The results of a pregnancy test can be life-changing, but they can also (sometimes) be wrong. Show
At the core, home tests are designed to pick up traces of human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG a hormone that is produced during pregnancy. HCG is made by cells formed in the placenta, in order to help grow the fertilized egg after it has attached to the uterine wall, according to The American Pregnancy Association. "Like all hormones, HCG has several functions in the body," says Heather Bartos, M.D., ob-gyn. "The hormone is produced by placental cells and promotes the corpus luteum, a normal ovarian cyst in pregnancy, which secrets progesterone. Progesterone is necessary for a healthy pregnancy. HCG may also have an effect of helping prevent immune reactions toward a developing fetus." RELATED: People Are Freaking Out Over These Birth Photos—Here's What You Need To KnowPregnancy tests are advertised as 99 percent accurate, if done correctly. In short: a woman pees on the end of a dipstick and her urine comes into contact with a specially treated strip made to detect if HCG is present. In minutes, results are available via positive/negative symbols or pregnant/not pregnant text. But, sometimes other factors affect the results of even the most reliable kits. (Hit the reset button—and burn fat like crazy with The Body Clock Diet!) During pregnancy, HCG levels increase daily. If a woman thinks she's getting a false positive result, an immediate visit to the doctor is imperative. Blood tests should be taken, and administered again 48 hours later. Ultimately, the origin of elevated HCG in the blood needs to be determined. If it's due to pregnancy, these specific hormone levels will double within two days time, says Bartos. Blood tests can detect pregnancy sooner, and more accurately, than at-home tests. Here are four reasons why the stick you’ve peed on may be misleading, and therefore getting a second opinion might be best. Watch men answer questions about birth control (spoiler alert—they're clueless):  Another Medical ConcernAll cancers produce some kind of hormone, and certain cancer cells produce beta HCG, which might sway pregnancy test results. “Certain medical conditions, such as ovarian tumors, can lead to elevations in the HCG hormone," says Bartos. "For instance, choriocarcinoma, a malignant cancer involving retained placental cells, produce [HCG] in high amounts, just as if it were in a pregnancy." Less-Than-Fresh UrineThis is more likely to cause a false negative than a false positive, but it's still worth nothing. “Urine pregnancy tests are good, but even these can fail," says Bartos, specifying that HCG is at its highest level when urine is fresh a.k.a. in the morning. "If the first-morning urine isn’t used, the pregnancy hormone level may not be high enough to discover it on the test." A False StartShould a woman become pregnant but suffer a miscarriage, there are still hormones in the body that will allude to carrying a child. “There’s something called a chemical pregnancy—think false start—that leads to a positive test, but nothing ever happens afterwards,” says Bartos. An egg implants in the uterus, and HCG is produced by the cells that would have developed into the placenta. "The most common explanation for a false positive is that you really were pregnant when you took the test, but it wasn’t viable. This is caused by a chemical pregnancy, which occurs if a fertilized egg, known as the embryo, stops growing very soon after conception,” says Scott Capobianco, M.D., ob-gyn at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California. RELATED: How to Poop Politely at Work, on Planes, and at a Guy's PlaceTaking MedicationsOver-the-counter pills like Advil won’t affect pregnancy test results, but some prescription drugs might have a strong impact. “False positives can also occur if you take a pregnancy test too soon after taking a fertility drug, or other medications (like HCG shots) that contain the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin," says Capobianco. "Although it’s not medically indicated, some patients take HCG for weight loss in conjunction with a weight-loss management program. That involves injections of the hormone." Ovarian Cancer Symptoms vs. Pregnancy Symptoms Quick ComparisonCommon symptoms to both ovarian cancer and pregnancy are as follows: pelvic discomfort, abdominal swelling and/or bloating, urinary frequency, constipation, abnormalities in menstruation, nausea, and vomiting, and fatigue. The symptoms that can be common to both ovarian cancer and pregnancy are as follows: pelvic discomfort, abdominal swelling and/or bloating, urinary frequency, constipation, abnormalities in menstruation, nausea, and vomiting, and fatigue. Symptoms of pregnancy that are not usually seen in ovarian cancer are premenstrual syndrome (PMS), missed menstrual period, breast swelling and/or tenderness, weight gain, and fetal development in the uterus. Pregnancy is easy to diagnose with a pregnancy test; ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose because symptoms don’t appear until late in the disease process. Ovarian cancer is usually diagnosed with a biopsy sample. Pregnancy is the time when a fetus develops in a female’s body (about 9 months) to produce an offspring; ovarian cancer is the abnormal development of cells that may form tumors in a female’s abdomen. Pregnancy is a normal developmental condition while ovarian cancer is the abnormal development and proliferation of certain cells related to or from the ovaries. Ovarian cancer has four stages that describe an increasingly severe disease that often results in death, while pregnancy is usually divided into three trimesters with the end of pregnancy resulting in a new life. What Are the Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?Ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose because symptoms often do not occur until late in the disease. Symptoms do not occur until the tumor has grown large enough to apply pressure to other organs in the abdomen, or until the cancer has spread to remote organs. The symptoms are nonspecific, meaning they could be due to many different conditions. Cancer is not usually the first thing considered in a woman having symptoms. The only early symptom of the disease can be menstrual irregularity. Symptoms that come later include the following:
What Are the Symptoms of Pregnancy?
SLIDESHOWSkin Cancer Symptoms, Types, Images See SlideshowFrom References "Epithelial carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, and peritoneum: Clinical features and diagnosis" "Patient information: Morning sickness (The Basics)" "Initial prenatal assessment and first-trimester prenatal care" What types of cancer can cause a false positive pregnancy test?cancers of the ovary, bladder, kidney, liver, lung, colon, breast, and stomach. phantom hCG, where antibodies interfere with the testing kit. ovarian cysts that produce hCG.
Can cancer give a false positive pregnancy test?Screening for pregnancy is a standard protocol at our cancer center for all women of potential childbearing age who may be undergoing medical or surgical procedures. However, a number of different epithelial cancers can produce a form of the β-hCG subunit, and lead to false positive pregnancy results.
Can ovarian cancer be mistaken for pregnancy?As cancer grows and spreads, symptoms may appear or become more obvious. Some symptoms mimic pregnancy symptoms and include: Bloating. Changes in vaginal bleeding or discharge.
Can ovarian cancer raise hCG levels?Ovarian and testicular cancer can dramatically increase hCG levels. Other cancer types, such as breast and lung cancer, may also increase hCG blood levels. High hCG levels further feed the growth of tumors and the blood vessels that feed them. Pregnancy tests should never be used to screen for these cancer types.
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Can ovarian cancer cause a false positive pregnancy test
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