Cancer Antigen 125 (CA 125) details
What Cancer Antigen 125 (CA 125) shows
CA 125 is a protein that can be elevated in various conditions affecting the ovaries and pelvic organs, most notably ovarian cancer, where it's used primarily to monitor treatment response and watch for cancer recurrence after diagnosis and treatment — it's not considered reliable enough as a standalone screening test for ovarian cancer in average-risk women, since it lacks the sensitivity and specificity needed. CA 125 can also be elevated by many non-cancerous conditions, including endometriosis, fibroids, pelvic inflammatory disease, pregnancy, and even menstruation, so an elevated result outside of a known cancer diagnosis is usually interpreted cautiously and followed up with imaging and clinical evaluation rather than assumed to indicate cancer.
Tests that include Cancer Antigen 125 (CA 125)
CA 125 (Cancer Antigen 125) is a protein that may be elevated in the blood of individuals with certain cancers, most commonly ovarian cancer. It is used to monitor treatment response, detect recurrence, and sometimes assist in diagnosis, although elevated levels can also be seen in non-cancerous conditions like menstruation, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease.
- Cancer Antigen 125 (CA 125) A protein used mainly to monitor ovarian cancer treatment and detect recurrence; it can also be elevated by non-cancerous conditions like endometriosis.
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