I was test for ANA

[thejudster747]

Since my early 20's many doctors I had seen thought that by my symptoms I had lupus.  My test over the years showed negitive however in my late 40's I had a positive ANA.  Does this mean that I have lupus?  I am now 63 years old and have managed well until recently I was diagnosed with breast cancer (had a mastecomy last month).  How accurate are the ANA tests and is there more accurate tests now available?  If I do indeed have lupus could my chances of cancer been increased?  Thanks

[Garth L Nicolson, PhD]

I don't know of any published study linking breast cancer and lupus.  However, when you google breast cancer and lupus up comes the www.breastcancer.org discussion board.  On the board is a discussion between breast cancer patients who also have lupus or previously had a diagnosis of lupus.

The accuracy of the ANA testing depends, of course, on the laboratory conducting the test but also on other variables, such as age, chronic infections, cancer, other chronic illnesses, and whether certain drugs that induce ANA antibodies were taken before the test.

About 80-95% of lupus patients will test positive in the ANA test, so obviously a few don't test positive, even though they have a diagnosis of lupus.  This may depend on the titer, with a few patients with low titers being told they are negative, or they are actually negative and not making anti-nuclear antibodies.

Prof Garth Nicolson

[Lbrianne]

I'm 18 years old and I've suffered from anxiety and depression all my life. I freak out about brain problems constantly. I'm terrified of becoming paralyzed or disabled.. Anything along that line. In may I started having weird symptoms like feeling like I wasn't real or something being confused and stressed constantly then I started having muscle twitches slurred speech felt like I was looking through glass. I had a negative MRI with constrast.. Every blood test under the sun. Been to an ent ge said all was fine. Eventually it all went away. But 2 months later it returned full force. Now I'm experiencing strange vision.. Eye doctor says all is fine, weak arm, and I cannot stop thinking about thus. I almost lost my job because of feeling like I couldn't walk without feeling light headed.. All the doctors say is it's anxiety and depression, but I don't feel anxious. I do however feel depressed because I'm afraid of having ms or something like that. Any ideas of what it could be?

[bambi5451]

A related discussion, vitiligo was started.

[brittanyxoxo]

A related discussion, Does this sound autoimmune? Help me please was started.

[ladypar72]

i tested positive for ra while having polymyalgia but no clinical signs of ra so guess no treatment yet but both my knees hart but not red or swollen . my polymyagia is upper arms shoulders and neck could i realy have ra instead my sedrate is normal but tons of pain 11 mo now.