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HEALTH | WOMEN’S HEALTH | CANCER | CANCER SCREENING
A Cautionary Tale: Being Proactive About Your Health as A Woman at Any Age
An important cancer screening that many may not be aware of
Two and a half years ago (at age 67), I was diagnosed with Stage IV Uterine/Ovarian cancer. When I first read the pathology report, it was pretty scary.
Believe it or not, at this point, I’m feeling pretty good and am only dealing with some side effects of the immunotherapy drug I was receiving until last fall.
One of the reasons that I’m able to be optimistic at this point is a blood test that many women (as well as their supportive partners) aren’t aware of. This test (determined with a simple blood draw) is referred to as ‘CA-125,’ and provides a ‘marker’ for the level of female-reproductive cancer cells in your bloodstream. It’s important to clarify that this test is not diagnostic in and of itself, and needs to be followed up with regular diagnostic tests, scans, and treatment if necessary.
For reference, here is information on this test provided by both the and
In addition to my own experience, my husband lost his first wife to ovarian cancer a number of…
