Ovarian health is extremely important as it relates to overall women’s health. Especially as we age, being aware of ovarian health is extremely important. Health and hormone balance are some of the most common reasons women seek consultation with primary care, ob/gyn, endocrinology, and functional health doctors.
Some Stats Around Ovarian Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2023, about 19,710 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed. Family history is the top risk factor for the disease, which is diagnosed in nearly 20,000 American women annually.
A woman is considered at higher risk of ovarian cancer if her mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, or daughter has had the disease. Additionally, inherited mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene raise risk considerably, according to the National Cancer Institute. While about 1.2% of women overall will develop ovarian cancer in their lifetime, up to 17% of those with a BRCA2 mutation and up to 44% with a BRCA1 mutation will do so by ages 70 to 80. Thus, it is important to be aware of ovarian health and well as certain symptoms that could prompt further evaluation.
Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
One of the trick things is that many ovarian related pathologies have vague symptoms that can easily be associated with dozens of other conditions. Some symptoms or conditions that may prompt an appointment with Primary Care and OB/GYN include:
- Family history of ovarian cancer
- Lack of appetite or feeling full immediately after eating
- Urgent need to urinate and suddenly urinating more than usual (even after other conditions have been ruled out)
- Swollen stomach and constant bloat
- Pain and tenderness in lower stomach or pelvic area
- Unexplained weight loss
- General fatigue
- Variety of bowel and motility issues
Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer
A tissue biopsy is the only thing that can definitively confirm an ovarian cancer diagnosis, as well as full evaluation and testing by a licensed physician. However early detection of Ovarian Cancer is often missed. Thankfully there are some easy and non-invasive ways women can discreetly support their ovarian health at home, which would help prompt a visit to their primary care and OB/GYN that may have otherwise been missed. One easy way to do this is through the rapid Ovarian test from Allergytest.co.
How Easy Is It To Detect?
A simple lateral flow test is used to detect the presence of CA 125 in a quick and easy blood finger prick with results in 10 minutes. CA 125 is a glycoprotein found in the bloodstream, where normal levels are 35 U/ml (units per milliliter) or lower. It is a type of tumor marker that can help prompt a visit to a licensed physician who can diagnose, treat and manage ovarian cancer, particularly if levels are above 40 U/ml (units per milliliter).
There are many other conditions that can contribute to elevation in CA 125 (including, but not limited to, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, abdominal and pelvic inflammatory conditions, and certain liver conditions. A large majority of women with ovarian cancer have elevated levels of CA 125 in their blood, and it has primarily been a useful tool in the women’s health field.
This accurate, quick and discreet at home testing kit has been validated against CA 125 diagnostic kit (CMIA) and had 97.4% overall accuracy in comparison to similar tests. Results do not give a medical diagnosis, but they may be used to help prompt a visit to your doctor who can then form a diagnosis or request secondary examinations and/or testing. We are so lucky to have affordable, quick, and easy tests at our fingertips.
