Need help. Question about ca-125 and cea blood tests, ct scans, ultrasounds, and is my dr jumping the gun here

I am worried sick. I have had a pain on and off for 5 years now. I am 27 now, was 22 when it started. Drs have always blown me off but it wasn't until 8 months ago that I had a transvaginal and abdominal u/s to look for cysts. Everything came back fine. Pain comes and goes, so I go to get a ct scan. Everything showed fine. Ovaries have shown no cysts. Less than 2 years ago, I had a c-section, my doctor noted that my ovaries and tubes look good. Now he is ordering ca-125 and cea bloodtests to look for cancer in the ovaries and lower g.i. tract. Getting these tests scare me because I've heard how unreliable they are.

They have found NO cysts, no tumors, nothing. I'm thinking it might be endometriosis. I know that endo can make those tests come back elevated and I'm scared that by getting this test I'm going to freak myself out. I do not feel like there is a reason for my dr to be scaring me like this. I really feel like he's jumping the gun. CT scan and u/s showed everything was good.

* 9 minutes ago
* - 3 days left to answer.

Additional Details

4 minutes ago
Like I said, I've had this pain off and on (mysteriously stopped when I was pregnant) for 5 years. I would think that after FIVE years cancer would have spread to something else, RIGHT? He looked at my ovaries and tubes when I had a c-section, which was 3 years into my pain problem on my left hand side. Even after just 3 years of pain in that spot, if it was a tumor, the doctor would have seen it. Then now that it's 5 years after the pain, I've had ultrasounds and CT Scans, and everything shows fine. It couldn't be cancer, right? Don't you have to have a growth SOMEWHERE? I think the next logical step would be to go in and look to see if they can find endo. Screening me for cancer using these blood tests to me is scary and silly. It could be so many other things. Right? I might have a cystic ovary or endo...or even a twisted ligament. I do have a very tilted uterus, I wonder if that could cause pain?

Someone please console me here. I didn't sleep at all last night and I'm VERY upset.

2 minutes ago
My pain is in my lower left hand side....right where my ovary is....so says my dr.

Listen, you are completely correct. The chronicity of your problem totally argues against cancer. Even in the initial 3 years of your pain, a cancer would be not just noticeable, but obvious when you had surgery.

That being said, your doctor is being thorough. We live in an age of practicing defensive medicine. You DO have to order tests that are not needed in order to prevent yourself from being sued. It is just one of the many reasons our health care system is not sustainable.

Iv'e been there and done that, my experience is as follows: Terrible menstraul cramps for 5 years nothing ever showed on ultra sounds. Last Sept. I went to the Dr. couldn't take the pain, sent me for CT scan, a big ovarian cyst showed up. Had a CA-125 test done, my # was 1725, suppose to be under 40. Scared me to death, family flew down, thought I had cancer. Went to a Oncologist Gynecologist and had a total hysterectomy, found out I had a severe case of endometrioisis, no cancer! Endo doesn't show up on ultra sounds or CT scans, it does raise your CA-125 # dramatically! I don't think you have cancer, but a great chance of endo. Doesn't mean you have to have a hysterectomy, there are other ways to treat endo. Have the CA-125 test done it will confirm more of a diagnosis of endo. I worried myself sick and it was never cancer. Please don't do the same thing, but do get treatment, I would bet you that it is endo. Let me know! Good luck!