A good deal of material on the Internet offers suggested ways for preventing female reproductive cancers. Some of those suggestions concern possible additions to or changes in the diet. Five years ago one began to see in print a fair number of articles that talked about how exercise can help to prevent female reproductive cancers.
A fledging freelance writer made note of those articles. She had once participated in research efforts directed at the detection of certain female reproductive cancers. She herself had grown in a Petri dish some of the available ovarian and breast cancer cells.
The ovarian cancer cells had been a real challenge. Their slow growth had demonstrated one of the reasons why research on female reproductive cancers has not proceeded at a rapid pace. The woman who was then a Research Assistant had, using a microscope, watched patiently, as the thawed frozen cells adjusted to their new environment.
When the cells finally began to grow at a respectable rate, the researchers at that biotechnology company expected those cells to produce a protein called CA-125. The company would then use those cells to make a kit that could detect the presence of CA-125 in a blood sample. In that way, such a kit could be used to aid the early detection of an ovarian cancer.
Of course not every woman is asked by her doctor to submit a blood sample for analysis using the same or similar diagnostic kit. Women are usually tested for the presence of CA-125 once they have complained about one of the warning signs, signs that they might indeed have ovarian cancer. The appearance of such a possible warning signals a problem if the warning symptom persists for 2 to 3 weeks.
A woman who notes a swelling of her abdomen for 2 to 3 weeks should be tested for CA-125. So should a woman who has been bothered by gas or nausea for a period of 2 to 3 weeks. Urinary problems can also be a warning sign. Such problems might include sudden urgency to go, burning upon urination or spasms while urinating.
Other symptoms might well be passed over by the woman who notes their existence. Fatigue and fever can both serve as an early warning sign of ovarian cancer. More obvious evidence that something is wrong could come in the form of a pain signal. Pain during intercourse or back pain might raise a red flag in the mind of an observant woman.
A woman who encounters difficulty with breathing might also exhibit a warning that she should be tested for the presence of CA-125. She should think twice about her reproductive health. Cancers in women can send very silent signals. Any such signals should cause a woman to consider requesting both a test for CA-125 and a transvaginal ultrasound.