CA 125

CA 125 study what is it about?

CA 125 is an antigenic protein that is a tumor marker. Its concentration is particularly high in women with ovarian cancer, when there is uncontrolled growth of ovarian cells. Most commonly, CA 125 is used in cases of diagnosed ovarian cancer to monitor the effectiveness of treatment. CA 125 determination can also be helpful in women at risk for ovarian cancer for early detection of cancerous changes. In addition to CA 125, HE-4 marker determinations are used - their combined evaluation (the so-called ROMA algorithm) allows for greater diagnostic precision.

An elevated CA 125 concentration is usually observed in people:

• with epithelial ovarian cancer,
• with breast cancer,
• with uterine cancer,
• with cancer of the fallopian tube,
• with esophageal cancer,
• with stomach cancer,
• with liver cancer,
• with pancreatic cancer,

Not in all cases does an elevated marker level mean cancer. For non-cancerous diseases, elevated CA 125 levels are seen in people with: cirrhosis, ascites, pleural or pericardial effusion, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, and uterine fibroids.

There is no evidence of elevated CA 125 levels in people with: cirrhosis, ascites, pleural or pericardial effusion, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, pelvic inflammatory disease, and uterine fibroids

An elevated CA 125 level is also observed during pregnancy and menstruation.