ca-125…

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what the risks are ca-125, protein that is more prevalent in ovarian cancer cells than in other cells, protein enters the blood stream, measured by a blood test, two ca-125 tests, a, second generation test, second generation test is now more widely used, generally more accurate, blood is drawn, a vein, arm, no preparation, drawing blood, the ca-125 involves no more discomfort than any other blood draw, brief stinging sensation, a small needle is inserted, test, appropriately, follow women, already been diagnosed, ovarian cancer, in these cases, ca-125, very good indicator of whether a patient is responding to treatment, cancer, whether a patient remains in remission after treatment, ca-125 is not a good test to screen healthy women, ovarian cancer, normal values, ca-125 depend on the lab running the test, levels, above 35 u/ml, considered abnormal, woman, known ovarian cancer, a rise in her ca-125, a progression, recurrence, a decrease, in the ca-125, the disease is responding to treatment, woman who has not already been diagnosed, ovarian cancer, an elevated ca-125, mean a number of things, indicate that she has ovarian cancer, indicate cancer, several benign diseases endometriosis, to understand why the ca-125 is not a good general screening test, important to understand some basic facts, diagnostic tests, result of a diagnostic test is abnormal, test result, considered to be "positive", meaning the person seems to have the disease, result is normal, considered "negative", person doesn't, have the disease, somewhat imperfect, results might be incorrect, we, left, four possibilities every time a test, true positive, that the test result is abnormal, patient does, in fact, have the disease, false positive, that though the test result was abnormal, patient in fact, does not have the disease, true negative, the test is normal, does not have the disease, false negative, that though the test is normal, patient does in fact have the disease, test simply missed it, less "false positive", "false negative" results any test gives, accurate it, tests might be very accurate in certain groups of people, not accurate in other groups, the situation, the ca-125 test, in women, a known diagnosis of ovarian cancer, an elevation, the ca-125 is always an indicator of a cancer recurrence, in other words, a positive test, the disease is present, "false positive" rate is low, group of healthy women, an elevated ca-125, does not mean ovarian cancer is present, vast majority of healthy women, an elevated ca-125, not have ovarian cancer, cancer, matter, "false positive" rate, group of women is high, in fact, 3 out of 100 healthy women, elevated ca-125 actually have ovarian cancer, woman, an abnormal ca-125 test, need further tests, invasive surgical procedures, to confirm the result, additional tests all involve risks, anxiety, on the rare occasion, cancer is found, earliest stage, ca-125 should not be considered an effective general screening test, ovarian cancer, studies, underway, whether it might be effective, combined, blood tests, radiologic studies, very small risk of infection, bleeding, blood drawing procedure, a more likely risk, a "false positive" test, lead to other more involved, ultimately unnecessary, testing.