed to raise awareness about prostate cancer screening and the need for early detection.

It might seem odd that a golf legend is at the forefront of the fight against prostate cancer, but as Palmer says, “In the time it takes to play a round of golf, 14 men will lose their lives to prostate cancer.” This is a death toll that could be lowered if more men took prostate cancer screenings. Perhaps the word of Arnold Palmer, a man who has won seven major golf championships, will motivate people to go out and get their prostate cancer screenings. Considering that prostate cancer is more likely to develop in men over the age 50, it’s hard to imagine a better spokesman for this demographic group than a golf legend.

According to Arnie’s Army, they’ve raised $1.3 million to fight prostate cancer with their golf competitions. They do a lot of the legwork. They provide a contest kit that includes prizes for the winners, as well as Golf Digest subscriptions and souvenirs for every participant. “Arnie’s Army Battles Prostate Cancer” says that their golf contests have taught 70,000 golfers the importance of early prostate cancer screening.

Early prostate cancer screening could include a prostate cancer test called a PSA. This stands for Prostate Specific Antigen. This screens for a protein found in the blood that is produced by the prostate. Cancer might be present if there are high levels of this protein. This prostate cancer screening might also help a doctor determine if cancer has spread through other parts of the body. It might lead to more specific prostate cancer tests, such as biopsies, which require the surgical removal of tissue. In general, men over the age of 50 should get prostate cancer screenings annually. Men who have a family history of prostate cancer might have to get prostate cancer screenings at an earlier age.