Latest news with #CharlizeDavids
New York Post
a day ago
- Health
- New York Post
This super-rare cancer can give you a false positive pregnancy test — and symptoms as if you're expecting
It was anything but a bundle of joy. A woman was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer after experiencing symptoms that led doctors to initially believe she was pregnant. But instead of carrying new life, she was suddenly fighting for her own. Advertisement 3 Early signs of ovarian cancer, such as bloating, abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding, can mimic some symptoms of pregnancy. Peakstock – The 36-year-old sought medical help after three months of heavy, abnormal menstrual bleeding. Her periods had always been regular before, lasting four to five days every 28 to 30 days. In a case report, doctors noted she appeared pale, though her vital signs were stable. A pregnancy test came back positive — and a firm mass in her abdomen seemed to confirm it. Initial ultrasounds suggested an ectopic pregnancy — a life-threatening condition where a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. If untreated, it can rupture and cause fatal internal bleeding. Advertisement But further imaging revealed it wasn't a pregnancy at all. Instead, there was a large mass on her right ovary. Surgeons promptly removed the mass, along with the woman's uterus, ovaries and nearby lymph nodes. Genetic testing confirmed the tumor was a non-gestational ovarian choriocarcinoma (NGOC), an extremely rare cancer. NGOC typically affects young women and can be difficult to diagnose, as it mimics pregnancy-related symptoms like vaginal bleeding and elevated levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG. Advertisement It makes up less than 0.6% of ovarian germ cell cancers, which originate from reproductive cells in the ovaries that normally mature into eggs. 3 The patient had a large mass in her right ovary. 2025 Kumar et al. That's different from gestational choriocarcinoma (GOC), the more common form, which typically develops from cells that were part of the placenta during pregnancy. Advertisement NGOC often begins in the ovaries or uterus but can quickly spread to the lungs, liver and other organs. It typically carries a poorer prognosis than GOC, and responds differently to treatment. Fortunately, in this case, the tumor was caught early and had not yet spread when it was removed. Following surgery and two cycles of chemotherapy, the woman's hCG levels returned to normal. Doctors will continue to monitor her closely, conducting regular hormone tests and imaging scans to check for any signs of recurrence. What else can cause a false positive pregnancy test? As terrifying as this case is, it's not the only reason a pregnancy test can read as positive without a baby on board. 3 Many home pregnancy tests claim to be 99% accurate, but they can sometimes deliver false results. Charlize Davids/ – 'Home urine pregnancy tests are pretty reliable, but there are some reasons you might get a false-positive result,' Dr. Jonathan Emery, an OB-GYN, told the Cleveland Clinic. One of the biggest culprits? Early pregnancy loss. Advertisement 'It's not technically false since a very early pregnancy did occur,' Emery explained. 'But this is the most common reason that a pregnancy test might appear to have been false.' The same effect can also happen after an abortion, when leftover pregnancy hormones may linger in the body for four to six weeks. Certain medications, including fertility treatments, performance-enhancing drugs or anything containing synthetic hCG, can trigger a false positive as well. Advertisement In other cases, elevated hCG levels may be linked to underlying medical conditions such as urinary tract infections, ovarian cysts, kidney disease, or cancers of the ovary, bladder, liver and other organs. And sometimes, it just comes down to user error. 'If you don't follow all the instructions, any results — positive or negative — could be false,' Emery said.
New York Post
06-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
IVF parents are spending thousands to predict their babies' chances of having Alzheimer's, cancer and heart disease
Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's … genetic optimization? Prospective parents using in vitro fertilization (IVF) will soon be able to select embryos based on their potential risk for diseases — including illnesses that develop later in life — thanks to a groundbreaking $5,999 service announced this week by a US biotech company. 'Before there's a heartbeat, there's DNA,' Kian Sadeghi, founder and chief executive of Nucleus Genomics, said in a statement. 'One file containing DNA and genetic markers can tell you more about your baby's future than any other test a doctor could possibly run at this stage.' 4 Supporters say screening could prevent chronic illness, but critics warn it may fuel stigma and inequality. New Africa – What is IVF? The popular fertility treatment involves removing eggs from a woman's ovaries and fertilizing them with sperm in a lab. The resulting embryo — which could be frozen or fresh — is placed into the uterus, where it hopefully implants in the uterine wall and sparks a pregnancy. Before implantation, many IVF clinics already screen embryos for genetic abnormalities — such as extra chromosomes or gene mutations — that can lead to failed implantations, miscarriages, birth defects or inherited disorders. But the first-of-its-kind service from Nucleus Genomics takes things a step further. Build-a-baby The company just launched Nucleus Embryo, a new software platform that lets potential parents dig deep into the full genetic blueprint of their embryos before choosing which one to implant. 4 The number of Americans using IVF has skyrocketed over the last decade. – The tool lets IVF patients compare the DNA of up to 20 embryos, screening them for more than 900 conditions — including Alzheimer's, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and several forms of cancer. It doesn't stop there. The program also flags potential mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia and even ranks cognitive traits like IQ. Parents can also get a look at cosmetic and physical features, from height, baldness and BMI to eye and hair color. The company isn't promising perfection. Instead, the software generates a so-called polygenic risk score that will give parents the probability of how likely it is an embryo might develop certain traits or diseases. 4 Many IVF clinics already screen for certain genetic risk factors, like an abnormal number of chromosomes. Charlize Davids/ – Ultimately, it's up to the parents to decide which qualities matter most to them. For those looking to decode the results, genetic counseling sessions are available. 'Lifespan has dramatically increased in the last 150 years,' Sadeghi told the Wall Street Journal. 'DNA testing to predict and reduce chronic disease can make it happen again.' A new era of reproductive tech The practice, known as polygenic embryo screening, is already highly controversial in the medical world, according to a report published by Harvard Law School's Petrie-Flom Center. Critics warn that allowing parents to screen embryos for risks like depression or diabetes could deepen stigma and discrimination against people living with those conditions. Meanwhile, disability advocates argue it promotes the harmful idea that disability is something to be fixed, not a natural part of human diversity. And when it comes to choosing embryos for traits like intelligence or athleticism, critics say we're sliding into designer baby territory — a modern form of eugenics that favors the rich, reinforcing social and healthcare inequalities. 4 Few Americans approve of using the technology to predict traits unrelated to disease. Gemyful – Still, the public appears open to some aspects of the tech. A 2023 survey found that 77% of Americans support using it to screen embryos for the likelihood of developing certain physical conditions, while 72% back screening for mental health risks. Proponents argue it's no different from vaccination — a preventive tool, not a judgment on those with the condition. But when it comes to non-medical traits, support drops fast: only 36% back screening embryos for behavioral traits and just 30% for physical features like height or eye color.
