Endometriosis will one day be diagnosed through a simple blood test.

There are several past and ongoing studies which are trying to identify “markers” which may lead the medical community to diagnose Endometriosis through a blood or tissue sample.  Imagine it: a non-invasive, conclusive diagnosis.  It’s still a theory…a hope…

Dr. Agarwal and Dr. Foster of San Diego’s Center for Endometriosis Research and Treatment are currently working on a project to see if a “BDNF” blood test will help diagnose Endo.  They have high hopes for this project.

The Feinstein Institute of Medical Research has an ongoing study to collect and evaluate DNA and menstrual blood samples of women with, and without, Endometriosis.  Their hope is to identify additional markers that separate Endo Sufferers from the general population.

CA-125 has been a long-studied biomarker which may indicate the presence, or recurrence, of Endometriosis.  Unfortunately, it has been deemed widely unreliable.  It is also used to attempt to diagnose ovarian cancer.  Additional studies are ongoing.

With persistent research, perhaps one day Endo will be simply diagnosed with a blood test!

Keep up the good work, Scientific and Medical Community!

A woman with Endometriosis may require surgeries to cut out the disease for the rest of her life.

Excision surgery is the “gold standard” for treating the symptoms associated with Endometriosis.  Surgeons cut out (excise) the Endometriosis implants that are found within the body, and also remove/cut free any adhesions that may be sticking organs together.  Some women claim immediate pain relief after their first surgery, some do not.  And countless women have to later undergo numerous excision surgeries, some in as little as six months after their last surgery.  Some women are pain-free for several years before having to go under the knife yet again.

Hysterectomies and menopause do not even relieve some womens’ Endometriosis symptoms.  Many women who are post-hysterectomy or even post-menopausal continue to suffer from Endometriosis pain and symptoms and continue to undergo excision surgeries.

Many in the medical community claim to be “the best” at an excision surgery; stating that once a patient sees them, they never have to undergo another surgery. Ever again.  Alas, while that may be true for some very lucky women, it is not true for all women.  And many patients who have seen these “experts,” later return for subsequent excision surgeries.  It’s not the surgeon’s fault…Endo just continues to fester and grow.

It remains that excision surgery is the most widely accepted treatment of Endometriosis.  And despite a well-balanced “endo diet,” supplements, prescription medication, and/or lifestyle changes, many women continue to suffer after their surgeries, and continue to require more.

It’s a vicious cycle.

Endometriosis can be diagnosed by blood tests, imaging studies, or pelvic examinations.

There are many ways a physician may begin to suspect that a woman has Endometriosis.  A review of her pain, symptoms, and medical history; a pelvic examination; ultrasounds or MRIs; and blood tests.  But can these tests actually confirm a diagnosis of Endometriosis?

No.

The only “golden standard,” tried-and-true method of confirming the presence of Endometriosis is surgically opening a woman’s abdomen, peeking inside, and seeing the presence of the implants, lesions, and/or adhesions.  A study published on July 13, 2016 concludes, again, that surgery is the “golden standard” method of diagnosing Endometriosis.  It further states that these non-invasive tools should only be used in a research setting…

Presently, there are ongoing studies and research to develop non-invasive ways of being able to confirm Endometriosis; however, those end results are long off.