Two questions for the ladies

Lafalum84
Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:47:37 +0000

^^ agreeing with absweeetmarie. I have a family history of ovarian cancer, and can tell you that a simple ovarian ultrasound is not a reliable diagnostic tool for ovca. It needs to be paired with a CA-125 test (which I believe is the test ThatMom suggests, which isn’t necessarily cheaper and is notoriously unreliable), and even that combination isn’t terribly reliable. Frankly, if there were a good test for ovarian cancer the death rate would drop dramatically. Found early (Stage 1) it’s 90% “curable.” Found at stage 3 or later, the odds go well below 50%. And since it has very few symptoms in the early stages, and the symptoms it does have are usually digestive, it is only diagnosed at stage 1 or 2 about 20% of the time.

Both I and my D have been on the pill at various times in our lives and have never had an ultrasound of the legs.

I think this has a lot more to do with your doctor owning her own ultrasound machine and making some $$$ than it does with good preventative medicine.