I recently wrote a post about how I plan to tackle my ovarian cancer risk. I intended to have yearly blood tests and ultrasound scans, however my plans have now changed.
I had a tumour marker blood test and the pelvic ultrasound and these investigations were absolutely fine, very quick and not at all invasive. However a recent meeting with the geneticist at Newcastle Centre for Life has resulted in me declining these investigations.
The Geneticist spoke with me about the effectiveness of these investigations; confirming what I already knew about the number of false positives and missed true positives. He also confirmed that my ovarian cancer risk is currently very low due to my young age.
He ensured that I was very welcome to go ahead with the testing, and that it would be readily offered to me every four months on the NHS. Despite this, I chose not to accept.
This was a very personal decision and I'm sure most women would accept any screening offered, and rightly so.
But I'm tired of the tests and the medical appointments, the constant screening and subsequent worry. For weeks after the blood test I thought that every letter hitting the porch floor was the dreaded results.
And more than that, I feel like such a drain, I have had more medical appointments in the past 9 months that I had in the first 20 years of my life! I am not a cheap member of society at the moment and I am very aware of the money I am draining from my future employer...the NHS. I know that is ridiculous but it is how I feel.
I am a clinician, I base my decisions on the facts obtained from the research, this is how my future medical practice will work and it is also how I make decisions regarding my own healthcare.
The research into ovarian screening isn't looking good...in fact there are questions as to whether it even works in young women. Regular screening causes emotional distress, not to mention the psychological impact of a false positive and subsequent unnecessary investigations.
So the research is telling me it will be of very little benefit and I really don't want to undergo unnecessary tests every four months! My ovarian cancer risk doesn't become significant until my late 30's and at that point I hope to have completed my family and be considering the surgical removal of my ovaries.
So thank you but no, I will take 10 screening free years please, 10 years where I no longer have to worry about breast cancer and I don't yet have to worry about ovarian cancer. After the long and involved mastectomy process I think I deserve them.
I had a tumour marker blood test and the pelvic ultrasound and these investigations were absolutely fine, very quick and not at all invasive. However a recent meeting with the geneticist at Newcastle Centre for Life has resulted in me declining these investigations.
The Geneticist spoke with me about the effectiveness of these investigations; confirming what I already knew about the number of false positives and missed true positives. He also confirmed that my ovarian cancer risk is currently very low due to my young age.
He ensured that I was very welcome to go ahead with the testing, and that it would be readily offered to me every four months on the NHS. Despite this, I chose not to accept.
This was a very personal decision and I'm sure most women would accept any screening offered, and rightly so.
But I'm tired of the tests and the medical appointments, the constant screening and subsequent worry. For weeks after the blood test I thought that every letter hitting the porch floor was the dreaded results.
And more than that, I feel like such a drain, I have had more medical appointments in the past 9 months that I had in the first 20 years of my life! I am not a cheap member of society at the moment and I am very aware of the money I am draining from my future employer...the NHS. I know that is ridiculous but it is how I feel.
I am a clinician, I base my decisions on the facts obtained from the research, this is how my future medical practice will work and it is also how I make decisions regarding my own healthcare.
The research into ovarian screening isn't looking good...in fact there are questions as to whether it even works in young women. Regular screening causes emotional distress, not to mention the psychological impact of a false positive and subsequent unnecessary investigations.
So the research is telling me it will be of very little benefit and I really don't want to undergo unnecessary tests every four months! My ovarian cancer risk doesn't become significant until my late 30's and at that point I hope to have completed my family and be considering the surgical removal of my ovaries.
So thank you but no, I will take 10 screening free years please, 10 years where I no longer have to worry about breast cancer and I don't yet have to worry about ovarian cancer. After the long and involved mastectomy process I think I deserve them.
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