Why Early Testing Matters for Endometriosis

Endometrial-like tissue growth outside of the uterus is a condition known as endometriosis. Endometriosis causes symptoms such as back and pelvic pain, dyspareunia, and irregular periods. MyReceptiva offers an endometriosis test to check for specific protein markers. Here is more information on why early testing matters for endometriosis:

Treatment Decisions

Testing for endometriosis helps detect both silent and symptomatic forms of the condition. Silent endometriosis often presents with milder symptoms, making it more challenging to detect. The MyRecpetiva test utilizes a biopsy procedure. During the test, the doctor takes a sample of the uterine lining and sends it to the lab. The technicians check for BCL6, a protein marker that suggests uterine inflammation, a condition commonly associated with endometriosis. A positive result for the marker presents at least a 90% chance of endometriosis. A negative test result indicates a less than 7% chance of endometriosis. 

Receiving a positive result on an endometriosis test allows you and your fertility specialist to make appropriate treatment decisions earlier on. The available treatment options for endometriosis include hormone therapy and laparoscopy. A laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that provides a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis. During the surgery, the doctor can remove endometrial and scar tissue. This helps reduce endometriosis symptoms.

Complication Prevention

Receiving treatment early for endometriosis can help prevent further growth of the condition. The endometrial tissue may appear on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the intestines, and the outer wall of the uterus. Complications from endometriosis include ovarian cysts, which result in bleeding that causes adhesions and scar tissue. Adhesions are a type of fibrous tissue that connects to your pelvic tissues and organs. Scar tissue and adhesions can interfere with menstrual cycles, impacting fertility. Early testing allows for earlier treatment. This helps prevent further endometrial growth and cyst formation, reducing the amount of tissue that would need to be removed during a laparoscopy. Hormone therapy also helps prevent the growth of endometriosis.

Fertility Improvement

Advanced endometriosis can result in blockage of the fallopian tubes. This negatively affects the egg’s ability to travel from the ovary. Identifying and treating endometriosis early helps prevent the tubes from being blocked, improving fertility. 

An endometriosis test can also assess progesterone resistance, a condition that affects fertility and embryo health. This hormone regulates the menstrual cycle, thickening the uterine lining to prepare for the implantation of an egg. The menstrual cycle begins when no egg is released and progesterone levels drop, signaling the uterus to shed its lining. Progesterone resistance can result in insufficient or otherwise abnormal uterine lining. This impacts the quality of the uterine environment for embryo development. 

The MyReceptiva test can also check for progesterone resistance using the BCL6 marker. After identifying progesterone resistance or endometriosis, a fertility specialist can begin hormone treatments to help reduce inflammation and increase progesterone sensitivity to improve fertility and embryo health. Possible hormone treatments include gonadotropin-releasing agents and oral contraceptives. 

A fertility specialist can review your current lifestyle and offer recommendations to improve fertility. These changes may include engaging in regular light exercise, quitting smoking or recreational drugs, and creating a more nutritious diet. This helps reduce symptoms of endometriosis.

Positive IVF Results

In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is an artificial reproductive technology (ART) that assists with the fertility process. During this complex process, an egg is removed and fertilized. A healthy embryo is then carefully placed into the womb. Endometriosis impacts embryo health and development and can cause IVF failure, sometimes resulting in miscarriage. Receiving hormone treatment for endometriosis before participating in an IVF cycle helps improve the chances of a successful IVF cycle, ultimately allowing for a healthy pregnancy.

Receive an Endometriosis Test

Your OB-GYN or other fertility specialist can perform the endometriosis test during a standard appointment. Schedule a biopsy after you begin ovulation. The test results are available between five and six business days, accompanied by a report that interprets the presence of specific markers. We provide a brochure with more information about the biopsy on our website. We also offer a free 20-minute phone consultation with potential patients to address their questions about the test. To learn more about our MyReceptiva test, we invite you to complete our online scheduling form today.