My mother and sister have had breast cancer, and my doctor wants me to have expensive blood tests every year to see if I will get it. How do these work and are they reliable?
The development of blood tests for specific antigens that are produced against particular types of cancer is one of the most exciting recent developments in pathology. Unfortunately the technology is still far from perfect, but antigens against a number of cancers including those that occur in the breast, pancreas, liver, colon, ovary, uterus and prostate have so far been detected. Unfortunately they are unreliable as a way of detecting cancer as there is no absolute value in any one person above which a cancer can be said to be present, but a series of tests over a period of months or years may show increasing levels of the antigen which may indicate the presence of a particular cancer.
The tests are particularly useful in following the progress of treatment in a patient (if successful, antigen levels should decrease steadily), or in watching a patient who has a bad family history of a particular type of cancer.
The cost is not covered by Medicare,, and so these tests are expensive, but may be useful in your situation. You must, of course, continue to regularly examine your breasts yourself, and have mammograms every year or two.

I have been told to take warfarin tablets life long as my heart beats irregularly, but I have to have blood tests every couple of weeks. What are these tests for?
A clotting or coagulation test measures how long it takes the blood to clot. This test may be ordered for someone who bruises or bleeds excessively to find out if they are a sufferer from an hereditary disease such as haemophilia (in which the blood does not clot and so even a minor accident can cause excessive bleeding), or one of the many other diseases that can reduce clotting.
Patients with a high risk of blood clots forming in the heart, an artery or vein, which may result in a heart attack, lung damage or stroke, may be placed on anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin. Clotting tests are carried out regularly to monitor the effect of these drugs and to ensure that a balance is maintained between pteventing a clot forming and stopping the blood clotting at all.
These tests are often reported as a ratio (international normalised ratio— INR) which measures how much longer the patient takes to stop bleeding than normal. A person with an INR of 3 takes three times as long to stop bleeding as a normal person. The doctor will determine the INR which is desirable for the patient (usually between 2 and 3.5), depending upon their diagnosis.
Warfarin may be life-saving in the correct dose, but if too much or too little is taken, there may be excessive internal bleeding, or the drug may not act to prevent dangerous blood clots in arteries. This is why regular blood tests are essential.

I’m a married woman of 24. I want the advice of a gynecologist. I have some gum like white secretion from my breasts since 4 days. It is not creating any pain but my husband noticed it while squeezing. It comes out only when forced, not normally. My menstrual cycle is regular. I’m taking some medication for cysts in the ovary.
You have made a mention of cyst in the ovary but not given any details. Sometimes this secretion from the breast can be due to a rise in levels of the hormone Prolactin which is produced by the ovaries. I would advise you to consult your gynecologist and report the same, as your prolactin level should be checked. If this is high then further tests need to be carried out to find the cause. Once that is done then, depending on the cause, you can be treated with medication. Please visit your doctor, especially since you have also mentioned the presence of an ovarian cyst.

I have developed sagging breasts. Will I face any further problems after pregnancy and breast feeding?  I’ve noticed some kind of white discharge from my vagina. Is this normal?
In reply to your first question, sagging breasts are not a problem for breast feeding; only a cosmetic disadvantage. However you can prevent further drooping by wearing a well fitted bra. Pay special attention to the shoulder straps so that they lift the breast comfortably and firmly. They should not cut into your shoulder. Also do some resistance training to firm up the pectoral muscles. The problem of white discharge vaginally should be addressed. If this is a clear discharge, which occurs during the mid menstrual cycle and has no smell or does not cause itching, then it’s a normal ovulatory discharge. If the discharge is a curdy white and accompanied by itching, then you should see a doctor as it could be a fungal infection(Candidiasis) which needs treatment.