Heard it on the grapevine -- how helpful is CA-125 blood test for Ovarian Cancer detection? What is a screening test?

this is the first person link from 27 June 2002 from Carolyn Benivegna about her advocacy education group subsequent to her illness and recovery:
http://ovariancancer.jhmi.edu/stories2.cfm?personID=15&order=alpha
It is hosted at Johns Hopkins, an NCI designated cancer center, under personal stories.

Another source of info is the gov't run 1 800 4 cancer at NIH .
Our gov't does a wonderful job in providing info on cancers, standard treatments, and opportunities to participate in trials.

This is a year 2000 update: http://www.baymoon.com/~gyncancer/library/blcarolyn2.htm
that corrects the record. CA-125 is not a screening test akin to the PSA for men.

Here's a link from snopes with the original, erroneous note from Carolyn:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/ca125.asp , written in the name of Kathy. The Mikkelson's have included a link to an undated informational article from Johns Hopkins:
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421224244/http://ovariancancer.jhmi.edu/ca125qa.cfm

The take-home message is to know the symptoms and where to take these for getting a diagnosis.

The other take home message is to understand how easily unhelpful information can spread on the internet: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SNYC_enUS311&q=ca-125+snopes

This article contains criteria for evaluating whether a test is reliable and predictive enough to be a screening test: http://www.blackhealthcare.com/BHC/Articles/Article5a.asp

Look, ma. No spleen! (asplenia, Dx 759.0)

http://www.survivorshipguidelines.org/pdf/SplenicPrecautions.pdf

Health Link
Healthy living after treatment for childhood cancer
Splenic Precautions
Version 2.0 - 3/06
Copyright 2006 © Children’s Oncology Group
All rights reserved worldwide Page 4 of 5

Wallet Card for Patients Without a Functioning Spleen

Written by Teresa Sweeney, RN, MSN, CPNP, After Completion of Therapy (ACT) Clinic, St. Jude
Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN.
Reviewed by Smita Bhatia, MD, MPH, Julie Blatt, MD, Melissa M. Hudson, MD, Kevin Oeffinger, MD, Lise
Yasui, Wendy Landier, CPNP, Lisa Bashore, MS, RN, CPNP, CPON® and the COG Late Effects Committee.
Illustrated by Devika Bhatia.


Medical Alert: Asplenic Patient
This patient is asplenic and at risk for potentially fatal, overwhelming
infections. Immediate medical attention is required for fever of >101��F
(38.3��C) or other signs of serious illness. Suggested management
includes:
1) Physical exam, CBC and blood culture.
2) Administration of a long-acting, broad-spectrum parenteral antibiotic
(e.g., ceftriaxone) accompanied by close clinical monitoring while
awaiting blood culture results.
3) Hospitalization and broadening of antimicrobial coverage (e.g.,
addition of vancomycin) may be necessary under certain
circumstances, such as the presence of marked leukocytosis,
neutropenia, or significant change from baseline CBC; toxic clinical
appearance; fever >104��F; meningitis, pneumonia, or other serious
focus of infection; signs of septic shock; or previous history of
serious infection.
MEDICAL ALERT:
Asplenic Patient
Patient Name: ________________________
Physician Name: ________________________
Physician Phone: ________________________

When an attorney contacts you about possible class action suit







Here is an example of flyers you might receive. These are in reference to the Beverly Hils High School oil well lawsuit promulgated by Masry & Vititoe in March 2003, then later by Baron & Budd in April 2003. They contended that there was an enviornmental--rather than a statistical or genetic or infectious--cause for a cluster of Hodgkin's Disease diagnoses. (Compare to Albany High School, Vianu 197 , Lancet)

Cancer Risks Associated with Positive Mutation Status

(from a non copyrighted chart used in patient education)

BRCA1............Breast Cancer......Ovarian Cancer.........Other

By age 40.......20%.......................3%

By age 50.......30%.......................21%

By age 70........85%.......................40-50%

Lifetime...........85%.......................44%.............Colon 6%; Prostate 8%

Second
primary
cancer..............65%.......................16%


=========================================

BRCA2............Breast Cancer......Ovarian Cancer.........Other

By age 50.......28%.......................less than 1%

By age 70.......84%.......................27%

Life time........85%..............................male breast cancer 6%; Pancreatic cancer

General population
lifetime risk for breast cancer 12.5%
lifetime risk for ovarian cancer 1-2%

Sources of Data:
Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risks Due to Inherited Mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2. Science, October 24, 2003; 302(5645): 643 - 646.(requires free registration to view full-text)
National Library of Medicine search
google-search on title

Wirk B. The Role of Ovarian Ablation in the Management of Breast Cancer. Breast Journal. 11(6):416-424, November/December 2005. (abstract and lists sources where full text can be purchased)
National Library of Medicine search
google-search on title and on Document number (PMD)

collaboratively edited pages on cancer resources

An Internet Hotlist on Now what?

Foreign language links
wiki Description de Cancer - Francais et autre langues
wiki Description de Cáncer - Espanol y otros idiomas
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