DEAR DR. GOTT:
A while ago you printed a letter from a 62-year-old woman who was likely suffering from menopause. Your answers were not complete in that you (and all other physicians) should also include the simple blood test CA 125. A marker for cancer in women, this simple test can show abnormalities that will not be apparent on PAP smears.
In 2002, as a 47-year-old, otherwise healthy woman, I was diagnosed with not only an ovarian tumor the size of a six month old fetus, but also a totally unrelated cancerous polyp in my uterus that was found DURING the hysterectomy.
Imagine my shock when my OB/GYN told me that PAP smears do not indicate either type of the cancers I had. I had thought I was fine since all my PAPs came back clear.
I beg you at least to mention this in your column as many thousands of women are still unaware and think they are totally safe by only having annual PAP smears.
I realize that no test is “fool-proof” but this is a very important tool in diagnosing and taking care of a silent but deadly killer of women of all ages. Men are given a PSA tests at annual exams to be sure their prostates are healthy but in this still sexist society, women are not afforded the same right. A lot of insurance companies still do not recognize it as the life saving tool it can be.
In the long run, having this simple blood draw done would save not only lives, but millions of dollars. If patients are diagnosed with cancer earlier, they may not have to go through an extensive surgery, and chemo, radiation and life long follow-ups may be kept to a minimum.
DEAR READER:
I am printing your letter because you make a valid and important point. Ladies, please, ask your physicians to order this blood test during your annual PAP smears as part of a comprehensive and preventive step toward reducing the risk of cancer-related death.
About Dr. Gott