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- URBAN LEGENDS -
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- An urban legend is a tale of contemporary folklore that purports to be
true and is often designed to elicit an emotional response from the
audience. On the Internet, urban legends are spread and survive over
time through repeated e-mail forwardings and Web site postings. Like
traditional legends, urban legends can seldom be traced to a single
author. An urban legend often revolves around a strong central character
or social issue of contemporary interest. Sociologists suggest that the
Internet has proven to be a rich environment for urban legends because
the Web allows people to share stories with each other faster than any
other medium in history. Occasionally urban legends turn out to be true,
but the majority are simply Internet misinformation, sometimes
entertaining, but more often annoying, as in the case of the rather
common
virus hoax.
THE FOLLOWING EMAIL IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF AN URBAN
LEGEND.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON URBAN LEGENDS BROWSE
GOOGLE OR VISIT
TRENDMICRO.COM TO
VIEW OTHER URBAN LEGENDS. |
| CA 125
Test for Ovarian Cancer |
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|
|
Type: Urban Legend
Description:
This email is making rounds
claiming that the CA 125 test is most effective in detecting the initial
stages of ovarian and peritoneal cancer. It also implies that this test
has been kept from the public and further advocates that it should be
used as an essential screening test for suspected cancer cases.
Findings by health
institutions, including the American Cancer Society, however, suggests
that this test is not entirely reliable. It falsely detects cancer
during menstruation and in other cases as well.
Although this test may be
done together with other diagnostic tests, it cannot be relied upon
solely as a primary screening test for cancer.
Recipients of this email are
advised not to forward it to other users.
Original Message:
CA 125 Test for Ovarian Cancer |
THIS EMAIL IS
AN EXAMPLE OF AN URBAN LEGEND.
PARTS OF THE STORY ARE REAL, OTHER PARTS ARE NOT TRUE.
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BEGIN EMAIL
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From:
Sent: Saturday, October 14, 2006 9:23 PM
To:
Subject: Re: An Eye Opener on Ovarian Cancer
THIS IS A MUST TO
READ TO THE END
SIGNS OF OVARIAN
CANCER
(even in the
absence of Ovaries)
I hope you all take the time to read this and pass it on to all you can.
Send this to the women
in your life that you care about.
Years ago, Gilda Radner died of ovarian cancer. Her symptoms were inconclusive,
and she was treated for
everything under the sun until it was too late. This blood test
finally identified her
illness but alas, too late. She wrote a book to heighten awareness.
Gene Wilder is her
widower.
KATHY'S STORY: this is the story of Kathy West
As all of you know, I have Primary Peritoneal Cancer. This cancer has only
recently
been identified as its
OWN type of cancer, but it is essentially Ovarian Cancer.
Both types of cancer are diagnosed in the same way, with the "tumor marker"
CA-125 BLOOD TEST, and
they are treated in the same way - surgery to remove
the primary tumor and
then chemotherapy with Taxol and Carboplatin.
Having gone through this ordeal, I want to save others from the same fate.
That is why I am sending
this message to you and hope you will print it and give
it or send it via E-mail
to everybody you know.
One thing I have learned is that each of us must take TOTAL responsibility for
our
own health care. I
thought I had done that because I always had an annual physical
and PAP smear, did a
monthly Self-Breast Exam, went to the dentist at least twice a year,
etc. I even insisted on
a sigmoidoscopy and a bone density test last year. When I had a
total hysterectomy in
1993, I thought that I did not have to worry about getting any
of the female
reproductive organ cancers.
LITTLE DID I KNOW. I don't have ovaries (and they were HEALTHY when they were
removed),
but I have what is
essentially ovarian cancer. Strange, isn' t it?
These are just SOME of the things our Doctors never tell us: ONE out of every 55
women
will get OVARIAN or
PRIMARY PERITONEAL CANCER.
The "CLASSIC" symptoms are an ABDOMEN that rather SUDDENLY ENLARGES
and CONSTIPATION and/or
DIARRHEA.
I had these classic symptoms and went to the doctor. Because these symptoms
seemed to be
"abdominal", I went to a
gastroenterologist. He ran tests that were designed to determine
whether there was a
bacteria infection; these tests were negative, and I was diagnosed with
"Irritable Bowel
Syndrome" I guess I would have accepted this diagnosis had it not been for my
enlarged abdomen. I
swear to you, it looked like I was 4-5 months pregnant! I therefore
insisted on more tests
They took an X-ray of my abdomen; it was negative. I was again assured that I
had
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
and was encouraged to go on my scheduled month-long trip
to Europe. I couldn't
wear any of my slacks or shorts because I couldn't get them buttoned,
and I KNEW something was
radically wrong. I INSISTED on more tests, and they reluctantly)
scheduled me for a
CT-Scan (just to shut me up, I think). This is what I mean by
"taking charge of our
own health care."
The CT-Scan showed a lot of fluid in my abdomen (NOT normal). Needless to say,
I had to cancel my trip
and have FIVE POUNDS of fluid drawn off at the hospital
(not a pleasant
experience I assure you), but NOTHING compared to what was ahead of me.
Tests revealed cancer cells in the fluid. Finally, finally, finally, the doctor
ran a
CA-125 blood test, and I
was properly diagnosed.
I HAD THE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS FOR OVARIAN CANCER, AND YET
THIS SIMPLE CA-125 BLOOD
TEST HAD NEVER BEEN RUN ON ME,
not as part of my annual
physical exam and not when I was symptomatic.
This is an inexpensive
and simple blood test!
PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FE MALE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES
TO INSIST ON A CA-125
BLOOD TEST EVERY YEAR AS PART OF THEIR
ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS.
Be forewarned that their doctors might try to talk them out of it, saying,
"IT ISN'T NECESSARY."
Believe me, had I known then what I know now,
we would have caught my
cancer much earlier (before it was a stage 3 cancer).
Insist on the CA-125
BLOOD TEST; DO NOT take "NO" for an answer!
The normal range for a CA-125 BLOOD TEST is between zero and 35.
MINE WAS 754. (That's
right, 754!). If the number is slightly above 35,
you can have another
done in three or six months and keep a close eye on it,
just as women do when
they have fibroid tumors or when men have a slightly
elevated PSA test (Prostatic
Specific Antigens) that helps diagnose prostate cancer.
Having the CA-125 test done annually can alert you early, and that's the goal in
diagnosing any type of
cancer - catching it early.
Do you know 55 women? If so, at least one of them will have this VERY AGGRESSIVE
cancer. Please, go to
your doctor and insist on a CA-125 test and have one
EVERY YEAR for the rest
of your life.
And forward this message to every woman you know, and tell all of your female
family
members and friends.
Though the median age for this cancer is 56, (and, guess what,
I'm exactly 56), women
as young as 22 have it. Age is no factor.
A NOTE FROM THE RN:
Well, after reading this, I made some calls. I found that the CA-125 test is an
ovarian
screening test
equivalent to a man's PSA test prostate screen (which my husband's
doctor automatically
gives him in his physical each year and insurance pays for it).
I called the general
practitioner's office about having the test done. The nurse had
never heard of it. She
told me that she doubted that insurance would pay for it.
So I called Prudential
Insurance Co, and got the same response.
Never heard of it - it
won't be covered.
I explained that it was the same as the PSA test they had paid for my husband
for years.
After conferring with
whomever they confer with, she told me that the CA-125 would be covered
It is $75 in a GP's office and $125 at the GYN's. This is a screening test that
should be
required just like a PAP
smear (a PAP smear cannot detect problems with your ovaries).
And you must insist that
your insurance company pay for it
Gene Wilder and Pierce Brosnan (his wife had it, too) are lobbying for women's
health issues,
saying that this test
should be required in our physicals, just like the PAP and the mammogram.
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO
SEND THIS OUT TO ALL THOSE YOU CAN.
BE IT MALE OR FEMALE, IT
SHOULD NOT MATTER, AS THEY CAN FORWARD
IT ALSO TO THOSE LOVED
ONES THEY KNOW.
IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH FORWARDING SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT
AS THIS, HERE'S A LITTLE
HINT THAT MAY ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR DECISION ~
JUST PRETEND THAT THIS
IS A JOKE, WHICH IT CERTAINLY IS NOT, AND SEND
IT OUT TO ALL THE FOLKS
YOU WOULD IF IT WAS. THANKS.
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END EMAIL
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THIS EMAIL IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF AN URBAN
LEGEND.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON URBAN LEGENDS BROWSE
GOOGLE OR VISIT
TRENDMICRO.COM TO
VIEW OTHER URBAN LEGENDS.